Breakfast At Cinnamon's

We made our way out to Kailua this weekend to have breakfast at Cinnamon's Restaurant. Someone had raved about the pancakes, specifically the Carrot ones, and we had a birthday to celebrate so I thought why not.

MSO ordered the Sauteed Mushroom Omelette with homefries, I ordered the Veggie From-Scratch Eggs Benedict with homefries, and a Full Stack of Carrot Pancakes was available for whoever wanted to try or had room to spare. Most thought the Carrot Pancakes were a little overrated but overall everyone enjoyed their selection.

Service was good and I had no problem with tipping our server with a little more. My only gripe is the parking. What is this metered parking crap?! Can't people enjoy a nice meal or shopping experience without having to already dish out $1.50 for parking? Oh well. It was nice for a change since we hardly ever get out to that area.

Shipping Costs What?!

My gripe for today is about the cost of shipping (and I guess handling) when you sometimes buy products online or through catalogs. Why so ridiculous?!!! I was going to place an order with a site that e uses and much to my very big dismay saw that shipping and handling was going to cost me a whopping $34.10 for a subtotal of $58.46 worth of dog goods. I'm not sure if the items with that shipping cost would still be cheaper than if you bought the same or similar items here (if available), but I guess I went into the 'I can find another site that has the same item at a cheaper price' mode and exited out of the order process.
While looking for one of the items that I really liked but haven't seen here, I came across a few more sites willing to charge you some bucks for shipping, and also came across one that didn't even ship here(!). I eventually did find another site that offered free shipping. Yes, free shipping! Although the cost of that item was more than the original site (and the selection of products was limited), I figured it would still be cheaper. To find out if my assumption was true, I went back to the original site, added that item to my cart, and the shipping cost was calculated. What do you think that cost was? For an item that cost $14.39 it would cost $26.55 for a total of $40.94 to ship it to my abode. Ridiculous! As a result, the free shipping site appears to be a better deal at $21.50. It may take ten years (or less) to get here though...

Gum Cretins

Are you one of those that conveniently places your gum anywhere you choose after deciding that you've had enough chewing?!!! What the heck is wrong with people? I haven't encountered the gum under footwear in a long time, but I did encounter gum on pants while at LB. It only takes a small bunch of steps to get to the rubbish can but yet someone decided to put their f#*$@! gum on the f#*$@! chair. Come on! I may be on the same search as RT for the person(s) that compelled him to write :

Whoever has been spitting their gum out in the parking lot. Please Stop! It does not mix well with the black top and is difficult to get up. And I have already begun scraping it.

It is happening to often to be a guest or a visitor.

I work hard to keep (our building) a show place for our guest and visitors and a comfortable facility to work in.

I thank you all for your time and support in keeping our facility neat and clean and a pleasure to enter.

Got Coffee?

Saw this while shopping at a place that's not in a neighborhood near you, and thought I'd share. Wish I had put an object next to the 12-cup filters for scale purposes. They had to be more than 12 inches in diameter. Imagine having this to start your morning off right.

First Bon Dance Fun

With baby's face stained a yellowish-orange (from food), we, like Tabasco Man, went to our first bon dance of the season but at Palacades. Where is Palacades you ask? No, it's not a new restaurant or a new sporting event location. It's actually Palisades. MSO made the colossal mistake of sending e-mail to friends to ask them if they want to join us with the misspelled location. Now he has to deal with the witticism. It was fun listening to the live music performed by some talented musicians, watching friends dance, and talking story.

If you're interested in some bon dance fun, the schedule for the rest of the season follows. Sorry, you'll have to wait till next year to go to Palacades.

