Just discovered Hawaii Threads

[akashastrega]

Hi I just discovered you guys by accident and had to sign up. I was raised on Oahu (an Army Brat, my parents were stationed there from '77 and eventually retired there), and went to Radford. I have lived in California for the past 13 years, and miss Hawaii something fierce. I am married with 5 year old fraternal twins. I hope to be able to make some friends here, and catch up on life back at home.
Anyhow, I just wanted to introduce myself.

[1stwahine]

Aloha and welcome aboard! :D

Auntie Lynn

[Reny]

Hello and Welcome Too!

Twins? Must be so much work. I have a daycare, so my entire day is taking care of 6 kids total. I wonder if your twins equals to 6? ;) hehehe, hope you have a good weekend.

[zztype]

Aloha e, and welcome to Hawaii Threads.

I live in Foster Village so if you want to know what's up with Radford, I'm right there!

They just had homecoming parade couple of weeks ago!

Aloha,

Blaine

Hi I just discovered you guys by accident and had to sign up. I was raised on Oahu (an Army Brat, my parents were stationed there from '77 and eventually retired there), and went to Radford. I have lived in California for the past 13 years, and miss Hawaii something fierce. I am married with 5 year old fraternal twins. I hope to be able to make some friends here, and catch up on life back at home.
Anyhow, I just wanted to introduce myself.

[Pomai]

Aloha and welcome to HT.

I like that Hawaiian Flag Honu avatar. :cool:

My brother-in-law is a former Marine who was stationed in Kaneohe. He and my sister live in the mainland now, yet he misses Hawaii more than my sister does. "Something fierce" as you say. If he had his way, they'd be back in a heartbeat, but our ridiculously-priced real estate market is discouraging them right now.

What they own in the mainland would be considered a mansion in Kahala. Unfortunately they can't get a Kahala mansion price for that to buy one here.

Anyhow, since you're here to share and relive memories of life on Oahu, check out the Big and Small Business Memories (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=6897) thread (shameless plug, I know). There's lots of businesses from Oahu's past listed there. Perhaps a few that you remember going to yourself. ;)

[kimo55]

I like that Hawaiian Flag Honu avatar.
It;'s Tony Kekona's art. If you like it, you may support local artists and buy it.

http://kekonaart.com/hawaiian_car_tattoo.htm

[lurkah]

It;'s Tony Kekona's art. If you like it, you may support local artists and buy it.

http://kekonaart.com/hawaiian_car_tattoo.htm
Eh Kimo, might this be the same Tony Kekona I'm thinking of from Maui who now has a very captured audience to share his artwork with? If so, such an awesome talent he has! Mahalo for listing that website where I'll also be looking for some very unique Christmas gifts. :D

[Pomai]

It;'s Tony Kekona's art. If you like it, you may support local artists and buy it.

http://kekonaart.com/hawaiian_car_tattoo.htm

Neat stuff! I like the Mano designs. I may order a few stickers for Christmas gifts too.

Also check out the game fish mounts (http://hawaiiangamefish.bizland.com/) by Hilo artist, Layne Luna. Unbelievable realism, all cast in fiberglass. Click on the picture link on each page to see more photos.

Mr. Luna also does costume fabrication which you'll see on that site in the F/X section.

Really great guy who does amazing work.

http://hawaiiangamefish.bizland.com/

[akashastrega]

I have that website bookmarked...in fact I have been buying stickers from that site for over a year or two...some great stuff there!

I would love to know what's up with Radford. I have heard that my beloved alma mater now looks somewhat like a prison (or so I have been told). Are the Rams any good this season (things change in almost 20 years, maybe they got junk, hopefully not).

I understand the whole mansion thing. Here in Fresno, my mom has a (total property size) 7K sq. foot home which she bought for under $200K, and is now valued at almost $500K--still not enough to even come close to purchasing an equally sized home in Hawaii. I have a cousin who lives in what is considered a mansion, here in Fresno, he purchased it for about $650K, and the place is ENORMOUS...but he would be broke if he had to buy his home in Kahala...or anywhere in the islands really! But I would trade in these big homes for the island lifestyle, and daily servings of SPAM and rice...IN A HEARTBEAT!!! At least an L&L opened up here...closest thing I can get to having plate lunch.

Anyway, before I babble on while waxing nostalgic...

Thank you all for the warm welcomes.

[zztype]

Heh, both major newspapers are online. Just last night and printed in today's paper: RAMS EARN DII TITLE

http://starbulletin.com/2005/11/12/sports/story01.html

Radford looks the same as when you were here. They gave it a new paint job, added a sculpture to the front "lawn" outside the school office and they added a "blinky sign" to the front. You can see the sign in this picture:

http://www.zztype.com/gallery/album26/P1010513

My kid took a bunch of pictures of the neighborhood for a school project:

http://www.zztype.com/gallery/album26

Hope you enjoy! FLASHBACK!! :)

[akashastrega]

YAY Radford is still on fire!!! Good to hear my Rams are doing well, thanks for the update! I had been told that the school had chain link fences put all around, and gave it a prison like look, nice to see THAT wasn't true!! Thank you for the pictures, they are gorgeous shots of my old stomping grounds, and it is so nice to take a virtual tour down memory lane. So now my only question is: Does the Manapua Man still sit on the corner every morning and afternoon? I depended on him for breakfast and lunch, and after-school snacks, before walking back into AMR (need fuel to walk that hill)!!!

[zztype]

No, no manapua man. What they did do was widen Salt Lake Blvd. to 7 lanes across!! Goes all the way from Sack N Save (Castle Park) past Aliamanu Park to the top of the next hill.

So the dirt and rock areas in front of the school where everybody used to park (both sides of Salt Lake Blvd.) are gone. The kids walk to the gas station across from Aliamanu Park for snacks.

They also cut down the hill going down toward Stadium Mall, shaved it right up against the Foster Village yards and put up a tall cement retaining wall.

That part looks way different. There's stoplights now and left turn lanes to turn into Foster Village and Radford.

Little different, but basically still the same!

[akashastrega]

Well I suppose I was hoping for too much with the manapua man. Wow, I cant even imagine what that area looks like widened to 7 lanes! Is that little shopping center still there (across from where Castle Park was?), do they still run the swap meets at Aloha Stadium? Please tell me that at least the Bus is still there and they haven't got rid of the aircraft carrier sized roaches...I'm hoping that's at least the same. Has AMR changed at all?

I'm sorry to be picking your brain so much