Homespun Honolulu

People always talk about sunrises and sunsets. Nobody ever talks about moonrises. Let me tell you, they’re gorgeous! Catch them at the right moment and they’ll make you catch your breath. The only thing more beautiful than a Honolulu sunset is the rising of a Blue Moon over Honolulu.

Nobody seemed to be able to agree which month was the Blue Moon month, May or June. Some calendars said that May 31st was a full moon while others said the full moon fell on June 1st. While the astrologers are busy disagreeing, we’ll just enjoy them.

It wasn’t raining so I’m not sure why it looked so cloudy; perhaps it was vog (volcano fog) from the Big Island. Whatever the cause, I think it added to the beauty of the moon as it kept peeking through.

Blue moon or not, this one at the tail end of June was a beauty. For us lunar-tics, these natural wonders can make an otherwise stressful day pale in comparison. Perhaps it’s nature’s way of saying every thing’s alright. Works for me! The camera lens seemed to enjoy it too!

In a new and different way of doing things, one of Hawaii’s large financial institutions did more than just join in with another non-profit for some corporate philanthropy, they ran their own show! Rather than join in with the walks hosted by the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association or one of our other charities, Bank of Hawaii organized and did their own walk!

The Bank came up with a list of five charities and presented the list to their staff to vote and chose one. For the first year of this new philanthropic venture, the winning charity was IHS, the Institute for Human Services.

IHS feeds and houses the homeless. They provide clean clothing, clean showers and good food for those who are, or have become, homeless and would otherwise have nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep.

To keep things interesting and entertaining for staff and their families, not only did the organizers get local TV and radio celebrity, Kimo Kahoano to attend and MC the event, they also put together a “Centipede Parade” contest for the different departments in the company to get together and have a little parade. The rules? Have a theme and stay connected.

This was supposed to be Noah, or maybe Evan, and I believe this was the first place winner. Noah, or Evan, did have a bad hair day though.

Then there were the cruizin’ crayolas, whom I believe took second place.

These real estate people were, well… a neighborhood? These buildings with legs took 3rd if I’m not mistaken.

My favorites were the dragon shown above (they looked more like a centipede than any of the others) and these absolutely adorable ice cream cones seen below. I thought they were shaved ice when I first saw them but they were ice cream cones. I just thought they were so darn cute!

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I had so hoped for a better update to this story I wrote a while back but, so far, not so good. I even sent the link to their head office. Apparently they don’t think it’s important enough.

I was on my way in to get some medication and look what we have here.  Now, if he was there to pick up a patient I would have been cool and that, while still irritating, would have at least been understandable, but, he was kicking back and reading the frickin’ newspaper!

I couldn’t even make it to the door before my blood started boiling. I whipped around, grabbed my camera and had a rage fest of picture taking. Now everyone can see just how ugly this situation is!

Gratified after getting my photo evidence of this continuing atrocity, I went in to get the medicine and continued to bitch to the people behind the counter. It’s not their fault and it’s not their doing, but they are the sounding board. The nice young man behind the counter said, “oh, those stalls are reserved for them.”

“I know they are,” I responded, “THAT is the problem!”

By the time I got back outside, the cars of other Kaiser clients were still trying to untangle themselves in the tiny space (no, my car is not there) and the taxi was gone. Guilt! Of course, peeking at me from over his newspaper while I was taking his picture couldn’t have been very comfortable. He was reading the classified section… maybe he was looking for another job. Good idea!

What’s the update? No change. As I was leaving another car was beeping at me because he was trying to turn in to join this picture — a good-size SUV too! I bet he parked in the stalls marked for the taxis. I hope so. I left, still breathing hard and trying not to let it turn into road rage.

It has been busy and so have I! But, we cannot let it go by without taking a peek at who and what’s in the ring!

Take another excursion around the world at Home Turf Media’s Carnival of Cities and see what kind of performers have stepped into the ring this week!

First of all, we go to the hidden part of New York, under the city (literally) to find “The Book.” I so wished for a picture of this scary yet fascinating journey to this mini, underground work of art. This one has got to be my pick of the week.

Next the carnival leads you back to Homespun Honolulu (which is where you are right now) for you to see the Extreme Makeover which was quite the circus!

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Hawaii’s Governor, Linda Lingle, is not on my you-know-what list of people that have said or done something to make me angry. In fact, in her case, it’s just the opposite. I have agreed with most of what she has done or said. I think she’s a pretty darn good governor.

