Spaceballs Flashback

Today we took our guests from the mainland to the Macadamia Nut Farm tour on the windward side. I've written about that before, so I won't repeat most of it (click on the link to go back and read the previous post about it).

Each time we've gone though, the Chief has pulled the bus over and pulled some fruit fresh off the tree for us to try. In the past we've had star fruit, oranges, and guava. Today we had REALLY fresh pineapple. I mean, he got off the bus, chopped that pineapple off its stalk, and chopped it up right in front of us and passed it out to everyone on the bus. It was warm from being out in the sun and it was SOOOOO juicy and delicious! :-9

Our friends' son A wanted to take a picture of his mommy. This is the picture he took of his mommy with his finger over the camera lens (she has a red hibiscus flower in a woven-head-band on her head). Even so, I thought it was a pretty nice although unintentional picture of LW.

After we finished at the Macadamia Nut Farm Tour, we drove north just a little ways to the Kualoa Park and had a very nice picnic on the beach.

This is where we ate our picnic with the
Chinaman's Hat in the background.

Then we went and checked out the Pali Overlook on our way back to the NEX. We went to ITT to buy tickets for other touristy things we're going to do this week. While we were at the NEX, I had a flashback to Spaceballs.



The merchandising going on at the NEX right now is almost worse than Christmas.

Welcome to RIMPAC season in Hawaii!!!

RIMPAC is the Rim of the Pacific exercise where ships from nations all around the rim of the Pacific Ocean come to Hawaii to participate in some military exercises. Last week we had ships from half a dozen different countries pull into port.

Walking through the NEX you'd think RIMPAC was another commercialized "holiday" like Valentine's Day or St. Patrick's Day.

When you enter the NEX, there are flags for all the countries participating in the exercise, and there's RIMPAC merchandise EVERYWHERE. RIMPAC t-shirts, RIMPAC polo shirts, RIMPAC hats, RIMPAC coins, RIMPAC neck-strings, RIMPAC stickers, RIMPAC patches, RIMPAC coasters, RIMPAC coffee mugs, RIMPAC beer mugs, RIMPAC beer coozies, RIMPAC underwear, RIMPAC swim suits, RIMPAC flags, RIMPAC plaques, RIMPAC banners, RIMPAC scarves, RIMPAC posters, RIMPAC stickers, RIMPAC lunch boxes, RIMPAC Zippo lighters, and yes, even...

RIMPAC Hot Sauce.

Believe it... or not.

Our visiting friend E, ES and I had a laugh making fun of it just like Mel Brooks in Spaceballs. Then we walked into the package store and found...
..a whole display of RIMPAC The Jack Daniel's Collector's Edition.

Each bottle has a little medallion hanging from a chain around the neck inscribed with "RIMPAC 2008, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii."

I wonder how much money the NEX makes on RIMPAC season as compared to Valentine's Day. I didn't check to see if they had RIMPAC The Greeting Card in between the birthday and anniversary cards, but then again, they only need to sell one bottle of RIMPAC Jack Daniels to make up for fifty Valentine's day cards.