Adventures!

For a first weekend in a new place it was quite eventful! On Thursday July 4th, Independence Day we visited Torii Station beach for the first time. Unfortunately only Lea had a bathing suite and we got there way too early for the actual fire works and festivities. No issue. She got to run in and out of the sprinkler and we all enjoyed some Japanese ices.

On Friday we went back to Torii for the Salsa Festival! This time we all went into the beautiful warm water and chilled in beach chairs soaking up the sun. I went down the slide! Because I wanted to! Lea enjoyed throwing sand everywhere and burying her daddy's feet. For dinner we enjoyed some BBQ and Japanese fried food. There was salsa lessons, a flamenco dancer and a salsa band. But they were Okinawan! It was so weird. Sounded and looked great but just a little off. 

Saturday was our "quiet" day. I went to a meeting on the beach at 9am. It was awesome. Sitting outside, enjoying island life with new friends. Nothing like it.  At night I went with some of my new friends to see the Lt. Dan Band! If you're not familiar with them look it up. It's Gary Sinise from CSI NY. He also plays Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump which is where the name comes from. Awesome person and organization and they go around to Marine bases and perform covers. It was more like a giant picnic than a concert.  On the side they were selling soda, water & beer and chips w/ hot dogs & burgers!  

Sunday we went on a group trip to a grapevine to cut grapes! It was pretty cool. We got to bring home 1kilo per adult! Needless to say we have a lot of grapes! Afterwards we went to a Pineapple Farm. Unfortunately we only got to visit the gift shop but even that was fun. Tons of delicious samples and we bought pineapple cake and pineapple juice. Yummy! 

Than off to a mall for lunch. Japanese malls work differently than American ones. There is stuff laid out everywhere and you'd think  you could just pick stuff up and pay at the end. Like at Macy's or something. But apparently not. Apparently you have to pay where you pick up. Even where there are no obvious separations. I learned this the hard way and after being sent to three different counters and still no one knowing where I was supposed to pay for Lea's shoes I gave up. It was a learning experience but frustrating nonetheless. Finally found shoes I liked for her too and at an affordable price. Poor girl has my tiny feet. We also got to eat at a traditional restaurant and had "sets".  You order the main course and it comes with a full set of foods and sides. We chose to eat at the "American" table vs. "Japanese". Not quite ready to attempt eating with our feet folded underneath us. Lea loved the miso soup! She just drank it up!  

After we got back we took our first walk off post. Explored the local shops and community. Found a mall style place or at least a maze of stores and stalls. Lea was given a local style headband to wear meant to keep her hair and sweat out of her face. Discovered a local bakery with delicious looking pastries and sandwiches. It was quite an adventurous long weekend!

Farewell 173D STB

It's Sunday night and tomorrow we go back to work. Sadly but kind of gratefully. Last Thursday we finaled out from the 173D STB. On Friday we slept in late and enjoyed a day off of not belonging to anyone. Sat/Sun was our last weekend in Bamberg, Germany.  We arrived Christmas Eve 22 December 2009, 2 deployments down, airborne school and lots of other good and bad times but it was time to move on. 0630 Monday morning we took off for our new home! Okinawa, Japan!

Perhaps now is a good time for my good bye speech. The nice and not so nice version. Thank you 173D for a deployment (I mean that, I didn't join the army to never deploy), for Airborne school, for promotions, for eye surgery. Thank you for letting  me move on to someplace better where I will always appreciate my current unit after learning how lousy and uncaring a unit could be. 

That is the speech I would have given had I had the opportunity. But of course I never got the "award" the FRG promised me and more than that, after three and a half years with the unit I did not the get PCS award promised me. I would never do anything for acclamation but when I don't get it, it hurts. Perhaps after Stilian's speech they were afraid of a repeat. Either way. Adios. G'bye. Sayonarah. Choos.  2 Deployments - 1 Deployed, one working in & partly running the S2, a year in supply, multiple field exercises, excelled in PT and gave what they asked. Not what I could. And perhaps their too I went wrong. Because I always put my family first and did my best not to give in to the insanity. 

Well, farewell. Tomorrow I meet the new unit. 

Happy Independence Day!

