Oh...how I wish I could be in Colorado tomorrow night...

I have been incredibly lucky in the fact that I have more good friends than I know what to do with. Some have been with me since before I can even remember...others, I have never met, yet feel as if there is a bond between us that will only become stronger when we are able to sit down and talk to one another face-to face. Some friends, I have known since elementary school...others I met in university (that last one, especially! Why yes...I did go to more than one, thank you, very much!!) A few of the friends that I have met here in Japan that chose to return to their homelands (leaving me here....you know who you are!!!) and all the others in between...I hold each and every one near and dear to my heart.

But, today...I'm going to play favorites...only because she has been on my mind even more than usual. May I introduce you to my very good friend, a "sister from another mister", so to speak...Dena.

Dena and I met at university....I was there as an "oh hell, I guess I'll go back to school to get that damn degree" kind of student...She...was a perky, "I'm gonna be a pre-school teacher..la la la" kind of student that actually had fuzzy dice hanging from her rear-view mirror in her car. We were in a class together the first semester I was there and after making rude comments about the instructor to each other and finding out we shared a love of all things margarita (among other things), we became friends. I won't bore you with all the details of our long friendship....believe me, it's hilarious at times, but...since most of our jokes/sarcasm/reciting of movie lines are not understood by most...it might not be as funny. Suffice it to say that it has been 26 years and I think this relationship is a keeper. (We do have a strange ear cramp thing going that is a message to call the other, but, upon hearing this, people think we are crazy...so...just ignore I typed that, okay? okay.)

Dena has two sons. The youngest is between Issei and Koji in age and we love him. He is such a little corker....the boys both really do enjoy being around him...he makes them laugh. Her oldest is a senior in high school...my boys are just in awe of him now.... and is, as his coach said in an interview, "a stud on the field". The young man has been playing football since he was 8 years old and his high school football career is at its peak right now....his team is playing Friday night in the State Quarterfinals and I reeeeeealllllly wish I could be there to watch...and yell...and whistle...and yell some more!

This was taken when Jason was about 9 years old, I think.....he was such an intense little guy.

And now....this is Jason....a force NOT to be messed with. It was his fumble recover and touchdown that turned one game completely around!!!

I've been following Jason and his team....looking at the pictures...reading what I can from the newspaper and the Colorado Prep site. Oh...and getting messages from and talking to his mom during the games!!! (How much do we love this whole cell phone business!?!?!)

During the regular season, his team lost only one game and soundly romped the rest of the teams....7 of those games were shutouts with Jason and his team scoring more than 30 points each of those game!!!

But now....it's getting tougher. The competition is big. And fast. And really doesn't like Jason and his teammates very much. They will travel to Colorado Springs (about an hour and a half south of Denver) for the game and from what I've been reading, it's going to be a game worth going to. A cold, Friday night football game between two teams that really, really, really want to go to the State game....that's what high school football is about!!!

Before I go any further...I have a bit of a favor to ask of Jason. I've been faithfully looking at pictures that people have posted from the games and I'm kind of tired of wondering, as I look at piles of padded/helmuted bodies..... "Is that Jason?"

May I suggest just a couple of things you could do before the game that would make this process a whole lot easier?

Along with the regulation uniform....could you please

#1 change the color of your mouth guard? A nice red or yellow one would be so much easier to recognize in a photo.

#2 No...Not a real tatoo...just have one of your buds write "Hi Deb" on either one, or both of your arms....their big enough to write way more than that, so "Hi Deb" can be written in quite large letters! Sometimes, in a photo, I just see arms and legs...this would make your's a bit more noticable.

and/or

#3 Make your wrist band and/or brace also more "Hey, I'm Jason!". Yellow is good...I was going to say pink, but I didn't think you'd go for that.

Think about it okay? Thanks, man! Love you!!

And now, something for your mom...just because it was fun and I was procrastinating planning for tomorrow, I give you this.....

Finally......in getting ready for the game....I'm sending you some good thoughts...some thoughts of the "kick ass and take names" kind.....

Some of the Tom Jackson kind.....

