[dan ze'l-ik-man] » Kim

Bikes In Kailua

Dan Zelikman — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 09:26:23 +0000

There is something pure and enjoyable about riding a bike.

You learn to appreciate it as a kid – but as soon as you own a set of car keys that appreciation gets lost. Lately, Kim and I have been trying to get it back.

Today we drove the Jeep to Kailua, a quaint beach town on the eastern shore of Oahu. Kailua offers (among other things) world-renowned breakfasts, beaches, ocean-kayaking and a bike-friendly atmosphere. For those of you living in Honolulu or Waikiki, you can understand why we took the trip to enjoy a day of riding bikes.

It was a simple day really – we rode around the town and admired different homes. We talked about owning one someday – from the over-the-top mansions to the fixer-upper. We stopped at a couple of beaches and snapped a few photos.

At the end, we topped off a relaxing day of bike riding with a feast fit for a King. Buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks and potato skins – accompanied by a couple of pints of course.

I couldn’t have asked for a better Sunday.

Thankful For Ohana – Thanksgiving 2010

Dan Zelikman — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 22:58:45 +0000

Autumn colors are a little tough to find in Hawaii – but they’re around if you look hard enough. This Thanksgiving we celebrated our second “orphan’s dinner,” a collection of all our friends and ohana who have families on different islands or on the mainland. Somehow when you get us all together, the feel of a family isn’t too far behind. We even had two cute twins and a puppy running around.

This year I’m thankful for all the amazing people in my life – here, there and everywhere… Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Happy Turkey Day, courtesy of Captain Jack!

Kimmy waiting for our Thanksgiving guests…

She eagerly welcomes an unexpected one!

Ed working in his office.

Ed’s “desk.”

Jack’s turkey…

Ed’s cooking has lead to some… “side effects.”

Cutting the turkey…

Our two cutest guests anticipate some turkey…

Our host green-lights our feast…

Here’s to good friends…

A scramble to the turkey line…

Not the best photo-op (when Kimmy’s hungry).

The spread…

More spread…

A little post-turkey slumber party – minus the pillow fight.

Stay Puft & Beaker’s Halloween in Waikiki

Dan Zelikman — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 08:48:35 +0000

So what happens when you take two home made, well known characters into the most crowded Halloween party in Hawaii? Photo-ops. Lots and lots of photo-ops! My final post on my Halloween extravaganza wraps up in Waikiki – although it could have been Times Square!

We clearly didn’t think this through.

I suppose it must have felt like what a Disney attraction character goes through. Lots of photos. Lots of sweating. And a false sense of popularity. But I gotta admit – it was also really fun. For the last time, Happy Halloween!

In case you missed it, here are the other Halloween posts from 2010:

Strike a pose.

“Not my gum drop buttons!”

Beaker’s distant relatives.

Princess rocking her escorts.

And Beaker rocking his…

Beaker knows how to bring all the girls to the yard…

Stay Puft Goes to Hallowbaloo – Halloween 2010

Dan Zelikman — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 08:40:25 +0000

You can’t make a s’more without melting some marshmallows – but don’t ever let Stay Puft hear you say that!

This Halloween, Kim and I re-lived one of my favorite films of all time, “Ghostbusters”. She went as a lady-Ghosbuster and I rocked one of the hippest monsters to ever terrorize New York – Mr. Stay Puft.

After a considerable number of hours of internet research, Walmart shopping, more internet research, cutting, taping and other various arts and crafts, we were ready to go. Our first stop, the annual block party Halloween festival in downtown Chinatown, the Hallowbaloo. Checkout the ‘madness’ from last year’s Hallowbaloo here.

Who you gonna’ call?

The ladies.

The Geek and the Hatter.

The boys.

Madness.

Midnight junk-food run – take your pick!

This guy was intense. I may or may not have pulled my back on this move.

More photos from the Hallowbaloo.

Pumpkins – Halloween 2010

Dan Zelikman — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:23:03 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I freaking love Halloween! This year’s was pretty jam packed, so here it goes.

We kicked off the Halloween early by attending the opening night of the Polynesian Cultural Center’s Haunted Lagoon. Basically it’s a terrifying lagoon ride through a dark and creepy jungle in the middle of the night. Scary things jump out to scare you and a woman dressed in white walks on water and then crawls into your canoe until you pee. You can check out the link above for more on that craziness.

Then, it was time for our traditional pumpkin carving carve-off! I just named it that and I’m not sure why. It’s a terrible name.
Prep is never any fun for me. I make a mess, my hands smell funny and Kim ends up cleaning out the pumpkins after me because I do such a crappy job.

You have take this stuff seriously if you want to have a good result. I know I did.

Kim’s was the cat (I say tiger) on the left and mine was the self portrait on the right.

Creepy night-light action.

Kim is doing some kind of magic trick here. We never did find that damn bunny.

Insert music, “One of these things is not like the other…”

“Bring me a diamond in the rough!” If you can name what movie that’s from (without Googling c’mon now) drop it in the comments below and I’ll send you a prize. Maybe.

