enjoying the sun while we can......

i've mentioned it a gazillion times before that it's the rainy season, right?

seriously....we had rain for, oh i duno....8 days....18...24 days....straight.

(after awhile, it all just starts to mesh into one huge rainy day so it's hard to keep track)

rain.

light rain.

hard rain.

showers. downpours.

enough to cause flooding...mudslides...accidents 

here in nagasaki city, we were pretty safe...just a lot of warnings.

we were lucky...other parts of the island weren't so lucky.

and then....

on sunday, we woke up to this:

my goodness!!  

the blue sky!! 

the cloudless sky!!

and....it was dry!

the sun was shining..

and all was right with the world again!!

it was a perfect day for

drying out our shoes....

....airing out our futons....

....getting all laundry done.

then...

stopping and enjoying the sky some more.

i even took a couple of projects outside.

it was so very nice.

it was also a great day for a party.

a surprise party.

you see...it was koji's birthday on the 4th of july and he really wanted a party with his friends.

but...for the past 3 years, we've had parties, only to be stuck inside because of rain, i wasn't really looking forward to doing all that again.

not a lot of fun.

a few weeks ago, he and i actually had a discussion about this (we really did!!) and we okay, i! came up with the idea that during the summer holiday, we would do something..maybe at the beach.

imagine my surprise when at 11:00, sunday morning, the doorbell rang....

and there stood 7 kids (2 boys and 5 girls) ready for a party.

they had snacks.

they had cards and presents.

yes....koji had invited them.... for a party.

"but the weather was going to be so nice...it's okaaaaaay, mom!"

~~sigh~~

being the quick thinker i am, i made a big pitcher of kool-aid and dug out some of our favorite candy from the states (that i've been hiding and saving for a "special occasion"...yep..."special occasion", this was it!)...and served all that to the kids out in the garden.

after a little bit, they decided to move the party to a park (thank you, baby Jesus) and the k-man and i drove quickly to the supermarket and bought onigiris and other japanese snacky type things for the kids.  we delivered them to the kids in the park...

all in all, it turned out pretty good.

koji got his party.

he got some great presents.

he and his friends could spend a great time in the park playing and eating and having fun...there may or may not have been water guns involved.

i know nothing.

teehee

it's now tuesday night and we've had 3 days of absolutely gorgeous weather.

but, the weather forecast tonight said that for the next few days we can expect  clouds....rain...light rain, heavy rain.

our rainy season "half-time" is almost over.

it was absolutely wonderful while it lasted.

oh...one more thing...

happy 10th birthday, little man.

you have, most definitely, made our lives more interesting and fun.

we love you! 

sporadic....hmmmm....i can live with that

so, really...did anyone notice the change in header but...yeah...

no new post for quite awhile?  (hi karen!) if you did...thank you for saying nothing. (ahem.) (^-^)

if you didn't? well....hmmmm...hey, there!!  how are you?  glad you're here.

so...according to that dictionary of the urban kind:

sporadic: 

1. Inconsistent; difficult to predict.

2. To be sporadic: Is to be random to a cooler extent

3. ocassional,not frequently happened

yeah....that be me in the blogging world.

(personally....i'm liking #2....randomly cooler, ya know!)

shall we carry on?

so....the rainy season has begun.

i don't know if you know this but from about a week ago and for a month or so (give or take a few days) the weather here is....sporadic.

sometimes, not so very much fun, at all.

a haiku:

rain....'tis the season

cool, wet, humid, breezy, hot

all of the above.

early, last friday, it began to rain.....and rain....and rain...until sunday morning, when we woke up to a pretty nice day.

and then....monday, more rain...tuesday was stormy in the morning (thank you, typhoon #4, which was passing by), but the afternoon was quite nice.

there was another typhoon (#5) headed our way, that was supposed to hit us early friday morning, but it was downgraded to a tropical storm and we're supposed to just get some rain in the morning.
possibly.

welcome to the rainy season, my friends.


