The Honolulu Cookie Company

The Honolulu Cookie Company makes the most delicious premium shortbread cookies in the shape of a pineapple. There is a wide assortment of flavors to select from. They are known for their cookies dipped in various flavors of chocolate and their seasonal special cookies.    

When you are in Waikiki visit the Honolulu Cookie Company at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach location and be greeted and helped by some very nice sales associates. You will walk in without a bag and walk out with a bag full of cookies. Once you try the samples you will find your favorites and buy some to bring back home from your vacation.

These cookies are prefect for wedding and birthday favors. They make great gifts for any occasion. No occasion then treat yourself to some scrumptious cookies because you deserve it. The locals love these cookies too.

I have visited various locations and you will always get a warm friendly greeting and great customer service when you visit their store.

Warning these cookies are addictive.

They have more locations to visit: http://www.honolulucookie.com/store-locations

Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach
2335 Kalakaua Ave #L-102
Honolulu, HI 96815
Ph: 808-922-4818
Fax: 808-922-4851
Mon-Sun 8am-11pm

Always filled with customers.

The Christmas Season Is Here

The Sheraton Waikiki has a Santa & Mrs. Santa sand sculpture in the hotel lobby. Don't forget to strike a pose and get a snapshot with the sand sculpture if you are in Waikiki. The little helpers are Menehunes taking a selfie.

Mele Kalikimaka!

Mele Kalikimaka means Merry Christmas in Hawaiian

Rocky is back as the trainer of Creed

The movie 'Creed' is about Apollo Creed's secret son. Apollo never met his son from his mistress because he died in a boxing match at the hands of a Soviet Olympic boxer named Ivan Drago in 'Rocky IV'. 

Yelp Night At The Movies made it possible for me to see this movie before general release to the public. The movie delivers Academy Award quality. It opens on the Thanksgiving weekend. I can feel a 'Creed II' or some sequel in the future. Go see it.

 

The Art and Science of Blogging with Twitter

Blogging is an art to express thoughts, recommendations and to share experiences. The blogger needs to be able to reach the readers with interesting content that will capture their attention to explore and stay on the blog. The goal of bloggers is for their readers to get a value out of their blog.

The science of blogging is analyzing how to get people to read your posts. Social Media is your assistant to spread a blog post. Post to all the social media platforms that you are on. Join social media platforms that you are not on yet. Twitter is a very powerful social media platform to tweet your posts. It's all about using good #HashTags that will be searched on by potential readers. Tweets need to go out at strategic times to reach potential readers that you are trying to reach.

Recyle old blog posts on your social media platforms. This will ensure that any new connections see your posts. It also gives you a chance to reach existing connections that might have missed your posts.  

Blogs requires constant attention or it will fail. You need to invest time in it by continually creating interesting content that brings value to readers. Keep on posting.

Pass on Black Friday at the Mall

We are slowy starting to forget about an American Holiday called Thanksgiving. It's being replaced with great shopping bargains that everyone is looking forward too. Black Friday has made it's way to Thursday with all the Pre Black Friday sales to disrupt quality family time. 

We can shop from our PC, Laptop, Tablet, and Phone. If you must shop do it on the Internet from the comfort of your home staying with your family. There will be many Black Friday bargains online so you do not need to stand in line with crazy people that will run you over to grab sales items. It's dangerous out there. 

Department stores are asking people to work on a day that we should be spending time with family and friends. We need to start to say no to Black Friday promotions at the mall. Send a message to retailers that they are eroding the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Wrike Project Management - Part 2

Marketing requires a vision with a plan that a team executes. The results are success when everything comes together.

Wrike is a web based project management solution that Marketing professionals can use to ensure a successful campaign.

Test drive Wrike on a 30 day free trial to see if it meets the needs of your organization. Select a project that can be completed within 30 days that will exploit the capabilities of Wrike to draw a comprehensive conclusion that Wike is the right solution for your organization.

Wrike can be run from your web browser on your laptop or desktop. Stay connected with the Wrike mobile app for iOS devices or Android devices.

Project Management Tips by Drake - #3

Multidimensional 

Project Managers and Quarterbacks have a lot in common when they support their team. 

Quarterbacks need to:   
(1)  Execute plays from their coach.

(2)  Make play decisions on the fly in crunch time.

(3)  Run the ball and take a hit when an opportunity exists to gain needed yardage.

(4)  Make tackles for interceptions and fumbles. 

(5)  Be humble, confident and accountable.

Project Managers need to:   

(1)  Execute the project plan for stakeholders. 

(2)  Make key decisions to keep the project on track when roadblocks are encountered.

(3)  Jump in and help the team to keep the project going. 

(4)  Be able to stop scope creep when changes are requested that have no merit to the project.

(5)  Be humble, confident, and accountable.

Good Bye October

October was a flash. Where did the time go? It's November already.