...Of the Lyle Alzado kind....but only those before he was a traitor and went to the Raiders (I'm still kind of bitter about that!!) and waaaay before he started doing the 'roids (I'm really bitter about that!!!). He wasn't a linebacker, but he was one tough so-and-so on the field..."grrrrrrrrrr" (but off the field, he was a really nice guy)!!

And then...here are some thoughts of the Randy Gradishar kind....



...and then finally....some thoughts of THE very best, I'm-so-mean-I-could-hurt-you kind (but then I'd help you up and possibly drive you to the hospital-kind)....some Karl Mecklenberg kind of thoughts!!

Good luck Jason.....I'll be cheering for you and ringing my cow bell!!!

Oh...and Dena...I'll be in class, but I will have my cell phone...please send me updates!!!

Remember....breathe...breathe....breathe....

Hugs to you D....not to Jason, though, 'cause he'd probably just put me in a headlock!

Love you both!!!

Yup...stick a fork in me, I'm done

...and yet...I feel that I can't crawl my tired butt into the futon without posting something....anything.

What's up with that craziness, huh?

I'm thinking that all my NaPlaBoMaNaMaNa-ing friends (lurve ya!!) and their "I gotta/wanna blog everyday this month" is starting to become contagious?! I think it's great that so many people have become such dedicated posters...but, really...it's making my life very difficult.

Where I used to have about 120 or so posts sitting quietly in my Google Reader...just waiting for me to get to them....I now have 247 posts screaming at me and threatening to multiply faster than bunny rabbits in spring!!!!

If I don't comment on the blogs I usually do, I sincerely apologize...I'm hoping it will get better in December when all the madness is over!!! :-D

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Most days, this is me....

I am a superpower....I have the energy of 10 teenagers. But today....this is more like it....

.....and my brain is so like this.....
~~sigh~~

Along with my usual running around, teaching 100 classes in 156 different places, **slight exaggeration on my part, I'm just trying to make a point.. really...that would almost be impossible!!**I have been working on something else that has taken what creative energy I usually have left over, tossed it over my shoulder and said, "Nah. Let's see how she does now!!"



I am having a party.
It's possibly going to be a very. big. party.
I'm must be crazy to thinking I can pull this off.


Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.



December in Japan is the season for, not only, Christmas and all its trappings, but it is also the season for bonenkais, or "end of the year parties". For the last few years, all my classes have planned these wonderful parties where there was great food, more alcohol than one should be allowed to drink, more often karaoke was on the agenda, more food....and then we go to another party...yes, same group, just a different venue.

Once or twice a week is not bad...but....last year, I had three in one week and four in another. If I were like my students, where most of them have very little or nothing to do the next day but recuperate from the night before, not a problem, but....not so for me, my friends.

Oh, no....I was crawling my butt out of the futon, and it was 'business as usual'. By the time we actually got to the holiday, I seriously thought I was going to collapse from exhaustion or alcohol consumption.



So...this year...this being my 5th year of doing this whole teaching thing on my own, I have decided to have a party.....ONE PARTY...with all my students.
I'm sure that not all of them will come...but....from what everyone is telling me, most of them will be there....there is a possibility of anywhere from 50......to 130 people coming.
And this is where those around me start to doubt my sanity. I know I'm already doing that!

I have enlisted the help of four students, just to make sure that I don't forget anything....but, my free time is consumed with questions like:



What game shall we play?
Is Bingo good enough?
What about prizes?
Do I have time to make candles for all the tables that they can "Paper, Rock, Scissors" for at the end of the evening?
What kind of fun stuff shall I order from Oriental Trading Company?
Do we need entertainment?
How much do I set the limit for on the 'present exchange' gift?
How many shuttle buses shall I ask the hotel to provide for us?
and most importantly.....

What shall we name the party? The hotel says that we need a name to put on the signboard!!

I'm looking for something snappy...something that says "Hey! A foreigner is hosting this party and it's going to be fun!!!"
"Debbie's Holiday Party"........**snore**zzzzzzzzz

Will work on that...but if you have any suggestions....you know...to help out a friend who is about to go freakin' nuts, your thoughts would be appreciated.



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And before I go crawling to the futon for a few hours of sleep....here's a quick random thought....

I totally love the idea of Russell Brand playing Jack Sparrow's brother in the new Pirates of the Carribean
movie...(who knew he had one, huh?!?)
I can see it....can't you??
Any thoughts on this????

