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Thursday, October 15, 2015

"Flying sure ain't what it used to be..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #93)~Special Thursday edition~



James "Kimo" Rosen
had not been off island for over
10 years. Finally making a last hurrah sojourn
to his birthplace of Buffalo, N.Y.
Rosen currently lives in Kapa'a town
on the island of Kaua'i with his best
friend and spiritual guide, 'Obama Da dog!'
Kimo's world #93~Special Thursday edition~
Flying sure ain't what it used to be

A rainbow  in the background of the plane
that flew me home. Thank you for the
Rainbow, Lord!


Phobias from claustrophobia to social anxiety and  just paranoia happen every time I fly the friendly skies.

 Air travel for  me the  last 35 years has either been for funerals or near death experiences. 

My parents and elder sister sister are both deceased, the flights to those funerals were not fun experiences--or the flight for a trip to Israel that never happened while on a layover in New Jersey. I developed a spinal abscess and was hospitalized for 2 months and then 3 months rehab in a nursing home.

My life has been an adventure to say the least, however at this point many of the people who once meant something to me are now in their late 60's and older.I have many cousins I have not seen in over 30 years.

I  made this trip as a last hurrah, to say hello, good-by and a hui hou.(until we meet again) I despise and hate flying-- and  now even more since they pack you in like sardines and charge $7.99 for a   small sized snack of cheese and crackers. 

I  wanted to rent headphones for the long flight. They charge $3.50.(this was once complimentary too) All they would accept was a credit card. I do no have a credit, only a debit card.

 They would not accept my debit card, so I offered $5.00 cash. They said they couldn't take cash. Then one flight attendant said,"Sir, it's OK we understand," in a nurse Rachet type of way, however with a forced smile she said, "you can have these free of charge." I gave her my mad man smile and said thank you!

   Last time I flew meals and 2 checked-in bags were still complimentary. I guess it goes with the times, customer service is at  an all time low. There are fewer services yet everything has sky-rocketed in price. Even with fuel prices being the cheapest in years airline ticket prices are at all time high. This made me feel like a Grandpa telling all the 'stewardess,'I mean flight attendants, “I remember when!” Better yet,"I remember when I was your age..."

 I smelled someone's B.O.and thought to myself, 'Oy,' just my luck, this always happens to me. Why Lord? Then realized I was walking the dog in the heat and running around sweating like a mad man before going to the airport. The sad and ironic part was, I was smelling myself! So I let that one go and didn't complain. I found out later it really wasn't B.O.-- but the  cheap-silk t-shirt I was wearing. I usually always wear cotton, silk has a smell that just doesn't jive with me. I was still embarrassed since people probably thought I had B.O. and didn't realize it was the material of the cheap t-shirt?
Feeling like a grand dad of flying and
telling everyone how flying was once
fun and elite.

I felt like the Grand dad of the flight, telling stories on how people used to have leg room, meals and checked baggage was free and your friends and family could me you at the gate.

I usually despise flying, everything usually bothers me from people chewing gum to the sound of papers shuffling, crying kids kicking the back of my seat and loud drunken people. The non stop chatterers and 400 lb. people always seem to sit next to me, and the smell of others B.O.  is usually within smelling distance. At least this time the B.O. was on me! LOL!

This flight, although not my idea of fun was not so bad. The reason was my doctor knows my anxieties and distinguishes what I need and prescribed Valium for the trip. I usually hate being medicated, however if your going to fly the friendly skies and want to be stable and not a stressed wreck, take the blue pill before entering the plane, (not that  blue pill,(Viagra) but rather the blue pill that says  Valium. Mistaking Viagra for Valium might make the flight exciting, who knows?
My sister Linda and myself visiting
the Buffalo zoo. Yes, that's a
lion in the background!  ;-)


Flying sure ain't what it used to be, but this being my so called 'last hurrah,' I put up with it one last time. Maybe just maybe this past  sojourn  could change it's name to my first hurrah per my doctors recommendation?  Who knows?  ;-)

See no evil, fear no evil, speak no evil...

