Glenn is home!

Glenn got back from Guam on Sunday afternoon! Yay! He even had half the day off today so we got to sleep in together with Stella and enjoy at least part of the "weekend". So nice! Everyone else in the squadron got the day off but Glenn had to take a class that is conducted by CAG (commander of the air group? or something like that, aka all of the squadrons, not just ours), but I'll take a half day any day!

We also had two friends over for dinner last night as well. Dave Wrigley and Tyler Moore just moved here from Norfolk this week. Their wives will be here by the end of March! Yay! We've known both couples since Kingsville and we are excited for them to be in Japan! They'll both only be with the Golden Dragons in Japan until December of this year, but it will be fun to have them while we do. The Golden Dragons will be relocating to LeMoore, California at the end of the year.

What else is going on? Oh, I started a new English class today. Two women in their 40s. We meet every Monday afternoon for an hour. I pick them up off base and bring them to my house. Hopefully Stella will get used to them being in the house because right now she brings them every toy she owns before she settles down. It's pretty cute actually.

All for now. Enjoy your week!

I think she's nervous...

So Stella only eats when we are home. I leave a full bowl of food out all day long while I'm gone and she waits til I get home at 4 pm to eat breakfast. What's up with that? Is she nervous she is going to choke and needs us home to perform doggy CPR? I have no idea, but it's funny to me. She's a querky dog I guess, but sometimes I feel bad that she hasn't eaten all day even though there is food there.

Glenn gets home tomorrow and I cannot wait! I think I've missed him so much this week because this det is the beginning of the end. Soon CQ dets and deployment preparations will start and he will be gone for months at a time before I know it. I'm not looking forward to it. I'm just excited for him to be home tomorrow though...

On a totally different note, Happy Birthday, Sarah! It's one of my BFF's ( I know that makes me sound twelve, but whatev...haha) birthday today! Love you lots and have a great day!

Karaoke!

We had a Spouse's Club Farewell for two members last night. One is headed to Norfolk and another to Fallon, Nevada. We went out for Indian food which I have discovered is one of my favorites and then karaoke-ing. What a blast!
In Japan, karaoke is huge but it is not like the states. You don't sing in front of strangers in a bar. You rent a room at a karaoke bar and sing with just the people you brought with you! There were about 15 of us in our room. You pay per person per hour. One price if you are not drinking and one if you are. The best part is your room has a phone in it and you just call to place you drink orders and it is all you can drink while you are there! Here is Rona, Gizelle and Catherine pouring a little sugar on it: Even I sang and I rarely sing karaoke, but since you are not making an idiot of yourself in front of strangers, it's not that bad. You're among friends so it's pretty fun!
Oh and you get marracas and tamborines to jam with too! Here is Kristin and Laura rocking out! If only there was a cow bell too. :)

Coffee Table

My coffee table leaves Virginia today and I'm uber excited to see it in a few months! When companies only ship FedEx you have to get a little creative- like getting your friends to bring it with them to Japan. I've been wanting a coffee table like this for a year or so now ever since I saw Candice Olson (of Divine Design, my favorite expensive HGTV show) and in Domino magazine.
This is what my gorgeous table will look like but with different dimensions. Oh yeah and in a different house. I wanted an acrylic table because then it won't take up as much visual space in the room. Our apartment in Japan is small enough that I don't need a giant wooden table. And anything will do better than the old trunk (I almost typed drunk there...haha) we are using now.

I ordered a custom sized table from a company in New York call Plexi-Craft. Usually they take 3-4 weeks to make a table but they made me one in a week so that it could get to Norfolk in time. Thank you! I'll post pics when it gets here (in hopefully one piece) in April or May!

Kimono Luncheon

Every few months AOSA and AWA do a joint event. AOSA is the Atsugi Officer Spouses Association which is open to all of the commands and squadrons and AWA is the Japanese equivalent. Since we are on a joint base, the Japanese Self-Defense military is also located here. This event was hosted by AWA and was the annual Kimono luncheon. The AWA ladies brought their Kimonos for us to try on and wear. It was so much fun! I can't believe all the garments and time it takes to get dressed. It took two ladies about 20 minutes to get me all tied up and dressed.
We then had a fashion show and a demonstration of the different types of knots the obi (belt part) can be tied in toto show the different types of Kimonos people were wearing. Mine was a casual style kimono because it did not have a fancy pattern, it just had a repetative pattern.
We had a to change before we had lunch because Kimonos are very expensive. So we changed back in to our clothes and had a great lunch. It was such a neat experience. I'm glad I got to be a part of it! Here is a picture of the fancier kimono during the fashion show. These guys cost thousands of dollars!