**If there are any grammar or spelling or whatever errors in this post...let's write it off as me being too much in a hurry to shut this sucker down and get to sleep! Good night!! Have a wonderful Wednesday...or Tuesday, depending on where you are in this big ole' world!!!

'Tis the season....extra crispy, please.

In the preparation for the coming holiday season, Japan is really no different than the States when it comes to Christmas. Despite the fact that December 25th is "just another day" to most people, I would put Japan's commercialism for this particular season up against that in the U.S...and it would be a very close race.

So....as we are well into the month of November...the signs of the holiday are all around us.

Nagasaki Station and the shopping center attached to it are all decked out and the annual "Christmas Tree Lighting" ceremony (complete with very cute little kindergartners in their school uniforms singing AND, of course, a Santa Claus passing out "early" presents!!) was held last week. I will try to get a picture of the tree (said to be one of the biggest of its kind...with purple lights, ah..yes...I do love the holiday colors!!!) to post later, but until then I'll have to use one from last year....
We have Christmas music being played in pretty much every shop and restaurant.

The push to get out there and buy THE best present has already started. I was going to show you the ToysRUs flier from the paper today but...it has disappeared....hmmmmm...you think maybe the boys have it?!?! Remember when the Sears Wish Book came to the house when you were younger? Yeah...about the same kind of "oh-my-gosh-I-need-this" energy...just for a very large piece of paper!!!


Oh....and what would the holidays be without a "Party Barrel" of chicken from Kentucky Fried Chicken?? I hope that whoever came up with the idea to tell Japanese people that Americans eat KFC on Christmas Eve was given a promotion and a great retirement because, really....that idea was a freakin' gold mine!!! People are already ordering their "barrels". On the 24th, the line of people picking up their "barrels" will be longer than you can ever imagine...especially for a bucket of chicken!!!

This particular "party barrel" comes with "10 pieces of chicken, 5 'Christmas salads', and a special blue plate" on which you can serve that delicious, "traditional" dinner...all for about $40. (I think you have to buy the chocolate cake separately.)

Here's another little tidbit of chuckle-worthy, but pretty useless information for you today.....

In Japan, KFC and the Colonel are quite loved by most people. There are (I do believe) 5 KFCs in Nagasaki City and whenever I have been to one, there has always been a lot of people there eating...no matter what the time of day.
It's a place that has a nice, warm, American feel about it. There's always music playing in the background (they are pretty big on "My Old Kentucky Home"!), the staff is always smiling and friendly, and of course, the Colonel is always there to greet you as you walk in!

Yes...there is a Colonel statue at most places (inside shopping malls in the food courts may or may not have one, but the "real" places do!)...and while he usually dresses in his traditional "Colonel" wear....during the holidays, he likes to get a little wacky.....

Example #1...Debbie and the K-Man's first Christmas card after getting married....(I think I have finally been forgiven for the embarrassment it caused..teehee....this took quite a few takes and it was dinner time!! I don't care....I thought it was fun...and the card turned out great!!!)
Example #2....during the Boys' Festival in May....the Colonel dressed up as a character from an old Japanese folk tale.

Example #3....It's summer!!! The Colonel feeling very "islandish"!!
(Too funny....the spellcheck suggestion for "islandish" was outlandish!!)


Example #4...another one from summer...this time the Colonel opted for the traditional summer yukatta...and watermelon is a big hit on a hot day!

Example #5....not sure where this one is from, but, I'm guessing that the area is a big diving place....just taking a stab in the dark on that one!
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Thank goodness I'm already in my jammies 'cause I now have a hankerin' for some KFC!!

Have a great Sunday...go grab a bucket of chicken and take your kids...or your hubby...or your boyfriend (or girlfriend)...or just get a small box for yourself and go...go have a picnic or something! Eat some 'extra crispy' for me!!!


**Except for the Christmas card picture, all KFC photos are from Google Images**

Flamingo Friday...Fashion...and some Fall Out (of the Boy kind)

These must be girl flamingos!!!