The 2006 Obon Schedule

Date	Time	Location
July 28-29	7 p.m.	Jikoen Hongwanji Temple, 1731 N. School St.
July 28-29	7 p.m.	Palolo Higashi Hongwanji, 1641 Palolo Ave.
Aug. 4-5	5:30 p.m.	Koganji Temple, 2869 Oahu Ave.
Aug. 4-5	8 p.m.	Waipahu Soto Zen Temple Taiyoji, 94-413 Waipahu St.
Aug. 5	7:30 p.m.	Waialua Hongwanji Temple, 67-313 Kealohanui St.
Aug. 11-12	7 p.m.	Shingon Mission of Hawaii, 915 Sheridan St.
Aug. 11-12	7:30 p.m.	Pearl City Hongwanji Temple, 858 2nd St.
Aug. 11-12	7 p.m.	Aiea Soto Mission Taiheiji, 99-045 Kauhale St.
Aug. 18-19	7:30 p.m.	Mililani Hongwanji Temple, 95-257 Kaloapau St.
Aug. 18-19	7:30 p.m.	Soto Mission of Hawaii Shoboji, 1708 Nuuanu Ave.
Aug. 18-19	7:30 p.m.	Jodo Mission of Hawaii, 1429 Makiki St.
Aug. 26	7:30 p.m.	Aiea Hongwanji Mission, 99-186 Puakala Road
Sept. 2-3		Okinawan Festival at Kapiolani Park
Sept. 16	5 p.m.	Autumn Matsuri, Hawaii Okinawan Center, 94-587 Ukee St.

(Information obtained from The Honolulu Star-Bulletin)

'K' For Kiddie & Keiki

Been trying to find a place to get a haircut for baby and have either heard or came across two places. Ever hear of Aunty Denise's Kiddie Kuts or Keiki Kuts? These are two beauty salons(?) that specialize in haircuts and whatnot for children a.ka. kiddies and keiki. I actually did some Internet research ('cause kiddie/keiki haircuts are serious business!) and found that Keiki Kuts was featured in articles in both the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and The Honolulu Advertiser a few years back while Aunty Denise's Kiddie Kuts offers coupons.

So prior to my investigation, I first call Aunty Denise's Kiddie Kuts. Phone rings more than four times but someone answers. I ask if appointments need to be made for haircuts. This was before I saw the page with 'By appointments only'. She says 'yes' appointments need to be made. So I ask if she had any openings on Saturday. She tells me 'no' they're not open on Saturday's. And I'm pretty sure she said Saturday's and not just Saturday. I make a comment about how I saw their sign that they were open on Saturday but she repeats that they're not open. So I say 'thank you' and hang up. Then I go to my handy dandy camera to see what the evidence actually shows, and it shows that they are supposed to be opened on the 'First Saturday of the month'. Hmm, now I'm wavering on whether or not I call back to make another attempt at scheduling an appointment. And what is 'Every Sunday Following' mean? Then I see the page with her coupons on. The hours there say Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri., and Sat. - 9:00am - 5:00pm. Is that a 'Sat.' as in Saturday?! And they're open on Wednesday? WTH?

So that's what sparked me to take this a little further with my aforementioned investigation with the Internet research. Had heard that Keiki Kuts charged a bit more than Aunty Denise's Kiddie Kuts (Aunty Denise's price list pictured) so thought Aunty Denise may be the way to go but now skepticism has overcome me and I don't know how accurate this price list may be as well.

After reading the articles on Keiki Kuts it may well be worth the extra dollars as they seem to provide a fun, cool looking environment for baby. If still valid, I like the 'keepsake bags for a snippet of hair and photo of baby's "after" picture as a memento.'

Parents, where do you take your kids to get their hair cut? Oh, and let me add that I will not cut baby's hair. Period.

Teaching Young People

"When we teach young people, we're not just spending time, we're investing it." --Anon.

Dog Whisperer

He'll be covering many topics regarding canine behavior at a seminar on Saturday, October 14, 2006 at 9:00 AM at the McKinley Auditorium. No pets allowed though. Bummer.

Why Dogs Stretch

When dogs stretch, they're warming up, according to Jonathan Rudinger, the Toledo, Ohio-based author of "Effective Pet Massage for Dogs" (www.petmassage.com). He says dogs stretch when they rise because they are warming up their muscles, and it puts the joints into proper position and gets everything in balance so they're ready to move.

It's actually funny to see dogs do the exaggerated play bow and then extend their back legs like "a hairy, horizontal version of a ballerina who goes on point."

The article continues by saying:

The joint surface gets nutrition through use. The pressure and release action pumps the joint fluid in and out of the cartilage bringing in nutrition, and removing waste products. Stretching maintains the health margins of cartilage that don't get used in routine movement.

Isn't this similar to us humans? Although there are those times when your body just feels like no matter how much you stretch, it just won't help the aches and pains of aging. Not that I got 'em but I can tell MSO feels that way.

Happy Child

Found this article and my valueless ranting can be found below.

How to grow a happy child
By John Rosemond

Here are some tips for having a happy child:

1. If you're married, have a more active relationship with your spouse than with your children. Spend more time in the roles of husband and wife than you spend in the roles of mother and father. Nothing causes a child greater insecurity than the sense that his parents' marriage is not the most solid, permanent thing in his life, and vice versa.

