A holiday wish

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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. :)

More students!

So, you may remember I've been going back and forth over how many students I have. My first student hasn't had a lesson with me since January and my second student just moved away. Our last lesson was Sunday. My third student has been busy all month and unable to meet with me. She even had to cancel her last scheduled lesson. I've had a few weeks between lessons for my forth student.
Tuesday I had a trial lesson with a new student at her place. I didn't go like I wanted it to, but she wants to continue and I now have a better understanding of what she wants. My boss called me today to say I have ANOTHER new student. I will meet her in Yokohama on the 9th. My third student will restart lesson on the 15th and I will have semi-regular lessons with my others, except the first who I am still waiting to hear from. Sounds like I am going to be busy. As long as they don't want to schedule lessons for Lori-Danny time, then I am okay.
As for my other job, I have been working half days, but there really isn't much for me to do. I will work full days Monday and Tuesday next week. Right now it is just twiddle my thumbs or stare at the ceiling so I hope the principal finds something for me soon. I like structure in my life...

UPDATE: I guess I have too many students because I am loosing my mind. My schedule is all scribbled and messy and my brain feels the same way. It is hard for me to keep track of what student I have when. I used to have it all organized inside my head. I kept thinking I had a lesson on Sunday. Kana and I are trying to meet in Tokyo and so I was trying to reschedule my lesson through my boss. This morning I've had to write to him twice to say I made a mistake. The first was the time (I thought it was originally scheduled for 4:30, but it was at 4) and then I had to admit that I thought the lesson was on Sunday and that is why I was trying to schedule it earlier. Now I don't have to reschedule, but I feel like I've lost my brain. When Kana was studying at Western she said she was a squid. I told her I am turning into an American one!

Cherry Blossom pictures

Here are the ones I took at the park yesterday. I hope to get more eventually.

Sakura slideshow

Mocha pictures!

Shinrin Koen video

I took a very short (and terrible quality) video yesterday of people in the park. Enjoy.
Cherry Blossom Viewing

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Soon

I know I am way overdue to post pictures. I have some from the last weekend Danny was here, just some cute ones of Mocha, and some I took at the park today.
The cherry blossoms are starting to bloom and the weather was nice and warm (topped off near 70) so I had to get outside. I took pictures of the budding trees and people just lounging and enjoying the sunshine. Kana and I are talking about meeting sometime this weekend and going to a large park in Tokyo that is popular for cherry blossom viewing. If we can meet there I will take lots of pictures. Unfortunately Danny is gone through this short blooming season, so we may travel north when he gets back. There may still be some in bloom there.
I also wanted to say that I have been surrounded by babies lately. It's terrible. The school nurse is back and brought her son with her today because the woman who was going to watch him volunteers at the school. He is a month old and he fell asleep in my lap. I also got to feed and burp him (no, I didn't get spit up on!)
My friend, Amy, and her husband, Brian, just had their twins on Saturday. I haven't seen them yet, but they just got home today. I hope to go by sometime.
Through all this, I've had moments where I thought it was a good thing Danny wasn't home and knew I would need him to re-convince me that we aren't ready. Babies are cute and I do want children someday, but that someday is not today. Yes, I know there is crying, and wakeups at all hours, stinky diapers, and constant care, but I don't think I needed to remember all that to know we aren't ready. Someday. Maybe in a few years...

Mocha

Just some info in case anyone asks. Although Mocha's appointment was supposed to be this Thursday and I was going to take her to Yokosuka tomorrow afternoon, it was canceled. The woman from PAWS called me today to reschedule for next Thursday the 5th. Luckily I wasn't too surprised because a friend had told me she needed to take her cat to Yokota because the vets in Yokosuka were going to be in meetings or something all week. I am a little frustrated they made the appointment without knowing that, but its just another week that Mocha doesn't have to be cut. Soon her day will come....
(wow, that sounds evil!)

Anniversary

Danny and I are planning on celebrating our anniversary when we come back to the states even though it will be a month early. (So get the frozen cake ready!)
Anyway, I am trying to get him to stick to the traditional anniversary gift ideas. For example, the first year is paper. I am buying tickets to an M's game. (Its okay, he already knows this.) Of course, although we had talked about this earlier and I gave him some very concrete ideas, he seems to have forgotten. If he can't remember, would anyone out there be willing to help him out. I was hoping that the paper idea would help.
What made me post is that I was searching Google for the list of gift by year and I came across a UK website has a popular folklore rhyme based on the month you were married in. Its says for June: "Marry when June roses grow and over land and sea you'll go". Ain't that the truth!!

Details

Okay everyone, here are the details of our flight back to the states. Please mark it in your calendars!
UA 876
Tokyo/Narita 04 May 2007 1700
Seattle 04 May 2007 0943
(Sorry I told people before that we landed on the 3rd. I don't know where I got that crazy idea. It doesn't even make sense.)
UA 875
Seattle 16 May 2007 1256
Tokyo/Narita 17 May 1455
This isn't final until I make the payment this week, either Wednesday or Thursday.

Leave

Danny was approved for leave and we are allowed to go to the states. We leave May 4th. I will give you details later.
P.S. It will be the 3rd in Seattle when we land!

Beware of the yowl

----------------------------
UPDATE on Mocha:
She is getting a little better. She still is making that sound but doesn't do it as often and I found out this evening that the neighbors can't even hear it. Thank God! I am hoping this won't last much longer and there will be no issues at her appointment. I drop her off Wednesday night so it will be a quiet and lonely night for me.
Most importantly, I am learning how to deal with her. She is quiet when I am petting her or she is on my lap (and she has been super affectionate) so if I can't handle her I just go pick her up!
---------------------------

WARNING: turn down your volume!!
I didn't want to post anything for a few days because I just wanted to give Karamel that respect. I know she is a rabbit and can't understand that concept, but if you are like me you'll understand.
So now my life moves onto my other animal, Mocha. The animal shelter called me yesterday to make an appointment for her to be fixed. Thank God, she is only 9 months old now! They told me if she went into heat before the appointment then they couldn't do it. Well, yesterday morning she started yowling and has succeeded in making my life a living hell. If you've ever experienced it you'll understand. Think of a drowning cat trying to meow- but louder and more ear piercing. Hey, I've got video! Lucky you!
She really isn't interested in playing either- sad.
So, I lock her away at night and hope that she doesn't keep the neighbor's son up all night. I know I can't sleep listening to that!
I called PAWS twice today, but got a real person the second time. They told me to go ahead and take her to the vet because they may do it. It just depends on how swollen her uterus is. (I am sorry if this to visual for anyone).
I hope this doesn't last long. If it does, one of us is not going to make it to the end of next week.
Here is the video. Yipee. Please turn down the volume. Lucky for you I accidentally was covering the microphone. It could be A LOT worse.
Yowling



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Farewell, Karamel

I got very sad news today that my pet bunny was killed. I got her as a graduation gift in 2003 from my best friend. Karamel was my second pet bunny and she was back in the states being taken care of by my grandparents. My grandfather called her his livestock and my great-grandmother couldn't remember her name so it was always Esmeralda. She was a really great pet and became very socialable because I would hold her ever day, even take her for "walks". When I had to go to college and then move to Japan she had to stay home, but I built her a bigger cage by my grandfather's workshop. I loved her a lot and am very sad she is gone.
Here are some pictures of her.

My job... again

I hate telling you all about my job because it keeps changing. The nurse came back yesterday, but doesn't want to work full time. She only wants 4 hours a day instead of six. The principal asked me if I wanted to work the 2 hours in the morning and I said yes. He looked into it more and said if I wanted to work a half day as a substitute, I would have to work 4 hours so he is trying to find someplace to put me. I thought I may get to work in the library, but the librarian said she didn't need any help. Now they are trying to find a new place to put me, maybe in the office or helping out a little in the classroom. Who knows what will happen. I'm still waiting.

