I AM SO HAPPY!!

HEROES IS BACK!

The best show on television, IMO. It went from obscurity last September to being in the Top-10 by May. Not too bad, considering it was up against "24" in the same time-slot, which has been the #1 rated show for awhile. Having 2 Top-10 shows going head-to-head is unprecedented.

Not a lot to talk about so everyone have a great day and I'll be back tomorrow, after work, with more exciting [snicker] "Tales of the Tropics".

Hmmm. That would be a good title for another blog when I quit driving a cab.

Mahalo

Aloha

***

A koala was sitting in a gum tree...... smoking a joint
when a little lizard walked past, looked up and said,

"Hey Koala! What are you doing?"

The koala said,

"Smoking a joint, come up and have some."

So the little lizard climbed up and sat next to the koala where they enjoyed a few joints.

After a while the little lizard said that his mouth was "dry" and that he was going to get a drink from the river.

The little lizard was so stoned that he leaned too far
over and fell into the river.
A crocodile saw this and swam over to the little lizard and helped him to the side. Then he asked the little lizard,

"What's the matter with you?"

The little lizard explained to the crocodile that he was sitting smoking a joint with the koala in the tree, got too stoned and then fell into the river while taking a drink.

The crocodile said that he had to check this out and walked into the rain forest, found the tree where the koala was sitting finishing a joint. The crocodile looked up and said,

"Hey you!"

So the koala looked down at him and said,

"Shiiiiiiiiiiit dude.....
How much water did you drink?!!"

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Coconut Palms

Kaua'i

North Shore Kaua'i

Pineapple Fields Mau'i

Rainbow

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

AND IT WAS AN EASY SHIFT

First 3 hours was the typical dinner runs/returns and OGG drops and "meet-n-greets". After 9p it slowed drastically. The only bar activity was tourists going from the resorts to Mulligans. The resorts all have Cabaret licenses that allow them to serve alcohol until 4a but all the resort bars close at 11p. Don't ask, I don't know why. These folks don't want to go to Kihei and Mulligans is the beneficiary. More power to them.

I've mentioned before that I have a radio announcer "voice", in the Edward R. Murrow - Howard K. Smith style. So when I answer the phone, the caller is often confused and doesn't know whether I am "Live or Memorex".

"Good evening. Royal Cab."

Silence.

"Hellooo. Royal Cab."
"Are you real or a recording?"

I just chuckle. I have heard that so often. Every time it occurs I think of, and thank, that high school speech teacher who imparted to me the American Broadcast Standard accent and my ability to "project".

I trust everyone had an enjoyable weekend.

Mahalo

Aloha

***

Architects and engineers compete to see whose team can build the most spectacular structure using little more than cans of food at Construction, the 13th annual NYC Design and Build competition in New York.
All these cans will go to the food bank afterwards.

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Ma'alaea Area Mau'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

ITS BEEN A LONG TIME

WE HAD A VERY GOOD NIGHT

MEET THE NEWLYWEDS

Holly & Tyler
Orangeburg, Missouri US

Our new driver, Terry (#7) had his first night with the phone. Took it over at the normal 9p switch and

"S - C - O - R - E - D - !

It was the most active shift we've had since Labor Day. I was impressed. He never gave us any cause for concern. I told him so and also e-mailed the owner to express my pleasure. He did find his ass, contrary to the opinion I expressed here yesterday. I was 100% wrong.

I never left the southside but I also didn't sit still for any significant length of time between fares.

"Prima-donna" (#18) was history by 8p and "Dipshit" (#09) was gone by 9p, leaving just "Maui Jim", the sole dayshift holdover. He hung in until almost 1:20a. Tina (#05), our night shift part-timer, probably had the best $$s of the night. She went to the airport, Wailuku and Ka'anapali. Thats in the vicinity of $200 on the meter and she also had a few decent "town" runs.

Wally (#05), my usual relief, is off today. He normally checks in at 4a and I make tracks for home. Had to wait until "Murph" exchanged ONE-NINE with me at 4:45a.

Other than my newlyweds, no fare was even interesting. Mundane routine runs. But there were a lot of them, compared to most nights this month.

Dispatch from home tonight. I guess I am a whore. I am only doing it for the extra money.

18 fares / 107 miles / 4th quarter $100 bracket

Mahalo

Aloha

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Maui County
(very good relief map)

Honokawai

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"

95 COUNTRIES

AND COUNTING

Added the Northern Mariana Islands to my list of visitors. Saipan, to be exact. That puts me about 1/2 way up the total number of countries that exist on the face of this beautiful blue marble we call Earth.

***

Business is still slow and the day drivers continue holding over, further diluting the pool of fares. Its obvious that the owner isn't going to do anything about this issue, so us night drivers are going to have to cinch our belts a bit tighter and live with it. Ain't life a bitch?

I logged in as the ninth working cab last night and it took over 90 minutes before I put some $$ on the meter. Just 4 fares between 7p and midnight. 3 more from midnight to 2a, including one from FoodLand to the harbor. Dog-watch added 3 more.

The final run was two 15/16 year old girls. They had snuck out to play with the boys, as girls that age like to do. Picked them up just before 4:30a, near the Kukui Mall and took them near their home in upper Maui Meadows. As requested, I dropped them a couple of driveways prior to their destination. They needed stealth to sneak back into the house. Surprisingly, they were sober. One said that there is a certain thrill to doing this. They know the consequences if they get caught but that just makes it more alluring.

Any of you do this at that age?

My relief, Wally (#05), was in a bit early and when I met him to turn everything over and head for home, he told me that he was only staying until the next driver showed up. He was under the weather. He looked bad and probably felt worse. I told him to go home and I would hang in until "Murph" showed up to take over ONE-NINE. No sense him killing a hour feeling like shit for no purpose and it was no skin off my nose.

11 fares / 103 miles / 3rd quarter $100 bracket

***

Our new night driver, Terry (#07), does his first time stint at dispatching tonight. I don't think he can find his ass with both hands, so it should be interesting. I've noticed as the night wears on that his voice fades considerably. We'll break him of that.

I start doing Sunday night dispatch again tomorrow from 6p-2a out of my place. The extra money will be nice. I'll be able to put a lay-away payment down on a new pack of chewing gum.

***

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend and stop back by when you get the chance.

Mahalo

Aloha

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THE PICTURE GALLERY

Napili Area
Mau'i

***

"Let's all be careful out there!"