GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE

WELCOME TO MY WORLD

The most beautiful building on the southside.

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LAST NIGHT

It was shitty.

Only 5 runs by midnight and four more during the early solo hours.

The 9th and final run was a shiftsaver. The owner had forgotten to tell me about a 0430 hrs run to OGG and they called about 0440 hrs inquiring as to the cab. I was less than five minutes away and spirited these two Japanese ladies to Aloha Airlines.

I think they were mom & daughter but their english was limited and my japanese is limited to "good morning", "thank you" and about 10 others that usually get my face slapped.
It was still dark when I picked them up but dawn was breaking as I left OGG.

The West Mau'i Mountains wore a wreath of clouds.

Handled the affairs of the shift change, started home and saw this:

The island of Lana'i.

We've had so much VOG (volcanic smog) lately that it has been impossible to see Lana'i, even though it is only about 15 miles from Kihei.

Drove down to the beach and parked between the Mana Kai Mau'i

(that white "Crown Vic" is mine)

and the Kihei Surfside.


Walked down to the beach

and started taking pics.
Lana'i

Lana'i

West Mau'i Mountains backing Ma'a'laea Bay.

A dive boat departing from the Kihei Boat Ramp, headed to Molokini


Kaho'o'lawe

Makena and Kaho'o'lawe

Keawakapu Beach
That single story building on the left is Sarento's On The Beach.


"Red Hill (Makena), Molokini (foreground), Kaho'o'lawe (background)

Wailea-Makena

The batteries in my camera died and I headed home.

Managed to eke out two more shots. This is my street.



Came inside and called it a "night".
==============================================

Later.....

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

HTML HELP

CLICKABLE LINKS, ICONS, ETC.

If you want to generate an e-mail icon just go here.

This site will generate a banner/icon with your e-mail address on it. It has most of the major e-mail providers. After you have made it, just "right click" and "save as..." to your "my pictures" file or whatever subfile you desire.

When you signed up with blogspot, if you indicated an e-mail addy, something like this appeared on your sidebar:
paradisedriver@gmail.com
If anyone wants to send you an e-mail they have to CC&P that addy into their e-mail "'send' address" area. To make it clickable so that their e-mail provider will automatically open with your e-mail addy already in place just go into your template and find where your addy is listed , erase that line and replace it with this code (just change my e-mail addy to your actual e-mail address):
paradisedriver@gmail.com
<a href="mailto:PARADISEDRIVER@GMAIL.COM">PARADISEDRIVER@GMAIL.COM</a>
If you have a banner/icon (such as mine on the right), use this code:

<a href="mailto:PARADISEDRIVER@GMAIL.COM"><img src="http://PHOTOS1.BLOGGER.COM/BLOGGER/7150/278/320/G-MAIL-PARADISE%20DRIVER.0.JPG" /></a>
Want to add an icon to your blogroll listings?
Just go into blogroll and click "edit" on the link you want to add the icon to. The top line is the "title line". Leave one space after the title and then add this code (NOTE#1: keep the pixel size small but you can adjust the pixel size to maintain the proportions of the original image)
PARADISE DRIVER <img src='http://URL.OF.IMAGE' width='20' height='20' border='0' />
If you don't use blogroll and just have HTML links, this is how you add an icon after the site's name:
<a href="http://URL.OF.SITE">SITE NAME <img src="http://URL.OF.IMAGE" border="0" width="20" height="20" /></a>
Hope you find this helpful.
==============================================

Later.....

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

VIRGIN RADIO

FROM LONDON




London Cabby has mentioned Virgin Radio a few times in his blog. I guess they use station "names" in the UK rather than "call letters" as we do in the States

I checked and found that they provide a free internet "feed" of their station for the rest of the world.

The thing that caught my attention was the almost complete absence of an "English accent" among the disc-jockeys. They could easily have been from the US. Most had the "American Broadcast Standard" accent. The few with a notable trace of English vowel pronunciation sounded like Roger Moore (the second "James Bond").

I have throughly enjoyed it. Saved to "favorites" and added a link to the blogroll.
==============================================

Later.....

