Yes, yes.

Dinner.

Two nights ago, I decided to try something new and bought my dinner at the Family Mart. You can't go far in Okinawa without seeing a Family Mart, which, like the Salvation Army Family Store, is not a place you go to purchase loved ones (haha). Family Mart is like a brighter, cleaner, better 7-11. The employees are more polite and the only thing really lacking from a Family Mart is a Slurpee Machine.
So, after work yesterday, I stopped by the closest Family Mart and picked up some new and exciting things to try. Egg salad sandwich (a daring choice, I know), a cold latte, and what seemed to be the sushi incarnation of taco rice.


Looks yummy, right? Mt. Rainier is the coffee ScarJo Japanders for, so it was practically like I had dinner with Scarlett Johansson.


This is the packaging on my egg salad sandwich. Delicious and homemade?? Sounds great! The Japanese wouldn't lie to me, would they?


Turns out, they would. It was like boiled egg and mayo and maybe a tiny hint of mustard. But, they did cut of the crust for me, so major points there.
The Taco rice sushi was actually really good - I didn't get a picture of it because I gobbled it down so fast... four pieces with a half of a hard boiled egg, a fried piece of ?pork?, and a lovely fried potato mush thing. I would definitely bust out the faux sushi again. Probably next week.
So, this meal was good... if you forget the egg salad sandwich, which I pretty much already have. And all for under 7 bucks. 663 yen to be exact.
Family Mart, you may become my new kitchen.

L is for Loneliness.

Very early Monday morning, Matty left for training. This leaves me on my own for the next month, punctuated by a brief reunion and then nine long months of "strength training." I suppose this month is like a preview, allowing me to see what it will all be like, finding out who I will be leaning on, boosting my self-confidence in alone time. Letting me know, nine months is no problem. And it's not just nine months. It's a few months and then a trip home and then a few more months and a trip to - be still my beating heart! - Paris (or Spain, but since I'm the one doing the planning and making the reservations, I think we all know it will be a trip to Paris).

At this point, I'm not anxious. It's still pretty much life as usual. I'm still processing that this isn't just a week in the field, or two or three. This is it. This is deployment.

Projects for the Next Year.

Take a photo every day.
One sentence journal every day.
A year in Psalms every day.

Any other suggestions?

American Idol.

I didn't even watch the final performances last night. And tonight... well, I don't know that I can get away with watching for David Cook two anniversaries in a row. Fortunately for me, my Season 8 counterpart is watching and let me know David performs 15 minutes into the show. SCORE!

Friday is our pre-deployment brief. And Sunday is the start of training. I really need to get some hobbies. Any suggestions?

K is for Kitanakagusuku.

Try to say it. I dare you. Ki-ta-na-ka-gu-su-ku. Say it fast. Say it over and over. Ki-ta-na-ka-gu-su-ku. Ki-ta-na-ka-gu-su-ku. Ki-ta-na-ka-gu-su-ku.

Because of the large number of Westerners on Okinawa, there are actually a lot of signs written in Roman characters. A lot of the city names are written out so we can (attempt to) say them. Kitanakagusuku was the first one I remember really having a problem with. I just couldn't get it out right. I didn't think I'd ever get it out right. And I didn't ever think I'd feel at ease and happy here in Okinawa.

Quite fortunately, I was wrong. I am feeling more and more comfortable in my foreign home at a time when the person who makes me most comfortable is leaving. We will have a few weeks together this summer (one in Thailand!), but after that he's going to nine long months in a place far, far from me. At least there's a mall down in Kitanakgusuku where I can indulge in some retail therapy.

Red House Furniture.

I read an article about this commercial and it made me laugh.


But nothing is as good as this one:

Things I've Overheard My Boss Say Today.

"It's like, where'd you get them boobies from?!"

Online Shopping.

American Eagle ships to FPOs fast. Like, lightning fast. Like, the closest thing to running to a mall fast. I have made four orders from ae.com in the last two months. Those orders of beautiful, American style and more importantly AMERICAN SIZED clothes have gotten to me within a week of the ship date. It is oh-so-lovely.

With that said, nothing beats going to a mall and seeing, touching and trying on before you buy.

And now something to think about from my Good Earth tea bag tag:
"The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think." - Horace Walpole

J is for Jacki (My Mom).

