Edit: June 2023
After my husband began cheating on me, and was a full blown drunk who started growing pot in my office, I left him. He got the neighbor pregnant. By the time the divorce was over, his baby was born with his mistress. He took the house owned solely in my name, and got my restaurant that I built from the ground up. 10 years of marriage. I received my vehicle.
I ended up re-marrying a wonderful man, Justin King. We were absolutely in love, and made plans to move to Canada, then Hawaii. He died soon afterward. I lost 85 pounds not eating, became really sick and had some life-threatening hospital stays. I fell into a deep depression.
I opened a food truck and ran that for awhile. I was very successful with it. After all, my ex-didn’t know how to make anything but pizza and beer. My menu is very diverse and absolutely delicious. I went into catering large businesses, gatherings, parties. I am now semi-retired and building an Air-B-n-B in Bend, Oregon.
I do stand-up comedy. I have a lot of material to work with. 🙂
My History, Edited Above:
Awww, you care! 🙂
I’m a slightly sarcastic, redheaded gal living in Eastern Oregon. My husband (aka Whitey) and I are transplants from the ever-growing Bend, Oregon, and opened Paizano’s Pizza in Baker City, Oregon, on October 11, 2007. Whitey was a bartender for many years, and I left a 12-year career in advertising to follow our dream of opening our own restaurant. We are very fortunate to have found each other.
We have two rescue dogs; a 130lb. rottweiler (Max) and a 75lb. greyhound mix (Barkley). They are our only children.
I have been blogging for many, many years now, and find that it’s a great way to keep in touch with my friends and family who live far from us. I’ve also made quite a few friends through blogging, many of whom are listed on my blogroll. Most of my posts are about Paizano’s and the love/hate relationship of running a business from the ground up.
Cheers!
Whitey & Kina – July 4, 2004
keeneye @ gmail dot calm
Kina Luka King 
Hey
glad you found my Tiramisu recipe. Let me know how it turns out for you (it took me a few tries to really perfect it and find the balance of ladyfinger vs. coffee). If in doubt, I’d say, err on the side of going tame on the coffee – nothing worse than soggy ladyfingers!
Hope the patrons in your restaurant will like it – I know everybody who has ever tried my Tiramisu has been willing to put themselves up for slave labor in exchange for more of it…
Take care,
– Simone
Hey, just found your blog 🙂 I miss your sense of humor, but as I read your blog….you’re doing well in your new hometown.
Hey girl – I’m sad to say I don’t have your email address, so I’m relegated to answering your questions HERE.
Ok – so how is the texture of your Tiramisu wrong? Is it too soggy? Too dry? How long do you wait before you actually start eating (5 minutes or the recommended 1 day)? All’s I can say – it took me a few times too to get it just right. Don’t give up!
On shipping truffles: First, I chill them for a while to prepare them for their journey. Then they go into a hard-plastic box or shell of sorts (the clear Ferrero-Rocher gift boxes are great – sturdy, but lightweight), where you have to make sure the truffles have no room to get tossed around. Then the box gets thickly wrapped in newspaper or other insulating packaging, gets put in a sturdy cardboard box, and drowned in styrofoam chips.
Then you bring them to the post office, pay for express shipping, and hope to God they make it to their destination before some corrupt customs official or postal employee gets his/her filthy fingers on them (trust me – it’s happened to me before)…
Does that help? And gimme your email so I can put this into email instead!
Merry Christmas. 🙂
– Simone
Hey K,
Didn’t know you’d moved until I spoke with Joy a few weeks ago. Baker City, huh? Well, if I’m ever in the neighborhood I’ll stop by for a slice.
Gerry
Don’t know you personally but I’ve enjoyed reading your blog loads. I’m of the red haired persuation, too.Going to be characteristcally English and let the message die a natural death.
Look forward to reading future posts!
Nicky
Traveling in europe can make the mind a little jumbled. take it easy… ciao.
How random to accidentally hit the little arrow button on my blog and end up on the page of someone from my hometown! We just moved away from Bend ourselves (TO Cali, just to reverse the trend). Good luck with your resteraunt the next time we’re in Baker City we’ll drop in for a slice.
Love this blog! As neatly done as your parlor and your pies!
Please please please let me into the protected area; if there is an application required, I will gladly submit.
But to be left out of what are certainly gems, ARGGHHH!
You are a bright light, a foghorn blasting in BC, guiding those feeling lost in the contradictions of this place, letting us know we aren’t crazy.
Like you, I chose to relocate here. We are a big part of BC’s future, but only if we all work together.
It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It’s a shame about Brett retiring.
Hi Kina, just wanted to tell you that me and my hubby and our 2 doggies are coming that way Sunday 5/25 & staying the night. Want to make it over to Paizano’s if you are open on Sunday eve. I enjoy your site and blogs. You are very creative. How do you find time?
Nena “at work at The Bulletin on a Thursday when I should be cold-calling but no one wants to advertise because it’s before the long weekend and this is more fun anyway.”
Great blog….my friend Jason told me about you and I plan to meet you here every day….keep up the good work….and, the stromboli was to die for!
I just read a joke that made me think of you…
“I have CDO, it’s a lot like OCD, but in alphabetical order, like it should be.”
One of our beloved reporters passed away, see website. He had a heart attack from what we were told this morning. So sad. Hate to bear bad news (not to be confused with bad news bears). FYI loved your idea about the search for the $10 bill to get the kids to clean up the restaurant. Brilliant.
Thank you for your valuable service in reporting Hometown Productions. They tried to scam us as well.
Frank
…and then my husband got a neighbor pregnant and took everything I owned. Trust no one.