Some nice pictures to say farewell to October on Halloween. I'll see you next year October.

Sunset at the Hilton Hawaiian Village lagoon.

The Moana Surfrider lobby.

The Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort

I recommend planning a vacation with your family at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort. 

The Hotel has shops and restaurants to name a few of the amenities. It's beachfront so you are steps away from the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

I took this beautiful October sunset picture just yards away from the Outrigger Reef.

The Haunted Beach House

It began as a weekend getaway at a rustic beach house in Hawaii. Friends spending the weekend together for some rest and recreation. The house has two bedrooms and a living room. There was room for everyone. The people sleeping in the living room slept on cots. 

Night One

The first night was a page out of Scooby-Doo. I was in a bedroom with my family laying on a bed next to a open window with a porch below it. It was 3am and a haunting sound that floated around the house in the still of the night passed by my window. It was the sound of a moaning man just like the Scooby-Doo show. I was so tired to be afraid so I stuck my head out of the window to see if anyone was out there making that sound. Only the still of the night was out there. In the morning I asked everyone if they heard that moaning sound. No one confessed to hearing it.

Night Two 

I found it a bit strange when my friend gave up his bedroom to his daughter and her friend to sleep on a nice bed in the room. He and his wife would be now sleeping in the living room on a cot with the rest of the gang. I asked why are you giving up the bedroom and he pointed to a large hole in the ceiling of a closet in the bedroom. He did not elaborate. I think he was spooked and did not want to talk about it.

It was a quiet night with no strange noises in the bedroom that I was in with my family. I was up again at 3am and all was good. 

Night Three 

My friends daughter and friend gave up the bedroom too. There was no takers. The bedroom was empty. Again the reason was the large hole in the closet ceiling. It was a funny sight seeing everyone in the living room next to each other sleeping on cots when a nice bedroom is empty. Safety in numbers I guess. I stayed in my bedroom with no incidents occurring. 

Conclusion 

No one admitted to believing in ghosts or the supernatural. My family and I was the only believer. I will never forget that moaning sound. So why was the bedroom empty huh? Hahaha! 

I found out years latter that the beach house was demolished and rebuilt. I wonder why? Hahaha! 

This is a picture of a similar beach house to give an idea of what the haunted beach house looked like. It's not the actual beach house we stayed at.

Go back in time at the Moana Surfrider in Waikiki

I recommend the famous historic Moana Surfrider to book your stay in Waikiki. When you arrive at the Moana also known as the First Lady of Waikiki you you will feel like you traveled back in time to 1901 when it opened its doors to guests.

The hotel has European style architecture as seen in the photo I took of the main entry lobby that has been preserved through time.

The Moana is located in the heart of Waikiki.

Project Management Tips by Drake - #2

Attitude

The Project Manager is the center of attraction. Everyone is watching. How a Project Manager interacts with coworkers is very important to be truly respected. Do not let the position go to your head so lose that attitude. Project Management is an art that requires people skills to guide a team while utilizing project management skills to produce a deliverable. 

I recommend using Wrike to manage your projects. Give it a try and see if it works for you.

Happy Hour at Harbor Pub

Check out Harbor Pub for Happy Hour from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM daily including the weekends. I recommend this place to relax and have a good time. Enjoy the drinks and food. The staff is awesome there, they will make you feel at home. 

Harbor Pub & Pizza - located at the Ala Wai Boat Harbor & Marina 

Open Monday through Sunday from 7AM to 2AM.

1765 Ala Moana Blvd. #1, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815

http://www.harborpubhawaii.com

(808) 941-0985 

Mai Tai and Nachos Grande

                                                                                 

The Project Management Trilogy

I have identified three critical areas in a project to focus on. They all intertwine. It's up to the Project Manager to keep a close watch over them or suffer the consequences.  

(1) Statement of Work  Review with a fine tooth comb what you are delivering.

(2) Scope Creep  Changes are inevitable, but keep it to a minimum.

(3) Key Performance Indicators  Make sure you are delivering results.

October sunsets in Hawaii

October sunsets are pretty spectacular on the island of Oahu as you watch the sun slowly set into the Pacific Ocean. The sky is lit up with radiant colors. We say Aloha to another day as we get ready to welcome nightfall. 

Hotels in Waikiki that I recommend

I woud like to recommend the Hilton Hawaiian Village or Outrigger Reef Waikiki to book your stay in Waikiki. They both are nice places to stay at. There are many more nice hotels in Waikiki to stay at that I will recommend later.

I took this photo on the beach between the Outrigger Reef Waikiki and Hilton Hawaiian Village. You will be so close to beach access. Watch some of the most spectacular sunsets with a front row view. 

