after thanksgiving

Oh yeah...who looks more pregnant?

thanksgiving

We have made great friends in Japan that have become family, but it was really nice to have "real" family in Japan for at least one holiday. Most days, being so far from home is OK, but holidays can be unexpectedly hard. This year, we had my dad, his partner Dick, my friend Julia, Julia's sister Mikela, and our friends Naoko and Mily over for a late lunch. It was Naoko and Mily's first traditional Thanksgiving, and they were good sports to try traditional foods.  

It was a great day. We ate WAY to much (like I am sure you all did), and then that evening we made s'mores over a fire. A fun end to the day...

kamakura and tokyo

The first day I dragged my dad and Dick around Kamakura.  It is a beautiful traditional city about an hour away by train.  It is one of my favorite places in this area, and we had a great time.  We went to the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine first.  It is a Buddhist temple... completely beautiful.

Second, we went to the Daibutsu Buddah.  It was originally an indoor temple, but in the 1500s (not 1960 like I tried to tell my dad) a tsunami destroyed the building.  The Buddha remained in tact, and it is my favorite place in Kamakura.

After that we headed home about 3:30.  We though we were getting ahead of rush hour, but unfortunately, we hit the train station the same time school was getting out.  Dad got totally surrounded by giggling school girls and he was a sight to see.  He was about a full head taller than all of them, so he was also easy to spot.  I wish I had a picture!

The next day, we headed into Tokyo.  We visited a popular shopping destination and bought lots of goodies.  We were also able to see the craziest intersection I have ever seen.  Four streets meet in front of the busiest train station in Tokyo, and there are mobs of people who cross in all directions at one time.  CRAZINESS!!! After that, we headed to Tokyo Tower to get a good view of the city.  We got there right as the sun was going down, so it was incredible to see the city lights come on as it got dark.  It was also really interesting for Dick.  He was in New York last week, and went to the top of Rockefeller Center.  He though New York was an ongoing sprawl until he saw the view of Tokyo.  

Like the day before, we hit heavy train traffic coming home.  It was at the point where the train monitors with white gloves were pushing people into the train.  Not something I want to do every day, but it was all part of the Tokyo experience...

the right to vote

There is a "West Wing" episode in which a group of kids lobbies the White House in an attempt to get the voting age abolished so that children would have the right to vote. Among several other relatively sound arguments they make the point that adults are not required to prove any sort of mental competency to vote. Essentially, all you have to do is be 18+, a citizen, and registered and you can vote for whomever you wish based on whatever criteria you decide.

The other day, a young girl at Baskin Robins brought up the election. She told me she voted for Obama. When I asked why, her response was that she thinks Obama will make it so that she can get free birth control. Seriously. Her only criteria for selecting a president was who would provide her with free contraception. If you are so promiscuous that you can't even be bothered with providing your own birth control, or at the very least a condom, and that is your sole criteria for choosing a president, then we as a country might need to re-look our priorities.

The argument could be made that Obama won because McCain didn't have enough support. I would say that Obama won because his support was too overwhelming. While I'm sure a lot of Obama supporters agree wholeheartedly with him and his ideals and would have voted for him no matter what, I believe a lot of people who voted for him might have been duped.  

I don't want to call them stupid, or even uninformed , I think they have been misinformed. Through no fault of their own, I think a large number of people were mislead by the media. I've never been a big fan of the media, but I will save my rants about them for another time. Take a look at this website and see what you think. I know that polls are flawed and this one certainly doesn't represent every single Obama voter. I think this one does raise some interesting questions, though.

holy cow!!!

This is for Scott, Hugh and Chad - the poor boys who are married to Baylor girls and have no idea how truly awesome Baylor is.  Sic Em Bears!!!

Baylor - 41

#12 A&M - 21

provision

I am having a moment where I really appreciate how well the military takes care of us.  

