Holiday season!

Remind me not to start a new job around the holiday season ever again.

Work is actually really good. I am at work by 5 am MWF and 6:30 am TuTh. Early. Really early. But I am slowly catching on. Somedays seem filled with filing projects and phone calls while others seem to stretch for days with nothing to do. Overall, it's nice to leave the house and get paid. And I've met some great people.

My dear, dear car died almost three weeks ago. It's been in the shop ever since. And I've got a good two weeks until I get it back. It's really frustrating to be sharing a car again but it's great that my job is close enough that I can walk. God sure knows what He's doing, doesn't He?

Our Christmas tree is up and filled with all of my favorite ornaments! Check Picasa for the pictures. I'm glad we got a pre-lit tree because I think the plethora of lights fills the empty spots.

I've done all of my Christmas shopping (online) and have recently become obsessed with SpongeBob SquarePants. It's really funny. You should all watch it.

I will try to update again sooner than usual.

Work, work, work.

Work is keeping me very busy and so are Thanksgiving preparations! After Thanksgiving I will try to update, probably with some Christmas decorating pictures too.

My Goodness!

So I had to go to the Medical Clinic today. Never, ever is that a favorite thing to do. Ever.

When I made the appointment on Wednesday, I was told to go to the Immunization clinic first and get a PPD test. Even though I just did that in April. Okay. Fine. So I did and then went to my appointment.

Oh just kidding, you didn't need the PPD. But you do need an MMR, Hep B and Vermicelli (something like that) Titer.

Okay. Today is the end of the quarter and kids had the day off of school. The Immunizations clinic was a mad house. So I went, and I waited, and I waited.

Oh, you can't have the MMR since you just got the PPD, so you have to come back Monday.

No. No, I'm sorry, they just told me I didn't need the PPD.

Shot, shot. Up to the lab, in and out. Back to the appointment. Wait, wait, wait. Chat. Wait.

I am so eager for the day when I can go back to a civilian doctor. I'm really tired today. The end.

Finally.

Well, the big news is NOT that I am pregnant, because I am not and do not plan to be for a while, but that I found a job. Finally. After being unemployed what feels like forever.

I will be an administrative assistant at the School Age Care Center two minutes from our house. I'm not sure exactly when I start because in-processing is intense. I will, of course, keep you updated.

Also, David Cook's new album comes out on November 18th so you should buy it and not David Archuleta's album that comes out Noevember 11th. Unless you want to listen to crappy music. I can guarantee that David Cook's album will rock.

Holidays!

In lieu of a holiday party, Matt's CG decided to throw a lovely Oktoberfest themed party. The food was great, the music was great, and Stacee was there so I had someone to chat with. We even got our picture taken with the guy in lederhosen. Overall a successful Oktoberfest.



Thanksgiving dinner will be far smaller than first anticipated. We are expecting a total of seven or eight (including ourselves!). I did most of my shopping today to ensure procurement of all of the Thanksgivingest foods. I also have some other good news that I am going to hold off on until I can make a couple more phone calls.

Et cetera...

I am so excited that we have a Christmas tree. I was worried we might end up doing without because of our island bound status. I cleaned out our storage area to find all the Christmas stuff and put it together with the tree. Day after Thanksgiving, I am ready. Well, almost. I still need some garland and a few more ornaments... and a tree skirt. Better get those before they are Okinawa-extinct.

Re: gift cards (because I have been asked). We have a Chili's and a Macaroni Grill here. We also have Starbucks, but I'm not 100% sure if they take the gift cards there. I'll check soon. Also, internet shopping is popular, although I have heard Wal-Mart charges a ton for shipping. We use Snapfish for photo printing. iTunes cards are always, always a hit.

I am starting a scrapbook for 2008. Starting, as in, thinking about it, but not yet actually doing anything for it.

I am also serving Thanksgiving dinner to approximately 20 Marines. More on that later.

Weekends.

It seems to me that there are two major downfalls of a long weekend. Although they are long and luxuriously relaxing, they shorten the week, often squishing five days of work into three. Also, after the weekend that seems never to end, the following weekend feels short and as though you have been cheated. This is my situation.

Matt had four days off last weekend. Then a stressful three day week. And now we are at the end of a two day weekend that just flew by. I know what we did all weekend, but I just don't know where the time went.

