Quotes from a prophet






“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.”


“You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect - you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect
together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there.”


“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.”


“He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.”


“Love the life you live. Live the life you love.”


“Live for yourself and you will live in vain; Live for others, and you will live again.”


“The people who were trying to make this world worse are not taking the day off. Why should I?”


"Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?”

Oh, Religion, you so crazy!



Well actually He told the fig tree "you will never bear fruit again" 
but figs don't care, they just adopt!!

Oh, the People You'll Meet!

   In my life, I've met people. Some I never think about again. Some, I wonder what happened to them. Some, I wonder if they ever think about me. And then there are some I wish I never had to think about again.

   But I do.

     I have always thought of a coffee shop as a church-- of sorts. A place for fellowship. A community of individuals brought together in a place of worship(for me, anyways)  A place where wit & wisdom flow. Where we talk story. We discuss finance, state affairs, common gossip, and a bit of low brow comedy. I have met magnificent people and made personal connections that will last a lifetime. Ordinary encounters made extraordinary. 

   Coffee is the tie that binds us...at least in my life.

   Coffee--brewed. Hearts--warmed. My job here is done. :)



Insomnia in Waikiki

I am something right now, but I wouldn't call it "functional."


 As you may or may not know, the coffee shop I now work for is having their soft opening tomorrow, I haven't had a day off since January 7. Don't see one in the near future either. I don't mind, this is what I love to do......

Here's the problem...I am plagued by insomnia. I only drink coffee in the am because of this. My mind is just overactive when I try to sleep. Making lists of things I have to do for tomorrow. Going over the things I did today. What I have to do this week. I keep all of this stuff jumbled up in there.


I also live in downtown Waikiki...I mean, smack dab in the middle of it. Across the street is the Waikiki Trade Center, which houses 3 clubs. Diagonal is a rambunctious gay sports bar with open windows. Right next door, Cha Cha Cha's Mexican Cantina with over 100 tequilas. On any given night this place is party central. And I live on the 14th floor of the side that faces all the noise...which travels up and is amplified. Did I mention the clubs stay open 'til 4am. Right about the time my first alarm goes off. The mating calls of the "whooo" girls, techno music ,bar fights, drunken revelers, drag queens, sirens, burnouts, horns. Even the stronger than normal trade winds rattle the lanai glass doors like the hurricanes do back home, causing even more anxiety fueled sleeplessness...
................................................


Last night, some dick was on a bull horn(at least it sounded like it) after midnight giving what sounded like a political speech...he went on for nearly an hour. 
.......................................
Last night: 2.5 hrs of sleep.
........................................
Mid-afternoon nap 2.0 hrs of sleep.


Tick Tock...I hear the clock...ticking away...I have to be up at 3:45am.

.......................................

Please, God, let there be a nap in my future.



Afternoon Delight

Damn that late afternoon espresso..it is like the Che Guevara in my revolution against sleep.

Popped our coffee cherry...we did.


On a hike to Maunawili Falls on the windward side of O'ahu, we came to an old coffee grove...the trees were thin under the dense canopy but easy to identify by their shiny waxy leaves. We found some had green cherries attached to their scrawny branches. 


 We searched for a while trying to find one with a ripe red cherry. How our behavior must have looked to passerby's makes me laugh now. Probably as bizarre as I look when I play in the snow.


Spotted bits of red in the lush green landscape...where the canopy allowed more sunlight to pass though. Wild coffee, long since abandoned...unkempt yet beautiful.



We snapped a few pictures...popped a few in our mouth and headed up the mountain with renewed vigor. 

Rise like the Phoenix from the ashes...

The Birth(or Rebirth) of Pono Roasters


We chose the Phoenix to represent our coffee roasting business' rebirth. The Phoenix's ability to be reborn from its own ashes seemed very àpropos. Our path, fraught with obstacles yet we emerged from the cinders stronger.

"It's best to have failure happen early in life, It wakes up the Phoenix bird in you so you rise from the ashes." - Anne Baxter
"Success wouldn't taste so good, without failure as an appetizer."  -from a fortune cookie