Kung Hee Fat Choy

"Kung Hee Fat Choy" - that's Happy New Year in Chinese. 2009 is the year of the Ox and it's being brought in resoundingly here in Honolulu. Sadly, I am going to miss the rest of the festivities. I'm boarding the first of two flights that will get me to Chicagoland later tonight in just a few minutes.

I'm bummed because it's going to be a plethora of Chinese and Vietnamese food on display for the tasting in the markets and various celebrations. Street market food is awesome and seems to be particularly good during a time of celebration.

Instead, I am in the Red Carpet Club at the Honolulu Airport. Note to United - tan and cream colored chairs show every speck of dirt and filth and by the looks of things here, your chairs haven't seen a cleaning in, umm...forever. I don't want to sit in most of the chairs without a HazMat suit on. Seriously.

This has been a good trip, but that being said, would have been all the better had the stunningly patient SML been able to accompany me. Maybe I need to rethink my aversion to taking vacation time at the beginning of the calendar year. I've never liked doing that, but I'm starting to think it's not such a bad idea.