Imagine if our birthdays showed up more than once a year!  We could have almost daily lunches at Pink Mocha Cafe, or even cozier, in the back room after chair yoga, where we’d take lots of pics and clean up our crumbs.  But there’s a quota on how many we can celebrate: one per person, based on when we first arrived.  And, January 31st is the day that our fearless leader chose to come on stage.  (Personally, I think she deserves at least five birthdays.) Kelsie’s stage is built in multiple layers. She has her desk at the front, where she sometimes rides the stationary bike and...

The warning signal chirped on our cell phones — not true … no Hawaiian birds could possibly emit such a chilling noise. (Bird reproduction would plunge as mating calls were drowned out.)  It was the same incessant beep sent out to alert us about island floods that never challenged us but jolted us out of whatever we were doing in quieter times. Mysteriously, the morning was clear and dry as could be. First, Bill’s phone at 8:06, and then mine two minutes later: “Emergency Alert… Ballistic missile threat inbound Hawaii.  Seek immediate shelter.  This is not a...