I head down to Sam’s Club Pearl City after work to pick up a few more ingrediments - well actually just wasabi and Q-tips but like a habit I take the same route Da Wife I go through everytime we’re at Sam’s. We walk along the left side making a stop if necessary, then through the freezer section, along the back towards the fish and sushi and then back along the right side and again, stops if necessary.

Like a lolo I only needed TWO things but come out with five all because I didn’t b-line it to what I came for. Sushi, poke, vitamins, wasabi… make dat four things… fo’got da Q-tips. Auwe.

I noticed when I entered the store it was semi-empty and the lines was maybe one or two people deep. I swear was only in the store for like five minutes and when I got to the front ALL the lines were like eight or nine deep.

So of course I stay spocking out which line get people with little bit items and head there. Did I mention that I suck in picking lines? No mattah wat, there could be five in line A and one in line B and of course I going to line B right? Guess which line is pau first?

So I pick da “winnah” line once again. Get only four people ahead of me but with like five items each so should go quick. I then spocked one cashier looking like she was logging in and bettah yet, stay right next so I was expecting her to come around and “escort” you into her line.

Nope. She takes her drawer out and walks two lanes over, puts her drawer in and opens there! Loser!

Myna. One mo’ to go and she get like ten things so should be quick. Da cashier swipes the card and scans a couple of items before mentioning that da wahine’s membership expired.

Da wahine:  ”I didn’t get a notice.”
Cashier:  “Did you want to renew it now?”
Da wahine:  “I didn’t get anything in the mail.”
Cashier:  “They’re supposed to mail it out. Did you want to renew your membership now?”
Da wahine:  “So I can’t buy these things now? Don’t you guys send it out like a month before or something?”
Cashier:  “You can renew it right here and it’ll be added to your total.”

A quick pause.

Cashier:  “Did you want to renew?”

Da wahine now talking to her three teen keiki repeating the EXACT samething conversation above (as if they weren’t already standing there) while staring at her items proceeds to walk away.

Cashier:  “So you don’t want to renew?”
Da wahine (grumbling while walking away):  “No.”
Cashier:  “Can you leave the cart please?”

Da wahine was already halfway out the store before they decided to bring it back. Then the real fun started.

The cashier begins to reload the cart and then just stops and stares at the wall. I follow her gaze to no one in particular. She reloads one item into the cart and stops again. Being the akamai person that I am I notice that there’s a total rung up so she must be looking for a manager to void the transaction.

Where da heck is da manager? Eh, just turn on da light and someone will stop by. Look at the pole. Look up. Look down. Eh, wea da light? NO MO’! How come they took it down? The couple behind me had choke things and looked like needed a fridge real quick. The people in the back of the line already found alternate lines and heading out the door.

Now we’ve been in line literally for ten minutes watching the drama and waiting. A few minutes later amanager nonchalantly comes by. They giggle, clear the transaction and apologize to each other. Yes, to each other.

Wassap Wit Dat!

Not once did either of them acknowledge us the customers (one who was actually leaning against his cart, legs crossed playing a game on his cell). There was no eye contact either and believe me, da Korean stink eye was in full effect.

My transaction was quick being the four items and all. I swipe my credit card and hold it out while I sign the keypad. She doesn’t grab it or ask for it. I look at her again and nothing so I start to put it away in front of her. As I’m about to grab my box she asks to see the card.

Are you frickin’ kidding me?! You had all that time to ask and check and after you notice that I’ve put it away you ask only now? Oh boy….

The only good thing that night was the couple behind me with choke melting things actually told the couple behind them to go first since they only had three things. Simple acts like that made me feel au’ight again cause it doesn’t happen too often.

Then I stayed up till 10pm making the salad…. but you know wat?

Da potato trick really works….. I guess I can add that to my useless facts library!

After reading an article last week backing up what numerous Kwonics/Lanceformers/Lurkahs have already mentioned, enforcement is the key to help curb the road woes… or at least the “presence” of authority.

This keiki took matters into his own hands. (Sorry that the link didn’t work - the story is below)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Landon Wilburn, 11, has a future as a cop - a traffic cop. The youngster, who used to shout at speeders to slow down as they drove through the Stone Lakes subdivision in Louisville, now has taken matters into his own hands.

Dressed in a reflective vest, wearing a bicycle helmet and armed with an orange Hot Wheels brand radar gun, he points and records the actual speed of passing traffic.

Landon also carries a flashlight with a built-in siren.

“When I saw it happening, I got the biggest kick out of it,” said resident George Ayers, 61. “People were locking up their brakes when they saw him.”

