Tag: waikele

Posted on

A Birthday Blessing….

Yes, yesterday was my birthday. (I refer to it as the “anniversary of my 29th birthday.”) However, I spent most of the day scrubbing floors and toilets….

Last night was also my very last night in my Waikele home. After a long and arduous journey of selling, buying, cleaning, and moving, everything is finally coming to fruition. There were corrupt lawyers, alcoholic carpenters, injury-prone painters, late-night termite inspectors, and plumbing issues along the way. However, there were wonderful people and friends who helped me and supported me through it all. I’ll be moving into my new condo next week! Chee-hoo!

Last night gave me a chance to pause and reflect….
Yes, I’ll be moving into a brand new condo in a perfect location. I’ll be able to furnish it with new things. And yes, this will be a fresh new start for me. For that, I am very grateful.

However, as I was “saying goodbye” to this house, it dawned on me. My birthday blessing is not 909 Kapiolani. It is this house. I was able to live here with my dad for the past 12 years. We moved here as “strangers” and not getting along very well. In the time spent here, we became the best of friends. This house has been a blessing from God, and I will miss it….

Posted on

Sometimes you never know….

….what’s in your own backyard. Bruddah Cy brought his truck & his son, and we went 4-wheeling behind the Waikele Self Storage facility. Bruddah Jimmy (friend & neighbor across the street) told me about it a couple of weeks back. We wanted to check out the valley, stream, and bridges that were tucked away deep inside this hidden place.

After lying to the security guard and passing the storage facility’s office, we came upon rows and rows of old WWII bunkers. Supposedly, these bunkers once housed missiles and ammo for ships and submarines at Pearl Harbor. They are now used for storage by businesses. After a few more turns, this is what we saw….

….a beautiful valley with a stream at the floor. The stream was dry in most places, but filled with stones and large lava rocks. There were a couple of stone bridges that crossed over to connect paved roadways. The top of the ridge was protected by a few abandoned guard towers.

I had absolutely no idea that all of this was right here in my own backyard. It figures that I would only take a visit during my last few weeks in Waikele. Better late than never….

Posted on

Alan vs. the Toilet….

Those of you who know me on Facebook are far too familiar with this story….

My toilet in the master bathroom has been fine for the past 12 years. Now that I am selling the house, it decides to “act up.” In fact, it started acting up on the day that the inspector came by. It was reported that the toilet was seeping, due to a deteriorated wax ring.

Fortunately, my friend and co-worker N8 took care of this. Round 1, Alan….
Unfortunately, there was a leak beneath the toilet’s tank.

Here is my Facebook account of what happened…
“Alan Tamayose tried plumbing by myself tonight. only had to replace a tiny rubber washer. apparently, the washer was the wrong size. water gushed out and flooded the bathroom floor. in my panic, i slipped, went airborne, landed on my tail bone, and jammed my finger backwards into the floor. other than that, i had a really nice time….”

Round 2, Toilet. “Ouch….”

Then I went to look for the replacement part. I went to Lowe’s Waikele, Home Depot in Pearl City, Ferguson’s Waipahu, Ferguson’s Honolulu, The Plumbing Source, and finally Hawai’i Pacific Plumbing. Nobody had the part. Fortunately, Cy’s (friend and co-worker) brother was a plumber and had the part. He crimped the copper elbow into place, and all was well. Round 3, Alan….

Unfortunately, the nut still leaks. Here’s my latest Facebook post….
“Alan Tamayose darn toilet still leaking. off to lowe’s to buy more parts. too battered & bruised to attempt repair tonight, but should be fully recovered by this weekend. bring it on toilet! bring it on….”

Here’s the bottom line. I wouldn’t feel good if I left any of the repairs for the new owner. I want them to enjoy the house as much as dad and I did. Not matter what, I’ll do what it takes to fix that toilet. Stay tuned. Looks like we’re gonna go into overtime. Bring it on….

Posted on

Killing Time….

As you may already know, my house in Waikele has been listed for sale. The response has been tremendous. There have been much activity and a lot of private showings. Each time a potential buyer comes to look at the house, I clean it, then leave. Sometimes I need to be out of the house for only an hour or two. Sometimes (Open House for example) I need to be out for more than 4 or 5 hours. It’s great when you have plans. But when you don’t, it can be a downer. Here’s what I’ve been doing when I’ve had nothing to do….

borders

The Borders Bookstore in Waikele is only two blocks away. They have AC, a Starbucks, comfy chairs, and a filthy restroom. What more could you ask for? I’ve been reading like a mad man. I’ve been able to read up to two complete books in a sitting. In fact, I’ve read more this month, than in my entire college career at UH. I even completed reading their section on interior design. Funny thing is that some of the employees have begun to recognize me. “There’s that dude reading up on interior design.” They must think I’m gay or something….

Oh well. At least the girls who work there still smile at me. But sometimes, I just wanna tell ’em, “Hey, I’m moving house. I’m not a mahu….”