Samurai Surge

George has got to do some really cool things since we arrived in Japan SIX months ago. Can you believe that we've been here almost 6 months (We're about a week shy)?! It has truly flown by. We've done absolutely nothing, but we've done so much. I guess I mean we have so much more we still want to do so it's pretty scary to think how quickly 6 months went by.

It's pretty interesting that I already have "the itch" to move again! We moved 4 times in 22 months and it blows my mind that I get to live somewhere for an entire 3 years; it feels as if it'll be an eternity. However, we can all judge by how quickly 6 months went by that 3 years will not do the same... soon it'll be time to say sayonara para Japan. Yes, I did just use English, Japanese and Spanish in one sentence? AKA, I'm tri-lingual; AKA, I'm awesome. :)

Okay, so... back to George getting to do awesome things. This past week his squadron did what they called a "Samurai Surge" where they sent 7 C-130's into the air as an exercise to see how many airplanes could be launched at one time on short notice... 7 made it, out of 9 that were here on station, and George got to co-pilot one of them. A group of us spouses showed up to take pictures and show our support. It was really neat to see them all take off, land, drop things from their planes and such. It sounds silly but I can't help but feel proud to see little acts like that. I am proud of our country and proud of George and all the other guys/gals that support it.

Here are some pictures of the event! (George is flying the 5th plane in line!)









This is an update... I forgot to mention that there was a competition between George's plane and the six others to see who could drop their thing with the parachute on it(I have no idea of the actual correct term) the closest to the target, and George's crew won! Go George! :)

Happy Halloween!

Hope this post finds you in Happy Halloween spirits! (Pun intended). And I hope you like our new page! I took a computer course this semester and learned a little bit... I am just pleased I have been able to apply it to a situation in which I'll really use it. That's always a nice thing! :)

This weekend we stuck around the base and I've done a ton of studying for finals which are this coming week. Boooooo! The weekend wasn't all work and no play though, I assure you we celebrate Halloween!

There was a Typhoon headed our way and there was the potential to have to evacuate all of the planes from the base so George was basically "on call" (not that he's a doctor) to leave at moment's notice and take the planes elsewhere... but luckily we only saw some light rain. It was pretty steady rain, raining most of Friday, Saturday and Sunday but nothing serious.

George and I borrowed costumes from my sister and her boyfriend this year for Halloween... well, the dress my sister gave me was huge on me! (It was huge on her when she wore it too, to be fair!) So somehow I convinced George to switch costumes with me! It took quite a bit of convincing, but he reluctantly agreed! We went to party #1 which was hosted by Adam and Melissa... it was mostly people from George's squadron; it was a lot of fun to see everyone dressed up and the decorations at the party were amazing! I've had some vertigo problems in the past and during the party experienced some serious dizziness and headaches, hot flashes and just overall yucky feelings so we left a little earlier than we planned but we had a great time while we were there!

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The next night we went to a party our neighbors Kyle and Julie threw at their place... they had a new baby a few weeks ago so I had a good time snuggling baby Connor... he is SO precious and even had me thinking for a minute that I can't wait to have kids (don't worry, it was only for a minute!) :) Since I couldn't convince George to dress up as a woman again (I still can't believe I talked him into the first night) we pulled an old "Beer" costume out of the hat and I ended up dressing as a dog... in which I wore all black, safety-pinned a "tail" to me, drew a black nose on, and wore Cheyenne's collar and leash... it worked! It was just fine! We usually get pretty into Halloween but we both had a lot going on this month and didn't pull anything great together!




Sunday night (tonight) I made dinner for George and 4 of his single friends; it was nice to cook for a big group. And we passed out candy to the trick-or-treaters, which is always a good time! We spent the day studying and cleaning the house... and this week will be finals for me, work for George and then hopefully will do something very Japanese this weekend because I haven't had a good Japanese experience in a long time, which is really stupid because hello... we live in Japan!

Happy Halloween!

Chelsea

California

What a weekend. Last Friday I took a very quick adventure to California to attend my brother’s wedding. No, not my little brother, but my “new” big brother. It’s a very long story as to how he is a “new” brother so let’s see if I can give you a very quick summary.

