January 23, 2009

Lunch with an old friend

I’ve had several goodbyes lately. I can’t fool myself into believing that it’s likely I’ll ever return to Hawaii once I move, so I know that it’s unlikely I’ll be seeing any of my local friends again. I had a call last week from someone who is very dear to me. We met when I was working for the employer who first moved me to Hawaii and have been friends ever since. Jamie helped me start my business. He gave me my first computer (one he had recently retired for an updated model) and taught me how to use it. He gave me his client address book and told me to feel free to solicit any of the realtors and escrow officers who had made his own business successful. The real estate industry was thriving in 1999 and Jamie knew that there was more than enough business to support a new provider of termite inspections for home sales. He knew the quality of my work and the caliber of service I would provide to his valued clients if they chose to start using my service instead of his. Some of them did and my business was launched because of Jamie’s generosity. There aren’t many people in business who would have done what he did. We’ve worked together on a number of jobs over the years, but the fact is that we are competitors. The term “friendly competitors” exactly describes our relationship. I was a little perplexed when I found out that he had married and hadn’t sent wedding invitations to myself and another business associate with whom we both share ties, but it turns out that he and his bride had tied the knot on a cruise ship somewhere near China. He made up for the faux pas by inviting me into his home and introducing me to the love of his life, so I had to forgive him, of course. She’s the prefect mate for him and they’re still deleriously in love five years or so later, so I’m thrilled for them both that they found each other, even though they didn’t include me in their plans.

Jamie met me for lunch yesterday. We discussed current business trends. A number of other pest control operators and quite a few realtors in Hawaii are casting about for new ways to support themselves and their families. We talked about the state of our own industry and the financial crisis and our hopes that the new administration in Washington will bring about some positive changes. Nothing earth-shaking - just two friends catching up with each other and commisserating over the dismal business climate that has spurred me into leaving our beautiful paradise. I’m going to miss talks like that when I get where I’m going. I hope I’ll be fortunate enough to find new friends, competitors and associates in Texas with whom I’ll share such a comfortable working relationship. Maybe not. I think Jamie is unique.

Aloha Jamie. Gonna miss you, guy!

[tags]business, business associates, Hawaii, Hawaii business, Hawaii real estate industry, termite inspectors[/tags]

What did you do in Hawaii, Todd?

My cousin Todd is visiting. He came to help me finish getting the house ready for the market. He’s an excellent drywall man, a great handyman, a terrific repairman. He’s accomplished more in a week than my buddy Paul has done in the four months that he’s been “helping.”

All work and no play wouldn’t do, of course, so I’ve taken Todd out to some local beaches in the afternoons when work was done. First I took him to Yokohama Bay. It was too stormy to get in the water.

Next I took him to the secret cove, but it was stormy and the water was a mess, so we didn’t see any green sea turtles at play.

The storm had passed when I took him to Pokai Bay. We walked in the tide pools, collected a few shells and saw the heiau.

Yesterday was Todd’s birthday. We knocked off early and I took him to Paradise Cove for a luau. I think last night was the first time I’ve seem him go more than fifteen minutes without his cell phone in operation. Must have had something to do with the hula dancers. Or the fire knife dancer. Maybe it was the food. Whatever - I’m just glad to have finally found something in Hawaii that is more interesting than his phone!

[tags]beaches, cell phone, cell phone obsession, family, Hawaii, Hawaii beaches, Hawaii vacation[/tags]

January 7, 2009

Aloha Alfred Shaheen, aloha shirt guy

Inventor of the Hawaiian Shirt Passes Away, the headline screams. Well, no. Not quite. Alfred Shaheen didn’t invent the Hawaiian shirt, but he made it possible for you to have one. What he did was to turn Hawaiian fabrics and garment-making into a viable industry. What had traditionally been a Mom and Pop, cottage industry-type of business became big business under his influence. He gathered a team of artisans to design and screen print fabrics and to design and produce the clothing here in the islands. So, while he didn’t invent aloha wear, he turned it into a made-in-Hawaii product and inspired the thriving aloha wear industry of today. Mr. Shaheen passed away Christmas week and I’m only just catching up with the news, but wanted to salute his memory. Hawaii has lost an enterprising and innovative spirit. Aloha Alfred.

Mahalo to Julie for suggesting this post!

