Homespun Honolulu

My Phone Came In!

I recently wrote about finding a really cool Sprint store at Mililani Town Center?  My new cell phone came in earlier than expected.  I figured out a way to get there earlier than planned.  I made it and, although my Sprint friend, Matt, wasn’t there, the staff in the store were a big help and fixed me up just fine!

They hung in and stayed with me until the memory was all mapped over to the new phone and I was comfortable enough with its use to be on my way.  I swear, this is the best Sprint Store ever!  Yeah, yeah, they try to sell you stuff, but they do such a very good job of it!  Their follow-up and follow through was excellent!

I don’t know if anyone remembers but I told you guys that things were going to happen that make me a little bit hissy.  I even mentioned it when I started talking about just wanting to get a haircut at Supercuts.  So, here I was, back at the same shopping center, and here I was heading home, and here is where I am about to get hissy again, or worse!

I did mention that I always get lost in Mililani, didn’t I?  The technology on my new little phone was a bit more advanced than the older one so switching the service over took a little bit longer than planned.  By the time I left the store it was late, dark, and raining.  Needless to say, visibility was minimal.

“Go back the way you came,” I told myself,” and you’ll get right back on the freeway.”  No problem.  Right?  Wrong!

I’m disoriented, I can’t even see my self-created landmarks, and I should have turned but I didn’t!  Or, I did turn and I shouldn’t have.  (Even now, I still really don’t know.)  I’m lost!  I can’t see the street signs through the darkness and rain, so that’s not helping.

“Okay, just keep going downhill and you’ll eventually get back to something familiar.  Then you’ll know where you are.”

Just as I made that decision I ran into something that jolted me out of my seat and scared me to death.  It also totaled my tire!

“Who the hell puts a curb in the middle of the street?!?” 

There were a few other “choice” words thrown into that sentence but I will spare you that part.  The photo above shows how narrow and winy the path to get around it is I understand why they did it.  I know it was to slow drivers down.  Mililani High School is on one side and a recreation center is on the other so I get it!  But, there is a better way to slow drivers down without putting them in harm’s way or destroying their vehicles.  “You dumb, *&$*%#!”

Uh, let’s see — lights?  Warning signs?  Lights on the median strip?  Anything would have been better than what was there — which was NOTHING!  Yeah, I think I had good cause to be hissy at that point.

There were little plastic poles on both ends of this nightmare but they were both knocked over.  Gee, ya think maybe a few other people had this problem too???  Check out all of the tire marks seen on these photos of this middle-of-the-street “curb!”  A police officer stopped to be sure I was okay.  Shaken, angry, and a little banged around, but I was fine.  “The main thing is that you’re okay,” he said.  Uh huh, he knew!

Kipapa gulch has such a bad rap because of all the accidents, ghost stories, and urban legends that have shocked people over the years but, I swear, Kipapa Drive is worse!  That’s where this story took place — where Kipapa Drive meets Ikaloa Street.  This thing is such an anomaly it’s even visible on Google maps!  I really think the D.O.T. (Department of Transportation) needs a letter, or maybe even a reprimand!  Shall we at least talk about maintenance?  If those stupid, useless poles were supposed to be the markers should they not have fixed them or figured out they needed a better solution?  They’re just lucky that the damage to me personally was nothing more than a shock to my nerves and a bump or two! But I am digressing.

To continue the story, I’m now alone, in the dark, it’s raining, I don’t know where I am, and there’s a gaping hole in my tire.  Then, to make matters worse, I suddenly have a strange young man telling me he will help me fix my tire if I will give him a ride back to Kalihi.  Hmmm… he wants to get to Kalihi, what is he doing here?  What is he doing walking around Mililani with just a back pack and without any transportation of his own?  Even if I wanted to accept his offer, which I didn’t, my car had no jack and no tire iron.  I guess I never had a reason to look for either one so I never noticed that they were missing.

Man did I miss my little Datsun at that moment.  Datsun was a model of car; it became the brand young people know today as Nissan.  Trust me, I’ve had to explain this to some people younger than I!  Anyway, the tire would have been changed, by me, and I would have been back on the road in less than half an hour.

I do the usual — call my husband and tell him I’m stuck.  Husband finally finds me, he is furious, the strange guy is still hanging around and that makes him even more furious.  The tow truck driver who finally shows up is a lazy young guy who just wanted to tow us somewhere rather than help us change the tire.  He had neither a clue nor any desire to help us.  Loser!

