Dive #2 and #3 brought me to "Kin Red". A shore entry dive site on the Pacific side of Okinawa located near Camp Hanson. Our goal was to get more of our skill sets accomplished so this was the perfect place. Sea conditions on the other side of the Island were not good enough for diving today so the Pacific side was our best option. Two short dives at about 30 Ft lasting about an hour was enough to get our skills accomplished. The visibility wasn't as good as our first dive, about 15-20 Ft but enough to see a lot of interesting things. It must be mating season for Lion Fish, we saw many! We also saw Shrimp Fish. These were really cool because they would swim horizontal in schools of 50 or so, then they would stop and all go vertical and just hang out in that spot until something made them go horizontal again and swim another 10 Ft to their next vertical resting spot. We also saw a lot of Sea Urchins, so many I was worried I might mess up my buoancy and land on one! That wouldn't have been so good...I've heard they'll go right thru your wet suit! The other interesting thing we saw was a dead octopus...he didn't look dead when we first saw him but Darlene (Dive Master) was able to grab one of his tenticles and give it a yank...he was dead.
This area was not as pretty as Mizugama Sea Wall. There was a lot more junk around. We saw a couple of old cars, a cash register and a lot of pilings that made it feel like we were diving around a ship wreck. It was good practice on buoancy control as we swam in and out of the pilings. I even saw an umbrella that was open and sitting with the handle pointed upward. It was very stylish I might add with leopard print. I tried to pick it up and couldn't help but think it would've been a funny photo under water holding the umbrella up.
We arrived at Kin Red at about 0800. Darlene was in a big hurry to get going, she said that the Japanese would be swarming the area soon. She wasn't kidding! Within the hour...before we had gotten all our gear together the Japanese arrived!! My goodness, they came in droves! I'm sure most are familiar with the ever present Japanese tourists. I'm always amazed...no matter where I am in the world...the Japanese are always there. Lights, cameras, tripods...always snapping pics. This was no different and as I swam around underwater I couldn't help but laugh at the endless flashes as the Japanese swam around snapping pictures all over the place. These weren't your average cameras either...these were the heavy duty SLR cameras with separate flashes! I was expecting to see a tripod drop down at any moment.
Dive #2 and #3 were good dives. I was able to complete several skills and enjoyed the dive. I prefer the beauty of the Mizugama Sea Wall but this was a nice calm location for us to go. Like I said, the water was calm and much warmer (70 degrees) than the frigid pool! I think I'll like diving!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Dive #1
I went for my first open water dive today. We went to the Misugama A.K.A. Kadena Steps. My experience was MUCH better than my pool dives. The water much warmer, visibility about 25-30 feet. Something to see every which way you turned. I had to focus on my skills today but did get a moment to enjoy the scenery. It was beautiful! I'm gonna like this new hobby!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
SCUBA
SCUBA...Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. I have finally decided after three years on Okinawa that I 'should' learn how to SCUBA. I've always had the thought in the back of my mind...I have just not acted on it as our schedule at work just doesn't give much for such activities. At least not the training process. Most classes are over 1 week and end with a PADI Open Water Dive certification. I've heard that Okinawa is one of the most beautiful places on Earth to dive. I guess it's time that I see for myself.
Class started on a Sunday afternoon. It was an orientation class where the instructor talked to us about what to expect. Monday and Tuesday were classroom days. Wednesday and Thursday were pool days. I made it thru the classroom days and have taken/passed my written exam. I don't know what I was thinking when I took SCUBA lessons in December!!! It's a tropical island but the water is a bit chilly!! Especially the pool water...60 degrees Fahrenheit which doesn't exactly seem cold but it certainly is cold even with 2 wetsuits!! I made it thru my 2 days in the pool...frozen and ended up with a head cold. My open water dives are postponed until I'm feeling better. As I write this, I have plans for this weekend to dive...one more step towards my open water certification.
I'll keep you posted...
Class started on a Sunday afternoon. It was an orientation class where the instructor talked to us about what to expect. Monday and Tuesday were classroom days. Wednesday and Thursday were pool days. I made it thru the classroom days and have taken/passed my written exam. I don't know what I was thinking when I took SCUBA lessons in December!!! It's a tropical island but the water is a bit chilly!! Especially the pool water...60 degrees Fahrenheit which doesn't exactly seem cold but it certainly is cold even with 2 wetsuits!! I made it thru my 2 days in the pool...frozen and ended up with a head cold. My open water dives are postponed until I'm feeling better. As I write this, I have plans for this weekend to dive...one more step towards my open water certification.
