My oldest girl flew to California all by herself yesterday. But she wasn’t alone.

She flew on Hawaiian Airlines and I am very pleased to report that they take their role of supervising my unaccompanied minor very seriously. The cost is $75.00 each way, but it was worth the money spent.

We got to the airport extra early to make sure that we had all the paperwork filled out appropriately and that everything was taken care of. Good thing, it was crowded and took a while. The parking lot was full, so we had to drive around a while to find level 7 and a place to park. The line for agricultural scanning was long, so that took a while as well. But  it all came together and we were at the gate in plenty of time.

The flight attendant who helped her on the plane was very nice and reassuring as I kissed my child good-bye and watched her get on the plane. I could tell that she was in good hands.

It was in California that they really took care of her. For a series of reasons, the person meeting her was  not there on time. I was pleased to learn that they did not just release my daughter into the sea of people at the airport to wait by herself for her ride. They brought her downstairs to baggage claim and had her wait behind the counter with the attendant until the designated person arrived and signed the papers to take her away. What a relief. It’s good to know they have a system in place and that it works.

So, thank you to Hawaiian Airlines and the staff that took such good care of my child. There is one mother who is breathing just a little easier knowing that she can count on you.

It seems like my husbad is usually away when I travel and I’m left to my own devices when it comes to getting back and forth from the airport. I get tired of asking friends to drop us off or pick us up. It seems like such an inconvenience. But a cab or shuttle from Kapolei have always been so expensive.

Some trips I have simply parked at the airport for $7-$10 a day and enjoyed the convenience of having my car right there when I return. This year we were going to be gone almost three weeks, so that did  not seem like an option.

I looked on line and discovered an airport shuttle company that I really like, Hawaii Airport Shuttle.

I picked them because they gave me the cheapest quote. To pick up all four of us in Kapolei and take us to the airport was $50. With the ten dollar tip we gave the driver it came out to $15 per person. Not too bad. It was less on the way home because there were only two of us.

The service was excellent. I called a few days before to confirm and they had our information in the system and were able to easily access it. The driver came exactly on time and was extremely pleasant. Her van was spotless and comfortable. On the way home she waiting for us right outside baggage claim, gave us chilled water bottles and helped me with the luggage.

They have a new dedicated customer.

How do you get back and forth from the airport?

The people of Kapolei have giving hearts. It was apparent all over town these past few days.

Two different groups were collecting money in scoop nets at the stoplights for different health care locally and in Nepal. The nets were full of money which says to me that people were chipping in.

I personally experienced it at Longs where I was sitting with the Kapolei Rotary collecting donations of school supplies for the area schools. Person after person came out of the store with a bag of memo books or crayons or folder paper to put in our donations box.

It wasn’t just the moms and dads going in to get supplies for their own kids who helped. One young man came out with just his beer and a bag of school stuff for us (he kept the beer.) Several grandparents were very generous. Parents sent their kids over with their extra pencils and glue. Others pulled out bills from their wallet so volunteers could purchase what  was needed. Everybody pitched in.

According to Jill Federizo, Kapolei Rotary Community Service Chair, an abundance of supplies came in. She had hoped to get enough  to fill 150 bags to distribute to the area schools. There were enough supplies for over 200 bags.

Bags will be delivered before school starts at the end of the month to help the ever growing population of students and their families who find it a hardship to purchase the supplies they need.

We got several gift cards for Macy’s as wedding presents last December and my husband gave me full license to decide what to buy with them. That’s just one of the reasons why I married him. I finally had time and went to Pearl Ridge the other day to decide what the ultimate purchase is going to be.

I went up to the third floor, bypassing the shoes and clothes and make-up, and headed straight for the housewares department. After vacilating between choosing a  new set of pots and pans or a  new comforter and sheets, I chose the linen. It seemed more romantic.

I picked out a beautiful set of 500 count, sateen finish sheets that promise to be softer than anything I’ve ever slept on before–even that one night we stayed at a Hilton. These sheets are not cheap, but I decided that it’s an appropriate wedding present and went for it.

When I was checking out, the sales representative mentioned that they would be going on sale for half the price next week. She also suggested it wasn’t a good idea to wait since this is the last set in the size that I want.  I asked if I could purchase them now at the sale price and pick them up next week. I’d heard of that before. She said I could, but only if I used my Macy’s card. Since I was bound to the stack of gift cards in my wallet, that was not an option. But she gave me another.

She told me that if I bring them back unused within ten days, with the receipt, I can get credit for the sale price. Perfect. I can wait ten days to sleep on the sheets. My husband is still away and I should probably wait for him anyway.

I payed for my beautiful, soft, new sheets. Put them in my car and left them there. I marked my calendar for next week when I will go back and get half the credit and maybe find a pot or pan or two.

So, the next time you are buying something at Macy’s. Check when it is going on sale. It could make half the difference.

Do you know any other places that have similar policies?

The other day we met a few of my girlfriends and their kids at Wai’anae Army Rest Camp which is now called the Pililaau Army Recreation Center. It’s one of my all time favorite beaches. We had a great time. The kids played and swam and we moms cruised in our beach chairs talking story, passing out snacks and enjoying the sunshine.

The beach is not just for military access. It is open to the public. At one point, the lifeguard, who is a former student of mine, came over and let us know that teachers can park on this base too. Until then I thought the parking was only for military. I’ve always parked outside and walked in, lugging our chairs and boogie boards and coolers.

He said that if we show our DOE ID, we too can have rock star parking at this fabulous beach on the leeward side. I was thrilled and could’t wait to share this information.

I found another great teacher perk yesterday. I dropped my cell phone in a cup of coffee in my car the other day and have been having troubles with it ever since. It was no big deal since I’ve been planning on getting a new phone anyway. This just sealed the deal and expediated the process.

I went to the Verizon store in Kapolei where two very nice young men helped me pick out a text friendly phone and choose the best family plan for our various needs.

In the process I learned that Verizon gives teachers an 18% discount on their plans and a 25% discount on equipment purchases and waves the activation fee. That’s even more than their military discount I’ve heard advertised. Wow. I was pleased. It applies to all State workers as well.

Mahalo to Verizon and the Pililaau Army Recreation Center for making the effort to show appreciation.