Sprig Break 2006. . . No, Wait. Spring Break 2006

Ok, I know I have to finish the story on Tim (Panda's Hawaiian Lover) and post on the week in general. But first things first.

Last year, the TSA and FFA banned all lighters and matches on flights. By doing so the Zippo market collapsed. All the sudden you were able to buy a $50 lighter for only $10 bucks. So what would a cigar/cigarette smoker like me do? Simple, I bought the legal carry-on limit (the limit is two per person) for myself, Steph, and Panda. All in all I bought 4 lighters (4 because Steph and I each brought a lighter with us).

Well to make a long story short I decided to get one of them engraved. On the front it's engraved "Spring Break 2005," and on the back is all our names ("Blake, Stephanie, Panda, Kevin). I thought this is a nice little tradition I started, so from then on out, every time I go on a big trip with my friends I buy a Zippo where ever we are at, and when we come back to Chico I have in engraved.

I must have spent countless hours searching all over Maui for a Zippo 2 weeks ago. I found nothing. Knowing that I was coming home empty handed I decided to get one of the lighters from last year engraved. You know "Spring Break 2006" on the front, and "Blake, Stephanie, Panda, Jason, Robert" on the front.

Well, I went to go pick up the lighter today from Things Remembered at the mall. There was the lighter, all out names on the back, and "Sprig Break 2006" on the front. Notice anything? SPRIG BREAK!!

So what now you ask? Well thank God that the Zippo had a brushed nickel finish. They are going to take it to a jeweler and see if they can buff it out, and then re-engrave it.

All in all I now have my doubts about getting irreplaceable items engraved. I'll be happy once everything works out. But for now, I play the waiting game.

There's Something About Tim: A Quick Post

I know that I still have to post about our week in Hawai'i, but first I must tell the story of Tim. It was a warm Tuesday afternoon. An afternoon Panda would never forget; the day Panda fell in love with a local.

We drove to the Costco in Kahului to get some film developed, pick up some cheap hamburger meat, and to buy a snorkel set (the one I bought at Sharper Image finally broke after 4 years). It was around the meat department, no, the produce section where Panda noticed him.

She knew that he was the one for her. Here, right in front of her was the one hookup she wanted during spring break.

Shyly, looking right at him she asked "What is your name?"

He simply replied "My name is Tim."

I will have to admit that at first Tim was like all the others I have seen. You know, very generic and stereotypical for a native. But once we all got to know him we knew what Panda saw in him. He was special.

Tim grew up on Maui, born and raised at the base of the West Maui Mountains. He came from a big family (who, after seeing pictures, all look the same), enjoyed the weather that only Maui had to offer, and loved playing in the rain.

We all couldn't resist, so we asked him over for dinner. . .


Well I must be of to campus, I'm meeting Panda for lunch. I'll finish the post after school.