I'll keep you posted...
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
CocoK
I went to CocoK Sunabe today. Coco's is the pedicure place...not to be mistaken with Coco's A.K.A. "CocoIchibana" which is the curry place or Coco's "A.K.A. "Coco!" the quikmart.
I love CocoK...you sit in large fluffy recliners while they give you a pedicure, massage your feet and the best part of all is the art they put on your nails. When you plop down in the chair you are greeted with a smile, a small glass of sweet Japanese tea and a book that is full of designs. The designs are amazing! Please allow me to clarify...these are not designs that are stickers or just glitter. These are designs that are handpainted and intricate. Designs that would surprise you! 
I usually get designs that celebrate whichever Holiday is near or Season. Sometimes I just try to pick the hardest design to see if they can do it! I've even gone in on a couple of occasions and made specific requests. Such as the time before I was deploying to the desert. I brought in my desert camo and asked them to paint it on my toes. They did! Never hurts to have desert camo toes when you are heading to war. Before my Antarctic deployment I had snowflakes painted on them. Never fails...they always make my toes perfect. I'm always amazed!
I usually get designs that celebrate whichever Holiday is near or Season. Sometimes I just try to pick the hardest design to see if they can do it! I've even gone in on a couple of occasions and made specific requests. Such as the time before I was deploying to the desert. I brought in my desert camo and asked them to paint it on my toes. They did! Never hurts to have desert camo toes when you are heading to war. Before my Antarctic deployment I had snowflakes painted on them. Never fails...they always make my toes perfect. I'm always amazed!Today I shared this experience with my friends Leslie & Mila. They have just returned from the ice. We enjoyed our afternoon of pampering and chatting about memories from the ice. We finished our afternoon with lunch at Transit Cafe. A trendy little restaurant that sits on the Sunabe Seawall. It's one of my favorite places on Okinawa. The Camembert cheese fondue is to die for but I really haven't had anything I didn't like at Transit Cafe. What makes it the perfect place is the location. It's on the 2nd floor so it directly across the street is a beautiful view of the East China Sea.
Please excuse the up close and personal pics of my toes! They are not perfect but they sure are cute painted!
Please excuse the up close and personal pics of my toes! They are not perfect but they sure are cute painted!An afternoon at Jusco with 4 TEENS
I spent the afternoon with Cole and 3 of this friends in the local Japanese mall called Jusco. The short 10 minute car ride over proved to be interesting as 2 teenage girls tried over talk the other. The 2 teenage boys played along but were not over talked by the girls. I've forgotten what it was like being a teen...I'll say that they definitely had fun which was worth the ride.
Jusco was an interesting place today. Okinawan people are interesting to watch. The girls all wearing their stilettos, with their tiny little legs and pigeon toed walk. The boys all dressed like a cross between American gangster and Dolce & Gabbana out of Italy. Let's not forget the fur coats and fur lined boots! Need I remind you that I live on a tropical island!!
The kids had fun and I was able to buy a gift for my Christmas celebration at my house. I'm having a White Elephant gift exchange...silly Japanese items is the theme.
Jusco was an interesting place today. Okinawan people are interesting to watch. The girls all wearing their stilettos, with their tiny little legs and pigeon toed walk. The boys all dressed like a cross between American gangster and Dolce & Gabbana out of Italy. Let's not forget the fur coats and fur lined boots! Need I remind you that I live on a tropical island!!
The kids had fun and I was able to buy a gift for my Christmas celebration at my house. I'm having a White Elephant gift exchange...silly Japanese items is the theme.
Commissary Baggers
I thought I'd share a quick bit of military life that most are not aware of. That is the presence of Commissary Baggers. For those of you who don't know, the Commissary is the Grocery store and they are located on every military installation. No matter where in the world you are, the Commissary is ALWAYS a busy place. It's a place that is very neat and orderly and in true military fashion even has a single line that leads to all the check out counters. At the end of this line is usually a Commissary worker that directs you to the check out counter of her choosing. It's a very orderly system that keeps all the checkers busy but not overwhelming one.
