Driving, Skype, Our New Car (well... new to us) and Yoga

We got a car and our drivers licenses!

We went to 'right start' which is a program designed to teach you all about the base and to get your records all set up. It started at 6:30am on Wednesday. We refused to let Jane wake up that early to drive us there so we chose to walk. It sure was hot for 6:30am but we made it in about 20 minutes, only a little sweaty. I knew George walked fast but fear of being late sure did light a fire underneath his butt. I was a good 2 strides behind him almost the whole walk, and I felt like a small child following her much bigger dad. Funny, because it's true. :)

I was the only spouse who came and probably a third of the information did not pertain to me personally but it was all informative and mostly entertaining. They really do offer a ton to do here on the base and it seems like it will be one heck of an adventure! I may try to go to the yoga class they offer here on base at 6:15 tonight! Oh, this base is weird in that they list most events and times in regular 12 hour time, instead of 24 hour military time. It really confuses me instead of simplifying things. Which I realize is pretty weird.

It was raining by the time our class got out around 3pm. So Jane came and got us. We had a relaxing evening at home. I took a nap from about 3:30-5:30 and I really needed it and I slept so soundly. Loved it! George and I were on our own for dinner and we ordered delivery from a place on base. I got fried chicken and steamed rice and George got a calzone. We got caught up on the American TV we've been missing. I finally saw the season finale to Desperate Housewives and we watched several episodes of Community and The Office. I'm disappointed I haven't been able to see American Idol but am keeping up with it by research of the contestants. (Though I don't know who got voted off this week).

We stayed up until 11 chatting with Lauren on Skype! I just think Skype and video chatting is the best way to keep in contact! We talked for about 40 minutes and it was nice to pretend we were back in the same house where we all lived together in Arkansas even though I'm in Japan and she is in Texas. We went to sleep and when we woke up to head to day 2 of Right Start Kyle Skyped us! So we had been to sleep and we were waking up and they had been up all day and were getting ready for bed. It still amuses me that we live on the other side of the world!

We got to day 2 of Right Start and sat through several hours of videos and power points about driving on the other side of the road. We finally made it to the test which was only written. George didn't miss any and finished in half the time I did and when I turned it in I missed one. But only one, and I don't even know which one- so I'll probably get a ticket for mystery question I didn't understand and got wrong here in the next week or so. :) (Way to be optimistic, huh?)

After we finished our test we had lunch at the BX, I had Subway and George had Popeyes (the fast food here in phenomenal). After lunch we met up with the lady who we bought the car from because she had to come to the insurance office and the tag office with us. We got all of that done in a little over an hour, and then... we could drive our new car!!! The lady we got it from has 3 kids so there were sticker remnants, sticky seat belts and random small toys strewn about but she helped us get most of that out. It's still going to need a good can of Lysol wipes and some 409 but then it will be fabulous!

George drove first, half way through base, we had to stop at the runway because of a landing plane (the road goes right across the runway!) and then after we finished up stuff at the insurance place I drove the rest of the way home. It really is such a weird feeling! Having to remember to go to the right side of the car, reaching over your right shoulder for the seat belt instead of the left, knowing that the shifter is on the left instead of the right, the blinker is on the right instead of the left... AHHH! SO confusing! I guess it will take some time to get used to, but I was really excited to drive! I didn't crash, but I didn't park in the lines very well. But no big deal. I was in the lines. That's all that matters.

If George had a blog he would possibly tell the story this way:

“One of the things we learned in the class is to not go over the tire shredders at the gates at an angle. Well... Chelsea... God love her... decided to change lanes just before these tire shredders and almost popped all four of our tires on our new car on her first day of driving.”

It's a good thing George doesn't have a blog. :)

Pictures of our car!











Another cool thing that happened this afternoon was that I was contacted by the Girl Scouts on base to ask if I'd be interested in getting involved. It'd be all volunteer work but it sounded really interesting. I could help with the summer camp they offer for all of the girls from 5 or 6 bases that all come to Yokota for a week long summer camp and then be a troop leader or assistant leader in the fall. I think that would be an awesome way to spend my time. We'll see how that goes!

Oh! So... I went to my first yoga class here on base. It was a bit of a let down but I'll give it a try again another day.... here is a short synopsis of the class. Please remember that I was doing yoga pretty regularly in Little Rock and I really enjoyed it, and I was pretty good at it too! But tonight... I was treated like it was my very first yoga class. I was a little bummed, but will try again.
The class was scheduled to start at 6:15pm. I got there around 6:05pm and everyone was in relaxation. The instructor asked me if this was my first time at yoga and I told him no, but it was my first time at this class. After this weird relaxation warm up we did 5 sun salutations at a pretty quick pace. On salutation 3, he came to me and told me that I was working myself too hard and that I needed to go to child's pose for a full 2 minutes and then rejoin the class. We did triangle pose and I had my hand on my ankle and he told me that I wasn't ready to do that and made me put my hand on my calf. I was SO frustrated with him! Then at the end we were laying on our backs with our feet in the air about to go into plow (I think that's what it's called... where you feet go behind your head) and he walked over to me again and told me to leave my feet in the air for the remainder of the poses. I was SO mad! We also ended the class with a 3 minute long "OOOOOhhhhhmmmmm" Over and over and over again. I guess I'm just used to doing it with Katie and Lauren and it was a little different, not bad per se, but different and I'll try it again and see how it goes.

We still love Japan and now that we have a car and get off base a little easier, we are going to spend the weekend exploring! Oh, and leave me some more comments, because I like them and it makes me feel like people enjoy my blog. Show me some love. Thanks friends. :)

Chelsea