We made it

We made it to Misawa last night. Everything went ok. It was a little stressful trying to make sure we weren't lost!! I am sure Melissa has lots to tell of what she has seen so far.

Dave is still sick hopefully he will get better soon!!!

Going to Tokyo today!

Ok ok ok... So Dave came home last night. I am so glad he is back.. . He is sick with a bad cough but this morning he sounded lots better like it is all breaking up so hopefully he will be all better soon. He is all unpacked and I got all of his laundry done last night. Then I got my over night bag packed. I am all set and ready to go. Dave is at work now but is going to come home and drive me to the airport at noon or so. Then I am flying to Tokyo. I should arrive at the airport an hour or so before Melissa lands. Plenty of time I am sure. Then we are going to stay the night at The Holiday Inn right there by the airport and on Thursday morning we are going to take the train up to Misawa. whew! I am sure everything will work out great.. I am just SO glad Dave made it home. I am pretty sure Japan is going to blow Melissa's mind... I don't know what she expects but I am pretty sure it won't be anything like what she thinks it will. Did that make sense? Well, you know what I mean.

Well, Happy Wednesday !! I'll let you know how it goes in Tokyo when I get back!!

just waiting

Well, its Monday night and no sign of Dave yet. I hope he is on his way home. Eeek. I got my cleaning done this afternoon and I feel loads better. I have a couple of things I need to do tomorrow just easy stuff... some grocery shopping and I need to run up and make the car payment. So for now I am just going to have to wait...keeping my fingers crossed Dave gets home before I left for Tokyo!!
P.S. the picture is from my trip to Chicago last year! hehe

tense tense tense

Oh man I can feel an anxiety attack on the horizon.....I have so many things I am thinking about I just can't calm down! I hate when I get like this. I really wish Dave would get home already so I could relax some. Its like being without your security blanket during something totally nerve racking. I have so many things I am worried about. Here are my top 5 maybe if I get them out they wont sound so bad and I will feel lots better... ya right....

1. Dave not returning home before Wednesday... It is very likely and I will have no ride to the airport and will have to leave the dog home alone for a full day which means I would bring my mother in law to my house that is trashed by a dog.
2. I am about to get my period and it is going to be bad I can already tell and I have lots of cleaning to do yet and I am afraid if I have to spend 2 days in bed I wont be able to get everything done.
3. The car payment is due next week and I cannot forget to go pay it....
4. I just worry about going to Tokyo... I haven't had problems in the past but It makes me really nervous. When I think about taking the train without Dave I get a terrible stomach ache.
5. Next summer stresses me out everyday... thinking about it worrying about it.... it is really wearing on me already... I think it would be a really different situation if we were stationed in the states, but 4 months alone in a totally foreign country is unbearable to consider. I don't know how I will ever manage. I don't think I can.

Well, I don't really feel better.. actually feeling little worse. Maybe I will try putting in a movie that I like and hope it will make me feel better