A little update

I know, I haven't posted the pictures yet. I've been a little busy lately, but I can hopefully get them up by Monday or Tuesday.
So, I just wanted to let you all know how my job is going. Today is supposed to be my last day. Key word: supposed to. The regular school nurse is still at home with her baby and is trying to discover if the "babysitter" is compatible with her son. This, of course, means that I could be here a little while longer. She should be contacting the principal today and may submit a request for more time off, which means I'll still be here.
If she does come back on Monday, I will still need to come in for at least the first two days of next week to make sure she is up-to-date on everything that has changed since she left. Like the boy who twisted his ankle on my watch and is now using the school's wheelchair. That definitely makes me feel guilty. Not like I pushed him over or anything, but it is a long story.
Not much more to say about the job.
Danny and I are still waiting to hear if his leave will be approved for May. He said he was supposed to know this week, but here is Friday and the only thing I know is that he had to resubmit his leave papers. Danny told me it is looking good, but nothing is for sure until we are on that plane. Even then...
Our tickets were supposed to be paid-in-full by today, but I called the travel agency yesterday and they gave us until the 31st. They said if we need longer we can call again, but they don't know if they'll be able to give us more time or not. Hopefully I can make a deal with them. I really like the agency though and I know they have an office in Seattle, so if we ever come back to Japan in the future I know who I am going through. (They are a Japanese & American company with offices all over both countries.) If anyone is interested, they are called IACE.
I think that is enough for now. We'll keep in touch.

Ideas?

I have two final lessons with a student of mine before she moves away. The last two lessons we have been working out of a work book and I am afraid it is getting a little boring. I want to make the last two, especially the last one, a great one. I know most of you have little, if any, experience teaching esl students, but I want to know if you have any ideas. I am kinda dead in the water and need some ideas to get me moving in one direction or the other. Thanks for your help everyone.

How to use Blogger

I know all of you aren't familiar with how to use blogger or just aren't very technologically gifted :), so I wanted to help by posting a how to for Blogger. I hope this helps.

How to use Blogger…

1. You don’t need an account to read or post comments on our blog. Each is different. I’ve decided to make it available to all family and friends, but also control the right to delete comments or access to anyone.

2. Blogger automatically shows the last five posts on the main page. If you wish to see previous ones, please look at the “blog archive” on the right side. The black triangles will expand or compress a list of all the blogs for that month. If you click on a post, that post will open in the same page as well as comments left by readers. To go back to the main page, click on the title of the blog on the top; “Dan and Lori’s Adventures in Japan”.

3. To leave a comment, go to the bottom of the blog you want to comment on. There is a bar that says “Created by.. (either dlkjapan or kiitana) at (time in military format and Japan time)”. Then you will see a little speech bubble and the number of replies that post has gotten. Clicking either will take you to the page to leave comments.
The leave a comment page is fairly straight forward. Write your comment in the big box. Below that you can choose if you comment with your Blogger account – if you have one - , as other – which will let you put in your name or alias - or as anonymous. Then choose publish or preview. Preview will show you what other readers will see once you publish the comment. Once you are finished, choose publish. You’re done! I should get a message to my email that someone has left a comment.

4 To read comments, click the text that says the number of replies and the comments will be in a new page. This is the same place you leave comments.

5. If you have any more questions please feel free to ask. I will post a “how to…” do that as well.

6. If you want to contact us but don’t want to leave a public message, I will create a link that will allow you to send us an email.
UPDATE: tried to do that but couldn't. You can click here: Email us

Funny quote

This is just one of those things that people say that are really dumb. I got the quote from a story on the king5 news website.
"I don't like to blame a lot of stuff on weather. We get weather around here all the time."
Yes, we do get weather all the time. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can't escape it!
Nothing beats the all-time best forecast I've ever heard -- light, followed by dark, followed by light again. Can't got wrong there. Who said meteorologists can't be accurate?

Our weekend

Danny and I had a great weekend. On saturday we went to the Tokyo tower and took lots of pictures. I will include the story and the pictures all in one post. There really isn't a whole lot to say, but the pictures say it all.
Yesterday (Sunday) we did our regular church thing then I had choir practice later (I am singing in the Easter choir- Danny won't be here..) After that we decided to drive to Yokota. I didn't have Sierra's number and the computers in information weren't working. Amazingly we found their tower and their apartment without any trouble. (PS. Hi Sierra, I know you are reading!) We hung out at their place for a while then drove over to the Subway to get something to eat on the road. At this point it was almost 8 and we had a two hour drive back! Danny has to get up at 430 am. We wanted to stay longer, but we just didn't have the time. Next time we'll go up on a Saturday so we have more time. But now I have Sierra's number so we don't just drop in. Our decisions to drive up there always seem so last minute.
Hehehe, I got to try the Wii for the first time too. That was fun!
Usually when we are driving home we can't figure out which exit off the expressway to take, but this time we got the right one and it only took up 5 minutes to get home once we got off, rather that 20 or more. I was so happy I just about threw a party in the car.
Okay, so maybe not an insanely exciting weekend, but it was great for us.
Pictures to come later...
I have a lesson today and since Danny is home I don't want to spend my time sitting at the computer, it may take a while.

Oh, I forgot to mention something I found very funny. Danny bought a drill at the BXtra yesterday. When we got home he said he was a real man becuase he had bought his first powertool. Too funny - I had to share it!

Garden

Here is my garden. I know its not great, but I am not landscape architect. Trust me, it is better than what was there before (grass).

I Love Egg

I know its Korean, but still incredibly cute and irresistible. Does it make you wanna go eat an egg?
I Love Egg song
Oh, here is the Korean version: Korean I Love Egg song

Japanese train

Every wondered what it is like when we ride the train? Some wonderful, brave people have already recorded it for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-hmSvZM3So
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXmOdy0aM4c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySnL9Mcv1-8

Things you may never have learned about Japan

I hope to make this a reoccurring topic with things you may never have learned unless I told you!

*Every half hour, nice music followed by a message reminding you that bike riding, golf, baseball, and other activities are forbidden in the park and that you must remove your own garbage and clean up after your dog is played in both Japanese and English. (This is in Negishi Shinrin Koen)

*Small trucks will drive slowly through residential neighborhoods with loud speakers that play a recorded message of someone talking or singing. I believe these are related to political candidates and issues.

*Some garbage trucks will play nice music while they're doing their rounds.

If you want to know anything else about Japan, please leave me a message.
(I feel like I should be writing a syndicated newspaper article!)

That Japanese wind

The weather is crazy! We have wind gusts tonight up to 33 mph. My poor plants... You might have to wait longer to get a picture 'cause I may have no garden left in the morning. All my soil is blowing away!
The wind makes the house shake sometimes. Please pray our house doesn't fall over!

UPDATE 9PM: If it doesn't stop out there, and it doesn't sound like it is going to, the Navy will be able to anchor their ships in our yard and my garden will float away. I know, I can't stop thinking about my poor garden. Where its positioned, it gets the water pouring off the roof of the house. I guess I'll be busy tomorrow fixing it.
We've seen a little lightening and the television service keeps going out. Suppose that is a clue I should go to bed!

UPDATE TUESDAY MORNING: It made it! I was sure that I would go outside this morning and see a large pond next to our house. If I would have, I think I might have put some koi in it! Some of the plants fell over and the soil had shifted, but it made it fairly well. I found one litte petunia laying in the grass. All I can say is that although they seemed bent over because of the wind yesterday, the daffodils really liked the rain. In fact, one of them bloomed! Maybe with all this rain, the plants will grow faster- I wish! It is bright and sunny today and hopefully my plants will pop back up.
Well, I am sure you are all tired about hearing about my garden...