On the up side, we do have a Christmas tree which is probably the happiest thing we've bought since we got here. I can't wait to get more Christmas tree accoutrements.

Two things:

1. On Wednesday, I did childcare for a program put on dear Stacee. Six toddlers, a four year old, me and Suz for almost six hours. At the end I just looked at Suzanne and said, "I don't think I will be doing this ever again." Today, Stacee called and said there was such a positive response to our childcare that someone wanted to book us for their event. !!! Well, I said thank you very much, but once was enough for the experience. Ooooh, toddlers. I will try to just have one at a time.

2. Last night, Stacee and I went to the Pacific Okinawa Player's production of Ragtime. I loved it. Had to concentrate really hard not to cry during the opening number, thinking, "Ah, yes, this is why I did theatre in college. This is why I have that degree on my wall." They looking for volunteers and I am looking for something to do with my time. Perfect match? Perhaps, yes.

Cape Hedo.

We went to the northernmost point of the island this weekend. It was about a two hour drive, but it was along the coast most of the time and just really beautiful. I posted pictures on Picasa. Nice little Saturday excursion.

Birthday!

Saturday was my 25th birthday! How exciting. Matt took me out for a fancy lunch at the Nago Terrace Resort. He also got me a subscription to Us Weekly and a bottle of nice perfume. Woohoo!

I'll post pictures when I'm feeling less lazy or my camera is more close.

Food!

Taco Rice
Taco Rice is an Okinawan phenomenon, and while I was initially wary of rice topped with taco accoutrements, I have since become a huge fan of the Taco Rice. It’s basically rice with taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and salsa, the last two being my favorite parts. I’ve made it several times at home with fresh(ish) guacamole and highly suggest you all make it at home, too.

Sushi/ Sushi go round
Matt loves sushi. Loves it enough for the both of us… and Molly. I could go on (but I won’t). We go out for sushi probably every other weekend. Sushi places are relatively common Stateside, but something new we’ve found is the Sushi-go-round. The idea of a sushi-go-round is simple: The sushi chef continuously creates lovely little sushi yummies and puts each piece or pair on a colored plate corresponding to the price of the sushi. The plates go on a conveyor belt around the sushi center and as the sushi passes you, you are free to grab whatever your heart desires. Matt loves sushi-go-rounds and often over-indulges in the sushi goodness.

Macdonald’s/Mos Burger
While we do have several McDonald’s on-island, there is also the Japanese equivalent: Mos Burger. I had Mos for the first time last week and it was great. The staff was amazingly polite and helped me count out my yen. We engaged in a bow-off when she handed me my to-go bag. This embarrassed Matt greatly. Haha. My teriyaki burger was sufficient and the French fries were pretty good. This is probably where Angel and I will eat when my family comes to visit and Matt finally has sushi buddies.

More to come…

My First Coffee.

In The Basic School, we spouses are scared straight with a little pamphlet known as The Parade Rest Book. It is handed out to the new Officer’s wives as a resource on the etiquette expected of us, often with the terrifyingly deficient caveat: “Some of the stuff in here is really outdated.” Thanks.

Coffees are a part of Officer’s spouse culture, and up until last night, I had avoided these “networking” functions. You all know that the mere thought of schmoozing makes me feel terribly nauseated. Spending two to three hours with wives I’ve never met? Doesn’t sound like a good time to me, even without the advice I received during TBS. “Dress appropriately -- only wear dress slacks as a last resort!” “Whatever you do, DO NOT arrive early!” Hostess gifts, calling cards, proper conversation… It’s enough to make your head spin.

Last night was my first coffee and lucky for me, I didn’t have to go alone. Another wife from across the street carpooled with me and we were both able to avoid any of those awkward standing alone moments. I was able to introduce her to a few women I’ve met and we got to know one another a little better.

In the end, all of the anxiety was unwarranted. I met a new friend and learned a little about the options available to wives here. Painless, for the most part.

Small update.

I haven't put up an update in a while. Oops. Not much is going on around here. My job search continues, as does the quest to furnish and decorate our house. You would be shocked at how hard it is to find a card table on this island.

I am preparing a blog about the food here. So there's something for you to look forward to. In the meantime, check out this fabulous blog dedicated to everyone's favorite Olympic hero: Michael Phelps

Shisa dogs.