Fortunately, we are in Mililani.  Mililani has a WalMart!  They had both a jack and a tire iron.  We got what we needed and got the darn tire changed.  It was no easy task either!  The lug nuts were frozen and not budging.  Even full body weight was not moving them.  Then, finally!  The nuts came lose, we changed the tire and got to the nearest gas station with an air hose before the spare ended up too damaged to get us home. I could go off here about having to PAY for air, but I won’t.  But I’m thinking it!  (That is another thing that makes me hissy!)

Whew!  OMG!  It was actually 2 a.m. before we were safely home and I pulled the blanket up over my head.  After all of that, didn’t I have a reason to be upset?  Even a little bit upset?

I know technology can be challenging on occasion but all of that for a cell phone?  You have got to wonder if the technology is worth all of that drama!

Aw, poor little phone.  The phone is happy now.  My friend, Coco, and her mother just got back from Serbia and they gave me a pretty little hand-woven pouch — especially for my phone!

(Coco is our choir director and she’s actually tired of seeing me pull my phone out of my bra at the most inopportune times.)

What a spoiled little phone!  It has its own blanket!  A hand-made blanket!

What about the car?  What happened to the tire? That will be part four of this long story.  One thing just leads to another!

Drama to be continued…

Like I said when I found my Supercuts, we just had to investigate this place further!  I made arrangements for Mom and me to check out the new-to-us Town Center of Mililani!  When we first got to this little mall, I heard Chinese drums.  Focus gone!  Everything at that point went out the window.

“I hear them!  I have to find them!”  I am still licking the psychological wounds from missing all of the Chinese New Year celebrations this year.  Tsk!

It wasn’t difficult to follow the sound.  As it turned out, I didn’t need my $1 bills because these were Chinese Lions-in-training.  We enjoyed listening to their instructor talk to the kids about how their practice will prepare them for the big lions one day soon.  I’ve seen the discipline demonstrated by the keiki studying this art form before in downtown Honolulu.

It is truly amazing to watch and an excellent way to teach our youth to respect culture, art and, above all, authority!

After that  we decided we were hungry and wanted to walk around to see what kind of food was available.  As luck would have it, and as is so befitting us, we found and ate lunch at Zippy’s.

One of the girls told me that this Zippy’s location has been there about seven years or so.  It looked new and clean and just as busy as any good Zippy’s always is.

Of course I had to give them a little grief by asking them for the things that I know darn good and well have been removed from the menu.  I do this just to make a point and show them their error.

“Do you have any mandu?”
“No.”
“Okay, how about some G2?”
“We don’t have that anymore.”
“I know, I know!  You guys keep taking away all the things I like!”

Of course this is always followed by profuse apologies from them, me telling me that it’s not their fault and that “I have to ask” — just because I keep hoping management will stop removing the stuff I like.  The seafood plate and the scallops were a great loss too!  This is an ongoing issue I have with Zippy’s, not this location.  This was a great Zippy’s with great staff!

After getting ourselves full, we went on our first visit to this new little Borders book store.  We found other book enthusiasts there who talked me into getting these two science fiction series starters.

Then as we were turning around, Mom saw this really cool Vampire book that covered a huge amount of vampire history, including Barnabus Collins from the old TV series, Dark Shadows.  Am I dating myself?  Does anyone remember watching this?  My sister and I loved this show and Mom loved Barnubus Collins, the head vampire.  From that to HBO’s True Blood; oh my how times have changed!  This really cool book was dirt cheap so we couldn’t just leave it there on the shelf!

To be fair we have to talk about any negatives we found.  Um, shade?  Lots of benches, but, in the sun?!?  We went in search of the thing that all afternoons like this are made for — ice cream!

Well, we came close.  We found a yogurt place to take care of that!  We’ll talk more about Menchie’s later.

It was almost time to stroll out of our new find.  There was a grand opening going on with some country music so we had to be nosy.  It was a brand new Sprint Store!  Hey, that’s my cell-phone carrier!  Let’s go look, just for fun.  There was that phone that I’ve been eyeing for a while now.  It’s one that can take my abuse without a problem — it’s a Motorola and it’s made to withstand the military.  With those two criteria, it has a much better chance of surviving me!

Because they were just opening, they made me a deal I could not refuse.  Yeah, I ordered that phone and they helped me fix my plan so I could get better service for my buck.  I was happy and looked forward to them calling me as soon as my new phone came in. (Remember that I said that!)

