June 9, 2008

Confessions of a Cher wannabe

Kathy B was one of my closest friends when I was in junior high school. Every day after school one of us would bike to the other’s house and we’d spend the afternoon dialing the phone continuously, trying to win radio contests. We got through often enough and on Saturdays we’d take the city bus to downtown New Orleans to pick up our prizes at the radio stations. All of the popular DJs knew us and our social reputations were greatly enhanced whenever one of them would dedicate a song to us. That started one Saturday when the DJ saw us in the hall outside his glass booth, singing along to the record he was spinning. Was it WNOE or WTIX? I don’t remember, but I remember what he said. “That was Sonny and Cher’s new hit, I Got you, Babe, and I’m dedicating it to Kathy and Skeet, their biggest fans.” Bam! We were more popular than the cheerleaders by Monday morning, and we worked it for all it was worth. We brought homemade cookies and handcrafted pillow dolls to the stations on later visits, assuring that the mentions would continue. Kathy got rid of her feathered do and ironed her long hair straight so she could be Cher when we sang our duets. I was frumpy even then and always played Sonny’s part. Their hits kept coming and we worked diligently at creating a routine for each one. We sometimes performed them for gatherings of friends, basking in the glow of their admiration (though I suspect now they may have been laughing at us instead of wishing they could be us,) but mostly we just sang into hairbrush microphones behind the closed door of one of our rooms. I wanted to be Cher, of course, but there was no way I could pull that off. There was not an ounce of glamor or sophistication in me - there still isn’t - and I didn’t have the skill or the hair to make myself over into a passable Cher lookalike. Has anyone ever done glamor better than Cher? She had it in a fringed vest in the old Sonny and Cher days and has taken it to ever-higher levels throughout her solo career. Her outrageous wardrobes have kept folks talking, but it’s the music of course, that keeps us all coming back for more. Her voice and the vitality she packs into every performance create sell-out crowds wherever she goes.

Recent news out of Vegas stimulated a cascade of memories of Kathy B and my adolescent fantasies of someday being “just like Cher.” The fantasies fell by the wayside long ago, but I’m still a huge Cher fan and still take notice of the goings-on in her life. The announcement that she’s replacing Celine Dion at Ceasars Palace caught my attention and is good news for all Cher fans. No more waiting for her to announce a new tour schedule, because her fans know they’ll be able to go to her instead of waiting for her concerts to come to them. And it’s Vegas! Can you imagine adding the Vegas glitz to the already over-the-top Cher image? If it’s possible for her to be even more dazzling, Vegas will be the place that happens. People are structuring their vacations around Cher tickets at Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas months in advance because they’re selling out that far ahead of time. I won’t be going to Vegas this summer, but Cher’s schedule at Caesars Palace already extends well into the fall, so I might just make it some day. Good thing I have that extra time, too. I’ll want to be in the best possible shape when she calls me up on stage to help out with a duet perfomance of one of her oldies. Not that I’m still living in fantasyland, you understand. I’m too old for that, but it could happen, so it’s not really a fantasy, right? I need to be ready, just in case. Now where’s that hairbrush?

Technorati Tags: adolescent fantasies, Caesars Palace, Cher, entertainment, Vegas

The Table of Contents gathers again

The Table of Contents met for our monthly luncheon today at Ryan’s Grill at Ward Center in Honolulu. It’s all about books, friends and food. Purple58 and Islevampir kicked off the literary discussions.

Ghir completed the most recent NaNoWriMo with a hilarious book about a series of murders and mishaps at a BookCrossing convention in Honolulu. BookCrossers killing each other off? Okay, not likely, but very funny stuff, especially since she used real BookCrossing members as her characters. She’s on the left above, with Hyphen8 in the foreground.

Dustyflint brought her daughter today. We’d met Rose before, but I didn’t remember how much she looks like her mother until I saw this picture. She’s witty and charming and will be warmly welcomed anytime she wants to come around.

We always try to get the books sorted out first thing so we can clear the table to make room for food. We never succeed. I forgot to take a picture of my meal. I ordered a pupu intstead of an entree because I was saving room for dessert. The Kobe Beef Sliders with Taro Strings were delicious and the portions so generous that I had to bring half home with me. I still ordered dessert, of course. More about that later.

