Merry Christmas!

We had a good Christmas. Samantha got way too much as usual. It was warm here which is a bummer to me but great for Sami. She got to ride her bike!

How Pittsburgh are you?

I am not from Pittsburgh but since I from an 1.5 hours south of Pittsburgh I think that is pretty close. I am a Steelers fan and have been to Pittsburgh many many many times.

You are 90% Pittsburgh.

 

Great job! There's nooooo doubt about it. You're from Da Burgh. You deserve a reward, so go have an Ahrn City or two. And GO STILLERS!

How Pittsburgh Are You
See All Our Quizzes

Christmas Party

We went to Sean's work party on Thursday night. Sami actually had fun this year because one of her friends from school was there. Santa left presents for the kids. Samantha got a baby Pinkie Pie pony.

WVU gets screwed again.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22263565/
I can't believe Rodrigez is leaving the Mountaineers. Well, actually I can. He is a greedy SOB. He isn't even going to coach them in the Fiesta bowl. Don't let the door hit you on the way out Rich, and look out for all those tree stands.

Congratulations Sean!

On December 11, Sean got promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 3. Samantha and I were there to pin on his new rank. Our neighbor Captain "Mr. Tate" Buntz promoted Sean. Samantha got to wear her new "Daddy work clothes" to the promotion.

What Holiday Food Are You?

I am....

You Are a Gingerbread House

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

What Holiday Food Are You?

Sean is....

You Are Eggnog

Rich, sweet, and probably a little drunk. Everyone who knows you tends to get a little fatter.

What Holiday Food Are You?

Address

In case anyone wants to send us a Christmas card, here is our address.
PSC 557 Box 1275
FPO, AP 96379
You only need to put a regular stamp on and stick it in the box with the rest of your mail.

Holiday lighting

Last weekend we went to the holiday lighting ceremony at the hospital. They gave candy canes to the kids. Samantha got blue if you couldn't tell.

Happy Birthday Sean!

Today is Sean's 35th birthday. Be sure to leave him a comment wishing him a Happy Birthday or just make fun of how old he is. This picture is of him on Iwo Jima with Mount Suribachi in the background.

I guess I have been tagged.

I guess Melanie tagged me a few days ago but I didn't know she meant me. So here it goes.



7 things you probably don't want to know about me.



1. I have been known to cry, seriously cry when the WVU Mountaineers lose a football game. Luckily this year, I haven't had to cry much.

2. I love karaoke and singing. I totally suck though and can't carry a tune to save my life.

3. I cannot stand stupid, incompetent, slow people. I want to shake them.

4. I would love to have constant control over everything.

5. I also cannot stand slow stupid drivers. Especially ones who don't know how to use turn signals. I want to shake them also. (Okinawa is not a good place to live with this one. They never get in a hurry.)

6. I am convinced that the best music still comes from 80's/90's hair bands. Nothing new even compares to Bon Jovi and Poison.

7. I love fall and winter. I want cold and snow. I don't like summer especially summers in Okinawa and Beaufort. Summers in WV are OK.

I tag Tiffany and Cathy.

Update: Melanie meant a different Aimee. I guess I am the loser who has to tag herself.
Update 2: I am not a loser anymore thanks to Ryan.

Aimee looks like.......

This one will really suprise you. Just kidding. We all know who I look like.

Sami looks like.......

Yes, I know, very shocking. Leave a comment and let me know if you agree.

The over 30 crowd!

I just swiped this from my friend Tommye's blog.

If you are 30 or older you will think this is hilarious!!!! When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what, with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning .... uphill BOTH ways yadda, yadda, yadda!

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it! But now that... I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!And I hate to say it but you kids today you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have The Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!There was no email! We had to actually write somebody a letter...with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

There were no MP3's or Napsters! You wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the damn record store and shoplift it yourself!Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ'd usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it! And we didn't have fancy Caller ID Boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances mister!

We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'asteroids' and the graphics sucked! Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

When you went to the movie theater there no such thing as stadium seating! All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn't see, you were just screwed!

Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like15 channels and there was no onscreen menu and no remote control! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your a$$ and walk over to the TV to change the channel and there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little bastards!

And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove or go build a frigging fire .... imagine that! If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid Jiffy Pop thing and shake it over the stove forever like an idiot.

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled!!!!!!!!!

You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!Oh yea, and a seat belt was Mom throwing her arm across your chest every time she hit the brakes.