Many in the subdivision are frustrated that motorists tear through the neighborhood at 55 mph despite signs posting a 25 mph limit.

Officials said the city will install speed humps in the neighborhood if 70 percent of residents agree and are willing to put up half the money.

Landon Wilburn, 11, points his Hot Wheels brand radar gun to see how fast an oncoming SUV is driving on Taylorsville Road past the Stone Lakes subdivision in Louisville, Ky. Wilburn has been charting the speeds of drivers near his neighborhood since June. Landon said he used to shout at speeders to slow down - then had a better idea. (AP Photo/The Louisville Courier-Journal, Charlie White)

He stepped up and actually Did Something About It (one of my very first “controversial” blogs - just fo’ you MoOgooGuypAN).

Not an adult. Not a senior citizen. An 11 year old keiki who had enough and stepped it up by doing what’s right. It happens in every city no matter what part of the country you live in where the 25mph speed limit sign is more of an eyesore than the law.

Then when “city officials” get involved they want 70% of the residents agreeing to put in speed bumps and front up half the money.

Wassap Wit Dat!

That “solution” is just wacked. You got drivers knowingly breaking the law and it seems like the “system” is backing the lawbreakers. 

What if someone here simulated a speed trap on the freeways? I betcha s/he guarns-bombarans would get a ticket instead yeah?

What if we had a citizens patrol camped out on known speedways doing “research” and once people get comfortable knowing that it’s not the police, switch it up and have a real officer there and BAM! Gotcha.

Has any keiki inspired you to do something? Anything? Give you any ideas?

Or think once adults get involved it’s all ovah?

Aftah I took da dogs out fo’ one walk. Wat kine mind you get?!

So I stay sitting in my half-walled cubicle listening to 98.5 late in da afternoon yesterday and hea pops in Da King of HA blogs standing in front of my little hole and I say,

“Ai-yah! Wat I did? I nevah do nothin’! Dey made me do it!”

Straight from Da King, Tsaiko’s fearless leader, I got da scoops - plus Princess Shaunabee mentioned something about it not starting too in her post. So hea I am, for da time being back to entertain you - or rag on me - whichever you prefer cause it’s au’ good!

Hey, I just realized Da King himself posted on WWD! Cheeeeee-frickin’-hoooooo! Wow, score yeah! 

Ok, if He Da King of HA Blogs. Da Cat Da Queen. Shaunabee Da Princess. Uncle Rodney must be like Da Elder Advisah. Den dat make me wat….OH…. Da Jestah yeah! Cheee-hooo! But I ain’t wearin’ dat stupid hat!

So I’m back until we get all united on the home front… and get some reliable information. Sorry for the confusion and shmall kine panic attack. And hea I thought I was going to have one break. At least now I can blog about DK’s next week.

Which leads me to ask, has anyone else done anything or reacted based on misinformation? What did you do? How did you feel?

It feels like I stay in one dark room and someone yells, “Let’s streak!”. I strip down, the door flys open and I sprint out…. by myself and the door closes. Yeah, WWD!

Mahalos muchos fo’ da support!  Believe me, I wouldn’t be hea without each and everyone of you - Lurkahs included. 

I’m back for now and rest assured wen “it” does happen, I not going be da only one in da birthday suit.

If you haven’t noticed, most of the staff bloggers are newsroom staff and while I’m not in that department it’s about supporting each other in this troubling time.

I hope everyone who drops in to read WWD! will understand that it’s a show of unity to suspend our wala’au sessions. I also hope during this time we don’t lose any readers and supporters.

So keep checking back all you Kwonics, Lanceformers and Lurkahs cause I’m not sure how long this will be.

Hopefully we’ll be back sooner than you know it…cause I’m sure by then I’ll have more than enough WWD! moments to share with you all!

And to finally answer the WWD! First blog (record postings I might add - Au’right!), Terri and I will be celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary dinner at DK Steakhouse this weekend…. full review to follow…. pics too!

So stay tuned, A Hui Hou and keep checking back! Take care.

k-den,

Braddah Lance

LET’s VENT!

Layoffs are never good - especially in a down economy - but when it happens to you three times in eight years you begin to wonder if you’re the plague.

My first “real” job was at the Aston’s Waikikian on the Beach Hotel. Fo’ da MLC crew - dat’s the hotel next to da Tahitian Lanai. Fo’ da “not too old, not too young” peeps - dat used to be da two story hotel wit da Tahitian Lanai neon sign in between da Hilton garage and Ilikai. Fo’ da youngin’s - dat’s da new condo dey building on Ala Moana Blvd called, Grand Waikikian - guessing in honor of nostalgia.