It was a little disappointing to find out that Chaz no longer works weekends. He’s been “our” waiter for several years. We know his taste in literature and several of us brought books designated for him. Trevor (above) is our new guy. He likes fantasy books and is remarkably skillful at figuring out how to position massive quantities of food into the minimal amount of space that’s available when we gather. We’ll miss Chaz, but Trevor segued neatly into our routine, so I think we’ll keep him.

The books we exchange at our gatherings are all registered with BookCrossing, where we make journal entries each time a book changes hands. After everyone in the group has had a chance to read whatever comes around, it gets released into the wild. We leave them in public places for strangers to find and adopt. In keeping with my efforts to declutter my life, I try to leave with less books than I take to our meetings. Today I took ten or twelve books with me and most of them were taken home by the other gals. I carried seven home with me, so I’m ahead of the game, though not by much.

Books I brought home:

Magic Mirror: A Fable for Adults Orson Scott Card
Alone in the Trenches: My Life as a Gay Man in the NFL Esera Tuaolo
After Hamelin Bill Richardson
Heart-Shaped Box Joe Hill
Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House M.C. Beaton
The Fran Lebowitz Reader Fran Lebowitz
Earthborn Sylvia Waugh

Books I released into the wild:

Sweetwater Creek Anne Rivers Siddons
The Singing Fire Lilian Nattel
Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer Steven Millhauser

There’s one more feature to our gatherings. One thing we never discuss when we meet is diet pill reviews. It would be rather pointless, since none of us is planning on changing our ways. See, we have a thing for dessert. There are a lot of good reasons why we return to Ryan’s again and again, but an important one is the Chocolate Caramel Ganache Cake, sometimes called The Chocolate Volcano. It is the epitome of chocolate decadence and comes with an amusing but embarrassing story. The first time I had it my reaction was … unexpected. The cake itself is dense and rich. It could stand on its own, but that’s not Ryan’s style. The hollow core is filled with an even richer chocolate ganache, a hot bittersweet chocolate sauce is drizzled across the top and a bit of caramel sauce and whipped cream provide the finish. With my first bite I experienced a - let’s call it a physiological response. There was no way to hide it. My face was red and flushed and I gasped right out loud. There was a lot more than just endorphins coursing through me, as was obvious to everyone at the table. That was several years ago and gets mentioned whenever we go to Ryan’s and any other time we discuss chocolate (which we do with disturbing frequency.) Several of us have it every time we go to Ryan’s now. The others love it, but if it effects them as it does me, they’re better at hiding it. We always have to stop and think of the real name before we order because in our minds it will always be Chocolate Orgasm. Um, yeah - it’s that good. Every time.

Technorati Tags: books, BookCrossing, chocolate, friends, Ryan’s Grill

June 7, 2008

A wedding song

A few years back my son was in love with a local girl. They were together for several years and had plans to marry some day. He wanted two girls and she wanted two boys, so their hopes included (at least) four children. It seemed idyllic, but in the end they each moved on in their lives, following separate paths.

A few days ago when I was looking for the music for my post about Waimanalo I stumbled across the video above. It’s not great quality, but the audio is fine. The song is one I was learning way back then, hoping to present it to my son and his bride at their wedding. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

There’s another copy of the same video on YouTube that is of better quality. It’s labelled “embedding disabled by request.” Listen to there or here, but, either way … enjoy! The singer is Kealii Reichel, one of the most beloved and well-known Hawaiian musical artists (and one of my favorites, but most anyone who knows his music would say that, I think.) The lyrics are by Jim Kimball. I don’t know much about him, but you can purchase the sheet music and keep it handy if there’s a wedding in your future. Believe me, once you hear it you will want it sung at any wedding you have a hand in planning. You’ll want it to be a part of everyone’s memory
of that day.

Sample some more on Kealii’s site. One song from him is never enough. If you’ve fallen in love with his music (Duh! Of course you have!) you can buy it on his site while you’re there.

Technorati Tags: Jim Kimball, Kealii Reichel, music, The Road That Never Ends, wedding music

June 5, 2008

A visit to Waimanalo

I had an inspection in Waimanalo this morning. It’s on the far end of the island from me and I haven’t been there in a while. Listen to Country Comfort singing Waimanalo Blues in the video above while I tell you about it. You’ll hear a long instrumental interlude before the vocals start. Listen to the whole thing. Trust me.

