new year, new life

i've vowed to make this year, the best i've ever had to accomplish more than i've ever accomplished. i've got great plans for myself this year, and i'm really hoping to stick to my guns. i want to be more of a committed person in everything i do this year, which will, hopefully, help me grow in the long run.

2010 has taught me that i get bored easily and i run through projects (and everything else) quickly. 2010 has also taught me that you will reap the rewards if you stick with a project and see them through.

2011 has already started off GREAT! although i had to work at a c&k concert on new year's eve at the hilton hawaiian village, they treated us to 2-night stays at the resort new year's weekend. it was probably the most relaxing new year's weekend that i've ever had...i normally spend the holiday at home helping my parents cook and prepare for a big family party at our house in kona. although i missed all the great family (and food!), it was a nice change of pace and a great way to start the new year.

i've also decided that i will keep up with this blog. i've befriended so many great people that live across the pacific ocean, and this is a great way to keep them updated with all the happenings here on the rock in the middle of the sea.

i've also decided that i'm going to re-attempt the completion of project 365, which i started last year, but made it to only about 2 months into the new year. this is important to me and i'm staying committed!

so buckle up, get ready, get set and here we goooooo....it's gonna be one hell of a ride...


day 1 - 1/1/11

since we didn't have to check out of hilton hawaiian until sunday, 1/2, we invited jon, tu, and ethan and jaimie over to swim at the pool. the weather cleared up for just enough time to jump in the pool.

day 2 - 1/2/11

kevin and i were pooped from the weekend, so we decided to call it a very early night. we watched the new blueray disc, Salt, and ate saimin and vienna sausage for dinner. :)

day 3 - 1/3/11

uncle tracy brought keiana and skye over for dinner and they decided to try out kara's new gift - a door-hanging basketball game. I think they only put the balls down to eat dinner!

Introducing Project 365

One of my good friends introduced me to an awesome way to chronicle my life in pictures and improve my photography skills. I'm hoping this is something I'll keep up with for the entire year, which is why I've made it my New Year's Resolution. So here begins my year...

Day 1 - January 1, 2010

Family tradition is to put out mochi and tangerine for all the cars, the house and boat for New Year's. It brings good luck for the coming year.

Day 2 - January 2, 2010

Kevin, Jody and I made the trek to Hilo for the day. We met up with our good friends for lunch and stopped by Big Island Candies, Big Island Surf and of course...Two Ladies Kitchen for some yummy strawberry mochi.

Day 3 - January 3, 2010

It was a tiring couple days preparing/cleaning up for our New Year's Day party. Guess it wiped Kevin (and Abunai) out! On our way to the Kona Airport...

Day 4 - January 4, 2010

Back on Oahu, preparing for our trip to California on Thursday, January 7. Being that I travel so much for work (and am constantly making lists of what I need to pack), I thought this packing list was the perfect thing to have! I'm glad I'm getting to use it right at the beginning of the year!

the rook

Fishing has always been a favorite pastime in my family, so it was important to me to take Kevin. It was a good bonding experience for Kevin and my family, and I'm so glad that he enjoyed it.

I had a gig on Saturday, May 30th in Kona until 7:30pm, so we rushed Lopaka to the airport and met my parents at Honokahau Harbor right after that. My grandpa, Uncle Guy and Uncle Duane had already been at the spot since 5:00pm that day. It was a loooooong 2-mile walk from the harbor, along the coastline, but well worth it! As soon as we arrived, we prepared our poles and started catching from the get go! I even caught an alahi on a hand pole with a piece of chicken from our bento (Dad forgot to pack some bait for the handpoles)! After that, the rest is history! We brought back almost a whole cooler of those little red suckers!

my year in a nutshell

It's been almost exactly a year since my last blog post. So many things have happened since then, and I can hardly believe that it's only been a year! Here's an update on my year in a nutshell...

Turned 28 and had the best birthday ever...Met my future husband...Caught a Mako shark...Produced my first MAJOR concert at the Waikiki Shell, sold it out, and SURVIVED!..Got my car banged TWICE while it was parked...Coordinated a one-month straight tour in Denver, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Coos Bay, Bend, Las Vegas, Tacoma, Cerritos, Hungtington Beach, San Juan Capistrano, Agoura Hills, San Diego and Guam...Became a Maid of Honor...Started enjoying the IMPOSSIBLE game of golf...Saw a cousin get married...Fixed 6 cavities and had a root canal...Cooked my first Thanksgiving Butteryaki dinner...Produced my first C&K concert in Kona...Went to Vegas for the BJ Penn-GSP fight...Became a girlfriend...Dyed my hair red...Saw Boyz II Men in concert...Threw a 30th Birthday party...