Customer service at this Sprint Store was amazing!  Friendly, patient, and not at all condescending.  I watch for all of that!  Matt sold me on that phone and I trusted that he would work with me the rest of the way until my phone was switched over.

All in all I think we had a productive day!  I thought we saw the whole shopping center but I was wrong.  I found this map and, my oh my!   We’re obviously going to have to go back for a few more visits to this place!  I don’t mind!

Just in case you missed it, Hawaii’s Safeway Stores have a new program running — for the time being it is just for Hawai’i residents.  That little red Safeway Club card has just gotten a little bit better!

I’m serious, your Safeway Club card is going to keep track of the products you buy and keep you in the loop when your favorites go on sale or have special promotional pricing.

You don’t have to clip and carry coupons anymore and it’s all personalized and it’s all done with YOU in mind!  Here’s how Safeway explains it:

personalized deals

• You can get some of the best prices in town with these exclusive deals.
• Amazing savings on items you buy at Safeway and items you may be picking up at other stores — but now you won’t have to.
• Unlike coupons, you can use these deals to save again and again.

Once you register with your Club card or phone number, you can go see these exclusive offers online and make a grocery list of your favorites in the comfort of your own home, print it out, put it in your purse or pocket, and off you go!  It’s “your online way to save more in-store.”

It’s just for Hawai’i at the present time but I’m thinking that we are the guinea pigs for this project.  I’ll take it! I’m happy to take part in it and I’m also happy to share this with everyone!  It is going to be interesting to see just how big this gets and just how fast it spreads across the country!

Leave a comment on this post and be entered to win a $50 Safeway gift card!  

If you leave a comment below, I’ll put your name in our little random drawing to win a $50 gift card, just like the one they’re sending to me!  For this drawing, you DON’T have to be from Hawai’i.  Free groceries!  You can kick start that gift giving early — sign up online and you’ll get a d0zen eggs, for free.

Some of you may have noticed that your shopping receipts at Safeway have been accompanied by coupons for the things you purchase often.  Has this been in the works for a while?  Perhaps.  Are we glad?  Oh yeah!  I am so excited about this — regular readers know how I love food!

Check out Safeway.com, sign up today, and then go check in with your local Safeway ohana and pick up the FREE dozen eggs you can add to your shopping list right after you sign up.

I can already see the evidence of what I regularly buy.  My Tostitos are among the offers.  Pepsi is there — based on the volumes I used to buy for Mom.  I see bananas.

This is fun!  I wonder if they’ll add asparagus to my list.  I just cooked up my first batch of fresh asparagus last night.  I can guarantee that I will be buying it often — it was so ‘ono!

“Safeway — Ingredients for Life!”  I just had to say that!  Come on!  Talk to us and share your thoughts, so I can put your name in the drawing!!!

All I wanted was a haircut!  This post starts what will turn out to be a series of articles that shows how easily one thing can lead to another.  It all lead to a lot of drama (so you will “hear” me being hissy at times) but it has also enabled me to talk about a bunch of business relationships that mean more to me now than they did before this all started!

As I said, I needed a hair cut.  Here comes hissy fit #1 — I have a thing about my hair and have been irritated by some of the horrible things that the so-called experts have done to it over time.  I have found one person, the only person, which I trust to cut my hair.  Her name is Deloris; she works for Supercuts.  My hair likes her, it grows better after seeing her, and she doesn’t rip, tease, or strip the poor thing — she just washes, conditions, and cuts.  Simple!

Deloris was working at the Nu’uanu Supercuts.  She moved.  See, Walgreens is reportedly moving into the little shopping center known to us as Nu’uanu Shopping Plaza so it’s only a matter of time before we lose all of the little shops and businesses there.  As a matter of principle, I will probably never shop at that location.  I guess I have to call this hissy fit #2!  This is just my personal boycott — I haven’t been in any Walgreens since they moved to Hawai’i, and maybe I never will after having them over run Nu’uanu Shopping Plaza.

Give me a break, Longs Drugs is less than a mile away in one direction and slightly over a mile in the other direction!  We lost Huckleberry Farms (my favorite health food store) for Walgreens?!?  These Walgreens people can paint their walls green all they want, but it won’t be with any of my money!  Huckleberry Farm is gone.  Hungry lion is gone.  TCBY Yogurt is gone.  The remaining few will probably all be going too.

