Thanksgiving Whiteout

Holy crap!

Had some serious snow on Thanksgiving! Turkey day started about 10AM for me. I looked out the window and was stunned....there was a good 6-8 inches on the ground.
So first things first, I had to don some warm clothes so I clear some space for the boys to do their "business"
See what I mean? That's like a sheer white cliff for a dachshund.

Then I got to shoveling out the driveway and alley. Put the plucky (read cheap) little snowblower we have to work. But in honesty...its almost easier to shovel...almost....
Click here to see the video
Here is a picture of the view out the back after I shoveled a space for the boyos...
I learned a very powerful lesson a few minutes later when it started to snow again. Shoveling snow in Misawa is like farting into a hurricane. Within minutes the drive/alley was coated again.
Want to see what a typical snow-day is for us. Click here to see the video we took of the backyard a few hours later. That trench I dug for the boys? Filled in. The Pachinko parlor "out back" all but invisible. Its the same perspective as the picture above. Swear.

A White Thanksgiving

Now, I've heard of dreaming of a white Christmas, but I don't remember too many "white Thanksgivings"....and if we're "lucky" we may just get one here in Misawa. Have a few inches of the jolly white stuff already on the ground and its snowing heavy at the present time.

More later once the sun comes up...and I can take some pictures

Typhoon Fitow

Well, looks like the worst of Typhoon Fitow is past.
Plenty of high-winds and some small debris tossed about (our empty trash can took a little jaunt out the garage and down the alley while we were taking the boys to the vet). To say the least, our command picnic was delayed. Not sure a day in the park would've been much fun.

If you want to see what it looked like, check out Christina's blog. It doesn't quite capture the max. intensity we witnessed (didn't have the camera out at that point), perhaps because the rain isn't as visible. I mean, it was coming DOWN, from every angle it seemed, you went outside, you got drenched, you open the car door - you got drenched. Of course the boys decided to use the poor weather as an excuse to piss in the house. Bastards.

HUGE Misawa Base Air Show Tomorrow

Christina tells me, upwards of 150,000 thousand people will be flocking from all over Japan to the annual Misawa AB Air Show.

Wow folks. Misawa isn't all that big. Something like 44,000 people. Its not a "small" town, but its not big, I can tell you that.

Well the city is going to be tripling in size tomorrow, and we're going to be in the thick of it. The worst part: Base authorities have asked people to leave their pets at home....so no pics of Zaar and D.J. trolling the flight line or posing with an F-16...(dang)....Probably for the best, with that many people it would've been hard to keep them out from "underfoot" - though I have no doubt they will be plenty of stupid human broodlings buzzing around getting in my way tomorrow...

I wonder how many foreign spies will show up....

Recovering

Whew. Some cooler weather finally rolled into tonight. Looks like rain, with all the dark clouds, but the humidity isn't that bad, and there is a stiff cool breeze blowing through Misawa right now. Its very welcome after the past two days of clear sky, no wind, stifling hot days. Thank goodness we have air conditioning, its made this week palatable (especially having company over) and kept the two rulers of the household (That would be Zaar and DJ for those you not in the know) comfy.

I'm typing around D.J. right now....as he's planted himself on my computer desk (funny how that happens) in his never-ending quest for attention.
What else am I recovering from? Another marathon gaming session. I had pretty much recovered from Sunday's foray in 30 straight hours awake when I had the fellas over again Wednesday night. Its was pretty mostly movies, Wii and XBox....and a good time was had by all.
Mario Party 8 is hellafun with 4 live players. Its really shines. I've tried playing it single-player, its ok, but not nearly as fun. The boys had fun with all the company cause they're not shortage of people to bug for attention....So anyway, I got to sleep around 10 or 11 am....and woke up a few hours ago, groggy as shit (its 7pm now). Am thinking about going to run, but that would suck if it rains.

I have to combobulate my thoughts on the Eagles and do another post. It seems All-Pro RG Shawn Andrews has doubts about his own ankle injury. Is it serious enough to threaten his future? Who knows - there is panic already in some circles. I prefer a more cautious approach. Am I concerned? You bet - Andrews has the skills to be an all-time great at the position. Not just an Eagles' all-timer, an NFL all-timer....I want to see him suit up and start blasting people.

Why Does it Feel Like October?

Dang folks, its windy, overcast, gloomy and almost cold...in July...Look I know its not COLD cold, we went through the winter...but the wind (not breeze) has a chill to it. The sun really hasn't been out all day, but it hasn't rain either (it just looks like its going to)....It reminds me of a blustery, overcast gloomy day in October back in the Northeast...

