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Tuesday, July 04, 2006

BORN IN THE U S A

BUT THESE FIREWORKS ARE FROM EVERYWHERE

FOURTH OF JULY

*** all images enlarge ***




Later.....

Wil
=8^))
"Let's all be careful out there!"

Monday, July 03, 2006

ASSORTED PHOTOS

ENJOY!

Beautiful Mau'i



Best Of Both Worlds. Salty AND Fresh Water



So Beautiful



Young Hula Dancers



The Spirit Of Hula



Sunset Beach, North Shore Of O'ahu



Ocean Light



Mau'i Mocking Bird In Upcountry Kula



Another Great Hawai'ian Sunset




Later.....

Wil
=8^))
"Let's all be careful out there!"

MAUI NAMED “BEST ISLAND” FOR 12TH YEAR IN A ROW

Conde Nast Traveler Declares “Magic Isle” World’s Top Travel Destination


MAU'I, Hawai‘i – For the twelfth consecutive year, Maui was voted “Best Island in the World” in the 18th annual CONDE NAST TRAVELER Readers’ Choice Awards Poll.

With a score of 91.6, Maui captured the “Top Pacific Rim Island” category scoring higher than runner-up Kaua‘i (89.5) and third place Borabora (84.8). Maui’s score also topped all other island and city destinations in the world including Sydney (Top Pacific Rim City, 88.8), Phuket (Top Asian Island, 87.3), San Francisco (Top U.S. City, 86.8), Florence (Top European City, 86.0) and Bangkok (Top Asian City, 85.9) to be named overall “Best Island” and “Top Travel Destination” in the world.

“Paradise began as a garden, but if you ask travelers to name a paradise today, you can bet it’ll be an island,” reported the November 2005 issue of Conde Nast Traveler. “No wonder that Maui emerges for the 12th consecutive year – ever since islands were added to the poll – as not only the top scoring island, but also the top scoring destination.” Terryl Vencl, Maui Visitors Bureau executive director, accepted on behalf of Maui. “This is an amazing run and we are simply thrilled. To win ‘best island’ during any given year is remarkable,” she stated. “To capture the title for a dozen years running is nothing short of extraordinary. This is a proud moment for the people of Maui.”

The magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards poll analyzes the travel preferences of their readership in various categories including cities, islands, airlines, cruise lines, hotels, spas, resorts and rental cars. The ratings are based on the responses of CONDE NAST TRAVELER subscribers who participated in the 18th annual poll. Complete results are published in the November 2005 issue, which arrives on newsstands in late October.World-class resorts, award winning cuisine, championship golf, staggering natural beauty and the islands’ host Hawaiian culture have propelled Maui into the limelight. For more information, visit www.visitmaui.com or call 800-525-MAUI. (800-525-6284)


* * *

This is a bit dated, but we are hoping to make it "13-in-a-row" this time around.

Who's superstitious?

Not me!




Later.....

Wil
=8^))
"Let's all be careful out there!"

Sunday, July 02, 2006

OH, COME WITH ME LITTLE GIRL,

ON A MAGIC CARPET RIDE

The following images are from an old calendar that I found this morning.


Ukamahame Canyon on the way to Lahaina




The coastline past the "Seven Sacred Pools" (O'heo Gulch), at Kipahulu.
Oh, there are more than seven pools and they are not "sacred".
A publicity term from the late '70's or early '80's.




Wailea Beach, Ma'alaea Bay, and the West Mau'i Mountains




The "Seven Sacred Pools" past Hana




Molokini Island in Ma'alaea Bay is well known as a diving location




The rich colors of Haleakala Crater before the clouds move in




Honolua Bay near Kapalua




Lahaina Harbor, the Pioneer Inn, and the West Mau'i Mountains




The road to Hana along Mau'i's rugged coastline




One of the beaches at Wailea




The taro patches at Keanae, on the way to Hana




Sunset at Kihei



LAST NIGHT

Logged on and immediately had to go back home. I had forgotten my clear lens glasses. Sunglasses are kind of a pain to see with when there is no sun.

Duh!

Took over "dispatch" as soon as I accomplished this mission.

"The Jerk" was still on duty and had now switched over to cab #22. Thats a minimum of 24 hours that he has been working. Actually he was on duty for nearly 36 hours when he finally left.

How many people do you know that can work for 36 hours straight, take an 8 to 10 hour break and then come back for 36 more?

Without using drugs?

Naw.

Me neither.

* * *

Very different night on Saturday. Too many calls and not enough cabs.

