Last day of April

First, I want to take a moment say Happy Birthday to everyone who has/had a birthday this week. Grandpa, Jennifer, Dad and Amber. I am sorry if I left anyone out. I promise I'll have birthday cards for everyone when we get to the states, which will be in just a few days. Both Danny and I are very excited to come home even if it is for a short time.
Still not much going on here. We spent a ton of money on food and other things to have a barbeque on saturday with a bunch of people Danny works with. It was a complete bust; not one single person showed up. Now we are stuck eating macaroni salad, fruit salad, chips, hamburgers, hot dogs and beer all the time. I am really peeved and disapointed that people said they were going to come and just didn't bother to come with any comment at all. And of course that we spent the money on it. Well, I guess thats the last time we try to do something nice.
Today, and the rest of this week, is a national holiday time in Japan which is also known as Golden Week. Yesterday was Showa No Hi (Showa's Day) celebrating the birthday of the late emperor, who died in 1989. Thursday is Kenpo Kinenbi- or constitution day. Just what it sound like. Friday, May 4th, is Midori No Hi (Greenery Day). It is the equivilent of Earth Day. Saturday is Kodomo No Hi which is Children's Day. This day is to wish wealth and hapiness to children although it was originally the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival.
During the week many businesses are closed and many Japanese travel. For Americans, it is advised that we don't plan on driving anywhere or go to town much because it is so busy. I wish we could be here for Childrens' Day because it looks like fun. I believe many adults decorate for the festivities and have many activities for children. I'd just like to see what its all about.
Well, I suppose you got your Japanese history lesson for the day.

You may want to know...

Yes, we are still alive. Nothing to write about really. Danny sits on the couch all day playing video games and I am planning my English lesson thats in a hour. We'll be home in less than two weeks, so I am sure there will be plenty of stories to tell then.

More Japan pictures

I just found another site that has great pictures of Japan, mostly around the Yokohama area.
wallpaper.neonsight.com/

Japanese vending machines

Once in a while I check the Japanese news on the Japan Times Online. This morning I found pictures of Japanese vending machines which, like the article says, are everywhere. (You can find them while waking through a residential neighborhood.) Apperently they sell everything. Here is a like to the story: Vending Machines Click to learn a little more about (the sometimes strange) Japanese culture.

sigh...

I'm still waiting.......

And I think I am going to be waiting for a long time.

Grrr

I have nothing more to say than I am really frustrated right now. I don't think I need to explain to be understood, but do I even really need a reason? When I think about my life right now, I can see so many possibilities for frustration...
Thanks. Had to vent. Don't really have anyone to talk to. And even if I did I can't divulge any details! Maybe that is why I am frustrated!

Dr.s appointment

I just got back from my annual poking and prodding and I had something funny to share with everyone. The doctor looked at my cholesterol, hdl & ldl levels and could tell that women in my family live to be an old age. I thought it was pretty funny. So anyway, I have a low risk of heart disease and will live to be as old and feisty as the rest of my family! But of course I have to watch my calcium intake because I don't want to spend the last 20-30 years of my life looking at my shoes. (or with a fake knee!)

Busy!

I feel like it has been a while since I've written anything. I guess it hasn't been that long (2 days) but I feel like it has been. The reason I don't write is because there isn't much to say. Danny and I are getting anxious for our trip home. Seems like it is coming up so quickly. I am also anxious for him to come home. I feel like he's been gone forever! Just knowing it makes it harder to wait.
I am still on Spring Break until the end of the week. Trying to get things done and I have been pretty busy. Today I went to Yokosuka. I don't feel like I did a lot but I left at 930 and didn't get home until almost 3. Of course I would have been home sooner if traffic didn't suck! I had to do new fingerprints for the school, pay our 6-month insurance premium, change Mocha's record since we officially adopted her last week after her spay surgery (I was so glad to do this because PAWS named her Sandy and I hated that name), and get groceries to prepare for Danny's return (he's like a bottomless pit sometimes- not that I should complain. I worry when he doesn't eat much!) The reason this all took so long is because I had to wait an hour and a half for the fingerprints. Then I had to get air in the tire because it was going flat. Of course, by the time I made it to the vet, they were out for lunch. This is why I hate going to Yokosuka- it takes so much out of you. My poor husband has to go down there everyday. Yuck.
I've recently got more students. At the end of this week I will have three trial lessons and two regular lessons. Thank God its spring break. Thursday will be a very busy day. Total I will have 6 if my new students decide to continue lessons. Tomorrow is a free day for me, so I think I will be planning lessons!
Okay, well just wanted everyone to know we're still alive. Things are going well and I'll update you again soon.

