Hawaii
THE movie was called "Trains, Planes and Automobiles." Toss in "And a Bus," and you have my recently concluded vacation, flying off to Vegas, Reno and San Francisco, visiting friends. My pre-9/11 departure and arrival United flights had both been canceled, but close replacements were found and both flights were completely filled -- every seat. Who said people aren't traveling? ... In Vegas I spent time with ex-isle Vegasites Joe North and Dennis Conway. At the Bellagio, which I'd never seen -- it was my first trip there in eight years -- business was down as it was all over Vegas, but we did meet up with Jameson's owner Ed Greene, traveling with ex-Bistro co-owner Mike Pirics, now a restaurateur in Western Samoa ... Full planes belie notion
folks are afraid to flyAS we talked story, who should happen by but Shep Gordon, who'd left his Maui home long enough to promote his pal Alice Cooper's one-nighter at the 7,500-seat performing arts theater at the Aladdin. After the show, a theatrical nightmare as conceived by Cooper, what with beheadings, guillotining, strangulations and baby stabbing, North and I went backstage and the weirdly made up Coop explained why he'd not done his show in Hawaii. "You may have noticed -- it's not exactly filled with aloha." ... I also took in "Bottoms Up" for the first time in many years, and creator Breck Wall is still a riot. Neither he nor his jokes seem to age. I went with Billie Ann Sabala, a martial arts instructor whom I knew at UH and an old friend of Wall's. In addition, I visited with Rosita Lee, who now runs a Hawaiian luau show twice a week in Vegas, and former Isle singer Anna Lea. We went to see the Society of Seven and they were surprised to see me so far from Hawaii surrounded by lovely Filipinas ...
Nightmare
THE only sore point of travel was the four-hour wait in line with luggage at the Vegas airport, trying to board a 70-minute shuttle to Reno. It wasn't so much the luggage inspection but the lack of windows to handle the business. So I was six hours late before arriving and visiting with friends Annette Stapleton, very successful in real estate sales, her beautiful 26-year old daughter Dagny, who I last saw as a little girl, plus new Reno residents Mary Anne and David Stubenberg. I missed another ex-islander who now makes Reno home, Harry Williams, by one day. I took Amtrak from Truckee, transferring to a bus for the ride over the Bay Bridge to San Francisco, a train ride I'd recommend to anyone ...THE film on my return trip was Billy Crystal's story about Roger Maris hitting 61 home runs, besting Babe Ruth's record by one. But since it took him more than the 154 games Ruth played, it was determined his record would have an asterisk. Hence the title of the film, "61*." It was somewhat anticlimactic since I'd just come from watching Barry Bonds hit 71 (no asterisk) and 72 in PacCom Park. I sat in seats directly behind the dugout of my beloved but beleaguered L.A. Dodgers, courtesy of season-ticket holder Ralph Maher, owner of Liverpool Lil's. Oh, and did I mention the Dodgers won that game? Anyway, after visiting with more ex-isle pals in San Francisco and a short but great stay at the sumptuous Mandarin Oriental Hotel, it's great to be back ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
The Week That Was recalls items from Dave's 30 years of columns.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com