Regards,The over 30 Crowd

Help Preston Memorial Hospital

You can help a small rural hospital make a big difference in lots of people's lives!!

What to do:

Go to www.winanmri.com

Watch the Preston Memorial Hospital video, Vote.. make sure you type in the code after you press vote to make it complete!!

I know this is may not be your local community... but it is ours and we would appreciate your help in helping us win!! This is for the hospital I was born at. The very cute doctor in the video went to my high school and his wife is a friend of mine.

Thank you... and please spread the word and join us in helping our hospital win!!

Happy Halloween!

Friends

Samantha and her best buddies, Indira and Izzie.

Star Wars Episode 7

Not so very long ago in a galaxy far far away called Okinawa, the battle on the hill began.

Pictured from left to right. Issac-Gon Jinn, Drew Windu, Darth Sami, R2 Alani2, Darth Izzie, Indira Skywalker, and C3PBecca.

Guess what?

Are you guessing yet? No, we aren't moving back to the states anytime soon. No, we didn't get a dog.

Hmm, what could it be?


OK, I will give you a hint. I have been feeling like crap for a few weeks and I am really tired.


You need another hint? The birthstone for May is Emerald.


You give up?


We are finally pregnant after 9 months of hard "work." I am 9 weeks today. I am due on May 22 but will most likely have a c-section before that. Sami is very excited to be a sister. She is adamant that she wants a sister though and says she doesn't want a brother because she doesn't like boys. Sami is also expecting. She told me tonight that she has a kitty growing in her belly.

My first appointment was good and I saw the heart beating. They bumped me up to high risk though since I will be 35 when the baby is born. I will be getting extra ultrasounds and tests.

Samantha has also decided at this most opportune time to give up napping. (Thanks!) Sean has been extra nice and lets me sleep in and nap when he can.

The force is strong in this one.

Sean won. Samantha got a lightsaber which she calls her "lightsaver." Sword fighting is a big thing up here on "the hill" and she was feeling left out. She got to pick what color she wanted and chose the one that changes from blue (Anikan Skywalker) to red (Darth Vadar). Guess which is her favorite color? Our neighbor ordered her little girls lightsabers too. It will be very cute to see the girls in a lightsaber battle.

Pony tails and pretty shoes

Samantha wanted to try two ponies the other day. I think she looks adorable. In the picture of her in the blue dress, she is showing off her new high heel dress up shoes.

Sami's drawing

That is a picture of Samantha and two airplanes.

Update on my Mom

My Mom is home from the hospital. Everything went well. She just has to take it easy since she has a huge incision but other than that she is good. Thanks for all the prayers, well wishes and visitors.

Sean's Personality Test

OK, is it scary that we have the exact same personality type? Based on that and his intelligences he should be a military leader, computer programer, mathematician, or farmer.

Personality Test

Here are some things they say about my personality type. "ISTJs are often called inspectors. They have a keen sense of right and wrong, especially in their area of interest and/or responsibility." "ISTJs are very loyal, faithful, and dependable. They place great importance on honesty and integrity. While they generally take things very seriously, they also usually have an offbeat sense of humor and can be a lot of fun." "...private, does not appreciate strangeness, not adventurous, not spontaneous, follows the rules..."

This is what is said about multiple intelligences. Visual Spatial-People with Visual intelligence are artistic. They are very aware of their surroundings and are good at remembering images. They have a great sense of direction. They like to draw, paint and read maps. They learn best through drawings and visual aids. Naturalist-The Naturalist intelligence has to do with how we relate to our surroundings and where we fit into it. People with Naturalist intelligence have a sensitivity to and appreciation for nature. They are gifted at nurturing and growing things as well as the ability to care for and interact with animals. They can easily distinguish patterns in nature. Intrapersonal-People with intrapersonal intelligence are adept at looking inward and figuring out their own feelings, motivations and goals. They are introspective and seek understanding. They are intuitive and typically introverted. They learn best independently.

I have the same personality type as George W. Bush(see how special I am), George Washingon, Darth Vadar, and Eeyore. Also the career of teacher is not listed for me under my personality or intelligences profiles. No wonder I had a strong dislike for it. Apparently I like to live in a hole and be left alone. Who knew?

So does this sound like me?

My Mom

My Mom is having surgery on Tuesday. So please everyone say a prayer, send out a good vibe, or do whatever you do to wish her well. I just wanted my Mom and everyone else to know how much I love her. I love you Mom! No crying!