Okay, back to the hair.  Now, a lot of people have that one person that cuts and/or styles their hair and they refuse to go to any other.  Those who can relate to this know I would have to find my Deloris!  Where did she go?!?  Nu’uanu Supercuts said she went to the Supercuts in Mililani.  “Where?!?  Do you have a phone number?”  I got the phone number, called it and got Deloris herself on the phone.  Whew!  “Where are you?  But I always get lost in Mililani!”  She gave me directions and told me it was easy.  Uh huh. Okay, I found it.  Landmark = Ruby Tuesday.  I’ve been there, I can find it.

I found it — right between Genki Ramen and Subway.  I found Deloris.  I got my hair cut.  I feel better about that Mililani drive. This location of Supercuts is clean, comfortable, and so very familiar.  Ahhhhh, I’m content.  Leaving Supercuts I glance at the stores across the way — “Gasp!”  There’s a Borders!”  I suddenly like this shopping center a lot!

Mom and I will have to make a day of this place to check it out more thoroughly!  Town Center of Mililani is our newest place to peruse.  This completes the opening of the series of posts to follow soon.

Lent has been quite a struggle this year.  Many of us have been sick, Mom spent time in the hospital again, taxes are still looming around, and there is a multitude of life’s other dramas rearing their ugly heads.

Sometime back (a few years ago) I took it upon myself to put the palm leaves together for Church, to be blessed and shared with the faithful on Palm Sunday.  Because I live in a condo, palm leaves are not always easy to come by.  You would think that, since we live in Hawai’i, finding those palms would be simple. Right? Not necessarily.

To avoid “borrowing” branches and leaves off the side of the road, or worse, every year I buy a couple of little trees from one garden shop or another.  I take the little guys outside to my car, cut off the bulk of leaves, and then take the newly-sheared plants back into the store I got them from — so they can give them away to another customer who might like some free plants!  You should see the looks I get!

This year, even buying these little trees was a problem.  The ones I found were, to put it kindly, sort of scrubby looking.  I finally resigned myself to a couple of Phoenix Palms that were for sale at Home Depot in Iwilei.  While telling the cashier about my annual palm activity she looked a little puzzled.  The conversation went something like this:

“That’s all you want, just the leaves?”

“That’s it,” I replied. “I’ll bring them back and you can give them to whoever wants ‘em.”

“Oooh, I would like those!” she said, actually taking an interest in the conversation.

“Are you serious?”  I asked, a little amused.  She nodded eagerly and I couldn’t help but smile at her.  “Then they’re yours!  I’ll be right back.”

The way she said it was so sweet and so sincere.  She didn’t think I was coming back.  Yeah, you got it, she took them home.  They were pretty bald but she was so happy to have them and thanked me for the gift. I gave her a hug and wished her a Happy Easter.  As I confirmed that she had a copy of the receipt so her employer wouldn’t accuse her of stealing, she still seemed incredulous.

To lighten things up a little I grinned at her and said, “I’ll come see you next year to cut their branches off!”  She giggled and said she would let me know.  I needed that fun experience.  Just a moment of sharing a giving moment with a stranger who appreciated it — lent, and my life, go just a little bit better.  Seems odd?  I think so too.  I couldn’t help but want to share it here.

The picture on the right is what they became.  Since I attend a Russian Orthodox Church, it is tradition to include pussy willows because Russia has no palms.  At this time of year, the flora most in bloom in Russia is pussy willows — they grow even when snow still covers the ground!  So, we take palm leaves, some stalks of pussy willows, and tie them with a bow to be blessed!  That way we take advantage of both tradition and Tradition.

Do we grow pussy willows here?  Uh, not that I know of!  Watanabe Floral always takes care of that for me, and other floral needs, every year.  I also got the bows from them — and very beautiful bows they were!

Aloha spirit all around?  You bet!  Sending a huge mahalo out to Home Depot for hiring the right people and to Watanabe Floral for what they provide and for having the best staff that tolerate me, even when I’m horrid and grouchy!  Of course, flowers do tend to put us in a better mood. 

…you’re probably dead!”  That statement is not necessarily my point of view but I will share it here nonetheless.

This slogan appears on the up and coming website of one of Kapolei’s new businesses — Momentum Tattoo.  Saturday, December 12, 2009 was their grand opening and I’m happy to be one of the first to welcome them to O’ahu’s second city.

