Going Dancing!
I’ll be going to the Big Dance come March! I’m hoping the Big West Conference champion (Hawaii, wink, wink) makes it to the Sweet 16 in the West regional.
hawaii
Macy’s Kailua Now Up to 50% Off
The closing of Macy’s Kailua continues with items discounted as much as 50% off. But… I don’t know where these items are. Instead, I find mostly regularly priced items with marginal markdowns. A $65 pair of Hurley and Nike shorts at 20% off is still expensive.
Nonetheless, the store is gradually emptying out. G Shock watches are all gone with only high end watches left. The aloha shirts are wiped out unless you’re looking for off sizes.
But this look is still available if you’re so inclined.
Chicken Crossing the Road
For whatever reason, I find this video of a chicken running across the road of the Target Kailua parking lot very entertaining.
Maybe she was amped up from that Starbucks coffee.
Macy’s Kailua Closing
Nothing lasts forever, but Macy’s in Kailua made a good run at it. In the heart of Kailua downtown for as long as I can remember, this smallish Macy’s was always an excellent backup. Sure, they didn’t have everything like the Ala Moana location, but this store had enough. Oh and finding that particular size was usually successful at Kailua. But soon, very soon this historic Kailua location will be closed.
Here are a few shots as of January 22, 2016. Items are on sale but not really. Mostly everything is 25% off but the prices are full retail to begin with so the discounts aren’t that great. Maybe later, the cuts will be more, but with other Macy’s locations that can be transferred to, I doubt unreal deals are to be found.
Barnes and Noble Over Christmas
Forgot to post these pictures from Barnes and Noble that I took over the Chirstmas holidays. I had forgotten what it felt like to walk around a bookstore.
I gotta admit that even with the resources of the Internet, this magazine has an excellent collection of all things WordPress.
Coloring books for adults is trendy right now. Check out the (growing) collection available.
Even Candy Crush has a themed coloring book.
Now where was this all this time? A comic book that you can color in.
But Barnes and Noble has more than books. Their toy section has interesting items like these Pop characters. My favorite from Big Hero 6 is Fred in his old school Japanese bad guy costume.
The Predator in Pop form is still freaky looking.
I gotta make sure to visit more often. All kinds of interesting goodies to see!
Not James Daniel III
This is not James Daniel III of the Howard Bison and the NCAA men’s basketball leading scorer. He dropped 29 points on the Warriors on Saturday night in a UH victory.
It looked like the Bison were staying at the Ala Moana Hotel as I saw logoed shirts on hotel guests and what appeared to be Bison players checking out.
When Else Do You Barack and Chill?
Other than being stuck in traffic as the First Family’s motorcade makes its way to an Air Force One departure, when are the other times you Barack and chill? It’s got to be all those times Hawaii residents experience power outages, inexplicably when POTUS is in the islands. This started back in December 2008 when Mr. Obama’s visit coincided with a 12-hour, island-wide outage, and yes, we used candles from Pay ‘n Save.
In 2010, the power outage precipitated POTUS’ arrival as Ala Moana went dark leading up to Christmas. This untimely exit of electricity brought on the first sentiments of Barack and Chill with this sign offering irate shoppers apologetic “Mahalo’z.”
According to my blog posts, I did not record a power outage for the next five years although I don’t believe it. In any case, the next Barack and chill moment came in 2015 as stormy weather blacked out Hawaii.
Then almost one year later as we left 2015 and entered 2016, there was Hawaii’s (or at least Kailua’s) Barack and chill moment. With gusty winds clearing the skies, total darkness unveiled our starry skies.
During this most recent outage, as I pondered the Pulpconnection conspiracy theories about the timing of these outages, I sat back, realized, and defined “Barack and chill.” Perhaps, these nighttime outages could have led to Netflix and chill opportunities, especially if you queue up Barack Obama’s “Night” summer playlist on Spotify. But for me, this Barack and chill moment meant doing dishes by flashlight.