Waimanalo is on the Windward side, as far as you can get from me without falling off the island. In geography it’s as different as anything on Oahu can get from my dry Leeward Coast. It’s cooler, damper, greener. The beaches are amazing. There are more trees growing close to the water than on my side, so there’s plenty of shade to sit in while you stop in for your lunch break.

Like the Waianae Coast, Waimanalo is far from the urban bustle, so there weren’t many people on the two beaches where I spent some time today. There were orange flags up and down the shore to warn of a rough surf, but that didn’t keep this group of kids from skipping school and enjoying some board time.

Waimanalo Bay Recreation Area has an obscure entrance attained by going through a residential neighborhood, much like my favorite Secret Cove, but at least this one is on the map. You can find it without much effort.

Waimanalo also has a high crime problem in common with Waianae. A home along the entrance path to the rec area carries a warning for the uninformed. Lock you car and take your camera with you, but I was perfectly comfortable mingling with Waimanalo folks today and certainly didn’t feel threatened.

This Hobie Cat is on the beach right behind the house with the warning posted on the fence. The homeowner must feel comfortable leaving it there, despite the dire message, don’t you think?

Waianae and Waimanalo are both considerd “country” by folks who don’t live on the ends of the island. Yeah, they pretty much are. I passed riding stables, dog kennels and orchid farms all along Kalanianaole Highway as I meandered around. Bellows Airfield (USAF) is there and takes up a lot of space, but it’s a mostly rural setting. There are also some charming businesses. I saw the handsome fellows above as I drove past and just had to turn around and go back. How could I not?

The horses drew me in, the art nearly made me late for appointment to meet a realtor for a termite inspection. Oops! Time well spent, though. This is Patrick Ching’s Naturally Hawaiian Gallery. Patrick is an amazing artist, a former forest ranger and a paniolo - a Hawaiian cowboy. A visit to his website is almost as fascinating as seeing his work in person. Spend an hour or two or ten over there. Some more great Hawaiian music will sooth your soul while you enjoy his art, his philosophy and a lot of Hawaiiana. Make sure you check out the Naturally Hawaiian Rodeo page. Patrick is wearing #587 in the Cowboy Poker photo poster. I’ve been assured that no bulls or poker-playing paniolo were killed in the mishap!

Sam Cruz is in training for his first 8-second ride on a bull himself. He took good care of me while I was at the gallery, enthusiastically supplying history of the shop and some biographical info on Patrick. If you’re reading this Patrick, keep the horses, the Falcon and Sam. They’re all doing a great job of selling your business.

I’m not sure why it’s been so long since I’ve been to Waimanalo. My bad! I’ll be making another trip out there soon, with no work agenda pressing me to hurry along. I definitely want to add a couple of Patrick’s prints to my small collection of Hawaiian art (sorry Patrick - I can’t afford the big stuff!) I want to spend some time browsing the orchids and other tropicals and checking out some more local businesses, too. Waimanalo probably won’t be on the itenerary that your travel agent helps you prepare if you ever make it to Oahu. That’s okay - you’ve got me to tell you about the places you really should visit. Get out in the country and see the real Hawaii!

Technorati Tags: art, beaches, Hawaii, Patrick Chinng’s Naturally Hawaiian Gallery, photos, Waimanalo

June 4, 2008

Is this your niche?

There’s so much going on online these days that it can be hard to keep up with things we want to know, things we need to know and things that are just downright fun to know. I don’t allow myself to spend all day everyday online, but even if I did I’d still be behind. That’s my excuse for being late with this little tidbit and I’m sticking to it! There’s a reason I’m telling you this even though I’m late, though, so pay attention!

You know about the Webby Awards, right? For the uninformed, the Webby Awards are the “Oscars of the Internet,” according to the New York Times. They’ve been honoring the best and the brightest web content for twelve years and will be holding their annual gala in New York City next week on June 10th, where they’ll announce this year’s winners. Sad to say, I haven’t been notified that it’s imperative that I be there, so I’m guessing I was passed over this year. With almost 10,000 entires you’d think that my blog would have been submitted for at least one category. Not that I’ve have expected to win, mind you, but a nomination would have been nice. I’d love to be seated at the same table with Todd Davis during the ceremony. You know him, right? He’s the lifelock CEO who put his social Security Number on the side of a truck, online and on TV to prove how well Lifelock can protect you in the event of identity theft. Yeah, that guy. Their website is a nominee for the Webby Award for Best Service of 2008. He’s proud of the recognition, and well he should be. So many websites are all about service that the nomination represents a solid endorsement of the level of customer care available to Lifelock’s online customers.

