DINNER CONVERSATION

BELOW SEA LEVEL

This is a Tiger Shark!

But the oceans contain many fascinating creatures




courtesy MAU'I ACTION PHOTOS
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"TALK STORY"

That's pidgin for "conversation" or "story telling."

One of the many reasons I enjoy having dinner at Alissa's house is the stimulating "dinner talk."

Last night, one of the myriad of topics we touched on was early television and the old black & white movies from the '30's and '40's. Especially the THIN MAN movie series starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. Always stop & watch if I come across one of these plums while "channel surfing."
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Later.....

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

DAY OFF

SUNSET SEQUENCE FROM MAKENA SURF







It rained all day Sunday. Finally stopped as I arrived at my friend Alissa'a home about 6:00pm.
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ALISSA (aka "Wiskers", aka "Trinity")

Me and Alissa at sunset at Makena Surf.

I met Alissa right after I started driving cab. She is from the "Twin Cities" area of Minnesota. Her family owns a condo at the Makena Surf, which is about two miles south of Wailea. All the above pics were taken from their lanai. Wouldn't you like to have a view like that?

She was a typical 16 year old teenage girl. Telling mom and dad that she and her girlfriend, Chrissie, were going to the spa at one of the hotels and, as soon as dad had dropped them off, the two of them would go "boy hunting."

I picked her and Chrissie up from a private residence in Kihei, where a party was going on, early one morning in March, 2002, to take them back to Makena. They were both intoxicated.

Our personalities immediately "clicked."

I was worried about their welfare and knew that this would probably not be my last contact with them. I gave both of them my business card (and my personal cell phone #) and told them to call me everytime they went "partying" and I would make sure they got home safely.

As their "spring break" wore on, they would always call me and tell me where they were at through the night so I would have a reasonable idea of where to search for them if they called for help. We "bonded."

Over the years we developed a friendship that extended beyond the generation gap. I became friends with Alissa'a mom and dad (Susan & Ron) and her sister and brother-in-law ("Princess Leah" and Pete). Also kept in touch with Chrissie, who is now in her senior year at Princeton University. I've met and really like Alissa's boyfriend, Joey.

Five years have passed and she is now 21 and has grown from teenage "cute" into a strikingly beautiful woman.

Blonde, beautiful and "brainy", the perfect combination. It runs in the family, her mom and sister are also "B-B-B."

When she decides to wed, the ceremony will be held on that beach in the background. Perfect!

Love you, sweetheart.
XXOOXX
(she reads this blog daily)
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CLEAR SKIES

The upper-level low west of the islands has finally moved on, bringing back our beautiful blue skies. Compared to the northern part of the state, we got off easy. Only two days of rain.

In a couple of days the "brown water" (runoff from the land into the ocean) will be gone from the shores and it will be safe to swim again.

Tiger sharks like to feed at night and also in "brown water." They'll come right up to the waters edge. We had an attack earlier this month and the girl was standing in the surf, just over ankle deep, when she was bitten.

I made a deal with Poseidon years ago. If he kept the sharks off the land, I would keep my "Moby Dick" body out of the ocean.
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MAU'I ACTION PHOTOS

My friend Van, the owner of Mau'i Action Photos (see "LINKS" at right), sent me some recent shots and I thought you might enjoy a few of them.




That's a humpback whale. They winter here every year to calve and breed.
==============================================

Later.....

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

EARLY IN MY CAREER

Me, at the age of 26. Definately not someone you wanted to be stopped by, especially if you were DUI.

I was 5 years into my career. Just about where the "John Wayne" syndrome begins.

See, I really had a full head of black hair once. I am about 45% Cherokee indian and 45% Irish and 10% "other" (whatever came over the back fence while great-great grandpappy was out plowing the fields).

That indian/irish combo means that I like to get drunk and "scalp" people. (Please, save the negative comments. This is a joke.)
==============================================

Later.....

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

HERE COME THE PICS!