Garden

I've had all this gardening stuff (soil, plants, fertilizer, etc.) sitting on our porch for at least a month. I found some grass and weed killer at the Japanese home store and sprayed it. It took me over two weeks to get the grass out. Finally yesterday after church I got to dedicate my whole afternoon to it. I pulled out the last of the grass, layed down the plastic-like stuff that keeps weeds from growing up into your garden, dumped out the soil and planted my flowers. It took me four hours, but I really enjoyed it. My butt was sore from sitting on the ground all day. :) Despite that... it was about 65 yesterday with a light breeze and perfect for gardening. I forgot how much I missed it.
Today it is very windy and supposed to rain so I am glad it is done. I just hope my poor little plants don't take too much of a beating. I can't post a picture yet because Danny has to see it in person first. So, once I do you'll know he has!
Anyone want me to do their garden? Give me the supplies and I'll be happy to, but if you win yard of the month (in Negishi) I am taking credit for it!

News

Here it is. It isn't final. Danny and I are still planning on traveling to the states soon. It may or may not happen. Here's why.
Only so many people from the ship can be out of the country at one time. During the period Danny will take leave, there are schools going on in the states. They haven't decided for sure who is going so our chance to leave Japan is up in the air. That being said...
I went to the travel agency office today and bought some awesomely affordable tickets back to Seattle from May 4th to May 16th. I have the times, but that isn't important right now. I just wanted to let you all know what is going on. Hopefully it works out. We haven't been home in a while and would like to see everyone. I will keep you updated on how it is working out on our end and you can let me know when you want to see me (this is mostly referring to my friends)

Wow

I saw this picture when I was checking local Seattle news and all I can say is "holy cow!"















I know most of you have seen it because it in on the news there, but I am so amazed by it (and I barely missed something similar about a year ago north of Marysville) that I had to post it on here for other people to see. This is what happens when people don't know how to drive properly in the snow. It is just a miracle that no one was killed.
Washington surely is being slammed with bad weather this year. Hopefully this is the end of it. If it continues next year, the DOT is going to have to change how they do things...
I feel bad for those kids who don't get out of school until the end of June.

Repair

Does anyone know of a place in the states where I can send a camera that needs to be repaired? I'm having a hard time finding a place that will accept mailing to/from an FPO address.
Any help will be greatly appreciated!

busy week, so far

There isn't much happening here in Japan for me right now. I can't complain about being bored because I've been home just long enough to sleep. The last two nights I haven't got home until 10 or later. Usually my bed time is 9, so I've been really tired. I don't like getting up at 6 am and have a bad habit of hitting the snooze button.
Monday night I went to Shibuya to meet with Kana. We sat in a coffee shop for a few hours and then went to dinner. It was so much fun just to sit down and talk to her. There aren't many people in Japan I can just talk to, so it is nice to have someone. We had omuraisu (or omu rice, Japanese rice omelette). It was good. Then I got on a crouded train home and took a taxi to our house 'cause I wasn't about to walk! Just as I was about to go to bed, Danny called me. The call dropped out twice and I couldn't sleep all night because I didn't get to finish the conversation with him. He said he tried to call me back but my phone never rang. He says that coverage sucked in Okinawa.
Last night I was invited to dinner and Pastor Terry and his wife, Sonja, house. I didn't think I'd be there as long as I did. It really was a lot of fun. They asked my questions and then Pastor Terry started asking me grammar, literature, and geography questions. It was kind of like playing Trivial Persuit! :) They enjoyed the Chinese Almond cookies I brought. Even though none of us are Japanese, I still wanted to follow Japanese tradition and have a gift to bring.
Danny seems to be having an interesting time on the ship. I can't tell the story (I will leave that up to him if he wishes) but it was certainly entertaining. I feel bad about complaining about how little sleep I've gotten because he wrote to me last night saying he had been up since 530 and had watch at 140 or something. Makes me feel bad (and that isn't any better).
My eyes are so tired I am having a hard time looking at the computer screen. I am busy tonight and thursday night, but I have free time afterwork friday. I'm not sure what I'll do with my time. There are chores that need to be done, but when I've got free time thats the last thing I want to do! Guess I should do it anyway. :P

The highlight of my day

Yes, I am going to Shibuya with Kana today and am super excited about that, but right now I am stuck at work. The highlight of my day was a phone call.
Danny just called me about 5 minutes ago! He is in Okinawa. I feel like it has been forever since I've heard his voice. His service was bad, but I got to talk to him for a short time and it made me so happy. Hopefully he will get a chance to call me later.
I'm so happy now. :D

Scooters in Japan

I found this video on youtube. You only have to watch about a minute of it (please don't waste your time watching all 12 minutes of it), but it really is how scooters and motorcycles drive on the roads and it is completely legal. This is why Danny hates them so much. They come out of nowhere and can scare the crap out of you.
BTW, he is driving on the express way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAVVBjrTu0w
Scary, huh?

Ravens

I hate these birds, but maybe I should be keeping my eye out for ones that do this:

Here it is (Part 3)

Just as promised, here are the last 25 pictures of our trip to Sankeien Garden. I took a lot of pictures so please enjoy.
PS Instead of putting the pictures here I am including a link to the slideshow. Remember that you have control over the speed of the slideshow and other things. You can pause it or click a picture to see it alone. Or you can speed it up if you're tired of looking at them. :)
http://3587912960.slide.com/p/3/Sankeien+Gardens+Part+2?view=large

My haircut

Okay, got it done. Tell me what you think.

Comic

I am sitting at work bored out of my mind and reading the Stars and Stripes (military newspaper) for today online. I found this comic and although it is for February 23rd and you haven't seen it yet, I had to post it because it made me think of Danny and I.







Sorry it is so small. Click on it to make it bigger.

Hair

I am gonna get my hair cut tomorrow.
Does anyone have any thoughts, ideas or suggestions? I am definitely not getting it cut like I did last time!
Just thought I'd ask. Everyone knows I'll listen even if I don't follow advice. :)

I promise

I will put part 3 of the pictures up soon.

Biggest Loser

Greetings everyone! I know it's been a while since I last wrote, but I can't let Lori do all the talking. Anyway, I figured I'd take a minute to fill everone in on how shipboard life is going (since Lori's filling all y'all in on Japan). So the biggest thing is that I am now officially the Communications Officer and EKMS Manager. Basically, these are two huge jobs (and honestly, seperate, but still connected). Anyway, I just took over today, so it's pretty cool. The other big thing is that the MWR onboard is sponsoring a "Biggest Loser" (just like the show) contest while we're gone and I decided to take part (the only one from the Wardroom actually). The contest is a little rough around the edges this time, but it's still going to be fun. The unfortunate part is that the rules count only total weight lost, so that actually puts me at somewhat of a disadvantage. Other than that, I just want to say that I'm really looking forward to (possibly) coming back. Everything is sounding promising. Well, I send my love to everyone. Have a good one!

100 posts

Hey, I just saw that Danny and I have posted 100 times since we started this blog in August. Is that a big deal? Not really.
Anyway, the real reason I posted was because I have got a little more word on Danny and I coming back to the states for a visit. It doesn't look like he'll be going to the class in San Diego, but he is hoping to get two weeks off in May. I am not going to tell you the dates until they are final, but I've already started to look at tickets. We have to decide wether or not to bring the cat back. She may be more of a hassle than its worth. Especially considering that we haven't been able to officially adopt her yet. (I need to call PAWS again about that...) It may be cheaper to board her or just have someone look after her than pay to take her on the plane. One animal is allowed in the plane, but I'm afraid she would cry the whole time.
So that is the most news I have to share. I don't hear from Danny much. He is busy as always I assume and their email hasn't been working all the time. I consider myself very lucky anytime I get an email.
Well, its tuesday and I am back to work again.
I'll keep you updated.

