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Monday, October 09, 2006

HALEAKALA

HOUSE OF THE SUN

A photo montage





THE PICTURE GALLERY

"The Spirit Of St. Louis"
Charles A. Lindberg's Gravesite.

Kipahulu, Mau'i, Hawai'i
(past Hana Town, on Mau'i's south shore)























"Let's all be careful out there!"

Sunday, October 08, 2006

NOT A LOT TO SAY

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

Basically, a boring shift.

15 runs and still never left town.

The only excitement of the evening was on my next to the last run at 4:17am. Responded to a request at Charlie Young Beach. 4 very drunk people (3 guys, 1 girl). I know all of them. One of the guys was celebrating his 30th birthday. Apparently they were rather loud when they left the beach and came up to the street to wait for me. Someone from one of the residences in the area called the cops and reported a large fight. About 30 seconds after I pulled up, three cop cars appeared with lights and sirens. They stopped and performed a cursory check of my passengers. Seeing no evidence of any of them having been in a fight, we were allowed to leave. Actually, the beach party was about 20 people strong and they were all walking down South Kihei Road in clumps of 3 & 4 people. I did all the talking with the cops and my passengers rewarded me nicely for keeping them out of trouble. They didn't go home though. Took them to another beach about 3 miles further north. I got the distinct impression that the girl was going to "entertain" all three guys at this new location.

To each, their own. I guess.

Ahhhhh.....
It's my weekend.

Working on a new slideshow and will try to get it posted tomorrow.



THE PICTURE GALLERY

Our Beaches Have Sights Like This
All Year Round
Oh, And Like This, Too.
Artists Abound On Mau'i
Some Show Their Works In Gallerys
Others Prefer Street Sales
Both Forms Of Merchandizing Are Transient
Most Gallerys Open & Close within Two Years.









"Let's all be careful out there!"

Saturday, October 07, 2006

FULL MOON

FRIDAY

During my sleep period yesterday, the damn power went off for a couple of hours. Besides all those little items that need to be reset when this happens, it also means that it gets god-awful hot and humid in my bedroom. With the fans standing idle, I just lay there and glow perspire sweat like a hog. When it finally came back on, the relief was instantaneous and I drifted into a really deep sleep. Woke up and saw that it was gett6ing dark, Uh-oh! It was 5:55pm and I usually start getting ready for work at 6:00pm. Missed my normal casual climb to conciousness.

Had a rough handoff at shift change, all the info I am supposed to get at changeover was missing. I didn't know who was working, where they were at and what the line-up was. Had to play it by ear until I could determine what was happening.

Went to "The Triangle" and collected the funds owed me from Thursday's "no pay" and returned the wallet. Actually got a $5 tip from the guy. At least things were starting to improve.

The various day-shift drivers lingered for awhile and then washed out between 9:00pm and 10:30pm. About 11:00pm, the fates pulled the plug and the phone stopped ringing. One of the night drivers called it quits around 12:15 am and the three of us remaining had no problem fielding calls through "bar close". Once I was alone, the phone never rang again until just before 5:00am. Just after I had handed it to my relief.

Did 12 runs and made decent money but nothing like the prior 2 shifts.

Did my nightly shopping and when I went home to put everything away my cat, Bear, was adamant about wanting some attention and affection and a shoulder to purr on.



There was a small disturbance that started at LAB at bar close and moved across the street into FoodLand's parking lot. Drunk locals doing the macho BS routine. Besides being young, drunk and stupid, people of polynesian decent are missing the emzyme that properly assimulates alcohol. Smaller amounts of alcohol have a greater effect on their brains. This also applies, to a lesser degree, to all people of asian heritage.

Regardless of any person's bloodline, once an individual's alcohol level has reached the point of stupidity, anything can, and probably will, happen.

I forgot to mention it, but the current version of ONE-NINE had its first puker on Thursday night. Taking a couple from "The Triangle" to the Sugar Beach Resort, on north Kihei Road, and we were on the Pi'ilani Hwy (SR-31) when the husband said he thought his wife was sick. Her window was down and I looked in my left outside mirror and saw her head stuck outside the window, chunks blowing in the slipstream. Pulled into the Tesoro station at Pi'ilani and Ohukai, got her some paper towels and surveyed how much fouling had been done. Remarkably, 99.9% of the ejecta had been on the exterior of the vehicle. She cleaned up what little there was on the inside of the left-rear door and the husband sprayed most of the large chunks off of the left rear fender and trunk lid. Took a garden hose to the car a little later and wiped the interior with disinfectant.

My worst puker was a few years back, who projectile vomitted from the center of the rear seat onto the inside of the winshield while we were crossing the island to Kahului. I'll leave it at that. No matter had bad you can imagine it was, you wouldn't even be close to how bad it really was. And that doesn't even hold a candle to an incident that occurred while I was giving CPR to a heart attack victim, in my prior life. Use your imagination.

Last night was pretty easy on the phone. Only had to [click] three calls. Why people call for a cab without knowing where they are still amazes me.

One more night to go.

Talk to y'all tomorrow.

Aloha!



THE PICTURE GALLERY

The Venus Pool, Waikoa
Along The Road To Hana





















"Let's all be careful out there!"

Friday, October 06, 2006

COME ON, EVERYBODY

GET UP AND DANCE!





"Let's all be careful out there!"