I am going to try not to make this sound like an elementary school "My Hero" essay, but I can't make any promises.

My mom is my best friend. I'm not really sure when this happened - it might have been when I graduated high school and left for college or a year later when my family moved from Arizona to Georgia... I guess I really can't pin point any one time or thing that led to this, but here I am today with a best friend who couldn't be any more like me if we tried. We have the same freakin' genes.

My mom has B+ blood type. My mom has a "Be Positive" lifetype. I love my mom. She has the best sense of humor (strangely similar to my own...) and she has an immense bay of knowledge of all things. My mom was a Military wife for 24 years, which led her to sometimes have to be mom and dad. My mom supported my dad's career and allowed him to support us.

One of the strongest memories I have of my mom is when I was diagnosed with diabetes. Alone, in a clinic I had to break the news to my mom over the phone. She said, "If we were still in Phoenix, I would be getting in the car to be with you right now." Those heartbroken words ring in my ears when I think of my mom's love for me, and I'm not sure why. Maybe I knew it was true and I knew whatever to took, my mom was going to be there for me whether it was physically or prayerfully because of her love for her moldy little pickle.

My mom is amazing. Anyone who knows me knows my love for my mom. She always makes me laugh and is there for me when I cry, or even more comfortingly, or when we cry together. I hope some day (SOME DAY, NOT SOON) to be as loving, thoughtful and supportive as my mother is for me.

I love you, Mom.

I'm Amazing, I Know.

Guess who's getting a Kindle for Christmas (or possibly early birthday/Christmas so she can have for the plane ride back to the States)?

That'd be me.

I is for Ice Cream.

Well, I was planning on using this ninth installment of the Andrea Alphabet to celebrate one of my favorite Is, Ice Cream, even before my ice cream experience this weekend. Let me tell you about that first.

So Matt always teases me that I have terrible taste in ice cream. That the flavors he chooses are always superior and that my tastebuds are sub-par. It was my choice of Dreyer's Chocolate Chip Mint Brownie that I knew would make him eat his words. When Matt got home on Friday, he saw my choice and said, "Eww, gross. That looks disgusting." Whatever. I told him I hadn't tried it yet and didn't know.

So, after work on Saturday, when I went to grab a bite and about a quarter of the ice cream was gone, I felt vindicated. I took my bite and when out to Matt (who was, of course, at the grill) and said "Yeah, looks like you thought that ice cream was reeallllly terrible."

To which he told me, "I only had one bite."

Haha, thats one big bite.

"No, really, I thought you ate it all."

No I haven't had any. joker... Haha...

Hahaha.... ha... ha?

GROSS. I bought (and ate from) an already USED carton of ice cream. If I had any other choice than the commissary I would NEVER SHOP THERE AGAIN. DISGUSTING. Yuck. Gross. Ick. Yuck.

And so I don't leave you all on a bad note about Ice Cream, I present you with my most favorite ice cream of all time (or at least for now): Magic Brownies by Ben & Jerry's. Black raspberry and sweet cream ice cream with delicious chunks of brownie. Wonderful. Heavenly. Yum.

Albums that I know Every Word to Every Song.

R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
The Spice Girls - Spice World
The Blues Brothers Original Movie Soundtrack
Blues Brothers 2000 Original Movie Soundtrack
Kid Rock - Cocky
Barry Manilow - Ultimate Manilow
Kirk Franklin - Nu Nation Project
Natasha Beddingfield - Pocket Full of Sunshine
David Cook - Analog Heart
Bright Eyes - Letting Off the Happiness
Gavin deGraw - Chariot
The Ataris - End is Forever
Home Town Hero - self titled
Joan Osbourne - Relish
The Killer - Sams's Town
Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
Avril Lavigne - Let Go
Natalie Cole - Unforgettable With Love
Cabaret: The New Broadway Cast Soundtrack

Children's Day (Flying Fish!).

On Sunday, Matt, Molly and I took a walk to an area in town designated to celebrating Children's Day. We both got sunburned and Molly found a chicken to befriend.
Check out some pictures here.

Celebrate!

Last night, I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins to celebrate the birthday month of my dear friend and frequent commenter on this blog, Crystal! They are pretty good, although maybe a little heavy on the chocolate chips. I know, I didn't think it was possible, either.

And I'm going birthday shopping at the San-ei this afternoon! WoooO!