I seemed to have lost my ruby slippers. I looked under the bed, in the bottom of every closet and even in the warming drawer under the oven. I just can't find them. I thought maybe my pink slippers Joey got me for Christmas might work but they didn't. I tried clicking my heals together three times and nothing. Maybe its because they are too soft and don't make the click? I closed my eyes, clicked my heals together three times and repeated, "There's no place like home". I'm not sure what I expected, a big wosh of air as I travel at the speed of light back to Texas? Maybe I imagined it to be like the transporter on the Starship Enterprise. My pink squish slippers would dematerialize my energy pattern and "beam" me into my parents living room. When I opened my eyes what did I find? No pine trees, no Blue Bell ice cream, no big Texas truck....just more snow. Oh there is no place like home....
Ok, I'm done with my whining. If you couldn't tell, I'm a bit home sick. A couple of things today just made it worse.
A friend of mine emailed me this afternoon to ask if I could watch her son while she goes to the airport tomorrow to pick up her grandparents who are flying in for a visit from the states.
Most of you know that my grandfather has been in the hospital fighting the West Nile virus since August. Its been hard for me not being able to get updates as often as I could when I was still in the states. In fact, while I was in the states, I could drive down to the hospital myself and check on him whenever I wanted. I wish that there was something I could do to help. I know there wasn't much I was able to do while I was there but even something little like rubbing his feet with lotion made me feel like I was doing something. Its hard knowing there is so much history around my area and around Japan that PawPaw would love to go and visit but he probably won't be able to, at least during our tour here in Misawa. With the whole election thing going on, I miss being able to call pick on PawPaw and his being a democrat and my being a republican. At a church Christmas party for the ladies, someone asked us if we could have just one thing for Christmas, what would it be. One sister said she would wish for a clean house. Another wished for her husband to be advanced in rank this next year. While the question went around the circle I thought of all the things I could wish for. My house to sell, that my body will continue to heal or that our family would continue to grow closer together now that Brandon is home. But no, while I wish that those would all come true, if I was given only one wish, I would wish for my grandfather to be well again.
Today I also had to run over to the Health and Wellness Center to get the results from some recent blood work. It was just the normal stuff we should all have done like cholesterol and such as well as my weekly check on my clotting times. Some of the numbers were a little confusing. HDL...HDL...Triglycerides...I have no clue what any of those numbers mean. The nurse that gave me the results sheet wasn't able to explain anything to me (nurses can't go over blood work results here, only give you your sheet so you can call and make an appointment with the doctor to talk about the numbers). When I got home, the first thing I did was reach for the phone to call my mom and ask her what the heck it all meant. Just before I hit "talk", I remembered it would be only 1 in the morning back in Texas and I doubt mom would want me calling then just to talk about my cholesterol. I miss being able to simply pick up the phone as soon as I leave a medical appointment and call mom to find out what everything means. I miss being able to just pick up the phone and call her for silly things like when Joey says something cute. Its nice now that she has a computer and email but it just isn't the same. I just miss my family back in the states so very much and it just stinks that there is such a big time difference here.
Okay...done with whining. Not much else is going on here in Misawa. I was able to go see a movie tonight at the theater here on base. It was the new National Treasure one. I very much enjoyed it! Going to a movie here on base is a bit different. Parents bring their kids of all ages to the move with them (they don't let the parents bring kids under 16 to rated R movies). Sitting behind me tonight was a family with two children younger than Joey. Great. I just knew this was going to not be a good thing. It was actually great. I didn't hear a peep out of them! I had more issues with the two grown men sitting a few rows in front of me that wouldn't stop talking for half the movie. I don't think I will be bringing Joey to any movies not rated G here even though it seems to be a normal thing for everyone else but it was nice to see that the kids in the theater kept quiet or their parents quickly took them out. Another thing that is a bit different at a military movie theater is the national anthem. Before the movie begins, just after they dim the lights, everyone stands for the national anthem. Everyone. Its a neat thing.
Joey is getting pretty good with his Donky Kong game on the Wii. He laughed at me because I stink at it!
That's about it! We sure miss you all very much. Thanks for letting me whine!
