Back from Okinawa

     We are back from Okinawa, where a wonderful time was had by all.  Samantha went cave touring and spent several afternoons in the hotel pool.  I was busy waterskiing, snorkeling (we saw not one but two manta rays!), and of course drinking awamori and Orion beer with the Captain and the Team Atlas crew. K split her time between Samantha and shopping and being massaged. 
     Fine weather made for high spirits, even the typhoon which blew past couldn't dampen the fun, even if it made the sea too choppy to play in. Coming home was a bit of an adventure as we had to fly over the typhoon, but it wasn't nearly as terrifying as I had feared. 

Samantha and the Captain

Our Playground

Nemo? Found.

Snorkeling

Samantha goes native

Warming up

Here in the Land of the Rising Sun we are well and truly started on the new school year.  Cherry blossoms have bloomed and are beginning to fall, the days are warmer and the mornings milder...spring is a beautiful time.  ...unless you are a hay fever sufferer...

We are rolling up on K's father's 60th birthday this Saturday.  Preparations are in fever pitch, for this party is not confined to the weekend, but lasts all year long.  60 is a big deal, especially when you consider both his parents passed in their late 50s. 

I've been tasked with rounding up some fairly difficult to find gifts...not especially expensive, but truly a pain in the neck to track down.  Got a line on one, still hunting for the other.  Plenty of time though...we have presents for this weekend's party, the next event is the formal dinner which will happen in May, then the final deadline is the trip to Okinawa in July.  Plenty of time.

Samantha continues to charm a swath across southern Japan.  Yesterday the girls went to the drugstore, where, with a wave and a smile,  Samantha wiled a random older feller into buying her candy.  She can't yet eat the particular candy, but that was never really the point.  Her mother's daughter. 

I'm still getting tossed around at judo practice, although with less frequency and growing reciprocity, so that's good.  Takes longer and longer to recover after each session though...I suppose that comes with the territory.

Oh, and that impending nuclear disaster up north?  Not improving noticably.  Japan's vaunted food safety industry doesn't seem up to the task of policing the possible (probable?) contamination of sea products and agricultural products, which is worrisome.  Meat and veggies can be procured locally to minimize risk, but when stuff comes out of the ocean provenance is a much trickier business.  Apparently where ever it comes off the boat is labeled as the place of origin, fish that might have been caught hundreds of miles away can be called local produce if they arrived in a port near you.  That's not exactly reassuring. 

Not exactly much we can do about it though...take one for the team and minimize exposure as best we can.  Had a thought about possibly relocating, but there really are no appetizing prospects.

Return to the States, to a crippled economy ruined by a cabal of rapine greedheads who still call the shots?  No thanks...at least here if (when?) I get the cancer my socialized medical insurance will pick up the tab. 

Europe would be a tough nut to crack, points south are not appealing, India is breeding drug-resistant supergerms, Australia is awash in killer reptiles of all shapes and sizes, and hell, the world ends next year anyway, so we're staying put.

Yay.   

Changing gears

Spring has sprung here in the LotRS, the cherry blossoms are in bloom and the weeds are poking up out of our graveled yard.  Its been a tough few weeks here, sorrow and woe spiced with worry, so I think a little break from the bad news is in order.
The day after the earthquake the family took a trip to visit K's grandmother on Shodoshima, a little island off the Kobe coast.  There we came across some exotic and classic cars which were there for a race and rally that weekend.  Of course the event had been cancelled, but there was still a parking lot, a lot of cars, and a bunch of guys who wanted to fiddle and strut.  Check them out!

Aftermath and Fallout

We are keeping a very close eye on both the aftermath of the great Tohoku disaster, and especially on radiation levels.  There have been worrisome noises from the north about contaminated agricultural products and drinking water, and the authorities keep adjusting the "safe" radiation exposure levels upwards.  This is all in Tokyo and points north however, so us and ours here in the south are relatively safe from exposure.  No need to worry about us, and if things go kablooie, we will go south post haste.

Samantha is being a good girl, she runs, she eats, she still howls inconsolably when separated from Mommy for more than a few minutes.  Actually, if she knows Mommy is around, but can't get to her, she howls.  If Mommy if nowhere to be found or heard, she shrugs and goes about her business.  Personality is beginning to be evident.

We are coming up on spring break here...graduation was last friday, the new school year starts on April 6.  Lots of fussing and shuffling of papers to be done, and I am on it!

Nukes!

That reactor that may or not be melting down? Very far away from us. No need to worry at this point.

The quake

I'm sure you've all seen the news of the huge earthquake here in Japan. It was far north of us, we just got enough of a jiggle to make us seasick. The footage on the news is scary though. The girls and I are just fine though, no need to worry.

Red Alerts, or, Mask Time at Elementary School

Flu season has struck the LotRS, and struck hard.  At one of my schools, the entire sixth grade, almost 100 kids, was sent home to prevent a further spread of influenza B.  There have been class and grade closings scattered about the other schools as well, and this may just be the tip of the iceberg.  All those images one may have of Japanese folk wearing surgical masks on trains and while shopping?  All true, and I am now a masked man as well.  Can't afford to get sick, and really can't be responsible for bringing the flu home from school with me.  Prep for surgery!

Had a nice weekend skiing up in Gifu prefecture though.  The weather was great, the snow was good, and the hot spring bath was sublime.  I recently picked up a pair of twin tip freestyle skis (Salomon 1080s), and this was my first chance to use them.  They were great in the bumps and powder, fun on the flats, a bit scary on the ice...all in all a fine purchase.  Whats more, they allow me to do full spins, which I practiced till I was dizzy.  Big fun.

We have a three day weekend this weekend, and nothing on the books...which is nice too.  Play with baby time!

A New Pleasure

Samantha had a big weekend.  We did some napping, some shopping, and went to the beach.  The beach was not my finest idea ever, but Samantha got to see the sea and stomp around in the sand.  When she hunkered down and went to digging about in the sand we called it good and fled back to the car.  We also had a sunny walk in the park, but the highlight of her weekend was the display case at Baskin Robbins.  Bright colors, a mirror, and adoring onlookers had her in full on charm mode.  Still didn't get any ice cream tho...

Daddy's new job

Samantha has been getting very fussy in the early evening recently, and we have learned that this is because she is (duh!) sleepy.  When Mommy is around she will futz and play, but the slightest aggravation will set her off on an exaggerated crying jag.  When I step in, she fusses for a bit, then zonks right out...down for the evening.  Thus my new job...every evening we snuggle up in the kotatsu (a heated table/blanket contraption) and she falls asleep in my arms while watching the Daily Show.  She's a big Jon Stewart fan, but is usually asleep by the time the guest comes out.  Smart sleepy girl.

Or would you rather drive?

Jiiji is offering free lessons!

A walk in the park

A pleasant Sunday afternoon stroll with our favorite one year old.