America, パート２

Monday, November 19 (Hawaiian Time)
Our plane landed in Honolulu at around 9:00 am, following a yummy continental breakfast of sugar-glazed croissants and coffee. Chris’s mother and sister met us at the airport and chauffeured us directly to Jamba Juice for our first taste of home in over a year.

With large smoothies in our hands, we visited Iolani School, the educational institution of which Chris and I are graduates and at which both our mothers work. Mom received a daughterly surprise as I appeared at her classroom door mid-pre-algebra lesson.

For lunch, Chris and I went to Ala Moana Shopping Center, where his sister Jess treated us to lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. Between the three of us, we ate the Shrimp Scampi pizza, the Thai Chicken pizza, a Chinese chicken salad, and my favorite, the spinach artichoke dip. CPK, like Jamba Juice, was once a regular part of my diet, a meal during my work breaks. I was disappointed to learn that my Rosemary Chicken Potato pizza, with thick slices of roasted Yukon gold potatoes, was off the menu.

After visiting Chris’s grandma—who didn’t know he would be home and cried in shock—Jess dropped me off at home, where I immediately fell asleep. I’ve missed the luxury of a soft mattress.

Mom eventually woke me for dinner at Tony Roma’s in Waikiki with Dad, Scott, Grandpa, and Grandma. I ate a half rack of baby back ribs, a side of garlic green beans, and a baked potato with all the fixings. Baked potatoes are one of the world’s greatest creations, and with a large helping of sour cream, a rarity in Japan, I enjoyed my side more than the main dish.

If I ate like this every day, I'd be fat and happy.