MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ:

LAST NIGHT MY SHIFT WAS:

1. Slow
2. boring
3. dead
4. wet
5. profitable
6. None of the above
7. All of the above
8. What was the question again?

When I added everything up this morning, I was surprised to see that my take home was over 80% of my meter. Bummer is that it wasn't a $300-$400 shift. Those are coming (hopefully) very soon.

I am looking over my trip sheet and there wasn't one run of interest. Just a routine mix of tourists and residents.

Wednesday night I had one fare , a local, ask me as soon as he hopped in the cab if I had change for a $100. Thats a question that you NEVER(!!) say "yes" to. He wanted to stop at a gas station and get it broke and I told him that the stations don't keep that much cash available but the grocery stores do and suggested Safeway, directly along our route of travel. Just as we approached Safeway, he changed his mind and claimed he had enough to pay. And did he ever. The proverbial "horse choker". Gave me $15 on a $14.60. But the little "voice" in my head just kept screaming at me. Something just wasn't kosher. When he called back during the dog-watch, I brushed him off with a long waiting time response. I ALWAYS(!!) listen to my little "voice". A major reason I made it to 60.

7 fares / 80 miles / 4th quarter below $100 bracket

***

I needed to print up some biz-cards yesterday. So, I sat down at my laptop and it dawned on me that the template is on the damn PC. Lets just leave it with the knowledge that I was not successful in my endeavors.

Well, its Friday. Tonight is as good as this week is going to get. I am hoping for miracles.

BTW - Just 25 Shopping Days until Christmas.

MAHALO

ALOHA

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

The Perfect Storm

High Surf

'Iao Needle

Rainbow
DUH!

Inviting

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

OKAY, THIS IS FUN...

Fake Magazine Covers

MagMyPic.com

It is a new webservice. Try it yourself and maybe post some results on your blog or webpage. Even send it in an e-mail to your friends (or enemies)




"Let's all be careful out there!"

YOU WANT RAIN?

JUST COME ON DOWN



You can check out "Big Blue", Glenn James' Maui Weather Today or the latest radar loop. There is a whole series of storms marching across the Gulf of Alaska, headed for the mainland. Their trailing fronts are sweeping Hawai'i. Right now it has stopped but the forecast calls for unsettled weather throughout the weekend.

After eating my dinner yesterday morning, my feast that Judy saved for me, I crawled into bed and died. Somewhere along the way I became aware that I was getting a bit damp. Didn't open my eyes, just reached over and touched the windowsill. Yep, it was wet. Slid the window shut, buried myself deeper in my sheet and resumed my comatose bliss. By the time I left for work last night, it had finally stopped. just water dripping from the eaves and leaves. The most noticible fact was that the temperature had dropped significantly, for Hawai'i anyway. Tummy full of turkey, awake 23 hours and ideal sleeping conditions. A wonderful rest.

Normally the busiest part of the shift for me is between 7p and 10p. And the period between 11p and 1a is the slowest. Last night that was inverted. A bit past 8p, dispatch gave me a fare from Joe's Bar & Grill, in Wailea, to an unknown detination in Kihei. Made the pick-up and we only went as far as The Shops At Wailea. A measely 3/10s of a mile away. $4.40. An hour and a half later I get my second fare, Shops to the "Triangle". I surrendered to the fact that I would be lucky if I broke $50 on the meter for the shift.

Then things started popping from 11p to 2:30a and I more than doubled my guesstimate. Any other time of the year I would be whining about what I metered last night but during the break between Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially on weeknights, breaking $100 on the meter is fantastic. Its a matter of perspective.

Made one pick-up about a quarter til 2, two ladies from San Francisco going just a short distance to the Maui Coast Hotel. As they were boarding, some Lothario was trying a last ditch effort to get a phone number from them. They are in the rear seat and ol' "Johnny" is hanging through the front passenger window. The girls look at me and ask me to please just drive. So, I did. Slowly, of course. I wanted this idiot to have at least a fighting chance to gain his footing and take the hint. He did. Half an hour later I picked him up also and deposited him just a short distance past where the girls were staying. We laughed about how I had gotten rid of him the first time.

Oh, I have come to the conclusion that "Crazy" Brian is totally paranoid. If he isn't the top dog for the shift he just knows that everyone is stealing runs or has an "in" with whomever is dispatching. Which is funny, considering that he held the phone from 9p until 2a yesterday. Never confuse a paranoid's mind with facts. They can't handle it.

10 fares / 82 miles / 1st quarter $100 bracket

***

Tonight is my phone night.

Have a great day everyone. And get ready for some major storms as the "Siberian Express"starts pumping them your way.

MAHALO

ALOHA

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

EVEN THOUGH THE NIGHT WAS SLOW...