Sad

I am sure most of you have had this experiance. You are typing an email and you accidentally hit some strange combination of keys and instantly your whole email is gone. Coincidentally you just happened to hit the right combination that has sent your message into oblivion, never to return. Just your luck it took you forever to write and it was pretty important.
Does anyone know how to get it back?
I have no idea what I did and I've tried everything I can think of. The page I was composing the email in is still there, but the little compose box is frozen which means I did quite a number on it. Really, I just wanna cry although I know it won't solve my problem. If anyone knows how to help, please don't hesitate.
That email took me a half an hour to write and I can never compose it quite the way it was before. The second time around never has the same heart to it, and this email had a lot of heart.

Here it is (part 2)

These are the first 25 of 50 pictures I chose as the best from our trip last Sunday to the Sankeien Garden. It is near our house and has a collection of old buildings and temples.
If you want to see a picture better or read a caption click the picture or hover over it. The slideshow can aslo be paused or sped up. Feel free to play with it.
I will post the other 25 pictures in a few day. Please let me know if there is anything you want to know about our pics.

Another one soon

I finally downloaded and edited the pictures from last sunday. They are in Photobucket waiting to be put in a slideshow, but I am trying to decide how to do it. There are nearly 70 pictures so I may have to do two seperate slideshows. The problem is the pictures are all from one place and I don't want to seperate them.
Are you all okay with watching a slideshow of 60-70 pics or will you fall asleep?
I want to get this up so Danny can see them.

I haven't given many clues this time, but Danny is gone. The ship left this afternoon. My boss was really nice and let me come in late since I went with him to Yokosuka at 5 this morning. Because I don't know how long he'll be gone and since he was home for nearly two months this time, I am taking it pretty hard. Honestly didn't want to go to work today, but I did. I also had reservations about going to a new bible study, but knew I needed to connect with other people.
Anyway, send Danny email and tell him to be safe and come home soon. As soon as we know whats going on with his schedule we can begin to work out our trip back home in just a few months. I promise to keep you all posted on that. Don't want to say anything until I have a better idea.

Much love from Japan.

More about that crazy weather

During school yesterday it was just a little wet and windy. Right after Danny got home yesterday, the weather got insane. We had enourmous wind gusts and lots of rain. Not so pleasent to go out into. The wind kept blowing our trash can open and hitting the lid on the fence. That sound is rather loud and annoying, so Danny put them in the shed. For some reason, the garbage guy took them out a few months ago and I have yet to figure out why.
Down in Yokosuka this morning, the wind was blowing pretty hard, but it is fairly nice up here today. I am still hoping for snow, but if it comes at this point it will be the latest snow in the documented history of Tokyo. Doesn't sound too hopeful, does it?
Ahh, lunch starts soon. Gotta go.
Please stay in contact with me. I am gonna need it.
Pretty soon I am going to start a petition for Danny to write something here, but I doubt it will do any good!

OH, last night

Just to tell you more about our interesting lives...
Danny left the base after work yesterday and told me he wanted to get somethings from Yokota. It is about a 2 hour drive on a good day. So at about 3:45, we left to head up there. We got on the expressway and it was seriously backed up. It took us 2 hours to go about 4 km. It was stressful and very annoying. There was an accident right after the point where three major roads converge (the Yokohama-Yokosuka toll road - also known as the YokoYoko), the K3 and the Hodogaya Bypass. So once we got through the accident, where they had all traffic down to one lane, it was about 6 o'clock. Just getting to Hachioji (which is the largest town close to the base) was 35 km away and the road getting there is always stop and go because of all the lights and evening traffic. We knew we had to turn around because things close at 8 and there was no way we were going to get there. Danny was upset because he couldn't get the things he wanted. They don't sell a lot of things in Yokosuka, which is very frustrating. We didn't have dinner until about 8 o'clock.
Traffic in Japan sucks.
I wonder if there is a better way to get there...

Rain

I love the rain. It makes me think of home.

I know this picture looks bright, but it is actually pretty dark and gloomy outside today. I haven't seen rain here in quite a few weeks so it is a nice change of pace. Now it just means that the kids will be inside for recess. Having hyped up kids (Valentines candy) all in the same room (Kindergarten- 5th grade) creates a lot of injuries...

PS. I took this picture on my cell phone.

Hello?

I guess it has been so long since I've posted something that you guys just stopped reading.

Here it is (Part 1)

So, I am trying to load the photos on to Photobucket right now. While that is going on I'll tell you about what Danny and I did this weekend. I was pushing him a lot to do something and get out of the house. My need to go out has decreased since I got a job and am out of the house more. Nonetheless, I wanted to take the advantage of a free weekend to see some things.
Saturday we drove to Atsugi (the naval air station). The directions out there sucked, but we eventually made it. The drive back was interesting 'cause we could find our way back to the road we drove there on. We took a back way because the signs actually said Yokohama on them, so we trusted. Eventually we made it back to the bypass and knew where we were.
After that we got on the toll road to get back home. Unfortunately for us, we didn't realize that we needed to take the exit instead of staying on the K3. It took us over the Yokohama Bay Bridge (or Yokohama Rainbow Bridge). This bridge is flippin' long. Kinda like driving over the Oakland Bay Bridge without the levels. It took us forever to get across and Danny was pretty peeved at this point.
Once we got to the other side we got off and turned around. Of course we had to pay the toll again to get back on. That is what sucks about getting lost on a toll road. So we got back to the other side and made our way back home. The plan of the day was to go to Atsugi and the to this park near our house called Sankeien Garden. We drove by and Danny offered to stop and I said "no, lets go home first". So we did. I'll make a long story short here. I wanted to go and then Danny informed me that they close the gates at 4:30 and it was already too late. I became very upset, but after I got over it I was determined to salvage the night. Plans changes.
There is a park on the water in Yokohama called Yamashita Koen (koen is the Japanese word for park). It is very popular with couples. I took pictures of it when I was there before so you've probably seen them. So we went down there and I made Danny try to be romantic for a while. :) After that he took me to "early Valentine's day dinner". We walked around and I was fascinated with this one place. Sadly I didn't take a picture of the outside. It was a Hawaiian cuisine restaurant. It smelled like coconut inside and the food was fantastic. It was a little expensive, but so worth it. Our drinks were 1080 yen each before tax. I had beef teriyaki and Danny had Coconut noodles with seafood. Mmmm. This is the website of the restaurant: http://sunaloha.com/yokohama.html
After dinner we came home and crashed on the couch. It was a great night.
I have to work on the slideshow now. I will post it below...

I hope the slideshow is bigger on your computer than it is on mine. I tried to make it as big as I could, but blogger over rode the size...

Still have to wait

I have pictures from Saturday AND Sunday to post, so you will have to wait a while longer. The ones from Saturday are almost done, but I won't get to post them until late tonight. I work until 2:30 and have an English lesson from 3:30-4:30. Danny is working tonight, so I will have time to post since I don't have to worry too much about dinner.
The ones from Sunday will have to wait until later. There is too many and I have to explain all that we did. It may take a while!

Coming soon...

I will be posting a new blog with pictures soon. Please wait while I fix them up.

A late update

Hey everyone.
Sorry it has taken me so long to write again.
I am starting my first full week at the elementary school today. It is hard because I know very little about what I am supposed to do and I am not very confident, but I am trying my best. There is a book here in the office called "Taking care of your child" that I am reading so I know I am doing the right thing when a student comes in with an injury.
While I am here doing nothing but still have the potential for work and am trying to find something to do, Danny has the day off so he is sitting at home watching the super bowl. I can't believe they get a day off for that! He seemed surprised that I didn't and I told him that children still have to go to school. The Super Bowl is not an international holiday!
English lessons are going well. I have one student I absolutely love. I love them all, but this one woman is so much fun and not so much work. It is just great to get paid to work with her. My other students do only semi-regular lessons, so I don't meet with them as often.
Well, gotta get back to work. I hope I can convince Danny to write something in here soon. He was talking about it the other day.