Princess Mommy Part 2

Ok, I am posting these for my neighbor, Angie. She really wanted to see my "Princess" picture. It isn't like she could have walked the 12 feet across the yard to come see them. Just kidding. Anyway, I hope this brings back good memories for all you who attended our bash. Especially those of you who had major hangovers and or passed out in a bathtub. You know how you are so I won't call you out!

The kissing picture is what Samantha was looking at when she made the princess comment. I have also included one of me with my royal court. From left to right is Angie (not the neighbor mentioned above), Laura, Jenny, and Sean's sister Kathy.

Rub a dub dub, Samantha's in the tub

Just a few cute pictures of Sami in the tub.

Sami's first day of preschool

Today was Samantha's first day of preschool. She goes to Kuwae Preschool on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays from 9:00-11:30. There are 10 kids in her class. It is on the base where we live so it takes less than 5 minutes to get there. Samantha was a little excited to go but the closer we got to the school the less excited she got. By the time we got through he door to the school she was crying. When we got to her room she was crying and would not walk into the room. I pretty much had to push her in the door and leave. The teacher said Sami quit crying as soon as she got in the room. She was happy to see us when we picked her up and said she wanted to go back to school again. So I guess that means she had a good time.

Okinawa Aquarium

We spent the day at the aquarium today. I can't believe it took us over a year to get there. Samantha loved it. We started with the sea turtles and then saw a dolphin show. She got bored at the dolphin show, probably because it was so crazy hot (big suprise). After the show we went into the main aquarium. Sami got to hold and touch starfish. Her favorites were the whale sharks. We had to buy three shark things at the gift shop. On the way out, we stopped to take her picture with the whale shark statue. When we were taking her picture a group of Japanese girls broke out in unison with "kawaii" which means "cute" in Japanese. She got lots of stares and giggles while we were there. Japanese ladies love her.

Princess Mommy

I was in the kitchen today and Samantha was in the living room. She said "Mommy is this when you were dressed liked a princess?" I went to the living room to see what she was talking about and she was standing there looking at Sean and I's wedding picture. How sweet is that? She thought I looked like a princess! That totally made my day.

Where's the party? West Virginia University!

I am so proud to be an alumni of this great institution of higher learning. I am being serious! I love WVU and am glad they get the recognition they deserve. This was even on the front page of the Stars and Stripes paper we get in Okinawa. Go Mountaineers! Ya all drink a beer for me!

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - To the disappointment of school administrators — and the pride of some students — West Virginia University is No. 1 on The Princeton’s Review’s annual list of the top 20 party schools. The school has made the list seven times in the past 15 years, despite efforts to curb underage drinking and rowdy behavior. But not since 1997 have the Mountaineers taken the top spot. Last year, WVU was No. 3, bested by the University of Texas at Austin and Penn State, both of which remain in the top 10 this year. Senior Katie O’Hara, 22, said WVU is No. 1 because “no matter what kind of party you want it’s here — bars, fraternities, house parties. ... If you want to take shots all night, there’s a bar; no matter what you want to do, it’s there.” Still, O’Hara said her friends “know how to manage their time. They know when to party and when not to,” which wouldn’t explain the school’s No. 1 ranking in the category of Their Students (Almost) Never Study.

The rankings are contained in the 2008 edition of “The Best 366 Colleges,” which is going on sale Tuesday and is based on a survey of 120,000 college students at those schools, mostly during the 2006-07 school year. No. 2 on the party list was the University of Mississippi, followed by the UT-Austin, the University of Florida and the University of Georgia . West Virginia’s No. 1 ranking is just speculation, said West Virginia sophomore Stuart Sauer. “I think there’s no way to measure that,” said Sauer, 20, of Richmond, Va. “Every school’s a party school.”

Incoming WVU President Mike Garrison focused on the positive rather than the rankings, saying the students he met over the weekend and on the first day of classes Monday are more concerned with their futures “and with the great year we have ahead” than with partying. “I’m focused on the way this university changes people’s lives, the research that we do and the service we provide to the state of West Virginia,” said Garrison, who officially replaces David C. Hardesty Jr. on Sept. 1. “This is a special place, and the whole state is proud of it.”

