Homespun Honolulu

Do you need help keeping track of time? The Clock Collection has many different methods of keeping track of the hours in a day.

There’s a multitude of clocks for your table, bedside or desktop.

No room on your table tops? How about hanging one on the wall?

We all know that a person can never have too many clocks!

If the wall’s no good for your decor either, how about a classic grandfather clock?

There’s nothing like the Big Ben sound to sing you to sleep or to chime you out the door in the morning!

Mei Whei Wu has been specializing in these time-keeping antiques, and their repair, since 1981.

Here Mei is seen explaining the difference between the time-keeping functions of the grandfather clock and the cuckoo clock. Their weights and timing are not as alike as you might think. They function somewhat differently but their inner workings are equally delicate.

The Clock Collection not only repairs the internal workings of the clocks but the cabinetry as well.

As you can see, several people rely on the handi-work of The Clock Collection to repair their darling time pieces.

So, do you have the time? I do!

Here’s our darling cuckoo back at home — safe and sound and running happily and efficiently again. It hangs on the wall happily tick-tocking after just a little bit of TLC from Mei and her staff.

Thanks, Mei!

The Clock Collection
762 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 596-8127

Reminder

It’s getting closer! Sports, Health & Fitness Expo 2008 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall. This is where you need to go to pick up your packets and participate in some of the things they’ve got going on there. Fun stuff! If you haven’t registered yet, this is your last chance!

The Great Aloha Run is on Monday, President’s Day! That’s this Monday! If you haven’t made up your mind yet, go to the Expo and see if it helps you decide! Come on — join the community and have some fun, get some sun and get some exhaustion exercise.

Seriously, it’s fun and very rewarding! I promise! Okay, so now where’s the warning?

Warning

While looking forward to this event I have been a little apprehensive. I was trying to figure out why my leg was having so much trouble “getting it together!” I’ve been thinking about a possible cause for a few weeks now but thought I was just crazy. Last night, I finally decided to look it up.

Well, I found one site having a discussion about my exact concern, another site talking about a clinical trial and then, ultimately, WebMD talking about the side effects of Albuterol – pain in the knees and week muscles. OMG! One of the sites I found even used the word dystrophies.

Some time back I attempted a half marathon and I mentioned in a post that my leg pretty much quit on me. Well, I inhaled a little more than usual before the start of that event, because I needed “all the help” I could get! Regular readers might remember the end of this story? I fell — same leg, same symptoms. Now I have a lump and a scar on my brow to show for it.

Trust me, I’m going to have a discussion about this with the asthma/respiratory doctor, soon! But, for now, runners and other sports enthusiasts who think this sounds familiar, be aware. Carry it in case of emergency, of course!!! But, if you don’t need it, why use it? Be careful and talk to your doctor, please?

I would label this a Honolulu Rant but I have nobody to really blame. It is, I think, something that has only come to light recently. I’m angry that this happened to me, excited about sharing the news because I know a lot of people use Albuterol and I’m relieved that it’s not my body falling apart or my old age that’s to blame!

Come join the community, have fun and stay safe!

I may be dating myself with this, or at least my longevity on the Internet, but, I remember the company, VistaPrint, from days gone by. They made business cards for free a very long time ago. Now that’s a marketing technique from the past. Well, it must have worked at some level because, man, you should see them now! They’re offering all kinds of things to put your logo or picture on… a lot more than business cards!

The thing that caught my eye and started my mind thinking was the custom postcards. I couldn’t help but think we could use our photos (the good ones of course) to make postcards unique to our blogs, our islands, our cultures, events, whatever, that are not available anywhere else. Then, we can use them for just about any purpose — for sending holiday wishes, reminders, notices, all kinds of things!

Vista Print has taken things a step further at this point — they will even take a mailing list that you provide, and mail the cards for you! This may not work very well for holiday greetings to family and friends, but it sure works for business marketing and fund raising organizations!