Some photos from last hurrah,first hurrah!


Visiting nephew Jason in Rochester N.Y.
 along with my sister Linda and brother-in-law Marvin.
Cousin Sue takes me to Niagara Falls!
That's the cheap silk t-shirt I was
wearing on the flight that smelled.

Cousin Ron teaches me the finer points
of casino buffets!  ;-)
Brother-in-law Marvin cooking from a higher power
with those Hebrew national Dogs!


OK, just talked to United, breaking News! Another 'Oy' moment. OK, I've heard it all, I flew almost 10,000 miles RT and was excited that I would have some good miles for s trip, come to find out I only received 1,500 miles for the whole trip. The mileage you get is based on the amount of money you pay for the flight minus taxes, all this as of March 1,2015. What other ways will the airlines stick to us? Thanks Obama (I mean United)
Like   Comment   
Comments
Rosemary Pahl-Palmer Very true! Glad you're safe and sound...
James Kimo Rosen
Write a reply...
Chuck And-Cyndi Bent I saw this blog yesterday - and thought of your blog !!!http://revjrknott.blogspot.com/.../10/yes-there-is-hell.html
REVJRKNOTT.BLOGSPOT.COM|BY REV. RONALD KNOTT
Rosemary Pahl-Palmer Sorry to hear, but this is a great picture of you!
Deborah Morel Yes, and the women in the backdrop is praying on her rosary that the same doesn't happen to her. What is going on in the USA? unsure emoticon
LikeReply1Yesterday at 06:02Edited
Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...




This photo was photographed and designed by
yours truly!  



Tuesday, October 13, 2015

"Filling the Jar..." 'Chester "Unc" Lau' (Source)

Dakinetalk's favorite Uncle (Chester Lau)
"Unc"  is really passionate about creating a national Caregivers day.
Any help , support or ideas would be greatly appreciated...
'Unc' currently resides on the Hawai'ian Island of Oahu. 
He is a retired cinematographer,
 and  enjoys giving the politicians a bad time...
"I am PRO-CHOICE ON EVERYTHING WITH RESPONSIBILITY..."

Filling the Jar
Unc,Armed & Dangerous
 in basic training 1946.


 An 85-year-old man was requested by his doctor for a sperm count as part of his physical exam. The doctor gave the man a jar and said, "Take this jar home and bring back a semen sample tomorrow."


The next day the 85-year-old man reappeared at the doctor's office and gave him the jar, which was as clean and empty as on the previous day. The doctor asked, what happened and the man explained.

"Well, doc, it's like this--first I tried with my right hand, but nothing. Then I tried with my left hand, but still nothing. Then I asked my wife for help. She tried with her right hand, then with her left, still nothing. She tried with her mouth, first with the teeth in, then with her teeth out, still nothing.

We even called up Arleen, the lady next door, and she tried too. First with both hands, then an armpit, and she even tried squeezin' it between her knees, but still nothing."

The doctor was shocked! "You asked your neighbor ?"


The old man replied, "Yep, none of us could get the jar open."



 A note to Unc from Jack Lord star of the original Hawaii Five-O,
where "Unc" worked as a cinematographer
"The ultimate way to start the day, with a Kaua'i Sunrise meme"




Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared From Facebook...

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Monday, October 12, 2015

"My Mentor, My Last Hurrah..." 'James "Kimo" Rosen' (Kimo's world #92)



James "Kimo" Rosen is a retired professional photographer
currenting residing on the Garden island of Kaua'i

with his best friend, Obama Da Dog...  ;-)
Photo above; Melinda Kontos, John "Ulysses" Kontos
and James "Kimo" Rosen
Photo courtesy of Jason Gross

Kimo's world #92

My Mentor, My Last Hurrah

I recently returned home from a long overdue visit to my birth home of  Buffalo N.Y. I called this sojourn  'my last hurrah." I had not seen many family or friends in over 40 years.  Many were no longer with us, for those I visited cemeteries with my sister three different times.

