The "Tatonka" Family.

The Big Move

2008-05-03T14:55:00.002+09:00

Every one keeps asking me if I am excited about the move since our departure date is so close. Honestly, I think I am in a serious state of denial about it. Hard to believe since we literally have only the clothes on our backs (and some in suitcases of course), borrowed TV, linens and toys left in our house. The movers came on Wed and took everything else. Some how though, the actual move to CA still seems so far away.

I think I am feeling this way because the knowledge we were moving to CA has been in my head for so long. We have known for about 11 months we were headed to Monterey, and nearly 2 months ago the packers took the majority of our worldly belongings. We have been in this odd state of limbo for so long that it is hard to shake. I have a feeling that the true excitement wont kick in until I get off the plane in SFO and know that we all (dogs too) made it back to "the homeland" safe and sound!

So much has been going on the past couple of weeks to keep our hands working and our minds busy. Alan's replacement for his job showed up (WOO HOO) and we did what we could to get them settled into their new life. Leah's preschool held a big fund raiser last week which took alot of my time and attention. Add to that, we were told this week that Hannah needs to have surgery when we arrive in CA, and that threw us for a loop. It isn't any thing major, she just needs tubes in her ears and possibly her adenoids taken out. Still, it was another thing to worry, think and plan about.

They came to get our express shipment on the 30th, and I had stuff to take care of this week with the dogs and getting all their paperwork ready to fly. By the end of the week, Alan took off to Kyoto for a last minute trip to the one place in Japan he really wanted to go. Lucky bastard gets a few days of peace and quiet in one of the most beautiful places on earth. LOL...and no I am actually not upset that he went, I am the one that pushed him out the door. Lord knows he has been threw enough the past 2 1/2 years, he deserves a break. Plus I need him refreshed and ready for the flight on Thursday!! Also, I figure I can hold this trip over his head in order to get the car I want when we get stateside!!

The plans for the move itself have gone amazingly smoothly since my last blog break down. We were able to set up everything with the Personal Property office, the movers, housing and so forth, all with in a couple days. We even managed to get the NAVPTO office to book us upgradeable seats for our flight. We traded in our air miles so that we have 2 seats (Alan and Leah) in business class for the flight back (Hannah and I are wait listed, so keep your fingers crossed for us). We lined up someone to buy our car and we are even able to keep it till the last minute here. We got London on some doggie prozac and he is doing great with his crate. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop because really the move itself is going much better than I had expected it, compared to how it first started out. Heck, we even have 2 houses lined up to look out in CA that are ok with us having the big old scary dogs!!

The girls are excited about the upcoming trip...ok really Leah is excited, Hannah is clueless. Leah keeps asking us if today is the day she gets to go on the plane and see Grandpa. She also has decided that she needs a bike once we get there. Guess Grandpa better be taking her shopping!

I think part of my excitement in squashed by a bit of sadness over leaving the home we have created here. The past 30 months have not been easy, our family as a whole has been through alot, but this is our HOME. We have good friends here, the girls are healthy and happy and for every bad event that occurred here, there is a happy memory to combat it. Some of the friends I have made here have become like family to us. Leah is still having a hard time grasping that Shay and Camden wont always live next door to us.

We are filling the next few days with final preparations for the flight and hopefully spending time with the people that have come to mean so much to us, and that have really helped us not only survive Yokosuka, but encouraged us to thrive here.

To all of you, thank you for your love and support. We will miss you. Know that our home is always open to you, no matter where it may be!

I will post to let you all know that we arrived in CA in one piece. Wish us luck! See you all in CA.

The Hair Really Makes The Girl

2008-04-09T17:42:00.007+09:00

In honor of Hannah's birthday, I thought I would share with you the pictures of what Hannah would look like if she was born with my straight hair.

Honestly, she just doesn't look right does she? Hannah's curls are too much a part of her, they fit her personality too well to go away. As the Japanese say "Curly hair...curly brain!"

Thanks to a new My Little Pony Video (can I tell you how much I LOVE the fact my girls are into MLP??) Hurricane Hannah actually sat still long enough for me to straight iron her hair. Every once in awhile she would look back at me and say "Hot", the go back to the movie. Hence the blank expression in all the photos...Hannah was ready for a nap, and VERY focused on her new movie.

The amazing part...Hannah's curls came back with in 2 hours. Guess just like Hannah, her curls can't be stopped!!

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY HANNAH!

2008-04-08T21:57:00.008+09:00

Hard to believe my baby turns two in a matter of hours. The past two years have gone by in a blur...much like the two hours of labor I had with her.

Many of you know Hannah has been a bit of a challenge for Alan and me. We were those typical first parents that had the easy first child. Leah all in all was a very laid back baby, so of course we thought that meant Alan and I were the best parents ever.

Then along comes Hannah. The 180 degree opposite of Leah is just about every possible way. Leah was a back sleeper, Hannah preferred her tummy. Leah didn't want to breastfeed readily, where as Hannah took to the boob milk like a champ, but try her on a bottle...and watch out! Leah loved her swing, Hannah hated to be strapped into anything for longer than 30 seconds (heck, that is still true). Everything we thought we learned from our first child went right out the window with Hannah. Hannah refused to let us compare her to her big Sis in any way.

As much as that frustrated me in the beginning, 2 years later I am realizing how wise Hannah really is.

Hannah is captivating. I love how she makes her presence known to everyone in every room she enters. She is vivacious and bold. At the same time, Hannah is one of the most loving children I have ever come across. She is very caring and if there is a baby crying anywhere with in earshot, Hannah will go right over say "Baby no cry", try to cover up the baby and pat it on the back to soothe them. Something I am sure she learned from daycare, but still, I am amazed that she is so in tune to others that she wants to help.

Hannah is also teaching Leah a thing or two. Hannah has NO problem standing up for herself in ANY situation. Leah, not so much...her first reaction always was to cry, then let Mom and Dad work it out. Hannah, oh no! She will tell you when there is an issue. The perfect example...about 6 months ago we were at a friends b-day party. The boy was turning 4 and the party was in full swing. Leah was playing with a balloon when a boy ran over and took it from Leah. She of course just started crying for me. After calming her down, Leah moved on to another toy. A toy which moments later the same boy decided he wanted and took it again from Leah. Once again, Leah started crying for me. About 10 minutes later, Hannah (who was only 18 months at the time) was playing with a balloon...yet again, the boy wanted the balloon and went to grab it out of Hannah's grip. Hannah looked right at the boy (who towered over her) and screamed "NO" and ripped the balloon right out of the 4 year olds hand. Wouldn't you know it, the boy walked off and never bothered Hannah again!

Hannah never does anything half way. As a parent, that can be tiring but also SO invigorating. I am amazed when watching Hannah and how she throws herself 100% into everything. She truly loves life, people and everything in her world. If she doesn't love it, she is sure to tell you.

I love how out of no where, in the middle of play, Hannah will run to me and yell "UP UP PEASSSS Mommy". Once I pick her up, Hannah throws her arms around me and gives a hug that only a child can give. A no holds bar hug. Hannah being Hannah though, the hug is over with shortly and she if off back to what ever project held her attention the moment before.

Have you ever heard the expression "Go hard or Go home"? To me that sums up Hannah's attitude. And I think I like it!!

I am learning a thing or two from Hannah also. I decided to no longer envy the way she dives into things with wild abandonment, but instead to try it out myself. I guess in a way, Hannah is giving me that gift for her second birthday!

Happy Birthday Hannah Rose! I hope you had a fun time at your bowling party today! You were (as always) a trip to watch in action!

Goodbye March 2008

2008-03-31T21:30:00.010+09:00

Well, another month is coming to an end. I can't believe how fast time is moving...it boggles my mind. I feel like my life has been on fast forward lately and it doesn't look like it will be slowing down anytime soon.

March 17th we did our household goods pack out. To you non-military types, this is when the movers come and take 90% of your worldly goods. All our furniture, 100% of the nick-knacks, most of our kitchen stuff, good majority of the girls toys and a fair amount of clothes all got wrapped, packed and boxed up in a matter of 8 hours. Gotta love Japanese efficiency.

I thought Leah would freak out when she came home to find all but 2 Rubbermaid containers of her stuff gone. Amazingly enough Miss OCD was ok. We have been talking ALOT about the move and prepping her for this day. We gave her a container before the movers came to fill with anything she did not want them to take. We went so far as to put that box in the car so the movers couldn't touch it. I laughed at the odd things she picked out to keep...leave it to a 3 year old!

Why do we pack out so early you ask? Well, it takes about 2 months for our stuff to get to California. The NAVY base here will give us loaner furniture to use until our departure date. The living room items are seriously bad office furniture, but it works. We have a sofa to sit on, a table to eat at, and beds to sleep on, so I am NOT complaining. By packing out when we did, our household goods shipment should arrive in CA about the same time we do. We are able to keep toys, a small TV, some kitchen essentials, linens, and our computer until the end of the month. At that point we do what is called an Express Shipment, and that stuff takes about a month to reach us. All in all, not too bad.

Another milestone that day, Hannah moved to a big girl bed!! Both my little girls slept in twin beds that night. Neither have looked back since. Hannah LOVES her new bed and the princess sheets that came with it. Granted it only took her about a week to figure out she can get out of this bed all by herself! Still, she has stayed in bed all night with no fights (knock on wood)...lets pray that continues.

The family member having issues...yup, you guessed it...our boy London. Once again being too smart for his own good is biting him in the ass. Between that and just the general nerves in the house lately, it all got to London. So bad that while he was crated, Lou took to trying to dig his way out of a brand new crate. He managed to cut up his gums and paws and put a nice hole in the kennel. After the 2nd time of him trying to play Houdini, we ended up at the vet and left with a prescription for Doggie Anxiety meds. Sad to admit, but true. They seem to be taking the edge off, but honestly I don't like him on them. He has lost his high energy spark (the thing that London and Hannah have in common). I plan on keeping him on the meds till we arrive in CA, then throwing the bottle away. Luckily the meds are helping with the crate issue, he is no longer trying to dig his was out of Alcatraz and now goes into his crate on his own to escape the girls!

The girls and I took a break from moving stress and joined some friends in an Easter Egg Hunt last Sunday. It was great fun to watch. I laughed so hard watching Leah and Hannah and how differently they approach life.

Leah had previously seen the eggs I bought for the hunt. I explained that I was giving these eggs to the Easter Bunny and so were all of her friends Mommies. Then the bunny would hide the eggs for all the kids to find. To Leah this translated to the idea that she could ONLY find the eggs I gave the bunny. I didn't know this though, so I was baffled as to why she started to get frustrated and began crying at the hunt. Leah was upset because she didn't see the eggs I made, she was only finding everyone elses. Poor Leah...she is so good, that she didn't want to take eggs that weren't hers, she thought that would be stealing from the other kids!! What a sweet kid. It took a minute to explain that the eggs were for everyone and that she could take whatever eggs she came across. After she found one of "her" eggs, she was all good, then went about gathering as many as she could find.

Now Hannah on the other hand, she went to town as soon as she realized there was candy inside. That amazing find came after the first eggs she picked up and popped open. I think Hannah spent as much time eating candy that day as she did gathering eggs. She also didn't waste anytime, and would often double fist her candy and eggs! I love this kids zest for life!!

Back to the moving front...

We had our pre-move out inspection already. The housing office came thru to check out how much damage we have inflicted on this unit in 2 1/2 years. Surprisingly all went well. With that done, we scheduled our final check out for May 6th.

I also made our reservations at the Navy Lodge for after we check out of housing. We are spending the last few nights in the lodge and the dogs will stay with friends. I don't have much longer to scrub these damn white tile floors. WOO HOO

The Navy was actually nice enough to finally pay for our airline tickets. There is no turning back now. We were able to upgrade 2 of the tickets to business class (the other 2 are wait listed). At the very least, Leah and Alan will be treated like royalty while Hannah and I are walking the isles in economy! This is a good thing though. With Alan and his back, having the room to stretch out will make all the difference in the world. He had just better be bringing me all of Leah's free alcohol for the flight.

That being said, there is a chance our day of departure may change. I will fill you all in on that more when I am able.

Along with that suspense, I am asking for some prayers and healthy vibes from all of you please. Some other major things have been happening and we need all the support we can get...no matter how far away.

We are counting the days till our time with 7th Fleet is over. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, now we just need our sanity to last that long!

Rental Vent

2008-03-14T23:35:00.006+09:00

Dear Rental Companies,

I understand that the national opinion on Rottweilers is a pretty bad one. I understand why. I understand that a family with 2 large dogs is not your ideal tenant. I do know that some Home Owner Insurance Companies are racist against our Rotti and German Shepherd. I am sure you have been burned in the past by renting to people with dogs over 35 pounds.

I understand all of it, but PLEASE PLEASE don't delete my emails as soon as you see the word Rottweiler. Keep reading. Read how we treat our dogs like children. See how our 100 pound dog thinks he is a 10 pound lap dog. Find humor in the fact that a toy poodle can beat him up. Know that both boys are well trained, lovable, treasured members of our family. I promise you that other than the occasional bark hello at neighbors, they are GREAT dogs to have in a home and in a neighborhood. Have confidence that I am a Vet Tech with 10+ years in the business and know how to take care of animals and how to train them well. Be assured that we carry USAA renters insurance, and USAA is a smart company and has no breed specific restrictions.

Take a moment and pour over the letters of reference we have received from several vets, neighbors and pet sitters. Hear the story of a little girl on our street that was terrified of dogs, Rottweilers in particular because she was bitten by one...yet that very girl a year later was asking her mom if they could take Bubba if we didn't want to take him to Japan with us. Learn how there is not a single person that has met our dogs that continues to be afraid of them after 30 seconds.

Walk through my home. See how well behaved they are. The biggest problem you will have is that if you sit on our sofa, you will have 100 pounds on your lap licking you, wanting to be your friend. Look at our house and see that there is no damage done to the home from the dogs. Watch as our 2 young daughters treat the dogs like their own personal ponies or dress up dolls. See how the dogs take it all in stride knowing that the torture will be over soon and they will get treats out of the humiliation.

If needed we can provide letters of reference on us too. Be assured that we are the type of people to take loving care of someone elses home. We are also upstanding people that will take responsibility is heaven forbid something does happen (like the dogs digging a whole in the yard). Know that we have the money to hire a gardener to maintain the yard to help battle the effects of the dogs just doing their daily business. Please understand that we are SUPER excited to be back in California and will treat any good house as our very special home. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give us a chance, we really do not want to be homeless.

Thank you for your time.

V/r,

Nicole W

So can you guess that we are having a problem finding a rental company that will give us the time of day?

Come on people, you know our dogs, give a shout out and tell everyone what babies I have!! And pray that someone will have an open mind and believe me!!

Just For Laughs...

2008-03-13T17:44:00.004+09:00

Hannah did not find this funny, but I sure as heck did.

Here is Hannah after eating a VERY yummy freshly made chocolate chip cookie.

Here is Hannah asking for more cookie. If you take a look at her hands, she is signing the word "more".

And here is a VERY ticked off Hannah when I tell her "No more cookies"

Seriously, how can you look at that and NOT laugh! I know, I am so mean.

Save the Date

2008-03-11T21:19:00.009+09:00

May 8th 2008. Mean anything to anyone? To my family and friends it better. It is the day I turn 32 (gulp). It is also the day that the NAVY decided would be fitting to send this California Girl back home!

I swear I didn't plan this (although I would have if I could have). But the NAVPTO office picked that day all on their own, what are the chances?

What is really funny? My b-day will last 2 days this year. How freaky is that? Hope it doesn't mean I will age twice as fast?!!? We are due to leave Tokyo Japan at 4:50pm local time on the 8th. With the 9 hour flight and the time difference, we actually land in California at 9:15am on the 8th. Yes, we go BACK IN TIME! I love that!!!

All this good news does come with a price. And the reason why I went MIA the past week.

Meet our problem child...London.

Our 5 year old, 85 pound - freakishly long - German Shepherd mix - four legged child. London is a great dog. He deals with us and puts up with the girls. He is WAY to smart for his own good (can unlock and open our sliding glass door and windows...seriously NOT kidding). The bad thing...he really is FREAKISHLY long. This normally isn't a problem except when it comes to the size of his crate. He needs the Giant size Vari kennel, the one made for Great Danes. This is the size kennel he was crate trained in when we adopted him and the size kennel he traveled to Japan in.

Well, thanks to some screwed up policy at United Airlines, London can not travel back to the states in the manner to which he has become accustom. Ok, not true, he can travel back in the Giant kennel but to the tune of $3,500. Um yeah NO!

Don't get me wrong, I love my dog but I love my marriage more. Spending $3,500 on a dog would end it. I did it once, spending that on Bubba's knees and that I snuck in under Alan's radar until he couldn't say no! I know not to do it again. Honestly though, that is money we just don't have. With the major expense of the move itself, having to spend nearly 4k we weren't prepared for just is not in the cards (not even the credit cards).

Here is the issue. For some reason United will not allow the Giant size kennel to go as checked baggage on international flights. Makes NO sense to me since he traveled on United in that very kennel from DC to Seattle. The plane we will be flying to CA is bigger than the one we flew to Seattle, but "policy is policy" from what I am told. Mind you this all came as a BIG shock to me, since I was previously told by not 1, not 2, but THREE United Reservation Agents that taking London checked baggage would be no problem. Then the night we received our travel itinerary from the Navy, I come to find out that I spoke to not 1, not 2, but THREE United Morons before! According to every supervisor I argued with (and there were alot because I kept calling back and asking to speak to someone else higher up the chain) told me that the 700 series kennel has never been allowed as checked baggage and had to go Air Cargo.

The Japanese can't do anything easy. So I can't just book London as Air Cargo myself on the flight home. Per Narita Airport, I HAVE to use a Pet Transport company to ship a dog Air Cargo. Their quote...yup, the $3,500 I noted before. Mind you Bubba (our Rotti) is 100 pounds, but travels in a smaller crate, will only cost us $300 as checked baggage. Makes no sense.

The other problem with going Air Cargo, there is NO guarantee that London can go on the same flight we do. Air Cargo can only be booked 10 days before the day of departure, and only if the flight isn't full. What would happen in 10 days before our flight we are told there is no room for him? What would be do then? Not to mention, what ever flight he would get on, London would have to be delivered to the cargo shipment area 3-4 hours before the flight. Add that to the already 9 hour flight, and time on the other end in San Fran, and the poor dog would be locked in a cage for up to 14 hours. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

Last week one night, at about 2 am, as I am on the phone with yet another Supervisor at United and in tears by now thinking I can't get my dog home, I look down to see this:

London in Bubba's crate. Bubba's crate is 8 inches shorter in length, yet there is London curled up inside looking at me as if to say "Look Mom, I fit in here. It is ok, I promise. I can do this, I will be fine".

After finally admitting defeat to United and the NAVY, I realized that London will just not be able to stretch out and relax on his international flight. He will have to travel in the Extra Large Vari Kennel (which can go as checked baggage). Alan is right, London is too neurotic to relax on that flight anyway so it isn't like he will be stretching out and lounging around down in the cargo bay, sipping Doggie Margaritas. Basically London will have to fly Economy like the rest of the family, instead the Business Class he had preciously enjoyed.

I will admit between that and some other family issues surrounding our arrival in California, I was in a bit of a funk the past week. Then I guess in my old age I am growing up. I realized that not everything works out the way we want and some people will continue to disappoint us no matter how much we wish it different.

After wallowing in my sorrows for a bit, I took page out of London's book and adapted for the sake of my family. I put the focus back on the positive. Back on the fact that my birthday will last 2 days, that I can actually enjoy a yummy Carne Asada Burrito in my favorite place on earth with my amazing husband, my adorable kids and 2 goofy dogs!!

I did make 1 additional birthday request to Alan. For my 32nd birthday I asked for 2 hours in Barnes and Nobles (or Borders, I am not picky) ALONE. No kids, no hubby; just me, the smell of books and enjoyment that is a book store on a grandiose scale that only America can provide!

Another Hannah Story

2008-03-02T21:28:00.012+09:00

I haven't done a Hannah Picture Story in awhile (ok really not since the first one almost a year ago). I thought it was time for a sequel.

"Mommy, come play with me"

" I love my camera. Say Cheese"

"MOMMEEEEE. Leah made share my camera and I DON'T LIKE TO SHARE. Look at my pouty face. I am trying to look pathetic enough so you will make Leah give me back the camera. Is it working?"

Although Hannah's pout is priceless, it wasn't good enough to do the trick. What was good enough? Her LOUD screams. Loud enough that Leah didn't want to listen to them and gave Hannah another turn with the camera. Oh and FYI, we actually have 2 OF THE EXACT SAME CAMERA, but they both wanted that particular one. Why? I have know clue, I chalk it up to toddler logic.

"Thank you Leah, I am a Happy Hannah now. Don't I look sweet and innocent? I never do ANYTHING wrong, do I Mommy? Everyone tells me I am so pretty...don't you think I am pretty?"

"Now that I have gotten my way, I will go sit and play nicely for awhile. Don't get too comfy though Mommy, I will want your attention again soon."

"Ok, It is time to read a book. Come on and sit with me while I read. I am good at telling stories. You may not understand what I am saying yet, but I promise it is a great story."

Doesn't Hannah-belle look so grown up with a ponytail? How is it that a simple hair tie can make her look older and wiser? Hard to believe she will be 2 years old in month. Where has the time gone? Thank goodness for all our cameras to record the time as it flies by.

Grooving to the Music

2008-02-26T20:49:00.008+09:00

I was instructed by another mom today on the playground that I needed to update my blog. Amy, this one is for you!

The past month or so, I have taken to playing my IPOD in the car to and from school. In the morning it is "mommy music" and on the drive home (cause the girls are tired and cranky, and music really does soothe the savage beast) we listen to "kiddie music".

On my morning play list is Colbie Caillat's Bubbly.

Last week I could have sworn I heard Leah singing along to this song, but when I looked in the backseat, she was just smiling and denied singing. Then today, BAM, I caught her. Some how out of the 45 songs on my "Wake me up" Play list, Leah decided to pay attention to that one. She knows about half of it and will pick certain phrases now to belt out from her car seat.

I can't begin to tell you how cute it is to hear her little voice sing such a sweet song. Not to mention it is nice to hear her sing something other than Old MacDonald or her ABC's.

Now I am just waiting to see if Leah decides to sing it to her little school girl crush. Yup, Leah has her first serious crush...well as serious as a 3 year old can have. When ever Leah talks about school, she brings up one little boy in particular. Leah gets this adorable tone in her voice, smiles really really BIG and tilts her head to the side as she says "Alex is cute". If Alex ever misses a day at school, we know about it. Leah has some good taste too, Alex is CUTE!

But then again, so are all the kids in Miss Kim's class. We had a great time tie dying t-shirts a couple weeks ago in our classroom colors. The children looked groovy in their new duds.

Leah has been cutting back on sucking her thumb, so as a reward I bought her a Yokosuka Co-op Preschool sweatshirt. And why did Leah want this? But of course...Miss Kim has one! Doesn't she look so grown up in a pair of khaki's and her new sweatshirt?

Oh, and it is a good thing Miss Leah didn't decide to learn this song off my IPOD!

Do They, Don't They?

2008-02-17T19:21:00.010+09:00

Alan and I hear all the time that Hannah and Leah look so much alike. Funny because we could not disagree more.

To us, Leah and Hannah are as different as their hair. Leah's is PERFECTLY straight, on the lighter side, baby fine and takes forever to grow. Hannah's hair is anything but light and straight. She has this mass of half curly, half wavy, dark brown, semi thick hair that she came out of the womb with. Really her hair can't make up its mind of what it is!! We often joke that their hair is a perfect metaphor to their personalities. Leah's is calm, predictable and slow to grow. Hannah's is wild and free. There is a Japanese thought that says "Curly hair, curly brain", it is very fitting for Hannah's larger than life personality.

To us the only thing the girls have in common are their blue eyes. How did 2 brown eyed parents end up having 2 killer blue eyed babies? Pure dumb luck and really good recessive genes!

So what do you think, do they or don't they look alot alike?

Oh and as you can see, Leah got her hair cut!