I must talk a minute about my first Commissary experience. It was at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS. Keesler is a popular retirement location due to it's climate and full service hospital. Keesler's Commissary was small when I first arrived. It was so small that the aisles were not as wide as most normal aisles. For this reason, the aisles at the Keesler Commissary were "ONE WAY" aisles. So here I was, a brand new LT on my first trip to the Commissary and I didn't notice the very LARGE signs that hung above the aisles directing people in a ONE WAY fashion up and down the aisles. I didn't notice but I was quickly told (quite sternly I might add) by several 'blue haired' retirees that I was going down the aisle the wrong way!!
I digress...the reason I am writing this is to talk about the baggers. You certainly don't see baggers anymore in your local grocery stores unless you want to count the dual checking/bagging action that happens at your local Walmart store. Baggers at military Commissaries are usually military dependents, mainly teens and the occasional retiree. Baggers work for tips, they don't get paid an hourly salary and they all wear big blue smocks that tell you that they work for tips only! The baggers are 'professional' they know how to bag your groceries so you don't make it home with smashed bread, broken eggs. Some are so good they have the pantry items, separated from the canned goods and the cold items. Once the baggers complete their job at the checkout their service continues to your car where they load it all up, shut the trunk or door and wish you a good day. As I mentioned before, the baggers work for tips only. I've tipped them with loose change and I've tipped them with bills but never more than $5. They never give you a look of "are you kidding?", they are grateful for whatever you give them and always have a smile on their face. The bagger that gets stuck with the express line even gets tipped (mostly loose change) that is thrown into whatever receptacle that is placed there...an old Folder's can or a tupperware bowl. I've always wondered how much these guys take home. If you saw the constant flow of people that go in and out of the Commissary on any given day...they probably make more than I do!
Most of the baggers at Kadena's Commissary are Okinawan or Korean. There are a few teens but not as many as the other bases I've been to. This brings me back to the size of the Okinawan people...they are so tiny! Last week my bagger was a very small petite Okinawan woman barely tall enough to push her little cart! When we arrived at my SURF (Okinawa's version of a Toyota 4-Runner) she was barely tall enough to get the bags into the back...not to mention she put too many cans in a couple of the bags where she couldn't hardly lift them! I helped her out (of course) tipped her with a combination of Yen and US change and off she went back to the next load of groceries.
I must talk a minute about my first Commissary experience. It was at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS. Keesler is a popular retirement location due to it's climate and full service hospital. Keesler's Commissary was small when I first arrived. It was so small that the aisles were not as wide as most normal aisles. For this reason, the aisles at the Keesler Commissary were "ONE WAY" aisles. So here I was, a brand new LT on my first trip to the Commissary and I didn't notice the very LARGE signs that hung above the aisles directing people in a ONE WAY fashion up and down the aisles. I didn't notice but I was quickly told (quite sternly I might add) by several 'blue haired' retirees that I was going down the aisle the wrong way!!
I digress...the reason I am writing this is to talk about the baggers. You certainly don't see baggers anymore in your local grocery stores unless you want to count the dual checking/bagging action that happens at your local Walmart store. Baggers at military Commissaries are usually military dependents, mainly teens and the occasional retiree. Baggers work for tips, they don't get paid an hourly salary and they all wear big blue smocks that tell you that they work for tips only! The baggers are 'professional' they know how to bag your groceries so you don't make it home with smashed bread, broken eggs. Some are so good they have the pantry items, separated from the canned goods and the cold items. Once the baggers complete their job at the checkout their service continues to your car where they load it all up, shut the trunk or door and wish you a good day. As I mentioned before, the baggers work for tips only. I've tipped them with loose change and I've tipped them with bills but never more than $5. They never give you a look of "are you kidding?", they are grateful for whatever you give them and always have a smile on their face. The bagger that gets stuck with the express line even gets tipped (mostly loose change) that is thrown into whatever receptacle that is placed there...an old Folder's can or a tupperware bowl. I've always wondered how much these guys take home. If you saw the constant flow of people that go in and out of the Commissary on any given day...they probably make more than I do!