My first day

I have my first day of work at the elementary school tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Information

Blogger is in Japanese right now and it took me forever to figure out how to get this far!
just wanted to give people an update who didn't know what was going on.
My grandmother had knee surgery last week. From the messages I have been getting she is doing well, but needs a lot of physical therapy.
The other news is that Julie had to make the decision to put Ted (Ted E Bear- the family dog that we've had since junior high and she was incredibly attached to) down. He had some better days in his life, like when he was attacked by a raccoon. We loved him and he was a great dog.
Please just keep those people (mostly my whole family) in your thoughts and prayers. I want to tell me grandma to get better and Julie that I understand how shes feeling and I am very sad too. He was a great loyal dog.

Finally saw it

I forgot to say that last week (Saturday-when I went to get Danny) I saw my first Japanese snow. I've been dying waiting for a real winter and although it didn't stick, I was still happy to see it. Of course if I was home I would be tired of seeing it by now!

Courtesy of Ryen

Here are more pics from Ryen's visit. They came out better than mine.

The difficult things

I have a lot of time to think as I am walking home from the train station, usually after a lesson. I don't like to think about the things I just did so I spend the 20 minutes or so letting my mind wander. Today I was thinking about why it is hard living in Japan. There many things that make it more difficult than moving to a new US city. The one I was thinking about today was standing out.
There are military bases in Spain, England, Germany, Italy and so on. The people that live there are mostly caucasian. Americans may look or act a little different, but no one may know for sure until they speak. For those living in Korea, Japan, or other majority non-caucasian countries it is a little different. You try your hardest to go about life as normal as possible, but you know you stand out like a giraffe in Antarctica! People know (or asume) that you don't speak the native language and stare at you like you are the wierdest thing they have ever seen. Some people don't like you and some people are just curious. Don't get me wrong, they are nice about it, but you know you look like a big idiot just trying to fit in. Even buying lunch is hard. Especially when you can't read the language. But that is a whole other topic!!
My point is, the next time you think life is hard, imagine being a very obvious foreigner struggling to do normal, everyday things. That should make you feel better!

Hardly made it to Jan. 17th

Things never work out quite the way you want them to. I had a decent day yesterday. Danny made it home kind of late and was so tired that he had to go to bed early. We don't usually go to bed until 9, but last night I think he was asleep before then.
My phone rang at about 10 o'clock. It was my boss for English teaching. He just wanted to tell me that my last student wanted to continue regular lessons in about two weeks. So, I was happy about that but mad he called me at 10 pm. When my phone rang, Danny sat straight up in bed. I told him it was just my boss and he laid back down. I don't even think he woke up to begin with. He is pretty scary and disoriented when he is startled while sleeping!
Anyway, we both were asleep and this time Danny's phone rang at about 11:45. Neither of us realized it was his phone ringing. I assumed it was his alarm for 430 until I heard a man's voice. Danny realized it was someone on his ship. There was a recall (everyone had to come back to the ship). I'll explain more later about why this really sucks. So, we got up and dressed and had to drive to Yokosuka at midnight last night. I drank a bunch of coffee and couldn't get back to sleep until about 330. I ignored my alarm when it went off at 830 and finally woke up at 930. I have a lesson today and my back is increadibly stiff.
Well, on the "bright" side I went to the Elementary school yesterday. Mr. Fisher (the principal) told me he wanted me to work as the school nurse while she was on maternity leave (about 6 weeks). Holy crap. I'm not qualified, but I'm doing it anyway. I can handle the little injuries so I think I will be okay. I am pretty scared and nervous, but I will get a few days of paid training before I start. I will work full 6 hour days from the beginning of February until the middle of March.

Wish I had more to tell about Danny, but most of what I want to tell I can't. He is working as Communication Officer now though I think he is technically still in the transition stage between his old job and his new one. His new job is pretty tough, but I think he will enjoy it. It is hard to say while they are in port. I'll try to see what kind of information I can pry out of him and try to share it with you.
Heres to another Wednesday...

There is no way to describe this one!

So, this is my life:
I officially start regular lessons for English starting next wednesday. I have two regular students so far, and hopefully a third one soon. I had a trial lesson with her today and although we didn't get to really "lesson stuff", we did get to know each other and I found out where she wants to improve. She is a very nice woman. The regular one I start on wednesday really surprises me. After the trial lesson, she was not sure if she wanted to continue. She was looking for an experianced teacher, but I was honest and told her she was my first student. She wants to go to nursing school in the states, so I hope I can prove to her that I am a good teacher by researching good schools for her.
This is where things get exciting though. For the last month or so, I have been getting civilian LES (leave and earning statements- you understand this if you've worked for the department of defense) in the mail. At first I thought it was for the family SGLI (servicemembers' group life insurance) Danny has for me. Then I thought maybe DODDS (Department of Defense Dependents Schools- sorry for all the "military talk") made a mistake and put me in the system as employed even though I wasn't. THEN, I checked the mail today. In there was a letter from Byrd Elementary. It said this:
"Dear Lori Kohlbeck:
Congratulations! You have been appointed to a subsitute position within DODDS Yokosuka, Japan effective Dec 11, 2006."
How nice of them to tell me this a month later!! It is a good thing they didn't try to call me because, for the last four weeks I had no idea I was employed. Its all news to me!
Dumb government.
Anyway, I am not sure how I feel about it, but I am going to accept. Since school is closed monday for holiday (and Danny FINALLY gets to spend two consecutive days at home) I'll have to wait until tuesday.
This is all weird cause I never even had to do an interview.
Well, tell me what you all are thinking...

Who doesn't love pictures?

I didn't take many while Ryen was here, but here they are anyway!
PS. A lot I took didn't come out because they were taken at night.

Yuck, wednesday

Blah. Its the middle of the week. Nothing going on. Danny has duty again, so here I am; alone.
Since there is nothing happening here now to write about, I thought I'd tell everyone about the last two weeks esp. when Ryen was here.
She came in on the 28th I believe. I told her I would meet her at baggage claim before I realized that it was before customs. I think she sat in there for a while before she realized that I couldn't get in there! :)
The train ride home was long and in the dark, so she couldn't see a whole lot, but things here can be bright and flashy at night so there were lots of signs for Pachinko parlors and whatnot. Anyway, it is quite different from the states. The next day we walked to the park near the house. It was a really clear day and the view of Mt. Fuji was great.
Well, I can't remember what we did minute-by-minute, day-by-day, but I tried to find lots of things for us to do. Danny had very few days off while she was here so we tried to do things he hadn't done before while he was available. We went to the Landmark at night, which was a beautiful view and tried to see the big Buddah in Kamakura, but didn't find it. We did visit a shrine though. I don't know if my pictures came out.
The rest of the time we went to Chinatown, a racetrack in Kawasaki, down to Yokosuka (Danny gave Ryen a tour of the ship), lunch in Yokohama, Tokyo- both the Akihabara (Electronics town) and Shibuya (the cool/hip part of Tokyo), and lots of other little places here and there. She got to ride the train a lot and even started learning the train route.
All in all, we had a great time. It was nice to get out of the house and see a few things I hadn't seen before. Of course it was sad to go back to my normal life, but its okay. I have Danny around a bit for now and even more so starting next week so I am pretty excited.
Well, that is my life...

Help me please

I can't talk to a vet about this because he is backed up and can't figure out what Mocha's problem is.
She is 6 months old and hasn't been fixed yet. Since she started adjusting to our house, she has been a vocal cat. She meows if I look at her, call her name, or if I am in the kitchen. At night it is the worst. The last few days have been especially bad. She roams around the house at about two in the morning and howls like someone is killing her. It is very load and very obnoxious. She also likes to stand right outside our door and whine.
I let her in the bedroom when I am in there, but the door is closed throughout the day and during the night. I do not let her in the bed because of Danny's allergies.
We've considered getting a second cat so she would have a companion. PAWS is full too and I would love to help out, but we can't bring two cats back to the states when we travel and we couldn't have a dog as long as we were living in military housing.
Does anyone know a lot about cats? I have done research, but I just can't understand what she does and I REALLY want it to stop.