I had been trying to get Leah in for a hair trim for a while, but she refused. Then 2 things happened to change her mind. First, her beloved teacher Miss Kim got her hair cut, and then we all went with Daddy to the barber shop while he got his hair cut. Wouldn't you know it, then Leah ASKED to get her hair trimmed! Of course something was lost in translation and the nice Japanese man did more than just trip, he chopped and sheered. At first I was in shock, but now I am liking the hair cut. Leah was excited by it and announced "I got my hair cut like Miss Kim's". Not to mention she loves that it only takes me 2 seconds to do her hair in the morning now.

And NO, I have NO intentions of ever cutting Hannah's hair. The curls are just to freakin pretty to touch with scissors. Even if she fights me daily when I try to tame her mane!

These sisters may be as different as night and day, but they have their moments together where they how much they really love each other.

Kimono Cuties

2008-02-09T21:30:00.000+09:00

Today I took the girls to the Mochi Pounding Event on base. Mochi pounding is a tradition Japanese event where they take rice and pound/kneed it into almost a dough-like substance. That dough is then made into yummy treats. The girls and I did not go for the food, we went to play dress up.

One of the things they do here is take little (and big) American's and let us play Japanese dress up in beautiful Kimono's. I did this with Leah 2 years ago and it was too much fun not to want to repeat. Really, it is just a great photo op. What really cracks me up, is that I think more Japanese women got pictures of my kids today than I did. Many asked if they could take pictures of and with the girls. I am very proud of how nice Leah and Hannah were to all the cute women. Now there are random pictures of my Kimono kids all over the Yokosuka.

There really isn't much to say about today, I will let the pictures do all the talking. Hannah wasn't too sure about it all at first, but she got into soon enough!

Kisses and Hugs from Leah makes all things better....

The Japanese 3 Musketeers.

Now here is a crazy flashback...here is the picture of Leah from 2006 when she was 15 months old, and the one I took of her today. I can't believe how much she has changed. And man, did she have have some serious BAD hair from the mullet that idiot from Hair Cuttery gave her. Lucky for her, she grew up pretty dang cute!

Progress, in tiny NAVY baby steps

2008-02-06T13:36:00.000+09:00

You know the old expression "One step forward, two steps back"?

That statement is never more true than when you are going through a military move. Getting verbal orders from the detailer is a big step, but you can't really do anything with verbal orders other than pray they don't change.

Next step, recieveing your written orders. That is the little piece of paper (ok really 5 pages of paper) you need to attempt to get the ball rolling on your move.

Military orders are worded very strangly to the logical brain. They do not actually give you a real detach or report date. It is all very "open". Ours say we can leave in May and report in June, but the exact dates are open ended. This does not mean WE get to choose when we leave. That is very much up to the NAVY or really Alan's current command. Me being the impatient person I am (yes honey I admit it!), I started pushing Alan within days of his written orders being out to get us our "window" to leave. Even when his Commander gives us the ok on a date it is still up to YET ANOTHER military office as to when we get to actually depart Japan.

Aren't you just loving the red tape? Oh there is more...

1. Verbal orders (check)

2. Written orders (check)

3. Tenative detatch date from the ship (check...as of Monday we were giving the ok for the beginning/mid May timeframe).

Next step, I go to NAVPTO (yes EVERYTHING in the Military is done by initals. No, I don't know what they all mean.) NAVPTO is the department that actually books our tickets. You would think since I have hard copy orders in hand and I know our 10 day window to leave, May 5-15th, that I could just give them the request.

But NO. It has to come from one certain admin chick on Alan's ship. Back a step.

I also found out that even if Alan's admin people get the request in now that it can not be processed till at least the end of the month. Reason being, the military is pushing to try to have everyone fly Military Flights out of here (MAC / AMC flights) and the MAC schedule for May wont be published till at least the end of the month. What is funny about this? Since our dogs are so large they each count as 2 pets. MAC is really trying to cut back on animals on the flight because they take up so much weight/cargo. The chances of us flying MAC are slim. We flew them here and actually it wasn't a bad flight, but I don't want to fly them back. Mainly because we would have to fly MAC from here to Seattle, then transfer to a commercial flight to San Fran. Serious headache with 2 dogs and 2 kids, and AMC flights are not the most reliable.

OR... we could get a commercial flight, short, sweet and DIRECT from Tokyo to SFO. Hmmm, now which would you want?

I am going to (not so) patiently wait till next month to find out exactly when we live. Until then, please send commercial airline prayers our way.

Skipping step #4...make travel arrangements.

5. House Hold Goods

Next on my list is to go by the Personal Property Office and schedule our pack outs. Yes multiple. We have 2. Our regular house hold goods, which take 10-12 weeks to arrive stateside and our express shipment. Stuff we can hold on to longer and have arrive sooner (about 6 weeks transit time). Clothes, toys, computer, all the important stuff.

6. Housing Japan

Then I go to the Housing office. Here is where I request the Oh so lovely loaner furniture to use once all our stuff is packed up sometime in March. I also have to schedule a date to have them do our check out inspection...but again, not being able to complete step #4 will keep me from doing part 2 of step #6.

Ya following me so far?

7. Navy Lodge

Book hotel rooms for time between housing check out inspection and time we actually leave

8. Cars/Japan

Some time in the middle of all this, find some one to buy my car. I managed to sell Alan's car out from under him yesterday, so that step is half done. Also make rental car reservations so we are covered if we need a car for a few days after we sell my car until we actually get on the bus to the airport.

9. Dogs

Ugg, not gonna get into all that now! But update vaccines and get required documentation to exit Japan/enter the USA.

10. Housing in the US

Yep, I am already trying to figure out our housing for when we get to Monterey. Whether it be on or off base, and trying to find a place that will take us and our dogs!

11. Cars/USA

I have come to realize there could VERY well be a mini van in my future...heaven help me. Alan and I are researching cars online. I am excited about having a brand new shiny car, but I am NOT excited about the shiny new pricetag it comes with. Or the fact that I will become a mini van driving soccer mom soon. ACK!

12. Preschools

I have Leah on the waiting list for 3 preschools in the Monterey area. All to be toured and interviewed by both Leah and I when we arrive in Cali. The one thing Leah keeps asking me about our move is if she still gets to go to school. So I am going my best trying to find a school that she will love as much as the one she has here.

13. Daycare

The price for 3 hours of preschool is INSANE, so I am also looking at just full time daycare with a preschool program for both Leah and Hannah. Leaving me open for #14.

14. Employment

Yup, I may be going back to work. If the girls into a good daycare, I may end up back to work. I am unsure if I am more excited or sad about that prospect. I have really missed my job the past 2 1/2 years, but I know I will miss my girls more if they are not driving me crazy all the time.

15....I know there is more, but I am sure you are tired of reading and my brain is fried. SO the rest of the list will have to wait.

Aren't you jealous you don't get to do this move????
3 months, 6 days baby!

I LOVE Mom & Pop Businesses

2008-02-04T21:16:00.000+09:00

In todays world, you can't turn on the TV, open a newspaper, or read a magazine with out hearing about all the issues with Chinese made products. I know alot of people that are trying to buy only American goods, but it is a hard thing to do.

So I am going to sing the praises of a little All American Company.

http://www.homebones.com/

My neighbor Julie had a "Home is Where the Navy Sends You" Plaque made up for Christmas. It lists all the places that her family has been stationed during her husbands nearly 20 year career. I loved this product, and thought Alan would like to keep a running tribute to our many moves.

Last week I looked up the company and started building my Homebones. It was fun, although I realized I would not be able to keep it a surprise from Alan like I had hoped. I needed dates for his tours and I did not know them all. Even though Alan is floating circles some where in the middle of the ocean right now, thanks to modern technology, I was able to email him the link to the one I was making.

Alan got into it more than I thought he would. He tweaked it to include his schooling and added the correct dates. I was so impressed with it, that I ended up posting about it on a private web board that I belong to for mom's that are stationed at Yokosuka Naval Base.

The post spread like wild fire and within hours the thread had been viewed about 62 times. Some how word got back to the company about my post and I recieved an email from them expressing their gratitude and offering a special deal for all the mom's of the site I belong to.

I was now even MORE impressed with them. They had asked to see what was written on the thread, but I explained that due to our privacy policy, I could not grant them acess to the board but I did send them an email including all the wonderful things that were being said about their products.

I recieved this email back:

Nicole,

We absolutely understand and respect that. Some forums are meant to be exclusive and that is certainly one of them. I just shared what you sent with Bridget and she teared up. The comments were awesome and meant a lot to her. She's the creative force in this endeavor while I do the nerdy stuff (website). Sure made her night.

Thanks again,

Matt & Bridget Breden HomeBones, LLC

www.myhomebones.com

I love the fact that this is a husband and wife team and that they are doing something so special for our families in uniform. Even more so that they took the time to seek us out and offer us their gratitiude.

In return, I am expressing my gratitude to them and hoping that My Homebones gets even more notice. We need more Mom & Pop Family companies like them. Then maybe we wont have to worry about China.

Totally Jinxed Myself

2008-02-03T19:57:00.000+09:00

Just last week, I was talking to a new neighbor that moved in 3 doors down. She actually moved here from California, has a 3 1/2 year old daughter, a distructo 2nd child, and is Mommy to a Rottweiler (weird huh?). Anyway, this new neighbor was asking about snow, to which I replied "Oh, we never really get snow here. It snowed when we first moved here 2 years ago, but didn't even last a day. Come on, I am on my way to California, I can never live where it snows again and be a happy women".

Me and my BIG mouth...it gets me into trouble EVERYTIME. I woke up Sunday morning to this is my backyard:

And this out my front door:

When Leah and Hannah woke up, I showed them all the snow (to which they oooed and awwwed over) and asked if they wanted to go out and play in it. Once again Leah proved to be SO my daughter when she replied "No mommy, I want to stay here where it is warm and drink my milk". Ok, cool by me.

About an hour later, Mrs New Neighbor calls because her daughter is requesting that my girls come out and play. I guess Leah changed her mind since her new friend was out playing in the snow. Mind you we are all still in our toasty pajamas, so it took me about 30 minutes to round up the girls; get all of us dressed, bundled and out the door.

OH MY, it was COLD. The wind picked up about 2 minutes after we got outside, and it was blowing sideways. I am not kidding you. Poor Leah, after 15 minutes her hands were like ICE (yeah yeah yeah, I didn't buy snow gloves, why would I?) and she started crying that she wanted to go inside. Which of course led to her asking for Daddy (because Daddy can stop cold, wind and snow ya know!) and in turn caused our new little neighbor girl to start crying...and of course then Hannah had to chime in!

After a promise of continued play INSIDE with hot chocolate & marshmellows under the comforts of a warm blanket, all of us piled back into the house to get toasty. We spent more time getting ready to go out in the snow than we actually spent playing in the snow. LOL

The base preceeded to shut down. The Japanese closed all toll roads (their highways) and Yokosuka Naval Base told us all to stay off the roads and at one point would not allow any cars off base. That didn't bother me ONE bit. My butt stayed in the house with my kids, dogs, blankets and hot cocoa! It is just gonna suck to dig out my car in the morning, because yes I was too lazy to go out and sweep it off today.

WHY oh WHY do people WANT to live in snow again? Another reason why I am going to kiss the sandy beaches of Monterey in about 3 1/2 months!

Oh, and you have to laugh at this picture of Hannah. She slipped down the little hill infront of our house. Notice she fell with grace, never loosing the DEATH GRIP she had on her snacks! Thats Alan's girl for ya.

P.S. FYI I am the worlds worst speller and Blogspots spell check is not working. Please excuse the mistakes!! At least the photos are working now, we all know photos are more important to a good post than spelling. Right?

Doing A Happy Dance

2008-01-26T15:20:00.001+09:00

"Do a little dance, make a little love, get down to night...get down tonight"

Alan recieved in writing his new orders from the Navy. It may not seem like much to those of the "outside world", but having orders in hand is a BIG deal. Yes we have knows for nearly 7 months when and where we would be moving next, but you still never know. Plus, I can't start the LONG drawn out NAVY moving process until Alan's orders "hit the street".

Last night I came home to a fabulous email from my incredible husband with a copy of his orders attached.

WOO HOO. I have it in BLACK AND WHITE and can hold it in my hands:

DETACHING ACTIVITY

WHEN DIRECTED BY REPORTING SENIOR, DETATCH IN MAY 08 FROM COMSEVENTHFLEET
HOMEPORT JAPAN, HONSHU YOKOSU

ULTIMATE ACTIVITY

REPORT NO LATER THAN JUNE 08 TO STU PG MONTEREY
PERMENANT DUTY STATION CA, MONTEREY
OFFICIAL CHANGE OF DUTY ORDERS FOR
LT ALAN LAWRENCE WEINRAUB, USN

Can you believe it?!?!?!? Come on people, do a little happy dance with me!

Oh and yes, we made it to and from Thailand all in one piece. We had a fabulous time...if not an interesting one. Let's see what happened:
We got accused of trying to steal someones luggage and had the plane to Thailand held up.
The guy sitting next to Hannah and I on the flight down got horribly drunk, spilled his 7th scotch and soda on my seat and fell down face first into the isle, and then proceeded to get arrested by the Thai officials when we landed.

And all that was just on the way there...there is 7 more days to talk about. Honestly though, we had great time, the girls LOVED the beach and getting to be hugged by a baby elephant, and I enjoyed getting a week of peace with my family before Alan left on deployment. I will upload pictures soon, but this week hasn't given me much time.

Alan left yet AGAIN this past week. What makes this tour harder is that it is the first deployment that Leah has really been effected by. On Tuesday when Alan pulled out, Leah was in tears all day. Everything made her cry, even going to school which she normally loves. By Thursday she was much better, but will at odd times just announce that she misses Daddy. G-d love her, when I was putting her down for her nap today she said "Mommy, I miss Daddy". I told her I missed him too, to which my 3 year old tries to make me feel better and says "Don't worry Mommy, Daddy said the boat would be home soon!"

3 months and about 10 days and we wont have to worry about the boat again! And I have that in writing!

I Am Such A Bad Jew

2007-12-29T22:37:00.000+09:00

But a good mom (or so I think!)

Confession time...I TOTALLY caved on Christmas and Santa this year. I blame it on my 3 year old, and those killer eyes she has (look at last picture in the previous post and you will understand).

Leah was really into Santa this year. I know it comes from her being in school and around 17 other kids that all celebrate Christmas. The pre-school brought Santa in to meet all the kids, and they learned a myriad of Holiday jingles. I also added to it because I love the movies Polar Express and Rudolph (who doesn't like that one?). Then add in all the kids shows having a Christmas episode (ie Dora, Wonder Pets, etc...although Blues Clues does do a Chanukah one...GO BLUE). I did not put up any decorations, and other than the movies, no mention of Christmas was made with in our home. Yet Miss Smarty pants knew all about it.

Ever since I gave birth, I have worried about how to handle the issue with Santa and having Jewish kids. As a military nomad family, we will never live in an all Jewish neighborhood and the girls will not go to Jewish Day Schools like Alan did. Leah and Hannah will always be in the minority when it comes to being the Heb's in the area.

I don't want to lie to my kids, yet I don't want to tell them the truth about Santa and have them blab it to other children. I honestly believe children deserve to be children and believe in the wonders that is Santa Claus. I don't want the girls to ruin that for others, or be left out. Then add this year when Leah is talking about Santa and how he is going to come to our house and how the reindeer are going to land on our roof, my heart was a mess!

I FINALLY came up with an idea thanks to one of the girls favorite TV shows. There is an episode of Dora the Explorer where she goes to the North Pole to GIVE Santa a gift. A light bulb went off in my head and I came up with a plan.

I sat Leah down and explained that since Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Stef and Uncle Mike all got her and Hannah SOO many gifts for Chanukah, that I told Santa and his elves that they didn't need to bring anything to us. At first she looked at me like I was crazy, but I went on to tell her how busy Santa and the elves were and that they really appreciated our help. Leah asked if the reindeer and Santa were still going to come to our house. I told her yes, but instead of getting a present from Santa, that I thought it would be super nice if we GAVE a present to Santa and his crew.

Man on Man, did that do it! Leah jumped off the sofa and started going a mile a minute. She wanted to make him a card, paint a picture, buy him a gift, make him cookies and wrap his present. And all of that had to be done ASAP!!

Off Leah and Hannah went. True to her word, the dynamic duo got busy panting pictures, made a card thinking about a gift. We wrapped some gloves up for Santa (because it is cold up north ya know!) and Leah was so happy! Hannah wasn't sure what was going on, but Leah's hype and enthusiasm was contagious.

Come Christmas Eve, Leah lovingly put the gifts out, along with the much needed milk, cookies, carrots, apple...and a bowl of water for the sleigh team (my kid cracks me up). At bed time Leah made me promise that if I heard the sleigh bells, I had to come get her. Then she tells me "Mommy, if I hear them, I am going to get Hannah first ok? Then I will go get you ok Mommy?" HOW SWEET IS THAT?

Off to bed Leah went (Hannah too because G-d love her, she is still clueless), and off I went to take care of Santa duty. I honestly had not planned on leaving the girls a surprise for Christmas morning. I tried to tell myself they didn't need one, but in the end, they melted my heart. The fact that they were so excited about giving a gift, and no cares about not getting one (well to me) that proves they do deserve a surprise.

So, I am a bad Jew, I totally caved and Santa left Leah a stable and pony, and Hannah a tea set. Mind you I did not go out and buy these gifts last minute, they were left over Chanukah gifts I had for the girls. With our trip to Singapore falling during the holiday, the girls did not finish opening up their 8 days of gifts (yeah yeah yeah, I got them each 1 gift for each night...yeah yeah, they are spoiled...sue me). I had to give the gifts at some point anyway right?

Here is an Alan funny. I snuck out to the gym on Christmas Eve, and come back to find all the Santa dishes in the dishwasher. I laughed and realized he had NO concept of Santa. I explained to him that Santa doesn't clean up after himself. That the dishes have to be left out, complete with crumbs and a note! Alan looked at me like I was nuts, but lovingly played along.

Christmas morning Leah was like every other kid she knows. The first words out of her mouth were "SANTA, Mommy Santa came last night!" and she tore down the steps. I had set out her stable and horse on kitchen table, right next to Santa's cookie plate. You know what, Leah didn't even notice the horse at first. She freaked that Santa ate his treats and left her a note. She was happy to see that Rudolph drank his water and liked the carrots.

After a short delay, Leah's eyes got really big and she looks at the stable, back at me, back at the stable, then whispers "Mommy, is that for me? Did Santa bring me a present". I honestly thought she was going to cry she was so excited and surprised. That made me cry. Leah loved the horse and Hannah went to town on the tea set.

Christmas day was spent with the girls playing nicely (that horse drank ALOT of tea LOL) , us tracking Santa thanks to NORAD and You Tube, and again watching Rudolph...ALL DAY.

Alan did work on Christmas, but the girls and I dressed up and went to meet him for dinner on the ship. The USS Blue Ridge put on a huge holiday feast for the crew and her families. We all dined on Shrimp Cocktail, turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob (which was a total kick watching Hannah eat), green beans and LOBSTER. Which of course both girls loved. A bit unorthodox way to have Christmas dinner, but fitting since we are a rather unorthodox family. We may not have had a tree with lights, but we had a ship of lights, which Hannah was in love with.

It was the perfect end to a perfect day. And yes, Leah had to sleep with her pony that night!

Like I said, I may have been a bad Jew, but I think I get total mom brownie points anyway.

Too Blessed To Be Stressed

2007-12-21T22:35:00.001+09:00

I came across that quote by blogging accident, and I decided that is going to me my new mantra, I like it alot!

December has been a good month. A month that started to restore my faith in everything and helped me recharge all my batteries. I decided I like December of 2007!

The beginning of the month was nothing out of the ordinary. Which with the way 2007 has been, I will take plain old ordinary. The blessings started with the birth of a dear friends baby girl. I have had the pleasure of being there thru all of her pregnancy and I think I was almost as anxious for her arrival as her mom was. Dec 1st 2007 was a VERY good day in Japan.

Next came Chanukah. I loved it this year. People ask me all the time if I miss celebrating Christmas, and yes at times I miss the tree and the festive feel. Yet in the end, my memories of Christmas have nothing to do with the gifts I got or Santa (the only gift I really remember is the My Little Pony Castle and an Emerald I never saw!). My memories are all of my family, of turning off all the house lights, snuggling in the living room to look at the twinkling tree and drinking apple cider. Staying up late to put together the Santa gifts for my little brother and sister, and shopping for that "perfect" gift.

The family memories I can have again with Chanukah, only minus the tree (this doesn't mean I am giving up on trying to convince Alan we need a BIG Chanukah bush next year though!). The girls gave me those family memories again. Leah is finally at the age where she "gets it", gets that presents are coming and is super excited about it. Hannah just always wants to do what her big sister does and watching the two of them gave me that holiday spirit I was missing. Both girls were in as in awe of the menorah as I had been of past Christmas trees. They clamoured to be the one to put the candles in, and to help Daddy light them. They sat beautifully while we recited the blessings, then tore into their gifts! The only thing missing...the smell of pine, which honestly Yankee Candle could have provided if I had thought of it.

It was about mid December when I received 2 beautiful handmade holiday dresses (for L & H) from a cyber friend. She did an amazing job on them, and even though the girls have no where to wear them, they loved to twirl and dance with Daddy in their party attire. Again, beautiful family memories and fuel for the festive fire.

That week, I finally reached a personal goal. I lost 10 pounds. I started working with a personal trainer a few months ago and I hit the first 10 pound milestone. I am also up to 4-5 miles on the treadmill/stepper without feeling like I want to die. Not much for some people, but a big deal for me. When my fabulous trainer asked me in the beginning why I starting this, my answer was simple..."I want to be healthy and I want to be able to keep up with Hannah!"

Then Alan surprised me with a last minute, quickly planned trip to Singapore. I am in awe how this man in less than 2 weeks time can get together all the needed info to catch a military flight (free mind you) down and back to Singapore, and secure a great 3 bedroom apartment for us to stay in in downtown Singapore.

The Singapore trip was a big thing for me. I was blessed to have been able to live there as a child, and have some very happy memories from that time in my life. It is the ONE place I really wanted to make it to during our time in Japan. It was looking that it wasn't going to happen though. The first time Alan's ship pulled in (back in 2006), I was too far pregnant with Hannah to be able to fly down and meet the ship. Last year, I ended up back in the states for wedding at the exact time the Blue Ridge dropped anchor Singapore side. As far as 2008, well, I will be a CA resident by the time they visit again. So bless Alan's heart, he made my wish come true.

I will post more on our Singapore adventure (or more than likely with as bad as I have been about posting lately, I will just cut and paste the email Alan sent out to family for you all to read), but again, more amazing family memories, past and present to have and feel. Ones I will keep forever. But you can click HERE for a link to a few pictures I have uploaded online. Alan took over 300 but I threw these up quickly. I plan on going back to add others soon.

This past week the girls and I went cookie crazy. Alan summed it up best we he said that our kitchen "Looked like Betty Crockers laboratory". Leah wanted to make cookies for her beloved teachers, and Hannah and I joined in. We ended up making 4 dozen of each:

Mexican Wedding Cakes (really cookies)
Lemon Bars

The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie (seriously good)

Coconut Macaroons &
Peanut Butter Blossoms (which Leah had SOO much fun with. She decided it was her job to unwrap the kisses, and then Hannah's job to throw the foil away. Wouldn't you know it, Hannah listened, and neither one snuck a kiss with out asking, I counted them all!)

Yeah, I think her teachers had more than enough cookies. Even after sending some off to neighbors and Alan's work, there are still some left, so if anyone wants to stop by for milk and cookies, y'all are welcome.

The week wrapped up with Alan sneaking out of work to join me at Leah's preschool "Holiday Sing Along". Ever try to get a class of 18 three year old's to really sing? It is not easy, but it was very cute! We topped that off with some good old fashion cookie decorating and smiles.

I also managed to get out New Years Cards redone and they look great, if I do say so myself. All 90 cards are addressed, stamped and will be in the mail tomorrow, so keep your eyes out for them.

Now Christmas is upon us. We are laying low. Alan volunteered to work the Christmas holidays so that the actually celebrating families in his department could have their Daddies home. Now that truly warms my heart. The girls and I will be eating left over cookies, watching some good classic Claymation Christmas movies (thanks Steph), and looking forward to the New Year!

