FULL MOON

FRIDAY

During my sleep period yesterday, the damn power went off for a couple of hours. Besides all those little items that need to be reset when this happens, it also means that it gets god-awful hot and humid in my bedroom. With the fans standing idle, I just lay there and glow perspire sweat like a hog. When it finally came back on, the relief was instantaneous and I drifted into a really deep sleep. Woke up and saw that it was gett6ing dark, Uh-oh! It was 5:55pm and I usually start getting ready for work at 6:00pm. Missed my normal casual climb to conciousness.

Had a rough handoff at shift change, all the info I am supposed to get at changeover was missing. I didn't know who was working, where they were at and what the line-up was. Had to play it by ear until I could determine what was happening.

Went to "The Triangle" and collected the funds owed me from Thursday's "no pay" and returned the wallet. Actually got a $5 tip from the guy. At least things were starting to improve.

The various day-shift drivers lingered for awhile and then washed out between 9:00pm and 10:30pm. About 11:00pm, the fates pulled the plug and the phone stopped ringing. One of the night drivers called it quits around 12:15 am and the three of us remaining had no problem fielding calls through "bar close". Once I was alone, the phone never rang again until just before 5:00am. Just after I had handed it to my relief.

Did 12 runs and made decent money but nothing like the prior 2 shifts.

Did my nightly shopping and when I went home to put everything away my cat, Bear, was adamant about wanting some attention and affection and a shoulder to purr on.



There was a small disturbance that started at LAB at bar close and moved across the street into FoodLand's parking lot. Drunk locals doing the macho BS routine. Besides being young, drunk and stupid, people of polynesian decent are missing the emzyme that properly assimulates alcohol. Smaller amounts of alcohol have a greater effect on their brains. This also applies, to a lesser degree, to all people of asian heritage.

Regardless of any person's bloodline, once an individual's alcohol level has reached the point of stupidity, anything can, and probably will, happen.

I forgot to mention it, but the current version of ONE-NINE had its first puker on Thursday night. Taking a couple from "The Triangle" to the Sugar Beach Resort, on north Kihei Road, and we were on the Pi'ilani Hwy (SR-31) when the husband said he thought his wife was sick. Her window was down and I looked in my left outside mirror and saw her head stuck outside the window, chunks blowing in the slipstream. Pulled into the Tesoro station at Pi'ilani and Ohukai, got her some paper towels and surveyed how much fouling had been done. Remarkably, 99.9% of the ejecta had been on the exterior of the vehicle. She cleaned up what little there was on the inside of the left-rear door and the husband sprayed most of the large chunks off of the left rear fender and trunk lid. Took a garden hose to the car a little later and wiped the interior with disinfectant.

My worst puker was a few years back, who projectile vomitted from the center of the rear seat onto the inside of the winshield while we were crossing the island to Kahului. I'll leave it at that. No matter had bad you can imagine it was, you wouldn't even be close to how bad it really was. And that doesn't even hold a candle to an incident that occurred while I was giving CPR to a heart attack victim, in my prior life. Use your imagination.

Last night was pretty easy on the phone. Only had to [click] three calls. Why people call for a cab without knowing where they are still amazes me.

One more night to go.

Talk to y'all tomorrow.

Aloha!

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

The Venus Pool, Waikoa
Along The Road To Hana

"Let's all be careful out there!"