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Yesterday...Koji and I went to the elementary school for the "So You're Gonna Be a 1st Grader in April" screening they do every year. At 1:45, about 35 little 5-and 6-year old kids, full of nervous energy and their moms were sitting in the gym...waiting for the whole thing to get started. Okay...no...wait...that's not completely true. About 25 of those children were running like little crazy monkeys all over the gym while their moms sat in clusters and talked about the others NOT in their group discussed global warming, world peace and wondered if it was going to rain before the meeting was finished...the other children were sitting like freakin' Stepford Children next to their moms...just...waiting. "What about Koji?", you ask. Seriously. What do you think? ~~sigh~~

Anyway.....and just in case you were wondering....no. There were no other foreigners in the group...just me...the "Lone Ranger" of these here parts. There were other mothers that I know and that I talk to on the occasions that we meet. We were in our own little cluster, the Working Moms Who Had To Take Off The Afternoon To Go To This Meeting cluster. We all have kids in older grades, so we know the routine...the speeches..."please, just call our numbers and let us get our kids checked out so we can get home."

We are....the older moms. Many of us are getting ready to send our youngest out into the world. Those other groups? Oh....they are so new at this, they're just shiny! Actually, one of the moms I was sitting next to made the comment that most of them were pika pika okaasan (mom). Pika pika is used sometimes when describing anything that is new, never been used, fresh.

So...as we were all in our groups NOT talking about each other (ha..as if!!), I noticed a fashion trend that is happening that I can pretty much guarantee....WON'T be a part of my wardrobe this year.....or any year, for that matter. About 4 of the moms were dressed almost identically....oh, the patterns were different, but the idea....yeah...uh-huh..same.

Put one of these on top....

Pick one of these....it seems that, the longer it is-the better.

Make sure you are wearing a pair of these.

Don't forget these....black was the color of choice, but..there was one that had on fishnets...but they were still way up over the knee.



Now...over those socks or stockings, you MUST have on a pair of these.

And then finally.....


I really wanted to take a picture....the K-Man would have gotten quite the laugh...but...as I only had my cell phone with me, I didn't think it would be starting out our PTA relationship on the right clumpy-booted foot. Yeah...I'm disappointed, too. Maybe another time...because I'm sure I'll get another chance!!!
***All photos from Google Images.
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Today was a strange kind of day. Oh, not a bad strange way....but in a really "I'm feeling kind of goofy" kind of way. The other night, I downloaded some new music (and by new, I mean something from the last 5 years or so!) and today one CD, in particular, hit the right musical spot for the mood du jour.
Now...keep in mind that my musical tastes are pretty varied. I listen to James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett, Bette Midler, Wyonna, Sarah MacLaughlin, Dave Matthews, pretty much anything "southern rock" and...well, you get the idea. I'm also a big fan of music by Yo-Yo Ma, Keali'i Reichel and Brother Iz. I have admitted before that I do like many of the country singers, old and new. And then.......there's that other side. That...heavy metal, head banging, "give me a shot of tequila" and dance-like-I-mean-it side that listens to AC/DC, the Scorpians, Matallica and yes, on occasion, Nickelback. And now...I can add Fall Out Boy to that list. Yes, they are young...but...as they used to say on American Bandstand every week..."they've got a good beat and you can dance to it." So....with that...I will leave you with one of the many videos I like ...watch it...turn it up....and dance! Dance like you mean it...I did...maybe even in my car.....just a little!! Come On!! It's Friday!!
Have a stupendous day and a great weekend!!!

Hope....

We can hope for many things.

Me? Well.......I hope to live here someday.

I hope to drive this wherever I go.
Yeah....I hope to have a whole bunch of this.


And I definitely hope to look like this when I'm her age...
(actually, I wouldn't mind looking like that now!!)

There are many other kinds of hope.....

You can find a hope patch...

...or go to the Cape of Good Hope....

....you can even buy hope in a jar.....

...or wear hope on a necklace....

....and dream it was the Hope Diamond....

....you can watch Chicago Hope....

...or you can watch Bob Hope...

....but this...

THIS is my favorite hope.

Hope for a better America...

Hope...for you and me.

Hope...

And thank you...thank you...after January 20, 2009...we'll have no more of this......

**All images from Google Images**

Super Tuesday...the world (or most of it, anyway) is waiting....

On the front page of today's Nagasaki Newspaper.......

...and then this....