Since we are getting ready to move back home, I called about some apartments in Georgia close to where Scott will be in school.  They gave me price quotes on furnished apartments that included phone, internet, cable and utilities.   When I looked at the price they were quoting compared to a basic apartment, it seemed high.  But then I realized I have no idea what the average person pays for these things.  We have been so taken care of, I don't even know what is a reasonable rent price anymore.

For the past 5 years, we have shown up at a military base, asked for a house, and moved in a few days later.  We never had to pay deposits, rental application fees, pet fees or, best of all rent and utilities.  It is all part of our benefits.  

And it gets better.  We don't pay for health care either.  Again, for the past 5 years, when I get sick, I go to the doctor.  If I need medicine, it's free.  When I cracked my head open on the sidewalk our first week in Japan and needed 5 stitches...free.  Having this baby...free.  My prenatal vitamins and any other medicine you can think of...free!

Granted, military life is not all cake.  There are not many jobs you volunteer for knowing you will most likely get shot at by people aiming to kill you.  Also, there are not many jobs you volunteer for knowing it will take you away from your family for long periods of time.  But, in the hard times, it is nice to know you are taken care of.  It is one worry, in a pile of other worries, you don't have to deal with.

While only 1-2% of our population actually serves in the military, I am proud to say I am married to one who does.  And I am proud of how the military takes care of us.  

yikes!

We have both started Invisilign - the invisible braces.  The first set really hurt, but now they are OK.  Our orthodontist is so cute.  We love Naoko.  It is always fun when she comes over for dinner or to adjust our aligners.  Scott was being silly last time we saw her, and she sent me this picture...

becoming andy

I've heard that every man, at some point in his life, has the incredibly distinct moment when he realizes that he has become, or is at least well on his way to becoming, his father.  

For me, that moment might be today.  The truck that Sal and I were assigned has a water cooler on the back. The stow rack for the cooler was mounted in such a way that when you pressed the tap for water, it poured right onto the truck. It was impossible to get your cup underneath it. So this morning, while I was standing around with nothing to do for hours, I decided to fix it. A quick examination revealed that it had simply been mounted incorrectly. I needed to unscrew all four bolts, turn the entire mount 90 degrees, and then reattach the bolts. Easy enough. And since I had some time, it didn't matter that the bolts were a little rusty and it was going to take a minute to break them free.

Right as I was getting started, Sal came up with a brilliantly simple solution... we could simply put something underneath the cooler inside the mount that would lift the cooler high enough to get a cup under the tap while still keeping it secure in the mount. An easy solution that would have taken only a couple of seconds.  

It was the next thought that popped into my head that made me realize I am becoming my father. After Sal posed his quick and simple solution, my first thought was "Well, we could do it that way.  But that's not the RIGHT way to get it done. We'll do it the RIGHT way."  

We did it the RIGHT way. And now, all those who come behind us will have a cooler mount that allows them to pour water directly into their cups without coming up with some redneck engineered solution to quench their thirst. Suffice it to say that I am proud of myself and if I have to become more like anyone as I get older, I can't think of a better man than my father.

only in japan

Yesterday my friend Julia and I were driving, and we both realized we were thirsty.  In America, we would have gone through one of many drive throughs.  But since there is only one drive through in a 2o mile radius, we solved our problem Japan-style.  On almost any street corner you can find a vending machine.  When we pulled up at a stoplight, Julz hopped out of the car, darted across the road and bought us both a bottled water.  Nothing unusal in Japan, but really funny to see this blond white girl running across the road dodging cars and bicycles.

This also spurred a conversation about things that would be unusual in America, but are perfectly fine in Japan.  For instance, bulldozers are pink and purple; you only get scared you almost hit someone when their bike is inches, not feet, from you; milk comes with chunks in it and costs $4.29 a half gallon; it takes 7 hours to get a haircut because you have to take a train an hour and a half one direction; or it is OK for adults to have anything you can imagine with Disney characters all over it.  Just a few things I thought you would think are funny...