I worked my way up from bell to front desk to reservations and next thing I know, BAM! Pink slip. Hotel is closing. My conspiracy theory? The hotel was nearing landmark status and the cost to upkeep it was too great so that meant A Hui Ho to da staff - just my theory.

Before coming to the Advertiser, my previous workplace had layoffs because of 9-11. My conspiracy theory? Management wasn’t managing very well but who loses their job? Da workers on da front lines… I just missed dat cut.

Now, The Advertiser has announced and proceeded with the layoffs.

Wassap Wit Dat!

And once again, I survived this time around but who’s to say I won’t be next? I’ve never applied for jobs lightly. I always considered longevity in a company as long as the company I work for takes care of it’s employees. I firmly believe that when a company shows “da love”, it gets reciprocated back ten-fold. You take more pride in it, you work harder and give intangible value that can’t be shown with a price tag.

For all the people who have given their lives to a company to be told, “Mahalo and Aloha but we don’t need you any more” is sickening. The feeling is not more so that the company doesn’t care about you but how are you going to take care of your family?

During my first layoff I was single so it didn’t matter so much - I coped, I managed, I survived. At times I didn’t eat for a day or stretched my meals for more than a sitting and most times just ate once a day. I wore the same underwear two days in a row…. wait, I still do that now. But I was single back then.

If I was to get laid off right now, I don’t know what I’d do. How would Da Wife and I adjust? I grew up a hard life - some things even Da Wife doesn’t know - and I don’t wish that upon anyone, especially Da Wife. There’s no doubt in my mind that she can handle but would I want her to go through what I’ve gone through? No frickin’ way! For now it’s just her, me and the dogs (keiki hopefully soon). The company doesn’t care what the heck happens - people care. Last time I checked, people make the company right?

So my heart goes out to all 54 of my fellow co-workers - some who I’ve gotten to know pretty well in the short amount of time we’ve worked together. I’ve been there. It isn’t a nice road to be on and honestly, I would trade places in an instant if I could and that’s just me. Now I have a family to worry about, finances to take care of, real life issues that can’t get resolved without a J-O-B so priorities are a huge factor.

The pitfall of layoffs is now everyone is watching out for numero uno. Morale is down and people get a little more defensive especially if they’re on the fence. What if there was one more job to be cut and it was between you and your cubicle-mate whom you’ve gotten to be friends with? Would you fight for your job or would you “volunteer” to leave? You both have families, you both have bills. That’s the real life issue going on right now.

The saga will continue I’m sure for a very long time as we try to get back to BAU (business as usual) but how can you be happy working while someone you know has lost theirs? Heck yeah I’m thankful I still got a job and it is difficult staying although not nearly as worse as being forced to leave.

Pop. Phiiizzzzzz. Gulp. Gulp. Guuuulp.

Yup. Dat was an imaginary can of Coors Light because today……

LET’s VENT!

So go ahead! Let’s hear your frustrations or problems from today, yesterday, whenever and whatever you’ve got to say! Boyfriend/girlfriend acting like a pill? Friends acting like jerks? Damn cheaters on da roads!

Let it all out and get it off your chest - lift that weight off your shoulders! Isn’t that how we begin to heal and “move on”?

btw, yeah dat was a fake can….. you tink I’d be drinking at 4:30am?! By myself?

…..I only drink bottles anyways…

Wassap Wit Dat!

It was an online video conference on the website wreaking havoc on the servers and couldn’t save in time. I couldn’t even get on the site to log on! Yup, full-on conspiracy theory action here.

Just wanted to say Mahalos for all your concerned posts and let you know I’m still here… for now. And also for those still wondering since most don’t read every single post like I do. You guys/gals NO KA OI!

A special Mahalos to NKHEA & book2 for offering jobs already in light of the situation! That was supah cool!

And E Komo Mai to pink lady (love da movies btw - can almost recite word fo’ word…sad yeah?), Michel, from big island & Aunty Paula for coming out and blessing the Kwonic’s wit your posts! Glad to see we finally were able to get you out of Lurkah O Ka ‘Aina…… you do know dat means you have to post mo’ often now, right?

Now if I could only remembah wat I wrote earlier…………….

Driving into work today there seemed to have been a few more cars on the road and as you all know by now, Da Wife and I car pool in. So we’re driving along changing lanes to get into the car pool lane and what do we see?

Three cars in a row zooming by with only one person! After getting into the car pool lane, I glance over to the zipper lane - two cars in a row with only two people.

