The Last of April

Friday April 29th and Saturday April 30th.  The last Friday of every month here in Honolulu is Eat the Street, a gathering of food trucks.  There is something very right about eating from food trucks in Hawaii.  Shrimp trucks have been drawing crowds in beach towns for the last 17 years here.  Shrimp though, we did not have.  Our friend Joey met us at the rally.  I wanted to eat from Melt, but they were out of what I wanted.  The boys wanted mexican food, thus, we found out selves at Tacos Vicente.  They have out ranked Tacos Ricos as the best Mexican food on the island, despite the shortage of Hispanic employees in the truck.

1/7 of the trucks at the rally

Joe's post taco meal taco snack

Today we went to a used camera swap meet at Kapiolani Community College, which is also where the biggest farmers market on the island is.  Joe fell in love and is currently cuddling with his newest passion.  You should ask him about it, he would love to talk story to you.  (Oh, pidgin.)  We were also baby sitting today, which is really a misnomer, because very little sitting was done.  

This scale is not accurate

I really like her toy.  Is it a fox, rabbit, cat?  

Cemetery

After the child went back to her home, we walked down to our friendly neighborhood cemetery so that Joe could try out his new toy.  We didn't get to spend very long there though because, just like in every movie cemetery scene, it was raining.  

Easter Sunday

Sunday April 24th.

For Easter I made cupcakes

to take to a picnic with family

where we had the most delicious pineapple

at Kaka'ako Waterfront Park.

We blew bubbles

and laid in the grass watching the clouds.

We almost forgot to get shave ice, but remembered and went to Shimazu Store to get one to share (peach, watermelon with ginger ale).

Sandy Beach Sunday

Saturday April 16th and Sunday April 17th.  Yesterday was Record Store Day, somewhat of a holy day for Joe.  We went to Jelly's, a record/book/comic store with a couple of locations on Oahu.  We perused the music and books while a blues band played and an employee passed out chips and dip.  I picked up a like new copy of Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook for half off the cover price and was super excited about that.  I've been looking through it, and while most of Martha's advice is quite practical, she just doesn't quite understand that I live in a 650 square foot apartment on a tropical island and I don't have room for a rotary iron, nor do I have means for having my electrician instal lighting in my closet that is activated by the opening of the closet door.
We saw a band play a few weeks ago that I really enjoyed seeing, and they also happened to be playing yesterday.

Raised By Wolves

Determined not to be the first people in one hundred and fifty years who were thwarted from a day at the beach by the Civil War, Joe was gracious enough to bring his book with him and do some reading at the beach.

Joe deciphering the evolution of military tactics during the Civil War

We had a picnic

And I looked at crabs on the rocks while Joe read some more

This is Sandy Beach, where we spent our day

Orientation

We were in fact, not on a boat like this map might suggest, but on land.  From the beach if you look out you can see the island of Molokai, which is about thirty miles off shore.  We live where Joe's finger is pointing, unfortunately not as close to the beach as it might appear, but about a mile inland.  From our vantage point where we were standing we saw a giant sea turtle and some whales.  

After the beach we tried to go to Shimazu Store for shave ice but they were closed early.  In desperation we remembered Waiola Store just outside of Waikiki.  Waiola's shave ice is just different.  It's ground more finely, which is good.  The ice takes on a sorbet like consistency.  The flavors aren't great though.  They are bland an nondescript but have the after taste of those airbrushed sugar candies that you peel off of the long strips of paper.  This is still good shave ice though.  Also, note the white van the the background of the photo.  Someday soon I will tell you about the owner of it, one of the few people that we have met here.  

POG with cherry and raspberry with watermelon

Paper Pterodactyl

Thursday April 14th.  I've been making a whole lot of paper cranes lately, but I think that they look a little bit more like pterodactyls.  Now when we are sitting in our living room we have a view of the flock rather than the creepy light up alien head that the man across the way has on his balcony.

Expired Film

March and April.  Some photos taken in the country with very expired film.

North Shore Sunday Flora and Fauna

Sunday April 10th.  A weekend in photos.

I love these robots.  These robots love love.

We went to a Filipino place for dinner.  I try to be culturally sensitive, but really guys, you need to reevaluate your desert options.  

Joe was grossed out so he drew instead.

While we were in the North Shore this week we saw some neat plants.

We also saw some peacocks who were all dressed up with their best hats on.

And you know what, they are a little bit scary.  They are big, loud, and they have backwards knees.

And they can fly. 

But I had to get close enough to take a picture.

We went to see a waterfall.

Which Joe went for a swim in.

And on the way back to the car we saw a cow duck with stubby legs.

When we went to get pie we saw these dogs.

And of course we got shave ice.  Raspberry, watermelon with lime and raspberry, lilikoi, with watermelon.

Everyday around 6:15 the light turns golden.  This is a rainbow over a pineapple field.  

The Neighborhood At Night

Monday April 4th.  The view from our front door, with a little extra fun.

Never Made It To The North Shore

Tuesday March 29th - Sunday April 3rd.  I haven't written anything this week because I thought that nothing happened, but then I looked through the memory card on my camera and it seems like plenty did happen.  On Tuesday I went hiking...

...in the rain...

...with this kid

It was sunny when we started hiking, but as soon as we got to the waterfall the weather changed.  This is a very muddy and slippery trail when its wet, but we made it without incident.  The rain makes everything look so clean.  

Through my bedroom window

Cinnamon rolls

On Saturday I made cinnamon rolls, but I left them proof a little bit too long and they got huge.  No problem though, I just had to punch them down a little bit and then they were fine.  On Sunday Joe had to write a paper before we went to the beach so I tried my best to keep myself busy.  I cleaned the apartment, ate cinnamon rolls and watched a movie.  By the time afternoon came around it was clear that we weren't going to be making it to the beach, so, we jumped.

because we have a lot of energy

because we needed to fluff the feather bed

because one of us takes this very seriously

because the people who live below us didn't complain

because we ate too many cinnamon rolls

because we don't have a real bed yet

and because we have great white walls

But jumping takes a lot out of you

All of that jumping made us hot and because we weren't going to make it to the North Shore we went over to Shimazu Store for some frozen treats.    

Cherry, watermelon and mojito, raspberry, watermelon