I Think I Broke a Mirror and Forgot All About It

Thursday night LaGrange was hit by a HUGE storm. The thunder was constant and the lightening took on more of a light show effect. For at least 3 hours our house was hammered with rain, shook by thunder, lit with lightening, and filled with the sound of Tiko crying. Even when we had him climb up in bed with us like a child he still continued to cried and whimper. Nothing we could do would settle him; making it a long night that was topped off by our power going out.

As I left for work Friday morning Tiko began crying again. Feeling horrible, tired, and a little grumpy I caved and threw the dog in the back seat; Tiko was going to work with Mommy. He was well behaved all day, as usual, and thoroughly enjoyed the attention that comes with having a dog at the office.

We were not quite 1/2 way home when the car in front of me frantically swerved out of the lane. I didn't have time to process why until I myself hit was they were attempting to miss, a long steel piece of something. I heard the tire run over top of it and it hit the underside of the car before fully realizing what had just happened. I slowly pulled over to check my tires and when I got out was shocked to find that gas was gushing out of my car at an alarming rate; luckily, I only had about a quarter of a tank left. Annoyed, I called 911 to report the accident, let them know where I was, and that there was gas spilling all over the highway. I then made several attempts to call Brandon, to no avail. 15 minutes after my call to 911 my patience began to wear and I got out of the car to check the leak again. It was still draining but I noticed a tow truck pulled over and the had gotten driver out. He had a smile on his face and when he smelled the gas made sure to throw his cigarette far from the mess. My first thought was that 911 had sent me a tow truck, how odd.

He introduced himself and asked if I needed help; explaining that he was out driving and saw me. He quoted me a VERY reasonable price and started to get my car ready to tow. While he worked a firetruck pulled up and 3 firemen got out; keep in mind this is now almost 20 minutes after I have called 911. They asked if I was OK, what was my situation, then stood back and watched the tow man do all the work. When they realized they were being of no help they drove off.

We left Tiko in that back seat and I got in the tow truck with the driver, his wife, and daughter and headed to LaGrange. The drive was pleasant and his daughter was adorable. It was during one of her stories that I received a call from Jefferson County Emergency Services. They couldn't find me and were wondering if I was OK and could I tell them, again, where I was. Seriously confused, I explained that I was in a tow truck on my way home. The firetruck had stopped by and I was already taken care of. I apologized for not realizing I needed to call and let them know I was fine and mentioned that I assumed the firetruck was from them. The man on the phone told me that they did NOT send a firetruck out to me that there was a police cruiser looking for me. After putting the pieces together I made sure they knew I was taken care of and thanked them for their help.

As it turns out the firetruck that stopped was on it's way to an accident on the same highway I was on. They believed that I was the accident they had been called to; when they realized their mistake they made sure I was OK and went off to find the other accident.

As I sat on the side of the road, unable to get a hold of my hubby, with a dog in the backseat I was rescued by a random tow truck and checked on by a random firetruck. By the time the actual police got to the scene I was well taken care of and 1/2 way home. Needless to say, I'm not overly impressed with Jefferson Counties emergency response time; however, Jefferson County sure does have some really nice people.

The Hyundai, or Good Car as we call it, is out of gas and commission for who knows how long. Currently I am driving the Saturn, or Around Town Car, that has no radio or A/C, leaks oil, and the engine has a tendency to over heat. Normally this car is just driven to and from the bus stop. The fact that I bruised the "good" car just figures, I have the worst luck!

"Just Get Me to the Church on Time"

Being a fan of musicals I can't help but smile when I hear the song or tune "Get Me to the Church on Time" from My Fair Lady. Although the song is silly and the man talks of his bride to be in a negative light I can't help but hope there is an underlying feeling of love that he must feel for her and that is why he feels the need, not pressure, to be there when she comes walking down the isle.



June 9, 2007 Brandon and I vowed to commit our lives to one another just as the couple in the song is about to. With daisies in my hair, flip flops on my feet, and excitement in my stomach I vowed: "to love and to serve, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do us part." We have 2 years of marriage that include: an illness filled honeymoon, a water boil advisory anniversary, a puppy, a dog eaten couch and cellphone, lots of chocolate, and the purchase of a new home. 2 years later here we are, still married.