Minamoto Kitchoan Fukubukuro Unveiled
What’s in that $50 Fukubukuro bag from Minamoto Kitchoan?
I don’t shop there very often, but it looks like a haul of goodies was inside. Thanks to Jason for the pics and enduring Fukubukuro.
Folli Follie Fukubukuro
A $200-price range Fukubukuro pack from Folli Follie ends up being this blinged out watch.
Estimated retail cost is roughly $400+.
Fukubukuro at Ala Moana
…is packed! I guess partying until the new year doesn’t stop avid shoppers looking for a bargain.
An anonymous pulpy texter sent me this image of the Fukubukuro crowds at Ala Moana. Not sure what store they’re waiting for, Lupicia for tea deals?
Here’s a partial pic of the Fukubukuro participating stores.
Here’s the full list.
Obama Holiday Stay Means Another Power Outage
It’s been some years, but whenever POTUS visits Hawaii during the holidays, there’s a very good chance that a power outage will ensue. That tradition continues tonight on the eve and first day of 2016 with power going out around 11pm and coming back around 5am.
Lots of stars out on a clear night (see the little white specks).
The moon was shining bright as well.
The Next Chapter of CPK
While the holiday season is a time filled with fun and joy, it can also get hectic and overwhelmingly busy. Now that Christmas is over, there are no more parties to attend and no more fancy meals to prepare… for a few days at least. During this downtime, might I suggest dining at a nearby CPK and let them do the cooking from their “Next Chapter” menu.
For us Hawaii residents, the Next Chapter offerings also include a few Oahu-only dishes. That would be the Crispy Ahi Tuna Egg Rolls, the Wild Caught Sesame Seared Ahi, and the Poke Chop Chop Salad. Thanks to the generosity of karsha chang public relations, I sampled a few of the Hawaii-only ahi dishes along with other Next Chapter items. Here’s how our meal looked.
We started with the Crispy Ahi Tuna Egg Rolls which was an awesome start. The healthy portion of avocado brings a balance to these rolls. Paired with ginger and Srirachi dipping sauces, these appetizers are hearty.
Then the flat breads came. We couldn’t decide between Smoked Ham + Swiss and the Brussels + Bacon, so we got one of each. Good choice! The Ham and Swiss is named accordingly, tasting just like ham and swiss. The Brussels and Bacon is a good change and with bacon, you can’t go wrong.
For the salad course, I went with the Poke Chop Chop Salad and we also ordered a Harvest Kale. The Poke Chop Chop is a Hawaii exclusive, and it’s an interesting combination. I think this salad could be turned up a bit more for the local palate. Kimchi pears could have more zing, and while the consistency of the ahi is nice, I would prefer a shoyu poke to add a tinge of saltiness.
Where there’s salad, there’s soup, so we sampled a small Baked Potato soup. Aptly named as it felt like I slurped down a molten baked potato with fixings.
Of course, we went to CPK to order pizza, and we went for the obvious, ordering the seasonal Sunny Side Up Bacon + Potato pizza. Yes, there are two sunny side eggs topping the pizza along with bacon and potato. I don’t know what sunny side eggs has to do with the season, but let me tell you, it works. At first the eggs seemed a little odd, but then the flavors combine and your slice is gone, reaching for another. The eggs aren’t the only highlights with the potatoes adding subtle texture and taste.
By now, we were fully satiated, but we had to try the new S’mores dessert. To be honest, this dessert needs some work or at least, more practice with preparation. Our marshmallow topping was a little torched and didn’t look like the sample pictured in the menu. And it’s a mix of hot and cold with the warm top layer over the cold pudding. The taste is okay, but for me, the dessert is not a must-have.
Now we were done. Really. Really, really done, and with leftovers to spare. Thanks to Frank and Nanette of CPK Ala Moana for their hospitality and again, special thanks to karsha chang public relations for this dining opportunity. For more information about the CPK Next Chapter menu along with Hawaii exclusives, here’s the press release.