“Eh, how come our lane moving so slow? Cars in front changing lanes…hmmm, get accident or wat? Ohhh! I hope get da cops pulling people ovah!”

Nope. As we catch up to the culprit, it’s a newer Toyota Camry (of course) driving 50 - yeah 50 in a 55mph zone!!! - in da car pool lane.

Here’s the kicker. Once we get onto Nimitz by McDonald’s we see a cop (two door blue Explorer - license plate withheld so I no get one APB issued fo’ me) driving in the zipper lane…with only two people!

wait……..wait for it…………. WASSAP WIT DAT!

So how does this work? Do we keep pushing the envelope until we get caught? Does no one respect the LAW any more - even da cops (da very select few)?! Why do people blatantly disregard the laws and rules of the state/country?

I guess the question should really be, “Can you get away with it?”

Are there degrees of it being “ok”? Or should it just be no chance ‘em.

And no bu’lai - I know EVERY single one of da 47 people dat read dis breaks da law everyday… I do (but plead da 5th if taken to court). You know dat black and white sign on the right side of the street dat says “Speed Limit 25″?

Just look at all da Lurkahs hea……… dey only read and get away without posting………….

Back in da Ice Palace dayz (before had all kine rules), da boys had challenged who could “spray” (go fast, stop hard and ’spray’ da ice from da skates towards someone) da highest. We would all take turns being da crash test dummy and one would take a lap and gun it towards da “dummy”. Well when was my turn, my skates nevah like listen. Da buggah wen grab and I wen huli full speed towards da dummy - but he wasn’t a dummy. He just wen move and BAM, into da wall I went.

I get choke stories li’dat. During our senior year we went skiing in Canada on a band trip and for most of us it was the first time seeing and playing in snow. Well da babooze dat I am was so excited I ran outside on da deck, grabbed a bunch of snow to make a snowball, got ready to throw it, planted my foot - and just like da cartoon wit da banana peel - wen huli head ovah heels, lost da snowball and showed everyone dat ice and snow is slippery wen wet.

So you see, my life is full of… excitment. No even get me started on da things I tried fo’ do to impress da wahine.

Ok, ok, I going share one. We was at one bar and had dis one wahine I was spocking out for choke long (during UH days) and just as I started my Rico Suave, I reached fo’ da pitcher to fill up her glass and…. AI-CARAMBA! I tipped ovah her friends glass all ovah both of them and like Sacred Falls, dat chapter was closed.

I think it kinda boils down to if you willing to take a chance and just let loose or always on guard. Or are you just one of those no can help - you get tough luck? Do you laugh it off or turn red and hide? Which one are you?

How’s about da oddah end? You keep laughing and ragging ’em or you help and comfort them? What about strangers?

Like share any shame moments? Or too traumatized already and no like?

Lurkahs feel free to post cause we all “anonymous” eh! Kwonics required to post one if you like one invite to da pah-tay.

Eh, c’mon…… NO SHAME!

WWD! 

It wasn’t just because it was the son of my ex-coworker and the daughter of my ex-coworker’s sistah (yeah, a dual grad pah-tay) but I had “volunteered” to do their slideshow. I remembah it being the end of June and I get a phone call asking if I knew anyone who does slideshows (little did I know she set me up to open my big mouth although she’ll deny all of it).

Ex-Cowoker:     “You know anyone that does slideshows?”

BL:     “Uh, no. But you no remembah Da Wife and I did our own fo’ our wedding? We get one fancy program dat get au’ kine do-dads but we nevah use da full powah. How come?”

Ex-Cowoker:     “Oh. Well…we wanted to do one for (we’ll call him “D” and her “M”) D & M.”

BL:     “Who’s ‘M’?”

Ex-Cowoker:     “That’s my sister’s daughter.”

BL:     “Oh. You guys get da grad pah-tay together? Cool.”

Ex-Cowoker:     “Yeah, so we wanted to do a slideshow for them.”

BL:     “Oh, dat’s nice. You know wat? I can do ‘em fo’ you. Baseball almost pau so my schedule going open up.”

Ex-Cowoker:     “OH! You sure? I don’t want to inconvenience you (suckah!).”

BL:     “Eh, c’mon! Wat dat? Fo’ you? No problem. I can do ‘em. Wen you need ‘em?”

Ex-Cowoker:     “The party is on July 12th.”

BL:     “Sounds good. (Thinking it was far away cause was still June) Oh wait, dat’s like a little ovah two weeks?! WWD! Eh, can. No worries.”