Strawberries!

Gizelle and I went on an MWR tour together on Saturday. The guys were suppose to have left for Guam that morning, but because of weather they didn't end up leaving, but we went on the tour anyways. The tour had 3 parts. First we went to a neighboring prefecture (can't remember the name right now) that is famous for growing strawberries and got to pick all the strawberries we could eat. They were so good! Then we went to a gorgeous shrine. Probably the prettiest shrine I have been to yet. And lastly we went to a shopping/amusement park area for lunch and walked around. Glenn wouldn't have really liked the tour anyways so it was probably good that he didn't sign up for this one.
This giant thing was at the shopping mall we went to- giant molar? mattress? whale? Your guess is as good as mine, but we had to have a picture with it!Also, god forbid, scrunchies are coming back in style in Japan. What are they thinking???

Bucket List

I've been getting a lot of these list kind of things via email so I thought it would be fun to post them here. I'm not sure this is an all encompassing bucket list, but fun none the less. What would you add to your bucket list???

( ) Gone on a blind date...
(X) Skipped school
(X) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
(X) Been to Jamaica
(X) Been to Europe
( ) Been to South America --
( ) Been to Central America
(X) Been to Asia
( ) Been to Hawaii
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been on a Cruise
( ) Visited All 50 States
(X) Been lost
(X) Been on the opposite side of the country
(X) Gone to Washington , DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(X) Made prank phone calls....
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X} Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Been skinny dipping outdoors
( ) Gone to the drive in theater
(X) Tried something you were afraid to try
( ) Been hang gliding
(X) Been water skiing
( ) Rode in a helicopter
(X) Lived outside of the country
( ) Rode a bull
(X) Rode a horse
( ) Rode an elephant
( ) Touched a shark
(X) Voted in a presidential election
( ) Shook hands with a president
(X) Graduated college
( ) Visited all 7 continents
(X) Volunteered in a way that you had to really work to help
( ) Learned another language fluently
( ) Visited Venice for Carnival
(X) Been on a train
(X) Been diving
( ) Been surfing
( ) Attended the Olympic games
( ) Attended Oktoberfest in Germany
( ) Stood at the North or South Pole
( ) Been to Australia
( ) Met a major celebrity
( ) Watched a live space shuttle launch
( ) Been an audience member in a TV show
( ) Learned to ballroom dance
( ) Sat on a jury
(X) Drove on the Autobahn
( ) Scuba dive off Australia 's Great Barrier Reef
( ) Gambled in Vegas
(X) Truly forgave someone
( ) Kissed the Blarney stone in Ireland
( ) Visited the Pyramids of Egypt
(X) Gotten a tattoo
( ) Watched a real tornado
(X) Stood on the Great Wall of China

My Hubby

Glenn left this morning for Guam for the next week. They were suppose to leave yesterday, but the weather didn't cooperate. So here is a post to him, see you in a week Mister.

What are your middle names?
His middle name is Jameson. Mine is Diane. Neither of us is named after anyone in particular. Well, Glenn's came from the credits of a TV show.

How long have you been together?
We've been married for almost 3 years, together for over 4.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We had met a few years before we started dating, but neither of us really remember that. I'd say we knew eachother about 5 minutes before we started dating.

Who asked whom out?
Difficult to say, but I'll give Glenn the credit here. I think he asked for my number.

How old are each of you?
I'm 26, he's 25.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
Living in Japan, I'd say we see neither right now, but when we're home we see both, except my brother in Louisiana.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
I think deployments are probably the hardest. Only communicating via email or 10 minute conversations once a week or less is hard on any relationship.

Did you go to the same school?
We both graduated from Iowa State University in 2005. Me with a degree in Materials Engineering, him in Political Science.

