last saturday

Posting some pics from my fun time with Karen last Saturday.  We started off with the "Made in Hawaii Festival" at NBC.  We got there around 10:00 when it opened and stayed until almost 2.  Exhausting but fun to go with someone who enjoys it as much as I do.  Got Darrell a Sig Zane aloha shirt and an Aloha Festivals t-shirt.  I had hoped to find a Sig dress in green to wear to song contest and/or graduation this year (Ryan's class of 2011's color is green), but no luck.  But Darrell's shirt is green!  So nice to see Sig again (I had met him and his family during our 'ohe kapala class at Outrigger Waikiki); he is such a talented and nice man.

I also got to see the "Iron Chef" Morimoto in person getting ready for this cooking demonstration.  I was wondering why there were so many people lined up to go in when I saw the sign that he was going to be there at 2.  Then I noticed that he was on the stage with his crew prepping for the show.  I tried to get a photo but it was so faraway.  Plus the man kept teasing us by hiding behind his staff people.  What a character.

After 4 hours of shopping (and increasingly more people, so that it was hard to walk especially in the food sections where they gave out samples!), we went to Ala Moana to finally have lunch.  We went to The Pineapple Room at Macy's and had the "Maui Cattle Company Meatloaf," with Italian and Portugese sausage, creamy garlic mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy.  I've tried other things there, but the meatloaf is definitely my favorite.  I don't remember having it with the sausage inside, but it was a great addition.

Being with Karen for a few hours was such a nice getaway from all the stress of the past few weeks.  We can just talk about anything and I wish she lived closer.  Can't believe we've been best friends for over 30 years.  So looking forward to seeing them again in December (cross my fingers!).