NICK KRAU

This is my friend Officer Nick Krau of MPD. As I mentioned earlier, he was featured when "COPS" did some episodes from Mau'i. He is our local DUI ENFORCEMENT officer and makes more DUI arrests each year than the rest of the department combined.

His "plain white wrapper" (unmarked patrol car).
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GAS PRICE CONTINUES TO RISE

This is the second increase in less than 7 days.
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"WISKERS" AND SOME OLD FART

Isn't she just absolutely beautiful?

More later.
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THIS ADDICT'S "PUSHERS"

THE BAD ASS COFFEE COMPANY (clickable link)
Located in KIHEI KALAMA VILLAGE. Ask for Dave and tell him that Wil sent you.

STARBUCKS
This is the one in the KUKUI MALL. There is another one on this side of the island at the PI'ILANI VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER, where the SAFEWAY store and MINIT STOP are located.

I couldn't make it through the night without them. :)
==============================================

Later.....

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

"ST. 'PADDY'S' DAY" AND BEYOND

BLOGSPOT

Still seems to having a problem. Doesn't seem to want to accept my pic uploads.
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"RAIN

Rained steadily during the day on Saturday. Stopped about the time I left for work, 6:30pm. Started again about 3:45am today. Some ""thunderbumpers" and a mediocre light show.
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ST. PATRICK'S DAY

"Started my shift at 7:00pm and immediately assumed dispatch duties, as well as driving. Also assumed control of 8 other cabbies' fortune, and my own, for the night. It was worse than "New Year's Eve."

I use a "hand free" headset, which I have found to be not only safer but also easier and more comfortable.

It was a "madhouse"! Handled somewhere between 600 and 700 calls for my 12 hours. I was backlogged over an hour most of the time. Except for calls from the 6 major hotels in Wailea/Makena, the "rule" for the night was "If the people aren't there when you arrive, go on to the next call!" It was the only way to do it. I advised all callers requesting a cab of that night's policy. When they called back to complain, after missing their cab, I reminded them of what I had said and then placed them at the bottom of the list.

Three of the drivers called it a night, after putting in 14 hours, about 9:00pm. The other two day-shift drivers hung in there until the bar close rush was over at 2:00am. I thanked them for being "good troopers", since we couldn't have handled all the calls without their presence. They were impressed by my rapid pace dispatch method. Things very seldom move that fast on dayshift. In fact the owner came on the radio about 10:00pm and jokingly asked "Wil, are you answering the phone? It hasn't stopped ring for 3 hours." The landline goes to his home and is "call transferred" to the cell phone.

As the night wore on the majority of the calls focused on two locations, Mulligans and the "Triangle". That actually made it easier for me. Now I only had to manage cabs between these "hot spots", balancing the load.

Shortly after 2:00am four of the drivers called it a night. The other driver and myself stayed busy the rest of the night. He got off about 7:00am and I left at 8:00am. I was asleep 10 minutes after I walked through my front door.

My brain felt like mush. My eyes were tired from staring into headlights all night and then being assaulted by direct sunlight (something I rarely see) at the end. My shoulder and neck muscles were knotted rope.

Most of the drivers "metered" over $300. One exceeded $500!! Everybody went home happy. :)

BTW - I am probably the only resident of Hawai'i who doesn't have a suntan. Have only rarely been out of the house during the daylight these past 5 years.

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SATURDAY

And Saturday was the antithesis of its predecessor.

"Nuff" said.
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E-MAIL

My e-mail addy is on my business card. One of my guests sent me the following:

justa hello


Hi Wil,

I was one of the New York gals who had the good luck to have you as our driver. Arrived home yesterday (17th) midday, just in time to celebrate St. Patricks night with friends.
I read your blog and found it fun and informative..Glad to see that my sister and I were among the "better" tippers..leave it to NY..we do know how to treat people in the service industries.
I'm going to check in every so often since I found the blog site so much fun.
Take care and keep your sense of humor and the sarcasm as well....
keep enjoying Paradise while we freeze......


Madelyn

Mahalo, Madelyn
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LAST, BUT DEFINATELY NOT LEAST

One of my most favorite persons in the world, "Wiskers", and her family, really great people who I truly care about, arrived for their annual visit. I am going to their condo tonight for a "home cooked meal." As with most bachelors, this is a very special treat.