Taken from All About Okinawa:

Shisa lions (also known as shiisa) can be seen on top of roofs or at the gates of Okinawan homes and businesses, and even on street corners. From small to large, old and new, shisa lion statues help ward off evil.

Long ago on the Japanese island of Okinawa lived a young boy named Chiga-san. The small village that Chiga-san lived in was terrorized by an angry dragon. The dragon would suddenly appear from the sea to attack the village and its unlucky villagers. One day, after another attack, the king of Okinawa came to the village and approached Chiga-san.

"I saw the dragon and the troubles it is causing you," the king said and pulled out a piece of rope with a small statue attached to it. "Here, take this shisa lion and place it in front of the village. It will protect all of you from now on."

Chiga-san took the small statue and looked at it. It was a boring brown color. The face of the shisa looked like a lion, except much fiercer, with a snarl on its lips. Chiga-san bowed to the king and placed the shisa on the beach in front of the village, then went back to playing with his friends.

The next day the villagers heard huge waves crash on the beach -- the dragon was approaching. They ran out of their homes, their eyes on the beach where the shisa statue sat. The dragon leaped out of the ocean and swung its head from side to side, then stopped. The small statue of the shisa lion began to tremble. A loud sound came from it, like a muffled lion's roar, and suddenly the statue cracked open. A huge shisa lion sprang out and attacked the dragon. They disappeared under the ocean and the villagers feared the shisa lion was dead.

Suddenly, far out in the ocean, what looked like a fountain of water rose into the air. The villagers and Chiga-san held their breath. They heard the roars of the shisa lion and the bellows of the dragon, then all was quiet and the water slowly fell back to the ocean. The villagers gasped in surprise. A small island was now where there had been none.

Chiga-san frantically looked and looked at the ocean for the shisa lion, but it didn't reappear. Then, when he looked down at the sand, Chiga-san jumped back -- the shisa statue was there, all in one piece and not a crack on it.

The village was never bothered by the dragon again. Word soon spread around Okinawa of the shisa lion's bravery and protection of the village. Soon, other villages made their own shisa lions, and the shisa became known as the protector of the islands.

Homes and businesses will usually display two shisa lions -- one with its mouth open to scare off the evil spirits and the other with its mouth closed to keep the good spirits in.

And that is the story of these little guys.

From here to there.

Driving. Definitely not my most favorite thing to do. In all honesty, I enjoy my visits to the Dentist more than I enjoy a long drive (no offense, Crystal!). For the entire three years I’ve been driving, I would often (not too often) have minor panic attacks when driving on a two lane road alone at night. “Am I on the correct driving side??!! Ack! I don’t know. Oh, whew, there’s a car coming towards me on the other side of the road. Whew.” The dread of having to learn to drive on the left side of the road ate away at me for months before the big move. Fortunately, getting adjusted to left-side driving has been a whole lot easier than I thought it would be. Seeing drivers on American TV and in movies is still a little mind bending though and sends me into minor panic. Good thing I don’t drive and watch TV at the same time.

After the whole “other side of the road” thing, the biggest difference is that Okinawa is metric and slow. It’s island life, right? The fastest you will ever go (legally) on the island is 80 km/h (about 50 mph) and that is only on the Expressway. Most roads are between 40 and 50 km/h (about 25 and 30 mph). Pulling off to the side of the road (whether there is ample space or not) is also a common Okinawan practice. That is great for us Americans because we can sit on the side and scour a map to figure out where we are. Due to the hilly nature of the island, there is no semblance of a road grid here. Happily for Japanese non-readers, the roads all have numbers for names.

Shortly after arrival on Okinawa, we had to take a driving class to learn the differences driving here. First off, the signs are all the International road signs. They are super-easy to understand and this knowledge should come in handy if ever we are somewhere else overseas. There is no cellular phone use allowed while driving here. The strangest rule, to me, is no left turns (think right turns) are allowed at a red light! I sometimes cheat on this one when I’m turning onto the Base… Don’t tell!

Overall, learning to drive here hasn’t been too scary. I’ve always been a cautious driver, so I’m sure that helps. I might actually enjoy driving here more than driving in the States. It will be interesting to see how it goes readjusting to driving in the USA in three years.

Katsuren Castle Ruins.

We stumbled upon some castle ruins Saturday afternoon.

Click here for photos.

Like the deserts miss the rains...

