Efficiency vs. proficiency

Yesterday was ice cream day. Not only was it ice cream day...it was BIG DIP DAY! Mmm mmm! On the 20th and 30th of the month the ice cream shop here has 2 scoops for one. You just can't beat it.

Notice the small ham at the front door...

I had the usual ube (purple sweet potato) flavor and something called Okinawa salt cookies. It was sooo good! Lonnie got the ube plus something called Shiiquasa. I don't know what it is but it tastes a lot like lime. It's amazing the things I'll try without really knowing what they are. Let's clarify...I'll try something in the ice cream family without really knowing what it is. If it used to swim and it's still raw...I don't need to taste it. Simple.

Now if there's one thing I've learned since we've been here is that the Japanese are efficient. I mean, they're really more efficient than any American I've come across...except possibly me. But do you know what makes them so efficient? Well, we know that this is the land of the rising sun and everything, right? Well...did you know that this is also the land of the 26 hour day? You think I'm kidding? Take a look...

Need a closer look?

Yep. There are 26 hours in a day here. I don't know if the baristas are downin' a few too many Venti Sumatras or not, but I think somebody oughta tell them that sign is wrong! LOL Efficient with many things, not so proficient with others.

Before someone comments about it I'll go ahead and ruin the fun. Technically, this is supposed to mean that they close at 0200...or 2 AM for all of you non-military folk. It's still funny!

Jenna had a fun time. She looks forward to those Big Dip Days. I told her they named them after Daddy. Hahaha! At least those days are only twice a month. Would you like to deal with this?...

A reasonably respectful ranting

I met a lady online that I've been chatting with and this was in one of her emails:
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Speaking of Obama...my husband knows some pilots who were in the group that ferried him around in Afghanistan and they said he was TERRIBLE to the troops. He got photographed playing basketball at the gym in Bagram I think, but refused to shake hands or take photos with anyone away from the cameras. The way they talked, he seemed openly scornful of them. In contrast, when Laura Bush came to visit she was exceptionally friendly and took photos with anyone who asked and spoke to everyone. My husband has some great pictures with him and the pilots from his company shaking hands with her.
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I think he just used visits like that for photo-ops. As I said...this is not going to be good for the military. It's awfully hard to respect someone that I have no respect for. He's going to have to earn that from me. Fortunately, thanks to the 1st Amendment I have the right express my opinion!

You know what? If Obama and McCain's beliefs had been switched and Obama was Republican, right wing, conservative (or whatever you wish to call it) and McCain was Democrat, left wing, liberal (or whatever you wish to call it) then I would've voted for Obama. Color and race is not the issue. Making history was not important. And certainly no American out there voted solely based on color, race and the chance to be a part of making history and not the issues at hand, did they?

I suppose I must congratulate the American public that got exactly what they wanted. Well done. Just think, if our Presidents were chosen based on merit alone a different man would be in the White House. There's nothing that can be done about it now unless Florida has something to say like the last time. :) So, I'll just be sitting here watching and listening for the next 4 years. In between doing that I'll be praying for God to bless America because we are surely going to need it now.

And, lastly, as I said on Facebook -

I would like to thank each and every one of the Obama supporters that are now standing in line to join the military.

Well...that shouldn't take very long.

An election foreshadowing?

A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left.

Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NASV)

Hmm...

Did my vote make a difference?

A few minutes ago I asked myself, "Did my vote make a difference?" The answer? Apparently not. I'm telling you if people have never prayed for this country, now's a good time to start. Now, I'm not one to mention names or convey my political views but being the conservative, right wing Republican that I am I don't know what's going to happen once Obama is at the helm. I feel that McCain & Palin would've been the better choice. Why am I telling you this? Because my goal is to exercise three times a week. I didn't get to run this morning so I decided that today I'm going to exercise my right to freedom of speech according to the First Amendment.