One of my biggest dreams in life is to have a 50th wedding anniversary. They are so rare in our modern world of divorce that I want to be able to say that I've accomplished something great. To be able to say I was married to Brandon for 50 years, if that's not an accomplishment of some sort then what is?! With 2 years behind us we only have 48 to go.

We have spent many nights screaming and arguing. We have spent many hours laughing and smiling. We have spent many days with family and friends. It has been 2 years of personal growth and insight. It has been 2 years of trying to figure out how in the world to live with someone other than family. It has been 2 years of creating our own family and in the end we still love each other.

I'll be honest, the past 2 years have been by the hardest in my life! No amount of marriage advice or counseling could ever have prepared me for what Brandon and I have endured. The long nights of tears, heartache, and pain were not because I have a horrible husband, he is just the greatest, but because I've been a disrespectful wife. Finally after 2 LONG years of my husband screaming, crying, and desperately trying to get me to understand his needs- I get it! I'm excited to say that I now have at least 48 years to show my husband what I've learned in the past 2.

So as my 2 year anniversary has come and gone, here's to 2 years of marriage, growth, learning, love, and most importantly patience.

Here's to my husband Brandon, the greatest man I know!

Rain, Rain GO AWAY!

3 Fun Days in Tahara

Day 2&3

Our second day in Taraha started out much rainier than the first. As we got up to get ready for school we made sure to grab our umbrellas and pull up our pants because we were walking to school. All of the students are required to walk or ride their bike to school, especially once they are in the upper grades, and we were no different. As in Japanese culture, we were required to remove our shoes at the front door and put on school appropriate shoes or indoor shoes. Mine were borrowed and thus were over sized slippers that made walking up and down the stairs quite difficult. Unlike in America, where the student change classroom, the teachers move from class to class not the students. From a teachers standpoint, that makes a MAJOR difference in teaching styles. It doesn't allow you to reference material that may be placed on the wall or even the board. Since we were at the middle school, all the kids were in cute sailor looking uniforms; the girls in skirts and the guys in pants. They all looked like American Navy soldiers about to go off to war. On this particular day they were reciting their show and tell speeches in English; there were some that were quite impressive.

Despite the Japanese/ American differences I couldn't help but notice the similarities with the Chinese classrooms I'd been in. The way the room was set up, their material and workbooks, and even their school supplies. As in China they eat in their classroom at their desks and not in a cafeteria or common room. It was neat to see the kids serving one another and very diligently cleaning their plates and their mess. In Japan it is rude to leave food and be wasteful and you can eat only when everyone has everything; leaving only a 5-10 minute window to scarf what they've put in front of you. Once their speeches were complete the students had fun asking me all sorts of questions like: did I have a boyfriend, did I like Japanese food, and how was I able to come to Japan? They were all very surprised to learn I was married and LOVED the food. It was a fun experience and kept us out of the rain for a couple hours.

After school we had a few options: go back to the apartment and hang out, head out and get and stay wet all day, or break the day up in spurts with time to dry in between. We decided to take time to dry in between because it's not really all that much fun walking around soaking wet all day! We stopped at the Tahara Castle since it was on the way home. We then sloshed into the apartment to dry off and rest before heading out again. Later we walked to the library that was closed for holiday, the park that had a foot of water surrounding it, and then on to the 100 Yen store and the grocery. We came home to dry off and eat dinner and then headed back out that night for some Karaoke with another English teacher, Nathan.

My final day of tourism in Japan Jen and I headed to the local coffee shop to borrow a bike. It didn't cost a thing, we just gave them our name and they gave us a key; I wish people were that trust worthy in America. The bike ride was TOTALLY in my top 3 favorite things about Japan. We rode through the countryside down to Long Beach. The ride was about 45 minutes and gorgeous! I had a hard time keeping my bike straight with all the looking around I was doing. I couldn't get over the unique features of the mountains and the green tea and rice fields. It all looked so beautiful.

Before heading home Jen offered up a detour; since we had already biked about 16km we went ahead and stopped at Takigashira Park, I thought what's another couple km? The park is covered in Cherry Blossom trees that although they are no longer in bloom they were beautiful. The whole park was gorgeous. We hiked about half way up the parks mountain to see the waterfall shrine. Although we were tired, hot, and hungry it was well worth the hike and detour to see the park and shrine.