I’m trying to date them but I really don’t remember exactly when they appeared. They may have come on the scene about the same time that eBay did. Yeah, I remember that too. My desire for my own identity makes me lean towards products like this. I think the bloggers and online businesses that are offering, or have offered, their t-shirts for sale or as gifts. I think that is so cool! Yeah, they do that too. Anyway, to answer the title question and hopefully not date myself even more in the process, “they’ve come a long way baby!” Now if I can just design a logo or come up with the perfect picture…

We were in the mood for Greek food the other day so we decided to go to the place with the easiest access. The Greek Marina in Hawaii Kai is easy to find, easy to park, easy to get into and comfortably unpretentious.

I have a passion for moussaka and my mind focuses on it as soon as Greek food is the topic of conversation.  So, since I was focused there, that’s what was for lunch!

Moussaka is a dish of eggplant and hamburger that is to-die-for delicious. This one was not the best they’ve ever made but it was still good. It was… missing something but we couldn’t quite figure out what. Oh well. The salad as good as always but it can always have more feta cheese!

I do love those Kalamata olives! They are an acquired taste but they’re almost a necessary condiment when eating Mediterranean foods. I don’t know, they’re just a culinary must-have!

Cheese, or the lack thereof, is always the problem with spanakopita (spinach with feta cheese baked in dough), which is another thing that I should have ordered. I’ll just have to order some next time. There’s a good reason to go back!

There’s a little window into the kitchen where the waiters and waitresses pick up the plates of food to be served to their patrons. I couldn’t resist that photo opportunity!

These are grape leaves that the chef has separated with slices of tomato and cucumber. I like grape leaves very much but I haven’t tried theirs yet. There’s reason number two to go back!

Hummus is also something I like but I’m not too worried about not having tried any. What I am irritated with myself about is my failure to try their baba ghanouj — a roasted eggplant dip that I absolutely love! There’s a restaurant in downtown Honolulu that makes some really awesome baba ghanouj and I really wanted to compare the Greek Marina’s to theirs. There’s reason number three to go back!

Since we’re talking about Greek food, I guess I should mention that they also have souvlaki. I have very little interest in souvlaki because it’s not exotic enough, or not definitively Greek enough, for me! What is it? Well, to me, it’s nothing more than your choice of meat (usually lamb or chicken) on a shish kabob. It is well marinated, but I always look for things that I cannot get elsewhere!

Now for dessert! Most people are familiar with baklava and this one looks like it was loaded with pistachios! I didn’t try it, but Mom, who is the biggest critic of bad baklava, says it was delicious.

This mural covers most of one of the walls in the restaurant. It is a very representative mural of the Greek Isle of Santorini. What a beautiful place — so fresh looking in its blue and white buildings and surrounded by the beautiful blue ocean! Picture perfect for sure.

The service was great and our waitress was very sweet and patient. The staff were all very good about humoring me with my picture taking.

Greek Marina
7192 Kalanianaole Hwy. E-126
Honolulu, Hawaii 96825
Phone: (808) 396-8441

You can find out more about Koko Marina here and, after you eat, you can walk around a bit and look at some of the other shops and businesses. Koko Marina calls itself, “The last stop on the way to Hanauma Bay.” I had to think about that statement for a bit and, you know, I think they’re right. I’ll talk about Hanauma Bay in the not-too-distant future, I promise!

Remember “Psssst!” — the hair-care product that you could use when your were pressed for time and your hair was an oily disaster? I don’t remember which company made it or what brand it was. It came in a purple, pink and white spray can, if my memory serves me correctly. Unfortunately, my memory would have to serve me correctly because they don’t sell it anymore and haven’t for a very long time!

I have looked and I have called around many times but, unless you want to use foot powder or baby powder in your hair, you’re stuck. I’m stuck. There have been so many times that I’ve wished I had a bottle of that stuff! It’s one of the downfalls of having straight hair. If I could just get my hands on some of that stuff, I would keep one at home, one at work, one in the car and a small one in my purse!

I did find this…

Spray Powder Shampoo - for Brunette Shades

Salon Grafix Spray Powder Shampoo, with its color match formula, is perfect for cleansing and refreshing your hair between normal shampoos or when you are on the go.
• Easily brushes off
• Leaves hair revitalized
• No white powder
• No oil residue
• Clean and shiny hair

Of course they have them for black, blonde and silver shades too.

