Homespun Honolulu

My poor car has had an ordeal or two recently but it always appreciates a nice oil change, complete with clean air filter and topped-off fluids!  Flagship FastLube in Waipio was a place that I stumbled on by accident (probably because I was hanging out at Mililani cemetery, or Costco which is right next door).

For only $39.95 they will change your oil, change your oil filter, top-off your other fluids (water, transmission fluid, brake fluid, etc.), check the air in your tires, check the belts and hoses, and the list goes on. They were so efficient, friendly and trustworthy, that I made sure to return a few months later for another go ’round!

Fortunately for us (me and my car) we were right on time so there was no sludge in the engine or anything like that. Flagship changed the oil while I waited over at Seattle’s Best coffee shop a door or two away and then we were off and “on the road again!”

Don’t even let me start talking about what I have experienced or the things I have seen happen to other car owners when dealing with oil changes done by other companies.  I was skittish when I went to Flagship for the first time because they were new and unknown to me.  Now, I wouldn’t go anywhere else.  I also wouldn’t recommend anyone else!

There are also some very quiet but helpful things that they do, too.  If they see something wrong, they’ll tell you.  The reminder sticker that they place in a quiet corner of your windshield never fades and you can still read it no matter how old it gets — the ink does not smear!  I can always tell exactly how many miles I have to go before it’s time to change the oil again.

Since I don’t use my car an awful lot, it was actually several months before it was time to return for another oil change.  By that time, other things had started to go wrong.  The battery cables were loose and required a shake now and then.  It is not good to have your car die on you at the most inopportune times.  A dead engine at a traffic light in Kalihi, at night, is BAD news when the light turns green and you have to jump out and shake the cables!

Flagship tightened those cables without even blinking.  I asked if they could, and they did.  While completely unrelated to an oil change, there were no questions, and there was no charge.  All done.  On the road again without having to pop the hood!

Life is good when you have things to do and you can rely on your car.  Then there comes a time when you’re pressed for time and end up in Kalaeloa with a nail in your tire!  Great!  I’m at least three miles away from anything or anyplace with an air hose or a service station.  My car and I take a risk and make it to Kapolei before the last remaining air runs out of our now almost-to-the-rim flat tire.  At least it wasn’t one of my two new tires.

Whew, we made it!  Service stations with air hoses!   Since there were no mechanics to fix anything, the only thing left to do was fill up the tire with air and fly to Waipahu in search of an open tire place, or something.  I’m trying to stay calm as I only have about 30 minutes to fix this flat and get to Mililani Town Center which was at least 15 or 20 minutes away.

Wait!  I see a place with people working on cars!  There were a lot of cars and the line was long.  I told the young woman behind the counter about my predicament.  I asked her if they fixed flats and she confirmed that for me.  Then I asked her how long it would take.  She went to check if they could help me with my time predicament.  Yep!  They took me right away.

Of course while I’m waiting I have to take pictures of this new and wonderful place that is helping me.  It was only then, that I noticed the word “Flagship.” Now I’m excited!

“Don’t you have a location in Mililani?  You know, by Costco?”

“In Waipio?  Yeah.”

“Really?  You guys are my company, you change my oil!  I didn’t know you had a place in Kapolei!  Maybe I’m in your computer!”

I think I was but now I don’t remember.  Irrelevant.  I paid about $20 and was on my way to Mililani in no time!  I even got there ahead of schedule!

The little sign you see to the right was found at the Kapolei location of Flagship.  If that’s their mantra, I can certainly go with that!  Yep, it’s on their website too!  You will also find their other available locations listed there as well.

I was hoping to find them on Facebook but they’re not there, yet.  We have to work on this!  I told them that Lex Brodie’s is there so they should be too!

Thanks, Flagship, for keeping my old girl reliable! Please, Beanie (that’s the car), no more drama for a while?  Flagship has successfully added itself to my list of darling companies!

I’m just beside myself with giddiness!  After all the sympathetic whining I have done for our racing community and all of the underlying anger when nobody cared enough to even try to assist with the restoration of a racing facility, the racing enthusiasts have finally managed to get this moving!

When I heard that Kalaeloa Raceway Park was having its debut event about three weeks ago, I did everything in my power to get out there!   I had no idea where I was going so I took my directions and street names with me.

There was little signage but I found them.  It was easy to know you were in the right place and that something was going on because you were greeted at the gate by a single, good-luck ti leaf plant.  How appropriate!

I was still a little lost when I got there because I couldn’t figure out what I was looking at.  It took me a while to realize that they were still pulling it all together while working on a budget with a lot of volunteer help.  I couldn’t help but keep thinking of this as a true grass roots endeavor!  This has taken a tremendous amount of focus and perseverance.

I walked around the large, cleared lot where there was little or no paved road. They had flattened and smoothed it down but asphalt was still to be laid. The excitement I felt when I saw all of this is hard to describe.

It’s even harder to describe because I don’t race or even know anyone who does. The only thing I can come up with is that Hawaii Raceway Park was a part of my past.  If I remember correctly, I think I only went there once.  But, it was our friends who were there all the time. It’s a part of my history as I was growing up. Where was everyone on Saturday night? “At Hawaii Raceway Park!”  That was just how things were on the Leeward side.