Hey everyone

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. Ryen has been here the last week, so I have been showing here around Japan and haven't spent as much time sitting at the computer. Danny is still in three section duty, so I will be home a lot and will have time to update you on everything that has been happening.
Sorry if you have been writing you email and I haven't written back. I will be better about it now, so please write to me. I don't feel like sitting at the computer tonight, so I'll update everyone later.

P.S.

It has been silent because I have been trying to spend and enjoy as much time with Danny as possible. There are certainly been enough happening to write about, I just haven't. :) I know you all understand.

The Car

I said there were a lot of updates to make, so here is another. Danny and I went through a week long fiasco trying to get new tires on the car. The autoport here or in Yokosuka wouldn't do it, so we tried to find a place in town. The first place we went to was call Eneos. They are a gas station and tire place. The put brand new tires on the front, but the back is what really needed it. After being there for over an hour and a half, we had to go find another place. They said there was a rusty bold and it could only be removed by a tire place. So we drove up and down 16 (that is the road that connects Yokohama to Yokosuka) trying to find one. We went to one and they said they didn't have the tires we needed so we kept driving. Stopped by another tire place and they told us the same thing, so we went home.
Later we saw one that did tires and they ordered our tires for us. I took the car in for an appointment a few days later. They also said they couldn't remove the bolt (we had been told by Eneos that a tire place would have the right tools to remove it). Finally I just bought the tires and went down to Yokosuka to talk to some people who spoke English. That is what made this whole fiasco so much more difficult- we don't speak Japanese!
Anyway, the autoport said they could remove it, but they couldn't put our tires on. After Danny talked to them again they said they would take it off and replace it with a new one. THEN, they found out their bolts were the wrong size and refered us to a place in town in Yokosuka called Kanagawa Tire. We went there and the guy told us the bolt had been rounded off by people trying to remove it and that it was a special bolt that only the dealership could remove. By then it was 5 pm and we just wanted to go home.
I don't remember exactly when we went at it again, but Danny found a location of an English speaking Nissan dealership in Yokohama. We found it and talked to them. They said they could take it off but our car wouldn't be done until 4 pm (it was 11 or 1130), but they said if we went to the dealership near our house it could be quicker. So we drove back to Negishi and to the dealership. They got our car in as soon as they could and worked very hard to remove the bolt. They finally got it off and didn't have to bust it. In the process of putting the new tires on they replaced 8 bolts. They aren't the exact ones that were on the car before, but they were good enough.
So after a week of much frustration and spending as much money on new tires as we spent on the car to begin with, we finally got new tires on the car. We wanted to drive to Yokota, but couldn't drive on the freeway with the bad tires and, well, couldn't find it. One day, we got so lost we were in Tokyo. That was a frustrating time, but that is a story for another day!

Our Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you all had a great one. It was sad being away from home, but Danny and I enjoyed having our first Christmas together and making our own traditions and memories. The tree was in the house and very bare for a while, so it was great when Danny came home so we could decorate. I am putting pictures at the end for you to see. We exchanged gifts to each other on the 23rd. Wanted to do it on Christmas eve, but Danny had watch so I went to go pick him up at 8 on Christmas. When we got home we opened presents while sitting on the floor. We tried to get Mocha to unwrap (attack) stuff, but she just wouldn't do it no matter how much catnip was involved. That night I made my very first all-Lori Christmas dinner. I bake two pre-smoked Turkey drumsticks, as well as making greenbean casserole, potatoes (from box) and gravy (from package), stuffing (from box), rolls (from roll) and apple pie (from can). So, despite all the "premade-ness" it turned out well. I didn't want to spend all day in the kitchen, so it worked out perfect for the two of us. We still have turkey, stuffing, and green bean casserole in the fridge. Oh, and half an apple pie.
There are many, many other things to write about, but I am trying to keep this post on topic. I will write more again soon. Ryen is flying in to Japan tomorrow afternoon, so I will have to take an insanely long and lonely train ride to Narita to pick her up.
Here is the pictures:

English lessons

I had my second trial lesson today at one o'clock. It is now three and Kosuke (the owner of the school) just called and told me that she wants to continue lessons because she really liked me. The other woman is still thinking because she was looking for a older teacher and I told her that one was my first time, so she is a little nervous about it. I had to be honest with her. Anyway, I get to start regular lessons with Chihiro after Christmas. Yay!

Sorry

I know, I know. Its been a long time since I've posted. With Danny just being home I hope you all understand. We both have been a little under the weather and quite lazy.
Yesterday, I slept from noon to three after we got home and Danny slept til between 4 and 5. It was his day off, but we had to go to the hospital because he was getting the lump removed from his head. (They call it a wen) It only took about 30 minutes and didn't seem to hurt him, but the thing was on a blood vessel so he bled a bit and they wrapped his head so he looked like a injured soldier from the civil war. It was really quite funny. He also got two stiches. The doctor shaved his hair off where he cut, so last night I shaved all his hair off so he didn't look too funny. At least he won't have the bump anymore. It was small, but easier to have it off.
The ship Christmas party was wednesday. Danny made a big fuss at first about going, but it wasn't bad. Buffet style food and a gift raffle. Danny was like the 4th person drawn, but he picked the 72 hour liberty and put it back. Someone else can use it more and the officers are encouraged to leave it for other people anyway. I wanted the television. Maybe next year!
Speaking of Christmas, and to answer all your questions Grandma, we did get the tree decorated. We did it on monday night after dinner. We put the first ornament on together, which was the "first christmas" one Tracy sent us (thank you Tracy). It was really cute. So he put on the ornaments from his childhood and I put on the ones I bought at a store here. The tree is full and we didn't even put them all on, but the back is empty. Danny really crammed them on there too. It looks beautiful though and I took lots of pictures. I will put those up later. We also took pictures with Mocha and, no, she hasn't knocked over the tree. She just wraps her toy around the branches 30 million times. Danny says she just wants to decorate the tree, but I take the toy away for a while.
Our tree has presents under it and looks very festive now. Of course, Danny hasn't wrapped my present yet, but I already know what it is 'cause I picked it out in Hong Kong. I think we are being pretty frugal with Christmas and that is a good thing. I just can't wait for Christmas day.
PS. I wanted to let Cheryl know (if Dad or Grandma read this, please pass it on) that we got both packages-theirs and the one from Julie- and I cried when Danny opened it. He was perplexed why we got marshmellows, a sweet potato, canned green beans and french fried onions, but I understood pretty quickly and it made me cry. Thank you for that. I am excited to make at least the green bean casserole.
Other news: I had my first English lesson today. In fact, I just got home about half an hour ago. We met at Starbucks, which wasn't the best place because it was so noisy. I hope the lesson went well. I was so nervous and there was definitely a communication barrier there, but I hope that she will continue having lessons with me and I will get better at this. It was just a trial lesson, so she may decide that she needs a different and more experianced teacher, but now that I've met her it may be better next time. I have another lesson on monday (I try to plan these for Danny's duty days). I feel a little more prepared, but still extremely nervous. Wish me luck.
We hope to have Kana and Yuichi over for dinner this weekend. She just told me she is sick and her voice sounds like a man. Yes, those were her words. I couldn't help but laugh, but I feel bad for her too. Hopefully she will be better before sunday. I want to make dinner and have a nice evening.
Danny is home early morning tomorrow. I am alone tonight. Sad, but I am getting used to it. Goodnight everyone.

Guess what!!

For those of you who didn't know, Danny is home. Yay!! I am so excited about spending our first Christmas together.
I'll try to post again soon.

Video

Okay, so following the conversation about what our cat will eat and talking with my mother-in-law about Japanese food, I had to post this for all who hadn't seen it yet. It is really funny.

