I thought it was gonna be plate lunches...

We went to a new eating establishment last night for dinner so I thought I would pretty much sum up my dining experience. We went because it was Hawaiian food and we have been waiting for months for this place to open. I mean we literally drove by every week to check it out. It's called Ohana's Hawaiian Grill and it's off of 1604 and Hausman. Now if you're in a rush, this is not the place to go because even though the wait staff was very friendly this is like a 5 course place. I started with the key lime martini which smelled like key lime but was strong as shit, I mean I could have breathed fire after a sip. Nothing wrong with a strong drink but I wanted to taste something else besides the vodka.

Next was the appetizer or if you were truly from Hawaii it is pupu, teriyaki chicken wings which were big and crispy but not very teriyaki tasting. Good flavor just not teriyaki tasting. This place was more Japanese than Hawaiian with our Benihana like set up and the cook doing the fancy moves. We moved on to the soup which was really just beef broth, and salad which was just okay. They could skip those two things and move the meal along, I was starving already! Then he started with the shrimp and it was somewhat tasty but I gave H most of them. We moved on to the veggies which were actually pretty good and then fried rice for R that we all got to taste, delicious. I do have to say that the chicken and steak were so tender and tasty and the sauces he had for them were ono! While I enjoyed the main course, I'm not so sure it was $90 good and we didn't even have sushi like the others!

I didn't care for the set up because it wasn't really conducive to conversation with the 7 people we had but I had Big Red on one side of me and H on the other so I had myself a fun time. While my hubby's Kalua Pig was good (he loved it) and R's Loco Moco (see picture above) looked delicious (he loved it too), I consider myself somewhat of an expert on local food and this wasn't really what I was expecting. It was upscale and all but a little pricey. Since my brother has a Hawaiian restaurant I have something to compare it to and I think my brothers is much more tasty and reasonable; but I am somewhat bias. Would I go back again? Yes, but I would try the lunch menu and the dessert because their choices sounded good. It is worth trying if you miss plate lunches and like to be entertained during dinner.

All in all it was a fun night because of the company and Saturday night was alright for fighting!

K

The pie heard 'round the world

I walk in to my parent's home carrying homemade mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving and immediately my mother says "Did you bring pie?". Now this conversation of who should bring what took place last weekend and when I said I would bring pie, I was shot down because my dad said he was making a pie. My response? "You said not to because dad was making a pie?". She retorts with "He did, but that's not enough for everyone, you said you were bringing a pie." UGH...it was not a good start. Firstly, who the hell is everyone? I thought it was just four of us, no one told me my aunt and uncle were coming and then my cousin and her boyfriend...how about the Indians? Are they coming too? Sorry, should I have said Native Americans?

My dad walks in and tells me there is enough pie so I walk out of the kitchen to go sit in the living room where my smart husband follows me. We know better than to have a battle of wits with my mom on a holiday. Big Red asks me if he should go to the store to buy a pie and my dad walks in and tells him absolutely not! So I whisper to my husband "If Jesus himself drops down and commands you to eat pie, don't you do it!" For that comment, WE WILL NOT EAT THE PIE SO THERE IS ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE! Geesh...I wanted to go home and get back in to bed after the verbal sparring my mothers handed down. She always has something to say and H knows because our mom's are twins when it comes to backhanded comments.

Despite the whole pie fiasco the food was great and the company was okay. My cousin showed up with her new boyfriend, some cop in uniform because he was on the job. I was hoping he was the same cop that pulled me over Tuesday morning for pigging backing to get through that red light but no luck. Get this. When I asked my aunt about her daughters new boyfriend she told me this would be the first time they were meeting him...yes, she chose Thanksgiving as the time to introduce him to the family. What a bonehead move. He seemed nice but I was not in the cop loving mood after Tuesday and of course Edgar's name comes up. WTF? Does Edgar know everyone in San Antonio? He tells me to say hi to Edgar, right. Say it yourself since you know him so well, he's not my work husband and get your ass back out there and get to work! Are there not criminals still at work, even on a holiday? Can you tell I was still bitter?