I got so excited when I saw this “shampoo!” Then I saw the list of stores that sell their products. It’s a long list of businesses! I scrolled down the page and look who was on the list: Longs Drugs, Safeway, K-Mart, Wal-Mart and Walgreens (you guys do remember we have one of those now too, right?). Five of our stores! We’ve got it made!

I’m calling. So far, I’m batting zero. The only product I’ve been able to find is the Salon Grafix hairspray. What I really want is this dry shampoo! “Well,” I thought, “I’ll just order it online.” No shipping to Alaska and Hawaii. For our readers outside the State of Hawaii, this is one of the costs of living in paradise. It happens a lot more often than you think. Just don’t ask me why.

Hey, I tried. The best part of their online ordering was that it went directly into PayPal! That was another benefit. But, no shipping. I know, you guys can order it and send me some!

In the mean time, I’ve printed out several copies of the page to take to the participating stores that I frequent to see if they can find a way to bring it in. I’ll keep you guys posted and let you know who steps up to the plate with their customer service! I’m an easy sell for three bottles right off the top!

After working all day and suddenly being told you’re going somewhere, wouldn’t it be nice to quickly look like you just got out of the shower and gotten done with the blow dryer? Or, better yet, to make people think you look that good all the time?!? I know I need all the help I can get!

For those whose churches are on the Julian calendar (aka the old calendar), December 25th was actually celebrated on Monday, January 7th. It was nice to walk into the Moiliili 7-11 and still see little Christmas trees still on their counter.

The little trees were actually made out of LED lights. I have been admiring these lights for a long time. Unfortunately, the picture doesn’t even come close to how beautiful those little lights were sitting on the counter! I thanked them for still having them up. They think I’m crazy but, so what else is new?!?

Those lights are actually safer and more durable than the incandescent lights we’re used to. They also won’t break into sharp pieces of glass when your kitty decides to bite them. I’ve been most impressed by the other safety feature — they don’t get too hot. At least that way they won’t set dry trees on fire so easily!

In spite of the fact that they’re cooler to the touch, they’re still brighter than the kind we’re used to. Here’s a better example of what they really look like. The picture I took doesn’t show that brightness very well but do keep in mind that they were still beautiful, even in a fully lit 7-11 store! Those lights would be cool to line a walkway. Sometimes I wish I had a house just for reasons like this. I wouldn’t pound them with a hammer the way I saw someone doing on television — they’re not cheap — but I wouldn’t worry about driving over them in a driveway either!

Maybe the hallway at home would be an option… so we don’t step on something in the middle of the night. Of course if they’re that durable, it would hurt a lot to step on them in the middle of the night. I spoke too soon… we could get some of the rope light variety with “durable, flexible” plastic covering. I wonder how thick that plastic coating is. Of course if they’re lit, why would I step on them? I like the blue ones! They look so serene and restful. I would like to have that kind of color cast in the room and hallway overnight. They last longer and use less electricity too. I think they would pay for themselves in no time! Cool gift idea for anyone with a house — not only for the holidays but for added safety.

There’s one thing people in Hawaii love to do and it doesn’t matter which island you’re on or which side of town — we love to eat! Restaurants are a great thing but our menu items are often, much like us, an ethnic blend of recipes we have tweaked and morphed to our own liking. This is where our local grocery stores come into the picture and take on the highest priority!

I never noticed this sign until I was walking around with a camera. I never noticed the other half of it either… Safeway has been in Honolulu as long as I have! I knew there was something good about this place. Works for me!

It was three and a half years ago that I wrote a letter to Safeway’s corporate office in Arizona. I couldn’t think of any other way to let them know how pleased I was with my favorite grocery store. I opened the letter saying,

“Sometimes it really pains me that there is nothing that can be done by a consumer to fully show their earnest appreciation for the staff of an establishment like this one.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Black Friday is over and for those who weren’t able to get to the malls either because you had to work, or because you were just burnt out from Thanksgiving the day before, or because you were anxiously awaiting that nail-biter of a football game between the UH Warriors and the Boise State Broncos, relax! It’s Cyber Monday… and cyber all week long!

The fact that you’re reading this at all is probably a good indicator that you may be one of those people, like me, who avoids the big shopping malls altogether and goes to specialty shops, shops at Ross, watches QVC, or just shops online… whenever possible!