**update to this as i wrote this on wednesday night....friday's weather:  
absolutely freakin' awesome!!!  sunny...breezy...cool with just a tint of humidity...a great day for a day off and for the laundry to dry!!!


during rainy season, everywhere i look, i see women wearing really cute and stylish rain boots.

and i'm sure that, if i remembered, when i go to the states i could probably find a pair, just as stylish and colorful that would actually be my size.
but...i don't.  remember, that is.
so, when it starts to get rainy, i make the annual trip around the shoe stores and pretty much, this is all i can find in my size:

yeah. no. huh-uh. sorry. no thank you.
oh, i'm sure they would work but just looking at those make my feet start to sweat...and i don't like that.
plus, really....fashion-wise, oh no....for a teacher,
they got "glamour don't" written all over them!!


so, this is why i would like to introduce you to


"the plastic shoes i didn't mind spending $40 for"

yes, my friends...these are crocs.

don't get me wrong, i like my regular crocs

(the pink ones with some very cool hawaiian accessories on them), but...when i'm in my 'teacher clothes' (which means 'no shorts'...usually), i felt i needed something a little nicer.


now, i know that these are not exactly what one would expect in a "rain shoe"....no, they don't cover the whole foot....
yes, there are little air holes in them.....but...
1. they are super comfy
2. they dry very quickly
and
3. i always have a towel in the car...i can dry my feet if i have to.


by the way...these are the CrosMesh Hover Skimmers....and i'm thinking of getting another pair in pink!!!


so, last saturday, when issei and i were walking in the downpour and the water was almost to our ankles for part of the way?

no prpblem.
none. at. all.
i love it when the stress level of my day is less.


**********
you know...i just thought of something....what if....IF...i had a friend...OR TWO...who were way creative with sharpie pens.....could i throw them a challenge to help make those green boots "debbie-worthy"???
heh heh heh......

it's not saturday, but....work with me, okay? okay.

over the however many years i have escaped into devoted to the blogging world, i have taken part in quite a few weekly events or assignments...from the friday night "fill in the sentences" memes... 

to a "here are some questions--what are YOUR answers?"  kind of thing....

a few times, i tried that "here's just a photo" (but, seriously, i have a hard time saying nothing!!)....and my favorite, that i still do quite often,
 the "shoot from the hip" photos
(that my friend says i'm going to get busted doing one day and she truly  hopes she doesn't have to witness that!!)

a couple of my favorite bloggers have been doing something that looks kind of fun.

and really, let's face it.....i'd follow these two pretty much anywhere....

just make sure that we're going somewhere good, okay janet and heidi??
okay.

every saturday, sandi@thewhistlestopcafe hosts something called 

the saturday photo hunt. 
she has a theme for the week and people post pictures accordingly.
there are some great pictures over there....all done by non-professionals (though some, i'm a bit suspicious about as their shots are quite amazing!!).

my blogging mojo is needing a boost, so i thought that this might be something i'd  try for awhile.

this week's theme is (okay, okay...was) "creative".....and for my first try at this....
here we go....

creative....x 2

in march, while we were in colorado, we were waiting at my aunt and uncle's house for a friend to come and pick us up.  my aunt and uncle have a small rock garden in front of their house and the boys got tired of waiting and they left messages...
this was one of koji's...."rockman hiking'.

then...after my uncle saw it, he made it a bit more permanent by gluing the rocks onto a board...

"walking dan-o man"

i love that uncle dan-o did this.
creativity squared.

have a great week, everyone.  for those of you in the states, i hope that your
weekend was a safe one.

the random-themed blogpost typed up in 7-8 minute intervals....

tomorrow is issei's undokai (sports day) at school and tonight, as i was doing dishes, he asked if i could make some cookies for dessert.

"for tomorrow?"

"well....yeah."

....

.....

(picture me, giving him a "really??" kind of look)

......

.......

"okie, dokie, then....."

and once again, i will prove to my son that i can pull the proverbial rabbit out of a hat....or....

cookies out of the kitchen at a moment's notice.  

(and thank the goddesses above that i accidentally bought too much oatmeal awhile back!)

even as i type....some very yummy smelling oatmeal/chocolate and caramel chip cookies are baking.

hence....the 7-8 minutes.

let the randomness begin.......

so...i turned 50 in april.

remember that.

yeah...i got a bit wigged about it there for a bit, but...meh. it's all good.

i do have a suggestion for those of you who are going to help a friend celebrate a momentous birthday....

tiara.

yep. t-i-a-r-a.

she'll need one.

when i was in the states, my one of my very bestest friends in the whole wide world friend, dena, gave me one to help start the celebrating.

it was very cool.

i'm sure i look even more fetching that what i imagined.

(and yeah...i'm giggling as i'm typing!!)

ANYway.....

fast forward to the party my friends and i had.

it just so happens that one of my friends has the exact same birthday (she's just a little older) and another friend (who is the same age) is the day after.

cool, huh?

so....i went to "that american accessory shop that is in every shopping mall "to see if they had tiaras.

of course, they did.  even in japan.

so i bought two for my friends.....and...yeah...okay...

one more for myself.

