So how'd it go?

You all are probably having fun in the sun right now down at Magic Island, sigh. Currently, NYC is rainy, dreary and cold. Let me know how the Hawai`i Stories picnic went: who showed up and most importantly, what was there to EAT?!

Comments

Well, since Ryan and Jen just dropped me off en route to Kaimuki High (for the Jake Shimabukuro concert) and Link and Lisa are probably on the road at this time, I'm probably the first person who can post about what just happened.

Without giving much away (I'm waiting until everyone else), I'll just boil it down to a few simple details:

• First up: Cheyne, where art thou? When I got there at 1:30 we spent ten minutes looking for you and we must've seen at least three different Filipino guys whom we almost flagged down... If you got lost or anything, let us know, but we were on Magic Island under a blue tarp (yeah, there were a lot of them, but I was able to find it) and a green vinyl "HawaiiStories.com" sign facing the parking lot, and we missed you!
• That said, Katie was there to greet everyone with a smile and a hug - sweet! She basically came running up to each and every person who showed up.
• I wasn't there yet when it happened (damn, why did I have to run back to Longs Ala Moana for that fricking lithium battery???) but there was a fire boat and a rescue helicopter... um, I think I'll just leave that story to Ryan and Link, since they saw it happening from the very start.
• Lunch was: spinach dip with chips (me), KFC (Link), rice (Ryan), nori sheets, and Oreos (Lisa).
• Apart from a few sprinkles and clouds coming down from the valley, it was such a nice sunny day out that we should've brought a Frisbee - lots of other folks out on the beach barbecuing, too.
• We also took pictures. (Will post those later)
• And, yes, we're DEFINITELY thinking about doing this again! :)

More details as soon as the rest of us are online. ;)

It was a beautiful day, and the company was second to none.

Yes, the live entertainment was great -- a Coast Guard helicopter rescue and a fireboat firing off its water canons, for starters. And Katie's antics were amusing as well. But just ... well, plain talkstory was the real draw. It was great. We processed probably five, six blogs' worth of interesting facts in three hours!

Special cheers to Vince, who stepped in to help me figure out that funky tent, and to Lisa who used her quilting skills to help fold it down afterward.

Mega thanks and "hana hou!" to everyone who came, and an even stronger invitation to those who couldn't make it — you've got to come next time. We already know that, for instance, a frisbee and haupia will definitely be in our inventory!

I got a few photos online (I only had my small memory card!) — click this one to browse through the rest!

Thanks for the pix, Ryan! I'm trying to get mine developed tomorrow (and scanned on Monday) so I can put them up soon. :)

Frisbee, haupia, and even my mom's fried banana lumpia - after the old Filipino guy came up to us with a box of bright yellow cooking bananas, I thought that it'll be high time for me to invest in a wok for these.

*warm fuzzies*

Very nice pix, Ryan!

I had a great "picture" of the fireboat spraying from either side, but regrettably my memory of film in the camera was faulty! Airhead supreme, that's me. Oh well, I have half-a-roll taken and will get the rest done and developed soon.

For those of you who missed it, Ryan was passing out souvenirs of his trip to KL: gen-yoo-wine Malaysian currency! And Miss Katie is a treat; she has the "everyone's my friend" view of life.

Lotsa fun was had by all!

Next one, promise (uh..unless I go into labor). Sorry, but it seemed that an opportunity to see Star Wars arose and the dark side won. Personally, I liked it.

Sounds like it was fun so start planning the next!

I had so much fun I fell asleep right after I got home!

No offense guys, but I think Katie was the highlight- I had no idea small children were so entertaining! :) She was even more adorable than I'd expected.

Of course, it was great talking story in the shade on a nice day with a terrific view and good company. Truly one of the best Saturday afternoons I've had.

Mahalo for Ryan for organizing things, the great tent, and bringing his sweet family; Link for the chicken (I personally would have starved otherwise, I think); Stella for the dip; and everyone for the conversation. V and I are definitely going next time!

Hey, folks. Nice to see it went well. I would've tried to stop by (thus, surprising you all) but my body's in the middle of a post-final crashdown. I really hope to make the next one. Um, will this become a monthly thing? :)

Lisa, Katie was a big fan of yours, too! (Remember, she is available for short- and long-term rental!) And yes, hurray for KFC.

There's no question we hope to hui again, and again!

Honukai, you're due in September, right? I think most of June will be too soon after my son is born, so how does July 13 sound to everyone?

Hopefully that'll allow enough time to mark off calendars and also, perhaps, plan a decidedly "local kine" menu?

June's a chaotic month for me (here's my chance to shamelessly plug the Filipino Fiesta - June 15, y'all!) so anytime after that sounds much better.

Okay, besides the banana lumpia, any ideas for menu items? (I mean, just as long as it hasn't been featured on Fear Factor, we're good...)

What no balut or nato? :-)

I really, really want to go!! However, given the size of our brood and it's the weekend right after my folks, the potential victims babysitters, return from their yearly trek to Lost Wages, I kinda doubt that we'll be able to work out the logistics. Still, a lot can happen between now and then. I'm crossing my fingers!

Balut!? Yuck, Ali! *sigh* Times like this I sure do miss living in Hawaii...I would've loved to have come along and talked story with you all. I got all nostalgic for island life after reading this thread earlier, and when I blogged about ghost stories just a little while ago, I included a chicken skin story about a heiau I had to drive past each night. :) Now, someone please pass me some malasadas, please?

Here's some malasadas for you, Jen. Tex Drive In is our Big Island equivalent of O'ahu's Leonard's.

whoa, you even had a banner with your dotcom on it!

sounds like it was great fun.

In case anyone wonders "Who dat," kd is the proprietor and gracious hostess of Surreally, which was kinda/sorta a model for this collab.

Cheyne where art thou, indeed. Link wa 404 desu.

I re-clicked on the link, and it's working again.

I apologize for being a no-show that day. Was under the weather with the rest of the family and decided it was best that we didn't go. Didn't want to spread the germs around. If there there is another get together, I'm sure we'll be able to make it.

Bumping this topic up to ask a simple question:

Are we still on for July 13th?

I just had to ask because it's almost a week away - and, well, if there are any conflicts or concerns, maybe now's a good time to open it up.

Just a thought. :)

hey guys

omg! I just saw this post only now (like 6 months after we were supposed to meet). Funny story: I chickened out. Sorry for not calling you Ryan :-/

but, sign up for the blogger meeting at downtown starbucks and I'll be there definitely:

http://meetup.blogspot.com

Um. I guess we missed the 13th.

And, sorry Cheyne, the local blogger Meetup got canned (there were only three people joined!).

Seems we're overdue to hui. Need time to pimp, though. Hmm. August 11? New thread time?

Oh yes a new thread would be helpful, since I guess it's a new gathering = new topic?

This time I'll be sure to make it.

Post a Comment