Garlic chicken bento from Mitzu Ken. We live about 40 feet from this place. Tsk tsk tsk.

More food...please.

Sunday we went to The Original Pancake House down on Houghtailing and Dillingham, just a few minutes uh, on the makai (towards the water) side of where we live. Now, there is an Original Pancake House at home in Poway, and I remember getting 49er Flapjacks everytime I went there. So, I was wondering to Garrett if they would have the flapjacks, and voila, they did! Apparently it is indeed a chain of restaurants started by a couple in Portland, and I'm guessing the one down in Poway is part of the franchise, although I'm sure they don't sell as much rice as they do here. We got your usual uh, Hawaiiana/American pancake house fare: eggs with corned beef hash (in it's interesting potato patty form) with a side of buckwheat pancakes (at a not so bad upgraded price), portugese sausage, and 49er flapjacks. The flapjacks were, this time, eaten with a smidgen o pancake syrup. I figure it's their crepe batter poured a bit thicker? In any case, they're tasty.

On another note about food, I am working a few hours here and there at Mix Cafe on S. Beretania and Bethel downtown. Here is a nice little write up about the cafe. Tonight I was able to bring home some pasta and part of a sandwich for Garrett to try. It's pretty damn tasty food.

Liliha Bakery!

Whew...we just came back from a late friday night treat at the Liliha Bakery up on Liliha and Kuakini, just around the corner from where we live.

What's the deal with all of the great food places we live by? And I haven't tried half of them yet! Helena's Hawaiian Foods, Mexico Restaurant, and a few other plate lunch places, a Korean market, a bakery, some Chinese fast food, and Kenny's Restaurant? Yikes, too much food too close by!

Well, at least Liliha isn't across the street...it's about a 10 minute walk. Or a 1 minute drive. It was my night of firsts: First time to Liliha Bakery, first Loco Moco in Hawaii (and in life), and first sweet bread french toast. The Loco Moco was eh...i guess gravy and white rice is not my big thing. The sweet bread french toast was (surprisingly?) delicious...with it's ooey gooeyish center. I actually had it with syrup too, and i dislike both french toast and syrup. Ok not completely dislike, but dislike enough not to order it for myself. I thought the best had tonight was the deviled egg with tomato sandwich. It was just right...nicely toasted bread, crunchy iceberg lettuce, creamy deviled egg and a tomato, on wheat bread that was toasted and slathered with butter. Maybe it was the butter that tasted so good.

So this new Hawaii diet just isn't cutting it for me. Sigh.

AlooooooHA!

Ah. Hi.

Where are we now huh?

I've now been in Honolulu for about a month. Garrett moved out here last October to secure a job and a home, while I moved to Sacramento with some of my good friends and squatted at their place for about three months. During that time, Garrett found work at some health clubs and I whiled away my time running off to and falling in love with The City, which is definitely on my future places to live (permanently?) list...although there are a few countries separating my time here and there. One day.

Ok but anyway--Hawaii, that is first yes? Although we miss Davis, it was time to get out. And boy did we get out. About as far as you could go from anywhere else yes?

We live in Kalihi by the Likelike Highway, not too far from the airport, and across the street from some damn good local Hawaiian food (Helena's Hawaiian Food to be exact). Interestingly enough, we also live a block from one of the better Mexican restaurants in the area, Mexico Restaurant. I haven't been, but there is a birthday coming up this weekend............. Yummy.

Garrett is a personal trainer at two gyms while I've picked up some part time/on call work at Mix Cafe, a delicious little place downtown that gets quite the lunch rush. It's pretty damn good if you ask me. I'm doing the job search for something a bit more concentrated on my future career path (health education/community outreach/health administration). Cross your fingers for me.

Oh! And my first month here was sort of a whirlwind! We had parents come to visit, then seven friends for a wedding in Kona (the Big Island is pretty incredible, and congrats to Ben and Tarynn Brewer-Slotnick!), one who stuck behind for a week, and a second set of parents showing up...ah with a visit to Moloka'i for x-mas to see my new niece Maia!

Ok so that's us in the last 4 months in a nutshell. To be updated more regularly from now on. The. End.

Moving Sale!

One step closer to hawaii!

Flynn Family Fun in Minnesota!

Minnesota!

It's been awhile...

Oh wow...

It's been awhile since any posts to this thing.

What's happened recently, let's see. Travel wise, I went on a week long trip with Mary to Oaxaca, Mexico, then a few weeks after I met up with some of my family in Maryland to celebrate my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary, and Garrett and I recently visited Minnesota for a cousin's wedding. 

Garrett is hard at work as a physical therapy aide and clerk at a physical rehab office in North Davis, as an afterschool assistant director in South Davis, and as a physical trainer at a health club in town. He's also focusing on strength and conditioning training with sports groups, as well as developing a community boot camp program.

I am still at the lab, working with fruit and insects and helping out with some tests to develop a fumigant that will kill certain pests so we can export oranges and grapes to Australia without them having to worry about unwanted insect invasions. I also took up a second job at a cafe across the street, so I can hone in on some food service skills so I have a broader scope for employment when we move to Hawaii. So, I'm now also a dishwasher, salad maker, cashier, barrista, food runner, table busser, and closing shift clean the whole cafe up person. 

It will be a busy summer. Garrett likes to point out that it is the beginning of his never ending summer. Lucky guy.