(a girl can never have too many tiaras!)

aren't we lovely? 

that's us...and some young'un sneaking into the picture!!

we had a great dinner...much to drink...and then dancing.

 i seriously think that the tiaras might have really 

helped the fun along.

really.

they did.

you need one

(or two!!)

******************

last week was our 'golden week' holiday.

we had monday and then thursday and friday off  and since the k-man only got the last saturday and sunday off from work, we chose those days to do something.

so we took a drive.

we drove to a small island about 3 hours away and it was lovely.

we went to a museum that focused on the dutch trading connection that was around hundreds of years ago....seriously....the original building was built in 1639.

while it wasn't "whoohooo! that really blew up my skirt!" exciting, it was pretty interesting.

the drive was nice.

we went over a cool bridge

and another one to the next island

we climbed a hill (getting a great view of the newly planted rice fields)

and we went to my personal 'power spot'....a kannon, a goddess that has powers of some really good stuff for me...i could just stand in her glory and.....breathe. 

relax.

refresh.

power-up, baby.

it really was a great day.

**************

i just put i the last batch of cookies into the oven.

the recipe said that i could get 48 cookies....

i just counted and there will be 65!!

(not counting the two that i ate fell on the floor!)

booyah!!

**********

and the cookies are done which means that i really need to get to bed.  it'll be a 'regular' day tomorrow, with issei getting up at 6:00.....i'll have to get the bento ready before the rest of us head over to the school, about 9:00.

by the way, this years bento will be a bit different.  instead of being like everyone else (as we usally do...spicy fried chicken, onigiri, various veggies.....), we going to live dangerously and stir things up a bit.

i'm making......*wait for it*.....a french bread sandwich.

i know.

crazy right?

we'll see how it goes.

there will be pictures.

**********

oh...and one more before i go....

hApPy MoThEr'S dAy

to all you moms out there!!

i hope your day is just fabulous.

my first ramble of a new decade....

*being 50 fifty, is a bit easier to handle when i'm here in japan*

while we were in the states, i was surrounded by oh so many friends and family and it was wonderful, but.....though i absolutely loved being there and wouldn't trade a second of that time,
it was also a constant reminder as to how old i really am.
no....i'm not living in a state of denial, my friends, but,
a state of deceit.


let me explain---
(and for the purpose of said explanation, the friends that i refer to will be the
particular ones that i went to high school with.)


i seemed to have been a late bloomer in life....not knowing what i really wanted to do with my life and taking "the scenic route" through university, not finishing as quickly as everyone else, getting married later than most everyone and subsequently, also having children later.

my  friends have various lives, but, the majority of them can be divided into two main groups:
those who have no children
and
those whose children are  high school age and older
(the son of one of my friends is turning 30 this year, for crying out loud!!).

do you see where i'm coming from on this?

while many most of my friends are becoming grandparents.....
hmmmmmm....
yeah, i'd like to introduce you
 to my 9-year-old.

the very idea of becoming a grandmother is not even remotely in the same vicinity as my 'realm of possibilties'.

when i was in the states, i saw these 2 beautiful girls, daughters of one of my best friends,...

girls i have known and loved since almost the very moment that they were born...
(this is a picture of them from our wedding)
and now, they are mommies.

and their babies....

were playing with my baby.

in japan, as most of my friends are a bit younger, our children are all about the same age (one is in university, but the boys refer to her as "big sister").
while a few of the parents at the boys' schools are my age, most of them are also younger.
i tend to consider myself the same as them.
not fifty.
see....it's deceiving.
and really...i don't mind that kind of deceit so much.
it's something i can handle.

i waited longer than others to be ready to be a parent,
and until i'm ready to be a grandparent, i'll just enjoy the heck out of those
grand babies of my friends....and those
angels that belong to my sisters.

as long as aunt debbie feels young,
she will rock a new generation of nieces and nephews!

some thoughts on being a "soon to be screeching into the station" RAFer

*RAF.....rapidly approaching fifty*

(and yes, if you write the word for that number and not the actual number itself, 

it does seem a bit easier to take/handle/not throw up.
 the pink color and italics seem to help, too)

i have a birthday coming up.

i'm not really sure how i feel about it.

some days, i'm like "oh, yeah...whatever...it's all just a number..look at all my beautiful friends who have celebrated this birthday, and survived. they make it look so easy and wonderful....
meh!  it doesn't matter, really, for i know how old i really feel in my heart" 

(which is about 28, by the way)

yeah.....this is what it feels like.

and then...
there are days
when i'm like
"what?  are you freakin' kidding me??? i'm not that old!
 no. way. no. how."