Now, last night I was watching the rerun of yesterday’s episode of Oprah. I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but Oprah has taken over the job description of E.F. Hutton, i.e. when she talks, people listen. That’s why so many spam emails mention her as they think it adds weight to their message.

Anyway, Oprah’s show was all about the young women who have babies and abandon them immediately after birth. Apparently there is a law on the books in 47 of our 50 states called the Safe Haven law. This law says that a child can be dropped off, within the first 72 hours after its birth, at any of the locations designated in the law and the person leaving the child can turn around and walk away — no questions asked. I didn’t know about this and apparently there aren’t many people who do. But, Oprah had it on her show so now everybody knows!

Wait a minute… who are the three states without that law? Nebraska, Alaska and, oh dammit, Hawaii. The worst part of this is that one of Lingle’s “advisors” told Ron Mizutani of KHON Channel 2 News that the Department of Human Services reports that there are no incidents in the state of Hawaii according to their records — of children being left on door steps and dumpsters and bathrooms. So that means it doesn’t happen? That means we don’t need this law? That means we don’t need to try to protect the children of confused and/or disturbed parents?

What an idiotic thing to say! The Department of Human Services has nothing to report because the babies that are being abandoned around here are found dead or dead and buried in shallow graves. No record? Check with the media, they have records that they are more than willing to share with the rest of the residents! Hello?!? Talk about frustrating!

Yes, many of the babies born here are taken care of by the relatives of the biological mother, but NOT ALL! To lose even one baby because a terrified young woman sees no alternative is enough of a reason, in my opinion, to sign that Bill into Law! There are so many people who would love to adopt a child like this. I know, you’re going to say — that nobody will adopt a child if it’s a drug baby. That may or may not be true, but a child like that is taken away from the birth mother by CPS (Child Protective Services) anyway so what’s the difference?

So, what’s my problem? Why am I writing a Honolulu Rant? Because Governor Lingle has vetoed this law once before and the feeling I’m getting from what I’ve read is that she will do so again. I don’t get it. It’s not just protecting the newly born babies, it’s protecting the young girls that are having them who are babies themselves. Sorry, I see this decision as a no-brainer. Just sign the frickin’ thing!

I wasn’t sure what to do about this but I followed the instructions and put in my own answers for the list of questions. So, here we go with a meme (a word that I still don’t really understand) that was dumped into my lap by Angie at What Floats My Boat.

This is kind of reminiscent of the old slam books, or whatever they used to call them back in high school. Although these things can be annoying, they can also be fun and it’s another way of sharing the proverbial link love. Thanks for sharing, Alalee… I think! Read the rest of this entry »

I am of the opinion that anyone contemplating attempting a full marathon might want to try a half marathon first. On Sunday I attempted and completed a half marathon, the first annual Hibiscus half marathon, but not without a lot of thinking and decision making. Am I glad I did it? Yes. Will I do it again? Probably. Am I going to attempt the Honolulu Marathon? Hell no!

I like joining in the fight for a worthy cause. This one was for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Hawaii. I am very proud of them for taking on this challenge! Read the rest of this entry »

Okay, I know some of you are looking for this and things are down to the wire.

The last pick-up is from 10 am to 5 pm today, Saturday, June16th, at Runners HI in Aiea. They are located at 98-390A Kamehameha Hwy, next to Dixie Grill.

If you’re coming from town or the East side, i.e., if you’re Ewa bound, this is that little area on the right when you get off of Moanalua freeway like you’re going to Pearlridge. There is a tattoo place, some used auto shops, etc. If you get to KFC, you’ve gone too far. If you get lost, call the store and they will help you find them, 488-6588.

I believe you can still register with them there but you can no longer register online. It’s too late for that. This run is to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society so it’s a worthy cause.

Again, I am not part of the organization committee for this; I am just trying to help you guys find your way! Enjoy the run!

Summer break officially began last week and it’s finally time to start thinking about the beach and picnics! For many of us, after certain functions, like graduations or days at the beach, there isn’t much time tor energy left to even think about preparing a meal.

So, where do people in Honolulu go when they’re hungry and need food without all of the ceremony of a fancy setting? No, we’re not talking about McDonald’s. Don’t get me wrong, I always welcome a Big Mac or a Double Cheeseburger. But, sitting down and being waited on is a welcome change to the grab-and-go style of eating we have all become accustomed to with our busy lives and busy work schedules.

Many local people will go to the place that has good food, fair prices, and a place that doesn’t worry (too much) about how you’re dressed. They go to Zippy’s!