Per SOP, we dispatch "time calls" 15 minutes in advance of the scheduled pick up. I had four GW to OGG runs set for 8:00pm and five cabs in the queue in Wailea. Events are always in flux and cab #15, AND cab #22, logged off at 7:44pm. At 7:45 pm I made the dispatch to the three remaining cabs and we covered three of the runs. Luckily, the fourth run was a "10-13"

For the next two hours it was a delicate balancing act to cover all the reservations, get people out to dinner and get them back.

Every guest of The Grand (Royal's "fatted cow") was accommodated in a timely manner, but I had to turn down some other really nice runs from the other major hotels, due to lack of equipment.

All the day drivers had "bailed" by 10:00pm

Long runs and airport "Meet & Greets" meant that we seldom had more than two cabs in town, sometimes just one.

NOW SERVING
CUSTOMER NUMBER

1,234,567


Bar close was a "mad house", but we finally got everyone moved. Mexican Mary and PH Harden boogied by 2:10am and TMR Alex was gone about 3:00am.

Murph came in at 4:25am and I was home before 5:00am.

Made money. Got home safely. Does anything else really matter in this job?



EDUCATED IDIOTS

Ask most people and they will express the opinion that cabbies are definately at the bottom of the educational ladder. Most feel that we were probably one of those kids that rode the "small" bus to school.

So, isn't it strange that 75% of the drivers with ROYAL have a BA/BS degree and a few of us have a bit more.

Believe me. It pays to be, or act, dumb sometimes.

Talk to y'all tomorrow.



Later.....

Wil
=8^))
"Let's all be careful out there!"

Saturday, July 01, 2006

"YOU DON'T LIKE ME!?!"

"I WOULDN"T PUT IT THAT WAY."

"Well, how would you put it?"

"I think the term, 'I hate your fucking guts' would be more accurate."


That basically set the tone of my one sided telephone conversation with "The Jerk" at 3:30am today. He started sputterin' and spewin' and I then off-loaded on him in my best vitriolic prose.

He seemed rather shocked. He hung up the phone.


CAN'T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES


I've walked past this staircase a couple o' hundred times. It is at The Grand and leads from Tsunamis to the Grand Wailea Shops and beyond to the Botero Bar and main lobby. I have even climbed it many times to get to the Kula Cafe, for some coffee.

Last night was the first time I actually saw this:


A beautiful sculpture. Gonna have to pause and look around me a bit more.



GUESS WHAT I WAS DOING...

While I read this placard at The Grand?


Yup. Smoking a "cancer stick" Got a few "dirty" looks. Feces occurs.



LAST NIGHT
  • 1900 to 1959 - 1 run
  • 2000 to 2059 - 0 runs
  • 2100 to 2159 - 1 run
  • 2200 to 2259 - 2 runs
  • 2300 to 2359 - 0 runs
  • 0000 to 0059 - 1 run
  • 0100 to 0159 - 1 run
  • 0200 to 0259 - 2 runs
  • 0300 to 0359 - 1 run
  • 0400 to 0459 - 1 run
Left at 0445 when Flor, Murph and "The Jerk", who hasn't been to sleep since he started work yesterday morning, logged on by 0430. Home by 0500.
* * *
Logged in at 1901 and took over the phone less than 15 minutes later.

10 cabs on the street.

Actually, 10 cabs parked in various locations bordering The Grand.
  • #5 (TMR Alex),
  • #7 (The Jerk),
  • #11 (DS Alex),
  • #15 (Crazy Brian),
  • #17 (OB-ONE),
  • #18 (Auntie Susan),
  • #19 (Yours truly),
  • #21 (Mexican Mary),
  • #22 (TT Tina),
  • #25 (PH Harden).
Only #1, the boss's van and #27, Flor's van, were not available.

The phone rang about every 10 minutes and that meant that circulation to the top of the queue was slow. Very slow.

You can see by the chart that I only had 6 runs in 7 hours and yet did 4 runs during my three solo hours.

See why I like the graveyard shift.

I still made money.




PLEASE BE CAREFULL!

We are now in our long Fourth of July holiday weekend. You already know what you aren't suppose to do. So, please follow this bit of advice.
Believe deep in you heart, and brain, that every car you see on the road, no matter the time of the day, is being driven by a drunk driver.
It just might give you that "edge" to survive, or avoid, a major accident.

I'll tell you about Mau'i's rendition of the Fourth on my days off.



Later.....

Wil
=8^))
"Let's all be careful out there!"