Most of the baggers at Kadena's Commissary are Okinawan or Korean. There are a few teens but not as many as the other bases I've been to. This brings me back to the size of the Okinawan people...they are so tiny! Last week my bagger was a very small petite Okinawan woman barely tall enough to push her little cart! When we arrived at my SURF (Okinawa's version of a Toyota 4-Runner) she was barely tall enough to get the bags into the back...not to mention she put too many cans in a couple of the bags where she couldn't hardly lift them! I helped her out (of course) tipped her with a combination of Yen and US change and off she went back to the next load of groceries.
Japanese Grocery Store
I went on a quest last week. I wanted to find a soda-type drink that Cole likes. We were first introduced to it when we ate at a little burger joint on the Seawall called "Gordies". We've always called them "ball sodas" but with the help of one of the Commissary checkers I have found out that it is called "Lamune". The commissary checker was kind enough to write it down for me in English and in Japanese Kanji so hopefully I can find it a little easier. I've searched all over the place thinking I will run into it eventually. No luck so now I'm calling in the big guns by going with an actual name! Lamune is a white soda that is in a glass bottle. In order to drink it you have to pop this little ball down into a small chamber that is just below the bottle opening. The ball floats around inside this little chamber as you drink the soda. I'm not sure what the story is behind it...as a matter of fact I just logged on to Wikipedia and found it. THIS makes the story that much better because it's not really called "Lamune"!! The commissary checker wrote it in ENGRISH! It's really "Ramune"!! (you can click on the word to get more on Ramune)
So, I finally found it at a local store call Sun Sea. Now, after driving around all over the Island and NOT finding it...I now see it everywhere! Figures...
Why did I call this blog entry "Japanese Grocery Store" you ask? Because my mind went off on a tangent and I forgot to talk about what I started to talk about. I am a 5'9 American girl. Everything in Okinawa is built and caters around the very small, short Okinawan people. I walked into a grocery store the other day and I had to laugh. I am a GIANT in this world. The people are short, the aisles are short, the goods are even proportioned. The bottles of oil, alcohol, spices are smaller. Even the flour and sugar is packaged in small containers. As I'm wandering thru the grocery store I noticed that I could see over the aisles while the Okinawans could barely see the top shelf! I thought for a moment that it would be great for my Mom's friend Bev (she's a dwarf) to live here! Everything is just her size!! I also think I should shop more at the local grocery...especially when I come across a recipe that needs a small amount of something that I know I probably won't use again. The only problem with this plan is that everything is in Japanes Kanji...no English...not even Engrish.
So, I finally found it at a local store call Sun Sea. Now, after driving around all over the Island and NOT finding it...I now see it everywhere! Figures...
Why did I call this blog entry "Japanese Grocery Store" you ask? Because my mind went off on a tangent and I forgot to talk about what I started to talk about. I am a 5'9 American girl. Everything in Okinawa is built and caters around the very small, short Okinawan people. I walked into a grocery store the other day and I had to laugh. I am a GIANT in this world. The people are short, the aisles are short, the goods are even proportioned. The bottles of oil, alcohol, spices are smaller. Even the flour and sugar is packaged in small containers. As I'm wandering thru the grocery store I noticed that I could see over the aisles while the Okinawans could barely see the top shelf! I thought for a moment that it would be great for my Mom's friend Bev (she's a dwarf) to live here! Everything is just her size!! I also think I should shop more at the local grocery...especially when I come across a recipe that needs a small amount of something that I know I probably won't use again. The only problem with this plan is that everything is in Japanes Kanji...no English...not even Engrish.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
A night at the Roxbury
I've decided to write about a night at the O'Club that I experienced last Friday. The O'Club has never been my favorite place to go. I go in solidarity to my co-workers for the occasional "nurses meeting". I call this blog entry "A night at the Roxbury" because of the horrible commercial that is on AFN. The Enlisted Club has this great commercial with club music and a crowded dance floor with everyone enjoying a nightclub kind of night of fun, carefree, happiness. The O'Club has this horrible commerical of 4 dorky individuals standing at the bar inside the O'Club. By the way, they are the ONLY 4 individuals in the whole bar. They are all doing the ridiculous "Night at the Roxbury" head bob and the camera pans in and out as they do this at different locations in the empty bar. It's quite embarrasing...goes to show that the "Os" don't have as much fun as the "Es". I will admit, I have had good nights at the O'Club...it's not ALWAYS a horrible experience. Tonight was a familiar experience that I'm used to so I'll share and open myself up to a day in the life of a 30-something single mother in a world of 20-something single men...pilots...with egos that expand way beyond the walls of the O'Club.
