Today is my birthday. I'm sitting in an internet cafe, just finished easting sushi at an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet (which I've decided is the best idea ever). Eariler today Beth and I drove around the North Shore and got lost along a back beachside road on the northwest corner of Oahu. On our way back to Waikiki we stopped at a roadside shrimp shack and ate the tastiest, freshest spicy shrimp ever.

We're currently staying with our friend, Jared, who lives and works in Waikiki and is letting us crash on the floor of his apartment. Yesterday we drove around and explored the island and then had dinner with some family I hadn't seen in 14 years. Then we hung out under one of Hawaii's amazingly beautiful enormous trees near the beach, apparently interrupting the social gathering of a community of birds. They ran us out after about 30 minutes by having a community-wide pooping contest all over Beth, Jared, and I. The birds won when they hit me with what appreared to be a sling-shot propelled golf ball sized wad of poop, provoking us to leave.

Tomorrow Beth and I leave Oahu to head to the big island for four or five days to do some more exploring and drink what some would argue is the world's best coffee (in Kona). I'll let you know.