And...better yet, it is looking like for the first time in 5 years Alan and I will actually get out of the house on New Years Eve. Granted we will be across the street in someone else base home, with their kids asleep upstairs, but we will be kid free ourselves, and with no driving needed after, I might even get to have a drink. OH MY!

And in case I don't blog again soon, See you all in 2008!!

Ok, so MZG, does this get me off the naught step? Sorry, I am not proof reading this before I post it. It is very late here, and I just want off the cyber naughty step!!

I Now Know Why

2007-11-20T16:16:00.000+09:00

After months of staying away from our home page, I think I figured out why I have not posted about our summer. I could come up with 100 different excuses. I don't have the time, Hannah wont let me sit at the computer, I am washing my hair, etc. But in truth I finally admitted to myself WHY I have not not penned out our life...honestly, this summer is not one I want to relive.

The summer of 2007 was not the happiest of times for all of us. It was a long hard summer, without the story book ending that we all secretly hoped for. I know it is not realistic or adult of me to only want to remember the good things in life, but hey, I live with a 3 year old, I can act juvenile at times can't I? I don't mind remembering it, I don't think it will be a time in our lives that I will forget, but I don't want to relive it, and by writing about it in the detail that many of you have become used to me writing in, I would in a sense, be thrown right back into this summer.

If you don't mind, I am going to do a super short wrap up of the summer and then promise to move on. We have done some great things since we returned to Japan that I want to share with you all, but feel like I can't move on with out filling in the gaps.

So here goes:

April: Our great friends from Australia come to visit. We spent a couple days showing them the sites in Tokyo. During that time, Alan started complaining that his back was bothering him. I pressured him to go have it checked. After much nagging he did. Dr's said basically it was nothing.

Late April: Alan still complaining about his back. Dr's on his ship are MORONS and physically therapy and the cure all Motrin (ok maybe something slightly stronger) are prescribed.

May: I turned 31 (yeah me!)
Alan's back is getting worse. At some point we end up in the ER from 6pm at night to about 1am...ALL OF US... yes the girls too (they are such great kids, have I mentioned that?)
FINALLY an MRI is ordered.
Typically military fashion, this takes forever.
Late May: MRI results are in, and before anyone really talks to us about it, it is determined that Alan has a severely herniated disk in his lower back, and surgery is MANDATED ASAP.

Alan researches the procedure, sees a Dr in Okinawa (where the military sent him to have the surgery) and that is when we put the brakes on. The surgeon in Okinawa was an Ass (sorry for the language, but that is the nicest word I can use to describe him). Alan continues to get worse, now he is numb down part of his leg.

We jump thru hoop after hoop after hoop trying to get authorization to have Alan go to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in DC to have the surgery done.
All of June: We are accepted by WRAMC to have the surgery done there, but time and time again, the LOVELY 7th Fleet denies Alan request to go there.

End of June: I did something I NEVER do, and I went above Alan's head and totally stepped out of line. I wrote a letter to the Big Doc on the ship and very nicely, went off.

Beginning of July, we are told that the Navy would now look into having Alan sent to DC.

July 5th: With 36 HOURS NOTICE, we are told Alan is being sent to DC for surgery and rehab. I have exactly a day and a half to pack up, and prepare to be away from our home, lives and dogs for about 6 weeks!

July 7th: Get to DC, spend a week in VA with family and friends

July 15th: Have consult with the BEST Neurosurgeon EVER (I LOVE Dr. Rosner, can ya tell). Yes surgery is needed, and the surgery will be tomorrow. Long day of pre-op work ensues...yes the girls are with us again (yes they are angels!)

July 16th: Alan has surgery. A disk fragment the size of my thumb (very large fragment) is removed. Surgery goes as smoothly as possible, but we are told that there was ALOT of scar tissue in the area, and that this was more than likely a pretty old injury (guessing from the car accident Alan was in 4 years ago that wrecked his beloved BMW).

Remainder of July and most of Aug: Alan does rehab and has to learn all over again how to bend and move and how to get his shoes on with out being in pain.

By end of Aug, I am done. Alan was doing really well with rehab, and his family was incredible taking us in for such a long hard period. I had some AMAZING friends drive all the way from Ohio to come see us for just 48 hours (I LOVE YOU AUNT STEF!), but the girls and I really needed to come home.

So once Alan was cleared to drive, the girls and I hopped a 15 hour direct flight from DC to Tokyo. All I have to say, is THANK G-D for credit cards and upgrading to business class with BIG seats and free wine! And double thanks to a Grandma who ended up paying for my 15 hour sanity upgrade!

In the end, we all survived. Alan is doing Ok...not great, not perfect, but better. We know now that his back and leg will never be like it was before. The good news is that more than likely, that part will not get worse. He is learning how to work around it and live with it, and my hat is off to him for all he went thru, and is going thru.

Leah started Preschool in September, and is loving it. She goes to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but asks nearly everyday if it is a "Miss Kim day". Miss Smarty Pants is learning so much, she is going to have to teach me a thing or two soon.

Hannah is Hannah! I wish I could find a single word that sums her up, the best I can come up with is SPITFIRE! We call her our future Walmart Greeter because she has yet to meet a stranger and can light up a room with just a smile.

We have also celebrated a 5 year wedding anniversary and a 3rd birthday during our blog hiatus.

In the end, I am hoping to find the time to be back on here on a more regular fashion. But I will refrain from making any more promises!!!

I am going to spell check and edit quick, then post this so it is out there. Hopefully I will add pictures to it all after I get the girls in bed for the night!
Love to you all and thank you for all the well wishes and prayers you sent our way this summer!

Hanging my head in shame

2007-09-14T13:19:00.000+09:00

3 months, I can't believe 3 months has flown by since I last sat down to add to our family history. This summer was a whirlwind of activity, taking us to DC and back again. I have thought many times about sitting down and updating you all, but honestly the thought of writing about our crazy life and all that has happened the past 12 weeks overwhelmed me more than a little.

Then I realized that I was doing the girls a great disservice. The idea behind this blog was not only to update family and friends back home of what were up to 1/2 a world away, but also to serve as a diary for Leah and Hannah. Something for them to look back on in 10, 20, 30 years and see where they lived, things they did, and know all that their family had been through together. Time has a way of diminishing memories, but the written word helps bring them back.

So, my goal in the next week is to recap for everyone the GREAT FAMILY ADVENTURE of 2007.

Ok, now I have set the goal, and put it out there for the world to see...Crap, now I have to actually do it!!

Update on post below

2007-06-13T07:33:00.001+09:00

Ok, so in Leah's Super Model post, I told you all how on Saturdays shoot, we were sent home after only an hour of work. The paranoid, over protective part of me wanted to know exactly why...was Leah just done, did she finish all her outfits, was she not what they expected (too tall, to short etc), or had she been replaced with the other girl simply because they like her better?

In the end I decided it didn't matter. Leah had a good time regardless, got paid, and bonus...was able to have the day to play and be lazy.

Imagine my surprise when I get a call from Leah's modeling agency asking if she is available at the end of June. The company wants her back. Ok, I guess they really liked her after all. Then comes the big news, turns out Leah is up to be the kid on the COVER of the catalog. They have narrowed it down to 5 kids, so who knows. But it looks like Little Miss Leah impressed someone.

Way to go Leah!!!

I Wanna Be A Super Model

2007-06-11T20:23:00.000+09:00

For those of you that haven't heard, modeling for Caucasians is HUGE in Japan. Child modeling can mean big bucks for those willing to enter into the crazy world over here. For example, friends of ours have 2 little girls ages 6 and 4. In the 2 plus years they have been stationed at Yokosuka, the girls have made a combined income of $10,000. Can you even imagine making that kind of money at such a young age?

The modeling agencies actually come on base looking for children to sign up. A few months ago, base held a modeling fair where 13 agencies came all at once for a mass cattle call. Alan and I decided what the heck, and took the girls. We turned in photos and forms to a few agencies and quickly left the mass hysteria going on in the gym during those hours. Still, we have been getting calls for the girls.

So far Leah has done 2 catalogs for children's clothing...both to be coming out late summer for the fall/winter collections. It seriously makes no sense though. On the auditions we have been too, both girls were called, and most of the time Hannah is her normal adorable flirty self, hamming it up for all the big wigs, while Leah actually screamed at one audition saying "NO MOMMY, I do not want my picture taken". Yet for some reason Leah has gotten the jobs and Hannah has not. I know it is more than likely because Leah has the lighter complexion and lighter hair. At her first job, Leah was the darkest kid there...and that is saying alot since she is my fair little lady.

Will we ever rack up over 10K in 2 years? Hello no. Basically because I am not up for all the work and travel it entails. For some reason the Japanese decide to do all this very last minute. We got the call on Tues that Leah got a job to start on Friday, that they wanted her 2 days, and it was at a location over 2 hours away. Finally on Thurs late afternoon we find out the exact shooting times. These people actually wanted Leah to work 9am-5pm both Friday and Saturday. How can they possibly be serious? SHE IS 2 YEARS OLD!! I was told that they wanted Leah to be the "lead" that is why the long 2 days. I was flattered that they liked Leah so much (seriously who wouldn't right!) but there was no way she was going to last all day. Leah still takes a much needed nap during the day, and I was not going to push my child for no reason. I explained that Leah had done 1 catalog already, and by noon she was too tuckered out to do anymore. This whole experience is for fun, I will NOT put the job before my child's needs.

We got lucky and the shoot happened to be in Yokota, right near the Air Force Base. We were able to secure a room on the base and the entire family made the 2 hour drive up on Thursday night.

Come Friday morning, Leah was in a glorious mood and seemed excited to get to play dress up and have her picture taken. I was just praying that good mood held out. The company picked us up a little before 9am, and Leah was super thrilled to get to go on a bus ride. We arrived at the studio, which ended up being a old house decked out to look like a little cabana you would expect to see in Tijuana, not Japan. Finally about 10am they got their act together and hair and make up started.

It is funny how your kids will do things for other people that they would never do for you. Like blow drying hair. Leah will not let me blow dry her hair, but on Friday she sat beautifully while the nice man did her hair and added some blush and clear gloss to her lips.

Then on to pictures. I have to say I was impressed with how well Leah did. It was challenging at times to get her to put her hands down, look at the camera and smile all at once, but by 1:30pm, she had made it thru several outfit changes and even a location change (this time to a house that was something out of the Florida Keys...strange since this was for a winter clothes line...leave it to the Japanese).

At 1:30, Leah was telling me she was tired, and that was that...we were allowed to go home for the day, complete with a bus ride back to the base.

After a relaxing evening and a good nights sleep, Leah was ready to go again on Saturday. This time the people were ready to go as soon as we showed up at 9am, and by 10am, Leah had done 4 different clothing changes and we were told she was done. Woo Hoo. Leah still got paid the normal day rate for the shoot (of $200 a day) for what ended up being an hours worth of work. Not bad for being 2 1/2 years old.

I managed to snag some photos of my own on Saturday so you all could see our little Super Model in action.

Leah bright and happy and ready to show off.

Our "limo" for the weekend.

Just for fun, I thought you guys would get a kick out off seeing McDonald's in Japanese.

Our "Florida Keys" bungalow

Some of the production staff. I have no clue what their names were, or what their actual jobs were, but they were sweet to Leah, so I liked them.

The photographer. She kept laughing and hiding her face. I guess she was used to being behind the camera, not in front of it.

Leah and Kayden. The two little models for the morning. They both were in love with the flamingo and would not leave him alone.

Hair and makeup time. I was really glad to see that they did not do much to the girls other than a little hairspray, clear lip gloss and a tab bit of blush. I hate it when they make up little girls like they were teenagers. The hair/makeup guy was fantastic. Leah LOVED him and I enjoyed talking to him since he seemed to speak the most English out of everyone there.

Pucker up!

We're ready for our close ups!!

Yes, that was one of the outfits that Leah had to model. I am guessing it is supposed to be pj's, but I guess I will know for sure when the catalog comes out in August.

And here is what a tired little girl likes to do after a day in front of the camera...hang out with her little sister.

And just so that Leah doesn't get a big head when she reads this; Here are a couple pictures of America's Next Top Model when she thought the paparazzi wasn't looking.

Yes, we are are a bit ghetto letting our kid run around outside in her underwear. But hey, they are happy kids so who cares? Plus we plan on selling this photo to the National Enquirer if Leah ever becomes famous.

A Little Bit of Wrasslin' Anyone?

2007-06-10T18:23:00.000+09:00

Sumo. The very word evokes mental images of large, rotund, diaper-wearing Japanese guys bumping bellies in an attempt to knock each other out of a small circle (known as a dohyo). I recently had the opportunity to attend a sumo exhibition tournament, and let me tell you, the simplistic notion many Americans have of the sport couldn’t be further from the truth. While caricature-like, these giants are deceptively agile and well schooled in the sport’s various moves/holds.

To start, let me say that for years I’ve wanted to attend a sumo match, but never really thought it would come to fruition. I can remember the first time watching matches on TV, back during my days in Intel School. Each Wednesday, we’d hit the local sushi place for the $14 all-you-can-eat special, gorging ourselves on great seafood, drinking sake/Sapporo, and gawking at the taped Sumo matches which were broadcast on the TV. It all seemed SO foreign, completely different from anything I’d experience (even having been a wrestler myself, back in high school). While the action seemed pretty straightforward, it was obviously impossible to follow the commentary, or really understand the subtle nuances of the sport.

Fast forward a couple of years, and sure enough, I made my way out to Japan (as everyone is aware). Every so often, I'd get the idea to look up when/where sumo matches were conducted, but other things always seemed to pop up. What I did learn, however, was that tournaments (2 weeks in length) are conducted throughout the year, alternating months between Tokyo (at the Ryogoku Kokugikan) and other cities (Osaka, Fukuoka, etc). As my luck had it, each time matches were held in Tokyo I always seemed to be underway, and unable to attend.

Then, back in March of 2006, I found out that a one-day exhibition tournament was to be held in the town of Yokosuka (just offbase). I was pretty excited about the thought of being able to see the matches locally, without even having to make the hour-plus trek up to Tokyo. No matter that the tickets were pretty pricey, or that I had NO understanding of the sport’s rules, just going was one of those “must do” items for me while in Japan. But, there was just one little problem; this was just about the time Hannah was due to make her appearance, and I got the feeling it would be better for me to hold off (in the event Nicole wound up “popping” with little notice). Fortune smiled on me, as 9 April (the day of the tournament) was PRECISELY when Nicole wound up going into labor. While I’d have likely been home well beforehand, I’m kinda glad I didn’t push things.

So, again I was thwarted in my efforts to see large Japanese guys pushing each other around in “diapers” (known as Mawashi). I figure this would be just another one of those little unobtainable goals. Periodically, however, I’d pop on the official website and see when/where the next set of upcoming tournaments would take place. While underway earlier this year, I inadvertently stumbled upon notification that another sumo exhibition would take place this year in Yokosuka, again during the April timeframe. Even better, it would be during the week when our dear friends from Australia would be in town visit. Talk about fortuitous, in that I’d get to fulfill my goal, while providing some Aussies with good ole’fashioned Japanese culture. Now, all I needed to do was get tickets. Easy you say? Well, picture this, here I am underway, frantically emailing Nicole to call the Morale Office (ITT) on base, as they are the conduit for tickets to local events. Unfortunately, ITT usually sells out quickly for most events, and unless you have forewarning that a ticket sale is coming up, by the time you find out you’re already out of luck. Thus was my fear, until Nicole was able to snatch up the LAST block of 4 tickets (two for us, two for our friends). Let me tell you how relieved I was….LOL!!!

Well, April rolled around and the Balestrin clan made their way up for a much anticipated visit. As time grew near for the tournament, however, it became clear that Hannah was not terribly happy growing SEVERAL new teeth, and had become QUITE fussy. So, Nicole decided to back out and watch the kids while the remainder of us attended the matches. Having an extra ticket in hand, I scrambled at the last minute to find someone who might be interested in joining us. Fortunately, one of my co-workers (whose wife is Japanese) was interested, and decided to tag along. It turned out well, as he was familiar with the basics of Sumo, and was able to provide us with a bit of insight into “who is who”, how the matches are conducted, what it all means, and a plethora of other tidbits (either from personal knowledge, or by speaking enough Japanese to converse with other spectators). This certainly enhanced our experience, as the cultural barrier was certainly diminished.

While the tournament itself began quite early in the morning (around 9am), few people show up until after lunch, as this is the timeframe when the “big boys” (highest ranked wrestlers, known as Makuuchi) take part in matches. Much like boxing in the states, the early rounds are mainly seen as “undercards”, and most folks are principally interested in the highest ranked (ie salaried) divisions. As mentioned, while typically tournaments last 2 weeks, and a sumo will engage in numerous matches (usually no more than 1 or 2 per day), the exhibition was based on a single-elimination format (commencing with 16 participants). Each of the wrestlers is ranked within the weigh division (based on record, experience, longevity), with the pinnacle being the Yokozuna (he who is expected to win, based on record and capability). Someone who attains this rank remains “the man to beat” until his skills have fallen noticeably over time. Much like in American sports, these guys (sumo in general)are viewed akin to rock stars, highly paid for endorsements and mobbed wherever they go. So long as the Yokozuna wins, and brings in money, he remains at top echelon. Once he begins to noticeably slip, however, another will promote up through the ranks.

As for the matches themselves, they are quite brief for the most part (as expected). There is a certain amount of “posturing” or “psyching out” the opponent before the action even gets started. Sometimes it would seem as these “preliminaries" last longer than the match itself. For those who have seen Sumo (be it live, or on TV), each participant will come out, throw some salt (to purify the ring), bow to the referee (Gyoji), then begin a ritual series of stretches (raising the legs upward, one at a time) while facing the opponent. This each will then crouch, and assume the fighting sance (on all fours). More often than not, this initial phase is simply part of the “warm up”, and the sumo will return to their corners for more posturing. After several iterations of this, the official will flip back his wooden paddle (Gunbai) and the wrestlers MUST commence the match thereafter. This was one of the neat things I learned, as it indicates precisely when a match MUST start. I, like many, had always seen the constant repetition of stretching/posture, then returning to the corner, and couldn’t figure out (for the life of me) what indicated a match would commence. Additionally, while it may look to us gaijin that the sumo are simply flailing around, careful observation of the matches will reveal that there are precise moves/holds which enable the more adept wrestlers to easily outmatch their opponents. This can be in the form of specific grabs, maneuvers, or simply using an opponent’s weight/momentum against him. It’s funny; on the outside it would appear that the bigger guy has the clear advantage, but that’s not always the case (and this tournament certainly proved it to me). By 3pm, the last match wrapped up, and a tournament champion was named. While in the main tournaments, each match has a monetary prize assigned (particularly for the overall title), as an exhibition this was a bit different. You could tell when money was up for grabs in a particular bout, as there would be a host of advertisements before the match, and the winner would receive an envelope stuffed with cash (from the advertisers). It’s a novel concept, and was definitely something else of which I was unaware.

On the way out, I picked up my obligatory souvenirs, which included a sumo keychain (tacky, I know), and a decorative seat cushion (which will come in handy for further matches, or picnics). To say that the day was a great experience would be an understatement. It obviously satisfied one of the “things to do” I had on my list, enabled me to take LOTS of pictures, and provided me with another great insight into Japanese culture.

Hannah's Walking Adventure

2007-06-03T22:09:00.000+09:00

Since Hannah has figured out how to walk, she has also being figuring out new ways to entertain herself and get into mischief.

Here is a short, but sweet 15 minute look into the world of Hurricane Hannah.

"Care Bear, I am bored. What should we do? I know, lets go find something to get into and get mommy to chase after us."

"Hmmm, Care Bear. What is in here? Leah goes in this room alot, but Mommy never wants me in here. Must be something good hiding in here. Lets go check it out."

Uh oh, Mommy spotted us. "Hi Mommy. I'm not doing anything wrong see? I am just sitting here being a good girl." Ok good, I think Mommy left...now lets see what is around here.

This looks like fun. What does it do? Lets pull it and see...

WOW, this is SO of fun. This must be what Leah plays with when she is in here.

"Hi Mommy, look I decorated the bathroom. We are all ready for a party."

Mom kicked me out of the bathroom. What can I do next? Leah is coloring, maybe I can steal a crayon or two to eat.

Got one.

But 2 is even better. Yummy, I think red tastes better than purple. Wonder what we can find to color on since Mom is yelling at me telling me NOT to eat the crayons. Party pooper.

I see London. Maybe he will let me color on him. "Hi London, I love you. Here good boy I have something special for you."

Well, London isn't liking the coloring thing. I guess I will just snuggle with him instead. I like that too.

Oh no, here comes mom again. I have to act cute and fast so I don't get into trouble.

And act cute she does. It is that smile that gets Hannah out of alot of trouble. I have a strong feeling that her smile we end up getting ME into trouble in the years to come!

WOO HOO, we are back

2007-05-28T22:28:00.000+09:00

Ok, all you demanding people (LOL)...we are back up and running (as you can see by Alan's post below).

We have been MIA from blogging life due to an apple juice covered keyboard. I know it seems like an easy fix right? Go to the store and buy a new keyboard...easy, 10 minutes and you are done. Well, not so much when there is not a Best Buy around the corner. The store on base only sell they pricey wireless keyboards, and well, we are cheap Jews and refused to pay that much. Buying one at in town is really a no go. So we had to wait for the mail to produce one. In the end we got lucky and a friend upgraded to a new keyboard and we received her lovely hand-me-down, non apple juice fried board.

There is a crazy amount of stuff going on in our household at the moment. The biggest thing being is that Alan is broken. Seriously broken. About a month ago (when our great friends were in town from Australia) Alan commented that his back was bothering him. We thought that given a few days it would resolve itself. So we cancelled a must anticipated trip to Kyoto to give Alan time to heal. Unfortunately his back had other ideas and continued to get worse...the low point being the night we had to take him (with girls in tow) to the ER and were there from 6pm to 1am. Even after a slew of drugs (including morphine) Alan was still in pain.

Military medicine overseas moves at the speed of molasses. So after 2 weeks an MRI was finally preformed and we were told that Alan has a severely herniated disk (along with some other issues) and that surgery would be needed. We met with the Neurologist last week and he confirmed the diagnosis and the recommendation of surgery. Alan was taken off of sea duty and his boat, and is temporarily assigned to shore duty while the healing process is on going. We are in limbo, waiting to hear back from the hospital on when Alan will be sent to the Neurosurgeon in Okinawa (as there is not one here) for a consult. We are hoping that is surgery can not be avoided, that Alan will at least be a candidate for a micro procedure vs the old fashion open back surgery.Time in the hospital is cut to about 72 hours, and healing time quicker. But of course the micro surgery can not be done here, so we all might be headed to San Diego, the only good part that may come out of this hellish ordeal. Oh that and Alan does not have to deploy this summer, so we have him around the house for the next 8 weeks. Ok, that can be good or bad (love you babe!)

Alan is doing amazing. I can't imagine the pain and discomfort he must experience on a daily basis. The girls are having a hard time understanding why they can't climb on daddy like they normally do, or why he can't pick them up. Leah goes around telling people "My Daddy is broken...be very careful". She also tells me to go kiss him and make it all better, like I do for her boo boo's. If only life where that easy.

The other big news is about Miss Hannah. She decided to make up for lost time teeth wise, and is sprouting all 4 eye teeth and 3 of her molars all at once. Yeah, there have been some FUN times in this house lately(enter sarcasm here LOL). Have to say, her smile is amazing though!

We also have a WALKER! Oh no wait, make that a RUNNER. Just like we thought, when Hannah decided to walk, she tried to run right off. She is not the most steady kid on 2 feet, but she does a pretty bang up job (literally) for a 13 month old. Leah thinks it is a blast to have her sister chasing after her.

I would write more, but honestly it is after 11pm here and my sorry self is pretty tired. I will catch up more soon. I am sorry for the lack of replies to many emails and for not keeping everyone updates. I promise we will be better as soon (if ever) life calms down a bit. I am sure my posts will be far between as the summer comes into full swing and we are out and about with the girls. Between swim lessons for both, trips to Disney, the aquarium, the pool, and Tokyo, the summer of 2007 looks to be a busy one for us.

Love to you all!