So, why am I telling you this even though nominations are closed and it’s too late for you to vote? Because I happen to know that some of my readers work in web-related services and that at least one of you has a background in security. Is it possible that you might be looking to make an upward move? Lifelock is hiring! This could be the golden opportunity that you’ve been waiting for. They have openings in several areas of expertise:

Marketing & Sales
Finance & Accounting
PR & Community Relations
Security & Compliance
Product & Strategy
Member Services
Human Resources
Information Technology

If you’re well-qualified in one of those areas, this is something you really need to check out. You’ll find more information about each position and an online application on their website so you can get started. Tell them skeet sent you. You know - the one who won’t be sitting next to Todd Davis at the Webby Awards waiting to be named “Best Website About Stuff.”

Technorati Tags: employment, Lifelock, Webby Awards

June 1, 2008

Maile Pink Market

The Maile Pink Market is an instituion on the Waianae Coast. Ask most anyone how long it’s been there and they’ll say “fo’evah.” Ask someone for directions to any place between Nanakuli and the Waianae Mall and they’ll probably use the Pink Market in their directions. You can’t miss it if you’re driving along Farrington Highway, the highway that you have to use to get to anywhere or from anywhere out here. It’s very, very pink.

Being right across the highway from Maile Beach Park, the Pink Market carries all the stuff you might have forgotten or run out of when you’ve having a luau or grad party. They’re a small store, maybe a little smaller than the average convenince store, but they manage to pack a lot of variety into the space they have available. I don’t think I can buy extra computer memory at the Pink Market, but they’ve got almost everything else you might need in an emergency, or when you don’t want to drive forever just to get some baby powder or roasting pan for your turkey.

Forgot to get a gift for the birhtday party? Maile Pink Market’s got you covered! I usually go there when it’s nine o’clock in the evening and I’ve just realized there is no chocolate in house. Or ice. Or ciggies.

Susan takes care of cutomers with a radiant personality and, for today, a shirt that matches the store. Her hubby is around somewhere. He’s always there lending a hand when it’s her shift. She tells me that Maile Pink Market has been around for “about twenty years,” and that the man and woman I always see when she’s not there are her brother and his wife. I think they own the store, or maybe the whole family does. Whoever you meet when you go there, the folks at Maile Pink Market are always friendly, always welcoming, always helpful. It’s that kind of place.

Technorati Tags: convenience store, Hawaii, Maile Pink Market, photos, Waianae Coast

May 29, 2008

Helping displaced farm workers

Hawaii’s agricultural sector has fallen on hard times over the last few decades. Big growers have pulled out, one by one, and taken their business elsewhere. Sugar cane was once a major Hawaii crop. I don’t think it’s being grown anywhere in the islands now. Each closure brings heartache. Ag workers make a decent living, but most will never accumulate enough money to own a home or even to rent in our ridiculously high-priced housing market. Some of them live in plantation villages, owned by the growers. Many families have lived in the same plantation housing for several generations. When the job goes, so does the home. That’s how it usually works. Someone owns the land, maybe someone else buys it when the company moves on. That someone has a bottom line to be satisfied, a profit to be made. I’m not knocking that. I understand how business works. Sometimes, though, businesses recognize that they hold something precious in their hands and they do their best to protect it. The James Campbell Company is HUGE business in Hawaii. One of their assets is a plantation village in Kunia, not too far from me. The folks who live there either retired from Del Monte after long-term employment, or they were still working for the company when Fresh Del Monte Produce closed down in 2006. They were allowed to stay on while disposition of the land was decided. Now their fate has been determined, and the decision is a good one. Campbell has agreed to sell Kunia Plantation Village to nonprofit Hawaii Agriculture Research Center for $1. Yep, you read that right - one dollar. The village will be preserved as part of Hawaii’s historic agricultural heritage and most of the residents who live there will be able to stay in their homes. They pay rent, but at rates applied under an affordable housing agreement. Many of them would most likely have ended up homeless but for this arrangement.