Car problems

The back two tires on our new car are pretty bad and I have been told on multiple occasions that they need to be replaced. The back left tire has a slow leak, so everytime I want to drive it, I have to go to the autoport and get more air in the tire. Of course I can only do this when they are open, which is very limited hours on tuesday and friday. They told me that they can't replace my tires because their machines are not right for the tires I need. I don't know what it is all about, but the point is they can't/won't do it. So when I went to Yokosuka today to get groceries (their commissary is much larger than ours) I stopped by the Autoport there. Turns out they won't do them either!
It is a real big pain. Now we will have to go into town to get them done which isn't (hopefully) a huge hassle, but it will probably be more expensive. Everything in Japan is expensive. Just kinda frustrated by this whole thing. I am waiting til Danny gets home to get this taken care of, but when he comes in I have to pick him up and he will have to take the car everyday (once he gets his license) because the home-to-work bus doesn't run on holiday standdown because most people don't have to go to work everyday but Danny does. I am concerned about the car because I don't know how much longer this is going to work and how soon we can get it fixed. Of course I am worried about our safety cause the tire could blow at any moment while driving down the road at 60 km/h!

Funny

We have a truely Japanese cat. I just found out tonight that she likes miso soup paste. How weird is that?

Email

Just wanted to let you all know that my email is not working. Usually when they are doing maintainence the page comes up telling you so. This morning, I just get the message from Firefox or internet explorer telling me that "this page cannot be displayed". I am not sure what is going on, but I'll try to tell you when it is up again.


UPDATE: Hey all, my email is FINALLY back!

Just one picture

Mindy sent this to my email the other day and I wanted to share it with you because it is so cute. It is her, Christine and I in the hotel in Hong Kong. It may look like a nice hotel from the lobby, but it really wasn't that great.

Job

Many of you have been asking about how my job search is going. There wasn't much happening until today. A week ago I went to Yokosuka and got what you would call a "family stamp". Is an engraved stamp made of glass that has your family name on it. I wrote down my name in English and the people working at the store translate it into katakana which is a form of Japanese writing that is used for foreign words. I need that to get a bank account.
I was told by the school that I needed a bank account with Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi or a percentage of my wages would be taken out to send it to a different bank. So on thursday I opened an account. It was very difficult because I don't read or speak (much) Japanese and they don't speak much English. It all worked out okay though.
Then I went to the legal office. They told me that military and dependents technically need a working visa to teach in Japan. I was told that most employers are willing to look past this though. I sent all this information to the school and waited many days to hear back. I was getting anxious because I was told I could have a trial lesson with a student and wanted to get started as soon as possible.
Today, I finally got an email back. The man who runs the school told me there was still a student available and I would have to meet them at a train station. Working without a visa isn't legal and it isn't illegal. So instead of being "employed" I am "joining them". This also aleviates the need to take 20% taxes out of my paycheck. Even though I will recieve money from the school, it is as if it is coming directly from the student. I am really happy that he was willing to work with me and I am excited about getting started, but I am still so nervous because I have never done this before. I will get paid 2,000 yen (about $20) for 60 minutes and likely have a lesson once a week.
The elementary school keeps bugging me. I turned in my application and it was sent to the main office in Japan, but apperently there is something missing. I just haven't bothered to take the time to walk over there yet. I am so tired of going through all this shit for one part time job. Government jobs are ridiculous. Anyway, I'll go over there eventually and try to work it all out. Unfortunately, I think I know what is missing and I don't know all the information to complete it.
Well, wish me luck!

Update, again

Aaahh, I am still getting over those comments she made. She continued to write terrible stuff to me and then got mad I wrote her back. I can't just let her say crap about me and let me walk over me. I gotta stand up for myself. Anyway, I hope this is the end of it. I am ready for it to be done. I though I escaped the drama in high school, but apperenly some people carry it in to their late 20s and for the rest of their lives. I almost feel sorry for them, but because I am on the recieving end, it is very difficult. It is going to take me a long time to forgive her for what she has done. I haven't drug other people into it though. We have mutual friends and they really don't know what is going on. If they do, it isn't because I told them. I know better than that and I really hope she does too. I really do think people like me and they aren't just acting like they do just for the fun of it.
Thank you for your love. It makes me feel better, but I have a long way to go.

I totally forgot

Somedays, I just forget we have a blog. Sorry to all those of you who check everyday and there is nothing new. There isn't much to write about in life so no reason to write a new blog.
Sometimes, things only seem to get worse around here. Danny says he feels like the little dutch boy with his finger in the dike keeping the water back. There is more and more crap happening everyday and I am sure he is pretty tired of dealing with it.
Things aren't much better on land either. I am finding out that Navy wives aren't any better than anyone else out there and I have apperently made friends with the wrong people. I think a gal took my comments the wrong way 'cause now she has told me that I am too negative (basically implying that I hate life and have no respect for the wonderful things I have) and wants nothing to do with me- which is okay because I don't want to be "friends" with someone who hates me. The thing that makes me angry is that, 1, she doesn't even know me and has no grounds to make judgements about who I really am, and 2, that she has made me question who I am. I am, if you haven't figured it out already, a very sensitive person. I am crushed because she completely exploded at me and I am mad that she has the power to do that to me. She makes me feel like I am a terrible person with no feelings who cares about no one but myself and lives to complain to people. I know I have my negative moments, but I am no better or no worse than anyone else in this world. I love my life, I love my husband, I love my family, I love my friends and I love the opportunites that I have been given. Many people never get the chance to do the things that I do and I want to take full advantage of that.
While I am crushed now, when I put myself back together and regain my dignity I will not be afraid to tell her that although she may get joy in attempting to ruin other people's lives, I am stronger because I know who I am and I will not be pushed around by people like her. For now, I will "nurse my wounds" in solitude.

UPDATE: She wrote to me again. I wrote her back but hope I never hear from her again. I don't think I am any better than her and understand I can be negative at times, but I am more of a optimistic pessimist in a fun sort of way. I don't live my life to complain. I just hope that she has some sort of excuse for her obsurd behavior.

I have to rant...

Okay, I don't do this too often so I have to take my chance to complain. Skype sucks. I can't call anyone on their landline phone and no one can call me. Well, technically they can but neither of us can understand the other. Why am I wasting money on this? Maybe I should just get vonage.
UPDATE: My dad called me this morning and Skype worked beautifully. I got to talk to him for a whole hour. How weird is that?

Pictures from Hong Kong

Like I said before, Danny has most the good pictures but I posted what I could. I think some are accidentally missing, but these are good for now. When he gets home and gives me the rest then I will make a new slideshow. The weather was in the 70s and cloudy most the week. When we went to Victoria's Peak I was sweating while standing in line and the sun came out so the view was amazing as you'll see. BTW, Victoria's Peak is the highest point on the island. They have an awesome website here: The Peak. It was definitely the highlight of the trip.

Almost Christmas

It may feel like Christmas in Western Washington with all that snow, but I have to do everything I can to make it feel festive around here. Yes, I know it isn't even December 1st yet, but I have to get movin'.
Really, I just started. Today I went to our mini-exchange and bought a live Christmas tree. We wanted a fake one, but they wanted $150 for one. We got a Noble fir and it was only $35. It is a pretty nice tree. I bought a stand and skirt for it and can't wait for Danny to get home so we can decorate. I think I have to go to a Japanese store to buy decorations because our Exchange's selection sucks. I just want some simple colored balls and a nice top, but we don't have any. I gotta find stockings too. The funniest thing about our tree is that it was shipped here from Tacoma, so it is like having a good ol' tree from home. I just hope the cat doesn't try to eat it, climb it or knock it over. Tinsel is out of the question.
I know, I haven't put up pictures of the Hong Kong trip yet. I'll go get my camera right now. I honestly don't have many good ones. Danny took most of them because I was too lazy to dig my camera out of my purse. It kept turning itself on in there too.
Anyway, just wanted to give an update. Hope everyone in Washington stays warm and dry.