A Day at the Castle

2007-05-28T13:09:00.000+09:00

Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by Castles. I don’t know if it’s a by product of my lifelong interest in history, or simply the romantic ideal these ancient structures engender. As my photo albums can attest, I spent the better part of two years seeking out any/all castles during my time stationed in the UK. As one would expect, the quest was (for the most part) pretty easy, as it would seem as though every town has a castle to call its own. Yes, this is probably a bit of an exaggeration, but folks who’ve been to Europe will tell you it’s not far from the truth.

Arriving in Japan, 18 months ago, my thirst for castles (and architecture in general) became renewed. History buffs will be pretty familiar with the sweeping medieval background of the country, punctuated by the impressive spectacle of the many feudal fortresses. It is a shame, however, that most of the structures are replicas, having been re-built in the aftermath of World War II. The Japanese, to their credit, have spared no expense, and the results are impressive recreations, undistinguishable to the undiscerning tourist.

One such Castle, located in the town of Odawara, is not more than 25 miles from where we currently live. Ever since discovering its existence, I’ve been determined to find my way there, for the obligatory photo outing (be it by car or train). Last summer, Nicole and I set out for an afternoon in Odawara, opting for the unwise choice of doing it by car. Can we say BIG MISTAKE? Yes, for those unfamiliar with Japanese traffic, there truly is never a “good” time to be on the road, particularly those with only one lane going in each direction. As luck would have it, we got stuck in miserable traffic (on a weekday, no less), and after nearly 2 hours (which found us a whopping 10 miles down the road), we opted to cut our losses and head back home (stopping instead at Enoshima Island, which was covered in a previous post).

Since that point, I’ve been trying to find the time/motivation to make my way back down to Odawara, but one thing after another always seemed to pop up. FINALLY, in early April, Nicole gave me the go-ahead to take a few hours on my own and visit the castle (she’d been encouraging me to go for quite some time, in all honesty). This time I was smart enough to chose the 45 minute train ride, vice hassling with trying to drive. It was a WISE choice, as I got there (and back) with NO problems.

The town of Odawara is much like other Japanese cities, and is fairly non-descript to be honest. It was only a 10 minute walk from the station to the castle, but along the way I was fortunate enough to take in the beautiful cherry blossoms (which were in full bloom). I couldn’t get enough of them, and must’ve taken more pictures of the flowers than the castle itself. I was also lucky that the weather held, as things are here can change (often for the worse) in a very short timeframe. The castle itself was everything I’d imagined, having seen it in MANY pictures online. I can’t begin to provide a decent historical account of the area, but suffice it to say that it played a part in local events during the feudal period. While the outside was accurately recreated, the innards have been transformed into a multi-level museum. There were a significant number of period-related artifacts, artwork, and (most importantly, to me) a plethora of weapons and armor. I must’ve spent nearly 2 hours simply wandering/gazing in amazement. And, being something of a bad boy, I was discreetly able to snap a few inside pictures (despite rules to the contrary).
On the castle grounds, there was also a small zoo and a children’s amusement park. While I didn’t have the opportunity to spend time at either (it was getting late by this point), I certainly have every intention of taking the girls down there at some point in the near future. Hope you enjoy the pictures, as I’ll let them speak for themselves……

One More Under My Belt….

2007-04-22T16:12:00.000+09:00

As many of you are aware, nearly a month ago I completed yet another arduous 8-week underway period out here in the Western Pacific. I’d hoped to have completed a final update/synopsis prior to my return, as I knew that the ongoing workload (as well as time catching up with the family) would certainly curtail my initiative. As predicted, both came to pass, and it’s only now, a month later, that I find myself with a modicum of time to jot a few notes for the masses. No, this will probably not be as detailed as some of my previous novellas, but the period of coverage is probably somewhat less robust than earlier renditions. As such, I’m hoping you forgive my brevity.

Last I left off, we had just concluded our 4 day portcall in Malaysia, and had gotten underway for a somewhat uncommon visit to Jakarta, Indonesia. It has been several years since a US Navy ship had pulled into Jakarta, partly a fallout from the Bali Bombings (2002 & 2005), partly a result of Terrorist-related tensions in the region, and partly due to ongoing differences in opinion between higher powers within both governments (my personal take on things). Military to military engagement has been at something of an ebb as a result, and it would appear that our Admiral is of the mindset to attempt the beginning of “fence mending” (similar to our efforts in the Philippines). In the meantime, however, there was a bit of Navy ritual in store for me during our transit southward.

Crossing the line
For those of you not familiar with nautical traditions, “Crossing the Line” (the Equator) is a procedure rife with pomp and ceremony. To be more blunt, it’s an opportunity to act goofy and engage in a bit of good-natured ribbing (ie hazing….*gasp*…did I say THAT word?). Those never having “crossed” are deemed slimy “pollywogs”, foul creatures/infestation desperately in need of “purification”. Individuals who have previously endured the cleansing are referred to as “shellbacks”. It is their duty to aid lowly “wogs” during a ritualistic rite of passage, in an attempt at a raising of status through initiation into the rites of the deep. While I cannot go into all the specific details, I will say that: 1) I did survive the transition (which ultimately let to a very infected ear), and 2) the process is not nearly a painful/demeaning as would have occurred in days gone by. I’d love to provide some pictures to illustrate the evolution, but alas, I was without camera during the course of the festivities (for once). I did, however, capture some pictures from the "steel beach" picnic which followed the Line Crossing ceremony.
Jakarta, Indonesia
Our “line crossing” behind us, we pulled into Jakarta for a day and a half of “engagement” with the Indonesians. Much as with our Philippine port visit, the entire focus of our visit was geared toward community relations, and any liberty/enjoyment we happened to derive with purely incidental. Ironically, I actually signed up for the local Community Relations (COMREL) project, which was subsequently cancelled by the Indonesians. Never really got an answer as to WHY our efforts at providing free goods/services were turned down, so I just carried on smartly. That being said, we were warmly greeted by local officials, as well as another native dance ceremony.

In the meantime, we were again limited to liberty on the pier (no alcohol present), with the usual assortment of American Fast Food stands (garbage), local craft vendors, pool tables and LOUD music (garbage, er….I mean hip hop). We were allowed to head into town, to the Ancol Amusement Park, for very supervised liberty. As usual, we were required to be in the presence of our “liberty buddy” at all times, and were restricted to the confines of the park itself. It was, unfortunately, very western/tourist oriented, and provided very little atmosphere of “real” Indonesia. That being said, the weather was nice (bit on the hot side), and there were decent beaches, marinas, and restaurants, all in a self-contained environment. Additionally, it was away from the boat, giving the chance to unwind a bit, ride some rides, and purchase CHEAP local crafts (wish I’d have had more cash onhand). Most frustrating (later) was the fact that my camera card decided to go haywire on me, locking up and eating MOST of the pictures I took while at the park. I was able to salvage 5, out of 55-ish, and have had to rely on images taken by others in order to round out this entry. As such, please note that most of these images are not mine.
Homeward Bound
Following the conclusion of our time in Jakarta, it was once again time to start our way northward, toward home. As with most things in the military, however, this wasn’t to be a simple matter of taking a straight line from point A to point B. Nope, as is the norm, things have a habit of taking longer than a rational person would expect. In this case, it was a function of the ship having to conduct a litany of drills and certifications. Now, normally this wouldn’t appear to be something which would merit comment, but in this case, the ordeal lasted the better part of 8 weeks (essentially the entire deployment). While we, as “Staff”, were not directly involved in the trials and tribulations of the Blue Ridge crew, it did impact us in a tertiary manner. How, you may ask? Well, drills were essentially an ongoing evolution, pretty much all day/every day, precluding us from using the hallways most of the time (at least not without HURRYING from place to place, lest we get caught up in a chemical or mass casualty drill…..not fun). Or, there were the MANY times when various portions of the ship were sequestered during the course of damage control drills (as a result of notional fires or flooding). The announcements over the 1MC (ship’s intercom) became SO routine that I was actually reciting them subconsciously….D’oh!! It wouldn’t have been so bad OTHER THAN the times I was unable to get back to my room to sleep in the evenings (yes, this happened several times, occasionally for several hours’ duration). Yes, I understand these drills are necessary, but I fail to see how the overall procedure can take 8 weeks (particularly for a ship which is far from being a frontline combatant).

Hence, what would have been a 5-6 day journey home morphed into 12 days of repeated drills and rough seas. All I can say is that I was SO happy to see my better half when I came running off the brow on March 21st. The reward of having loved ones waiting for me MORE THAN makes up the enduring of 8 weeks’ separation. I’d like to say each of these underways becomes slightly more tolerable than the last, but I’d most definitely be lying……

So Far Behind

2007-04-10T09:27:00.000+09:00

I know, I know, I am totally slacking here with the blog. Sorry for that. Also big apology to everyone that I have not emailed back recently. We are having computer issues...the biggest one at the moment has to do with our keyboard. Juice spilled all over it, and now half the keys stick and it is a total pain to type on. I plan on getting a new one this week...as soon as I find the time.

Another reason we have been MIA is the girls and the weather. We have been blessed with some gorgeous days off and on the past few weeks. Days the sun is shinning and the cherry blossoms have been in full bloom, we have not spent a moment inside except to nap. Yes I could blog at night or while the girls nap, but you keep up with these 2 girls for a few days and then try to blog...LOL, it doesn't always work.

The Cherry Blossom season is a HUGE even over here. The trees are only in bloom for a short time and are well worth a post all to themselves, but since I am short on time, I will just share with you the pictures I took when the girls and I had a Cherry Blossom picnic with some friends.

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We also have had some icky raining days. Those have been spent catching up on rest (from our sun filled days) and doing some art and baking projects. Amazing how tiring a day of doing nothing can be!

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The BIGGEST (and BEST) reason I have been off the computer is that Alan returned home at the end of March. The girls and I have not left the poor man alone. My spare time at night has been spent catching up with my dear hubby and getting used to sharing the house with another adult.

As you can see, the girls were over the moon to have their Daddy home...they literally tackled him that first day. Leah wouldn't even let him out of her site when natured called...she followed Alan into the bathroom and wanted to go potty when Daddy did. Yeah, that is love right there...
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In the midst of all this, Bubba decided to get horribly sick, so a week was spent trying to get him various Dr's to fix his nasty tummy. I will leave it to your imagination to think of what my house smelled like for those 7 days.

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Some time was also spent on home improvement. I realized that part of my issues with living here was that I was treating it like a temporary home...like someone else's home. Yes it is a temporary home, but more importantly it is OUR home for the next 15 months. So I went out and bought some nice flooring to cover the hallway and "office" space, put up curtains and starting making this industrial building a nice place to live.

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We are also trying to get our house in order so we can receive some much anticipated visitors. Our lovely friends from Australia arrive this week for a 2 week holiday in the country we now call home. Alan and I can't wait to show them around and spend the coming days laughing our butts off...seriously you can not be around this family and NOT laugh.

That being said, I better get off the computer and back to cleaning. I will leave you with some pictures of Leah and her new love...Her Dora bike. What a big girl she is becoming.

Happy Birthday Baby

2007-04-09T22:15:00.000+09:00

Almost exactly 1 year ago today (to the minute), Miss Hannah made her grand appearance. Alan and I look at her in total disbelief that 365 days have gone by since that adrenaline filled night. Maybe we are in disbelief because thanks to having Hannah around, none of us have stopped moving since she jump started the Weinraub family into action.

Hannah is definitely the mover and shaker in this house. Always on the go, always checking things out and making sure she knows where everyone is...and everyone knows where she is! You can not be in a room with Hannah and not know it.

I love to watch Hannah at daycare before she realizes I am there. She is often so enthralled with the activity going on around her, that she is totally clueless to my presence. Hannah watches Miss Gloria (her "teacher") with such intensity, trying to figure out how to mimic her every move, I often think she is going to start talking back to Miss Gloria at any moment. Hannah even has a best friend at daycare. Turns out where every Hannah is, there is little Miss Addison by her side. Every picture of Hannah at daycare shows her getting into mischief, and taking Addison along with her.

I am ashamed to admit that for Hannah's 1 year birthday we didn't do much. I even made poor Hannah go to her doctors appointment and get shots. To add insult to injury, they even had to administer a PPD test on the birthday girl. I figured Hannah was going to let everyone on base hear her displeasure with this test, but yet again Hannah proved Momma wrong. Being the type that has to figure everything out, Hannah sat mesmerized as the fluid bubbled up under her skin. She was perfectly still, perfectly quiet during that time just watching all that was going on. You would never had guessed a baby was being stuck with a needle at that moment. It wasn't until we laid her down (where she couldn't see what was going on) to get her 2 remaining shots, that Hannah showed the Naval Hospital what good lungs she has.

Hannah is growing like a weed... no, strike that, she is growing like a Rose (ha ha).

She is nearly 21 pounds...50th percentile for weight, and 75th percentile for height (bad bad mommy, I forgot to ask her actual height in inches...will get that info soon). Good news...Hannah's little peanut head is growing (must be from all that learning) and is catching up with her body, and is also now in the 50th percentile.

Back home tonight, Leah helped me bake Hannah a little cake, and as you will see by the pictures, she even helped me decorate it! I learned tonight that it is very hard to teach a 2 year old how frost a cake (without her eating half the frosting in the process), and that having a toddler "big" sister help you write the lettering will, well...make it look like a 2 year old did it!

Hannah was none too sure about the cake and the icing. I think the feeling of the icing freaked her out a bit. (She must take after her Daddy on that...because Lord knows you put cake in front of me and it will be gone in seconds)

She did eventually eat some of the cake, but only when I would feed it too her...Miss Priss did not want to keep getting her hands dirty. LOL

Thanks to the vaccines (that both girls received today) no presents were opened...they both were too tired. We plan on saving the loot for this weekend when we have our WONDERFUL friends from Australia visiting and they can help us celebrate in true style.

Of course, like any good 1 year old...the only real toy Hannah wanted anyway was the balloon.

Happy Birthday Hannah. You have made the past year an incredible one. You never stop amazing your Dad and I, and even Leah admits she loves you. You have an incredible smile, and share it with anyone that looks your way. I love the way you wake up ready to take on the world. You can't get that from me, because I take a good hour, and hot shower to wake up...you, you wake up talking, laughing and ready to go. Your endless energy may tire us out, but the laughter you bring into our home will keep us going for a lifetime.

Happy Birthday Hannah belle

(WOW, writing this post took longer than Hannah's actual labor!)

Potty Training Funnies

2007-03-16T12:05:00.000+09:00

This week I decided to attempt (once again) to introduce Leah to the joys of going "pee pee on the potty". In the past these effort has been met with screams of "No I don't like potty. I want my diapers". I tried bribing with M&M's, Hershey kisses, Oreo cookies and none were enticing enough to get Leah to do the deed.

I guess it is all about timing and luck. While trying to get Leah to wear her Flower Girl dress, I made a BIG deal about the Disney Princesses. We watched Cinderella, Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast over and over and over again (enough times that I never want to see any of these movies EVER again...at least not until it is time to potty train Hannah). Although the princess marathon didn't do much to help with the dress, they inadvertently helped with potty training since the only underwear base had in Leah's size was the Disney Princess ones.

Taking the advice of Amy, when I did put the underwear on Leah, I told her "Now don't pee pee on the princesses, they will be hurt" (yeah I know maybe totally wrong to guilt the kid, but hey it worked). I was amazed that Leah was actually excited to wear her underwear, that had never happened before. I let her pick which design she wanted to wear, and the fight was ended.

Tuesday we started off slow and did not have much luck. It was after her nap that I thought maybe we would give this a try. Leah peed on the floor, on her panties, and on our sofa. She did manage to go in the potty once, and she never asked for her diapers, so I tried not to be discouraged. I honestly think potty training is harder for the parent than it is for the child. It takes so much work and time that I don't always have (oh yeah, and a mountain of patience...we all know I lack that some times). Yet, we both soldiered on.

Wednesday went much better. Leah only had 1 accident in her pants, and as she was peeing she yelled "Mommy I need change." She was right, she did need to be changed, her underwear, her pants and the carpet that caught it all. That is when I realized Leah was not going to tell me she had to go potty, her key words were "I need change". Once Mommy clued in, we were all good.

Thursday I got Leah up and announced that she was not going to wear her diaper this morning. Leah spent the morning screaming "I need to be changed" about every 10 minutes. After about the 20th time of taking her to the potty, I just said "You know what to do, you try it". I honestly thought it was just another fake out. Imagine my surprise when I suddenly heard her peeing, and in the seat no less. Leah jumped up and yelled "I poo pooed, its yellow mommy". I laughed and explained that was pee, not poop. A grand fan fair was made to dump her hard work down the big toilet and flushing it away. Leah was then rewarded with new stickers. We found her bribe, all the stickers I could fine (thankfully stickers are cheap).

Thursday continued that way, Leah running to the potty constantly, but actually going some of the time. We even went out to the grocery store and Leah stayed dry for the trip. Thursday ended with Leah only using a diaper nap time and bed time.

It is now Saturday morning, and I am amazed to announce that Leah went all day Friday with no accidents, even staying dry at nap time. Bedtime, totally different story, but who cares. I don't even have to ask Leah about going potty, when she has to go, she does it all herself. Of course she makes a BIG announcement about it so that she gets her stickers. The only thing Miss Leah can't seem to get is fully pulling up her own pants. She gets them to just under her butt and stops, so her little toosh hangs out all the time.

Alan, this picture is for you!

Now on to the funny story. When Leah goes potty, I sing (yes I know I am odd, but hey, it is working) "Leah went pee pee on the potty, woo hoo, Leah went pee pee on the potty YEAH". Leah loves it and joins in.

Just now, I threw the dogs outside to enjoy the spring weather, and to do their business. Leah looked out and saw Bubba sniffing around. She asked "Mommy, what Bubba doing?" I replied "Bubba is looking for a place to go potty. Bubba goes potty outside".

Leah thought about that for a minute then yells "You can do it Bubba. Go Pee Pee Bubba. Come on". As if on cue, Bubba starts peeing. Leah was SO excited, she screams "Good Boy Bubba, Bubba pee peed on the potty woo, Bubba go pee pee on the potty YEAH Bubba".

So not only is Leah potty training herself, she is training Bubba too.

Alan told me (jokingly) to have Leah potty trained by the time he got back. Well, it looks like we have a good start on it!

Yes I know this is a TOTALLY embarrassing post, but hey Leah is only 2, she doesn't know the difference, and in about 14 years this is going to make some great blackmail material when she brings home her first date.

If you want a laugh, here is a video...sorry the camera is turn the wrong way, and I seriously apologize for my singing.

Take a Scroll Down

2007-03-16T12:02:00.000+09:00

For those of you who just read the most current post, scroll down a few and see what Alan wrote about his trip to Singapore. There are some AMAZING pictures that I think you all will get a kick out of. I know I did.

Warning, More Lovey Dovey Stuff

2007-03-13T21:07:00.000+09:00

I realized that will all of our trips (Australia, Tokyo, Deployments and going back to the States) I never continued the lovey dovey posts I started in Sept.

In honor of the fact that Alan's actions once again reminded me why I married him, I thought I would tell you the story on how/when I knew he was the man that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

By now you all know that I was married BA (before Alan). That marriage failed miserably and I had NO intention of doing it again. I knew I loved Alan, but getting married again was not something I ever saw myself doing, at least not in that decade. I was perfectly happy living in sin and liked the security of being able to get the hell out of dodge if I found things going to crap. Mature I know, but that was my mind set at the time.

I moved from Ohio to Florida in December, after Alan and I had only been dating a few short months. Why you ask? Because Alan and I knew we wanted our relationship to continue and being closer was the only way to do so. Close to a point, but far enough away for my timid self to feel safe. See although I was "moving in" with Alan, he was moving out. 6 weeks after I moved to Florida, Alan left for a 6 month deployment.

When Alan left, I realized that for the first time in my life, I was living on my own. Granted I had my cat Mozart to keep me company, but I was the only responsible for paying the bills, cleaning the house and keeping myself entertained. I was happy with that for awhile. Then I got lonely. I was missing Alan, my friends back home, and my dogs. Mo was a great cat, but lets face it people, he was a cat.

So started my quest for a dog. The only breed of dog I wanted was a German Shepherd, and of course that was one of the NO NO breeds for the apartment complex I lived in. Still, I couldn't help myself when one day at work I received a call from the local GSD rescue group. As fate would have it, they had a long haired German Shepherd that was perfect for me. She was 5 (or so I was told) and a very calm girl. Being a long haired GSD, I was able to pass her off as a Belgium Shepherd, and so started my life with Lilly. Little did I know that starting a life with Lilly would lead me to a life with Alan.

Lilly was the sweetest dog anyone could ever have the honor of owning. I can't go into all the details of the horrific life she led prior to coming into our home, but suffice to say, if I ever get my hands on the SOB that owned her before me, I will string him up by his toes and leave him for the rats, hawks and bugs to digest.

Not long after adopting Lilly I found out she had a heart murmur. A few cardiac ultrasounds later we discovered she had a horrible bacterial infection in her heart. Thanks to working at the vets office, Lilly got fantastic care, but that didn't stop the infection from leaving Lilly with a grade 4 (out of 6) heart murmur. We were able to get the infection under control, but my vet informed me that we had to take the risk to sedate Lilly (high risk because of her murmur) to clean her nasty teeth since we were pretty sure that is where the infection started. See Lilly had chewed her way thru a chain link fence (to get away from the bastard she lived with) and her teeth were in horrific shape.

I agreed to the dental, but was wise enough not to preform it myself. After the Dr and other techs were done, the Dr sat me down and told me more bad news. Lilly had a large mass on her spleen. While Lilly was sedated, the Dr did a full exam and felt something odd, so they xrayed her and found the mass. The radiologist was called in that day and he confirmed our worst fears. I was told it was a minor miracle that Lilly was still alive and that the mass needed to be removed ASAP. Another surgery so soon was horribly high stakes.

I walked outside my office, hugged my beloved pooch and cried a river of tears. I knew that more than likely the mass was cancer, and splenic cancer in a 5 yr old GSD was a death sentence. After composing myself I went back to work, and my bosses and I laid out a plan. The following Tues one vet was going to come in on her day off and preform the surgery. I told them if when they opened Lilly up, if the cancer had spread anywhere else, just to put her to sleep and let the girl rest.

Decisions made, I went home and spent a quite weekend with my girl. I cried to Alan over the phone and cursed the world for having to put Lilly thru this and for not having Alan there to lean on. Alan was as supportive as he could be since he was so far away, and since he had never met the dog I was mourning over. Even just over the phone, he was able to calm me down and help me through it all.

Come Tues I was a wreck. The surgery took nearly 4 hours, so long that I wore a hole in the floor before my boss kicked me outside. I couldn't believe Lilly's heart made it thru 4 hours of sedation. That was the first miracle. The second was when the Dr told me that the masses (yup, there were multiple masses on her spleen) had not spread from the spleen, and she didn't think they were cancer. We sent sections of the spleen off for biopsy, and I spent the remainder of the day in the kennel with Lilly.

I took Lilly home that night with strict instructions not to let her jump up on anything and to keep her as calm as possible. So I took all the cushions off the sofa, pulled the futon mattress to the floor and just basically ransacked the apartment so that Lilly couldn't do much.

The next 2 days were centered around Lilly, I talked Alan when I could, worked and did nothing else. The apartment was a wreck, but Lilly was alive, so I didn't care about doing dishes or cleaning.

Come Thursday I was in the kennel at work (checking on Lilly of course) when when of my co-workers tells me I have a visitor in the lobby. Who the heck came to visit me? Other than my co-workers and some other people in the apartment complex, I didn't know anyone in FL.

Imagine my total and udder SHOCK when I see Alan standing in the lobby (in his flight suit, can we all say "Top Gun Hottie"), holding the stuffed Rotti I had given him months before saying "Yeah, my dog seems to be sick, can you check him out". I screamed (seriously people I did) and pretty much threw myself at Alan.

After I calmed down, and he stopped laughing, I asked him what he was doing there. Turns out he had a weekend pass, he could have gone with most of the squadron to one of the islands (like St Martin or one of them, I don't remember now) or come back to FL on a "working weekend". Because he knew I was such a mess over Lilly, Alan came home.