And that's about it. I'm looking forward to keeping up with this blog (as I've said a million times before). But as I get older, I'm realizing the importance of documenting life. Being able to read about past experiences and re-live those moments are becoming more and more important to me. I've got another busy few months coming up, and I definitely want to keep writing about those experiences too. This year I'll be traveling to Japan twice, throwing 3 concerts at the Hawaii Theatre and coordinating a Golf Tournament. Work is definitely keeping me busy, but I feel blessed to be so busy in this shaky economy. Until next time...

Keep Dancing!

it's that time of year again...

This past weekend, Kara and I went back to Kona to spend time with the family for Father's Day. My dad and uncle were in a fishing tournament and needed anglers, so we decided to go with them. I went on Saturday and Casey and Kara went on Sunday. This fishing trip was the first of the fishing season for my dad guys and it was a great weekend for all of us!

Around 7:30am on Saturday morning, I caught a 199.5 lb. blue marlin and about 3 hours later, boated a 243.5 lb. blue marlin.


On Sunday morning, Kara called home at around 8:30am and told us they had boated a marlin, approximately 500 lbs. Her black marlin weighed in officially at 532.5 lbs.

We ended up winning two most prestigious prizes of the tournament...Largest Fish (which is considered the grand prize) and Total Weight Marlin. We had the 3 biggest fish of the tournament, with the next one weighing in at 192 lbs...Though I must mention, that's a big ass ahi!

I know it sounds like I'm tooting my own horn, but after being bolohead for 9 years, I've paid my dues and deserve a little bragging rights! ;)

Keep dancing!

time flies when you're having fun...

I can't believe how fast this year is going by. It seems like just yesterday when I posted the blog about attending the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Here's an update so far...

We're not as busy as we were last year with corporate incentive gigs. That means hardly any travel to the outer islands, and a lot less free trips home to visit. It's almost a blessing in disguise for me...I've learned so much more with the company this year. My boss has really pushed me to learn the marketing and PR side of the company. I can't say I like it a whole lot, but I can say that it'll be good to have under my belt.

This year marks Cecilio & Kapono's 35th Anniversary. We're producing a HUGE show at the Waikiki Shell this year in honor of it. It'll be on Saturday, August 23rd and it's going to be a trip down memory lane. Opening bands include Kalapana and Summer and guest appearances by a whole crapload of celebrities! We're calling it C&K 35 Back in the Day and we're focusing on taking everyone back in time...It'll truly be a Who's Who in Hawaii entertainment, so be sure to check out our website (www.henrykapono.com) for more information.

In addition to the big Oahu show, we're planning our neighbor island and mainland tour. So far, we've got these cities confirmed:

Denver, CO
Lake Tahoe, NV
Coos Bay, OR
San Francisco, CA
Tacoma, WA
Cerritos, CA
Huntington Beach, CA
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Agoura Hills, CA
San Diego, CA
Las Vegas, NV

So any of you who live in or near those cities, be sure to let me know! I'd love to meet up with old friends!

Aside from being busy with work, I've been concentrating on making myself a better person. I've been spending time with some really good friends...Of course, that involved a whole lotta alcohol, but it's ALWAYS good times with them. I'm so grateful to have such a solid support system surrounding me. I've also been trying to take care of myself physically...Eating healthier and going to the gym has made me feel so much better about myself...And shoppings always fun now! :)

I'll be going home this weekend to Kona to celebrate Father's Day with my family. I'm so excited to see them (and Abunai), as I haven't been back to Kona since January! I'll be getting some much-needed R&R at home...As well as some yummy mommy-cooked meals!

Keep dancing!

Aloha, Aloha.

It's a sad day for the entire state of Hawaii. My dad has been an Aloha Airlines aircraft mechanic for 23 years and my Grandma was the first woman ticket agent in the history of the company. Aloha has been nothing but good to my family, and I'm so sad to see it come to an end. My heart goes out to all the employees and their families.

The last few days I found myself praying for a miracle, but it never came. I'll definitely miss everything about the airline. I travel a TON for work, and I've never quite felt that friendly vibe with any other airline. This year would have been the first year that our company, Kapono Inc., would have flown Aloha Airlines exclusively because we were so happy with everything the airline had to offer.

It's hard not be upset, but I'm trying to see the positive in everything. I wish the best of luck to all the employees...You all will excel wherever life leads you next.

Keep Dancing.