yeah....it feels just like this.
and while i will be the first in line for most roller coasters....this feeling?
not good.
i know....silly, right?
~~sigh~~

i read other blog posts of people having this milestone birthday and they are all handling it quite well.
amazingly so.
one friend (who i adore immensely) has declared this her "jubilee year".
others are making lists of "things i wanna do, now that i'm fifty".
(just for the record, i have so many lists of "things i need to do today/this week/this year", that i don't really see this concept working so much for me. but, really, you go ahead.)

i downloaded a book or two, thinking that, as others before me have professed, i would find some kind of inspiration or maybe even a way to accept this passing of time.

that first one (which i actually read in university for a psychology class, but as with much from that time, i have completely forgotten) is a classic and the first on most every one's list of "good stuff to read"....and that second one?  seriously, if a book claims 'discovering the fountain of youth at midlife and beyond' as part of its title, it has to be good, right?

i wouldn't know.

about either one.
it seems that just purchasing these two works of literary genius and having them in my kindle actually made me feel better.
obviously....this is the way i roll into middle age.

and just for the record,
while i was in the states, i also bought a pair of these:

having it pointed out more than a couple times, thank you very much lila! by a good friend, that these really do help (whatever!), i folded and bought a pair.
but, i figured that if i was going to actually purchase a pair of "cheaters",
there would have to be some bling on them....
and none of that brown or black color...
yes, my friends, purple with "diamond" bling were for me.

and no.
i haven't actually used them yet, but
they are in my purse and i strangely feel better just having them there.

*********

fyi....i'm already thinking of a post for tomorrow...
"how i'm holding others responsible for both good and bad feelings about this birthday"
(^-^)  happy tuesday, everyone.

oh...yeah...by the way...i'm back...you know...in Japan.....

so, it's been brought to my attention that i sort of came back to japan a little over a week ago and i seem to have neglected telling you about this/letting you know what we did/sharing the fun we had.

yeah.

sorry about that.

after the last post, the boys and i were going great guns and our schedule got wicked busy.

(but, wicked in a really great way!)
we went back to denver...met friends and family again...had some great food and some awesome beer....
then flew to seattle to meet more friends
and had some more great food (mmmmm sushi!!)...
even did some sightseeing.
**quack quack quack**
(^-^)
in seattle, we stayed with a friend of mine from university...after we graduated, we kept in touch for a bit
and then we sort of "lost" each other.
thanks to the internet and its wonderful 'social networking system',
we found each other again....after 25 years!
("hi, terri!!")
aaaannnd....the proverbial 'icing on our vacation cake', was the
meeting of three people i have loved and appreciated for many years, here in the blogging world.
yep.....Mrs. G....GinaAgainandAgain...and Bad Mom.
What a great afternoon that was!!!

one of the most interesting and yet, not so surprising (when you really think about it) things was that
meeting Terri after such a long time...meeting face-to-face those blogging Goddesses....seeing my friend Ken, after almost 12 years....and spending time with our good friend Kim, after almost 7 years....
not. one. time. did it feel, i don't know, uncomfortable.
you know?
like sometimes when you meet up with someone you haven't seen for awhile, the first few moments are weird.
sort of like , "so....hmmmm...how are you?"
and you're looking at the clock, praying to the 'powers that be' that time would hurry up.
yeah...
that didn't happen....not one time.
even with the friends meeting for the very first time.
THAT....was awesome.


so....to borrow an idea from yet another blogging sistah
(at whose house i do plan on camping out at someday in the near future...count on it!!),
i'm going to do a bit of a
'photo dump' of pictures taken during the last of our trip.
(or was it 'picture purge'? i forget which one she used....)
in order for me to be really lazy to save time, there will be no explanations....if you have a question,
please, ask and i'll try to give you an answer!!!
mahalo, on that.
so...here we go....

~~~southeastern colorado~~~

*no, that's not a real knife...just dorky, yet very lovable, nephew!  

~~denver~~

~~seattle~~

*and, yes...that would be heidi...and jenn...and janet...on sticks...'cause we love 'em*

the other day in class, i was explaining to my students that, when they go on trips overseas, they go to see things...to
visit popular touristy/full of history kind of sites.
me?
i go to see people.
i love my people.
(^-^)
if we happen to do some sightseeing, then that is just
extra special something-to-do with friends.

and yeah...that last picture?
totally an album cover.
you know...if i ever have an album.

have a super week, everyone.
it's monday morning here and the sun is shining and it looks to be a
most
superb kind of day.
hope yours is, too.
you know....superb-like!!