The Princeton Review says the guide to the best schools is intended to help applicants who can’t visit every school in person. Guide author Robert Franek said each of the 366 schools “is a ’best’ when it comes to academics. “But as anyone visiting colleges can attest, their campus cultures and offerings differ greatly,” he said. “It’s all about the fit.” This year, WVU finishes among the Top 10 in several other categories: No. 4 in Students Pack the Stadiums; No. 5 for Best College Library; No. 6 for Lots of Beer; No. 7 for Lots of Hard Liquor; and No. 8 for Best College Newspaper.

The Princeton Review, which is not affiliated with Princeton University, is a New York company known for test preparation courses, educational services and books. It published its first survey findings in August 1992.

Little girls and little toes.

Before Maggie left, we took the girls to Cocoks to get their toes done together. Samantha got Nemo on her toes. Aren't they all so darn cute!

Gomenasai

We went and made our gomenasai payment to the moped driver that was hurt in the accident. Gomenasai means sorry in Japanese. I have been pissed off and crazy this week that we had to do this. I had this picture of this guy in my head that he was going to be some hateful American hating Japanese guy. Well it turns out he is 19 and married. He was very quiet and seems nice. His wife understands English but was afraid to speak English to us. We had an interpreter from the legal office with us too. His injuries were barely visible. He has a few small scars on his face and his knee is still wrapped up. I expected his face to be all mangled. Luckily he is going to be OK. So now since we did this, when we go to "court" and they ask him if we showed remorse for the accident he can say yes. So who knows what will happen.

So I am calm and not bitter or crazy at the moment. I still can't wait til I can leave here though.

Sad day.

Yesterday was a sad day for Samantha and I. We had to say goodbye to our very good friends and neighbors, Jodi and Maggie. Thank you Jodi for always being there for us. I will miss our olive sucking practices. I will think of you everytime Samantha asks for "a Shrek gogurt that Maggie's Mommy gave me." Thank you Maggie for helping Samantha to be brave. We love you guys and will miss you (Nate and Tim too)!

Car accident

Last week Samantha and I got in a nice little accident. We were going north and getting ready to make a right turn onto base. The light was green and the southbound traffic was stopped because the traffic was backed up. So since the traffic was stopped and the light was green, I assumed it would be safe to turn onto base. NOT!!!! A stupid Japanese dude on a moped comes flying down the road in between two of the lanes of stopped cars and plows into the side of our car. He went flying over the car. I thought he was dead but it turns out he is OK. I had to stay there for hours and go over and over and over everything with the Japanese police through an interpreter. Luckily my neighbor, Kara was able to come down to the gate and take Sami home with her. Kara and Jodi took very good care of Samantha while I was doing all the accident stuff. I was not charged by the military police and I don't think I am being charged by the Japanese police. Motorcycles are allowed to pass cars here but apparently they are only allowed to do that between the car and the side of the road, not between cars. They do it all the time though and drive like complete idiots.

There is also a custom here called something like a condolence payment. If you injure someone in a accident, you are supposed to give them an offering of money. So we might have to do that too. Yea, so get this, I might have to pay the stupid asshole because he got hurt running himself into my car. I will also need to pay to get the ginormous dent in my door fixed. Just more reasons why I hate hate hate it here! And please, don't anyone leave a comment about how this is a wonderful opportunity for us to be living here and how great it is here. I think it sucks, I hate it, and I don't want to be here.

Test Time

How well do you all know me? Let's find out.

Create your own Friend Quiz here

We made it

We made it through the typhoon with no problems. Shockingly, we didn't lose power, water, or cable the entire time. The worst we got was a downed palm tree and a small river flowing under our front door. A lot of people lost power and water but I guess it pays to live on the base with the hospital. It his us as a category 5 storm which is what Katrina was. The winds gusted to 110 mph and we got 15 inches of rain. Amazingly there wasn't alot of damage anywhere. Mostly just downed trees.

Typhoon Man-Yi

We are bracing ourselves for quite a strong typhoon. It is a category 4/5 and should hit sometime early Friday morning and last all day Friday. Everything that could be brought inside is in and everything else has been tied down. We went into lock down at 5PM. It is kind of crazy. If we were still in Beaufort, we would have had to evacuate. When you are stuck on a tiny little island there isn't anywhere to evacuate to. Fortunately the buildings are built to be typhoon proof and most have already successfully weathered several typhoons. We have lots of candles and all our portable electronics have been charged. We have our video camera charged too. When it is all over, I will add some pictures. Wish us luck! Here are some links to check out the path of the typhoon and the radar.

http://www.weatherunderground.com/tropical/tracking/wp200704.html#a_topad
http://www.tenki.jp/rdr/r860_1.html

Happy Fourth of July!

