Good Times

I did drink responsibly.

As Rene prepares to board a flight back home, I was out with the dental/pediatric/and urgent care docs for a night of fun. We had such a cool time drinking beer, sake and eating some great food. I hate to think how boring my life will be when I head back to the states. Oh well, we have a month and a half to do what we can before we leave this great place. I will miss the gatherings will all the great friends we have made here in Japan. As it turns out, my calender for May is getting pretty booked with Karaoke, hiking, and other outings we have planned. Can't wait!

Kappa Sushi

The Shinkansen train

What is left of Renie's plates

Ahi Tuna, so good!

Ernie and Ben having fun tasting some weird stuff.

Last night we took Ben, the manning assist dentist out for one last night of Sushi. He is leaving Saturday eager to get back to his wife who is expecting twins. Wah Yung is our newest manning assist who was educated in the states, but is originally from Hong Kong. She is a nice girl who will be here until August. We enjoyed Kappa Sushi (or Shinkansen sushi as we call it). A train resembling the Shinkansen brings out your order if you do not want something off the conveyor belt. It is pretty cool. This place is a cheap high quality sushi restaurant. This is a good thing since my son can really go to town when it comes to eating sushi. He loves the stuff.

Back to the 50's

It seems working full time is something I have not been able to get used to. I miss the half days off, and the days I just had more time to spend surfing the Internet, writing on my blog, and keeping up with my soap opera. Not anymore, now I am rushing home to get dinner cooked and whatever else needs to be done with the kids. I had not worked full time since back in my Alice days and that was hectic to. Rene is trying to convince me that I do not have to work now or anytime in the future. But, but, I went to college so I could work. Am I abnormal because I want to work? Many moms would kill for the chance to stay home. He has made me promise that I at least take three months off when we get to Arizona. Easier said than done. I love what I do. I love spending money, having my Independence, the feeling that I am making a difference in someones health, so maybe working full time in not in my future until the kids are off and gone, but working part-time would make me happy. So for now, I am holding my self back from Internet searching when it comes to jobs in Tucson, and will spend quality time exercising, cleaning, picking up the kids (that is until Renie gets his license), swimming, and yes shopping.

Yesterday we enjoyed a nice 50's style luncheon with our culture group. These ladies are so much fun and I will miss them dearly. We have all become such good friends. My stay here in Yokota has been so fulfilling because of these fine women. Next month will be our (4 of us) last gathering since we are all PCSing.

El Nino

The cherry blossoms have come and gone, we are now dealing with cold wet weather. Last night we had snow again and ice on the car. In my three years here, the weather has not been so unusual. In fact, this week our running schedule has been way off. I am trying to muster up some energy to go out this morning in this cold weather. Rene is headed to the states one last time for a class in Chicago. He will detour through Benavides for 3 days, then fly to Chicago and back home. We are all ready for some consistent sunshine. Pray

The Home

Mmm Good!

Its a gloomy Saturday morning and I am trying to get motivated to spring clean. I just can't get myself to get up and move. Maybe it is because I am just not ready to leave in some weird way. As time draws closer I realize the country I did not want to come to is the country I don't want to leave. I am not ready to have to lock my cars and house again, hang on tight to my purse, worry if the kids are doing Ok in school. So many things go through my head at night, but I know deep down inside we have to be closer to home and the people that are close to our hearts. Maybe I will get to it later. As for the house I am excited to have secured it. The Rancho Del Lago community is a great area and I have been told that we will love it there. Artie the guy in the picture in stationed in Tucson and had been giving us tips on where to live.

This week, we took some visiting dentist's and their families to Yakiniku. We had such a great time and ate so much. We have dentist come and go just for TDY purposes and to help out the clinic. They are actually stationed at other bases in the states and get the opportunity to come stay and help here for 60 days. What a great opportunity for the families. It is fun showing them around.

House Hunting

Well as our time draws near, I am getting a little anxious about where we are going to be

living . I have spent countless hours looking at schools, location, safety, commute time to base and I think I have finally found the house for us. This house sits about 20 minutes out from Davis Monthan in Vail Arizona right out of I-10. After talking to several people, it seems most prefer living outside of Tucson. The house is owned by an AF military pilot who will also be PCS'ing to Argentina right at the time we arrive. The house backs up into the Rancho Lago Golf course and has a beautiful scenic view of the mountains. It also has a beautiful backyard pool, BBQ, and spa with a waterfall. You can't see the whole area, but he has been sending me additional pictures. Renie could attend Empire High school which is only 1 of 7 schools in the country that has a one on one laptop bookless program. I think this is the one. I can picture Rene and I sitting outside with a glass of wine in the evenings with a view of the mountains. It is difficult to get a good perspective of a home when you cannot be there to see it. The owner will send us a video soon, which should also help. All in all, I think I have already made my decision. With pool service included in the rent, it is a great deal. Our tour may only be 3 years, so buying a home would not be the smartest thing to do. I will keep you all posted.

Sakura 2010

The new runner in the family.

This year we spent our Sakura celebration at Camp Zama, a nearby army base. They had a great Cherry Blossom Festival which also included a 3-7K run. You guessed it, the Yokota Striders were there. It was a perfect day for a run. The running course included three steep hills, but it was as one of my FB friends put it "Like being in a wedding with no need for a flower girl". Rene returned back to running today. It still amazes me at how civilized these Japanese people are. The base opens the gate to the public and they will wait in such long lines just to have American pizza, nachos, and hamburgers. They are a pleasant crowd to be around and so funny to watch. Larissa ran the 3K at a fast 14 minutes.