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

SIGNS - LINKS - SIRENS

AZEKA PLACE

Many decades ago Bill Azeka opened a grocery store where the paved road ended in Kihei. His store became world famous for his trademarked BBQ ribs.

What was the "end of the road" is now the center of Kihei and his grocery store, now an ACE Hardware outlet, has grown into a major shopping center, Azeka Place. The older section is now called Azeka Makai (towards the ocean). The newer section, on the east side of Kihei road, is Azeka Mauka (towards the mountain).

Here are a few of the stores:


Snorkel Bob's
Snorkel gear and excursions.



Who Cut The Cheese?Gourmet cheese store.


Another Tattoo Parlor


Hula Hogs
Want to rent a Harley?


Hana Fuda
A "local grindz, ono-licious" takeout restaurant.


Peggy Sue's
Think "Arnold's", from the old TV show "Happy Days", and you've got it.

They also sponsor a "cruise" and classic car show the first Saturday of each month.


Panda Express
Somehow the concept of "gourmet" chinese "takeout" seems oxymoronic.


The Last Resort
Many years ago this would have been classified as a "rummage shop" or "second-hand store". Today, the business of previously owned furniture and clothing is upscale and main stream.


Shabu Shabu Toji
Very popular with our visitors from Japan.


Cirelli's MotorCycle Cafe
This has been closed for over a year. No business has succeeded in this location. It was originally an IHOP (International House Of Pancakes), then it was the gay bar Jabba's and finally the Motorcycle Cafe.

The location has plenty of free parking, a good "sight line" to Kihei road and plenty of foot traffic. Maybe someone will discover the "magic touch" to make this a viable location. Any ideas?

---

LEI DAY

"May Day" in Hawai'i is called "Lei Day" and is an un-official state holiday.

Statues, cars, businesses, and people are covered in leis. Very colorful and very beautiful.

---

SIRENS

On the first business day of each month, the tsunami warning sirens are tested in Hawai'i, just before noon. The test is conducted by the Hawai'i State Departmentment of Defense in conjunction with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Sirens wail and all radio, television and catv systems interrupt their programming for the test, just as they would do in the event of a real emergency.

While earthquake generated tsunamis will generally have a maximum height of 30 feet (10 meters), those caused by massive submerged landslides can create a wave over 1,000 feet high (305 meters).

These landslides happen in Hawai'i approximately every 100,000 years. We even know where (but not WHEN) the next one will occur, on the "Big Island". There is no way to prevent it from happening.

Mau'i will have less than 10 minutes warning. Just enough time to bend over and kiss your ekole good-bye.

Only those people on the upper slopes of Mt. Haleakala (Mau'i) and Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa ("Big Island") will survive. The rest of the state will cease to exist. Millions of bodies floating in the Pacific Ocean. All infrastructure will be obliterated, including airports, harbors, and military bases. The survivors will have no food, no water and limited shelter.

That tsunami will also wipeout all Pacific Rim communities. Los Angeles will see a minimum 500 foot (150 meter) wave as would San Francisco. The wave will be as tall as the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Sydney will have a wave in the 400 foot (122 meters) range as will Tokyo.

Basically, the entire Pacific Basin will cease to be and the death toll will be in the high hundred millions, at least.

London will watch a 50+ foot (15 meter) wave coming up the Thames River.

NYC, the Caribbean and the Straits of Gibraltar will experience a 100 foot (30.5 meter) wave.

When it happens, I bet there will be 1,000's of surfers deliberately taking the wildest, and last, ride of their lifes.

---

Sleep well. ;)
==============================================

Later.....

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

IT DOESN'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS

DRESS CODE



This is Darryl and Samantha from Victorville, CA, USA. They are staying on the westside of the island but took a room at The Grand so that they could go to Tsunami's and not risk a DUI.

Smart move.

Tsumani's wouldn't let them in!

Why?

Because Darryl was wearing "slippers" (aka: "thongs", aka: "sandals", aka: "flip-flops", aka: "zorees"). He was here to relax and hadn't even brought any regular shoes on their holiday.