I'll share more about "Wiskers" and me later.
==============================================

Later.....

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

THURSDAY NIGHT FIGHTS

HAPA'S


Know what a "Night Club" is?

Just a bar that has a "cover charge" at the door.

Most are worthy of the name. Hapa's is not.

Hapa's is a "locals" club. At one time in its past is was very nice. Now it is trashy. Always having fights just out front, in the Lipoa Shopping Center parking lot (car park). Monday is a great night to go there though. That's when uncle Willie K. plays. If you are not a resident of Hawai'i or in the music business then you have probably never heard of him. He is renowned in the industry as one of the most accomplished guitarists in the world. He plays everything! Rock, Jazz, C&W, classical, Hawai'ian. Two years ago he was the opening act for the Beach Boys summer tour. All music entertainers who visit here always drop by on Mondays and sit-in for a set or two. To name a few, Prince, Journey, Eagles. Willie and his band put on one hell of a good show. The local punks don't appreciate his talent and avoid Hapa's that night.

The "Ultra Fab" Tuesday night is for alternative lifestyles. Draws a pretty decent crowd also. Locals punks avoid this night also.

"Dolla Balla" is the $3 drink night.

"Ladies night" is trouble with a capital "T". The "local" females love to get in for free and then see how much drama they can create among the males. Which then erupts in fights. As a cop I saw this many times but never on this scale.

Last night there was a major brawl in the parking lot. Somewhere between 50 & 60 people fighting. As with most drunken brawls, there was a lot of "swinging" but very little "connection." The entire Kihei District area police (6 officers and 1 sargeant) responded to the disturbance. Even a State Park Ranger from the DLNR (Department of Land and Natural Resources) rolled. I seldom see these guys on my shift. Took a photo of their "YUKON". Didn't get any shots of the fight since I was enroute to the hospital when it occurred.

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HENRY'S

This is a "grown-ups" fun bar. They usually close around 12:30am. They have a band until about 11:00pm. Owned by a kama'aina leather biker, it seldom has any trouble.

We used to have a cab company, that worked late, named ALOHA. One night the owner of that company was backing up to the curb in front of Henry's and backed straight through the wall to your left of the door. Luckily the bar had closed about 15 minutes earlier and only staff was still inside. The owner/driver then exited his mini-van, surveyed the damage, went back to his cab, reached under the front seat and extracted a half full 2-liter bottle of cheap white wine, which he then tossed into the trash.

I watched this entire incident while calling 9-1-1. Before the police arrived I retrieved the bottle and maintained custody of it until MPD was "on scene" and gave it to them. The owner/driver acted like a clown while performing (and failing) the field sobriety test. And off to jail he went.

6 months later he was parked in front of Hapa's, two doors away from Henry's, passed out over the wheel. One of my drivers reported this to me and again I called 9-1-1. The responding officer, Nick Krau, was the same one who had made the first arrest. He not only took the owner/driver's state issued drivers license but also the county issued taxi drivers permit. Aloha was never on the road again.

Good riddance! Most fares would reasonably expect their cabbie to be more sober than they are.

If you watch the TV show "COPS", you probably saw Nick Krau when Mau'i PD was the featured agency. He's a good cop and one hell of a nice guy. When I catch up with him again, I'll get his pic and post it here.
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MONEY! MONEY! MONEY!

Thursday was very busy and very profitable. What more could I ask for?
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ERIN GO BRAUGH

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.



May the road rise up to meet your feet.
My the wind always be at your back.
And may you be in Heaven an hour before the Devil knows you've left this earth.
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SO YOU WANT TO MOVE TO MAU'I?

Just a word of advice. It ain't cheap to live here.
(as with all photos, just "left click" to get a larger image).

Milk:

Bread:

Coke:

Cheerios:

Rice Krispies:

ad nauseum.
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POOR BLOGSPOT

They are having some major sysop problems for the past few days.