On the fourth of July we did what most people do and had a cookout. It was a neighborhood cookout with our closest friends. We had fun but Sami got really hot even though we were in the shade.

Visiting West Virginia

Now for the West Virginia pictures. We miss everyone!

Visiting Colorado

OK, I am slow. Here are some pics from Colorado. Do you think Sami looks like her cousin Kate or her Aunt Kathy?

Special Requests

I know her shirt says "Cowboy Wanted" but that isn't what we need right now. There are a few things that we can't get here and I am tired of asking my Mom, so I am asking you. Here is what we need:
Pez refills
Smarties
Quaker Mini Delights 90 calorie packs in Cinnamon Streusel, Chocolate, and Buttered Popcorn
100 Calorie packs (anything except Oreos, cheese nips, and chocolate chip cookies)
Carnation Instant Breakfast French Vanilla
Robert's Veggie Booty
We always need these things so send whatever you can whenever you can. We also take monetary donations for our "Flying to the States" fund.

Back home.

We made it back on Monday night. We are still trying to catch up on sleep and laundry. Apparently Samantha and I don't do well with jet jag. It is hot and miserable here and makes me yearn for my Mom's backyard even more. I will post pictures of our trip whenever I get them off the camera. It was so good to see our families and friends. On another note, for those of you that pray, please pray that we can give Sami a sibling sometime in the near future.

Injury update

I ended up going to the ER on Sunday night for ankle. Luckily I didn't break it but I do have a nice sprain of my ATF ligament. I have an air cast to wear for a month and crutches. I only have to use the crutches as needed. I am down to just using one today. My arms are so sore from using them. I have to postpone my shopping til next week.

Visiting the states.

I just wanted to update everyone on our visit home. We were in Colorado for a week and now we are in West Virginia. Flying was a headache. We ended up getting to Colorado 4 hours later than originally planned thanks to a few cancellations and missed flights. United did give us free food vouchers at LAX though. Yippee!

Samantha had fun in CO. She helped her Grandma make cookies and looked at shells with her. She looked at rocks with her Uncle Bob and cousin Kate. She helped her Grandad put up the flag. Her Aunt Kathy and Uncle Byron gave her her first PEZ dispenser. We did lots of shopping and Sami went to Build A Bear and made a pink bear with a Hello Kitty outfit. Sean's sister, Kathy graduated from pharmacy school while we were there and Sean's Mom threw a big party for her. Samantha was supposed to get her picture taken with her cousins at the party but of course Miss Thing was having no part of that. We walked to the park several times and Sami fed the geese and ducks. She also liked looking at the mountains with snow and was convinced she could see the ocean.

We flew to WV on the 29th. That was a fun day. Our flight was overbooked so seating was a nightmare. We had seats, all separated from one another. Now how do you think a 3 year old is going to sit by herself? The United people were very helpful in helping us fix the problem. The keep asking people to move seats and offering them money to do so, and no one would move. Finally the flight attendants and pilot got involved and made someone move so Sami could sit by one of us. She choose her Dad. They were in the window and middle seats. An old lady was sitting in the aisle seat. I asked her to switch with me so I could sit with them. She said "absolutely not!" I thanked her for letting me sit with family. I think Sean let Sami, accidentally kick her a few times.

Samantha is having a blast in WV. She is wearing my Mom out! Yesterday I fell off the porch and hurt my ankle. I don't think it is broken but it is severely sprained. I am hopping around with my Grandpa's old cane at the moment. If it isn't any better tomorrow, I will see a Dr. This is definitely throwing a wrench into my shopping plans. I will finish my shopping one way or another, even if I need a wheelchair! I will try and post pics later. I miss my Oki friends but not Oki and I seriously wish I never had to go back.

Her Royal Highness

This is a picture of her Royal Highness, Princess Samantha, wearing her Snow White gown. She was on the way to the royal third birthday celebration or her friend, Princess Abigail.

Happy Mother's Day!

The top picture is from the day we brought Samantha home from the hospital. The bottom picture is 3 years later on the ferris wheel in Okinawa. Three wonderful years as being Sami's Mommy. Hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day!