Don Quijote Downed
From Holiday Mart to Daiei to Don Quijote and now razed to rubble, the former Don Quijote location in Kailua is now completely downed. Work continues to eventually turn this locale into a Target.
Life
Fight the Fatigue
Now that you’ve recharged, it’s time to fight the fatigue. Outfit your kitchen with anti-fatigue mats. Several sizes, colors, and patterns are available.
GelPro Basketweave Comfort Floor Mat, 20-Inch by 36-Inch, Chestnut
Gilly Hicks Ala Moana Closing
The unthinkable is approaching in 2014. Gilly Hicks is closing its doors, and not just the Ala Moana location, but all its stores. While the GH line of intimates will live on virtually, the physical stores will be extinct.
It was a short run for Gilly Hicks in Hawaii with a dramatic opening in 2012. Last Christmas, the store seemingly toned it down. Even though, the store is still young and full of vitality, apparently it couldn’t compete against the “jugs of nought” known as Victoria’s Secrets. Aren’t you going to miss the distinct scent of Gilly Hicks that permeates that wing of Ala Moana?
Windows 7 and WordPress Security
Learning more about these two (unrelated) subjects than I would care to. Ugh, just ugh though of the two, I think I would rather deal with WordPress security. I’m liking the WordFence plugin so far. Full featured yet its usage is understandable.
Meeting Gregg Hammer
Talk about getting Hammer’d for real kine. There I was watching the Honolulu City Light Parade when I heard that voice. Was that Aunty Mildred? Wayne Anzaki? Joe Souki? Yes, yes, and yes as Gregg Hammer, Davey D, and a KRTR 96.3 parade entourage rolled down King Street then promptly stalled.
I don’t know why, but the entire parade stopped in place for at least 5 minutes. During this dead air time, Gregg and Davey entertained the crowd telling jokes, poking fun at their sister station’s blown out sound system, and encouraging parade watchers to do the wave. As Mr. Hammer talked to the crowd, he noticed me filming and taking pics.
Meeting Gregg Hammer from Gee Why on Vimeo.
Talk about honored! Even in the dim lights of the parade, Gregg was able to spot and recognize me standing over on the sidewalk. He acknowledged me as “the blogger” and came over to shake my hand. Awestruck! We chatted a bit and took this pic (otherwise it never happened, right?).
Thanks Gregg! What an amazingly memorable way to meet in real life. No bah humbug here. 🙂
Ramping Up the Holiday Shopping
Went to Ala Moana on the Black Friday weekend to start the holiday shopping craziness. Here’s some of what I saw.
Free coffee from Nordstrom’s eBar (if you had an email invitation). Really though I wanted to try their Italian Mocha.
Although some of the stores were already open, the LEGO store was not. Had to wait a few minutes in the rain while drinking my coffee.
The wait was worthwhile since I found new LEGO City sets for Christmas gifts.
I then headed upstairs on the new-ish wooden stairwell. There’s now some netting to protect climbers from the rain.
Footlocker had some fresh gear like this Gary Payton “Glove” inspired AF1s.
And these socks for ballers.
In the Apple Store, it seems lighting is a holiday fad.
How about a smart basketball that retains stats? I’d rather have the baller socks.
What say you, Princess Leia or Daenerys Targaryen?
Of course, with all this shopping, we qualified for a commemorative Santa bobble head.
How’d you fare on Black Friday (weekend)?
Disney Aulani Tips 1
So I already gave you one tip while staying at the Disney Aulani, the infinity pool is slightly warmer, and as a surprise bonus, you can occasionally hear dolphins and whales while submerged.
Here are a few more tips for your Aulani stay.
Bring a GoPro Hero
Since you’ll be spending a lot of time at the pools or at the neighboring ocean lagoon, you’ll need to get yourself a GoPro Hero action camera. While the activities at the Aulani are not actively intense, there are many picturesque views and opportunities to video or snap pictures below and above water. Maybe you can record the sounds of the whales and dolphins in the infinity pool. Oh, and work on that underwater selfie.
Don’t Fret the Weather
Our stay at the Aulani was marred by state-wide flash flood watches and warnings. The Windward side looked like this.
Thirty minutes later, the weather in Kapolei looked like this.
As the clouds poured on most of the island, an occasional sprinkle made you look up at the skies above Aulani for a moment before rejoining the fun.
Great (and Not So Great) Wifi
While in the main public areas or even by the pools, the free Wifi network is screaming fast. Signal strength is solid even on the outskirts, but the signal may not reach your room. There is no complimentary network access in your room.
Unique Gifts
For Disney fans, be sure to check out the KÄ€LEPA store for unique gifts. I mentioned the Crazy Shirts-made Mele Kalikimaka Aulani shirt, but there were many more collectibles to be found. Some were generic Disney items, but most featured the Aulani namesake.
Stayed at the Disney Aulani
I won’t give a full review of our stay at the Disney Aulani. All you need to know is that you can expect the full Disney experience and customer service at the Aulani but don’t expect Disneyland. Disney did an excellent job preserving Hawaiian culture and the aloha spirit in the architecture and decor. You won’t see overt Disney themes or Mickey Mouse faces everywhere. Well, Mickey references are there but well integrated. Don’t worry you will see Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy around the resort grounds or at the character breakfast/brunch.
The swimming pools are the biggest draw, surrounded by convenient (though expensive) eateries. All the pools are shallow, 3-6 to 4 feet deep, but not heated. There are several jacuzzis around though. One tip, the infinity pool felt a few degrees warmer than the main pool, and while underwater listen for the songs of whales and dolphins (for real). Aunty’s House entertains the kids, and the scavenger hunt is the best I’ve seen combining an immersive storyline, high tech, and exploration of the grounds, leading to active results (no spoilers).
New Flickr Moved the Slideshow Embed
Flickr has been making changes to its age-old system. While for the most part, the changes are welcomed, but sometimes, I want the old Flickr back. Like when embedding a slideshow. Where did that feature go?
While you can’t see it, embedding is still available. Open the photo set you want and append /show after the URL. Read this forum tip for more.
Nordstrom Rack Ward Relocated
First there was TJ Maxx then Pier 1 moved next door. Completing the Ward Village transformation is the relocation of Nordstrom Rack. Previously down the street next to Office Depot, Nordstrom Rack gets front and center on Auahi Street.
The store is much bigger than its previous location, now on two floors. Men’s occupies the first floor while the women’s section is on the second floor, seemingly as big as the entire previous location. The store is decorated with Hawaiian accents like this surfboard.
Open for only a few weeks, shoppers were treated to these excellent bags with each purchase.
The inventory was good when I went, but it may be wiped out by now. This place was packed with shoppers looking for great bargains. There was lots of winter stuff on clearance so if you needed a North Face jacket, you may find a good buy. I picked up a Kahala aloha shirt at 50% off, colorful Happy Socks, and work out shorts (Nike, Adidas, Puma, Reebok Under Armour were all there). Oh, when you’re ready to check out, don’t wait in the long lines for the registers. Many employees carry mobile registers (like the Apple Store). As long as you pay by credit card, they can perform the transaction without any wait.
Starbucks Bonus Star Cookie
For a short time, Starbucks had a promotion pushing their holiday delights. Buy a Snowman Cookie, Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop, or Cranberry Bliss Bar, and you’d get an extra star (but only if you received this offer). Although the cake pop is the smallest, it was kinda costly. So I went with the big snow man cookie. I think it had the most calories, but for the price, I thought it was the best bang for my buck.
