A Brief Taste of Paradise

We just returned from a vacation in Maui. After spending months trying to figure out where we wanted to travel this year, we finally just pulled the trigger and flew to Hawaii. I've been to Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai but this was my first trip to Maui. Dana had previously visited with his family and even stayed at the same hotel (the Westin Maui).

Although I'm partial to Mexico because it's such a short flight from Texas and it's much less expensive than Hawaii once you get there, I will say that Maui is beautiful and has a lot more to do.


We rode up to the summit of the Haleakala volcano to watch the sunrise (where it was 40 degrees!), and sped back down on mountain bikes.
We watched a luau while sipping champagne from our balcony and strolled on the beaches at sunset.
We enjoyed the famous "drive to Hana", which is basically a windy, lush drive with stops for hiking, waterfalls and watching windsurfers do amazing feats on their own beach. But most of the time, we did what the Allens do best... eat great food!
Our favorite meals were at Lahaina Grill, Hula Grill (we ate there 3x we loved it so much) and Mama's Fish House. Most importantly, we came back very relaxed. I love vacation!

Love your neighbor as yourself

Today my co-workers and I took part in a United Way volunteer day. Our department visited a Dallas retirement home and hosted indoor games for the residents as part of an Oktoberfest carnival. It was such a sweet time to see everyone just loving on people and making them feel special. The day really couldn't have gone any better. It's so nice to take time out of the "busyness" of life sometimes and just focus on relationships and caring for others.

The cheapest way to feel like a celebrity

I've had the pleasure of 3 fabulous girls night out in the past week thanks to book club and celebrations for Laura and Janelle's birthdays... and I have to say that last Friday was very cool. We went to this place called Gold Class Cinemas, and it is like no other movie watching experience you've ever had.

I've "walked a red carpet" so to speak in the past, but this place really knows how to make you feel like a celebrity. It was fantastic! It sort of feels like a classy nightclub, with all of the servers dressed up in black cocktail dresses. It has a full bar and excellent food. You sit in reserved seats - leather recliners of course, each with their own soft blanket and call button to have a waiter (who calls you by name) answer your every whim.

It was so fun. I highly recommend it for a unique date night or a girls night out! They even brought us complimentary "birthday cake" shots because they knew we were celebrating. Now that's service...

Fishing and Shooting

For better or worse, I'm becoming more of a Texan everyday. First, my brother-in-law (Justin) took me to a shooting range. I've always wanted to go so I had a blast. The guy in charge was a little skeptical when I had to ask him what the trigger was, but ultimately I think I was pretty good!


Then I went fishing in F-L's lake as part of a charity fundraiser and caught a nice one. It was hard work to reel it in (especially since I didn't want to touch it), but a lot of fun on a beautiful day.

Dana meets Rihanna

Why is Dana hanging out with superstar Rihanna? Go to doritoslatenight.com to see what he's been up to at work lately.

P.S. Pick up a bag of Doritos Late Night Cheeseburger for the full experience. It's really cool!