Then I realized the apartment, his apartment, the one I was supposed to be taking care of, looked like a hurricane had hit it. I freaked, and again Alan laughed. He had already been home and asked me what happened. So much for me impressing him with my domestic goddesses abilities. I explained the reasons behind everything, and he took it all in stride. Alan then asked to see Lilly. Alan fell as hard for Lilly as I had, and with in a day was tending to her like she had been with him for years. We spent the next 4 days taking care of "our first girl" and just enjoyed being together.

Seriously, how could you NOT love this man? A guy that passes up a weekend of fun on a tropical island in order to come home to tend to a dog that he has no ties to, only because he knows his girlfriend need the emotional support.

After that, I knew there was NO way I was letting him go.

Oh, and Lilly did not have cancer. Her poor spleen was covered in massive hematomas, possible cause: blunt force trauma. Meaning more than likely she had been repeatedly kicked until numerous hematomas formed. The Dr's were amazed that one had not ruptured and that Lilly was still kicking herself. Lilly lived another 3 years (turns out her heart was in worse shape than we thought) and Alan proved to be a man worth keeping. Especially every time I had to take Lilly to the doggie cardiologist...he went with us, and just silently shook his head when the bill came.

And what did Alan do recently to remind me how great he was? While I was in Ohio that pesky Hallmark Holiday known as Valentines Day reared its head. Alan has a thing against V-day, saying that he doesn't need a card company to tell me he loves me. He is the type of guy to buy me flowers for no reason, so I try not to let the fact that we NEVER seem to spend a Valentines day together bother me. I figured with being half a world away, the heart holiday would come and go with no mention

Boy was I wrong. Alan called my parents in advance, got their address, and not only mailed 2 cards to me, he had 18 long stem roses sent to me, complete with a sappy note. The cards were perfect, one good sappy one, and one funny, just like us one. All are going in the keepsake box, and yup, I think I will keep Alan around a little longer too!! Now he just needs to get his butt home to us.

Brave? No I was just crazy and in denial

2007-03-12T08:53:00.000+09:00

Everyone kept telling me I was brave traveling such a long way with 2 young kids. Truth be told, there was nothing brave about it. I was simply a bit crazy, and very much in DENIAL.

The flights went about how I expected (except for the shitty flight, which I will get to later), so they were not too terrible. The flight from Japan to San Fran was a fairly easy one. I drugged the girls with some prescription children's Zyrtec as soon as we arrived at the gate. The girls played, flirted and ran (or crawled) around the waiting area until it was time to board. We luckily had the bulkhead for that flight, so there was plenty of leg room for Hannah to play in. Leah being the dream traveler, she never once got out of her seat until we were an hour from California. Leah played with her toys, ate her dinner (FYI if you don't like airline food, ask for a kids meal...Leah had some great looking chicken strips and steak fries), watched Lion King, and then blissfully went to sleep...not waking up until an hour before we landed.

Miss Hannah belle, well, she is was TOTALLY different story. Even drugged she only slept a total of 2 hours on the 9 hour, over night flight. For the most part she was really good, Miss social butterfly just wanted to crawl all over the plane and flirt with who ever she could find awake (or wake up).

We made it through immigration and customs and baggage no problem. It is amazing how much people go out of their way to help when they see a very tired mommy traveling alone with 2 young kids. It doesn't hurt that both girls smiled and cooed at everyone they saw. My father picked us up, and then we made the 2 hour drive back to his house. Leah was in total heaven when the DVD player popped out of the ceiling of the SUV and she was able to once again watch Lion King. The bad side effect of that, now Leah asks for the DVD player in the car, any car. She thinks the overhead light is hiding a mini tv now. Yeah, that is going to be fun to break.

The first week we just relaxed and adjusted. I learned a new lesson about Hannah...don't try to share a room with her. Leah had a room to herself upstairs, and Hannah and I were to share the downstairs room. Hannah figured out very quickly that I was in the room with her, and would start talking to me in the middle of the night. When I wouldn't respond, she started smacking my bed (reaching up over her port a crib to do so), when that too failed, the screaming followed. Needless to say, my daughter is a stubborn one. The middle of the night chat fests came to an end when the room was give to Hannah, and the sofa and I made very good friends that week.

The girls and I were blessed with a visit from Keith and his lovely wife Ofelia during our first few days in California. These crazy kids drove up from Oceanside (way down south for you non California people) to spend the weekend with us. We all jumped in the car and headed out to spend an afternoon at the Monterrey bay Aquarium. Leah had a blast looking at all the fishes, and was happy to have found a playmate in Keith.

I am also VERY excited to announce that Keith and O are expecting a bundle of fun of their own this fall. And people were shocked that Alan reproduced. LOL (love ya Keith).

Also during our first week stateside, I tortured my youngest spawn. Since Leah has her ear pierced, I thought it was only fair that Hannah have the same. My oh my, she was NOT happy about that. Mind you Hannah being Hannah, it was not the actual piercing that royally pissed her off...it was the fact that I made her sit still for more than 2 minutes. Lucky for her, Grandpa was there to save her from the big bad Mommy after her new bling was in place.

Before:

During:

Save Me Grandpa:

At some point before our departure from Japan, Hannah started with an upset tummy. I thought nothing of it, figuring she get over it soon enough. By the time that we were set to leave CA to head to Ohio, I realized she had more than just an upset tummy, as the problem had jumped to Leah, and neither munchkin was getting better. I lost count of the number of diapers I went through in that week, and the loads of laundry I put Dad's washing machine through. I guess that was her payback for the ear piercing.

That leads us to THE SHITTIEST FLIGHT EVER. And I am not talking figuratively here people.

I naively thought that a short 4 1/2 hour flight was nothing, I mean I had survived a much longer flight less than a week before, how bad could this one be? This flight Leah decided to only nap for about an hour, and Hannah only for about 20 minutes. It was a small, older plane, with no leg room (or crawl room to speak of). Because of the bowel issues she had been having, I put down a towel under Hannah in her car seat "just in case". Of course, right as we began to taxi down the runway Leah tells me she needs to be changed...which means she had diarrhea. Of course this is the time when I am unable to get up to do so, and we had to wait till we reached out cruising altitude and the fasten seat belt sign was turned off. As luck would have it, we experienced turbulence right away, and the fasten seat belt sign stayed on till nearly a hour into the flight. By that point Leah had fallen asleep, so I took screaming Hannah to the bathroom to change her.

Ok, next issue, this plane had NO CHANGING TABLES in any of the bathrooms. Seriously, how is this possible? So I covered the toilet seat lid with paper towels, then put down the change mat, and tried to change a screaming, squirming diarrhea covered Hannah in that little bathroom. Yeah, that was fun!

Some time later, Leah wakes up, and I come to find out that not only did have diarrhea, it was now all up her back and on her car seat. So off the bathroom we went again. If you thought changing Hannah was a sight, imagine trying to hose down a shit covered Leah in that tiny bathroom, change her clothes and then clean up her car seat? I wouldn't be surprised to find out that I was on Candid Camera.

An hour later, Hannah decided to follow her sisters lead, so it was off to the bathroom ONCE again...she was in need a new change of clothes too. Man, I really pity the poor soul that had to empty that garbage after the flight was over.

In the end, we made it to Ohio in one piece all be it, the girls much lighter. LOL.

Getting Closer…Less than 2 Weeks to Go

2007-03-11T10:08:00.000+09:00

Last I left off, we here on the Merry Blue Ridge were about to embark on a few days of liberty in delightful Singapore. That is, unless one is unlucky enough to draw the dreaded duty week during one of the better ports in SE Asia. Yup, you got it, the poor shlub would be moi. Instead of getting the full benefit of 3 evenings in comfort, away from the little sweatbox I like to call home, I was the lucky recipient of 7 spectacular days of waking up at 0200 (Oh g-d it’s early in the morning, for all you civilians) to prep the intel portion of the Admiral’s daily brief. The whole issue of duty week is a rant unto itself, and I’ll save that for a more deserving/inclusive entry. As it stands, however, I was able to salvage part of the portcall, fleeing the ship each day at noon, as dictated by edict of the Senior Watch Officer. This is a small measure of consolation, and while I have to remain accessible to the enlisted watchstanders on the boat (via cell phone), at least I’m able to spend a few hours out in town (taking photos and grabbing an early dinner). As such, I’ll give a brief rundown of my time in Singapore (and later, Malaysia).

Singapore:
Much like Hong Kong, Singapore is one of those rare cities that truly captivates visitors, having something for EVERYONE. It might be a function of the location, the diverse ethnic backgrounds, or the history of the place (possibly a combination of all), but I could easily spend weeks simply wandering and getting lost. The city is immaculately maintained, a far cry from many “Third World” metropolitans. While a bit pricier than some venues, the overall charm of the city, and the friendliness of its inhabitants, makes Singapore a PLEASURE to visit (repeatedly).

The first day out and town, my “liberty buddy” (a co-worker) and I decided to poke around Chinatown, taking lots of pictures. It’s an interesting part of town, particularly due to the fact that the Chinese Lunar New Year had JUST taken place a few days prior to our arrival. We later found out that the New Year is actually celebrated for 15 days (corresponding to the moon’s cycle), hence the reason all the decorations remained up. Chinatown itself is rather commercialized/touristy, so we didn’t spend much time in the area, other than taking snapshots of the Thian Hock Keng Temple, as well as the Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple. As per my norm, I’m always fascinated by the architecture of such structures, even if I don’t understand the plethora of deities contained within.

It was during this time that we encountered what was to be a daily occurrence, the “afternoon downpour”. Anyone who is familiar with high humidity areas will know PRECISELY what I’m talking about, as it occurs as regular as clockwork. Well, Singapore was NO exception this time around, and we got doused each day, right around 3pm (and often at 4 and 5pm as well). Fortunately, this gave us the impetus we needed to find either an internet café or a good, local restaurant for dinner. This day, it was actually the same mom & pop Chinese place we’d hit last year, and the food (quality, quantity and price) were just as good as I’d remembered.

The 2nd day, we decided to wander through the colonial/administrative center of the city. It was during this meandering that we came across several cricket games taking place on the Singapore Cricket Club (a big grassy area in the center of town). While I’ve never been a fan of the game, and even after 2 years in the UK am still baffled by the “rules”, its still an interesting sport to photograph. That was, BEFORE it started to rain (yup, right around 3pm….again).

The day’s downpour put a crimp on our wanderings, but after it let up, we managed to take in Maghain Aboth Synagogue (something I’d not expected to encounter), as well as the temples of the Goddess of Mercy and Sri Krishnan (Chinese Confusciast and Buddhist, respectively). It was somewhat sad that the Synagogue had to have a security barrier in place around it, but I guess that’s the way things work in the world these days, even in seemingly tranquil places such as Singapore. The other two temples were both extremely busy, as it was getting later in the day and folks were evidently heading home from work.

By this time, we both had a hankering for Middle Eastern food, so it made sense to head towards “Arab Street”. The name is something of a misnomer, for though the residents of the enclave may have been Muslim, they were not “Arabs” at all (it’s likely that most were Muslims from India, Pakistan, and other areas of southern Asia). What that meant was that we were unable to find hummus, falafel and typical dishes from the Levant. Instead, we found all sorts of interesting cuisine tangentially related to Indian food. Can’t begin to tell you what I ate, but: 1) there was NO pork to worry about (Muslims can’t eat it), 2) the food was spectacular, and 3) it was cheap as heck (no kidding, $4 US bought me more than I could finish!).

The 3rd day in Singapore, we decided to grab lunch in “Little India”, take a few pictures, then head out to the famed Singapore Botanic Gardens. I was under the mistaken impression that this was located well outside the city center, and was pleasantly surprised with the taxi deposited us at the gate a mere 10 minutes later.

I was extremely impressed with the Gardens, and have every intention of taking Nicole and the girls there next year. Everyone had raved about this place, and I can see what all the fuss was about (barring the inevitable downpours, of course). Can’t begin to figure out how many acres this place encompassed, but suffice it to say that walking from one end to the other provided a nice amount of exercise (especially in the heat). There were several sub-sections of the park, each with its own theme. We wandered the section which dealt with the evolution of plants and rocks, passing by the open-air theater on the way to the lake. As luck would have it, there was a local band playing in the theater, so we spent a few minutes relaxing/taking in the music. By the time we continued on, it was already getting late (and clouding up, again). Due to the time, we opted to pass on the National Orchid Garden, a self contained area with an additional fee. Much as I’d have liked to go in, time was getting short. We continued our wandering down past the Swan Lake, concluding our visit as another downpour commenced.

After a short cab-ride back into town, we re-entered Little India in search of a quick dinner. Again, the decision was made to forgo any of the touristy, chain restaurants (which can be found all over Singapore), opting instead to remain true to form (selecting a hole in the wall diner, full of locals). Again, we chose wisely, and the food was both delicious and affordable. It was during meals such as this I felt the most relaxed, without a care in the world.

My last day in Singapore, I decided that there were a few administrative issues that needed to be addressed, and passed on the opportunity to head into the city center again. Instead, I caught the hourly shuttle bus which ran from the ship over to Sembawang, an area on the north side of town (home to the Navy’s logistical hub for SE Asia). While there’s a very small contingent of US service personnel located at the facility, there are some Navy-related amenities which can be rather convenient. This includes a small Navy Exchange, military post office, Navy Federal Bank branch, a gym, and internet café, a barber, and assorted trinket shops. I availed myself of the opportunity to send out some mail and get a haircut, heading back to the boat within an hour (ish), thus concluding my time in Singapore.

The pictures I'm including below are from the Republic of Singapore Navy Base at Changi (on the eastern end of the island). It's somewhat out in the boonies (takes about 50 minutes to get into town, via bus and rail), but this is where we moor every year. Kuala Lumpur:
As I stated last year, post cruise, KL was definitely the biggest surprise find of the cities I visited. While everyone has a natural inclination to mention Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo as the impressive locales of Asia, Kuala Lumpur is a place that kinda sneaks up on you. While not nearly as historic as its neighbors, there’s a certain something about the place that is very gripping. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a modern city rising (apparently) in the middle of nowhere, or (as with Singapore) has such a unique blend of cultures. Heck, it might just be I was so thrilled to FINALLY be done with a brutal week of duty (both years) that ANYWHERE off the boat would have been orgasmic. That being said, I highly recommend it to anyone interested in diverging from the commonly traveled path.

Upon our arrival into Port Klang (a commercial port roughly 90 minutes from KL), we were greeted with a troop of dancers, regaling us with the local “moves”. While they weren’t as “polished” as some of the other welcoming routines, it was still an interesting show (see pictures below). While this was a prelude for most folks journey into the city, I still had one more evening of duty, and opted to remain on the ship (biding my time).

Upon conclusion of turnover with my relief, Friday beckoned a new attitude/atmosphere for me, and I eagerly hopped the first bus available into down. Due to a combination of traffic, rain, and the late hour of arrival, however, the day was essentially a wash (as I’d expected). No worries, however, as my liberty buddy and I fulfilled our quest for Middle Eastern cuisine at a local diner. Again, it was not in the heart of the touristy area, rewarding us with a fantastic assortment of familiar staples (ie hummus, tahina, cous cous, etc). We were even entertained by the sight of folks around us smoking merrily away on the local pipes (resembling hookahs). I was a bit surprised when the place didn’t take “plastic”, but we had plenty of cash onhand for the pittance charged. Even managed to get a few night shots of the Petronas Twin Towers on the way back to the hotel that evening.

For my first day out and about, I opted to “go it alone”, despite the restrictive rules mandating we travel in groups. Again, I’m not one to flaunt rules as a matter of course, but I find issue that (as a 35 year old) I’m often forced to rely on the whims of what/where others wish to see/do. By this point in my life, I’ve traveled various parts of the world, and have never been confronted by any major issue which couldn’t be avoided through the use of common sense. In the case of KL, that simply meant avoiding all the other sailors, who tend to stick out like sore thumbs. So, off I trudged with camera in hand, map in pocket and backpack securely affixed.

First chore was to navigate my way by mass transit down to the central area of town. It was actually quite easy, not to mention cheap, and I traversed the distance in mere minutes. This part of the city (the old colonial center) was something of a “repeat performance”, as I’d been introduced to it last year while on a MWR tour. This time around, however, I had the latitude to really wander, taking my time to explore all the nuances. I took in the Jame Mosque (first in the city), Merdeka (Independence) Square (center of colonial administration/life), and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building (today’s home of the Malaysian Supreme Court). I then continued my walk toward the National Mosque, a rather unique/modern structure, before heading up into the Lake Gardens, a 200+ acre oasis of greenery (the most popular park area in the city).

Within the confines of Lake Gardens, there are several noteworthy attractions, to include a large (artificial) lake, the National Planetarium, the KL Bird Park (the largest enclosed version in the world), a butterfly park/museum, and an Orchid Garden. While I’d have LOVED to spend time in each one, it would have EASILY exceeded a full day (at a minimum). As such, I chose to stroll through the latter two sites, as they seemed the best photo opportunities.

The KL Butterfly Park/Museum was one of the more unique places I had the opportunity to visit, which I have NO doubt Leah would have gone gaga over. The large enclosure must’ve been about an acre in size, and was set up to resemble the natural habitat of indigenous butterfly species. When I say these little (and not so little) winged creatures were everywhere, I mean they were EVERYWHERE. There’s must’ve been THOUSANDS of butterflys, merrily fluttering around the area, and believe me, I tried to photograph them ALL. By the time all was said and done, I got some good pictures, and have marked a place that’s a DEFINITE for families visiting KL.

The KL Orchid Garden was another interesting venue to visit. The area is home to a wide variety of Orchids, many of which are showcased at this particular site. It’s unfortunate that, while the grounds were meticulously cared for, one could tell the high heat had already played fickle with many of the flowers. That being said, it was still worth the visit.

It was during my return walk into town that I came across a unique spectacle, one which was tailor-made for children and camera-bearing tourists (hey, I resemble that remark!). While I was plodding along, out of the trees came a herd (literally, a herd) of local monkeys. It was quite the procession, as there were male, female, young and old. They were obviously so used to human interaction (being given food handouts), that they were totally desensitized to my presence (along with that of a few other walkers). I wouldn’t quite go so far as to say they would actively beg, but were certainly more than willing to take goodies passed by curious onlookers (pedestrian and car-bound alike). There were inevitable episodes of territoriality (one of which I nearly became a victim of), and after a requisite number of pictures, I continued on my merry way.

Before returning to the hotel for the evening, I decided to make a quick stop on Petaling Street, which is the street market center of KL’s Chinatown. I’d been to the area last year, and had a good idea of what I would be interested in seeking out (pirated DVDs, all the rage in SE Asia). By day the area is fairly subdued, although hawkers can be a bit “boisterous” in trying to get your attention (I learned that earplugs, even not turned on, can be a handy deterrent). During the evening, however (particularly on the weekends), Petaling Street becomes crazy, with shoppers, venders, and stalls all elbow to elbow. If you’re claustrophobic, I don’t recommend it….but for those who enjoy haggling, this is THE place to go. In this instance, I took about 30 minutes to come to terms on 5 decent quality DVDs (a little over $2 a piece), although haggling with several (less than reputable) vendors was necessary prior to a successful purchase.

For my last day in KL, I decided to cover a few of the photo opportunities I’d missed, kill off the remainder of my “bongo bucks” (local currency) at the Central Market (an enclosed hall where venders have small shops, much like in a mall), and avail myself of a massage at the hotel.

My wandering were somewhat more restrained, as I was on a shortened time schedule, with the oppressive humidity slowing me down a bit. First, it was off to the Petronas Twin Towers (at 1482 ft, the tallest in the world). Got a few happy snaps from across the local park, but couldn’t find anyone to get one with me IN the picture. Then, I managed to view the Central Train Station, which is ornately crafted in a Middle Eastern/Arabic motif. After this, I meandered along the river a bit, before wandering back in toward Chinatown & the Central Market (both in close proximity). On my way, I took some photos at the Sri Mahamariaman Hindu Temple, as well as a Chinese temple whose name escapes me. As time was drawing short, I had little time to spend at the Central Market (which I’d visited last year), but I did manage to pick up the odd trinket or two.

It was then back to the hotel for the recommended massage/spa package. First, let me start by saying that anyone considering going to KL should (without a doubt) look into booking at the Renaissance Marriot. We’d stayed at the JW Marriot the previous year, and (while slightly less expensive) this place was EVERY BIT as nice. The rooms were spacious, the location perfect (5-10 minutes by mass transit to ALL major venues/sights), and the food…well…let’s just say they’ve got one of the best/most unique breakfast buffets I’ve ever encountered. Top this off with the fact that it was away from the boat, and I was in heaven.

While at the hotel, one of my co-workers had looked into the massage package offered by the spa on site. While a bit steeper than some of the local places in town, the overall deal was definitely worth consideration. He’d opted for the package which included two 45 minute sessions (one, shiatsu, the other sweedish), unlimited use of the hot tub/steam room/sauna/internet café, followed by all you can eat (off the restaurant menu….brought right to you in the lounge)...for ~$50 (US). I was a bit skeptical, but it turned out to be the real deal. I decided that 45 minutes of Thai massage was sufficient, and was brutalized accordingly (for those who are familiar with this variety of massage, it consists of MUCH stretching/bending/twisting). In the end, the reduced package ran me just under $40 (US), and I was most satisfied with the experience.

Unfortunately, this concluded my (all too brief) visit to Kuala Lumpur, as we caught one of the last busses back to the boat, for the ever-present dose of reality.

Safe and Some What Sound

2007-03-10T11:34:00.000+09:00

After a 5 week hiatus, the girls and I are back on the Kanto plain. We had a fabulous time visiting family and friends, but I think I speak for us all (dogs included) when I say we are happy to be home. There is nothing like being greeted by 2 overly excited slobbering dogs, then being able to sleep in your own bed.

I will write more later, once the jet lag has passed, and fill you all in on the 5 weeks that included the girls getting the mother of all rotaviruses, Leah coming down with croup, 3 Dr's visits, and me managing to get bronchitis and a sinus infection.

Thanks to everyone that helped in a great 5 weeks.

½ Way There….4 Weeks To Go

2007-02-22T22:52:00.000+09:00

As promised, I’m making a concerted effort to do better at keeping everyone informed as to how things are going out here on the Good Ship Blue Ridge. Well, it’s hard to believe, but we just recently crossed over “hump day”, and are on the downward slope of our deployment. Nope, the end really isn’t all that near, but there’s almost a glimmer of light down at the end of the tunnel. Tough to believe it’s gone by quite this quickly, and yet there are times I feel as though I’ve aged significantly over the short period of a month. WOOHOO...we’re FINALLY out of the Philippines! In order to bring everyone up to date, I’ll give a rundown on what has taken place since my last post.

Cebu City:
As part of little PR swing around the Philippines, our 2nd stop was in Cebu City. For those who’ve never experience a 3rd World country, this part of the world is a perfect place to get a good dose. Cebu, is the exception to the rule, and is viewed as the crème de la crème of the archipelago. Cebu is just one of 7000+ islands which make up the Republic of the Philippines, and Cebu City is touted as a getaway locale for those with means. There are resorts all over the area, as well as several upscale, western-oriented malls. Obviously, the draw of a decent area, at a good price, pulls in many tourists. It’s also something of a centerpiece for the Government, who can illustrate that they have the capability of maintaining something “presentable”.

As with Manila, any sort of enjoyment we derived out of our 2+ days in Cebu was purely tangential to the mission. Our options for liberty were heavily scripted/regulated, it was of the utmost importance that we “play nice” around the locals. As such, we were limited to “beer on the pier”, one of the (very nice) western-style malls, an upscale resort enclave on the beach, structured tours of the city, and community relations projects. Can’t say I was terribly thrilled about the limited selection, but at least we didn’t have to wear our uniforms to either the mall or resort.

I, personally, opted to spend the first day in Ayala Mall, and was surprisingly impressed with how large/modern it was. While everyone raved about how it was owned by the same company as the famous Mall of Asia (up in Manila), I typically take a dim view of wasting time wandering aimlessly amongst shopping venues. Fortunately, this place had enough to keep me busy for a bit, particularly the VERY affordable local cuisine (in the food court, no less). In all honestly, I couldn’t get over the sheer number of food venues were resident throughout quite a large complex. They ranged from the typical American chains (Sbarro comes to mind), to various ethnic cooking, to mom & pop style vendors. I think I managed a large lunch for ~$5 US (a third of what I’d have paid for a similar amount back in the States).