I GOT SOME GOOD BREAKS

Not a lot to write about this morning. Exactly one hour after logging on I picked up to OGG from Wailea. At this time of year, that is always profitable. Then one pu-pu run at 9:30p and another at 11:00p. One bar-close flag. Did a bare necessities stop at Safeway and then went home to kill the rest of the dog-watch. The Fates had a surprise in store for me. A PBX operator out of one of the Wailea resorts called and asked if I "wanna take a ride?" (Anyone know what movie that line is from?)

DUH!

9 minutes later I made the pick-up and off to the harbor in Lahaina we went. There is some sort of deepsea fishing competion taking place this week and he was entered. That made the perfect close for the night. My relief, Mary, checked in just as I entered Kihei on the return and I was home before 5:00a. I was the "pigeon" last night, rather than the statue. "Top-Gun" for the shift. I wish they could all be like this for the next 4 weeks or so. Sadly, they won't.

5 fares / 118 miles / 3rd quarter $100 bracket

You know that laundry I was going to do yesterday....

I didn't.

Never got the nap either, even though I tried.

So now, almost 22 hours later, I am going to grab a bite to eat and bury my head in my pillow.

See ya manana.

MAHALO

ALOHA

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

BOY, DID I SLEEP

TALK ABOUT TIRED

Watched my one "Must See" show, HEROES, last night and then passed out on the couch. Awoke just enough at 2:30a to trundle myself off to bed and slept until well after 8a this morning. Still have some laundry to do and try to get a nap in before work tonight. Let's face it, 5a Wednesday morning, when my shift ends, is still a looonnnggg ways away. Bear, my kitty, was really pissed that his breakfast was late. He also learned, the hard way, that attacking "daddy's" feet while he is sleeping is a dangerous proposition. I can NOT be held responsible for involuntary reactions of my body when someone is driving nails into my feet. Really, I can't.

***

This is my good friend, Van (Maui Action Photos) riding the wave at "Da Rush". If you do visit Mau'i and want some great photos of your activities, just give him a call or drop him an e-mail. He is really a great guy and will make your visit here very enjoyable.

***

Back to work tonight. Now we'll see just how slow it can get

See ya in the morning.

MAHALO

ALOHA

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

MONDAY ADDENDUMS

SITEMETER

This popular statistics tracker has been screwing up most of the weekend.

Now that the holiday weekend is over they'll be able to get their act together.

THE "TRIANGLE"

Here is a story from the local rag about the problems, so many of which I have related here.




"Let's all be careful out there!"

DROPPINGS FROM

YE OLDE MAILBAG

Impossible Picture:
The above image is beautiful. The message said it was taken at the north pole. If you know anything about astronomy, you know that this is a "Photo-Chopped" image.

Still, it is a good one.

***

Subject: How to solve Mid Life Crisis

AFTER BEING MARRIED FOR 44 YEARS, I TOOK A CAREFUL LOOK AT MY WIFE ONE DAY AND SAID, "HONEY, 44 YEARS AGO WE HAD A CHEAP APARTMENT, A CHEAP
CAR, SLEPT ON A SOFA BED AND WATCHED A 10-INCH BLACK AND WHITE TV, BUT I GOT TO SLEEP EVERY NIGHT WITH A HOT 25-YEAR-OLD GAL.

NOW I HAVE A $500, 000.00 HOME, A $45,000.00 CAR, NICE BIG BED AND PLASMA SCREEN TV, BUT I'M SLEEPING WITH A 65-YEAR-OLD WOMAN. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU'RE NOT HOLDING UP YOUR SIDE OF THINGS."

MY WIFE IS A VERY REASONABLE WOMAN. SHE TOLD ME TO GO OUT AND FIND A HOT 25-YEAR-OLD GAL, AND SHE WOULD MAKE
SURE THAT I WOULD ONCE AGAIN BE LIVING IN A CHEAP APARTMENT, DRIVING A CHEAP CAR, SLEEPING ON A SOFA BED AND WATCHING A 10-INCH BLACK AND WHITE TV.

AREN'T OLDER WOMEN GREAT? THEY REALLY KNOW HOW TO SOLVE YOUR MID-LIFE CRISIS

***

This guy had what he thought
was a great tattoo...

until he wound up in jail.

Now he's...
THE MOST POPULAR GUY IN PRISON

***

Well, the Christmas rush is on. When I was enroute to OGG on Friday (a/k/a/ "Black Friday") morning, there were over 1,000 people outside of Wal-Mart waiting for the 5a opening. K-Mart had a couple of hundred queued up at their doors.

Back when I bought presents, now I just send money, I would not do any shopping until Christmas Eve. The stores were almost empty of patrons. The sales personnel were in a great mood, and most were also a bit tipsy from the parties going on in the backrooms. I think they were the happiest about not having to listen to Christmas music for at least another 11 months. Maybe the torturers interrogators at "Gitmo" should reconsider their tactics. 30 days of 24/7 Xmas music has to be worse than "waterboarding".

Enjoy your day and I'll see you tomorrow.

MAHALO

ALOHA

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Kaupo
Mau'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"