Lei greeters that prey on tourist in Waikiki

Be on guard for lei greeters on the sidewalk or beach near the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Hale Koa Hotel. They are attempting to give an impression that they are giving out free leis. That is not the case after they place the lei on the happy visitor. What happens next is a fund raising story to get you to dish out some serious donation cash. They are ripping you off if you buy the lei.

This picture ilistrates a brother and sister that tought they were getting a free lei from the young girls. What they got was disappointment as they walked away not paying the rip off price for the lei. These poor kids will take home a tarnished vacation memory of Hawaii.

Sunset at the Ala Wai Harbor in Honolulu

I just love sunsets in Hawaii. It felt so peaceful watching the sunset in the sea of clouds.

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Project Management Tips by Drake - #1

The Team

Managing a diverse project team can be challenging. You need to plant your leadership stake in the ground that we are a team. We all depend on each other. Everyone has an important role to play no matter how small it is.

Communication is key on how you reach out to different team members. You need to adjust your communication style as needed with different team members. You do not want to project an intimidating image. People skills are so important to be a good Project Manager. Remember to treat people the way you would like to be treated. 

I recommend using Wrike to manage your projects. Give it a try and see if it works for you.

My Twitter Word Cloud

My twitter timeline translated into a cloud.

Get your word cloud by tweeting: @wordnuvola #wordcloud

The Vendor Statement of Work

The statement of work (SOW) that a vendor provides for a project that they are contracted to perform needs to be evaluated with a fine tooth comb. A tedious process, but you need to make sure it covers everything that you are expecting to be delivered. Once you are satisfied with the SOW you need to translate it into a project plan so you can generate a Gantt chart to get a better feel of the scheduled timeline that the vendor is proposing. 

Having a Gantt Chart can help you track the vendor progress to make sure they stay on schedule. You will need to diligently update the project tasks by getting periodic progress status from the vendor to update your Gantt chart. You have to keep the vendor on schedule or you will have some explaining to do latter why the project is late. If you encounter any delays you need to document the reason and inform your management so they are not caught by surprise latter.

Be nice to your vendor, but be clear with them that you have a deadline to meet.

The Hawaii Sunset Hidden by Clouds

The sunsets in Hawaii are a spectacular sight to watch from the beach. Sometimes the weather gets in the way of letting spectators watch the sun go down due to heavy cloud cover blocking the sunset. 

When the clouds block the sunset you still will be in for a treat. The sun will paint the sky with beautiful colors when it goes down behind the clouds. Keep watching as the shades of colors keep changing on a moving canvas of clouds.

It's the 11th Hour the Curtain is Going Up

The day has arrived after months of hard work building and testing the new system. You are in the go-live phase of the project. You should have an implementation timeline tasks in your project plan. The timeline will summarize all the required steps to implement the new system.

The timeline should contain:

• The timeline is like the program for a play that lists the cast and acts. The audience wants to know ahead of time what to expect. Your stakeholders want to know the estimated time of completing the go-live.
• List all key contacts with cell number so you can confer with them should issues arise.
• Give a brief summary of all the steps in the implementation and list who is performing the step.
• Estimate the time in each step and include some padding in it. Estimate time in quarter hour, half hour and one hour increments. 
• Make sure you have a back out plan should a situation occur that impedes a successful implementation. You need to give a good estimate on how long you will need to back out the implementation at the designated point of no return.
• Highlight a key step in the implementation that means you are at the point of no return. You can only go forward now at this point. Any issues encountered will have to be addressed on the fly and resolved to keep moving along in the implementation. Evaluate with your team at this point that you all are confident that you can continue the implementation. If you are not comfortable contact your key decision maker to ask for extended time to address the areas of concern or back out the implementation.
• Send an update that the system is up and ready to use.
• Take a bow the curtain is coming down now after your successful implementation.

Breakfast for Dinner at Waikiki Beach Eggspress

Sometimes you want to have breakfast for lunch or dinner. Waikiki Beach Eggspress is my favorite place to have corned beef hash and eggs. The food is great there. You need to check this place out because they have more delicious Items on their menu. The staff are very friendly and will make you feel at home.

Convenient Waikiki location in the lobby of the Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel:

2464 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu Hawaii 96815

Phone＆Fax: (808) 926-EGGS (3447)

Hours: Open Daily ／6:00am to  2:00pm

                                  4:00pm to 10:00pm

Website: https://www.eggsnthings.com

　　　　　　　　　　

Corned Beef Hash and Eggs with potatoes.

The Little Seattle Seahawks

The NFL regular season has started and they sure start young in Washington State to support their Seahawks. 

The 12's aka The 12th Man celebrates Blue Fridays wearing the Seahawks jersey to show their team pride. It's really neat to see a state come together by wearing Seahawks jerseys and saying Go Hawks to anyone wearing the Hawks jersey.

Washington State is very proud of their team. They wear a jersey to work on Blue Friday. The schools celebrate Blue Friday by letting students wear their jersey to show their pride for the team.

Go Hawks!