[tags]Alfred Shaheen, aloha wear, Hawaiian clothing, Hawaiian shirts[/tags]

December 25, 2008

Double rainbow

A beautiful double blessing to end a wonderful Christmas Day. I hope yours was as delightful as mine.

[tags]double rainbow, environment, Hawaii, rainbow[/tags]

Mele Kalikimaka, y’all!

Mele Kalikimaka, my friends.

I hope you are surrounded by the warmth of the season as you celebrate this day with family and friends. May your day be merry and bright!

[tags]Christmas, Christmas greetings, Hawaii, Mele Kalikimaka[/tags]

December 24, 2008

Our Auntie Lynn is hot stuff!

Midweek cover photo by nwalker@midweek.com

Our own Auntie Lynn, aka: Auntie Pupule, founder and organizer fo the Keiki Slippah Wish Fund, is the cover girl for Midweek, a free weekly newspaper that goes to every home in Hawaii (or is it just on Oahu?) The article is in recognition of her extraordinary service to our local communities and her family tradition of service to our country. Lynn’s son, two daughters, stepson and son-in-law are all military, either actively serving, recently returned from service or scheduled to soon be deployed to Iraq. In addition to the Keiki Slippah Wish Fund, Lynn is a long-time volunteer with the Kau Kau Wagon, providing food for the homeless. She also recently took her first shot at a public office with her unsuccessful bid for a seat on the City Council. Follow the link above to read the story of this remarkable woman whom I am privileged to call a friend.

Note: Two of the photos in the article are mine, uncredited. I’m a huge fan of Midweek, but am disappointed that they would use photos without crediting their copyrighted owner. Bad form, Midweek!

[tags]Auntie Lynn, Auntie Pupule, community service, Lynn Vasquez Dela Cerna, Midweek, military families[/tags]

December 20, 2008

The Keiki Slippah Wish Fund Delivers

The Keiki Slippah Wish Fund rolled through Waianae today, bringing early Christmas cheer to children and families living on the beaches and in shelters. W egathered just as the sun was coming up. We worked assembly-line fashion transferring the slippahs and other gifts to the truck and hanging a banner off the tailgate.

Our first stop was the long-established encampment at Keaau Beach Park. This is one of the largest concentrations of homeless on the coast. One resident told us that about a hundred people left Keaau after the recent floods destroyed or carried away all of their belongings.

The back of the truck was soon surrounded by park residents who were curious as to our mission. We had plenty of slippahs for adults as well as children, so everyone got something.

Additional campers emerged from a wooded area near the park and came to join us. The beach park is fully visible from the highway, so some campers opt to live a little further from the park amenities but with greater privacy.

We had clothing, toys, books and snacks, in addition to slippahs. This young girl shared her beautiful smile with us and was quite happy with her tee shirt and teddy bear.

Volunteer Yvonne brought a large bag of slippahs with her. She had the only pair that fit this young boy. His mom had a baby this morning, so he and his brother are being tended by family and friends at the camp, who made sure they weren’t left out of the distribution.

We discoverd that most of the smaller slippahs had been left in the trunk of a car at our start point, so I left the group and went to get them. They continued on to other encampments and I couldn’t find them after I returned. We finally met up again about an hour later as they arrived at one of the Waianae shelters. We parted company after I delivered the slippahs, as they were headed off the coast to Barber’s Point. My involvement was minimal this year, but it was great to have the opportunity to participate. Next year I hope to have the chance to offer online suport, as I expect to be living away from Hawaii by then.

Mahalo to my readers who donated to the Slippah Fund, and to friends and fellow bloggers who helped spread the word. The Keiki Slippah Wish Fund Project is a grassroots effort, so each of your contributions is greatly appreciated!

[tags]charity, Christmas charity, Hawaii, homeless, Keiki Slippah Wish Fund[/tags]

December 19, 2008

A new invasive species?

Palm trees are a part of the background of life in Hawaii. They soar to their lofty heights along the ocean front, beside the highways and byways.

Some are grown for the sustenance they can provide while others are maintained for their sheer beauty. They are as much a part of our lives as the brilliant blue skies, the surging ocean and the magnificent green mountains. They are so ubiquitous that we sometimes forget to notice them.

This one caught my eye as I was driving down the highway. It sits a hundred yards or so off the road near a convenience store and an resale lot filled with baby strollers and bicycles. If I hadn’t looked right at it I’m not sure I would have noticed anything “off” about it.

