Another potluck with the folks from the gym means another batch of malasada dough to make!
I think they turned out a little bit better this time around. Must've been the extra time I allowed the dough to rise.
Ultimately, getting folks together to eat was just an excuse for a seafood boil. Truthfully, this crab course was the one a bunch of us were standing around waiting (and saving stomach space) for. Happy Birthday Amy!
Since I also had another shindig to attend, I tried to get the ball rolling on leaving but folks decided to roll on the desserts. So of course I had to stick around to sing HBD! All of this food just lends credence to the belief that our gym really is a food and drink club with a fitness problem.
Drove on up to Ocean Beach in SF afterwards for Lisa's B-day bonfire. Showed up a bit on the late side, but got to enjoy good company, good conversation by the gentle fire (when Tom wasn't prodding it to send sparks flying and smoke billowing). Happy Birthday Lisa!
After that food filled weekend followed another highly memorable food filled weekend. This one started with a trip to Haleiwa after kidnapping Kurt off the street and forcing him into water based activities with a very small, shimmery swimsuit. Those of you not familiar with Japanese
We hopped on the boat and headed out roughly three miles offshore on
Sharkys (galapagos sharks to be precise), Kurt, Me, Travis, Darren (and Kevin, Kurt's brother-in-law). The rest of the gang jumped in next as Group 2. We floated around in the cage for a good 15 minutes or so watching these majestic creatures swim about in their natural environment. They frequent this area due to it being a channel for fishing boats (and their associated scraps) rather than because of the shark boats chumming the water (which they legally can't do). Being in the water, we could also hear the calls of the humpback whales nearby which made things extra special. Rough numbers: we saw about 15 or so sharks that ranged in size between 5-10 ft. They calmly circled around and certainly gave you the sense that these are creatures to be totally respected. I certainly came away from this experience with a greater appreciation for these kings of the sea.
Always got to take advantage of the local produce while I'm home, especially since it's harder to get a hold of deliciously sweet Hawaiian papaya on the mainland.
Had dinner at Side Street Inn (Kapahulu) with Darren and Priscilla and Gigi joined us also despite having already eaten. We started off with Local-style Pulehu Short Ribs. Yum yum.
We also got their famous Fried rice and Chinese Style steamed fish over Asian greens. Also delicious. Not pictured was the order of fried chicken we got which was also quite good, especially with the spicy garlic dipping sauce.
We finished off the meal with a haupia/chocolate ice cream pie for dessert. Good (but maybe not Bubbies good).
I picked up Mum from the airport and we decided to give the employee parking lot Lunch truck a try. I opted for a combo plate of garlic chicken and hamburger steak. Mum got the fried rice omelette (which I ate the leftovers of on the plane ride back to the mainland).
Of course the whole reason for being home being to celebrate Kurt & Traci's Wedding. A nice, small gathering of family and friends for two incredibly awesome people. Very glad I could be here with them and also to be able to catch up with good friends from close and afar.
Kurt & Traci, being the savvy NYers that they've become, had these fancy, gourmet chocolates as their party favors. Having taken one of each flavor, I'll give them a thumbs up for quality.
Poor pig. Sure tasted delicious though.
Shout out to the Halekulani Hotel for being a beautiful place for a ceremony and reception. Also, lots of praise for the homemade "floral" centerpieces that Traci's mom made.
I can't possibly remember all the foods they had in the buffet. Needless to say, given Kurt & Traci's appreciation for good food, this spread provided a delicious variety of both traditional and local favorites.
And last but not least, dessert + the wedding cake.
And with that lovely evening, the weekend more or less came to a close. Short but sweet trip home with a final image of the plane passing Hawaii Kai on the way back to the Bay Area. Aloha 'oe.
And a bonus image for my loyal readers! A new addition to my home decoration: postcard sized replications of vintage airline posters from the early age of flight! Now where should I put it?
Alright, now that I've caught up with the present day, it looks like I'll have to go out there and start getting involved with some more interesting activities to allow for more great blog posts. Keep an eye out for my next exciting adventure! Until then...
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