Oh and another is frickin' July and I haven't taken the heavy mink blanket or the comforter off the bed yet...it struck me last night as I was changing the sheets...I know those of you sweltering through a hot July and probably thinking "fuck you and your cold weather asshole" but I'm just saying...

And another thing, why is it so GD hard to find a Wii???? Its been almost 8 months since its release and NO one has any in-stock (and I found one possibility, but I ain't sharing that info until I confirm it/order one)....

The Domicile

I've been here in Japan for a number of months now without ever appropriately introducing the place we in which we live. Now I cannot say that I've got a top of world-class photos to share with you all. But, I will share some of the photos I finally downloaded of our place.
Above it the view of our house (it extends to the next house to the right of the picture). Entrance is gained via the garage. Inside it the family truckster, a Nissan Stagea (all sorts of car brands out here in Japan that you never hear of in the states). The good news, the sun rises in the East (duh) - which is to the left in the photo, so, there is very little direct sunlight on our bedroom (the window pictured is our "Master Suite" - ahem) in the morning. And trust me when the GD sun is rising at 0400, that is a good thing. Below: how to know its our house, look for the dachshund sign in the window
Below: our alley. For reference, I turned to my right after taking the first shot, and snapped a photo of the alley. Its an intermingled community. Our next door neighbors, with whom I've only ever really exchanged a few greetings, grunts and nods, are Japanese. But many on the street are not. (note the car sticking out on the right front. That is mine, its a Toyota Carina and I know, you've never heard of that brand either). It spend most of its time in our car port about 20 feet or so down the alley.
Below: a view of the cloudy sky and our "view" from standing in the garage and looking the "other" way in the alley. Note the incredibly sturdy fence we have to ensure that nothing falls into the sunken rice field between us and the Nissan dealership (the blue building). Also note that "McMansions" have crossed the pond. Its actually a very recognizable landmark here in Misawa (the giant gated mansion - there's only one)....The owner has quite the car collection as well. Could be the local Pachinko baron.

Well that's it for now. Next up, the Eagles have a cool new website to celebrate their 75th anniversary and some god-awful fugly throwback uniforms to go along with it. That'll be posted soon. And after that, its bath time for the doggies and maybe some interior shots.

Misawa Hits the BONG!

If I could give The 300 as many stars, I would. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It takes some liberties, but they're forgivable in the sense that the movie is an adaptation of a Frank Miller comic and not intended to historically accurate (some please tell the Iranians about that, I'm either too busy laughing at them for being stupid or being pissed about their abducting 15 British sailors to bother).

Like I doubt Emperor Xerxes would've been borne about on a palanquin that must've needed a giant forklift to hold up (below). But it sure looked impressive on the big screen.
I tell you what, the premiere showing the movie tonight flooded Misawa Air Base's single-screen theater, named the Richard Bong Theater (sorry I don't have the story behind him at the tip of my tongue). So, hitting the "Bong" means something completely different here in Japan. And let me tell you, folks turned out in force for this movie. You see normally, you can walk right up five minutes before the show starts, and walk right in, its never lacking for seats. About 400 or so people can sit, and the most I've ever seen at a movie prior to The 300, was a not-quite-half-full premiere showing of Casino Royale. This one had folks lined down the stairs and stretched out down the front side of the parking lot.

Its the only time going to the theaters has felt even remotely like going to the movies back home. OK, so that's a stretch, it was f'ing COLD last night and I had on my big Eagles Sideline Parka (the new Reebok kind that my folks got me), I don't think I've had to wear more than a windbreaker when going to the big multiplex in downtown Honolulu (god, I miss Ward Center).

But back to the movie. The actions sequences are too many to describe here, but they are uniformly tremendous. I don't know if actors against a CG-backdrop will completely catch on (The movie was done completely on green screen) and I'm sure the artificial look may have turned some viewers off, but I was fine with it. Again, I enjoyed the same type of CG effects in Sin City. I think its adds a unique feel to the adaptations. And it helps to be a Frank Miller fan. I've loved his stuff ever since I bought the original Hard Boiled series back when I went to Pitt.

Postcards from Misawa

It has come to my attention that I have pretty abjectly failed to post or share very many pictures of my situation here Misawa. Well, I've decided to rectify that.

I will be taking more photos of the local landscape et al over the coming weeks. To be honest the majority of the 80-odd pics we have so far are of the "boys." I don't think we've ever taken out the camera without taking pics of Zaar and/or DJ.