Took them to Mulligans, then later to the "Triangle" and finally back to The Grand at bar close.

He was not a "happy camper" and I can't blame him. Would you want to spend $800 for your room and then be told (in so many words) by the staff at Tsunami's that you're dressed like a "bum"?

I think they might have a case for civil litigation, since female patron's shoe styles will not cause them to be rejected from admittance.

---

COPYCAT

I am borrowing an idea from London Cabby.

Here are my trip sheets from last night.

I, too, will only do this once.

The info is pretty self-explanatory.

I logged in at 7:04pm (1904 hrs) Saturday night, 29-April-2006, and logged off at 7:01am (0701 hrs) Sunday morning 30-April-2006.

Drove 194 miles (312.21 kilometers) during my 11 hour 57 minute shift and had 19 runs.



To say that this was a good shift is an understatement.
Everyone tipped very, very generously also. Didn't get "stiffed" once!

How much did I take home?

I'll never tell. ;)

But I did, finally, get that pack of chewing gum I've wanted for so long. :)

---

GAS PRICE

This is what I charged on the company credit card. They buy the gas:

These are the new pump prices:

---

ALOHA!

Don't forget, Monday, May 1st, is "Lei Day" here in Hawai'i and Friday, May 5th, is "Boy's Day" in Japan.
==============================================

Later.....

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

THE SPIRIT WAS WILLING

BUT THE BODY SAID NO!

When I awoke yesterday I wasn't feeling so great. What the heck, just go to work and persevere through it. An hour and a half later, 8:30pm, I would get vertigo when I moved my head and began seeing double. Not good when driving. I was home and asleep by 9:30pm and slept 12 solid hours. The bad thing is that last night was really busy. Better to be safe than sorry though. Feeling better now and I will take a nap before tonight's shift.

---

MAHALO MARGIE

"Margie from Michigan" has become the first of my fares to ever post a comment here. Check it out!

---

SPEAKING OF COMMENTS

You may have noticed that I never respond to any comments.

Don't be offended. I read and appreciate every comment.

I figure that I have the front of the blog and the inside belongs to you folks.

If you post a question, I'll either e-mail you back an answer or post a response here, if its of broad enough interest. If I don't have an e-mail for you and the question is too specific, then I am stuck without a way to respond.

You can always just e-mail me, though, and I will probably get back to you within 24 hours, do to all the time zone differences, etc.

I developed this philosophy after being involved in "the net" for over 8 years now.

---

SPEAKING OF QUESTIONS

Shadow said...


Just have to tell you how much I enjoy the photos. You are in a beautiful area!

By the way, how did you get the little icons of the blogs in your list?! Pretty cool stuff!

Shadow, there are two ways of doing it, depending on whether you are using Blogroll or not.

If you use blogroll go to the "edit" area for each link and right after the "title" of the blog leave a space then insert the url for the image source of the icon being used. Don't forget to start with the opening carat (<). You must change the quotation marks around the image url from a double quote mark (") to a single quote mark ('). After the close quote of the image url but still within the closing carat (>) you add attributes such as width, height and borde.

i.e. width='20' height='20' border='0'. Adjust as necessary for the image but keep it small!!!

If you are just using traditional html links, and not blogroll, you do exactly the same but this method requires the use of the double quotation marks (") rather than single marks (').

Most of the icons I used on the links were the image provided by the blogger in their profile. When that wasn't available then I chose their banner instead. My final option was to take an image from their site that I thought was indicative, such as the overhead view of a London Taxicab that I used for London Cabby's site.

Shadow, your icon is there, next to your site link, but is really dark.

You can also add an image so that it appears in the address bar at the top of you browser. Just look up and see my "badge" icon in the address bar. To do this, just "view" page source here and you'll see where and how to place the appropriate html needed.

Hope this helps.

BTW - blogroll does offer the use of icon links, if you want to pay their premium price.

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ONE PHOTO

Since I went home early, this was the only pic I had taken.

Have a great day, everybody!