After several hours of wandering, a co-worker of mine and I decided to bend the rules a bit, and explore the area around the mall (in order to satisfy our thirst for photo opportunities). While the liberty policy strictly confined everyone to the mall itself, we both felt a bit rebellious, and decided to press our luck a bit. No, it’s not the “right” thing to do, but to be honest, I’ve wandered (alone) through MUCH worse places. So off we went, and it turned out to be the best part of our visit.

Over the course of the next several hours, we came across MANY examples of the ubiquitous “jeepneys”, communal buses (mainly constructed from old Jeeps) which run circuitous routes around town (for a few pennies). You hop on, and hop off, as necessary, with the vehicle rarely coming to a complete stop. While we didn’t actually take any, they sure make for good photos, as each one is personalized according to the whim of the owner/driver.

We also had the opportunity to “scratch beneath the surface”, and experience what life was really like for the locals. While the government has worked hard to keep up appearances, leaving the tourist “havens”, one quickly steps back in time, and down in amenities (much like Tijuana). As Americans, we obviously stood out, but that bothered neither us, nor the locals (who LOVE to wave, talk, and pose for pictures). That being said, I certainly didn’t want to wander TOO far off the beaten path, as there is a distinct Force Protection problem for those who aren’t careful/alert. That being said, we spent quite a while wandering around one of the local neighborhoods, and returned (safely) none the worse for wear.

My 2nd (and fina)l day in Cebu, I opted to take one of the local tours (in my white uniform of course). Unfortunately, the weather decided not to cooperate, which made for some gray pictures. Surprisingly, the city had a bit more history/architecture to offer that I’d have imagined. For those familiar with Ferdinand Magellan, this was the area where he landed in the Philippines, and was subsequently killed. The location is marked by a cross, which many associate with the location he was killed. It's also a myth that this wooden relic is an original (both assumptions are incorrect). In truth, it has turned into a tourist trap, where extremely overbearing locals attempt to sell you anything and everything (unwilling to take NO for an answer). Seriously, they literally would try to come through the windows of the bus to make a sale. Co-located with the structure was a religious college & cathedral/convent (Santo Nino). The entire complex was a photographer’s playground, and my short time there was spent happily clicking away. Cebu was also the location of the first permanent Spanish settlement, guarded for several centuries by the fort of San Pedro (and interesting, triangular structure). There was also a brief visit to the Taoist Temple of Cebu, located in the upscale (ie gated/guarded) community of Beverly Hills (no kidding!). While it is of relateively modern construction, the architecture is still quite impressive (if not a bit gaudy).

The conclusion to our tour, following a quick trip up to a scenic overlook (marred by clouds), was a large lunch at a local seafood restaurant. Don’t think they were expecting, nor were they prepared for, an influx of nearly 30 HUNGRY Americans. They did their best, but it took nearly 3 hours to feed us all, in fits and starts. By the time we finished (around 3pm), it was already time to head back to the boat. I’d harbored notions of going back in town to kill off my remaining Pesos, but opted to call it a night.

General Santos City:
Our final stop in the Philippines was in General Santos City, one of the larger “metropolitans” on the island of Mindanao. I can’t remember the particular significance of who General Santos truly was, but I seem to recall something about him (as a Christian) defeating the local Muslims (once upon a time)? As the island is a hodgepodge of ethnic groups, strife between the competing interests has resulted in the area being something of a tinderbox. There is a notable terrorist threat throughout this portion of the Southern Philippines, and whatever liberty we may have had in our previous ports was significantly more pronounced than in GenSan (as it’s referred to). As such, for 2+ days we were restricted to “pier liberty”, surrounded by guard towers and Connex shipping containers. Can’t recall the last time a Navy ship pulled in to this part of the country, but at least the locals TRIED to make us feel more at home (welcoming ceremony, “beer on the pier”, local band, trinkets and food, etc). While the weather was too hot/humid for my taste, most folks ventured down to the pier for at least part of the time, be it to play pool, hang out, grab the ever-present McDonalds/Pizza Hut, or simply get off the boat. The only folks able leave the compound were those actively engaged the in Admiral’s pet PR project. The rest of us, well, what you saw was what you got. To say I was happy to wave “adios” would be an understatement, as this was (by far) the biggest waste of a portcall in my time onboard (a sentiment echoed by most). Well, there you have it, the last 2+ weeks, boiled down in a nutshell. We’ve FINALLY got the lame ports behind us, but as luck would have it, I’m due to begin my hell….er, um….duty week tomorrow. As such, I’ll get to miss out on all of Singapore, and ½ of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to boot. Can’t say I’m particularly thrilled on either account, as 1) duty weeks are simply a matter of survival (exacerbated by sleep deprivation), and 2) these were PRECISELY the same ports I missed last year (duty then as well). On a positive note, I will have a few hours each day to get out and about, and the week is only 7 days long (and I do emphasize LONG). On the other hand, while everyone flees to the four corners of the city, able to avoid spending time around the boat, I’ll be up each morning at 0200 (2am for the civilians out there) practicing the art of sleeping with my eyes open (and trying not to mess up TOO badly). Once I’ve survived, and recuperated, I’m sure I’ll have more updates for the masses.

HAZE GRAY AND TOOLING AROUND

2007-02-11T19:40:00.000+09:00

As most of you are aware, I commenced the latest iteration of “deployment” 3 weeks ago. Can’t really say it compares with the duration/intensity of some in the military these days, but time underway as part of 7th Fleet has its own, unique set of challenges. I had hoped to keep a regular, running account of my exploits while gone from home this time around, but the work schedule has been such that the last thing I have the energy to do (after 14 hours-ish in front of a computer each day) is sit down and try to formulate coherent thoughts. Heck, I have a difficult enough time doing that nowadays without the added frustrations inherent to life/work on a fleet staff. That being said, I’d like to bring everyone up to date with highlights from the past few weeks.

Okinawa
After an arduous 2 days underway, we pulled into Okinawa to drop off some Australians who’d been aboard for exercise planning. They truly were a great bunch of folks, and I gained more from the time I spent working with them than any other partners I’ve interacted with in my career to date. There was MUCH our senior folks (at least locally) could learn about leadership/management from the way the Aussies conducted business. I’ll very much be looking forward to working with them again in the future.

As for Okinawa itself, I’m not really sure the best way to describe it. In many ways, the island is no different from the “home” (ie Yokosuka), in that it’s all part of Japan. That’s pretty much were some of the similarities end. Things are significant more spread out than back in Yoko, and while not spacious by American standards, there certainly is a bit more elbow room in general. I also learned that it is a HUGE faux pax to refer to Okinawans as “Japanese”. They take great offense at the oversight, as the island had a rich history of its own as an independent kingdom before being incorporated by Japan several centuries ago. Needless to say, this sort of ill-feeling remains below the surface, and they certainly won’t hold it against you for an inadvertent mistake (repeated mistakes, however, could lead to confrontation).

Once we pulled into port, everyone pretty much dispersed for liberty, going their own separate ways. Most folks found their way over to Kadena Air Base, which is the largest military facility on the island. Being run by the Air Force, there are certain like perks we squids take advantage of, to include a MUCH better Base Exchange, more morale-related events, and the fact that it’s away from the boat (most important). I opted to spend an evening on the base, which was a WELCOME relief to the sweltering I endure in my stateroom. It also gave me access to many of the recommended local restaurants, which ran the gamut from Japanese cuisine to good ole American fare. While many folks I know opted for a “taste of home” (ie Chili’s or Macaroni Grill), you couldn’t pay me enough to eat them in the States. Hence, I went with some of the local places, to include a fantastic Mongolian BBQ, a local sushi-go-round, and one of the better Japanese/sushi sit-down restaurants I’ve experienced in a while.

I also availed myself of the opportunity to take one of the local MWR (morale) tours, to Shuri Castle (former home of the Okinawan Kings). While the original structure had been obliterated during the fighting of WWII, the recreation is quite impressive. We spent several hours wandering around the grounds, arriving just in time to experience a mock procession by the Okinawan King (a recreation of course).

There was also a visit to one of the imperial “getaway” houses; complete with beautifully manicured garden/lake (it’s good to be the king). Both sites really were the type of places you have to see in order to truly appreciated, but I’m hoping a few pictures will be able to do it justice.

While our initial plans called for 3 days in Okinawa, the stay was unexpectedly extended when the Mighty Blue Ridge decided to break, the night before our scheduled departure (enabling me the opportunity to get this sunset shot). Lets just say that no one was particularly happy about this little hiccup, as we’d JUST come out of a repair period, and being away from homeport can make problem solving a bit tricky. Fortunately, they were able to affect repairs after 2 days, but this would eat into out subsequent visit to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of those unique cities for which I don’t believe I’ll ever tire. There is such a vibrant energy present, and so much to do, one could spend weeks and never even scratch the surface. It’s a very cosmopolitan environment, not really quite as “Asian” as many of its regional contemporaries. I often compare it to New York City, but with class, and minus the attitude. It was a shame our port visit was cut short, as 4 days would have gone a long way to allowing everyone time to decompress, while providing me the opportunity to explore/photograph at a more leisurely pace. As luck would have it, however, our extended stay in Okinawa shaved off half the visit, leaving a mere 2 days to get out and about (not nearly sufficient).

An interesting part of this year’s visit to Hong Kong, aside from being late, was the fact that the ship was forced to moor out in the harbor. Whereas last year we actually pulled pierside in the heart of Kowloon (the busy food/hotel/shopping area), this time we’d have to deal with 30+ minute boat rides (through the choppy water) into downtown. The shuttles ran like clockwork, but most of us were spoiled from having been able to simply stumble off the boat and be in the middle of things. Rather than deal with repetitive transits to/from the ship, I opted to stay in town the 2 nights, affording me the chance to get away from everyone (one of my paramount goals, in any port). I’d reserved a room at The Mariner’s Club, the same place I stayed at last year. While not sponsored by/affiliated with the military, they do extend courtesies to visiting members of the Armed Forces at a reasonable rate (~$60 per night, which is often ½ of what other places would charge). Plus, it’s conveniently located in the heart of Kowloon, so I was good to go.

My first day out and about, I pretty much spent the entire time wandering aimlessly. Most of you are aware of my proclivity towards taking pictures, and Hong Kong is simply a place where would-be photographers can go nuts. As a starting point, I picked a couple temples out of a local guide book, hopped on the metro (VERY cheap & convenient) and off I went.

The first place, Wong Tai Sin, is one of the largest temples in Hong Kong. My lasting impressions of the place, in addition to its architectural beauty, were the: 1) throngs of people (even midday, on a weekday), and 2) the unbelievable amount of incense used in offerings to the gods. I kid you not that you could nearly walk across the smoke it was so thick, and within minutes my eyes were burning/irritated. Mind you, this was entirely outside, and yet the volume of smoke (were it a certain illegal substance) would be enough to do Cheech & Chong proud. Also interesting were the type of items left as offerings, to include: fruits, vegetables, alcohol and even dead poultry (no kidding, whole/partial dead ducks, etc). Hopefully my pictures can do it justice.

Next, it was off to the Tin Hau, one of the more famous temples in town. I can’t remember exactly which gods were featured at this site, but the location (literally amongst the high rises) certainly gave it character. As a side note, I learned that some locals aren’t too fond of silly tourists (ahem, like me) taking pictures within the shrine itself. One gentleman asked me to refrain from taking photos, and I’m guessing he mistakenly believed I was capturing the likenesses of folks engaged in prayer. This certainly wasn’t the case, and I figured that was my cue to mosey on along.

Lastly, I spent the remaining hours that first day going up to the top of Victoria Peak (again), and walking ALL OVER downtown Hong Kong (really taking the opportunity to explore off the beaten path, in places). For the former, I opted to make a return visit to the top of The Peak, in hopes of getting the “money shot” of the harbor (the one people always see on postcards, etc). As my luck held true to form, after a beautiful/CLEAR morning, the clouds decided to roll in JUST as I was arriving at the summit. I still got some decent pictures, but had to thank Murphy’s Law for kicking in, again. Needless to say, by the end of the day, I was all walked out, and my feet needed a rest.

On my 2nd, and last, day in port, I had signed up for another MWR tour (really great opportunities), this time to the large/nearby island of Lantou. It is the largest of the islands within the Hong Kong province, substantially larger than Hong Kong itself (yet with a fraction of the population). The guide informed us that it had remained relatively undeveloped until recently, serving as a getaway location for folks from the big city. Now, it’s the home of Hong Kong’s huge, new airport, and is starting to experience the boom of development (still very early on, however). The principal attractions, beyond the beaches and hiking trails, are the fishing village of Tai O, and the HUGE seated bronze Buddha at Po Lin Monastery.

The unique thing about Tai O is that the entire town is built on stilts, enabling them to weather storms/flooding. It had once been that the people lived on their boats (as is common in parts of Hong Kong, and other portions of China), but eventually began moving ashore into these makeshift (almost shanty-like) homes. The government has tried to relocate them to subsidized (read, tenement) housing, but the locals have found there niche, remained firm and stayed put. The irony is that they really don’t even fish any more (as a livelihood), and rely on tourism (principally from Hong Kong & China) as the main source of revenue. We got to wander a bit, and I took plenty of pictures of the local markets, with their various sea-based products. I actually broke down and purchased a jar of local shrimp paste, and am looking forward to using it in a stir fry when I get home.

Next, we were off to the Po Lin Monastery, to view the 2nd largest seated bronze Buddha and eat a vegetarian lunch. The statue itself is pretty darn impressive, measure in at nearly 100 feet tall (minus the base/pedestal). It is a relatively recent creation, having been built in the 1990’s. That said, the tourists FLOCK to see this gigantic creation, climbing nearly 300 steps to get there. Fortunately, our tour bus took us right up, without having to go through the exertion….:-)

This was followed by a fantastic vegetarian lunch in the Monastery’s grounds. We were warned that there would be a lot of food, set out “family style”, but I took this with a grain of salt (usually never the quantity we’re lead to believe). This time, however, I was wrong, as 10 of us could barely finish ½ the food presented (and not from my lack of trying).

We finished up the tour with a cable car ride back across the island to the bus depot (for return ride to town). This was quite a novel experience, as the length of the contraption was ~4 miles (can't remember the precise distance), giving us amazing views of the island and its surroundingss. Were I not afraid of heights, I might have enjoyed it more, but it was certainly an experience.

The Philippines
Most recently, we’ve begun a string of port visits in the Philippine Islands, more correctly referred to as the Republic of the Philippines (the PC term). The new admiral here is determined to become more “engaged” with regional nations in this part of the world, and his primary focus seems to center squarely on the Philippines. In my own humble opinion (as well as something of a semi-informed assessment) this is due to two principal reasons: 1) fostering relationships with countries who will assist us in the war on terror, and 2) to make amends for an incident where several Marines were accused (one subsequently convicted) of raping a local woman during an exercise here in late 2005. That set into motion an outcry from elements of the local population, many who still harbor bad feeling against the US (dating back to the presence of our military here). The initial incident lead to the cancellation of our visit last year and recent post-conviction events nearly lead to a repeat this year as well. To most of us on staff, we’d have been just as happy to see it go by the wayside, as there are just too many other places worth seeing in the part of the world to be stuck in an unwanted environment. Unfortunately, VADM Crowder’s TOP priority is to restore a reasonable level of engagement. This is primarily accomplished through gestures of a humanitarian assistance, which take the form of community relations projects (building houses/schools, cleaning, painting, and a host of other construction type initiatives) and medical/dental outreach programs. Additionally, there’s a liberal sprinkling of PR efforts, aimed at both the government and the people (ie big shindig for local dignitaries, hosting a local TV show aboard, tours, etc). While I applaud the effort to restore a better level of cooperation, I somewhat resent the fact that we’re turned into guinea pigs, placed under a microscope due to the actions of others. We’re essentially held hostage on the ship during port visits that are deemed “working”, vice “liberty”, only allowed to go out in large/supervised groups, and forced to wear our uniforms while off the boat(in a threat environment substantially higher than back in Japan….where we MUST go out in town in civilian clothes). I guess it’s just one of those things that must be endured, but I still have an issue with it.

On a lighter note, the full day in port (Manila) I had an opportunity to sign up for one of the local tours, which was the only means of getting off the boat. The morale folks offered a trip out to Corregidor Island, and (as a history buff) I jumped at the chance. For those familiar with WWII history, this is the location where the last American resistance in the Philippines finally collapsed, after heroically holding the Japanese at bay for 5 months after Pear Harbor. By April 1942, most US/Filipino troops surrendered to Japanese units on the Bataan Peninsula, but the remaining forces sought refuge on Corregidor itself, a heavily fortified island at the mouth of Manila Bay. Though greatly outnumbered, and low on food/supplies, the defenders held out for another month, until early May. When it became apparent that the end was in sight, President Roosevelt ordered General Macarthur to leave Corregidor and make his way to Australia. The location of his departure is memorialized with a statue, and references to his pledge to return are abound.

Nearly 50 of us spent the day on the island, catching a ferry over from Manila first thing in the morning. The weather wound up being beautiful, albeit a bit hot for early February (ie high 80s/low 90s)…particularly in our uniforms. We received a very informative tour, providing us background on the history of the island while taking us from key location to location. The interesting thing was that NO work has been done to restore anything destroyed by the Japanese (and subsequent recapture by the US). Everything is EXACTLY as it was found 62 years ago, a pseudo time-capsule. Huge artillery pieces are in the same positions, and structures remain gutted from the conflict, often times reclaimed by the jungle. Needless to say, I gained a true appreciation for the plight of those who fought there, and was amazed that installation managed to hold out as long as it did. It really was a testament to their courage and determination.

California, Here We Come

2007-01-30T22:09:00.000+09:00

24 hours from now, I will be some where hovering over 20,000 feet in the sky, on my way back to the states. Hopefully Leah and Hannah will be blissfully off in dreamland, but I am wise enough to know THAT is a dream. More than likely Leah will be watching one of the 20 videos I packed (thank the lord for portable DVD players) and Miss Hannah will be trying to get the attention of every person on our poor plane.

I am excited to come "home". I have a list a mile long of people I want to see, places I want to go, and food I want to eat. You have no idea how happy I will be to be able to run to Target when I want to, or to the 24 hour grocery store 5 minutes away at 2am if I want ice cream. It will be nice to be a spoiled American, back in American again. I can't wait for everyone to see how much Leah has grown this past year, and to finally meet Hannah.

Here is the odd thing...I am already missing Japan. HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN? Not necessarily Japan itself, but the life I finally have here. I know I was whining not that long ago about things here, but I got over it, and once I threw myself in 100%, things really turned around. I find myself sad that I will miss coffee with Christine, Rachel and Nicki, I will miss being able to call up my neighbor Julie at any time to hang out with while our kids play in the yard. I can't wait to get back here to start Leah in gymnastics, and continue in Kinder music with Hannah. I will be jealous of hearing how members of the playgroup went on little adventures, and we will miss out. Silly that I will miss routine everyday things, but not so silly since I actually LIKE my life.

I know Leah will miss it too. She has so many friends here, and asks about them on a daily basis. Her new favorites are Daphne and Edward...the CUTEST set of 3 year old boy/girl twins you have ever seen. Leah has such a great time with them, that she actually dreams about the twins. On 2 separate occasions, I have gone into Leah's room at night to check on her, and Leah wakes up long enough to say "Have fun, Daphne Edward. Do gain Momma". Translation for those of you that do not speak toddler ," I had fun with Daphne and Edward, can we do it again Mommy?". Today we went over to their house to pick something up, and Leah threw an all out fit when it was time to leave. Carie (the Mom) was sweet enough (and cleaver enough) to offer to print out a picture of Daphne and Edward for Leah to take with her.

OMG, Leah did not let go of that picture all night!! I was packing our bags and Leah finally gave it up to me so that I could pack it. Thank you Miss Carie.

I also have to give props to Miss Carie myself. She has been a Godsend with this trip. Loaning us her sit and stroll car seat/stroller combo (they are so cool, check out the link) and she even brought over little goodie bags of toys for the girls and the plane. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. Carie has a great website you moms should check out, Maeberrykids has a line of hand made hair bows, baby items and the cutest towels you have ever seen. Leah will be styling in a Maeberry bow when she walks down the isle in her flower girl attire.

I also have to send a MAJOR thank you to our neighbor Julie and her family. I almost canned this entire trip after the dog fiasco that erupted while we were in Australia. I was so afraid of a repeat, that I contemplated canceling. Julie is an amazing friend and offered to help take care of the dogs. Another fabulous friend Karen, and her 2 teenagers also offered to spoil the dogs while I am away. And spoil they all will. I have a feeling Bubba and London will be so pampered the next 5 weeks, that they wont want us to return. Julie and Karen, thank you both, you made this trip possible for me.

The girls and I are all packed. I did leave the kitchen sink here, mainly because it is government property after all. I am proud, only 2 medium size suitcases, and a backpack for each of us for the flight. I am sure I am forgetting something, but I know I have our passports, and as long as I have those, I can still make it home. Everything else I can buy at Target!!

To everyone back in the Good Ole USA, I can't wait to see you.
To everyone in the Land of the Rising Sun, we will miss you. Please email me and keep in touch.

The best part honestly, being back home will make the next 5 weeks fly by, and maybe it will keep the "tatonka girls" from missing Daddy so much!

The Trick? Put It On A Stick

2007-01-27T16:59:00.000+09:00

One of the things I will always remember about Julie is how we used to tease her about was her limited food menu. Although I might have been known as "Picky Nikki", I outgrew that by high school, Julie did not...she took a bit longer to work through her food issues.

When I first lived with Julie, the only things I saw her cook were microwave hamburgers, french fries, chicken tenders, mac n cheese and the vegetable of choice was corn. Trying to get her to eat Chinese food, with all those sauces and veggies was not an easy sell, but we started her off slow with Sweet and Sour Chicken, and Julie was hooked. Thank goodness for take out!

Leah reminds me of Julie in that way. She only likes (or says she likes) certain things, but once we finally convince her to try something, she normally loves it. The trick? Put it on a stick. Seriously, Leah will eat just about anything if it is on a stick. We discovered this when we arrived in Japan and found Yakitori (a semi chicken teriyaki on a stick). The Japanese put everything they can on a stick, including corn on the cob, which cracks me up. They even manage to put every type of fruit they have on a stick. At festivals, you can find real fruit lollipops, by real fruit I mean, REAL FRUIT. They take fruit, like small apples, large grapes or strawberries, slices of pineapple or mango, put it on a stick, then cover it in a candied coating of the same flavor. Think of a tootsie pop, but at the center is the fruit.

The first week of the January, we loaded up the kids and headed up to Tokyo to join in some Japanese festivities. During the first few days of the New Year, the Japanese flock to the temples and shrines to honor and pray to their ancestors, and ask for guidance in the new year.

As with any commercialized society (and yes Japan has it too, not only the USA) were there are hundreds of people, there are other people looking to make money. The walk ways to the shrines were lined with booth after booth, offering games, fortunes and more food than you can fathom. Most of that food on a stick. This is where Leah introduced Hannah to the wonders of food on a stick.

Take a look at what the girls ate...all at one place mind you.

Yakitori...

Chocolate covered banana...

Octopus (not only did Leah try it, she went to town on it)...

Squid...

and finally Candied Covered Strawberries.

Needless to say the girls were fat and happy by the time we made it back to the hotel that night.
I promise we did more than eat on our trip, I posted all the photos to our Kodak Gallery Album for you to see.

(Hey Julie, if you are watching me type this, and you can try some Yakitori up there, Leah high recommends it. You can skip the squid and octopus though!)

Saying Good Bye to an Amazing Friend

2007-01-24T14:29:00.000+09:00

While ago I posted about a dear friend Julie Benken, who had been fighting a courageous battle with cancer the past few years. Thank you to all that added her to your prayer list.

I am in shock and tears as I right this, and tell you all that we have lost an amazing women in this world. Julie Ann Benken finished her struggle on the evening of Monday Jan 22nd. With her parents by her side, Julie finally let her mind and body rest, and left to go to a place where she is once again in charge.

I wish I could fully describe her to all of you, but I am at a loss of words to do so. Julie was truly a force of nature and I consider myself lucky to have been caught in her path. I have to admit I honestly never thought this day would come. I whole heartily believed that if anyone could beat cancer (and by beat it I mean, smash it black and blue and leave it whimpering in a corner like the hideous rat it is) it would be Julie. That was how she was, in charge of everything, fought for what she believed in, and a person that others naturally followed.