I don’t think the designer’s intent was to fool anyone. It seems more likely that he wanted to make it blend in with our natural environment well enough to minimize the “eyesore factor” that so frequently spoils the landscape. I haven’t decided yet whether he succeeded, but I salute his cleverness. This new species of palm is a step in the right direction.

[tags]environment, Hawaii, palm trees, technology [/tags]

December 12, 2008

And so it goes

I guess the weather pixies decided that the nine inches of rain that fell on the Waianae Coast on Wednesday and Thursday wasn’t quite enough. We had strong, gusty winds and intermittent sprinkles all day today. Late in the afternoon we started getting thunder and lightening - something we don’t get often in Hawaii. The skies opened up again just before sunset and my carport flooded again within about a half an hour. I guess the ground is already too saturated to take any more water, so it’s just standing there instead of draining off. I had gotten the new cabinet pieces stained before the rain got serious, so they were already tucked away under visqueen again and didn’t get wet. I had forgotten until this morning that my iron was outside. I’ve been using it to install veneer on the exposed cut ends of the birch ply (the veneer has a heat-activated glue on the back.) It sat in water for over a day and so did one of my extension cords, but considering what other people lost to the flood I guess I got off easy. If you don’t know why I chose to toss them, get thee to a library and check out some OSHA handbooks and safety equipment manuals.

My kitchen and dining room floors have been looking a bit like a jigsaw puzzle for several days. I installed all of the whole tiles and am cutting tiles that need to be pieced whenever I have time to fool around with them. I was able to keep working on that for a while after the rain started again and I finished the pantry floor and the area all around it. I’ll pull the fridge out tomorrow and floor beneath it if Paul isn’t here working on cabinets (he probably won’t be.) I can’t move the stove by myself, so I’ll get him to move it one afternoon before he leaves & then put it back the next day after I get the floor installed there. The kitchen is done except for those two spots. Half of the dining room is done. I’ve got boxes and pantry items in the other half & should be able to get to it tomorrow, too.

Can you see the shiny patch of glue to the left of the tiles? It’s close to impossible not to leave little patches like that when you’re completing the job over several days. I had Lance blocked out of the kitchen/dining room with some boxes, but he managed to shove them aside when I wasn’t looking. I tried covering everything with packing paper, but he displaced that, too. He’s got flooring adhesive on his left hip and leg. It will come off with paint thinner, but I don’t think that’s a terrific idea for a guy who bathes with his tongue. I think I’ll just have to let the glue wear off over time.

[tags]flooring, Hawaii, rain, remodel, storm[/tags]

December 11, 2008

Rain delay

It started yesterday afternoon. We had had some gusty winds and a few sprinkles early in the day. Paul came over and cut a cabinet front and doors out in my carport. I was going to sand and stain them after he left so he could come install them today. He was barely out of sight when a strong gust snapped my flagpole and the rain began to come down in earnest, blowing sideways and soaking everything in the carport. I secured everything I could and covered the new work with visqueen, weighting it down with wood scraps.

The rain continued all afternoon and into the night. I heard occasional crashes on my own property and a few loud noises as neighbor’s barbecue grills and lawn chairs went flying. When I went out this morning I stepped into four inches of water in my carport. Leaves and debris were moving across the paved surface at a brisk pace as the wind continued to drive rain and everything else it encountered.

Paul’s chop saw was sitting on a half-inch piece of scrap wood under the work table. The bottom of it was in water, but the motor was high and dry. I raised it a little higher with a couple of lengths of 2X4. He called me today to tell me that all of his other tools are lost under two feet of water that flooded the place he’s staying.

I had secured everything that I could before I came inside yesterday. At that time I only wanted to protect everything from the gusty rain that was blowing through the carport. There was nothing I could do this morning about the birch plywood leaning against the wall and thoroughly soaked by the flood. I hope it will dry out and still be usable.

I’m a little frustrated that the weather is delaying the work that was going smoothly, but I’m much better off than Paul and many others around the island. Roads and schools are closed and emergency shelters have opened for folks who have been flooded out of their homes. You can see the story and view some slides at KHNL News. They even have pictures from my Waianae Coast this time. Rainfall totals around the island vary between 8 and 14 inches, but the rain is still coming down and is expected to continue through the weekend. Lucky we live Hawaii?

[tags]flooding, Hawaii, Oahu, rain, storm, Waianae Coast[/tags]