During my visit  I wrote an opinion column that appeared in the Buffalo news about life coming full circle.  A few days after the letter appeared in the Buffalo news a voice from the past searched me out on Facebook.
http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/letter-changes-in-buffalo-are-incredible-to-see-20150919

My life has shown me  a career as a professional photographer in Alaska. I graduated  one of the best photography schools in the country, 'Brooks Institute in California.' I published a magazine in Alaska for many years, all this in big part  to the person who was searching for me.

This person recognized me from my opinion piece in the Buffalo news, even though it was signed with my newly acquired Hawaiian name, 'James "Kimo" Rosen.
Jim Rosen's High school
graduation photo.
Rosen looked
much different
back in 1974...

However, Mr. Kontos
somehow looks the same!

You see back in the day everyone called me Jim or J.R. I am the one who should had been searching for this person to minimally say thanks for shaping my life, thanks for helping  me to a career that I loved. Thanks for believing in me when most others had written me off. Thanks for being there at the right time and place.

 I had a hard time in High school and  hung out with the wrong crowd. This  was the one person that gave me hope and confidence. He took an interest in my dreams and helped me find my way in this nebulous world. This person was my mentor and photography teacher at Kenmore East Senior High school in Kenmore N.Y. This person was and  is Mr. John Ulysses Kontos.
My mentor, John Ulysses Kontos
and myself...

After receiving the friend request I responded with a Big "WOW!" I actually had tears in my eyes. We started corresponding. I found that Mr.Konto's lovely wife Mel was actually the one I was responding with--since Mr. Kontos never took well to the digital world. He's still an old film, pen and paper guy. Thank God his lovely wife Melinda manages his Facebook page for him.

Many Facebook personal messages later they invited me over to their home. My nephew Jason acted as my chauffeur as Siri directed us to the Konto's residence from my new iphone.

We visited for well over two hours trying to make up for 41 years. They invited us to stay for pizza and salad, we had to decline since it was the start of the Jewish new year of Rosh Hashanah and my sister would had killed us if we didn't have an appetite for her world renowned brisket.

Melinda and John Kontos

I Have never had tears in my eyes from a Facebook friend request before.This was truly a chicken skin experience as we say in Hawaii, most call them call goosebumps.
I finally got to the shake hands and hug my mentor after 41 years, my looks have change drastically since 1974, however Mr. Kontos somehow still looks the same.

I ended the day taking many photos of this glorious reunion on my newly acquired phone, after showing the photos to Mr. Kontos, he responded "A+."



My photography teacher and mentor
John Kontos and  myself
in a selfie taken with an iphone camera.
It's amazing how far photography has come.
Who ever thought you would be able to
take photos with your telephone and transmit
them worldwide with a swipe of the finger.
Photos from my recent sojourn, 
This week will  center on The New England Patriots ~ Buffalo Bills on September 20,2015 from Ralph Wilson stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. I got to see future hall of famer Tom Brady perform.
My team lost , final score 40-32, Pats.



Buffalo Bill's quarterback
Tyrod Taylor (#5)getting ready  to
make a big play! 
Future hall of fame quarterback Tom Brady (#12) had
another outstanding game. It was an honor
to see him play, even though I wanted the Bills
to win....


Bills fans are da best!


The camera man takes my photo as
 I take his photo, look below, I made
it on national T.V. What are the odds?



A Big Mahalo Nui Loa
(Thank you) to my old friend
Richard Fudeman for inviting me
to the Patriots `Bills game on
September 20,2015.
My Dear friend's Debra and Rick Comstock
were watching the game in Hawaii
and guess who they saw on national T.V?
That's me with leaning over with
the reddish-orange shirt and
white head band.
The Bills Loss 40~32






P.S.
Check out y first Youtube selfie video with my iphone of my dog 'Obama' trying to say I love you! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq2dmeGpZSY&feature=youtu.be