Things I miss (possibly just because I know I can’t have them):

-Panera Wild Blueberry Muffins and Cinnamon Crunch Bagels. And the Frontega Chicken Sandwich. And the Baked Potato soup. And chips. So, Panera Bread in general.

-Target. Not a single Target on this Island. And so far, nothing even resembling a Target. Since moving into the dorms my freshman year, I have relied on Target for everything. Mascara? They’ve got it. Something to wear to a wedding? Check. Neato one dollar thingamajigs? In excess.

-Pizza Chain Restaurants, furthermore good pizza places. My dear friend Stacee has brought it to my attention that it may be possible that my husband and I are pizza snobs. Fair enough, but I think we earned that title the day our dear friend David Letterman gave us a pie on our honeymoon. Ah, digression. Pizza here is terrible. Or at least the one place we ate was terrible. Think of the worst pizza you’ve EVER had and subtract about ninety taste points. Thank goodness for the Secret Family Recipe.

-Dry heat. Self explanatory.

-Coldstone Ice Cream and Frost Gelato. It was both good fortune and a curse to discover the beauty that is Tucson’s Frost Gelato Shoppe. Good fortune to have experiences something so very delicious and not a curse because I crave it. And there is really never a time that I am not craving Coldstone.

-Wendy’s. Something about Wendy’s just conjures up great feelings of nostalgia. Maybe it’s because Theatre History class was never over until our crew was done with their Frosty’s. Maybe it’s the late night drive-thru runs. The “good-good” commercials do not help this craving.

-Non-tempura fried shrimp. Beer battered shrimp is my seafood restaurant stand by. Tempura shrimp generally tastes like shrimp dipped in oil. Fried shrimp here = Tempura shrimp. ‘Nuff said.

-InTouch Weekly. My guiltiest of guilty pleasures. The Island is not without InTouch, it’s just that the issues you can find are at least three weeks old. At least. By then, the news is proven, disproven, or just plain no one cares any more. And although I can get all my celeb gossip online, there is something cathartic about flipping through my favorite glossy at my own leisure. Oh, and I definitely miss “Who wore it better?”

Things I will probably miss when we leave the Island:

-Vending Machines EVERYWHERE. I never fear about having low blood sugar while driving here thanks to the plethora of vending machines. You literally cannot drive a kilometer on this Island without driving by an inexpensive drink machine. And it’s not just soda – it’s tea and about a million other types of drink that I’m not quite sure of but just can’t help but try.

-Cutesy-ness. Everything here is cute. Signs all have cute cartoons here. I saw one for a hospice that had a very happy old man in a tub with his family/caretakers all around him, equally happy. You can find all sorts of items emblazoned with the cutest things you could ever think of. And, it’s the home of Hello Kitty. You don’t get cuter than Hello Kitty.

More to come, I'm sure.

Five Point Eight.

I had my meeting with the Internal Medicine doc today and there is some good news and some bad news. Bad news first.

It really doesn't look like I'll be getting a pump here in Okinawa. There is no Endocrinologist here, and that would be the guy who would get that taken care of. But, on my next visit to the States, I can go to an Endo and get it all started. We'll see.

The good news?

Not only were all of my tests super spectacular, my HbA1C test came back at 5.8%. To put it in perspective for my non-Diebos: The American Diabetes Association suggests that diabetics keep their A1C around 7%. Non-diabetics would have an A1C of between 3.5% and 5.5%. I'm not sure I've ever been so proud of myself. Even more of a reason to have a real blow out of a party this year at my 5th DiaBirthday. I'm pretty ecstatic, even with the non-pump news. Wooo!

Auction!

Today we went to an auction. It was amazing. I guess Phai's House of Jade has an auction every two months (maybe more frequently, maybe less) and sells great stuff for dirt cheap. Ridiculously dirt cheap. Our friends got a $1500 dresser for $15. It had some minor scratches on it, but still! That's a penny on the dollar (right? Am I doing my math right?) Craziness! We got a large vase for five bucks and an Amber pendant and earrings for ten. We could have gotten more but there was a lull in the good stuff. I think next time we'll go earlier. Guess where Christmas presents are coming from??

So little to report.

I've been sitting here, fingers poised over my key board, for nearly ten minutes trying to decide what to write about. Matt is enjoying his new job. I am looking for a job.

Really, there isn't much to say. We are having a good time here, doing a bit of exploring, keeping busy. I will let you know when something exciting happens.