I entered the O'Club tonight and saw the funniest thing. It was Santa Claus!!! Seriously...this guy looked like Santa! Big round belly, long white hair, long white beard, rosy cheeks...dressed in Island attire. Santa Claus had dipped into the Eggnog a bit much tonight and his 2 Elves (friends) were attempting to get him out of the club. Thank God for the couch that sits just outside the O'Club...Santa was bigger than his 2 Elves and they needed a break!! He was like rolling a bowl full of jelly down a lopsided hill.
Inside the club was something you don't see very often. It was packed full! Tonight it was mainly Marines...all of them having a great time. Many of them were ending their temporary duty on Okinawa and were headed back home to mainland Japan on Saturday. What makes this night a typical night in my life here on Okinawa is going to the Club with my single friends. As we stand in the midst of a million men...with a ratio of 10 men to every 1 woman. They all flock to my single friends...chatting them up, picking up on conversations from the weekend before. I typically get lost in the crowd as if I'm not even standing there. Tonight a young pilot comes up to me and wants me to dance. I oblige and we go dance...on numerous occasions...he finds me and we dance. Whatever...good fun and it gets me away from the conversations that are not happening. Well, later in the evening this same guy starts talking about my friend...how he is in love with her and wants to get to know her. So...I say "then why aren't you talking to her??", "why don't you ask her to dance?", "go...get over there...get her number". His response?? "I'm afraid she'll turn me down". So I say..."you asked me? you can surely ask her". His response? "Well, it didn't bother me if you turned me down". WTF??? WOW...great for a girl's ego!! I'm too chicken to ask her because she may turn me down...but this one?? Who cares...if she turns me down I can handle that?! Such a typical story in my life...why do I do this to myself?
OK...so on to better things. As we stand and talk another guy comes up and starts talking to us. He's dressed in civilian clothes (I say that because most of the pilots show up in their flight suits). Anyway, so he is dressed in civilian clothes which usually means he's not a pilot. I should correct myself. This usually means he's not a FIGHTER pilot. The fighter pilots tend to show up in their flight suits and Friday fun patches. All other officers..."heavy pilots" (cargo aircraft type pilots), comm officers, intel officers etc etc come to the club in their civilian clothes. So...this guy is in civilian clothes and he is claiming to be a "Cardiothoracic Surgeon". We aren't buying it...first of all he says he's not stationed here. He claims that he is here on temporary duty with the Navy. Anyone who knows the hospital knows that there is no reason for a Cardiothoracic Surgeon to be studying here. It's not a huge hospital...definitely not a teaching hospital. As a Flight Nurse here...I know that we usually are flying these type patients out of here and if they are bad enough they are coming from the Japanese hospital. So...this guy starts throwing out names of Physicians that he's studied with, done surgery with and the medical school he attended. He continues on trying his darndest to get us to believe that he is a surgeon. We are all just listening...allowing him to keep going. He comes and goes out of our conversation, always coming back to his status as a Cardiothoracic surgeon and attempting to make us believe him. Knowing that we are not buying it, he then starts to talk about doing an appendectomy with some famous Physician. As he is talking about it, he takes his finger and makes a slicing motion down the left side of my abdomen...starting from about the middle of my rib cage down to about belly button range. Hmmm...funny that a Cardiothoracic Surgeon...one that has studied with all these great surgeons doesn't seem to know the location of the appendix. So...he tries so hard to come out of this one. Oh...you were facing me and I got messed up...I've been drinking etc etc. SO...OK, you say you are a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. A simple question..."how many chambers are in the heart?" and "what are they?". A blank stare...a "hold on a minute" and The GREAT Cardiothoracic Surgeon has to go "phone a friend"!!! He returns with his answer...the correct answer and adds the circulation for good measure! STILL, he continues to try so hard to get us to believe this story. Too bad...it just doesn't fly and he has to fess up that he is just a pilot...an F-18 pilot. I'll have to admit...he was good entertainment for my evening at the Roxbury and later on he proved to be quite useful as I was approached while waiting for a cab. A very strange guy that I had noticed inside the bar approached me as I was waiting for a cab. This guy walked up behind me and told me he "had a room next door" and "wanted me to go next door with him". I, of course, told him to bug off but he stood there right behind me, staring at me and not giving up on his quest. I don't usually get weirded out by this stuff but this guy really gave me the creeps!! The great cardiothoracic surgeon just so happened to have heard this guy and quickly came to my rescue. Looping his arm around mine and saying a few words that made it sound like we were together. The guy still stood there...still staring...still requesting my presence next door. Even the cardiothoracic surgeon was spooked by him and stood with me until I was inside a cab and driving off. I looked back to see the guy finally walking away.