Sometimes having a relationship with your spouse is almost like having a relationship with a child so that could be difficult.

2. If you are single, do not be married to your children. Have an active life outside of your role as mother or father. Be an interesting person to your kids. The well-being of a single parent is essential to that of his or her children.

Not single but there are those days...

3. Expect your children to obey. Expect this calmly, as if you take their obedience for granted. Who is the happier employee: the one who frequently attempts to get away with breaking the rules, or the one who obeys the rules? Substitute child for employee and the answer is the same.

You can probably expect all you want but sometimes things just don't go that way.

4. Expect your children to be responsible citizens of your family. From the time they are 3, assign them to do chores around the home — chores that mean something. Teach your 3-year-old to wash floors. Teach your 4-year-old to vacuum. Teach your 5-year-old to clean the bathroom. Good citizenship is a matter of making contributions. Too many of today's kids have no meaningful roles in their families. They're just there, consuming, and the more they consume, the more they demand.

Wow, just what MSO wants to hear to get baby into gear with cleaning and cooking.
Yeah, and the more today's kids consume, the more they demand, and the more overweight they become. Oh, and that's in addition to cleaning out your wallet.

5. Teach your children that happiness is not a matter of how much you have, but a matter of how much you do with what you have. Don't buy them a lot of things that will end up doing nothing but cluttering up their lives.

Feng shui.

6. Teach your children that two of the most fun things to do are reading and traveling, both of which involve the accumulation of memories as opposed to things. Read to your children early and often. Every time you are inclined to buy your child a toy, consider instead taking him or her fishing or camping or to a museum. Spend time, not money.

I like this one, but look at parents and their toys today - iPods (we know Gee Why will be getting the Nike+iPod Sports Kit eventually, right?), Mr. Potato Head, etc., etc., etc. =)

7. Let television and video games into your children's lives very little, if at all. The happiest children are not found staring at TV sets. They are found in parks, on playgrounds, and in other three-dimensional places.

So far we've been pretty good about not watching TV with baby around. We go out and see three-dimensional people and places whenever we can.

8. Help your children develop hobbies. Few things exercise imagination and creativity as well as a hobby. By the way, a hobby is not an after-school sport. A hobby is something a child can do by himself, eventually without adult supervision.

Is chewing on things considered a hobby?

9. Teach your children good manners. Good manners are a demonstration of attentiveness to and respect for others, and the happiest people are those who pay more attention to others than they want others to pay to them.

Right now it's all about baby.

10. Hold your children to high standards. You show respect for a child by expecting of the child. Expect the best manners. Expect the best schoolwork your child is capable of. Expect your child to pitch in around the house. Hold your child accountable for his behavior. Happy campers always do their best.

We'll see what we can do.

Family psychologist John Rosemond answers parents' questions at www.rosemond.com.

How much does this guy get paid?