I need to interject here that all of our Zippy’s restaurants have a fast-food side as well as a a sit-down venue so don’t think that you can’t grab some food and run if you need to. The food is always available if you want something to take with you on the way to your function instead of afterwards, or to take with you on a picnic.

Both sides have selections that should be able to please just about any palate. They got rid of the Shintani diet stuff they had on the menu (thank goodness!) so I can’t think of anything on the menu that isn’t good! (Long story about the Shintani diet thing and not worth the bandwidth to try to explain it.)

It’s nice to be able to focus on the conversation you’re having rather than the mess you’re making in the kitchen and the food you’re about to burn! These statements are especially true when your waiter or waitress is a good one! Penny, above, is serving customers seated at the counter and Ronald, the manager, is in the background checking the orders and backing up the rest of the staff when things get busy, and they do get busy!

It doesn’t matter how busy it gets, the waiters and waitresses maintain their ability to be patient with customers. Carla, seen here on the right getting some coffee, is the picture of patience and congeniality. No matter what, she has a smile and a friendly laugh makes you feel right at home and guarantees return business for the restaurant.

Zippy’s, much like Longs Drugs, Safeway and 7-11, has several locations on Oahu. I have been to several of all of these establishments but I do have my favorites.

My favorite Zippy’s is on Vineyard Blvd and we frequent both the fast-food side and the restaurant side. I’m a nut for their teriyaki;

my husband is a nut for their chicken and the corn chowder; Mom likes the clubhouse and she always likes their chicken curry, which is something Zippy’s may have as a special on any given day.

Everybody likes Zippy’s macaroni salad! We could have the hot vegetables if we want, but it’s just not Zippy’s if you don’t get macaroni salad.

Let’s not forget about dessert! Yes, they have those too!

Napoleon’s, for lack of a better description, is the bakery arm of Zippy’s Restaurants. They are well-known for their pastries, cakes and pies. Their custard pie is popular with just about everyone!

Zippy’s is a definite part of our community. Zippy’s chili is another popular menu item. It is a well known and popular fund-raising option for schools and non-profits. Their chili, corn chowder and their Portuguese bean soup are all available for purchase in the freezer cases of certain grocery stores, and even Longs Drugs.

They’re open 24 hours a day and they will feed you breakfast food anytime you ask. So, zip on in anytime!

Somehow one of our local families was chosen to be the recipient of the generosity of the popular television series, Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Momi Akana and her family were surprised to find that they were the chosen ones for Extreme Makeover to rebuild their home.

Why was Momi chosen? Well, about ten years ago she was a single mother of six on welfare and trying to raise her children. While dealing with that, Momi managed somehow to establish Keiki O Ka ‘Aina Family Learning Centers, a non-profit organization that has grown from providing programs for 30 keiki at its founding in 1996 to nearly two thousand at this point — maybe more.

Momi and her family were moved off the island as the crew, made up mostly of volunteers (nearly 2000 of them), worked for a week non-stop and, in spite of tropical weather conditions that kept the ground soft and even muddy at times, they managed to complete their mission.

There were several sponsors from local companies as well as mainland firms. City Mill provided materials.

Even Hawaiian Telcom got involved with providing the “communications for the build.”

This was an exciting event to have happen here. I mean, this is the stuff you watch on television. It doesn’t happen here! Surprise! It just did.

As I mentioned the other day, officers from the Honolulu Police Department are always there! Here they were on hand to direct and control traffic while protecting the nosy and inquisitive pedestrians, like me, from getting in the way of tractors, buses and other construction vehicles.

On a narrow street like this, these vehicles appeared even larger than normal. There was only one way in and one way out so it was a challenge for builders and neighbors alike. The neighbors stuck together and seemed happy to deal with it.

Here it is and there they are! Volunteer workers continue working through the night. They started on Thursday, June 7th and wrapped it up today (Wednesday, June 13th), only a week later.

I like these sheets of grass carpeting that will soon make up the lawn!

The interesting part of this project is that Extreme Makeover was not only building a house for the Akana family, they were also building a community center for Keiki O Ka ‘Aina on the same property! Members of the Extreme Makeover crew said this was their biggest challenge so far — building two buildings instead of just one in their allotted time.

Keiki O Ka ‘Aina is an organization that works to involve parents more actively in the education of their children. Their mission statement says that they aim to “support parents as their children’s first teachers.” Well, Keiki O Ka ‘Aina now has a brand new place to work with even more families in the education and cultural enrichment of their children!

From what I understand the show featuring this build will be aired in September. Until then, KHON Channel 2 has a nice clip of the Akana family homecoming. To the crew of Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Honolulu thanks you — for your generosity and for the excitement!