Hello Friends and Family,

Link to this year's index by clicking here.

Say It Ain't So


When I was playing golf this week, one of my playing companions mentioned that he heard that they are going to close the Kapalua Village Golf Course on Maui. WHAT? How could they do that? That's my favorite course at Kapalua. The views are incredible as the holes wind their way up the mountainside then back down — especially, #6 and #7 at the highest point — which are separated by a small mountain lake. Breathtaking! How could they close this gem?

After I returned home, I jumped on the Internet and googled "Kapalua Village Course closing". And it's true — but there is more to the story. It will close in February, 2007 in order to renovate the course to become Kapalua's first members-only club — to be called "The Mauka Course" (Mauka = mountain).

Okay, so how does one become a member? Obviously, this has now become a intellectual exercise — because unless I win the Powerball Lottery jackpot, I'm sure the cost is way beyond my means. Well, it turns out that one must be an owner of one of The Residences at Kapalua Bay then upgrade to a premier Golf membership. But before you ask the price, note (from their website) that "after a round, members can relax in their private plantation-style clubhouse to compare scores and stories, share drinks and pupus (appetizers) and enjoy exclusive evening events". This is getting more expensive by the minute.

So, what are "The Residences at Kapalua Bay"? Further research shows that these are the condominiums that will be built on the site of the old Kapalua Bay Hotel. Long-term readers of these little essays will recall a previous issue that mentioned the shocking news of the demolition of this fine hotel. Now I understand.

For any of you who have the means, here are the details. "Beginning at the shoreline and terraced up a gentle slope, each Private Residence will offer its own distinctive ocean views and classic Hawaiian sense of place. Residences will span from 3,002 to 4,271 square feet, including 600 to 1,150 square-foot lanais, celebrating Hawaii’s lively indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Uninterrupted vistas of Lana‘i and Moloka‘i and dramatic sunsets form the backdrop for each heavenly day." Oh, and that will cost you $3,900,000 and up. But it's worth it because you will be investing in the "Renaissance of Kapalua".


Meanwhile, back here on Earth, I have ventured back to Ikea. Mizuki and I have been thinking through all the details involved in re-designing our computer loft area. I was even able to use my Visio skills (honed diagramming many system configurations in my previous life) to lay out the area. Our next step is to consult with the office design specialist at Ikea to see if our design will work and if we have missed anything. The funny thing is that you can't just make an appointment — you have to fill out a short request form and then they will call to set up an appointment. So now we're just waiting for the phone to ring.

While we're waiting, we invite any of you to suggest improvements to our initial design. Note that side at the bottom of the diagram overlooks our living room below — a railing keeps us from falling. Also, the one design item not shown (it made the diagram practically undecipherable), are the wall-mounted cabinets on the front wall (left side) and side wall (top). There will be two rows of them above the work surface — the lower set will have lights underneath to illuminate the work surface. There are two computers (mounted on the underside of the work surface), a shared UPS (also mounted below or else simply residing on the floor) and two printers (current printer and a proposed new photo printer). Any comments or suggestions will be welcome.

 

Life is good.

Aloha,
B. David

P. S., All photos and text © B. David Cathell Photography, Inc. — www.bdavidcathell.com