I wrote this at 0800 hours on the 17th. Lets see how long it will be before I can post it.

Oh, well. Its free and you get what you pay for. Sigh.
==============================================

Later.....

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

ODD MAN OUT

THE "TRIANGLE"

The "Triangle"'s real name is Kihei Kalama Village

The five bars that are there are Life's A Beach

Kahale's

Lulu's. (up on the second floor)

Southside Tiki Lounge

Neptune's

Neptune's has been closed the past two nights. Don't know whats up with that.
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WHATS OPEN?

After the bars close, at 2:00am, It gets pretty quiet here.
The 24-hour businesses are:

Tesoro at Gateway Plaza

Safeway

Minit Stop

Tesoro at Azeka Mauka

Chevron

7-Eleven

Foodland

76 Unocal

Denny's (on the second floor)

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RAIN? WHAT RAIN?

It was overcast all night but the only rain I observed was just a few light isolated sprinkles about 4:00am. Much ado about nothing. Par for the course from the NWS (National Weather Service).

The islands of O'ahu (Honolulu) and Kaua'i are being hit pretty bad though. Major flooding, dam failures, etc. There have been some storm related deaths.

Started my shift at 7:00pm and sat there for 2 1/2 hours before my first run. Even after I reached the front of the line I was being bypassed by runs requiring a van (insert sound of grinding teeth).

Only had 10 runs the entire night.

I don't know what Thursday is going to be like, but Friday is St. Patrick's Day and every bar is going to be "hopping." Friday is also my "dispatch" night. My brain will probably be oatmeal by the time that shift is over.
==============================================

Later.....

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

I AM NOT A "HAPPY CAMPER"

FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

QUOTE:

FLASH FLOOD WATCH

Expires 4:15 AM HST on March 16, 2006

Statement as of 3:14 PM HST on March 15, 2006

... Flash Flood Watch remains in effect through Friday afternoon...

The Flash Flood Watch continues for

* all of the main Hawaiian islands.

* Through Friday afternoon.

* An upper-level low will continue to produce heavy rain and
maintain the threat of flash flooding on all of the Hawaiian
islands this week. Prior rains have filled reservoirs and
saturated slopes in places. Take the time now to determine
whether you are located below a dam or slope that could give
way. Avoid streambeds and other areas prone to sudden
flooding.

A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions exist that could lead
to sudden flash flooding.

Take precautions now to protect life and property. Be prepared to
act quickly if a warning is issued or you observe heavy rain.

Report flooding to police or civil defense officials for relay to
the National Weather Service.

END QUOTE

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EXTENDED WEATHER FORECAST

Rest of Tonight
Cloudy. Numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms early in the evening...then scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible early in the evening. Lows 61 to 67. Light winds. Chance of rain 70 percent.


Thursday
Cloudy with numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 76 to 81. North winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.


Thursday Night
Mostly cloudy with numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows around 64. East winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.


Friday
Mostly cloudy with frequent showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 77 to 82. North winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.


Friday Night
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 62 to 68. South winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
[chancerain]

Saturday
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs 78 to 83. Light winds. Chance of rain 30 percent.


Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 62 to 67. Light winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.


Sunday
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs 77 to 82. Light winds. Chance of rain 40 percent.


Sunday Night
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 62 to 68. Light winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.


Monday
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs 77 to 82. Light winds. Chance of rain 40 percent.


Monday Night
Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows 62 to 68. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.


Tuesday
Partly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs 77 to 82. Light winds. Chance of rain 40 percent.


Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows 61 to 67. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.


Wednesday
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Highs 76 to 81. North winds around 10 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.

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GOOD NEWS / BAD NEWS

Rain means more people will take cabs rather than walking to their restaurant. Fewer "jaywalkers" too.

DUI's, who can't drive on dry pavement, will now be out careening down the roads on wet pavement.

I am going to get soaked.

==============================================

Later.....

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

MY "SOPRANOS" CAR

I call my cab the "Sopranos" car. Its trunk (boot) is big enough to hold four dead bodies.

==============================================

Later.....

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