I didn’t have time to stay to see the start of the event that day but I just had to see it for myself! They’ve done it! I read that there were about 4,000 people there that weekend. Amazing!

As I was leaving, I saw that someone had found their banner so I stopped to get a picture of this history-in-the-making.  Kudos and tons a credit to this tenacious group of motor-sport-loving people!

There is a link to their Facebook page further down, which will work if you’re on Facebook.  If you’re not on Facebook, just take my word for it!  They are moving and they have a following!

Now, this weekend, they had another plan…

“Build The Track! It’s go-time for the 1st Ever Hula-X & Powderpuff Demo Derby! We’re gonna be racing and smashing all day long at Kalaeloa Raceway Park! We hope you can join us for a great time for a great cause. We’ll be donating all PPDD entries to National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”

Um, they weren’t kidding!  And they painted all these cars pink for the occasion!

Photo by Build The Track!

I swiped this picture from their Facebook page but I know they’ll forgive me!

An organization so much in need itself extends a helping hand to others.  What can I say? This kind of community outreach is something we can always use more of! I don’t know, I think I wanna keep these guys around for a while!  Did I mention that they’re amazing?

On October 15th, the blogosphere is talking about WaterAid – The Burden of Thirst

There are so many statistics about the bad things around the World — staggering statistics.  There are some that attract my attention, some that horrify me, and some that shake me up pretty badly.  Dirty drinking water shakes me up!  But, no water — now that’s even worse!  Unheard of!  Water is such a precious thing but we tend to take it for granted.

“4000 children die each day due to illnesses from lack of clean drinking water. Give money and blog about this. WaterAid is lobbying the UN to make water a human right. Why isn’t it? Over 1 million kids die each year from lack of water and there are easy solutions to this problem. It’s disgraceful.”

Bloggers Unite has struck another one of my nerves with this one so I’m sharing our thirsty World’s water drama.  In Hawai’i we pride ourselves on the cleanliness of our water but we don’t realize that there are so many people out there who are without water — clean or dirty!  How can this happen?!?

America doesn’t have perfect water.  I won’t drink the water in St. Louis, Missouri.  You can smell the chlorine.  Talk about a shock!  “What’s wrong with the water?”  I thought I had inhaled too much cigarette smoke on the plane!  But, at least they have water!   

Bloggers Unite has joined forces with WaterAid America, Megree, and a host of other bloggers, to alert the United Nations and the rest of the World to the need for attention to this and the need to raise money to help start a resolution.

Change.org|Start Petition

If you’re feeling the need to help provide others with what we take for granted, think about donating and/or sign the petition.

It’s a thirsty World, I just never realized how thirsty.

There are so many colors to be seen in the Aloha State and this Carnival just shares a few.  We are welcoming some new bloggers to our little Carnival family!

This month our Carnival starts under an almost-visible double rainbow.  As always, we need someone to be in charge of the food.  Let’s welcome Lisa who will help us out with this.

Lisa tells us all about the Farmers’ Market in Kailua in a post over at Oahu Mom, saying, “This is the first time I’ve submitted an article but hope it won’t be the last.”  People love these Farmers’ Markets, where ever they happen.  I must say, the vegetables are something to admire.  Those beautiful veggies are the start of our rainbow colors to be sure.  I hope your participation will be a regular event, Lisa!

Megsie also joins us with a scientific approach to aquaculture and more.  Let’s welcome Megsie as she shares a place that I have yet to visit.  This is a fascinating underwater journey if you just pay attention to the details.

Megsie Siple explains the details while sharing Life at the Sea Wall posted at Fishpond Fever: Loko I’a o He’eia, saying, “this blog is about Hawai’ian fishponds and specifically the ecology of He’eia fishpond in Kaneohe, HI. It’s meant to be a window for the public to read about the biology of the pond, and learn about native Hawai’ian aquaculture, invasive species, and science at a historic cultural site.”  Thank you, Megsie, for sharing this!  I hope you will join us with more about the fish ponds, and as often as you can!

We just can’t seem to sit still can we?  Let’s also welcome Donna who joins us with feet that are just as itchy as ours!

Donna Hull presents Spring Break Ideas for Baby Boomers posted at My Itchy Travel Feet, saying, “Why the Big Island of Hawaii makes the perfect spring break destination for adventurous baby boomers.”  Hey, good choice Donna!  Now you need to come back, visit, and write some more.

Sheila is here.  Literally.  She’s here.  Again.  Hooray!  ‘Cause GoVisitHawaii.com has itchy feet too!  Sheila takes us on a Safari Helicopters Kauai Refuge Eco-Tour.  We get a lot of colors with this one over at GoVisitHawaii.com!  Kauai is never a visual disappointment.  Thank you, Sheila, for taking us with you!

Hawai’i is so memorable with all of it colors, cultures, and races that it really does make a great back-drop for movies like Jurassic Park, or for television shows like Hawaii 5-0, or for books like One Man’s Paradise!

Evelyn (me) shares a Book Review: One Man’s Paradise that shares the story of some strange yet believable characters populating the streets of Honolulu, posted over at The Writing Sprite.

That concludes this colorful edition. Submit your blog article to the next chapter of Carnival of Aloha using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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