Day 255 – Salt in the Wound

10

255/365 (September 12, 2010) – I was so caught up in being pissed off about some stupid petty politics in my volunteer organization that I almost missed taking a photo today. In light of the situation, this seemed appropriate. Actually, I rather like this image, I wasn’t expecting much of anything out of that rushed firing of a few shots with the little Lumix.

I had a fascination with salt a little while back and have about four or five kinds in the kitchen at the moment. This Hawaiian red sea salt (or Alaea) is one of them. Alaea Sea Salt is a traditional Hawaiian table salt used to season and preserve. A natural mineral called “Alae” (volcanic baked red clay) is added to enrich the salt with iron oxide. This natural clay additive is what gives the salt its distinctive red colour and imparts a subtle flavour that is said to be mellower and more earthy than regular sea salt. It is the traditional and authentic seasoning for native Hawaiian dishes such as Kalua pig, poke and Hawaiian jerky.

I’ll try to keep the salt where it belongs, on the food, not in the wound that someone keeps reopening.

Eight more months, eight more months, eight more months. Enough people have reminded me repeatedly that I’ve been doing this for a dozen years and the end of this particular short regime is in sight. If I just keep repeating it I can grit my teeth and get through until a less difficult personality, one that doesn’t need to have the ego constantly stroked, one that doesn’t drive really great volunteers away because of stupid politics, steps in as a replacement. It’s just a bitter pill since I am largely responsible for the installation of the current difficult person. Eight more months, eight more months, eight more months.

Veni, Vidi, Velcro (I came, I saw, I stuck around)