Whatever the case, I’ve decided to make a little page with shopping ideas for you to do your Christmas shopping! Let me make this clear, I would NOT have a business listed here if I did not trust the products or services that these vendors provide and/or if I had not experienced them for myself before telling you how wonderful they are.

What follows below is the start of our Shopping Page. We will build on it as we are able. Happy shopping, or at least browsing!

I can’t even begin to tell you about the variety of stuff that Hawaii Vacation Gifts sells. The scents are wonderful, the body products don’t cause itching or other skin irritations, and the customer service is “on it!”

HVG’s artistic creator has become a good blogging pal and I became a small customer of her products.I was lucky enough to receive a bit more than I ordered in my package so I know what I’m talking about. I have tried other similar products but have been left cold and unimpressed. There’s no unpleasant residual left behind from these products — neither in feel or in scent.

Go ahead and browse around the site and check out the products she has to offer! Everything from a bar of soap to an entire gift basket and more! Wait until you get to touch and smell her soy candles! They are clean and fragrant and they just feel good when you hold them! It’s weird, I know, but I like keeping them around just to smell them… without even burning them. They really do smell that good.

This is not the usual tourist keepsake place you find in Waikiki — this is the real thing! The products are designed and made here and not mass produced.

Visit Hawaii Vacation Gifts’ blog too!

How about giving a Ninja for Christmas?

A thought went through my head while I was reading something by our next gift idea. This little guy will let you give a blog as a gift! As I was reading it suddenly dawned on me, “What an awesome gift!” As much as we bloggers love our blogs, I think we can all vouch that this would be something awesome to receive, especially for someone who loves to write but doesn’t have one yet!

Not only is this a great gift idea, it is extremely cost effective! In fact, they will do it all for free! All you need to do is sign up for hosting with one of their partner links. Hey, you would have to pay for that part anyway. The most effective way to tell you about this gift, is to get it straight from the horse’s mouth… excuse me, the Ninja’s mouth.

Here’s where I tell you the best part of this gift suggestion. I know and trust this vendor and have worked closely with him for nearly a year. This “Ninja” comes with my highest of recommendations! Interested? You’ve got to at least be curious! Read on!

Ninja Blog Setup

We setup and configure blogs. It’s our goal to provide professional WordPress blogs without you having to even think about all the technical details.

A step by step overview

1. You fill out a simple form to give us the information we need to setup your blog
2. A Ninja will begin your blog setup including:
   • creating a professional email address for your blog (eg. yourname@yourblog.com)
   • testing your new email address
   • creating WordPress.com account for you so you can use the Akismet Spam protection plugin
   • creating a FeedBurner account for you so you can take advantage of FeedBurner stats with your RSS feed
   • installing WordPress on your hosting count and domain name
   • configure WordPress:
     • increase the size of the post writing box - makes writing posts much easier
     • setup search engine friendly URLs (permalinks) - more traffic
     • add a complete list of services to the ping list - tells various websites every time you write a story
     • install a robots.txt file - secures your WordPress admin pages from search engine spiders
     • create your user account within WordPress - so you have access to write and administer your site
     • delete the standard links (blogroll) that are included in WordPress
   • install and activate over 20 essential WordPress plugins ( see list of plugins )
   • setup an automatic WordPress database backup to be delivered weekly via email
   • install over 50 theme choices so you can easily change the look and feel of your site (see the themes)
3. We’ll mail you all the details of your installation including a short roadmap of optional configurations that you may want to setup.
4. You’ll receive a video guided tour of the WordPress administration area so you can easily learn your way around.

That’s it. From your point of view, you just fill out the form, and about 24 hours later, login and start blogging on a fully configured WordPress blog.

You can get started by signing up for hosting with one of our partner links:

http://www.ninjablogsetup.com/blog/wordpress-blog-hosting/

Or if you already have hosting or would like to use a different company, you can contact us to inquire about rates and other options.

What did I tell you? Is that an awesome gift idea or what?

Not exactly what you had in mind? How about something a little simpler? How about a t-shirt, or several t-shirts… the kind with attitude! These are as homegrown as you’re going to find and you can’t get them in a regular store.I went looking for Pure Breed Clothing Company because I was so sure they actually had a store in Mapunapuna. I don’t know where I got that idea, ’cause they don’t.