This was good timing to follow the Toys for Tots motorcycle run!  Well, sort of.  It was even better timing for this grand opening that took place on the same day that Kapolei Shopping Center was having a sidewalk sale.  Momentum Tattoo is a full-service location, that offers a full spectrum of tattoos including tribals, sleeves, and whatever else you may ask for, in either color or black and white.

Being the usual cootie-phobic, personal-hygiene fuss budget that I am, I looked at their darling girl behind the counter and one of the first questions out of my mouth was, “Are you clean?”  Blunt.  While that may not be the nicest question to ask a new shop, I’m pretty sure that, considering their line of business, they expect to eventually have that one thrown at them — more than once!

The answer was yes, they are.  In fact, they just got their “stamp of approval” from the Board of Health!  Beyond that, the shop is fresh, clean, and off to a very good start.  As I was informed with a smile, this is the only one of its kind in Kapolei.

Only open for a few hours at this point, curiosity had already peaked the interest of shoppers in the Kapolei Shopping Center, self included.  Such pretty colors!  I did have to close my eyes to some of the designs but such is the nature of this kind of body art.

This may be just a temporary sign but it provided all of the necessary information!  Kudos and thank you, Sunny, for fielding my pointed questions and for keeping such a positive attitude.  That added personal comfort and the warm greetings that met us at the door will take this business a long way for sure!

If you’re skin is screaming for decoration, go check ‘em out!  “No shame” ask about their equipment and sanitation practices either — they will answer you.

Momentum Tattoo (Custom Tattoos)
Kapolei Shopping Center (a little ways West from Blockbuster)
808-674-9851

I know I’ve talked about this place elsewhere, but not here.  Tsk!  This little post has been sitting in draft form for quite some time.

We were having lunch at Zippy’s in the Koko Marina Shopping Center and the name of this cute little store caught our attention. Of course the big “SALE” sign in red lettering was helpful too!

When we were done eating we decided to be nosy and go check it out.  I’m glad we did because I have a passion for wood grain and there was a lot of it inside!

Brian Ikeda, the store’s owner, is seen here sharing information about the store, telling visitors about the products, and talking about the numerous buying trips taken to Indonesia to purchase all of the merchandise that this little store has to offer.

There were some unusual items that, while somewhat familiar, had a different overall ambiance to them than what we’re used to.  There was an uncanny similarity to what one might associate with the Philippines.  But then there was a sense of made in Hawaii there too.  The best part was that all items are made in Indonesia, hence the name Bali Pacific Trading.

While just simple wood is a definite draw for me, the quality of the wood furnishings we found was very apparent and the different pieces of furniture were very attractive.

I thought this guy on the right was fun and Mr. Ikeda said that the kids love him too.  I’ve never seen a surfer quite like that one. 

I got a kick out of it with the straw skirt and hair to match.  Like I said, you would think we would find something like that right here in Honolulu but I’ll be darned if this charming fellow wasn’t made in Indonesia as well!  What a crack up!  He looks a little ticked off – like he just missed his wave.

If you stop by the store on a Sunday, give my best to Brian and have fun checking out the textures of all of those home and garden products.  The prices are very reasonable and it’s safe to say that you will be pleasantly surprised.

Bali-Pacific Trading Co.
Koko Marina Shopping Center
Suite G-102A
Honolulu, Hawai’i
Phone: (808) 396-9959

We all know how to find someone to help us repair things and we can figure out pretty easily how to get various materials — a piece of wood, a sheet of drywall, some sheet rock, a roll of screen, etc., etc.  But, where do you get a piece of glass that’s not for your car?

Mom’s tenants messed up her house pretty badly. One thing they did was remove the air conditioner and leave a gaping hole in the window, with no covering whatsoever. Okay, we’ll just cover that with a piece of glass.  That sounds good, don’t you think?  Good luck!

I know the size I need.  “No it’s not for my car. I just need a piece of glass. Do you have any?”

“No, we don’t do that.”

“Can you cut this to fit?”

“No, we don’t do that anymore, we got rid of that equipment.”

Auto glass? Yes. Shower doors? Yes. Jalousie windows? Sure. A piece of glass cut to the size I want? Hell no! “But it’s such a small thing; why won’t anybody help me?!? Aaargh!”

Breathe. Pearl City Glass Shop to the rescue! Hooray!  A huge “Mahalo!” goes out to Ace Auto Glass on Ward Avenue for that recommendation!