my favorite things from the places I have lived

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I was talking a walk this morning and the sky was so blue and beautiful I was in awe. I started thinking about the places I have lived and how each of them have their own natural beauty. So I thought I would list my 5 favorite things about the places I have lived.
I was only a baby when we moved from Louisiana so I wont do that state. Hehe
Michigan- I think about all of the things I miss from Michigan everyday! Not only my family, but the things that growing up I came to know well, and when I go home and see these things they are comforting and bring back lots of memories.
1. The TREES- I never knew I loved trees so much until I moved to Arizona where there aren\u2019t any. I love BIG huge climbable trees. I love them in spring, summer, fall, and winter. They are so amazing. I love walking down a street lined with trees. It is so pretty and it feels like your hiding under them. And when your watching the sidewalk you see the little slivers of light that made it through the cracks and were able to reach the ground. And I love walking through the woods. Its like a whole other world in there.
2. The Birds- In Michigan everyone I know owns at least one bird feeder. And almost everyone has a handy bird book, so when they are drinking their morning coffee and are watching their bird feeder they can quickly look up the new birds they spot, and report the sightings next time they are catching up with family and friends. I cannot tell you how many get togethers include new bird sightings by someone. I miss this A LOT! There is always a bird chirping to listen too. I stil love waking up to the sound of birds chirping.( who doesn't) I remember how fun it was to spot a robins egg. They are so pretty.
3. The LAKES- Oh how can you come from The Great Lake State and not think of them all the time???? The lakes in Michigan are AMAZING. Growing up we only lived only 45 minutes or so to Lake Huron. Lake Huron is my favorite even though most everyone complains about the Port Huron side because it is rocky. I don\u2019t care I love it there. I have only been to Lake Michigan a handful of times but it is really beautiful.
4. Fall- When I moved to Arizona I was bitter all fall because I knew I was missing a beautiful Michigan Fall. When I was a kid I loved how the streets looked after everyone had raked their leaves into the street. It was so amazing to me all those leave! I remember walking home from the bus stop, crunching leaves with every step I took. I loved scuffing my foot along, then looking back at the one clear line of sidewalk.
5. I am sure this isn\u2019t true, but it seems to me thinking back that it always snowed on Christmas Eve. I am sure it didn\u2019t, but I guess the years that it did made a huge impression on me. I remember one Christmas Eve we were going to a party on my Mom's side of the family and we picked up the pizza from the pizza parlor because we lived in town. We picked it up and were driving out to the country where the party was and it was snowing so pretty, and on the light poles the Christmas decorations were lite up and it was so magical. I think of how it looked that night over and over every Christmas eve.
Arizona- I don\u2019t think of Arizona quiet as often as Michigan, but at times I definitely think of the beautiful things I saw while living there. I would go back happily if we got orders there again.
1. The Sunsets- If you have ever been to Arizona you know exactly what I mean. They are amazing day, after day, after day. I never thought sunsets could be that beautiful. Someone once told me that they are so nice because of the pollution but when you see them all you can think of is, only God can make something that beautiful, not smog.
2. Tumbleweeds & Dust Devils-If you have ever seen a tumbleweed blowing across the road or been in awe at a dust devil you can see why it made my list of favorite things. They are both so cool Where we lived in Arizona there were a couple of open spaces nearby and when driving past them we would often see big swirling dust devils. They are really neat. We drove through one once and it shook the car a little bit. It was really cool. Being from the Midwest I had never seen a tumbleweed and every time I saw one in Arizona I would feel the need to shout, \u2018hey look a tumbleweed!\u2019 Guess I am easily impressed. Hehe
3. Monsoon lightening- Since we basically lived on a huge cement slab the lightening hardly ever came really close, but it was so flat in the valley that you could always see lighting really far away. It was hardly ever raining where we were but we could see all those lightening bolts and they were amazing! We would often sit outside watching the free light show. I think the Arizona lightening makes an impression an anyone that sees it.
4. The endless sunny days- I don\u2019t know the real average number of sunny days in Phoenix, but I would guess something like 300 of 365 days are clear and sunny. The day we left Arizona it was especially sunny and beautiful. It was January and something like 80 degrees. It was a beautiful day to remember Phoenix by.
5. The Mountains- I think anyone that lives near mountains know why they are so impressive. I cant say you ever get sick of looking out your window and seeing mountains. Living on Luke AFB there was a really nice mountain range just behind the base. To get out of the Valley of the Sun you have to drive through some mountains and it always felt good coming back, you get through the final mountains and look and you can see the nearly the entire valley. It so great!
Japan- Since I mostly dislike living in Japan it feels weird to like certain things. But while living in a foreign country isn\u2019t my bag, there are very beautiful sights here that I am glad I have been able to see.
1. Blue Skied Winter days- It is so odd to have a foggy grey rainy summer then when winter comes this place is totally beautiful. (The complete opposite of Michigan) Nearly every day is blue skied and sunny. When a snow storm is coming it is so obvious because you can see it cutting across the blue sky. The mountains are snow covered and so amazing against a blue background. I haven\u2019t had trouble with winter blahs here since almost ever day of winter is so cheery
2. Green overloaded Summer- The first summer we lived here we were driving to the mall and I realized it gets crazy green here. The back roads that we drive down are lined with basically unkept forest. It is natural and beautiful looking. There is one picture in the slide show from that drive that first summer. You can see what I mean. I guess all that rain makes everything SUPER green!
3. Snow Covered Trees- I love nothing more than driving by a line of trees after fresh snow has fallen. The trees are so beautiful covered in snow. Our backyard has pine trees and in the morning when I let the dog out I am always caught by how pretty the trees look with the new snow on them.
4. Rice Paddies- driving by the rice paddies is so neat. You see these fields that are flooded then you see these perfectly straight lines cutting through the water. It is so cool. Then in the fall when the rice is cut and hung it is a sight to see. Just seeing fields with all these tee-pee things of rice makes you think about how that rice is going to be at nearly ever meal the Japanese eat!
5. Cherry Blossoms- You know I like trees by now and when they are full with cherry blossoms it is a real treat to see. I will never ever in my life be able to explain how pretty they are. I am really lucky to have 4 years here to take in the beauty of the Cherry Blossoms. There is a stop sign on the way to our house and right there, there are three trees that so are beautiful when they have their blossoms. When I stop at that sign I always feel like lingering to look at them longer.
Well, that\u2019s all I have to say about that.

B-I-N-G-O

I just got home from Bingo. It was a lot of fun! I think I will try to make a habit of getting out to play Bingo. I also started that Paint by number tonight I think it will look nice when I am finished. Well, guess thats all I really have to say. Ha.

Drew and Mike

I don't think I have laughed this much in weeks. I was listening to a radio show from home tonight since there was nothing on TV, and I am feeling less homesick. I always feel less homesick after listening to Drew and Mike on WRIF. They are funny guys sometimes crude but I enjoy them a lot. But tonight they were talking to a Doctor that is out to put an end to stinky farts. It was more than entertaining. You know how sometimes you laugh so hard it puts you in a totally different mood for hours.

I am off to bed now. Feeling happy. Hopefully I can sleep tonight. Last night I laid awake for hours. It was upsetting. I didn't fall asleep until after 3 am but I didn't sleep in late so I feel tired. I hope that I can sleep easy tonight.

http://www.wrif.com/