But, they do have a website. In addition, Henry, Christine and their three adorable children will be attending several shows and fairs between now and Christmas.

Here’s the schedule that I have been made aware of:

• 12-1 at Hilo High School fair
• 12-2 at Castle High School fair
• 12-8 at Moanalua High School fair
• 12-8 also at Aiea Elementary School fair
• 12-14 to 12-16 at gift fair at the Blaisdell Center

Go ahead and attend some craft fairs! While you’re there, look for the Pure Breed banner, pick up the perfect shirt to match that friend or family member with all that attitude, and cross a few more names off that list!

Electronic items always make good gifts! But, who do you trust? Where do you shop? I found one! I finally faced up to the fact that my computer needed more RAM or I wasn’t going to ever get out from under the software shutdown problems I was having.

The problem was that my computer is “old” by industry standards and, get this, they have stopped making the memory upgrades!

There were two companies online that had the memory that would fit and work in my computer. I couldn’t get through to a live body on the phone, but I was left with the option to have my call returned. Only one company, Edge Tech Corp, returned my call. Therefore, they got my business and my recommendation!

Their shipping was quick and the product has made me and my computer friends again. So, I list them here because they’ve got memory and they’ve got neat stuff too!

Their customer service was excellent and they have a lot of Cool Tech Gadgets and Free Shipping too! 

Edge Tech Corp has “all the tools needed to promote memory upgrades, digital media cards, flash memory devices, portable hard drives, and other technology gifts and gadgets.” In other words, they have toys in all price ranges!

• Memory for desktops, laptops, printers, servers ($15 to $2,000+)
• Digital Camera Flash Memory Cards ($15 - $190)
• Digital Memory Card Readers ($20 to $35)
• MP3 Players and Digital Music Accessories ($21 - $65)
• Portable Hard Drives ($100 - $360)
• USB Flash Drives ($18 - $190)
• Technology Gifts and Gadgets ($40 - $230)

Volcano Island Honey Company is a great place for gifts ideas and for the Christmas dinner table as well. Here we have the unusual gifts for the people who look at things a little differently than we do.

This was one of those great moments when an irresistible picture presents itself. All else must stop when you see it happen and you have a camera to capture the moment! I took this picture a few months ago and figured I would eventually find a way to use it. It never occurred to me that there would be something so very appropriate for this simple “Kodak moment!” Has this little guy got his head in the sand? Oh no, on the contrary, this is one very industrious and hard-at-work little insect!

While looking for a collection of Hawaii-related stories in a little shop the other day, I found something that peaked my curiosity. On a different shelf of unrelated items, some little jars caught my attention. The label said, “rare, Hawaiian, organic, white honey.” Huh? All kinds of questions popped into my head. Why is it white? Another industry to replace sugar cane? Why isn’t this in the grocery store?

When faced with all of these questions and an industry that I never even thought about, I had to be niele (that means nosy in Hawaiian) and find out more about it, of course! I had to have a jar of this stuff! So, I left the little shop with my new book and a jar of honey. What a combo!

When I got home to my computer I wasted quite a bit of time looking for stuff.  Then it dawned on me to go directly to the source. Duh! (I did that once with Norbest turkeys. Do you guys know that those turkeys are white too?!?) Anyway, on just one of those little 8 oz jars of honey there is an abundance of information, not the least of which is a web address!

Volcano Island Honey Company is located on the Big Island of Hawaii and their website has an abundance of information about our tropical honey for all of you little niele honeys out there. While we’re building our Hawaiian vocabulary, how do we say “honey” in Hawaiian? “Wai meli.”  What’s the literal meaning? Bee liquor. I love that!

Once I was able to drag myself away from the computer, I had to try the little delicacy I purchased, so I did. I can’t even begin to describe it and all of the thoughts that went through my mind. The biggest thought? “What have they done to the honey we buy in the store?” Seriously, that’s the first thing that went through my mind! (Apparently I’m not the only one to have had difficulty describing the taste! Scroll down until you see the paragraph on “Taste.”)