So...the cardiothoracic surgeon is long gone...he has returned to mainland. Thank you for the evening's entertainment and saving me in the end. Young pilot...I hope that you get the nerve to call my friend and so ends another night at the Roxbury. I'll probably return again...but I'll need a break for awhile!!
I entered the O'Club tonight and saw the funniest thing. It was Santa Claus!!! Seriously...this guy looked like Santa! Big round belly, long white hair, long white beard, rosy cheeks...dressed in Island attire. Santa Claus had dipped into the Eggnog a bit much tonight and his 2 Elves (friends) were attempting to get him out of the club. Thank God for the couch that sits just outside the O'Club...Santa was bigger than his 2 Elves and they needed a break!! He was like rolling a bowl full of jelly down a lopsided hill.
Inside the club was something you don't see very often. It was packed full! Tonight it was mainly Marines...all of them having a great time. Many of them were ending their temporary duty on Okinawa and were headed back home to mainland Japan on Saturday. What makes this night a typical night in my life here on Okinawa is going to the Club with my single friends. As we stand in the midst of a million men...with a ratio of 10 men to every 1 woman. They all flock to my single friends...chatting them up, picking up on conversations from the weekend before. I typically get lost in the crowd as if I'm not even standing there. Tonight a young pilot comes up to me and wants me to dance. I oblige and we go dance...on numerous occasions...he finds me and we dance. Whatever...good fun and it gets me away from the conversations that are not happening. Well, later in the evening this same guy starts talking about my friend...how he is in love with her and wants to get to know her. So...I say "then why aren't you talking to her??", "why don't you ask her to dance?", "go...get over there...get her number". His response?? "I'm afraid she'll turn me down". So I say..."you asked me? you can surely ask her". His response? "Well, it didn't bother me if you turned me down". WTF??? WOW...great for a girl's ego!! I'm too chicken to ask her because she may turn me down...but this one?? Who cares...if she turns me down I can handle that?! Such a typical story in my life...why do I do this to myself?
OK...so on to better things. As we stand and talk another guy comes up and starts talking to us. He's dressed in civilian clothes (I say that because most of the pilots show up in their flight suits). Anyway, so he is dressed in civilian clothes which usually means he's not a pilot. I should correct myself. This usually means he's not a FIGHTER pilot. The fighter pilots tend to show up in their flight suits and Friday fun patches. All other officers..."heavy pilots" (cargo aircraft type pilots), comm officers, intel officers etc etc come to the club in their civilian clothes. So...this guy is in civilian clothes and he is claiming to be a "Cardiothoracic Surgeon". We aren't buying it...first of all he says he's not stationed here. He claims that he is here on temporary duty with the Navy. Anyone who knows the hospital knows that there is no reason for a Cardiothoracic Surgeon to be studying here. It's not a huge hospital...definitely not a teaching hospital. As a Flight Nurse here...I know that we usually are flying these type patients out of here and if they are bad enough they are coming from the Japanese hospital. So...this guy starts throwing out names of Physicians that he's studied with, done surgery with and the medical school he attended. He continues on trying his darndest to get us to believe that he is a surgeon. We are all just listening...allowing him to keep going. He comes and goes out of our conversation, always coming back to his status as a Cardiothoracic surgeon and attempting to make us believe him. Knowing that we are not buying it, he then starts to talk about doing an appendectomy with some famous Physician. As he is talking about it, he takes his finger and makes a slicing motion down the left side of my abdomen...starting from about the middle of my rib cage down to about belly button range. Hmmm...funny that a Cardiothoracic Surgeon...one that has studied with all these great surgeons doesn't seem to know the location of the appendix. So...he tries so hard to come out of this one. Oh...you were facing me and I got messed up...I've been drinking etc etc. SO...OK, you say you are a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. A simple question..."how many chambers are in the heart?" and "what are they?". A blank stare...a "hold on a minute" and The GREAT Cardiothoracic Surgeon has to go "phone a friend"!!! He returns with his answer...the correct answer and adds the circulation for good measure! STILL, he continues to try so hard to get us to believe this story. Too bad...it just doesn't fly and he has to fess up that