Kaua’i – The Kalalau Trail

Dan Zelikman — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:04:57 +0000

In three simple words, Kaua’i is breathtaking. Kim and I agreed that it was one of our favorite places we’ve ever visited together and we hope to make another visit back soon. One of the elements we fell in love with immediately was the famed Kalalau Trail. As far as hiking experiences go, it had a little of everything. Endless coastal views that only get better the further you go, lush and unique plant life, private beaches, vast waterfalls, and friendly passerby’s who give you a smile and a nod as they go. We were even able to witness an authentic rain forest downpour after a storm pummeled us for over two hours! In some strange fashion, we loved it!

We were only able to hike four miles in, but we enjoyed every second of it. Thank you for checking out the video, I hope it gives you some incentive to visit the amazing island of Kaua’i.

A Challenging Olomana Hike – Peak 2 of 3

Dan Zelikman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:55:46 +0000

Continued from the post, Peak One.

After some much needed rest, a bag of stinky beef jerky (stinky is a good thing), some trail mix and ice water, we decided to press on to tackle the second peak. We were beginning to get tired and a little hot, but the thought of turning back after one peak was too unsettling. Especially for our fearless leader David Chat, who had already reached the second peak on a previous ascent and was excited at the thought of a conquest of all three. I was excited at the idea of the conquest of more jerky.

Getting tired… but still climbing.

Lush ya’ll… lush.

Monkey business on the summit of the second peak.

Second peak done. We were only standing upright for the pic.

A view of the “butt-kicker.” Stay tuned for Peak Three…

Hangin’ at the Hallowbaloo – Honolulu Halloween 2009

Dan Zelikman — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:33:42 +0000

To be dressed like us, “…you’d have to be as mad as a hatter!”

Although Halloween 08′ in Waikiki had its fun and jokes, The Halloween Hallowballoo in Chinatown of 09′ was surely an upgrade. The enormous costume party played host to our treats and trickery (you see what I did there) throughout the night! It was a fantastic array of costumed crazy’s walking out and about the Chinatown streets. The Hallowballoo consisted of seven blocked off streets filled with drink and food vendors supplying the ammo for our festivities. It was fun filled to say the least, as Alice and I spent the night exploring the streets and the seven bars that sponsored the event. We were able to document some of our time spent in “Wonderland,” with the photos below, but as we all know, “What happens in Wonderland, stays in Wonderland.” For the full array of the the 2009 Halloween pictures, click here.

The naked guy from “The Hangover” and “The Hoff” stopped by to party.

“The Hangover”

KISS rocking out.

Hmm… apparently there were more “mad” folks than I thought…

People are strange… when you’re a stranger.

Alice looking sneaky while holding the FroYo’s spoon.

A Challenging Olomana Hike – Peak 1 of 3

Dan Zelikman — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:51:48 +0000

I’ve taken on hikes all around this planet. From covering the majority of the Adirondacks in New York to some of the scarier paths that dive into the pits of the Grand Canyon. Throw in the Blue Mountains of Australia, the Appalachaian Trail of the East Coast, and some trails off the beaten path in Scandinavia, and you would say I have a decent resume of hiking trials. Hawaii… that’s its own story altogether.

Hawaii has what seems to be an endless selection of hikes and trails that span from coastal views to plush rain forest. I’ve been doing my best to tackle them one by one (whenever the ocean is flat anyway) but I feel like I would have to live here for 30 years to even make a dent. But after tackling the three peaks of Olomana, my body may have to rest for a while before I get back on track.

Along with extreme elevation changes, Olomana has a number of different environments that you experience. I dug it.

A view from the top of Peak One. Even though it took almost two hours to get here, we’re not even close to Three. Yikes.

This hike is SERIOUS business. Please, no monkey business.

The descent begins… tackling Peak Two of the mighty Olomana. Stay tuned…

A Meeting With the Drifter Himself

Dan Zelikman — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:28:23 +0000

With a laid back demeanor, a full head of wild hair, and the surfing abilities of someone who was indefinitely born to spend his days in the water, Rob Machado epitomizes the concept of a soul surfer. I was lucky enough to be the recipient of some free passes to the Hawaiian International Film Festival, (thanks Kim) to the premier of his new surf flick, “The Drifter.” The film is about Rob’s journey West, as he explores parts of Bali and Indonesia in the pursuit of perfect waves and an exit from the daily grind of being a celebrity athlete. The film showcases a personal side of Rob as well, sharing his insights on philosophy and lifestyle as well as his personal photography, art, and music.

The film awakens your travel bug instantly, and I found myself dreaming of a few destinations I’ve had on the brain for years. The film endures a combination of gorgeous backdrop, glassy empty sets, and the typical perfect complimentary soundtrack you can expect from a Taylor Steele movie.

Although I enjoyed the film a lot and recommend it to anyone who is a lover of surfing or travel, the film itself was not the highlight of my night. We were at a premier party with the type of spread you would expect, drinks, pupus, and few Lost cast members. You know, the uze! What I didn’t expect to see was the star of the film himself, Rob Machado, giving an interview a few feet away from me as I sipped on a beer. Naturally, I had to meet him.

Because of the intimate setting of the lounge, Kim and I were able to meet and chat with Rob briefly. His relaxed personality on film is fully transparent as he was extremely patient and engaging with us as we discussed traveling, surfing, and his movie, “The Drifter.” He later mentioned the difficult balance of taking on such a personal role with video cameras and a production crew surrounding him at all times. I think he pulled it off well. Then, I ruined the moment by awkwardly asking him for a photo. But Rob said yes anyway. Sweet.