The honey in the regular grocery stores is different. It’s sticky, it’s processed, it’s messy, it’s… it’s just not right! The honey from Volcano Island Honey Company is smooth, it doesn’t run, it tastes like sugar (without the aftertaste), it’s spreadable, it dissolves, it’s just, well, it’s just good! It actually becomes part of what you put it in — it enhances the flavor without taking it over. The list of ingredients says, “Pure Raw Organic Hawaiian Honey.” Hmmm…

Raw is not usually a word that most of us like to see when associated with a food product. Until now. If the honey is left too long in the comb it crystallizes and has to be heated to extract the honey. What happens? The taste, the color and the texture of the honey are altered! So, raw honey is actually something a real honey connoisseur will be seeking, if they know what they’re doing!

Did you know that honey will taste different if the bees harvest nectar from different flowers? Who would have thought? I didn’t see all of those different honeys offered by Volcano Island Honey while I was in the store where I bought mine. Some of them are seasonal. I have my eye on one of them and I will talk about that, and why, in a later post… once I get my hands on some!  I promise.

Then I wondered if there was more to learn or see. Oh boy, was there more! Certainly more than I can even begin to cover here! Check out the process for making the honey!  And all of this wonderful stuff is the result of, and nested in, keawe trees? These are the trees that supply the wood we use to barbecue food over! They’re certainly nothing to look at, but, I guess now we know why it’s the wood of choice for making food taste good! Apparently the bees agree with us.

Okay, we’ve got all of this knowledge but the website wasn’t finished there. We’re going for more than just a treat for Thanksgiving; we’re going for some Christmas giving as well! Here’s a rather different treasure trove of Hawaiian gifts for us to contemplate. Talk about “Made in Hawaii!”

I have to share this one little story.  For the record, I did try to find out if the moon has anything to do with honey harvesting or its production.  I couldn’t find anything directly related to the bees but, in the process of looking for any lunar impact, I did stumble on something interesting.

In 1984 honeybees became little astronauts aboard the space shuttle! Seriously! As part of an experiment, the bees actually managed to build a honeycomb in space… and with no gravity! That was all I was able to find in the way of any direct celestial involvement, but I thought it was pretty cool.

The only question now is to figure out which item holds more fascination for me — the jar of honey made by the bees or their website? Our Big Island residents get to go see these honeybees at work! I’m so jealous! I’m telling you, all of this makes a person look at bees in a whole different light! Yeah, yeah, I know, buy a ticket. An airline ticket. Until then, I’ve got my honey to bee with me!

Volcano Island Honey Company, LLC
46-4013 Puano Road
Honokaa, HI 96727
Phone: 808-775-1000
Toll Free: 1-888-663-6639

It was quite some time ago that I was complaining about losing the Petland in Ala Moana Shopping Center so I thought we were more than overdue for a follow-up. No, it’s not reopening. We’re just going to follow up with the other Petland, Kahala Petland.

I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into this store. It sure seems to have the pet supply thing more than under control. In all fairness, I had never been to this location but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the inside!

There are lots of products, and a lot of knowledge can be seen by what’s on the shelves! Products for cats, dogs, birds, fish, grooming, cages and all kinds of things cover the place from wall to wall!

So, if you remember our original story when we talked about the Ala Moana store closing its doors and leaving us, you can see that Ducky (Ducky is the smug one in the picture in this previous article) had a thing or two to say about it as well.

Well, The Duck decided that she should have her picture on the Internet again so she thought we should follow up on the story.

Since we do love her and all the babies very dearly, how could I not give her another opportunity to be a star? She thinks she’s “all that” so how could I refuse to let her show herself off again?

Of course, if you look at her expression you can clearly see that this was not what she had in mind!

Yeah, if looks could kill! I could just see her little mind thinking, “You do know that this is not what I meant, right?!?” Yeah, well, sorry Ducky. You needed a bath.

This is Shaniya, and she needed a bath too. It’s okay, don’t worry, they’re all dry and fluffy now, running through the house (especially away from me!) and smelling very sweet!

Petland in Kahala is doing just fine too! This is the place with the Sunday puppy swap meets where breeders bring pure breed puppies for people looking for a new family member. Like their commercial says, they’re “your best friend’s best friend.”

Petland Kahala, 4400 Kalanianaole Hwy., Honolulu, HI  96821 (808)734-7387.