Today is my day off, not that I have been doing that much work really, but I did not habe to go to work today. At work I have been just working on renewing my qualifications. I have only worked on the airplanes a few times. It is good to be using my talents again. Today I slept until noon and wen to the exchange to pick up a few supplies and now I am doing laundry. Not too exciting. I am finally getting to know a few people in the command, so I dont feel like such a stranger, still it is not the same as the two times I have been here before. The last few times I was here I had some good friends. This time I am just the new guy. As for my little experiment I cant say that it is working or not, but I feel better. I really wish I knew someone so I could go off base and explore a little.

¶ 10/28/2005 02:23:00 PM //

Rain, rain, go away Come again some other day We want to go outside and play Come again some other day I love the rain. But when it is cold and it rains it makes it hard to get out and do anything. Not that I have a big list of things that I feel like I need to get done, I just wish I had the option. It has been interesting getting here when I did, everyone is so depressed and tired. I think that I am going to make it my goal to spread sunshine and rainbows of happiness to everyone that I run into. I have not been that openly sunny in a while, so maybe indoing so I can bring more outward happiness to my self. I guess we will see how it turns out. Wish me luck.

¶ 10/22/2005 12:02:00 AM //

I understand the need for all of the administrative processes that I have been doing now that I have checked in to VP-40. It helps all the different departments do their jobs as it applies to me and what not. Really I do know that it is a necessary evil, but it was the most boring day of my entire existence. I hope tomorrow will be somewhat more exciting. I was fighting boredom and jet-lag, not a good combo.

¶ 10/20/2005 05:16:00 PM //

I was surprised at the lack of security at the Haneda Airport today. As I checked out of my room and headed to the ticket counter to check in I presented my ticket to get a boarding pass and despite my obvious foreign appearance I was not asked for any picture ID. After I was given my boarding pass I had to go to another counter to check my luggage, there one of my two bags was x-rayed not because I was suspicious but because it was rather heavy 33kg or 71 lbs. I was then given a claim ticket and sent to the metal detectors, that part was fairly lax as well. Shoes on, belt not removed, I did not even have to show my ticket to get through. The flight from Haneda to Misawa (MSJ) was only an hour long. By the time we were at cruising altitude and I was served a cup of water, it seemed that we were starting our descent. I was supposed to be met at the airport by someone from my squadron but it seems that they forgot about me. It was not a big deal, I remembered that the Kitchi Taxi service was allowed on base, so I took a cab to the barracks. P-3 squadrons always stay in the same barracks when they come to Japan. So I got a room and unpacked, this place has not changed at all from the last time I was here three years ago. I then went to the hangar and had the Duty Officer stamp my orders, checking me into the command. I then went to my work center where I found three people that I will be working with. They told me that there was not much happening and to come back at 0600 to start work. On a completely different yet more important subject I am really missing my little family. I miss helping Niko play his computer games and how Penelope likes to say where’s Daddy, then run around the house to look for me, and how Stella and I would spend entire day’s together, breakfast until bed time for the kids then sit by the fireplace and stare at the flames. I was so lucky to have the last forty days off. It was leave days well spent. I Love You Guys!

¶ 10/19/2005 05:34:00 PM //

I am now in Tokyo on my way to Misawa to meet my command. My journey began at 0330 on the 17th, I got ready and had breakfast with Stella. We than got the children up and dressed so we could be out the door at 0515. We drove to the base where I said my goodbyes and got on the Whidbey - SeaTac Shuttle. It departed the base at 0600, we made two stops as we headed south on the island toward the boat. The shuttle made the crossing at 0730 we landed at 0800 and actually made it to the airport by 0845, had it not been by for the HOV lane it would have been more like 0945. I was able to make it through security without incident. Boarding began soon after I made it to the gate. The flight from SeaTac (SEA) to San Francisco (SFO) was pretty short. I had not been to SFO since 1994. It seems that not much has changed. Because I am in the Navy the agent in SEA checked my through with a code that allowed me to bypass international security and ride an employee shuttle from the where we landed to the international terminal. When I got to the gate the airplane was just minutes from boarding. I got on the plane at 1300. I have never flown on a 747-400 before. It is much larger that I had imagined. Once I was settled in I learned that we were going to be delayed. Some maintenance issue. Probably just something simple like an engine change or maybe they had to swap out a wing or two. The ground crew finished up and we took off at 1415 and a short 10 hours we landed in Tokyo international Airport (NRT). Immigration was a breeze; my luggage was on the carrousel after just a few bags came out, and I cleared customs no problem. I found a counter that sold tickets for the shuttle for Haneda. I was surprised how far it was from where we landed, about 100KM. I stayed in the Airport Hotel and in just 20 minutes I check out and head off to Misawa. Wish me LUCK!