Happy July 4th! Or 3rd, or 5th. Strangely, although we're on a military base it doesn't really feel like July 4th.    This morning we went to the PX. Didn't see any sales, July 4th weekend specials, flags, nada. I'm sure there was something but I didn't see it. Than we went to Chilli's for lunch. No little flags in the drinks or burgers, no Happy July 4th, nada. Didn't see an Independence Day special. Not even a lunch special for that matter.
A new friend picked us up from the Commissary and gave us a ride to Torri Beach. Beautiful. Unfortunately we didn't have bathing suites! I did have a swim diaper for Lea so at least she got to go in the water. She wasn't a big fan of the beach. The water was beautiful and warm but I could only go in to my thighs. My jeans got wet eventually but I didn't want to soak them. So instead we went to this awesome sprinkler where the water would turn off than go back on. At first she hesitated but than she loved it!! I got to chat with some other women and learn about the surrounding area while she had a blast running in and out of the sprinklers. After awhile it was time for some snacks.  We tried out some Japanese slushies. Luis got pina colada flavor and I got coffee. They came w/ some sort of cream besides the flavoring. Strange but tasted delicious. Unfortunately it was so hot they melted in minutes! There were WWII style female USO performers singing 40's & 50's era songs. An apple pie eating contest to win a Harley Jacket (no, I did not participate) and some other stuff going on. Lea and I shared a cinnamon & sugar "funnel cake". In quotations because it was fried dough but nothing like the funnel cakes back home. Still tasted good. After some rest we went back to the sprinklers for awhile. But we were bored and tired. We got there at 1345 and the fire works weren't till 1950. So we wen't home. And chilled. And Lea napped. At 2040 while giving Lea a bath I was able to hear fire works off in the distance. I went out onto the porch but despite the 360 view was unable to see anything. So it was sadly a 4th of July without fireworks.

Steer left

Still getting used to the cars here. The steering wheels are on the right side. Not necessarily the correct side. But on the right vs. the American left. It takes some getting used to. I'll be talking to the driver expecting them to be on my Left but nope, they're on my Right and than when he turns I start freaking out in my head that we're going to crash! I am not looking forward to when I have to drive here. Hopefully some time next week I'll get my license here and we'll get a car. Not hopefully bec. I want to drive. Any one that knows me knows that I hate driving. But honestly it's going to become a necessity here. Kid still needs to get to daycare and I still need to get to work. 

Unfortunately we were not allowed to bring our jeep. Wheels on the wrong side. Plus everyone warned us about the narrow local roads. Well  yesterday we saw a Ford Raptor. Really? But of course than we say the driver. A high ranking officer. Strangely the exchange car sales  here sells cars with the steering wheel on the Left. But it's mainly to ship back to the U.S. Not to drive here. You can if you want to but I would try to do as the locals. 

While looking at cars we saw a Jaguar 4 door. Looks in pretty good condition. I want to get it just to say I owned a Jaguar! We'll see about that. 

Welcome to Oki

So this is my first blog post ever and I'm copying and pasting from facebook messages. I would just write the same thing over. 
First day in Okinawa. Yesterday we arrived at 1020 and got to Kadena a little after noon. Lea would not stop crying, so after much needed showers I pulled on my awesome new knee high rubber boots and left the overtired munchkin and husband behind. Of course I made a right instead of a left in search of the commissary. As I turned back around in the right direction the rain got stronger and stronger till the top of my jeans were soaked. How many ppl offered me a ride? 0. The problem w/ big post. Oh, and e/1 drives on the opposite side of the road. Found food. Called the shuttle to bring me back but of course by than it had stopped raining. Welcome to Monsoon season.
The flight here was loooong. 16 hours total in air and 20 plus travel time in between w/ stopovers. We're here. obviously. No wifi. Finally found a wire in the living room of our tiny hotel apartment. Lea's still out. Thank god. She slept on the first flight from 630-8 but than maybe an hour or so more on the rest. We pretty much walked to Japan. She just wanted to walk all over the plane and play. She barely wanted to eat. Except Japanese snacks. JAL Japan Air Lines was great. They set out baskets of snacks and drinks throughout the plane in open areas for ppl. to take. Thank god cuz it was all Lea would eat! She made a friend. A 15 month old named Mia! Just like her old friend. But this girl was half French/Japanese. 
She was cranky and miserable as shit when we got here cuz she was so tired. But she napped a little w/ Luis while I got groceries and than went back to sleep after a sushi dinner and is still out. I'm just pissed cuz her little red boots were falling apart so I trashed them and I mailed ourselves her other boots. It's monsoon season and she will definitely need them!!

Now for something new. Today was a quiet day. Luis and I woke at 2300 and chose to go back to sleep. Lea woke at 2345 and was ready to start the day! So I played w/ her in bed a little and she finally fell back asleep. Luis on the other hand woke at 2am. and was up. He ate breakfast and lunch before I even got out of bed at 0730. Lea finally got up at 0830! So she was rested. We went to the PX and I got a cellphone. I am now reachable. Damn. Had to get Lea a new stroller because her old one was broken so we left it behind. Ask SGT Taurus to find out what happened to it! After Lea's nap we headed out to find the gym. We were hoping to see a movie tonight but by the time we got back and had dinner it was a no go. Tomorrow's July 4th! Hopefully some fire works!
Oh, it was dark here at 1930! Amazing. In Bamberg it stays light to 2200 in the summer. Actually glad it gets dark earlier bec. it makes it fell like night. And it didn't rain today. Thought it would but didn't need the boots. Lea spent most of the day barefoot.