Are you from the same home town?
No. We both grew up in multiple towns, but call Minnesota home. He in Eagan and me in Rochester.

Who is smarter?
Depends on the topic I would say. Glenn is much smarter in current events and useless trivia. I would win if the Jeopardy category were French phrases or math/science.

Who is the most sensitive?
That would be me. Have you ever said goodbye to me? Then you know.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We are wanna-be foodies and love going out to eat. We love to experiment and living in Japan offers that opportunity quite often. It's just a matter of whether or not you know what you just ordered.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Japan, but I guess we didn't really travel together. St. Lucia was probably the farthest together.

Who has the craziest exes?
Craziest? Difficult to say. Tie game, I'd say.

Who has the worst temper?
Worst temper, but still makes sense? Glenn. Irrational when angry? Me.

Who does the cooking?
Glenn. I try and succeed at times, and I am starting to cook more now that I am a housewife, but Glenn cooks much more often. When he's home that is.

Who is the neat-freak?
We both are. I am obsessive about cleaning countertops off and putting things away, but he definitely likes things picked up as well.

Who is more stubborn?
Glenn.

Who hogs the bed?
I hog the covers to the point where sometimes when I come back from from letting Stella out in the middle of the night, I notice him curled up in the fetal position trying to stay warm. Sorry, baby!

Who wakes up earlier?
Glenn, but only because of work. If we are able to sleep in til we feel like getting up, I am usually the first awake.

Where was your first date?
Our actual first date and not hanging out at the bar was bowling and dinner in Ames, IA.

Who is more jealous?
I'd say neither of us is really the jealous type.

How long did it take to get serious?
About 10 minutes. We were together from the night we met.

Who eats more?
Glenn wins this game.

Who does the laundry?
I do. I'm a housewife now, but sometimes I still make Glenn match the socks. I hate doing it.

Who's better with the computer?
Glenn. Especially since we switched to Macs. I still don't get how to do stuff. Why can't I right click?!

Who drives when you are together?
Always Glenn. I still stink at this left hand side of the road business. I am a better navigator anyways.

ProFlowers.com

Last May for Mother's Day I ordered flowers online from ProFlowers.com and for some reason a related company has been charging me $14.95/month for unknown services. Glenn and I just noticed last night and called our credit card company right away to cancel the card and get it taken care of. We Googled the charge and noticed that many people had the same problem.

Don't ever order flowers from ProFlower.com and if you have, see if you have been charged by a company called Easy Saver.

I just wanted to pass along the info!

Nagano

Nagano was fantastic! I've posted a few pics/videos from other events of the weekend, but not of skiing. We stayed at a cute place we simply call "The Captains" because that is what the guys who runs it calls himself. It is a family run joint, I would compare it more to a hostel than a hotel though. In Japan, it is called a Ryokan. We had two twin beds in our room and a tatami mat area with a short table and cushions on the floor. The most distinguishing thing about a Ryokan are the public baths. Our room had a sink and toilet, but no shower. The shower is downstairs in the basement, but it's not a shower at all I should say. It is more of a public bath. Think health club with showers along one wall and a hot tub on the other side. No swim suits or towels allowed. So I saw all the gals on the trip naked which is interesting, but I just think of it as a cultural experience, right? Other nicer hotels often have private onsens (hot tub/spring) for each room or sometimes you reserve a time slot to use the onsen in private. This place was just a communal onsen. The captain was nice enough to provide english instructions so we didn't em-bare-ass (haha!) ourselves more than necessary :).
The skiing conditions weren't the greatest all weekend, but we still had lots of fun. Here are a few of us skiing the first day in the clouds. Going down black diamonds is interesting when you can only see 15 feet in front of you!When the clouds lifted though, it was beautiful:At Ryokan, your meals are often included. The captain provided breakfast and dinner each day. The dinners were fabulous and pretty elaborate. Here is Gizelle and Nikki enjoying shabu shabu (beef hot pot) where you cook it at the table. Yum!The Captains also had a bar where we hung out and played Uno and Cranium at night. We also had a wine tasting one night. Glenn and I thought we were doing so well.. and we only got 1/8 right!