¶ 10/19/2005 08:33:00 AM //

It seems that after three and a half years of "SHORE DUTY" I will be returning to a sea going command and my feelings are mixed; I am excited to be getting back to the work that I love, but on the other hand I am going to miss my family so very much!

¶ 10/16/2005 08:25:00 AM //

The last few weeks have been so crazy! To start things off, on the first day of September I took my advancement exam, then checked out of "Training Support Center, Great Lakes, Illinois" It has been one big long vacation ever since. We stayed at home for about four days slowly saying "hope to see you again soon" to every one in Illinois. Although I know that Stella and I will be missed by the family, It is Nikolaki and Penelope that make them weep and feel empty inside now that we are gone. I miss them. It was one of the hardest three years of my life, but I would not have known... So many things! I am getting distracted here. We are talking about September here. So we loaded up the Excursion with all of our belongings that were not already in Washington waiting for us, packed a portable refrigerator, put the kids in their car seats. We then kissed everyone goodbye and we were on our way to SLC Utah. I know that you thought we were going to Washington but we had to make a little pit stop to see my family and lets the kids regain feeling in their little rear ends. The trip to SLC is 1400 miles, we stayed for four days then drove another 1030 miles for a total of just under 2500 miles and EIGHT STATES. While we were in Utah we stopped at my grandmothers house to pick up my 1942 Pontiac that i have been storing at her house for the last eight plus years, since I went to Navy Boot Camp. After a few family parties around the greater Salt Lake area we headed out on Sunday night, September 12th. We were in a little bit of a rush to get to Whidbey Island we had to close on our New House on the 13th. The kids had been pretty good on this trip, all thinks considered, I tried to drive a night a much as I could. But the last leg of this trip the had had enough. I think I was about to pull out my hair, no wait I am Bald... Shaved, anyhow I was close to the edge, but with the remaining luck I had they fell asleep. So I am out of LUCK and my children are sleeping. We are just driving cross country in one week with four days rest, it is dark as a cavern outside and we were in the middle of somewhere Idaho about fifteen miles from Oregon when I heard a high pitched whistle or squeal. Since there is nothing around and interstate highways dont whistle we pulled over to investigate. JUST MY LUCK! That's right I was out of luck. And the trailer had a flat tire. We sat on the side of the road for three hours waiting for the Uhaul repair guy to find us the it took another hour after that to fix the tire. All in all it was just a hicup and we arrived on Whidbey Island as planned on the 13th. But had to wait until the 16th to Close on the house. We all slept in the house on a couple of air mattresses for three days while we waited for our Household goods to be delivered. What a great experience that is to watch as your broken and damaged items get unloaded from a truck by some furniture monkeys. I have heard some pretty horrible stories about military moves. We are missing fifteen boxes, both of my stackable rollaway tool chests are crushed, my futon was destroyed, one of my shelves that was a one piece unit arrived in nine pieces - no it cant be disassembled, my laptop computer wont turn on, one of my home made custom computers never arrived... and the list goes on and on--- get this we had what is considered a sucessful move. What high standards we strive to achieve. so now for the last ten days we have been unpacking, organizing, relaxing - just kidding- no time for rest here. Niko started school a few days after we got into our house, on a Thursday. On Monday he was to start riding the School Bus. We arrived at the stop at 8:30 fifteen minutes before they told us the bus would arrive. School starts at 8:55 and when 9:00 came and went we took him to school on our own. I call the transportation department and they told me a new time and acted like I should have known all along- 8:25. No harm, we make adjustments all the time, Just part of military life. So at the end of the school day, three hours later, I was at home depot picking up some black pipe to convert our electric laundry room in to a Gas Friendly laundry room, Stella and Penelope were going to pick up Nikolaki while I was gone- at 12:30. I got home at 12:45 and Stella and Penelope were standing on the corner and Niko was not there. Stella had told me that the bus was pulling away as she turned the corner. so she was waiting incase it came back. As it turns out school gets out 45 minutes early on mondays and so the bus gets ther earlier, as for Niko they took him back to school and we got him from there. The rest of the week and today we have had no problems with the bus system. Happy Birthday Mom! Your Present arrives tomorrow. On Saturday a shelf in the garage holding 15 gallons of paint mysteriously fell off of the wall and crashed to the floor four gallon cans full of paint exploded and redecorated the floor, the wall, the garage door, the over head and my 1942 Pontiac. What a mess. I was in there when it happened- i was startled. Not even two minutes later i heard some kind of alarm sounding outside. Apon investigation i learned that it was my septic tank FULL warning Alarm. little did we know but we were moments from a POOH disaster like in the movie "Meet the Parents". Luckily i found the manual overide for the pump and was able to advert disaster. Everything is fine now and we are really enjoying the place. it is so beautiful, and quiet.

¶ 10/03/2005 01:00:00 AM //