Have I mentioned before that many here in Japan are carefully watching the election? It's amazing what my students know from watching the news or reading the newspaper about the candidates. (Though, like myself and many of the people I know in the States, they didn't know either that there were 16 people running for President!!) So much of what goes on in America affects other countries....governments and stock markets, for example (the stock market here in Japan took a beating about a week or so after stocks in America fell drastically. Plus, many of my students have or know people who have money invested in the American stock market...a few sad faces and stories in some of my classes!)

Anyway....as it has come up more than a few times...just for the record...yes, I did vote. It's my right as an American citizen to do so....and if I want to complain about something or someone in the government any time soon or in the future, I can. My grandfather once told me a very long time ago when I was experiencing some negativity feelings towards the US Government (and pretty much all things in general), "You didn't vote? Then don't complain." That kind of stuck with me over the years....so yes, I voted...I'm covering all my bases.

When I sent my request for the ballot to be sent, I must have missed the part to request just the Presidential ballot. Jeez Louise!! When the ballot finally got here, I was in a bit of a panic. The ballot......was 4 pages long!!! Not only did I have the Presidential one, but also all the ones for the state of Colorado...the Senate....the House of Representatives...the State Supreme Court judges....local judges....the amendments (oh, the amendments!!!), and one or two local items, too (commissioners and one about the cemetery)!!!

Well, I can tell you right now.....thank God for the Internet!!! I made a copy of the ballot so I could take notes and I sat out to find out what the amendments were about.

Four hours and about 8 cups of coffee later....I had most of it done. A couple of the issues, even after going to (basically) "Colorado Amendments for Dummies", I still didn't understand what the heck they were saying!!!! I do believe (and I'll be backed up on this I'm sure!!), many of those are written in such a way that the reader will be confused and if said reader has not paid attention to any announcements on TV, radio or in the newspapers and magazines, or has been living in a cave for the past few months, they just might vote in a manner they really didn't want to. Which is why, if I remember correctly, in the last election the state of Colorado voted that it was not okay to shoot a moose in certain areas of the state, but you could discriminate against someone for being white/black/male/female/homosexual/whatever.

Which brought up a good discussion point for a few of my classes.....the question was asked, "Do all Americans know what everything is, on the ballot, that they are voting for?" I told them that I couldn't give them specific numbers as to how many idiots there are out there, but, I would guess that the number of people who just go in and vote and don't really read the ballot carefully is probably higher than what we could ever imagine. And this is why there are commercials...and pop-ups...and billboards....and signs in people's yards (that sometimes get stolen by the opposition)...and any other way possible to get the information out there so that people know what is going on.

This is very different from voting in Japan. Here, people vote for a party or a person and then rely on that person to vote for changes or whatever that will affect the people. Japanese really only have say in who makes the decisions and must hope that the person who is in office will keep the people's best interests in mind whenever something comes up that needs to be voted on. Plus...when it comes to the Prime Minister....I must admit that I don't really understand how a Prime Minister is elected into office. I do know that Mr. Koizumi (the PM that loved Elvis and had some wild hair!) was the Prime Minister for quite a while. There was a time when, I swear, we had a new guy in office every time you turned around. I'm thinking that it's not a fun or good job to have....but, that's just me...what the heck do I know, huh?

Anyway....I got the ballot all filled out...signed in all the correct places and I put it in a special envelope to make sure that it got there before the election and could be counted. It's not that I don't trust the American Postal Service (some of my most favorite people **Hi, Sally** work for the Post Office and I'm not disrespecting those people) but....a letter from Japan has been known to take 5-18 days to get to my hometown. I just didn't want to take any chances. This was too important!

So I stuck it in a 1,200 yen (about $12) special envelope and sent it on its way. It got there safe and sound and made pretty good time, too. It took about 5 days. And how do I know this? Well, this is where coming from a small town comes in handy. Because the envelope was pretty big, I decided to send a letter to my good friend, who just happens to be the County Treasurer, whose office just so happens to be at the Court House...so...I wrote her a quick letter, wrote "Please give this to Susan." on it and popped it into the envelope with the ballot. She sent me a message saying that she had received the letter and really liked the card (Yeah, Very Mary!!).

