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

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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

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"Let's all be careful out there!"