I did manage to walk in the kitchen where he was eating and say over the top of everyone "Make sure you have some pie, there's enough for everyone!". I did not get a ticket just a warning (not for the pie comment) but I am still not a fan of the men in blue even if I was in the wrong. Oh yeah, Big Red's mom is staying with us for a couple of nights. His sisters family dropped her off Thanksgiving eve and they proceeded to tell us all about the blast they had in Cancun so now we have to go to Cancun! All inclusive resort and they did all this fun stuff like hike the Mayan ruins and snorkel...I so want to go and all for the low low bargain basement price of $1,600 for both of them! H, the four of us are going to Mexico!

K

Tequila sunrise

I know the view isn't much to look at, what do you want? It's work! But the sky...the beautiful sky and all it's changing colors. It was pink, purple, orange, then blue...who wouldn't be thankful for a morning like this? I drove to work looking at this and smiling. It's not often I smile on my way to work. When I parked and got to the front door of the office I had to turn around and take a picture of this from my phone. I'm happy because it's a short day before a long weekend.

I plan to stuff myself with turkey, nap and make long, sweet love with my husband. Yes, I am aware I put eating before making love. A girl has her priorities. My mother in law is coming to stay with us for a couple of nights and I'm okay with that. At least we don't have to drive to Austin to see her.

Okay, I have to get some work done. I just wanted to stop and share for a moment before I dive head first in to work and forget everything else.

K

Have you ever had anyone named after you?

Did I ever tell you I have a namesake? Not a niece, or cousin, or even a family friend...but a dog. A dog named K, it's actually a Hawaiian name but I don't use it here in Texas 'cause no one can pronounce it. She was a cute little black puppy 12 years ago when I left home and my cousin B named her after me. B and I were close, like two peas in a pod close. We spent every weekend together, my life consisted of my family and that's about it.

When I lived in Hawaii it was all about the ohana. There were guys always in the background but my strongest bond was with my cousins (mostly male). We got together every weekend and supported Budweiser. We could easily finish off cases and cases of beer and we frequently did. If you're not from Hawaii it's difficult to understand the relationships formed. Hawaii is EXPENSIVE! Which is why so many families live at home for many, many years and I was no exception. I had a cottage behind my parents main house since we lived on a big acre of land. This cottage was never locked because so much family came and went. It was never empty, even when I was at work, one or more of my cousins was asleep on the couch. These were good days and I never worried about going out and getting drunk because I was with my ohana and we always took care of each other.

Anyhow, back to my namesake. The time came when I got serious about someone (Big Red) and I decided to leave Hawaii to be with him. Only when I went home again this past week did I learn what a big deal this was. Apparently one of my brothers had called my cousins to action to do a background check on my future husband because they needed to find out who this guy was taking me away from my home! It was most traumatic for B because we were so close. So before I left home he got a puppy to replace me. As if one could. I found out last week that this dog is still alive and living with my other cousin F and doing fabulous! We are a hearty stock. B left Hawaii as well to live in his wife's home state up east. Most of us drifted away...it has been 12 years.

Many good things came out of going home for my grandmother's funeral...we celebrated her life and for the first time since I moved away all of us grand kids got together again to reconnect. We came from Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Idaho, California, Kauai, and the Big Island and this is exactly what she would have wanted. The night of the funeral we toasted to her and got old time drunk and spent the evening saying "remember when...". Man, I'm exhausted and need to get used to the time difference. Beer and I will be taking a brief vacation from one another for a while but I have no doubt we will see each other again in the very near future.

K

It's 12:20 a.m. Thursday morning and I can't sleep because I have so much shit in my head. I feel like I have been on fast forward for the second week in a row and I can't seem to stop and be still for a moment. I just returned from Hawaii on Sunday and I am leaving again for Hawaii on Friday...tomorrow. Damn, my brain is fried. I have so much to get done at work before I go and I feel guilty when my husband calls me at night to ask me when I am coming home. I go to work and it's dark and I come home and it's dark and I can't even remember if I'm coming or going. I had 5 cups of coffee this morning and I'm operating on 4 hours of sleep a night. I know I am going to come crashing down but I'm hoping it won't be until the plane ride.

I dread this trip more than anything because I hate funerals, who doesn't? I just got done writing out the eulogy and now feel drained. I just want my life back to normal, is that selfish? I feel like it is. I spent all of last week sad and watched people around me suffer so this week I have not wanted to pause and think about all that. But tonight I got in to bed and pulled up the blanket that she made me and burst in to tears. So I come here to e-mail myself a to do list for work tomorrow so I won't think about it. So far, distraction not working.

K