Yeah...I'm thinking that not many people could do that. Sometimes it does pay to know pretty much everyone who lives in a place, or most everyone who works at the County Court House, anyway!!!

So...if you haven't voted...get out there and get it done!!! It is now 12:40 AM and I'm going to check the news and see how things are going and then I'm going to bed. Will say a prayer for good things to happen in the hours to come.

Sunday, ... a cheer (of sorts), some fruit, and a warm fuzzy!

Before I get to the main point of this post this evening...and yes, there is a point here, ~~work with me people~~....I just wanted to give those bloggers that I read faithfully everyday, that have joined the November NaBloPoMo adventure this year a quick message....I have chosen to not even try to do that. (I put too much pressure on myself when I do things like that...would hate to have the extra pressure of 9,746 other people...it might be too much!!)
BUT.....I am here to tell those bloggy buddies that I will be here to offer whatever you need to help you through this. You need encouragement? You got it. I used to be a cheerleader so I can be called upon in times of need to help life your spirits and help you get back on track. Whatever you need....I'll be your "go to gal"!! Need a reminder? I can do that, too. Now....finish reading this post and, if you haven't posted for today....what are you waiting for? Daylight's burning!! That post isn't going to write itself!!

Whew! Okay...got that out of the way.

So...it's mikan season here in Nagasaki. Are you familiar with this word? Hmmm...maybe you've heard this word...maybe not.

How about this......do you have a can of these in your pantry?

If you said, "Why, yes, Debbie, I do.", then...you have mikans in your house! Except, while you probably, more than likely, have them in a can.....I get them fresh.

Nagasaki is actually one of two places in the whole country that are known especially for their mikans. Mikans are grown all over the country, but, the ones here, just north of the city...are absolutely heaven!!!

Today, we were driving on a small highway that was surrounded by mikan groves. What's is amazing here is that you will always be able to find a small stand on the side of the road, with bags of mikans (or whatever other fruit or veggie is in season!) for sale. There will be sign telling you how much a bag is and a locked box for you to put your money. There. is. no. person. there.

Yes, that's right....it is the "honor system" at its most basic. You want mikans? Here they are, but don't forget to put a 100 yen coin into the box. And we thank you very much.

I got this picture from Google Images because today, when we stopped to get a back, I was a bit excited at the prospect of these lovely little beauties and forgot to take a picture!! The stand in the picture is actually much nicer than the one we bought from...but you can get the idea!!!

So....for 100 yen (about 95 cents!) we got a bag of 22 small, but incredibly sweet mikans....and had an absolutely delicious snack in the car as we were driving!!! YumYumYummers!!!

About 17 years ago, my dad and his wife came to Japan for Christmas. They were the kind of tourists that I wish everyone could have come and visit. They wanted to see and do and eat and experience as much as they could. Daddy LOVED the mikans and every time he saw one of those stands, we had to stop. After about the sixth or seventh day, he was complaining that the inside of his mouth was hurting him. We took him to the doctor and after asking many questions the Dr. told the K-man, "Tell him to not eat so many mikans....a few are good, too many is maybe not so good." Before they left, we did find some canned mikan juice that is produced here, so he could take some back to Texas to enjoy!!!

Something else about the mikan....if I see a foreigner buying mikans in the grocery store, that is a good sign that person does NOT have many Japanese friends. Why do I think this? Japanese people are always giving away stuff that they have received from various people....If you have a Japanese friend, you have mikans on your table from about the end of October to....whenever the season is over...maybe February (don't quote me on that!). Except the times when we have bought them at a stand while on a drive, like today, I don't think I have actually ever bought a bag of mikans. Here in our neighborhood, we are surrounded by retired people with farming/garden plots and a couple of them have some mikan trees. It's great!!! (And yes, I usually repay the give of mikans with cookies or banana bread!!)

For me....the "coming out" of those mikan stands, are a true sign that winter is soon to be here. The air has turned positively crisp at times.....I still have my flip-flops in the entrance way...you know...just in case!!!

Speaking of shoes....I bought a new pair of slippers today. They are soft and fluffy and in my favorite color and "I love them....I'm never taking them off." (Can you name which movie that line came from?? hmmm?)

I wish you a warm, fuzzy slipper kind of day!!!