I just found out from Mikey’s site that iTunes was for both Windows and Mac, so I decided to download it. It is pretty awesome. I really like the Apple iTunes store better than the Dell/MusicMatch version. And there is a nice Anime/Jpop radio station preset on it as well. I listened to some Moritaka Chisato, Mr. Children, and now some soundtrack music from Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away). The cd ripper is pretty good too. I definitely recommend iTunes!

We had a blast in Hawaii! I will write more later, and upload some pics. We ate a ton of good food, including Pokechos, which are a combination of Nachos and Poke. More later…

Sunrise.

I woke up before sunrise again (jetlag) so I got to see the beautiful clouds above the beach. It was so nice.

Cheeseburger in Paradise.

For breakfast, we decided to go to Lahaina to a place called “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. Mariko ordered and omelette, my Mom got the eggs benedict, and I of course had to get their signature dish, the cheesburger. The cheeseburger was pretty darned good!

Brushing teeth from the balcony.

We stayed at Ka’anapali Shores, which was great. The livingroom was huge, and there was a nice kitchen with all the appliances, plus a washer and dryer. It was very convenient. Our room was on the 7th floor, and we had a nice view of the courtyard and the beach.

Here is the start of my account of our Hawai’i trip. I am just going to put each entry in the correct date, instead of making a huge story. Look for more photos to be updated as I go along.

We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Going through security was quick and easy which was a relief. Since we had some free time, we decided to have some lunch at the Salt Lick BBQ place. We got a BBQ brisket sandwich and it was really good. It’s pretty cool that Austin-Bergstrom uses local establishments for their restaurants. I saw a Matt’s El Rancho and an Amy’s Ice Cream there as well.

I bought the Simcity Rush Hour expansion a couple weeks ago ($10-$10 rebate = FREE!) and loaded it on the computer the other night. It is very cool! You have several new options for creating your transportation network, including raised highways, monorails, and elevated railways. Plus, you now have the choice to play Easy, Normal, or Hard difficulty levels. I chose easy. I don’t want to deal with budgeting and money. In fact on the old game, I just used the cheat code to give myself tons of money. I just want to build cool cities and have all the neat landmarks. I just started a new region last night. I have no idea what it is going to look like, but it’s fun just letting the city grow without too much of a plan.

I totally love packing my suitcase and backpack for vacations. I usually end up packing too much clothes, so I am going to try to cut back this time. Since Mariko won’t be scuba diving this time, we only need my gear, which will save a lot of space and weight. This time we are taking the laptop so we can have access to dvd’s on the trip. That bugger is heavy!

Then there is always the dilemma of what camera equipment to bring. I have my choice of manual slr, auto slr, cheap rangefinder, nice point n shoot, underwater (30′), digital slr, digital point n shoot, and mini-dv cam. I think I will take three: the digital slr, underwater, and mini-dv. My mini-dv always seems to get neglected though…

My friend Beth bought a Honda Element yesterday, and we got to see it today. It’s awesome! There is so much space in there, and you can fold all the seats flat to make a big bed. Or, you can fold the back seats up and flip them up to the side so you can put boxes or bikes inside all the way up to the front seats. Or, you can take out the back seats completely. The design is really utilitarian and clean, with lots of pockets and storage compartments. If we were in the market for a car, we would definitely consider the Element.

In a few days I will be scuba diving Maui! I am actually planning on diving the crater at Molokini, which is a short boat ride from Maui. I can’t wait to get under the water and see all the critters. Apparently the visibility is 100-120′ there. It’s going to be awesome!

[Picture via Lahaina Divers>

This morning we went for coffee and breakfast at Flipnotics, a place on Barton Springs. The coffee was good, the breakfast tacos were just ok. But it was good weather to be outdoors, and having coffee on the patio was relaxing. After that, we went to the Faulk Library and picked up some Hawaii books for our upcoming vacation. Then, it was off to Asahi Market for some Japanese treats! Bay got some Thomas gum and Anpanman cookies. We got some new kinds of Pocky too. It’s funny, but we also received a package in the mail from Bay’s grandma and auntie in Japan with the same box of Pocky! What a coincidence. After that it was a quick stop at Hong Kong Market to buy a big piece of pork for carnitas. Our shopping continued at the brand new Super Target just north of Parmer. That place is great, with a market, Pizza Hut and Starbucks. The market even had Pickapeppa, so I bought a bottle. Now we are home and relaxing. The pork will simmer for another hour, then it goes into the oven for another hour. I can’t wait, it is smelling so good!