A holiday wish

More Funny Myspace Comments

Nothing to say really...

There isn't much going on here, but I decided I better write a blog anyway.
I'm still sick. Its not a big deal though, I'm just kinda tired and got the nose and throat thing going on. Tomorrow, hopefully should be better. Since I am on Spring Break I am excited about relaxing, but I gotta get something done too. There is so much to do around the house.
Mocha is doing well. The vet clinic says it went very well and she seems to be getting better. I've got a cat on my lap just about 24/7, but I am just concerned about her healing. She definitely doesn't have that sweet kitten sparkle to her, which I'm afraid she won't get back. Maybe I've just got to give her time. Anyway, I've been keeping a close on her and know just about everything has done. Danny told me that he's glad he's not here just so I can devote 100% of my time to caring for the cat and not have to worry about him too (and trust me, taking care of Danny is a lot of work!!)
Not much else to say. I don't have any big things planned for the next week. We'll just see what happens. I'll try to keep in touch, but I am afraid there won't be too much to write about. Don't be surprised if you don't hear from me for a few days. I always accept telephone calls though. We will be back in the states soon enough, but that doesn't mean you can't call me now. Just don't hope to talk to Danny any time soon. :)
P.S. He tells me that he is still busy and insanely stressed, so just keep him in your thoughts.

Spring Break

I jut wanna let everyone know I am on Spring Break right now. I don't go back to work until April 16th. Of course I still have to teach English lessons, but I will probably be home most of the time. Sometimes I gotta leave just to warm up again. They turned the heat off last Friday and the temperature has dipped back down again to about 50. Our house is about 14 C now and no way to heat it back up except wait for the sun to come back out! Brr. I am getting a cold now too and I could go on forever about all the sick children at school yesterday. They all had high fevers.
I go down to Yokosuka twice tomorrow to drop Mocha off and pick her up again. That is about 4 hrs driving total, but I guarantee that there nothing for me to do if I chose to stay all day. Sure I'll find something to do the rest of the week...

Finally, Tokyo Tower!

A few weeks ago Danny and I went to the Tokyo Tower. We went to the first observation deck, the wax museum, Guinness World Records, and a few other places within the building. There is not much to say about the pictures just that we had a good day and a lot of fun.
Have questions? Ask away.

Tokyo Tower Slideshow

Oh, here is the website for the Tokyo Tower. tokyotower.co/jp

More Sakura!

So, you may know that cherry blossom viewing is a BIG DEAL in Japan. People will fight huge crowds and sometime show up in the park at all hours of the night just to get a good place to sit. Let me tell you, everywhere I went Sunday was crazy. There are two large parks near our house, so there were more people than ever. Kana thinks that Japanese people make too big of a deal about cherry blossoms. Usually they just sit around and get drunk anyway! There many sayings and images of cherry blossoms that are important to Japanese culture. For example, they have a saying that says that the sweets (eaten during viewing) are better than the cherry blossoms or it was considered honorable for a samurai to die on a field of sakura petals.

I love them anyway. The widest variety in at least the Tokyo area is lighter than the pink in the states and they remind me of snow. The feeling I get when looking at them is a lot like my feeling of looking outside and seeing snow. Its magical and takes your breath away. It is also so beautiful when the wind blows and the petals are blowing everywhere.

On Sunday I met Kana and Yuichi in Tokyo to go to Ueno park. The first pictures in the slide show are from there. We talked about going to a night viewing, but decided not to because we all had to work the next morning. (Kana had her first day of work teaching!!) Today I took some pictures at school. There is a large sakura tree in the courtyard. After work I walked to the park and took some of the most beautiful ones there. I really wanted some closeups.

Okay, enough talk. Here is the pictures: More cherry blossom pics

Cool pic

Some of you already got this, but I got permission to share it. :)