Reservations are still being accepted at The Bunker. You will be accommodated based on the availability of the twin futon in the play room and the sleeper sofa in the living room. If the need arises Jenna can sleep on a mattress on our floor. That will open up a double bed. Keep in mind before you get here that these are, in fact, Space-A reservations that you will be making meaning that you will have a place to stay when space is "available". There is a half bath downstairs and only one shower and the tiniest of sinks in the main bath; however, we do have a second shower located in the backyard which is partially obstructed from the neighbors' view by a Chinese Banyan tree. It's only a garden hose but it does have a massaging sprayer. We do what we can with what we have here.

Upon your initial inquiry you will be placed into one of five categories based on whether or not you are family, friend or U.S citizen seeking political asylum. Please take the time to check all paperwork before planning your stay at The Bunker. If there is something out of order then you may have to sleep under the aforementioned Banyan tree with the geckos, the shrews and the occasional Habu.

Another option for you could be Canada. There's a really nice old lady that runs the place. I hear that dual citizenship isn't that hard to come by. See, that works when you want to leave the country until a Republican is elected back into office. Look at the bright side...make a move to Canada for 4 years. It's close to Alaska. You could just drop in on Todd & Sarah. I hear you can see Russia from their house!

The great critter caper

Last week I cleaned out the storage area. Area. Have you ever really thought about what that word encompasses? I mean does there have to be a certain amount of space before you can say that length x width = area? Because if you do you can't call what we have a storage "area". We are in the market for a Rubbermaid storage shed. Those appear to be fairly popular here. At least they're a safer projectile in tropical cyclone winds than their counterparts.

Our storage "place"...that's what we'll call it...barely has enough room for our two bikes, lawn mower and folded bike trailer for Jenna. In the corner we can fit our lawn chairs and some tools. Not much else to is going to fit in there except perhaps...two geckos and their baby. Yes, it was to be an eventful afternoon. Fortunately, no one was watching. At least Ashton Kutcher didn't pop out from behind our Chinese Banyan tree saying that I'd been "Punk'd". For those of you that don't know he's the modern Allen Funt of "Candid Camera".

Honestly, things were going well right up until the time I put my hand on the doorknob to open the door to go in. It was all downhill after that. I pulled out the gas can and was rearranging the lawn mower when a gecko ran out from under it. I was barely standing there on the step. He startled me so badly I leaned back and was teetering on the step trying to keep my balance. I didn't. I fell backwards and knocked over the gas can which promptly started leaking gas all over the lawn. At least I didn't fall down. I managed to grab the door and made the decision to go back in and confront my fears when from out of nowhere this same gigantic gecko (he was 2 times larger this time) comes running out and parks himself on the handlebars of the bike I was moving...and looks at me. He just stares at me! He ran off but, don't forget about him. He comes back at the end of the story. Next I see his friend up on the wall and she's just staring at me too! After all of the staring I decided it was time to hack off some limbs on the Chinese Banyan. Two of the limbs were so large I had to use a saw. When I went to go get that saw (that's kept in a cover in a bucket in the storage place) a baby gecko came running out of the cover onto the handle of the saw. They're everywhere! There were two more on the porch when I moved the chairs. I'm going to have to remember to shake things before I sit.

Finally, I decided since I had the perfect camera and you must remember what that is (the one you have with you) I was going to take a picture of the cause of my frustration. I went back into the storage place and again, that same gecko (only 5 times larger than the last time) was on the ceiling. Those little guys are like the man in the Super Glue commercial with the hard hat. With their little suctioned feet they can hold on to any surface. I tried several times to get a good picture of him and then...he fell. He fell straight from the ceiling onto the floor. The whole encounter was pretty funny. I'm not afraid of them. I just don't like things that move so fast. It makes me scream every time I see them...which reminds me of another commerial...

Sunglasses = $32
Lawn Chair = $17
Glass of iced tea = $1
Relaxing and witnessing Deanna react to a family of harmless geckos = priceless!