That night we met up with many of Jen's Japanese friends for a dinner party. The group showered me with gifts, which was very unexpected since Jen had forgotten to warn me, and asked a ton of questions. The food was marvelous and the conversation was fun. They all get together about once a month to practice English and go out for karaoke. It was a great way to end my trip to Japan.


The next morning I got up and packed my things and prepared for the trip back to the US. Jen took me as far as she could and then I was on my own. I had two trains I had to catch with out her and she was more than nervous about leaving me alone. Considering my ability to get lost no matter where I am, I didn't harbor any hard feelings toward her for feeling nervous. I didn't feel nervous at all; I was feeling adventurous and ready to prove that I could do it on my own. I had no problems finding my trains or getting to the airport. It was such a clear day I even got to see Mt. Fuji from the train; something even Jen has never been able to see despite her 4 attempts. The flight home was empty so everyone took their own row of seats to sleep; it was peaceful and relaxing and before I knew it I was running towards Brandon for a much needed hubby hug. It was an opportunity of a life time to travel to Japan and I throughly enjoyed every second of it.

Maybe one day I'll get to go back! :)

My 3 Favorite things in Japan:

3. Odeo Onsen

2. Bike Ride to Long Beach

1. Getting to see and spend an ENTIRE week with Jen!!!

Don't Let the Rain Ruin the Fun

3 days of fun in Tahara, Japan

DAY 1

As the train pulled up to the Tarhara station Tuesday night it poured down rain; it was raining so hard that we opted to take a cab even though it was only a 3 block walk. That night after settling in we debated what the plan of action for the next day was going to be. Jen left the decision solely up to me since I was the one in a foreign country. My choice: brave the rain, have some fun, and get wet. Who knows when I'd ever be in Japan again, I had no intentions of missing a thing!

So Wednesday morning we headed to the peninsula to catch the ferry to Ise. Ise is said to have the most beautiful shrine in all of Japan and although I have only seen a select few it was by far the most beautiful and serene I had seen. Jen and I both agreed that the rain added to the serenity and beauty of the entire park and we both we taken back by the view that surrounded us: the clouds in the mountains, the canopy of trees, the river and bridges, it was all amazing!

After touring the Inner Shrine we headed to the quaint little tourist town for some shopping and lunch. We dined on Ise's famous Udon noodles, found some Mikimoto Pearls for cheap, and I even tried some squid jerky; which I don't recommend. The shops were fun and the atmosphere, despite the rain, was filled with a high energy. We even stumbled across some Taiko drummers.

When it comes to traveling I really enjoy the off the beaten path type activities and am not one who likes to get caught in all the tourist traps. Even though this performance was strictly for the tourists I enjoyed the rich Japanese cultural display of music. They beat their drums in perfect sync, calling out commands over the sound. You could feel the music in your bones, literally. It was breath taking and I reveled in the moment, it was INCREDIBLE!!!

After lunch and shopping we headed back towards the ferry in hopes of squeezing in a tour of the Mikimoto Pearl Museum. It was not originally on our agenda but once we got to Ise and saw the museum we made room in the day. Jen immediately felt horrible at not bringing our parents over to Ise. Mom has been teasing Jen for months about Jen buying her some Mikimoto pearls; all this time Jen was a ferry ride away from their headquarters and never knew it. She had even taken them down to the peninsula but they decided not to take the ferry. To make up for it, we bought mom some pearls. :)

The museum was short and explained how pearls are naturally and unnaturally cultivated and grown. It was quite interesting to learn that the oysters actually undergo what is considered major surgery in hopes of growing a pearl. The insert a seed into the nucleus of the pearl and as long as the pearl can recover from the "evasive surgery" a pearl should form. Can you say GROSS?!

Every hour the famous Japanese Women Divers give an exhibition on their technique of pearl cultivation. These women got out in the freezing cold water in thin white suits and dived with out oxygen tanks. They explained that these women are trained from the age of 8 to be a diver and pearl cultivator; lucky for us we got to sit in a heated room to watch! It was a fun and rainy day!