The sound of breaking glass makes me cringe and the sight of broken glass is not much better — I hear danger and see pain. When I take bottles or cans to a recycling location I can’t stand the sound of the beer bottles being dropped off. I stand back and wait for that person to be done and for the sound to stop. Clearly, glass and I are not the best of friends.  I love to look at it but I don’t like to mess with it.  Glass belongs stationary or framed in some way. I also prefer keeping my blood on the inside of my veins. If there’s a way for me to cut myself, trust me, I will find it!

The staff at Pearl City Glass Shop is very comfortable and skilled at working with this stuff. No matter the size or the reason, if you need glass and you need it cut to fit, Pearl City Glass Shop is there to help.  Oh, and if you think you’re stuck with whatever size mirror you are able to find in the department stores, think again — Pearl City Glass Shop can cut one any size you want!

They’re located in one of those places that you pass all the time but never really see, or try not to.  You can find them at 659 Kamehameha Hwy in Pearl City, between the Sears Distribution Center and Leeward Community College.  If you still can’t find it, call them and they’ll tell you how to get there!

Something so small was so stressful.  Did I mention that Mom’s house is about 33 miles outside of town and gas prices hadn’t gone down yet?  “Ka-ching!”  One more huge “Mahalo!” goes out to Pearl City Glass Shop for saving the day and for solving an otherwise impossible problem.  Thanks you guys!

Pearl City Glass Shop, Inc.
659 Kamehameha Hwy
Pearl City, HI 96782

Phone: 808-456-4502

Okay, December just went way too fast!  It was like watching water go down the drain — the last part just goes, “sluuuurp,” and then it’s all gone!   

The deadline for the first 2009 Carnival of Aloha was actually today, BUT, I’ve extended it until Friday the 2nd.  :)  I’m falling behind big time and, with the holiday season and all, I’m guessing that some of you guys are too!

Have a wonderful, safe and happy New Year celebration this evening and when you’re recovering from it all tomorrow, submit a post for the Carnival!  If you like, send in your favorite post of 2008 — just be sure to let me know that’s what you’re doing in the comments so I can make a note of it!

Mahalo to Richard Tajiri’s Christmas Hawaii for a picture-perfect tree that I almost didn’t want to decorate.  But, I did!  I’m hoping that I can be supportive of them at the start of the holiday season next year.

On Friday night we lost power.  We all lost power.  The entire island of Oahu was without power!  No lights, no air conditioners, no hot water, no traffic lights, no stores, no televisions – you get the picture.  Even the surviving radio stations fell off the air a couple of times.

Poor HECO (Hawaiian Electric Company), they were up and at it all night long.  There were a few strokes of lightening that seemed a little too close for comfort and we’re thinking may have actually hit some power lines.  That part, i.e. the cause, is still under investigation.  Apparently, our power system is set up to shut itself down to protect the system from frying when something goes wrong.  We all have to admit, it’s a lot better to be off line for a few hours than for a few days!  Ugh! 

Some places were back up and functioning in nine hours or less but it wasn’t until seventeen hours later that we had power back in our building.  There were still “pockets” of people without power. Two garbage bags of now-dangerous-to-eat groceries went out in the trash.  Thank goodness for Costco – at least we can replace our damaged goods relatively easily.  The financial part is not always so easy.   

Roughing it can be fun but it does get old rather quickly.  I had forgotten how a cold shower feels!  Brrrrr!  But, the house was kind of hot so it was okay.  Of course I then ended up outside in the rain right after that and the wind was nippy. 

After getting the call from home that our power was back on, I did see a HECO truck, one of many, driving around and my heart went out to them.  They looked so tired.  I waved and they waved back.  Albeit not a very safe job, it was probably still preferable to being one of the HECO operators taking phone calls from angry people still without power.

All of that being said, we had good company!  Our darling President-elect was with us for the party.  Relax, the Obama family was just fine.  They ended up with two generators and, I’ll wager, a lot of soggy reporters. 

I had to laugh at the CBS News’ coverage of  the paparazzi media –  Barack and the kids actually managed to run away from them!  Naughty, naughty. I shouldn’t laugh I suppose but I just can’t help it!  :)  While CBS covered the Obamas, the Associated Press covered our power story quickly and summed it up quite nicely. 

We’re okay now, except HECO has to find and define the cause. But, let’s talk about natural energy, shall we?   Of course, we had very little sun and not very much wind either.  You can’t store Mother Nature can you?  Did I mention that we take so much for granted?