he is just a pilot...an F-18 pilot. I'll have to admit...he was good entertainment for my evening at the Roxbury and later on he proved to be quite useful as I was approached while waiting for a cab. A very strange guy that I had noticed inside the bar approached me as I was waiting for a cab. This guy walked up behind me and told me he "had a room next door" and "wanted me to go next door with him". I, of course, told him to bug off but he stood there right behind me, staring at me and not giving up on his quest. I don't usually get weirded out by this stuff but this guy really gave me the creeps!! The great cardiothoracic surgeon just so happened to have heard this guy and quickly came to my rescue. Looping his arm around mine and saying a few words that made it sound like we were together. The guy still stood there...still staring...still requesting my presence next door. Even the cardiothoracic surgeon was spooked by him and stood with me until I was inside a cab and driving off. I looked back to see the guy finally walking away.
So...the cardiothoracic surgeon is long gone...he has returned to mainland. Thank you for the evening's entertainment and saving me in the end. Young pilot...I hope that you get the nerve to call my friend and so ends another night at the Roxbury. I'll probably return again...but I'll need a break for awhile!!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Miss Belle 1994-2008
My Mom just send me a message today telling me that her dog "Miss Belle" passed away early this morning. Miss Belle joined our family in 1994 when Cole was just 1 year old. Miss Belle (a Boston Terrier) lived, loved and made us laugh often. In 1999 she moved to Nahna's house (Mom) because she had bilateral cataracts and was going blind. Although she could barely see she lived a full life and was able to maneuver even the most challenging obstacles in the house. When she went outside...she knew how many steps to go off the porch, how many to get to the tree, the driveway, the lamp post. I was amazed when I watched her walk outside and at certain points take exact 90 degree turns to get to where she wanted to be.Miss Belle's health has declined over the past couple of months. Last night, as Miss Belle frantically searched for a place of comfort. Mom layed down on the floor with her and held her tight assuring her that everything was OK. Miss Belle finally found enough peace and comfort to sleep for a couple of hours. The following day as Mom ran some errands she prayed that God would take her peacefully. As Mom returned from the her errands she entered a quite house with Izzie (Mom's English Bulldog) patiently awaiting her arrival. She was led into her bedroom and there was Miss Belle...she had peacefully passed on to Puppy Dog Heaven.
As with all our pets, Miss Belle was laid to rest in our backyard near her best friend Beau (one of my English Bulldogs). She was wrapped in a blanket with some food for her travels and her "Miss Belle" collar loosely around her neck. We will never forget her...she held her own amongst years of dogs and cats that preceeded her. Miss Belle's best friend was Beau who loved her and protected her during her younger years. He preceeded her death in 1995. We'll never forget how she would snore while sleeping. How she would grab your arm with her paw repeatedly until you gave her attention, only to keep doing it again and again AND AGAIN until you were forced to move away from her. How she would follow at your heels throughout the house only to run into you when you stopped. How she would stand outside the shower to lick your ankles dry whether you liked it our not!
Miss Belle wasn't a dog of abounding energy, she was a lazy dog that just liked to hang out and chill. She was slapped by many cats for her curiousity but didn't really care. She got along with other dogs that would come and go into her life...always trying to make friends even if they didn't reciprocate...she would try again. The next e-mail after my Mom's news was the one below. How appropriate...
Rest in peace Miss Augusta Belle...you will remain in our hearts and minds forever.
There is a God in the Post Office. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.
Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:
Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.
I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her. You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith.
We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.
Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith, 'in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:
Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven.
Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.
Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.
By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.
Love, God
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