The Strawberry Crawl

One of our favorite local activities is strawberry picking, or itchigo gari. It's a unique experience for us American because 1) strawberry season is December through May and 2) it's a finger-staining, chin dribbling, all-you-can-eat fest, all done within 30 minutes!

The strawberries however are so sweet and they taste just like a strawberry should, not like the strawberries you get in the grocery stores that are mostly sour or tasteless. We are even given a squirt of sweetened condensed milk in our trays to use as a dipping sauce for our strawberries. I must admit that a little extra sugar doesn't hurt the flavor but the berries don't really need it, they are sweet enough all on their own.

We've gone several times, always aware of how many strawberries can actually be eaten in 30 minutes. We know we never make it past 15 minutes, our trays full of the green, leafy discards, but we try anyway.

Also, the attendents at the green houses are always on the lookout for those of us trying to sneek a few out of the building--no such luck! You have to eat all the strawberries on site, not ever bringing any out with you. Not too bad since you can purchase a small box at the main building. And they make a wicked good strawberry preserve too.

What are YOUR resolutions?

A resolution is "a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner." Typically we make hollow resolutions at the stroke of midnight on January 1st every year then deny them a few weeks later claiming that, well, no one ever keeps a resolution! So I'm going to make my resolution public and in a few weeks time, I'll let you know when I've stopped, okay? And we can turn this into a contest. The person/s who makes the closest correct guess on each resolution wins a special Japanese prize. Okay, here we go:

1. I resolve to cook for my family three times per week, (a real meal, not heating up frozen dinners or eating cheese and crackers).
2. I resolve to work out between my personal training sessions.
3. I resolve to walk with Nancy at least once a week.
4. I resolve to go on a trip outside of Japan once a month, (this is going to be hard to follow).
5. I resolve to go through the closets week by week to clear out all our junk for our move back to the States.
6. I resolve to go out on a date with Doug once a month.
7. I resolve to update this blog at least once per week.

Okay, that should give you all a chance to participate in this contest. Good luck to you all and most of all, good luck to me. BTW: What are YOUR resolutions for 2009:)

Gomenazai!

Dear friends and family,
It has been a while but you knew I was still here. I just had other things on my plate. I hope I can keep your attention so please stay tuned for updates--lots and lots of updates! And photos too! I know how you all like looking at our photos. All is forthcoming.

Meanwhile, I've put together a slide show or two to whet your appetites. Little tid bits from the past starting with our frozen journey to Sapporo for the Yuki Matsuri, or snow festival.

Our trip to the 5th station of Fuji-san

A Good Navy Day!

Doug and I had the honor one afternoon to board the U.S.S. Shiloh for a day cruise into Tokyo Bay. Our day started at 9:30, wandering around the docks trying to find the ship. We finally found the ship wedged between the dock and the U.S.S. John S. McCain. The day was slow to start as it seemed we did nothing but wait: wait for all the guests to arrive, wait for the commencement of the tour as everyone had something to say, wait for the word for the tug boats to pull us out. But once we got going, it was Fair Winds and Smooth Seas! Thank goodness too. All week, the weather was cold, windy and rainy. I had my reservations about going out and had even anticipated sea sickness by taking half a tablet of benadryl just before pushing off.

I appreciated the Ward family's hospitality by letting us tag along for their tour. LTjg Paul Ward took us along with his wife and several children, grandchildren and a few of their Japanese friends through the bowels of the ship including the command center, bunks, mess and engineering to include a fire drill demonstration. Our cruise included a fantastic lunch featuring homemade hotdog buns, some phillipino dishes, (yum!) and of course, really huge hamburgers.

What a wonderful adventure we had. Thank you to the crew of the U.S.S. Shiloh for a really nice navy day!