So after I got roped in, we start to meet up on weekends and go through logistics blah blah blah. Everything is working out - besides the little snafu’s that pop up but controllable - then come da grad pah-tay.

I arrive their about an hour early to setup. I play the slideshow for my ex-coworker and her sistah on my laptop and shortly after began to hook it up to the projector (not mine). Immediately we have some “technical difficulties”. The projector is not “communicating” with my laptop and after repeated attempts (yeah, I know about pressing da function and the “F” key together).

This goes on for awhile and guests begin to arrive and the band is setting up. The funny thing is that this exact same thing happened at my wedding and I just had to reboot so the laptop could established the connection and it was au’ good.

Let’s check. Cables - good. Power on both laptop and projector - good. Wait, the projector stay on the wrong “channel”. Fix dat - good. Reboot. Screen shows up on both the projector and laptop. We au’good now!

So the pah-tay goes on and everybody is having a good time. Slideshow time! Ok, power up. Start up screen good. Blank screen. No good. Laptop shows it’s up and running but the projector doesn’t and shows the “blue screen”. Shut down. Reboot. Nada. Same thing. Shut down. Reboot. Nada. Same thing.

WASSAP WIT DAT!

After about 40 minutes, some bad jokes and bribing the crowd with some kala playing table games (to pass the time), Mr.M’s dad says I’ll run home and get my laptop. I continue to try and figure out wat da heck is going on. I tweak da settings and voila! We get da Windows desktop on the projector.

Yeaaaaa! The crowd goes wild!

Wop yo jaw!

Eh, how come wat shows on the laptop isn’t da same as on da projector? Au’ sh-eeesh kabobs! The projector was running way behind of wat was showing on the laptop. Ho, I felt so shame! I wanted fo’ hide but I was in the middle of da room and had to suck it up. Finally after what felt like ten years, the band goes back on and at that time Mr.M’s dad arrives with his laptop.

We hook it up and WWD? Da buggah works perfect!

Daddy to da rescue! He da hero!

I just went to da bar aftah and kept apologizing profusely to da family. I guess da only good thing was dat the slideshow was pretty good fo’ make it up (it was waaay bettah den our wedding one…WWD!).

Technology - you either love it or hate…. guess which side I was on during that hour of agony. Experienced any horror stories yourself from ‘professionals’? Or would you rather fo’get it?

Well you live and learn right? Next time I’ll be even more prepared and the slideshow will be even mo’ bettah cause I know wat oddah kine things it can do….

So who’s next?

But with food.

All this talk about food yesterday was on fitting that last night the birthday boy Jason brought over some sashimi to the alley. It wasn’t ahi (forgot what he said it was - it looked like hamachi) but he knows full well I never turn down sashimi or poke with the caveat that I don’t eat the pieces with cartillage. So there we were, teammates chomping away on a very nice cut of fish (good color & texture) with a diet coke back.

Waking up in the middle of the night: priceless.

Let’s just say that lady luck ran and we (at least me) crapped out…literally.

Wassap Wit Dat!

Eating raw fish is always a gamble but a gamble I’m always willing to take. At least I’m in the comforts of home riding it out as I’m sure it’ll pass by days end - hopefully. Yup, stayed home today but not by choice. Ok, by choice. Because of the frequent “breaks”, I would prefer to be in the confines of a private bathroom than a public one as I’m sure everyone else would too.

No biggie really but my tushy is not so cushy. I do feel totally bad because I’m one of those that hate to put added stress to co-workers and would prefer to come to work even when I’m sick. I know there’s a never ending debate on whether people should come to work while they’re sick but I - 99.9% of the time - suck it up…well, in this case it’s sucking out. So uncharacteristically, I called in sick.

I hope everyone else is having a better Feel Good Friday than I am, literally. Actually it’s not too bad until my two dogs get all excited as I power walk to the bathroom thinking they’re going somewhere nearly tripping me. Close your eyes and imagine that - Yikes!

Well not to disappoint and sticking to the food theme - no worry beef curry, not gross - this going help you out! Come to think of it, especially with curry!. I know fo’ surah going make my (well not mine, gotta give props to one of my ex-players mom for passing it down to me - Mahalos Eleanor!) secret potato salad mo’ easy fo’ make. Gurans-bombarans nobody make dis salad and most definitely broke da mouth! Kwonic pah-tay anyone?

Mahalos for the video link pandahugger and I know you guys going sincerely enjoy it - if you cook - cause I know I going do ‘em everytime now!

Have a grrrrreeeeeaaaat weekend!

k-den