I’m sick of seeing the homeless families on the beach every time I drive along the coast. I don’t mean that the folks who live on the beach make me sick. I mean that their situation makes me heartsick. Our homelsss population continues to grow and the programs that are supposed to be helping them are inadequate and slow, most of them hopelessly tangled up in red tape. All of us working together - government, charities, citizens and businesses - can solve these problems if we put our hearts, our minds and our money to the task. Mahalo, James Campbell Company, for doing your part. You could have sold that land for millions. You could have done that and turned a hundred or so families into the next wave of homeless. Oh, I’m sure it was a sound business decision on your behalf, but it’s probably not the most profitable thing you could have done. You made the right choice. Mahalo nui loa.

Technorati Tags: Hawaii, housing, James Campbell Company, Kunia Plantation Village

May 8, 2008

Dog in Yard!

When I bought my house it had a “Beware of Dog” sign on the front fence, with a silhouette of a viscious dog, fangs bared and looking ready for business. I’ve never owned a mean dog and I hated that sign, so I took it down. I got Buddy a few months later. Wouldn’t you know it, he bit a friend who dropped in unexpectedly one day. Buddy had met the man before, but he was territorial and didn’t want just anyone letting themself into his yard unless I was there to say it was okay. A lawyer friend let me know that a “Beware of Dog” sign might save me from being sued if someone ignored it, so I got a new one, but without the mean dog illustration.That was about twelve years ago and the sign has been up all this time, baking in the tropical sun.

Buddy is gone now and a mean dog sign wouldn’t fool anyone if they met Lance at the gate. They’d know right away that the only danger he represents is that he might lick you to death. I’d been meaning to take the old, ugly sign down but hadn’t gotten around to it. I wanted an indication that I had a dog, just in case there was a fire or other emergency when I wasn’t home. I now have the perfect sign for just that purpose. I found a place that has dog in yard signs that are much more appropriate for me & Lance. It comes in blue, brown or green. I selected blue, and it even came with cable ties so I could attach it to my fence. (They’ll send the right mounting hardware for whatever kind of fence you have.) Wanna know something really cool about the company that sells these signs? You can pay after you get your shipment. They call it their Good Karma policy. How trusting is that? I know a lot of companies did business that way when I was a child, but I haven’t heard of anyone doing it in a few decades at least. They don’t take credit cards, but since you can mail your check after you get the sign it’s all good, right? I got my sign in less than a week after I ordered it, too. They must have mailed it the same day, because things usually take a whole week to get to Hawaii from the mainland.

I’ve relegated the old sign to the rubbish bin. I’m giving you a little peek at it so you can see how ugly it was. I was happy to relegate it to the rubbish bin!

Technorati Tags: dogs, Good Karma, signs

May 4, 2008

Contented with the Table of Contents

The Table of Contents (aka: TOC) met today for lunch at Downtown, a restaurant in the Hawaii State Art Museum. TOC is a group of BookCrossers who have been meeting about once a month for the last four years or so. Above, left to right: Ghir, IsleVampir, Karen (whose BC name escapes me at the moment) and our special guest, FutureCat. Karen is a formerly active member we were especially pleased to see today after an absence of over a year (life gets in the way sometimes!)

It’s books and BookCrossing that bring us together, but I think we all agree that our friendships are the driving force. A special bonus that comes with being BookCrossers is that it frequently brings us new friends. FutureCat is a New Zealander who is visiting us this weekend. We’re one of the last stops on her around-the-world tour as an ambassador for the 2009 International BookCrossing convention, which will be held in her hometown of Christchurch. She showed us a very well-done video presentation about Christchuch, her local BookCrossing friends and the convention. Our other special guests were Robbie, daughter of TOC member Dustyflint, and Maggie Rose, future BookCrosser. Above, left to right: Hyphen8 (back to camera,) Purple58, Dustyflint, Ghir (turned away from camera) FutureCat, Robbie and Maggie Rose.

We met at The Hawaii State Art Museum (HiSAm) last August. We were thrilled to return to the restaurant and to have Chris as our waiter once again. He took wonderful care of us and I think he was as happy to see us as we were to see him. We left him about twenty books to distribute to restaurant staff and museum patrons. We’ve often noted that wait staff in Honolulu tend to be highly literate and they’re always pleased to be invited to help themselves to our books. Above: Chris and Hyphen8

You all knew to expect this picture, right? Despite her expression above, Maggie Rose is a very contented little girl who smiled and giggled all through her time with us.

