Now It's Here, Now It's Not

Chase's first cut of the year was this week. The nights were still chilly here so I had held off (in past years she was already shaved in March) because she is outside at night.

She was starting to shed and having hairballs so it was time. The first time is always a bit tough for her...but she did great. Only really meowed during the shower.

She is loving it now...I picked up a little cushion for her at the store the other day just to give her something soft to lay on...right now she is curled up on it near the window enjoying the sunny day. Life is hard as a kitty.

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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Mystery Bump

A New Way to Look

I am a list maker, I am an organizational nut, I am a perfectionist....these things sometimes help me to complete tasks that others would never attempt, but these things can also be a hinderance to me at times.

I like to start and finish a project in one sitting...this is not always possible (in fact, it is rarely possible). Sometimes the magnitude of a project and the fact that I don't have a block of time that will allow me to finish it in one sitting, keeps me from ever getting to the project.

I am learning (and it is still very hard for me to do) to break things up...that it is okay for me to not complete it all at once, and that tackling little bits for an allocated amount of time is okay. The feeling of accomplishment is delayed (and we all know that is the reason I even attempt these projects to begin with...haha), but I am starting to get some enjoyment from the incremental accomplishments as well.

There are so many things I want to do in my life and so many seem to be shoved off to the side because in the back of my brain, I know I have all these "have tos" that I am not getting to, hovering there. I would like to be able to do some of the things I want to do and that means getting some of these projects off my plate...little by little if need be.

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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Utterly Ridiculous

Easter Bunny Luncheon

Today, I once again had the opportunity to hang out with some great ladies and share some culture. We had a luncheon with OIWC and I decided that we definitely needed the Easter bunny to make an appearance!!

So I dressed up in an Easter bunny suit and took gobs of pictures with all my Okinawan friends. It was great fun to see all the smiles and excitement. We tried to host a meal that was traditional for Easter dinner and I know that everyone had a good time.

We had a flamenco dance troupe perform (not Eastery but really awesome anyhow). The ladies were beautiful in their dresses and we were all completely impressed by their abilities.

I am going to miss OIWC like crazy when I leave here...it has been a very rewarding experience and I highly recommend it to any of my friends. It has been a great way to get to know the local people and share our cultures.

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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Friends

Konan Highschool, National Champions!!

I was able to catch most of the last game of the highschool national championships for baseball here in Japan. One of Okinawa's highschool, Konan, was in the final game with a team from Tokyo. They were winning in the 5th inning 5-3 but then the other team caught up and it stayed tied until the 12th, when Konan was able to score 5 runs in the top of the inning. Bottom of the 12th, the put the other team out of their misery and the game was over.

What was absolutely amazing was:

1. The pitcher pitched the entire game.

2. After winning, the team ran to the pitcher mound to congratulate each other but then quickly ran to the center of the field to stand across from their competitors, and bow to both them and then the crowd before shaking hands with the other team. Once completely this, they listened to the National Anthem of Japan, and then headed over to the foul line to bow to the crowd that supported them. The celebration was very subdued and mature. No fans on the field, no crying by either team, and long drawn out celebration on the field itself. They quickly interviewed the coach and team captains.

3. In Japan, players go from highschool baseball to the pros if they are selected. They don't have college baseball to pave the way to the pros like we do in the States so it was pretty cool to think that this game might have sealed the deal for a few of these young men to pursue a career doing something they really love at a very young age.

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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Cleaning House