There is a story from college that I remember that sums up Julie and the fire she had inside (excuse me if my memory is no longer 100% on this, it has been awhile). Julie was going to join the University of Cincinnati March Band. As first year members, you have to play an instrument, one can not automatically try out for field commander (which is what Julie had been in High School). Julie understood the rules, had no problem following them and was going to go back to playing clarinet (not saying she liked the rule, but would follow it none the less). When approached by one of the Field Commanders, Julie informed them "I am going to have your position one day". And by G-d, she did! Ms. Benken became a UC Band Field Commander and went on to be an assistant for the UC Band for years after college graduation. She was always there grooming future leaders, passing on her experience, talent and love. Julie set her mind to a goal, and achieved her desires with flying colors.

I keep wishing that she waited 2 weeks. I know that is UNBELIEVABLY selfish of me, but 2 weeks, I would have been there, been able to say good bye. I can't get my mind around the fact that an integral part of my life is gone without me being there, or with out my say! Again, I was in denial that this day would ever come and in some ways always thought there would be time to catch up.

When my X and I split up, Julie was the only friend that did not choose sides. She managed to be friends with both Chris and I, supporting us both on our new paths, being apart of each of our journeys, but never crossing them. I took comfort in having her by my side in such a difficult time, and was also comforted by the fact that she did the same for Chris. For as strong willed and driven as she was in her academic and career pursuits, she was even more loyal and dedicated in her friendships. I only wish I could have some how repaid that favor.

We all need to follow her example. Don't wait till tomorrow to say what needs to be said today. Nothing is more important than the people in our lives who have touched our hearts. Let them know that, and hug them. Add a hug from me.

To the Benken Family, I wish I was there with you, know that you all are in my heart and on my mind.

To Julie...Hey roomy, I know you are up there pulling all our strings and looking out for us. I couldn't ask for a better Angel on my shoulder. Leah and Hannah will grow up hearing stories of you and what it was like to watch a football game with you (I still have bruises by the way!) and I can only hope that they follow in your footsteps and become beautiful, confident, loyal women.
My one question is this...is your hair finally blonde??
All my love always, no matter where you are.

For those of you still in Ohio, click here for details about the funeral and for those that want to donate, a scholarship has been started in Julie's name, please take a moment to read.

Please understand that I will be MIA for awhile. My love to all of you.

Poking around

2007-01-17T19:32:00.000+09:00

This past Monday, I had the chance to get out and about, taking in a few of the local sights. Nicole was kind enough to cut me loose for a couple hours, and I decided to wander around Kamakura, one of the ancient capitols of Japan. While there have been other posts about the town in our blog, this is the first time I had the opportunity to meander aimlessly, camera in hand. The weather finally cooperated, and it wound up being a rewarding afternoon. After a short car ride into the local town of Zushi, I hopped a brief train ride to the northern portion of Kamakura, known locally as Kita-Kamakura. From the station, it was a short walk to an area of town which is reknown for its abundance of temples/shrines. Over the next several hours I had the chance to take in 2 of Kamakura's 5 spectacular sights, getting a good stair-climbing workout in the process. Each complex was thoroughly impressive, providing me the opportunity to take PLENTY of pictures. While not terribly familiar (in great detail)with either, I was awed by the architecture, and sense of history, of both. As such, I'll let a few of my pictures speak for themselves.

Engakuji

Kenchoji

Our First Adventure of the New Year

2007-01-16T16:07:00.000+09:00

On Tues the 2nd, the Weinraub clan decided to head up to Yokohama for a fun Japanese outing. Japan is really big on food theme museums. There is a ramen museum and curry museum, and I have been told an whole area devoted to Ice Cream. Japan has there own version on curry, and Alan and I are now addicted. We had been wanting to go to the Curry museum for awhile, and when I was informed it was closing we packed up the stroller and made the 45 minute journey to Yokohama.

One of the "great" things about Japan is that you never know what is going to happen when you head out to explore. You can be met with major roadblocks, or fall upon happy accidents. I am blessed to report the "happy accident" found us.

While wandering around trying to find the House O Curry, we came upon this:

I wish I could tell you why this was going on and what the meaning of it was, but I can't. All I can tell you is that all 4 of us (along with a herd of others) were amazed by the drumming coming from this group. We must have stood there transfixed by the music for about 20 minutes. Even the girls were in awe (and quiet...YEAH!)

We found the "museum", but it really wasn't a true museum you would find in the states. It must have had 7-10 restaurants all together on 2 floors, all boasting different types of curry. It also had a little store selling a wide variety of curry mixed so you could be a gourmet chef at home. I honestly had NO idea there were so many different types of curry.

The smell alone was to die for. The only problem we had was that the menus (of course) were all in Japanese. With Alan not eating red meat or pork, we had to find a place with a veggie dish picture on the menu (not being able to read Japanese makes me realize how all the eliterate people in the USA feel.) After wandering around for awhile, we found what we needed. They even offered small, medium or large portions. This way you can get little portions from several of the different restaurants and try your mouth out on a variety of curries.

Once our bellies were full and our taste buds happy, we headed back onto the main street to window shop and then make our way home before our well behaved little girls turned back into demon spawns. The girls were BIG hits will all the older Japanese ladies walking around. Leah was happy to put on a show for them, and kept saying "Konichiwa" and making the elderly ladies giggle with joy. Hannah just batted those baby blues!

Don't you worry, for all of you that don't find curry appetizing, KFC is alive and well in Japan...just FYI, it is cooked in a Tempura like batter, not the thick hard crispy batter of Kentucky.

Tikka Chicken on Skewers

2007-01-16T15:52:00.000+09:00

It has been awhile since I have posted a recipe. I made this one last night, and it was a hit with everyone, including Hannah and Leah. We all know Leah will eat just about anything on a stick (as you will see in a coming post), so that was the reason I tried this one out. If you are not game for dicing the chicken and threading it on skewers, you could probably just marinade the chicken breasts whole and grill those. I also doubled the recipe since I had 4 pieces on chicken on hand

Tikka Chicken on Skewers

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 2 inch cubes
2 tblsp melted butter
Juice of 1 lemon

Marinade
5 oz yogurt
1 tblsp chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp tumeric
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tblspn mango chutney
3 gloves garlic finely chopped

4 bamboo skewers (soaked)

Place the nuggets in a bowel and squeeze lemon juice on them. Stir and let chicken sit in juice for 30 minutes.

Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Pour over chicken, stirring to coat all the pieces. Let marinade at room temp for 2-3 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto skewers and grill for 3-5 minutes per side.

Ok, here is my take on it. The recipe never tells you what to do with the butter??? So I left it out, figured we didn't need the added fat. I also left out the mango chutney since we didn't have any. Tumeric may not be a spice everyone has on hand...it is mainly used for color, so I just added some crushed saffron to it, a more expensive alternative, but I had saffron and no tumeric. After I threaded the chicken, I added a bit of salt and pepper to all the skewers, and some extra cayenne pepper to the ones for us adults.

I just used the Foreman grill to cook these for about 8 minutes. I severed it over rice. Yummm yumm. Enjoy.

Welcome To The Year of The Boar

2007-01-15T15:20:00.000+09:00

Happy 2007, and Welcome to the Year of the Boar. I must secretly admit (ok not really very secret if I am posting it) that I am glad Hannah was born in 2006, the year of the dog. How sad is it that I like the fact she is a dog and not a pig? Although I did look up all the signs for our family and Leah is a Monkey (how appropriate), Alan is a Rat, and I am a Dragon. I was excited to see that it lists the 3 most compatible signs for the Monkey are the Rat, Dragon and Dog...how great that Leah fits with all of us. Then I looked up Hannah. Of course the ONE sign the Dog is LEAST compatible with...the Dragon (me) of course. Is this G-d's way of telling me something? Ok, maybe I change my mind about being happy Hannah is dog and not a boar. Too late now!

So how did the Weinraub family ring in the new year? With true American style, and a splash of Japanese culture thrown in.

New Years American Style

On Dec 31st, our neighbors rented a big bounce house for their son's 2nd birthday. Although it was Dec and could outside, it ended up being a beautifully clear day. Allthe kids were in awe of this HUGE tower of bounce that took up the yard between our 2 houses.

I marvel at how it can be 40-50 degrees outside, and kids are running around with no shoes on, their noses doing a mighty good Rudolph impression, large Michelin man coats on, but never once do they complain of the cold. One more reason why adults should reconnect with their childlike enthusiasm.

During the day the kids bounced like little Baboon's in the bounce house,

Chased an abundance of bubbles,

Hung out in the sun,

and ate themselves silly.

Finally around 3pm, Leah was in dire need of a nap and we took a time out from the festivities. Sad to say both Alan and I were tuckered out, not from playing but just from watching all the energy that the kids expelled.

By 6pm everyone was well rested and ready for a bit more party time. We brought out the fire pit, lit up the night sky and the adults hung out by the fire, while the kids (yet again) bounced themselves silly.

Being a true New Years Party in Japan, the dinner buffet included grilled hot dogs and (of course) a platter of sushi. I know it sounds odd but the mix made everyone happy.

Around 8pm most families had gone home to tuck their children in bed. About that time, Leah finally admitted she was cold so the remaining kids went inside to warm up and watch a movie. The 4 adults left snuggled under thick blankets around the fire. All of us refusing to go inside, just so that we could actually celebrate a New Years Eve "out". Sad and pathetic I know, but hey, we had to do what we could. LOL.

No worries about the kiddos in the house alone, the door was open and we were all right outside the screen door.

At 9:30pm the cold got the better of us and Alan and I headed home. Hannah had pooped out at 8:30pm (again she was fine, we had her monitor on, and it worked outside where we were sitting) and Leah was about to crash soon, or so I thought.

A very happy Leah went right to bed and Alan and I curled up on the sofa to see the new year in. At 10:15pm, I hear him softly snoring. I wake him and say that maybe we should just give it up and head to bed.

On my way to bed, I checked in on the girls. Hannah was blissfully in dreamland, but imagine my surprise when I go to peek in on Leah to find the party girl WIDE awake. Must have been all that sugar. As soon as she spots me, she starts talking a mile a minute (hmmm wonder who she gets that from), recounting all the days events. I sat at her bedside for 20 minutes while she jabbered on. Finally I grabbed the futon mattress and just had her crawl in "bed" with me on the floor. We laid there giggling and talking until I heard all the temple bells ring...telling me that is was finally midnight, and the Year of the Dog was over, the Boar was now in charge.

On that note, I told Leah she HAD to go to sleep, tucked her back in, and went to bed myself. Hey, at least I can say I made it to midnight. Guess I am not an old fart after all.

Happy 2007 to all (and to all a healthy New Year).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2006-12-24T21:05:00.000+09:00

Happy Birthday emzeegee. That is right, not happy birthday to some old dude (no offense to you that celebrate his birthday), I am wishing a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to an amazing women and her dear family that I had the pleasure of meeting thanks to the world of blogging.

Emzee is a California girl who went away to Australia over 10 years ago to study abroad, fell in love with an Aussie man, got married, had 3 wonderful amazing kids (who happen to be triplet...can we all say oy vey), is a fantastic wife, mother, friend and chef!!

Over the summer, I got an odd bug up my butt and started hitting that button at the top of the blog, that reads "next blog". I had never done it and was curious to see the ramblings of complete strangers. Odd since I really don't like reality TV, but reality blogging I was into.

Anyway, I just kept hitting the button until I came across emzeegee and the hungry 3. The title of the blog caught my attention, and since the girls were blissfully napping (and I think Alan was on deployment once again) I had plenty of time to indulge myself into this strangers life. I have to say, her writing had be hooked from the first couple of posts. I think I spent over an hour reading what she had to say. I loved the fact that she was a American Jewish girl (sorry...I mean women) living in Australia and raising a set of triplets. That alone made me respect her...then I learned she could cook!!

After a a week or so I took a leap and left a comment on one of her posts. I figured she would think I was some freak and wonder why this complete stranger was leaving comments on her blog. Much to my surprise she did not delete my comment, so I kept at it.

Imagine my surprise when one day not long before our trip down under, I get an email from Emzee's hubby!!! Can you believe it...I couldn't? I about fell out of my chair. Here were these people I had never met, I had totally interjected myself into their lives without their permission, yet here was an email from them inviting us for a get together when we were in Australia. I guess from me leaving comments on their blog, they started reading ours, and knew we were headed to the land of Oz, and they were extending a warm had of friendship, and as much help as we were willing to take.

What they did not realize was how soon we would be taking them up on their offer, since our trip was about a week away at that time. That did not faze them one bit. DH (dear husband of Emzee) went way out of his way to help Alan and I in every way possible. Giving us ideas of things to see and do while in Melbourne, how to get around, and inviting us to dinner! He even called to check on us when we arrived in Melbourne.

They were even gracious enough to welcome us into their home for good food and lots of fun. Now remember, none of us had ever met in real life, just thru cyber communication. Still, DH was able to pick us out of a mess of people in a crowded train station in Melbourne. Then again, the Tatonka family has a habit of sticking out in any crowd!!

We followed Dh home, and were greeted by the warmest women and most fun loving children we had met in ages. Leah and Hannah were in pure hog heaven with 3 other (older no less) kids to play with, and toys as far as the eyes could see. HELLO, they actually had a little puppet theater set up in the living room, and a box full of costumes...hell I was in heaven and wanted to play too. While the kids played, the parents cooked, talked and really got to know each other.

I found myself laughing at Emzee and her mix of California and Aussie accents. I can only hope that one day I am living their too and sounding just like her!

All the members of the Tatonka Family were sad to see the evening end. We were pleased to already have one great set of friends in Australia (HI KERRY AND ADRIAN) and now we were blessed with a second amazing family that we could call our friends.

So if any of you have time, check out a great blog and meet a family that is really worth getting to know. Also, if you stop buy there, wish Emzee a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. For some reason everyone is always wishing some other guy a happy birthday on Dec 25th.

Thank you again to the Hungry 3 and Family. You guys were one of the highlights in our trip, one that none of us will ever forget. We hope to see you guys again soon. Have a wonderful birthday and know that we will be thinking of you!

P.S., I hope you don't mind, but I am adding a pic of the kids playing...One of Emzee's DD (dear daughters) took to Hannah and was reading to her a good portion of the night. Hannah LOVED all the big kid attention, and Leah was amazed to find a family that actually had more books than we did!! Leah and Alan both had fun playing and jumping in this HUGE bean bag chair they have...I so have to buy one of these!!

Seriously how great is the world of blogging!! You are able to make a connection and meet people that otherwise you would go your whole life without knowing...what a loss that would be. What great technology!!

We Are Still Alive

2006-12-20T10:49:00.000+09:00

I am so sorry I have not posted in 2 1/2 weeks. I did not realize it had been that long. Nor did I realize how many of you read this blog. I have received 7 emails/IM's from some of you wondering where we have gone, and asking if we were alright.

I promise we are all doing fine!! I just am sticking to my resolution to get a life, which is taking me away from the computer.

Here is a run down on us the past couple weeks.

Hannah is cutting tooth #5 & #6, and she is sleeping less. Miss Peanut (as Alan and I call her since she has just a little peanut head) likes to wake up at 5 am (yeah lucky me!) and is ready to party. At about 7am, Leah wakes up to start her day. At about 8am, Hannah is tuckered out from her early morning wake up call, and is ready for a nap. So now some one on one time with Leah, making cookies, reading books, singing songs, painting etc. Some where in their she eats (when she feels like it) and at about noon, Leah is ready for a nap. But of course, Hannah is refreshed from her morning nap, and is WIDE awake. So more one on one time with Hannah (who is pulling herself up on EVERYTHING now and loves to get into all kinds of mischief). At about 2ish, Hannah is ready for another nap, but of course that is about the same time Leah wakes up! LOL. See a pattern here? After all naps are taken, we try to get outside to play a bit and have them run off steam, then it is time for dinner, bath, books, bottles and bed. Needless to say by 8pm I am tuckered out and my 2 remaining brain cells do not have enough energy to sit down and right, so they veg out on the sofa with hubby and dogs.

At the moment, Leah is nicely watching a Baby Einstein and Hannah is napping, so I figure I have about 10 minutes to finish this post before something erupts!

We also have been getting out and about alot too. Hannah LOVES to be out and manages to skip naps and be in a beautiful mood (when not teething) if we are out exploring.

A friend and I made it out to the one American style mall last week, complete with a Cold Stone Creamery, Outback Steakhouse, and a Gap. Mind you the largest size jeans that the Gap here carried was a size 6, so I had to laugh when the little Japanese women who probably wore the size 00 (who the hell even knew that was a size?) asked me if she could find me my size...yeah maybe if you sewed together 3 or 4 pairs together!!

I also cleaned out my closet, which is a HUGE undertaking. I sorted thru my pre-pregnancy clothes, maternity clothes, right after baby fat clothes, and down to what actually fit now. I managed to get rid of 3 garbage bags full of stuff. I realize that I would never fit into my single digit size jeans again, so having them in my closet teasing me was not good thing. But on the other end, I was able to get rid of larger sizes too, so that made me feel better.

I also spent the day being a mom of 4!! I had the pleasure of watching a friends 2 little boys (4yrs and 2yrs old) one day. The girls had so much fun, and I happy to report that Leah has a crush on the 4 yr old, and Hannah is in love with the 2 yr old, so at least my girls are not fighting over the same man already. It really was a fun day, the boys are fantastic kids, but man oh man, made me realize out I only have the energy for 2 kids and 2 dogs! Oh, yeah, and a husband too.

Even Leah was worn out after that day! This is what I found a hour after the boys left...I went into the kitchen to clean up, and came out to Leah passed out in her little chair.

Hanukkah started Friday night, and we have been doing holiday related things all week. Friday morning the girls had their holiday party with Leah's playgroup. A big THANK YOU to Nicki for organizing it. We all (mom and kids alike) had a fantastic time. I am still eating cookies I took home from the exchange at the party.

I had to laugh my butt off because the one toy that both girls wanted to play with was the Little Peoples Nativity Set. Hannah kept trying to eat Joseph, at least she wan't trying to eat baby Jesus right?

We even went to services on Sat night, and a Hanukkah party after with members of the small Jewish congregation on base.

Sunday night we had Leah and Hannah's little boyfriends and their parents over for a big Jewish Mothers feast. I spent all day cooking, but it was SO worth it. Roasted Chicken, Beef Brisket, 3 kinds of Knishes (cheese, potatoe and meat), Latkes (with sour cream and applesauce of course), veggies, kugel, wine, sparkling cider, and apple cake to top things off. All 4 kids (ok really 3 because Hannah was clueless) helped light the candles and tried to play with the driedle. We tried to explain to the 4 year old why we celebrated Hanukkah and not Christmas. He came around when he realized that the coins he got were actually chocolate on the inside.

The 4 kids had a blast playing together...I think Hannah might have eaten more than the other 3 kids combined though. The older kids were just too excited to sit and eat, so they played, and Hannah went to town on the chicken and kugel. Alan and I enjoyed having the evening talking and relaxing with some good friends. I am was happy because I have been lucky to become good friends with the wife, but Alan had yet to really talk to the husband. It is always easier when both spouses get along and you find a couple/family where all members mesh. And to top it off, they live next door!! Guess Santa brought me a present with that!

I have also been finishing up my holiday shopping. I actually did have gifts for many of you back home, but in the mess of life, I missed the deadline to get them in the military mail to make it back to the states for Christmas. At this point, I am just going to hold onto them, and give them to you all in person come Feb.

The girls are making out like fat rats...thank goodness, since the only reason I have been able to write so long today is because Leah is in LOVE with a new toy. Of course it makes noise, and I have been serenaded with "Old McDonald" for the past half hour.

I love it though, Leah is at the age that she is finally getting into holidays and presents. She asks every morning when she wakes up if it is time to open presents yet. Every morning I have to explain to her that we have to wait till Daddy gets home, then we light the candles, then we get presents. Yeah, Like a 2 year old likes that answer.

Hannah is much easier. She likes all the toys that light up and make noise (you know, the toys that annoy parents), but she is fascinated more by the paper and bows most nights.

Yesterday I had the girls in daycare, so you would have thought I would have a free minute right? Wrong. I spent all day running around trying to get all the copies and forms made, signed and stamped to get Hannah a social security card...since it would be nice to have that so we can claim her come April 15th. Then it was off grocery shopping, blissfully with out the girls! Then back to pick up the girls, get them home for naps, put away the groceries, try to clean up the mess of toys a bit, and oh yeah, spend some times with the dogs so they don't feel left out.

So yeah, we are here, just going 110 miles an hour and having fun!

WOO HOO, I have officially booked the tickets for Leah, Hannah and I to come back to the land of size 10 jeans!! We are California bound on 7pm on Jan 31st, and not leaving the 50 states till March 7th.

On a side note, you all will find this funny, the girls discounted children's fare came out to be $666. Do you think that is G-d's way of telling me what the girls are going to act like on the plane rides?

365 Days Down, 547 (or so) To Go

2006-12-03T15:51:00.000+09:00

Leah, 370 days ago.

It has been 365 days since we left the states and started our adventure in Japan. Sad to say, I am not sure how I fell about the past year. I know we have been incredibly blessed. The past year has brought so many changes and joy into our life, mainly thanks to the addition of Hannah and her making our family complete.

I honestly was hoping to be happier about living here by this point. Before coming over, I was told over and over that the first 6 months are rough, and it is basically hell, but you get through that and life is good. I guess I have not made it past that initiation period. I know I am behind the curve because of being pregnant and having a new born. I was not as adventurous as I could have been when I first arrived, so I have yet to really get out to explore and get comfortable in the Land of the Rising Sun. I envy the other women I see that know the train system like the back of their hand, or the people that have no problem driving on these insane streets. My fears have kept me home bound, and I think that is part of the issue.

So my New Year Resolution....to GET OVER IT. I am going to make more of an attempt to get to know people and to get out and about. I purchased a cell phone a couple of weeks ago. With it, I feel safer driving because now heaven forbid, something happens, I can at least call for help (or directions). I have been lucky to have met some wonderful ladies recently with cute kids that Leah adores. Slowly but surely my world is expanding and things are getting better.

I have been asked this question "If you knew a year and a half ago what it would be like here, would you still have taken the orders?"

100% YES. I have said it before, and I will say it again with full force. Alan and I agreed to these orders for 3 reasons. 1. It increased Alan's chances of getting into Naval Post Grad School in Monterey. 2. We had Alan take sea duty now while the kids were SO young that they would never remember him being gone. This has proven to be a good thing. Yes it SUCKS sometimes to have to take care of both girls all by myself (like now, I have a bad cold, no voice and Leah still wants 5 books read to her at night, it would be super nice to have Alan here to do that) but is is doable. Leah does ask for Daddy at times, but with the typical 2 year old ADHD, she moved on to asking for something else shortly after, there by forgetting her request for Daddy. Hannah doesn't know any different than Daddy coming and going, so it doesn't faze her at all. I watch my new found friend Julie struggle with her 4 year old boy who is old enough to truly miss his Daddy. It is heartbreaking for both of them.

3. And most importantly by taking these orders, it kept Alan from going to Iraq. For that reason alone, I would come back and do this all over again if I had too.

I do wish somethings were different. I wish that Alan was happier with his assignment and was able to get more job satisfaction. I wish that the support system was better for all families here, and I wish that people were friendlier.

I realized something though, all those things could be wrong with any base in the States too. So I need to get over it and rather than complaining about things, try to change them.

I have enjoyed the changes Leah most of all this past year. Watching her take her first steps, teaching her to walk. Finally seeing the girl put on some weight, and witnessing her blossom into a fabulous kid. Everyday I get a kick out of her. She is growing into a helpful, loving big sister, and it amazes me the things that come out of her mouth. The one thing that has changed with her that I am not so happy about, the fight to sleep. My once incredible sleeper is now fighting her naps and bed time. I know way too soon she will be weaning herself off her nap, and my sanity time will be lost. Pray for me people!

The hardest part to believe is that Miss Hannah has been with us for almost 8 months! That is crazy. I can not believe she is already that old. Oh yeah, and not only is she pulling herself up on her knees, she started already with pulling herself up to a full stand. No stopping her.