I gave Maggie Rose a teeny-tiny BookCrossing tee shirt, which she was pleased to model for us with her mom and grandmother looking on.

This has nothing to do with our meeting, but I couldn’t resist snapping a picture and sharing it with you. The mosaic is installed above the main entrance to Alii Place, the commercial building where I parked today. Isn’t it lovely?

All in all it was a wonderful day. The meal was delectable, the deserts to die for, the fellowship warm and the books delicious and delightful, as always. My allergies kicked in about the time I arrived, but Hyphen8 was able to supply me with a non-drowsy allergy tablet and it got the sneezing and most of the snuffling under control. Hopefully I’ll be completely well by the time we next meet.

Technorati Tags: BookCrossing, book groups, books, luncheon, Table of Contents

April 25, 2008

Sharing the Good Stuff

Sometimes we get so overwhelmed with the bad news that we forget that there are good things going on around us all the time. We can’t change the headlines, but we can seek out that which is good, that which is uplifting, that which shines with a positive radiance - the good stuff. I put out a special call for good stuff this week. I really needed some help because I’ve been sick for several weeks and haven’t even been up to searching the internet and watching the news for those special feel-good stories. My readers and friends have overwhelmed me with their responses! Here are some recent stories they wanted to share:

Karen found a heartwarming story that reminds us that there are good people in the world who will go out of their way to help someone out, even if their troubles aren’t life-and-death. The housekeeping staff of a Disney resort crawled around in garbage bins to retrieve some keepsake jewelry for a heartbroken couple. Mahalo for the smiles, Karen!

Dan Rua shared some good news about his daughter:

“When I came home last Friday, my 9yo daughter was printing business cards for her first startup company. Delaney’s Designs specializes in digitizing paper photos as problem/solution #1 and then creating various products from those digitized photos such as Family Photo Sites, Personalized Calendars, etc. She even has an April special: first 5 digitized photos free and digitizing $2 per 50 photos. As a startup investor, I couldn’t help but smile!” (Dan is a venture capitalist, and provided some of the early funding for PayPerPost, so you know he’s smiling ear to ear about this proof that his daughter is following in his footsteps!)

Dan is also promoting his Human Powered Cause Discovery, a way for you to get the word out about your favorite charities and causes. Make sure you check it out and let Dan know about the cause that is dear to your heart. Really good stuff! Mahalo, Dan!

Lisa shared some great news abour Dr. Lorna Stuart, who founded and operates a clinic for the uninsured, a cause that is dear to my heart. For those who don’t know, I can’t get medical coverage because I have a chronic condition. Dr. Stuart’s clinic can’t help me, but I applaud her for coming to the aid of others who, for whatever reason, have been shut out of the health care system. Mahalo, Lisa, for giving me and others hope that there may be an answer for us someday, too!

Valerie Joy has a wonderful weekly feature called Thurday Thank Yous. Mahalo, Valerie for reminding us that expressing our gratitude never goes out of style!

I was really glad to hear that my pal Val managed to have a phone conversation with her bother, recently deployed with the U.S. Navy. Mahalo for sharing that news, Val, and could you do me afavor? Next time you talk to him, tell him skeet says “Mahalo for all that you’re doing!”

I missed another great story that Val shared while I’ve been sick and not spending much time online. Read her account of a very special prom and the wonderful people who made it happen.

A special mahalo to all of you for sharing the Good Stuff. I’m feeling much better now!

Have you checked the back pages of your local paper lately? Do yourself a favor and make it a point to find the good news that never gets the bold headlines. Pick a news source anywhere in the world or something great you’ve found on the web. Better yet, share a heart-warming first-person moment that made you smile. Those little day-to-day moments that make us smile are the stuff of a happy life and worthy of sharing. Here’s your chance to recognize them for what they are and spread a little sunshine in the process. Make sure you send me a link when you’re moved to blog about something good going on. I’ll hook you up the next time we Share Some Good Stuff and then we can all feel a little better about what this world is coming to!

Technorati Tags: good news, current events, local stories, meme