Tomorrow starts a new chapter ( of sorts) in the Department career. Promoted to my new position, and with that, new challenges and changes. Not what I wanted, but 'you cant always get what you want' - ah yeah. Sometimes, you get what THEY need. Bollocks.
Last shift at battalion HQ. Same old? Nada. You figure, with the way my days have been, (all bad luck, situations, no SURF, etc.) that the scenario would be set for a day of action, work, and well, drama. 23.5 hours go by. That's outta 24, BTW. Pack all my gear up, load my carwheela (truck) and for the most part, move. 23.5 hours go by.
515AM. Get up, load the last stuff. Multi-tone alarm.
Me - "youvegottabefuckingkiddingme"
Nope. Silence on the squawk-box. "Assist HPD with a robbery suspect, this located in the water off of the "wall" at 3000 Kalakaua Ave"
WTF? Lights, Sirens, Chief, Me, Ladder, Rescue. It is a block away. It is a truly, spectacular morning. There is hardly a breeze, the AM light is pink, light blue, big fat-ass clouds hovering. A huge ocean liner is off the beach, only it lit up from the sunrise in the east. Gorgeous. The surf is small, but people are packing boards, milling about, going to the water.
We meet up with HPD. The scenario - A suspect has fled from Police, and gone swimming. He wont come in. For the past 3 hours, he has been swimming up and down the front of waikiki beach, the hotels, and the beachfront. HPD finally, in their infinite wisdom, called for assistance. So Rescue, boat in tow, Ladder, surfboard at the ready, and me - (pissed). Chief doing his thing, me venturing to HPD, seeing what the hell I can come up with to get moron-boy in, and me off for the day until job 2 beckons.
We paddle a board out. Rescue paddles a board out. HPD strips uniform, and paddles a board out. Perp swims away. Swims, circled, swims, circled.
Me- mo'pissed.
Radio comments- "Rescue1- He says he isn't coming in except by boat" (that's because the crack-head is naked) "Rescue1 Captain- "Negative, not launching the boat for non-emergency in these waters, to many from the public niele (nosy) around, possible to obstruct" - Chief - "Looks like we will wait him out"
Me- The fuck we will.
No friggin' crack head thief is dragging my long-ass day out longer, OT be damned.
Think. (not my best trait) but sometimes, I get lucky.
My second job is 200 yards away, shining pink in the AM dawn. (shit) Think. Think.
Perp keeps swimming, the guys keep circling.
Oh, yeah, I gots me and idea.
He wants a boat, I will get him a boat.
A fucking Canoe.
So with my best Steve Magarret impression, I walk over to our beach-boys, who conveniently have a canoe, best used for traipsing tourists out to the ocean, but for now, will be my exit swan song.
"Hey Killa (chief), what say we grab the canoe, grab the biggest brothers we can find, and paddle out and grab Mr. Sorry-Ass?"
"Sounds good to me"
So with the theme from 5-0 playing in my head, "ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba-baaaam."
5 burly Hawaiians paddle a canoe out and remove ass-wipe from the water.
Day over, roll credits.
Final day at the station- Captain N made the spread.
Lau-laus (pork,fish wrapped in luau leaves, steamed for hours)
Poi (of course)
Lomi-lomi Salmon (winner)
Raw Opihi (shell fish)
Tako Pok'e ( Raw octopus ) Double winner.
Sashimi.
Lomi Oio - you dont want to know, but soooo good.
Rice (we aint talking Uncle Ben)
Chicken Long Rice
Squid Luau
Limu Koho - unebeliveable
More raw stuffs.
Mahi-Mahi.
Ono (fish)
Saba (more fish)
Stuffed. (Mahalo (thanks) Captain N)
9-11 Tapes
FDNY released the tapes from 9-11. 343 Firefighters died that day. Working for the public, rescuing those who pay the salaries. It will always be more than a job, but that day must have started like any other, and ended, well, in infamy.
How many might have died, we will never know. They did not , 'tho. 'Cause guys went to work. And the guys manning the radios, listening to those transmissions, carry for all time, the echoes of heroes.
Thats right - the echoes of heroes.
It will reign in the mind for all time, it will never be silent. Just as all will remember where they were, what they were doing, how if effected them.
The voices that spoke, many are silent.
In our voices, we carry the spirit, the mana, that drove them to protect, to rescue, to guide to safety. In our voice, the memory will never die, it will strive on.
It will tend to the needy, extinguish the flames of destruction, aide the helpless.
343 voices will have our back.
Malama pono, FDNY, me ke aloha pumehana.
FDNY - No Ka Oi.
Aloha.
3 comments:
man, that spread of food sounds deeeelish! you deserved it, after the day you had.
the new audio of 9/11 is so, so sad. fdny was fearless, no doubt.
you that do that job are made of stronger stuff than the average joe...aloha. i gotta know, what is lomi oio???
thanks, hawaiianmark-for blogrolling me-wow. very cool.
you dakine!
This is gonna be a real tufff Sept 11. I don't plan to be in town. I can't handle the sorrow. This year is worse for me than last. The amount of propaganda that goes on in NYC designed to get you to reframe this event is outrageous. I have a memorial piece that I'm working on. Aloha. p.s. Thank you for NOT blogrolling me.
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