I have loved watching the girls personalities grow. I marvel at how different they are, yet how they both are such sweet babies. Leah looks like Alan's side of the family, but acts just like me. Yup ladies and gentleman, Leah has been graced with my attitude. Hannah looks like Mommy (with the exception of those fabulous blue eyes I was not blessed with), but is a mini version of her Daddy on the inside. In the end they truly are the perfect mix of Alan and me.

As frustrating as the past year may have been at times, and as much as I have missed Alan (horribly) when he is gone, the past 365 days have flown by. Looking forward, the next year is already a blur. Alan is gone right now, will be home and OURS for about 8 days before going back on duty for the holidays. We get him back just in time for New Years and get to keep him for a few weeks till he leaves on his birthday (how sucky is that) for his long winter deployment.

The girls and I will be heading back to the states in Feb for about 4-5 weeks for Steph's wedding WOO HOO. By the time we get back, Alan will be home a few weeks later. Our friends from Australia will be comging up for a visit in April and Hannah will be turning 1!!

Alan will then leave again for a bit, but come June we should be getting notification of our next set of orders, basically telling us if Alan got accepted into the Naval Post Grad School and if we will be CA bound, or looking at getting out of the Navy all together. Either way, that will leave us with only a year left here, and a light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you all for being so supportive and "listening" to my cyber rants over the past 9 months.

Here is to many more blessings in our new year. All in the all the past year has been a pretty good one. Take a look.

ALREADY?!?!

2006-11-28T13:50:00.000+09:00

Did I not JUST post about Hannah crawling?

Ok, well already time to update that one. Miss Smarty Pants quickly figured out how to push herself up into a sit position, and for a few days thought that was the neatest trick ever.

That was until today. I went to go lay Hannah down for her 7am nap (yes 7am nap because Miss Sunshine here likes to wake up at 5am), put her in her crib and as I was doing so, Leah ran in and refused to leave Hannah's room. Leah wanted to climb into the crib with Hannah. This started a major "discussion" between Miss Stubborn and myself. While all this was going on, we were still in Hannah's room. Little sis wanted to see what all the ruckus was about, and I turn around to see Hannah watching us from atop the crib. She had pulled herself up to her knees, was holding onto the front of the crib, all proud and smiling (showing all 4 jack-o-lantern teeth) saying "Hey Mom, look at me, look what I can do".

I went and laid Hannah back down, still not believing what I witnessed, picked up Leah (who still wanted in the crib) and left, hoping that Hannah's new trick was a fluke.

After nap time, what do you think was the first thing Hannah did? Yup, she started pulling herself up to her knees on everything she could.

I guess Hannah is making up for all the time that Leah lost with not being mobile. Oy vey, heaven help us.

Oh yeah Alan, come HOME. I need help lowering the crib.

Happy Turkey Day

2006-11-23T21:10:00.000+09:00

Happy Thanksgiving 2006

I am going to share my embarrassing Thanksgiving story with you, mainly because it ended with this....

So who can complain?

This was the first year Alan and I found ourselves not working or not with family on Thanksgiving. With all that has gone on this past year, and the mass amount of stress that has come with it, I thought the very least we deserved was an old fashion over the top Thanksgiving.

I started with making a list of what goes into a traditional Thanksgiving. Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, green bean casserole, biscuits, corn, cranberry sauce and pies...lots of pies!! That left me with a list of things I had never even attempted of cooking before.

I have cooked chicken plenty, but few in whole form, and when I did, it was always on the George Foreman Rotisserie (great gadget to have if your kitchen cupboards are big enough to hid it). A turkey, especially one that looks good and tastes even better, I had never done. Gravy, yeah sure, but again, not one from roasted pan drippings. Mashed potatoes, I am great at, but trying to do those last minute with everything else, the thought gave me a headache. Yams, yeah, no clue there. Especially since the commissary did not carry any fresh, and the Japanese Sweet Potatoes are too starchy and not sweet enough to substitute. Green Bean casserole...ok here is a confession, I had never even tasted it, let alone made it. I think it is funny that this dish is an American staple for most people, but it had never passed my lips. Funnier still, in my quest of a BIG Thanksgiving, I left as if I HAD to make it. Biscuits, sure I can do the Pillsbury ones out of the can with no problem. Corn, ok that was the easy one! Cranberry sauce, I got all excited when I read a yummy Emeril recipe for fresh cranberry sauce, and was even more excited when I found fresh cranberries at the store. Stuffing, I had done stove top before but wasn't impressed.

That leaves me with pies. What type to make? Pumpkin of course, but here is another confession. Me who loves to cook and bake....never made a pumpkin pie. Also, the thought of making homemade pie crust scared me to death. Apple or Pecan, that was my next decision.

I researched and researched recipes online till my eyes crossed. Over and over I read that brining a turkey was the best way to go. Thanks to Alton Brown and the Food Network, I found a simple recipe and ran with it. It required me to find a large 5 gallon bucket to brine the turkey in. That proved to be my first obstacle this turkey day. I had NO luck finding a large bucket. Have no fear, I found a LARGE outdoor flower pot that worked perfectly (yes Alan laughed at me).

I figured the key to a stress free Gooble day would be to prep ahead of time. So on Tuesday I decided to combine the ingredients for the brine and to make the pumpkin pie. Luckily my fears of homemade pie crusts went out the window...not because I made one myself, but because I saw my friend Karen, who is a pastry chef, buying premade pie crust!! WOO HOO, if she thinks it is ok, that is good enough for me. After reading a thousand different fancy shmancy pumpkin pie recipes, I decided an old fashion Thanksgiving needed an old fashion pie...so I went with the recipe on the back of the can of pumpkin (I was not trying to be Martha Stewart here, so NO, I did not roast and make my own pumpkin puree).

Hannah was napping, and I put Leah in front of the TV (yes bad of me I know, don't worry, it comes back to bite me in the ass) with some snacks,and I headed into the kitchen. I made the pie and popped it into the oven, set the timer for 15 minutes to remind me to turn down the oven temp. I had the brine mixture on the stove waiting for it to boil and cleaned up the kitchen a bit. It was then that I realized Miss Leah was being WAY too quite for a 2 year old. I go out into the living room to find the bag of tortilla chips that I left on the table, dumped out all over the living room. I looked at Leah and the conversation went like this:

Me: "Leah what did you do?"
Leah: "I ate chips Momma"
Me: "Leah why did you spill them all over the floor, that was not a good girl thing to do".
Leah: "Leah share with Bubba. Bubba hungry"

Ok, how can a mom stay mad at that. So I let the dogs start to help clean up the mess, and I grab the vacuum to get the rest. Of course since I started vacuuming, I felt as if I had to clean the entire floor of the house. When I was about done, I realized that if the timer for the pie had gone off, I wouldn't be able to hear it over the vacuum. I run into the kitchen and find not only had the timer gone off at some point, but my brine mixture had come to a full rolling boil, and now was all over my stove top. I quickly turn the oven temp down, and turn the burner under the bring off. I do my best to clean up the kitchen mess, then I go back to cleaning up the Leah mess.

What did I forget to do here? I forgot to reset the timer for the pie....so I had NO idea how long the pie had been cooking. UGGG, shoot me know?

I just kept checking the pie every few minutes praying that it wasn't ruined since I only bought 1 can of pumpkin. That night, after the crap of day trying to be Martha Stewart, I made the excuse that I needed to test the pie, just so I could have a piece and have some calorie comfort. Oh, also this was when Alan informed me that he doesn't like fresh cranberries...just the canned kind. Good thing I bought a can for back up...also double good, one less thing to cook! More pie anyone?

Wednesday went much smoother. I premade the mashed potatoes, and the stuffing. I found out I could reheat the taters in the crock pot, and the stuffing recipe said it could be made in advance. I set the turkey into it's flower pot and let it do its thing. That night, I made a pecan pie (I was going to do apple, but ended up using up all my apples for the apple sage sausage stuffing). Luckily I had made pecan pie before, so that went much smoother than the day before.

Come this morning, I was feeling much better (mainly because Alan and I had cut into the pumpkin pie again the night before...amazing what homemade pie can do for your spirits). Since I had done so much prep work, I realized I didn't have anything to do in the morning. That left me with just time to spend with Alan and the girls.

Come noon, and nap times for the girls, I got cooking. I placed the potatoes in the slow cooker and set it to low. I started up the oven and cooked the stuffing so that I would only have to warm it up once the turkey came out of the oven. Even with only an 11 pound turkey, my oven is too small to fit anything else in it. At 1:30 I started prepping the bird, and into my new roasting pan and rack he went. Alton Browns recipe called to start the bird at 500 degrees for 30 minutes, then turn down to 350.

I started counting the minutes till our little house would be filled with the aroma of turkey. Imagine my horror when I get a whiff of something burnt and nasty coming from the kitchen some 18 minutes later. I pull the bird out the oven and see nasty melted plastic! My NEW roasting pan and rack had plastic on the bottom of the rack. Although I washed it, for some STUPID reason I didn't remove the plastic...I thought it was on there so that the rack would not scratch the pan. I even read the box to see if I should take the guards off, but it said nothing. With Alan's help, I got the bird out, and cleaned the rack and pan. Back into the oven the bird went, while I tried to air out my house.

By this point I realized Martha Stewart would NEVER be giving me an award. Never the less, I didn't stop there. I couldn't the pizza place on base was closed, so what would be do for dinner if I gave up.

At 4:30 my temp timer beeped telling me the turkey had hit 161 degrees. I have to admit, it looked beautiful. I was feeling pretty good now.

Into the oven went the stuffing to warm, the green bean casserole and the candied yams *again the recipe of the back of the can*. By the time they were ready, the table was set, and the crescent rolls went into the oven and the corn into the microwave. I even managed to make the pan dripping gravy...but how anyone makes gravy right in the roasting pan without having little clumps, I will never know.

By this time even Leah was hungry and asked to eat. Eat she better, I had made enough food to feed an army. Ok, so I went a little overboard...aren't Jewish mothers supposed to go overboard on holidays? It is law.

Much to my surprise all worked out. I didn't burn down the house, and everything I planned on making was on the table...nothing had to go in the trash (much to the dogs disappointment). It was good enough that even Leah and Hannah ate it. Leah had about 4 bites of turkey, 5 bites of corn, some sparkling cider, then asked to go watch Dora. Hannah on the other hand went to town on the little bits of turkey, the mashed potatoes and corn. I think she ate more than Leah did.

Some how we even managed to have the kitchen all put back together and cleaned by 6:30pm.

My families bellies are large and happy, my fridge is full of leftovers, and there is still plenty of pie! There is lots to be Thankful for this year.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. We wish you and your family many joys, and a moist delicious Turkey.

MY Biggest Problem Living In Japan

2006-11-21T07:39:00.000+09:00

People keep asking me what I think of living here. I wish I had a good cheerful answer, but honestly I don't. My problem with living in Japan, is not Japan itself. It is the lack of a support system from the Navy.

They send THOUSANDS of families over here, but neglect to set up the support needed for these families.

Example Number One: The daycare here. The waiting list for full time daycare is over a year long. The funny part is orders here range from 18 months to 3 years, so some people get daycare when they are ready to leave. When I turned in the form for the girls, the lady at the Day Care Center just said "You know about the wait right?". I knew, I also knew that since I wasn't military, or a government employee I was at the very bottom of the list. The form even asks if you household is loosing money since you (the non military spouse) can't work, and how much. Although I don't make a huge salary as a vet tech, it is a sizeable amount of money for us. The "powers that be" here say the lack of daycare is because they don't have enough people working in the daycare. I would do it, I think it would be great...but here is the kicker. If I get the job, I DON'T GET DAYCARE, I am still at the bottom of the list. So how am I supposed to work if I have no one to watch my kids?

There is an hourly Day Care on base. The teacher and staff are WONDERFUL. I feel great leaving the girls there, and Leah even ran into her room yesterday, no crying for mommy or her blanket, and ran off with out even a goodbye. When I went to go pick her up, she didn't want to leave. The problem is getting Leah and Hannah in. You can only call 2 weeks in advance. So lets say you know you have an appointment on Dec 20th, you can't call to make a reservation till Dec 6th. They open at 7am, and if you want a spot, you better be there at 7am to book it, or try your luck at calling. I try to get the girls in at least 1 day a week for 5 hours. I will spend on average 20 minutes trying to get through on the phone at 7am. If I have not gotten thru by 7:45am, I know there wont be space for them. So you are screwed if you find out last minute you need daycare.

The reason for my rant today is really aimed at the SHITTY Veterinarian services here. Alan and I are so ticked off it isn't funny. I know people said we were crazy when we decided to bring the boys over here with us. I thought we would be just fine since I did my research on the Vet Clinic here on base. At the time there was a great female Army Vet here, a nice Army Vet tech, and a sweet girl named Meghan running the office. They all helped greatly with our animal transition. Meghan was great about emailing me and answering all my questions about Japan, housing, pets and the move. She even went out of her way and made reservations for us at a kennel when I could not get through. The vet and tech were fantastic when we got here helping us with Bubba (since he had just gone through double knee surgery only a few weeks before our move and still have major healing and follows to do).

Much to my disappointment, both Meghan and the female vet have left. I knew Meghan was on her way out soon after our arrival here (she told me so and even suggested I take over her job....how I now wish I had). The new staff leaves ALOT to be desired.

The basics of vet medicine is the same as human medicine. First do no harm; and life, limb and eyesight take first priority. The staff here failed on everyone of those points yesterday.

Over the weekend, Bubba started squinting. Alan noticed that Bubba was blinking alot, and when ever he looked at lights, he squinted. His eyes were not red or inflamed so I did not worry too much about it on Saturday. I thought it might just be allergies, gave him some benedryl and aspirin, and went about my day. On Sunday his eyes were red, irritated, and poor Bubba wouldn't keep his eyes open. I thought it could be 3 things. Just allergies, the start of an infection, or the possibility of a condition where the eyelids turn in, and the eyelashes rub on the eye and irritate them. The last scenario is not that uncommon in Rottis. I continued to give Bubba aspirin and Benedryl since things didn't seem to be too bad, and planned on taking him into the clinic first thing Monday morning.

By Monday morning I knew he needed to be seen right away. His eyes were full or crud, red, inflammed and just looked painful. I made the huge mistake of calling the base vet to ask for an appointment Monday morning rather than just walking in. I called at exactly 7:30am (when they opened) and they refused to see us. I was told that Mon and Wed were surgery days, Tues was all booked for appointments, and Thur and Fri they were closed for the holidays. That I had to take Bubba out in town. The clinic out in town they recommend doesn't open till 9am, so I can't even call to make an appointment till then. Had I just taken Bubba in at 7:30, he would have been seen and out of the base clinic by 8. The lady on the phone even said "Oh if it is his eyes, he should be seen right away. He could loose his eyesight, but is probably is just allergies." I told her by this point I knew it was not because Benedryl (50mg every 8 hours) was not doing a thing.

Alan called back after reading their website. It clearly states "You may bring your pet in for an emergency, non-appointment visit at any time during regular business hours. Pets with life-threatening problems take priority over more stable patients and are examined first". This was not upheld. By calling, being polite and asking for an appointment, we were treated poorly. Had I just shown up and waited, what would they have done?

I even called back, spoke to someone else, and asked if I could just drop Bubba off and the Dr could look at him in between surgeries. I was flat out told NO. That they had 4 surgeries, and 1 dental, and would not be able to look at Bubba at any point in the day. What they don't realize is that I know how things work. Each surgery takes no more than an hour, heck if there was a cat neuter, that takes 20 minutes tops. The dental is normally always done by the Tech, not the Dr. So you are telling me that from 7:30am to 4pm, they did not have 15 minutes to look at Bubba's eye? BULL SHIT.

They even refused to let him be seen on Tues during appointment hours. Not like I was going to wait till Tues, but they again went against what is stated to be their policy.

Luckily I had the girls in daycare (woo hoo that worked out) and Alan didn't have to be into work till 1pm. We called Hayama Animal Hospital, and between their broken English, and our VERY broken Japanese, we got an appointment at 10am.

The Dr was so sweet trying to communicate with us. Thank G-d I had knowledge of what needed to be done, and knew what he was doing. I can't imagine someone with no animal medical background trying to go through this and fully understand what was going on. The Dr took a smear of the gunk (yes that is a medical term LOL) in Bubba's eye, and looked at it under a microscope. He flushed his eye, took an eye pressure the gave him some topical medication. Bubba's eye pressure was 9...it should be about 20. Meaning Bubba has an inner eye infection, and needs to be on antibiotics and steroids (the medication is mixed and is put directly into his eye 3 times a day). He also has to wear an E-collar (one of the lampshades) so that he doesn't rub his eyes. Of course the Japanese vet did not have one big enough for Bubba's thick ole neck. I explained I could get one and not to worry about it. Bubba was a totally lovable trooper through out the whole process, and the vet even kept saying "good boy Bubbajen, good boy".

We made a follow up appointment for Friday, and paid our bill. Surprisingly, it was only 7,200 yen, so about $68 dollars. That was for the exam, medication, flush, smear and eye pressure. They even gave us a 1,000 yen discount (for what I have no clue). I left there worried (since I know if not properly taken care of, Bubba's eyesight will be in danger) but feeling better. Uveitis is the technical name for what Bubba has. Luckily the aspirin and Benedryl did help keep things in check over the weekend since they both have anti inflammatory properties to reduce the swelling in the inner eye.

My better mood did not last long.

I went back to base to get an E-collar from the Vet here, and to ask when I could bring Bubba in just to have his eye pressure taken. For my peace of mind, I wanted it checked on Wed, and again the following week, with out having to take him out in town every couple days. Again, I was refused. They would not see him on Wed, saying they were booked, and the following week they had no Dr on staff.

The eye pressure takes less than 5 minutes to do. I asked if a tech could just do it, and OH YEAH ONCE AGAIN was told No. They said it was against the law. Again, BULL SHIT. The tech said that medication had to be given to numb the eye before the pressure was taken, and only the Dr was allowed to do that. Ok, that part is true, but I explained that the Dr out in town did not numb the eye, she argued saying he had to of, that I just didn't realize it. I laughed at that since I was the one assisting the vet and knew what he was doing, and no numbing medication was put in Bubba's eye before the pressure was taken. I explained I knew how to use the Tono pen (instrument used to check eye pressure), and if the Dr out in town was not going to numb the eye, it would much easier for me to just bring Bubba in to base, and if I could borrow their Tono Pen, I could check his pressure myself. It would only take a couple minutes and they would have to do nothing. No, not going to happen.

I then asked a very simple request. I wanted to know if they had anyone there that read Japanese and could tell me exactly what medication was given to Bubba. The receptionist looked at me like I had 2 heads. I said, just tell me the American version, and I will know what it is and what it does. Even that was a fight. She tells me that they do have a Japanese vet in today, but that he might be busy at the moment. HOLY HELL people, it would take 2 seconds to look at the bottle. Which in the end was all it took, but like she needed to give me any more grief.

I left there yesterday more pissed than I ever have been in my life.
I have to say that from now on, when I need an appointment for something like this, I am going by the old saying "It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission" and I am just going to show up at the clinic and wait till I am seen.

Why don't I just go out into town you ask? Well, like I explained earlier, daycare is next to impossible to get last minute. So come Friday I am going to someone manage to get a 95 pound Rottweiler who is super clumsy now with the E-collar on, Leah and Hannah down to Hayama and into their little waiting room, that honestly is about 3 people wide, and 7 people deep. How am I going to manage that? A stroller wont fit, so I will have to carry Hannah, hold Bubba and keep Leah in check. Then what am I going to do in the exam room since it is the owner that holds the dog? See my problem? Alan starts Duty on Friday for a week, then goes right into a major military exercise, so he wont be home for about 3 weeks, and can't take anytime off. I am searching for someone to watch the girls for a couple hours on Friday, but if I need to have Bubba's eye pressure checked as often as I think it should be, this is going to be a major PIA.

Bubba's eyes are already looking much better. They are still very red, but he can fully open them now and seems to be seeing just fine. The super hard part for him is the E-collar. It really is the perfect sedative for him. When I first put in on him yesterday, I swear to you that dog did not move for 3 hours. He stayed in the exact same position all afternoon. He wont go outside with it on, and wont really move around at all...other than to look super pathetic. It took hours last night for Bubba to work up the courage to lay his head down with the cone on and finally go to sleep.

It is times like this, and that I want to go home. I admit I am a spoiled lazy American, and I want things to be easier. I want to be able to have my animals taken care of (in the manner that I am accustomed to LOL), I want to have steady reliable daycare, and oh yeah, I want to be able to run to the store minutes before dinner if I realize I am out of something I need.

If you all don't mind, can you keep your fingers crossed for all of us. For Bubba that he gets over this quick, for Alan, that he gets through the next few weeks, and for me, that I don't kill someone at the base vet, and that I manage to pull of Thanksgiving dinner. It is the first time I am cooking a real Thanksgiving. I hope that I have everything...if not, I am screwed since the store on base will be closed. I did remember to buy a turkey didn't I?

On the Move

2006-11-15T16:48:00.000+09:00

Yup ladies and gentlemen, it is official, Hannah is on the move.

A few weeks ago Hannah started with an immature crawl, basically meaning she would get up on all 4's, rock, and then push herself backwards. Somehow she manged to get where she wanted to go even though she was moving backwards.

A week ago Hannah started taking a few crawl "steps" forward. Well, on Thursday 2 little boys came over to play. What better motivation for movement than boys and flirtation (yes even at this young age)? The 2 boys were playing with a toy at one of the living room, and Hannah was laying at the other end. I don't know if it was the toy or the boys that she wanted, but whatever it was, it got her moving. It took awhile, but Hannah manged to crawl from 1 end of the carpet to the other. She didn't stop there, she kept going, trying to crawl into poor 4 yr old Shaye's lap.

Leah doesn't know what to make of Hannah being able to move. Leah has always been really good with her little sister, partly because Hannah was stationary. Leah could bring Hannah the toys that LEAH wanted her sister to play with, and Hannah was unable to go grab the toys that Leah had. Not anymore. Now when Leah has something, Hannah power crawls over to Leah and tries to take it. My days are now filled with Leah saying "No Hannah NO, my turn, share." And when that doesn't work, a loud "MOMMMMEEEEE, Hannah share. MY TURN". I shouldn't laugh, but I do.

Leah tries so hard to be good. When she sees Hannah coming, Leah moves the toy she is playing with to the other side, and then puts toys in Hannah's path; in hopes that Hannah's attention will be diverted. It works, for a short period of time anyway. Hannah will play with the toys in her way (really just put them in her mouth) for awhile, then she is back on track to get the 1 toy that Leah has. Stubborn little thing isn't she?

Yesterday Hannah also figured out (much by accident) that she could push herself up into a semi-sit position from the crawl stance. I stared at her in total awe. I know that 7 months is a perfectly normal age for children to start crawling and doing this things, but you all have to remember Leah was 9/10 months before she really started crawling this well. I just can't get over that we have a child that is this mobile this young. I was fully prepaired to have a Leah repeat on this.

The really funny side effect of all this, is now that Hannah is playing with Leah's toys, Leah thinks it is ok to play with all of Hannah's toys. Leah has taken to climbing into Hannah's exersaucer. It crakcs us up to see such a big kid in there. Leah has a blast...at least until she wants to get out. She may have mastered climbing in, but climbing out is whole different issue.

Everyone keeps telling us that we are in for it now that Hannah is mobile. I love it, the dogs and Leah may not, but I do. Yes it means Hannah can get into a lot more things, but I love the fact that the girls can really play together now. As much as Leah may be frustrated by Hannah's new found ability, I think Leah secretly likes it. Today while playing, Leah called Hannah over to her to see the hippo (aka the Baby Einstein DVD with a hippo on it). Hannah was thrilled that Leah was talking to her, and quickly as her little knees and hands would take her, she hauled butt to get to her big sister. It is times like that when I am happy that we did have the 2 girls so close together.

Wish me luck, and send some extra energy our way...I have a feeling we are going to need alot of both to keep up with Miss Hannah.

And just for record keeping reasons, Hannah had 3 1/2 teeth. I say 1/2 because 1 of her top teeth popped through a few days ago and then disappeared again in the swollen gums. Hannah's hair also is now long enough for me to put it in little pigtails. Alan calls them her little horns. I just love it!!