Thanks.

= =

So I was taking my morning constitutional down Waikiki, and
it was pretty temperate out, so I got it into my head to
walk to Diamond Head (not UP Diamond Head, just to it, as I
am not only a gimp but an old gimp). It's longer than the
map seems to indicate. I did a Mapquest and discovered after
the fact that it's 3 1/2 miles each way from the hotel. No
wonder I had to make a rest stop on the way back.

Diamond Head is gorgeous, as is the view out to the ocean.
I stopped as well at a couple of parks along the way, both
quite secluded though surrounded by houses and cars, with
lovely views out across the water. I recommend this,
especially if you have a car. I was passed, though, by an
assortment of pedestrians, joggers, Segwayists, bicyclists,
motorcyclists, scootists, as well as motorists.

On the way back I stopped at Teddy's, mindful of my previous
disappointment in the burger department. And having walked
5 miles in the gathering heat, I decided to splurge and have
a monster double 7, which, when it came, went down like
water. From the bottom up: a greasy sweet roll; two burger
patties, medium; two slices of tomato; a handful of onion
ringlets; a curly-leaf lettuce leaf; a large squirt of
thin yellow sauce that tasted vaguely mustardy, vaguely
sweet, vaguely fruity; the sweet roll top. The meat was
juicy and a bit greasy, with the result that in conjunction
with the sauce, the liquids made the bottom roll fall apart
approximately immediately. The taste was good; honest meat,
just a touch I think of starchy filler. The sauce did no
harm. Interestingly, 14 oz of beef plus assorted carbs
didn't fill me up, so I went to an ABC down the way and
bought a six of Hinano, drinking down two immediately;
Teddy's does not serve alcohol, though there is a bar
directly above. I paid cash so as to get change for an
anticipated series of bus trips. tednugent (NR) subsequently
pointed to me that Teddy's is an iDine place. I pointed out
to him that Indigo is an iDine place, see below.

Walked around Waikiki a bit longer, then back to the hotel,
where I discovered that my game leg had swollen up, the
ankle about 50% bigger than it should have been.

Hinano, as it turns out, is made in Pape'ete from an old
German recipe - it's relatively hoppy but otherwise a clean
and neutral beer, very quenching.
===
Thought about walking to the meeting place, but Mapquest
said that it was 2.9 miles, and my leg was fat and hurting.
Off to the bus stop. Just missed the 19, and it was 20 min
before the 20 came. Watched the girls go by, there goes one
now ... SRO on the 20, except for one seat, which I took.
Mistake, as the guy next to me was not only malodorous but
also was later discovered to be exuding bodily fluids.
tednugent(no relation) and I had talked about the intrinsic
good sense and good citizenship of using public trans, but
this experience made me sort of think and think again.

As it was rush hour, the 2.9 miles took half an hour. When I
arrived at the Indigo bar, after having missed my stop (the
theBus.org map says there's a stop at Nuuanu, but the real
stop is at Smith, and as has happened several times in the
past, I didn't figure this out until the bus took the turn
away from Chinatown), ripper3785 and his lovely bride were
half through their martinis. I greeted them and immediately
excused myself to the lav to try to wash off some of those
bodily fluids that had been foisted on me. That achieved,
the next order of the day was to pound down a couple Red
Stripes, the beer special. I don't do fancy martinis, for
which Indigo is well known. P.S. At this writing, I find
that some of said fluids had slopped onto my pants, which
are now resident in the trash. It's late in the season to
be wearing white chinos anyhow.

Ted joined us for a round. Amy, a quick and enthusiastic
learner, glommed the bill and paid with a mileage credit
card, which got her a double dip on miles; if someone had
made a reservation, maybe we could have achieved a triple
dip, as Indigo is an OpenTable restaurant as well.

Then it was a four or five block adventure through a seedier
part of Beretania to Legend Seafood Restaurant, which has
apparently seen FT gatherings in the past.