So without further ado:these are photos of the view out the "back"
And here are couple of the boys (told ya)

enjoying a bit of Sun....and getting a real treat, getting to lick the tupperware we used for the meat on "Taco night":

So There I was barrelling through downtown Hachinohe

Just got done with (get this) our Misawa Indoc this past week...so after being here for a month we were given tours of the base, surrounding town, etc...HA HA HA...that's really helpful...since we'd already stumbled our way through finding just about everything they showed us (and more)...

The most interesting part was Friday, it was day trip to the largest nearby city: Hachinohe (pronounced HA-CHIN-O-HEY) hachi is Japanese for eight, so the city's name means 8 windows (I think)...I didn't go on the tour bus so I didn't the "benefit" of the vast knowledge of the tour guide because a) riding on buses makes me nauseas if done for a long time and b) I wanted the benefit of driving there myself so I could get my bearings locally and figure out how to drive there myself...Before I tell you why THAT turned out to be a farce, I would like to discuss what I consider to be a generally standard rule for tours: the guides should know more than the guests. Christina (who was on the bus) informs me that her and friend Allen spent most the bus ride correcting the tour guide, both on information and pronunciation.

As for WHY my plan to learn how to go to Hachinohe disintegrated from the start: its this...instead of taking the direct route the bus drivers took THE MOST screwball goat-path way to Hachinohe. I lost track after the 12th turn and resigned myself to simply having to tail the buses.

First stop was the Fish Market: which was pretty cool, we got some salted salmon and that made for a very tasty dinner last night. We didn't spend much time there, but one thing that was new to me...that the crabs at the market are alive...kept on ice that just makes them sluggish...

Next we went to the Train Station (the Bullet Train stops at Hachinohe...Misawa is too backwater to warrant a stop) and the most sacred Shinto shrine in the Aomori Prefecture...(which was pretty cool)...Of course, topping the list of things the tour guides told us at the shrine was the cost of the Shrine's souvenirs...hey even monks gotta earn a few yen here and there...But we learned how to make a prayer offering at the shrine and how to ritually cleanse ourselves before entering, so that was pretty neat.

Finally we made our way to the big mall in big H....this required driving through downtown and that turned out to be the most entertaining part of the day (for me at least)...completely lost, not a clue as to where I was, roaring through the crowded downtown of a Japanese city trying to stay glued to the bumper of a military green USAF school bus. Let me tell you one thing, there ain't nothing quite like barrelling through red lights in a foreign city (if the bus ran the light, I ran the light, and the driver seemingly was not detered by whatever color the light happened to be when we approached). I just knew that if I lost the bus I was hosed. (Japanese traffic lights are pretty long, not as long as Korean lights, but long enough that if you stop there is a good chance you won't catch up with whoever is in front of you again for a while).

Eagles in Misawa Too? Now How About That

Ok, so I just relocated some 5,000 miles from Hawaii to Misawa Japan

Here it is on a map:

Any guesses what the mascot of the local base Robert Edgren High is? That's right its the Edgren Eagles...

ha ha, so the great E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles chant still applies, even way out here in kebumfrick north Japan...

Chiming in from the Opposite Side of the World

Wow, folks, its been a couple of weeks, and I was in no mood to blog after the Eagles blew that game versus the GYNts...I mean I would've had to write a horror script for that game to turn out like that....I don't want to think about it.

I hope this cements in their minds that they can never take their proverbial foot off the gas...Hear that Andy? No more letting up, crush your opponents and hear the lamentation of de women...alright?? No more Mr. Nice guy....you better hand the 49ers their lunch, dinner and a midnight snack...got it??? GOOD

So anyways, my blog took a hit because I am now in JAPAN!!!!
Believe that sh*t? Sometimes its hard for me too. BLogging about the Eagles from Hawaii was goofy enough, but from cold Misawa Airbase? Unreal.

I will be posting some photos of our Japanese style house (we gotta live off base) and detailing some of the oddities about living at the beginning of each day....Like how games that start at 1PM EST come on TV at 2AM Monday morning here in the Land of the Rising Sun. Last games are a bit better...for instance, tomorrow's game versus the Niners starts at 0500. I just hope we don't have to do anything before 8AM cause it will be hard for me to leave before the game is over.

And just how will I be watching it? Hmmm, I think it will have to be by Webcam. Armed Forces Network does a decent job of broadcasting games, (the one cool thing, they show the top match-ups from each conference both early AND late) So it like having each network show a doubleheader every weekend, instead of every other....The bad part: no way to guarantee that I will see the Iggles...AUGH...that it what the webcam is for. I will have my dad point it at the TV so I at least get to see something. Plus I should get to listen to Merril do the local play-by-play.

More later, don't have a steady ISP yet, so cannot guarantee consistent posts...yet....