Letting you know

Yes, I am still alive. Just to clear things up/let you know I was gone this last weekend. I left on wednesday and came back tonight (monday) from Hong Kong. I couldn't tell you all I was going because it gave away the location of Danny's ship. Yes, I know some people knew before that I was going and then things were canceled. It changed again and ended up working out that I could go. Danny got to spend most of the time with me and we enjoyed ourselves. Unfortunetly now his XO is being a @$$ and telling him that he isn't allowed to take leave to spend time with me anymore. He only took one day, which didn't start until 5 pm anyway, because he had duty and wanted to get off the ship so he could spend the night at the hotel. I don't understand what that guys problem is. Anyway, I am here. Sorry if you have been trying to contact me. I will be here from now on.
P.S. I'll tell you more about the trip and post pictures later. I have been awake for way too long and don't have the desire to go into it right now.

Finally!

Housing turned the heat on this morning. It is about time! Of course, the heat in the office doesn't work and the nob to adjust the heat in the bathroom is missing. I don't care right now, our house is warming up. I had a hell of a time sleeping last night because it was about 14 degrees C (57 F) downstairs and at least 3-5 degrees colder upstairs. That means it was probably about 10-12C (50-53F) in our bedroom. That is too cold to sleep comfortably. In fact, I'll give you the image of what I would have looked like. I was wearing sweatpants and a sweater and heavy socks. I had a heat pad on my feet and an extra blanket as well as the down comforter, both of which came up to my nose. I also had the hood on so all you could see where my eyes and nose. After all that, I was still freezing! I won't be cold tonight!

English Teaching

I sent my resume on friday to the Ladies English School in Tokyo. She wrote me back this morning and asked me to meet her at this train station. I am assuming she wants to do an interview. I am excited but I am so nervous.
Just wanted to share that news with you.

Funny

I read this online and instead of emailing to everyone who would find it funny, I just decided to post it here.

How to Stay Married

A man and a woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside.

She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $95,000. He asked her about the contents.

"When we were to be married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll."

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness.

"Honey," he said "that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"

"Oh, that?" she said. "That's the money I made from selling the dolls."

its STILL cold!!

I think the Navy is trying to torture us.
Okay, sorry for stating the obvious.
It is super cold around here. Okay, not freaky Seabeck 29 degrees, but 58-60 inside the house is too cold. They started running water or something through the steam pipes in the heaters and we all got excited that they were going to turn the heat on early (it isn't coming on until Nov. 22nd). Turns out it is just the water. No heat. Thats just mean!! I'll make sure not to get frostbite on my fingers as I sit here and type. Okay, I am being dramatic but I am sure you understand. Everyone knows what it is like to have to type or use the mouse when your fingers are freezing.
Anyway, onto other things. Pratically had a mental breakdown this morning about money, so I am returning to my determination to get a job. I went to Yokosuka today and got fingerprinted for the subsitute position and will turn that in tomorrow with a copy of my passport. That FINALLY completes my application and I can be considered for the position. I also have been looking at English Schools online and found an awesome all womens one. I have been emailing with the owner or director of the school. She gave me some information on the school and encouraged me to apply. I am so super duper excited about it. I will probably send her my resume tomorrow. Wish me luck!! Yay.

earthquakes and tsunamis

Yes, there was an earthquake near Japan. It was over 1000 miles north of Tokyo. There was also a tsunami warning as you may have heard. So far, there hasn't been any big waves and we are perfectly safe here. I am far away from the water and on a large hill. They issues warnings anytime there is a large earthquake. Yokosuka should be fine as well. Just wanted to tell you all this before someone freaked out. Not that I think any of you would.

This week is flying by

I didn't realize how long it has been since I wrote a blog. Not a whole lot is going on around here. I have been out to lunch with friends most this week. I was glad when I finally got to spend a day at home.
Mocha is getting bigger. She is between 5 and 6 months now and it won't be too long before she can't be considered a kitten anymore. She is quite the talker and I can't seem to figure out what she wants. Not a whole lot different than having a baby I guess. She is always whining about something and it is usually because she wants me to sit down so she can lay in my lap. I must be sitting too much though 'cause I've gained about 2 lbs. since Danny left though I am trying so hard not to. About the cat though, she is pretty well trained. All I have to do is call her and she'll come. I am pretty impressed. She is spoiled though.
It has been cold around here. It isn't that bad outside, but they don't turn the heat on for over a week and it has been about 15 degrees celsius inside at night. That is about 59-61 degrees. I am freezing to death and I know Danny would love it, the crazy boy. Of course he is not here to keep me warm when i need it either. It was a little warmer last night and the office right now is about 70. The living room is the coldest though. I can't wait for them to turn on the heat. It is pretty frustrating, especially when you are not allowed to have space heaters. How dumb is that?

More pictures of Japan!!

I didn't want to miss autumn so I took my camera out (Sierra gave me her old one and the pics come out better than my original). The Negishi Shinrin (Forest) Park is next to the base. Thursday was sunny and beautiful so I got some great shots. Yes, they are computer enhanced, but the camera just can't capture what the eye sees. It needs some help along the way. Enjoy.

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Yokota

Hey, I am writing from Yokota tonight. I am staying at Sierra (Fisher) and Ryan's, her husband, place. It was quite an experiance to get up here. Not incredibly difficult, but there was a little anxiety involved. I left my house at 8:45 this morning and got to Yokota at 11:20. That is one long trip. I took the train the whole way, but it was hard to find one that was going as far as I needed to go. Oh well, I made it here alright. It is a stereotypical air force base, but it is nice and their apartment is homey too. Not much to say, just wanted to give everyone an update on my life. I'll be home tomorrow. Hopefully my cat isn't too lonely.

Another trip to Yokohama

Today I went to Yokohama with some friends who live on the base. We went to the Landmark Tower and walked to Yamashita Park. Here is a slideshow of the pics!

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

P.S. I did not take the pic looking straight down (and I never would have!!). Also, the elevator that took us up is one of the fastest in the world. It is quite an experiance...

Changes to blog

You can obviously tell that I have made some visual changes to the blog. I am trying to find a format that fits the theme of our blog, but it is hard to find. I have made some other changes as well. You no longer have to be a member to post a comment on the blog, but I did turn on word verification. I am going to test this out for a time to see how it works and if anyone is using it. If I get spam or the only people commenting are those who have been all along, then I will change it back just to be safe. If you have any problems, please email me and I will try to fix it.

The lawn

Can someone tell me how to fix a weed eater? I was almost done with the lawn and the cable was going farther in, so I stopped to fix it for about the 3rd time. Well, now when I turn it on, the cable spins right out an onto the ground. I can't make it stay in! Help!

More mikoshi parade

I haven't figured out how to download this one yet, but here is another quick video about the Mikoshi parade. You can't see us in it, so don't bother looking. This video was taken on base, but we were in the back... Here is the link: http://www.news.navy.mil/management/videodb/player/video.aspx?ID=8137

Is it?

Is it really too quiet around here? I have been trying to post every few days, I just don't think there is much to write about. I have been having terrible migranes the last few days, but now I am drugged. It is getting a little better.
Tried to weed eat the lawn yesterday. That was a mess. I guess I have to take care of it today.
I get my couch tomorrow. I am so excited. I have to call the furniture people today and find out when they are delivering. I also got a notice that housing is going to replace our appliances. When I called them yesterday, I was told they would come in Monday morning and replace our range, refridgerator, washer and dryer. Yay!
This sunday I am going to a little get together here in Negishi. A friend, Shannon, is hosting a bunch of people from the base who have never been up here. I am trying to take them to Yokohama first to sightsee. On tuesday I think I am going to Yokota to see Sierra. I may spend the night, so don't expect to hear from me.
Not really much else to say. I don't like to talk about my pathetic life. It just makes it more real.