Another Order Incident

Don't know what it is about me and companies that try to rip me off. Today it's a photo company. Last week, I ordered a few pictures of baby in three different poses. Pose 1, 2, and 3. Had already ordered pose 4 in a previous order so didn't want to get more of that pose. Forward to today and I get an e-mail with my "order status." The e-mail thanks me for ordering, tells me that they've received and processed my order and that I should expect to receive my order within 7-10 days. The e-mail continues by listing my order total which includes so many dollars for the handling fee and tax. Fine. Next they list what's included in my order. Key words in this part of the e-mail I say would be "your order" as the listed items includes one line item that I never ordered and does not include an item that I did order. My hand probably darted towards the phone as quick as an Olympic sprinter.
Explained to the representative that there appeared to be an error, on their part, with the poses. I had ordered pose 2 but the e-mail says pose 4 has been shipped. She checks into the system and finds that my order has already been shipped and that pose 4 has actually been sent out. Duh. Informed her that I did not want pose 4. She said she could send out pose 2 and then I could mail back pose 4...on MY dime!!! WTF?! Prior to me asking about who's supposed to pay for mailing the incorrect pose back, she did add that it was usually the policy of the company to wait for the return of the incorrect pose prior to sending out the correct pose. But she said she "usually trusts the people she has dealt with" so she could send out the correct pose today. She then quickly changed her mind and said I would need to send the incorrect pose back before she can send out the correct one after I was quick to inform her that this mistake was in fact their fault and not mine so I felt that I shouldn't be required to pay for postage to send it back. She argued her case, but I asked to speak with a supervisor.
Turns out after much waiting on hold, this same representative (not her supervisor) informs me that the negative or file (I can't remember what she said) of pose 2 was bad and could not be used, and that they decided to *@#$!% substitute and ship out pose 4 for me because pose 4 was the most ordered and "portrayed baby in the best way" or some bull$#!# like that. I was disappointed to hear that the pose that I wanted would not be making its way to our home, but I was so angry to hear that they substituted like that without my consent. My big arguing point was that this company has customer contact information, whether it's a telephone number or e-mail address, so there is NO excuse for sending customers something that they DIDN'T order. After going a little more back and forth with the representative, she asks me if I want to speak with a supervisor. I'm fuming and tell her "Yeah, at this point, whatever." She comes back on the phone (!) and tells me that she has some "options" for me with one of them being a discounted price of pose 4. I tell her once again that I've already ordered pose 4 and I did not want anymore of pose 4. She sounds as if she's exhausted all possibilities but I tell her that I want resolution and she hasn't given me one. I start looking at the Better Business Bureau site while on hold. I finally got to speak with a supervisor and I almost bit the supervisor's head off. But she turned out to be more "customer-friendly" and she gave me "options" as well. One of those options was in fact a method to send back the incorrect pose on their dime. Told her that I do want to send the incorrect pose back and get refunded. She said I would be getting a label.
I'm usually not this resilient when it comes to issues like this but I actually held on and fought for resolution. It was rather liberating, but exhausting and my pressure probably got up there. I think the waiting while on hold might've helped to calm me down a bit too. Took me two days to post this. Now we'll see what happens...

Fish Poisoning

Up until today the only fish poisoning that I knew of was the type that had to do with balloon fish. So I was surprised to find out that there is a fish poisoning called ciguatera. Interestingly, people who get ciguatera find that cold things feel hot and hot things feel cold. Can you imagine that?! No cure is available and you basically have to just pull yourself through the horrible symptoms if they're not deadly. I've been told that reef fish are usually the ones that carry the ciguatoxins.

Got a Hazardous JumpDrive?

NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20207

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 6, 2006
Release #06-205
Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 248-2798
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Lexar JumpDrive(r) Computer Storage Devices Recalled for Burn Hazard,
Certain Models Involved

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary
recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using
recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Lexar JumpDrive(r) FireFly and 1GB Secure II

Units: About 66,000

Manufacturer: Lexar Media Inc., of Fremont, Calif.

Hazard: The recalled JumpDrives(r) FireFly and Secure II products could
overheat, posing a risk of burns to consumers and property damage.

Incidents/Injuries: No incidents or injuries have been reported.

Description and Models: The recalled drives are high speed flash drives
used to store, transfer and carry data from one computer to another.
This recall only includes Lexar JumpDrive(r) FireFly which is sold in
various colors, and Lexar JumpDrive(r) Secure II 1GB which has a
metallic silver housing. "Lexar" is embossed on the front of the plastic
housing and the capacity is marked on the back. The part number is
located on the FireFly's packaging, and on the back of the Secure II 1GB
drive.


JumpDrive(r) FireFly
Capacity Part Number
256MB (red) JDFF256-431RU
JDFF256-264
JDFF256-445RU
512MB (lime green) JDFF512-431EM
1GB (blue) JDFF1GB-431TO
2GB (black) JDFF2GB-431BK


JumpDrive(r) Secure II 1GB
Part Number
JDSE1GB-00-500 Rev H and 3052-1GBA-2006
3052-1GBA-2106
3052-1GBA-1906
3052-1GBA-1806


Sold at: The recalled JumpDrive(r) Firefly drives were sold at discount
department, office supply, and electronics stores, and by Web retailers,
including www.lexar.com, between April and May 2006 for between $30 and
$110. The recalled JumpDrive(r) Secure II 1GB drive was sold exclusively
at Fry's Electronics in May 2006 for about $80.

Manufactured In: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled
JumpDrive(r) Firefly and Secure II devices and contact Lexar to receive
a free replacement product.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Lexar at (800)
248-2798 anytime, or visit the firm's Web site at www.lexar.com


To view this recall online, please visit our website at:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06205.html

A Quote Heard Today

"The surgery was a success but the patient died."