My dad was married and had two children, it didn’t work out… he married my mom and had me and my other 2 siblings. We never had any contact with our other siblings. Very sadly, my sister Heather passed away several years ago, before I ever had the opportunity to meet her… but September of last year my brother, Joe, contacted us! Thank God for Myspace. Since then we arranged a visit and got to know him and his fiancée (who came along for the trip) and it’s been wonderful getting to know him. It’s something I’ve always wanted and it’s so nice to have something on my list of things to do before I die checked off. :)

Ok. So. My parents and brother and sister all flew to California for his wedding! I left here on Friday at 4:00pm and arrived in LA on Friday at 9:30am. Try to wrap your head around that time change. I arrived before I left and the confusion of it all proves that time traveling is rather difficult. Once at LAX I had to go through customs and security, get my bags and go back through security before I could board my flight to San Francisco. This took 2.5 hours. I couldn’t believe how difficult it was! AND THERE WAS NO BATHROOM anywhere from the time I exited the plane to the time I had re-checked my luggage. I couldn’t believe it. On a funnier note… There was a drug dog who kept sniffing a Japanese woman standing near me because she had an apple in her bag. When he would find it he would get a treat. I think that dog knew he would get a treat, even if finding the same lady. OR that lady had drugs in her bag that the guard didn’t find because he kept assuming it was the apple. Either way, that dog got several treats.

So I made it through security and found an American Starbucks and splurged for a Venti Pumpkin Spiced Latte. (AKA HEAVEN). Luckily my flight was delayed because I really needed that coffee. I made it to SFO and found my family, who had to wait for me because of my delayed flight (did I mention that I was doing all of this traveling with no cell phone or computer? Risky… huh) We drove down the coast to Santa Cruz, got checked into our hotel, planned to have dinner with brother Joe and went to the restaurant to meet him. We wound up at the wrong location but got to see some high school drama students dressed as zombies performing “Thriller” on the sidewalk, so I considered the restaurant mix-up ‘a win’ on our part. We made it to the restaurant, ate, met some of Joe’s childhood friends and family and had a great time. I was so exhausted and jet-lagged, (up for about 36 hours at that point… I think… the jet-lagged impaired my math skills even more than they’re normally hindered)… I fell right asleep when we got back to the hotel and slept through the night.
The next day was the day of the wedding! We got up early and went to the venue to help set up. We folded napkins, set the tables, helped with the centerpieces etc. They had some really neat ideas… check out the pictures.

All of us on the first night!



The ceremony was wonderful. Carissa, the bride was SO beautiful. She wore a dress that I believe belonged originally to her grandmother, and she looked amazing. My brother Joe was just as handsome as could be. The ceremony was picturesque, taking place under a pretty tree, and the aisle was lined with funky pumpkins and beautiful flower petals. Check it out.

The beautiful aisle!



Congratulations Joe and Carissa!


The reception was fun too… there was a great slide show, showcasing their childhood pictures, that made me cry… it was so neat to see pictures of Joe and Heather (my other sister). She was so beautiful. They served soup, had cake, some dancing and a bouquet toss (Alison caught it, making it bouquet #25 she’s caught… okay… I made that number up.) Any who, it was a great wedding, and it was really awesome to be there celebrating Joe’s marriage. They’re a great couple and I know they’ll be very happy!

All of us wedding guests from GA (and Japan)


The cool centerpieces.


We walked around the Santa Cruz boardwalk, saw a ton of sea lions and had dinner (more pizza) and hung out. It was fun to see my family! I hate living so far away from them; I really do love them so much! I wish they could all move to Japan!

The next day we drove back up the coast, had breakfast, took some really awesome pictures at a giant rock on the beach with the prettiest view, and the stinkiest stench (which we couldn’t decide if it was coming to the dead washed up sea lion or just from the stagnant water in the cove)… but it was neat. My parents were flying out that day so we parted ways with them, and drove to San Francisco. We checked into our hotel near Fisherman’s Wharf, had lunch at an In-and-Out burger, drove up to the Golden Gate Bridge (it was rainy), found a shopping district and got in some good retail therapy, watched the Giants lose to the Phillies (Boooo… Phillies suck!) And then took my brother back to the hotel so he could catch the shuttle to catch his flight back to GA.










That night my sister, her boyfriend and I went to an Irish pub to have a snack and a drink or two. There was a little bit of Karaoke going on… and I maybe(slash- did) sing a song or two. The first one went pretty well, I even got quite a bit of applause from the audience but then the DJ put on Taylor Swift’s, You Belong With Me… which I cannot sing because the key is so high… I got way less applause on the second song… but who am I kidding? I only pretend like I can actually sing anyway!
We headed home and passed one more Irish pub on the way back to the hotel where an amazing girl was singing “Stand by me” and I insisted we go in and listen. We met a group of ladies from Ireland who had come in to swim a mile in the SFO Bay for a charity. They were really entertaining and we had fun dancing!
The next day we drove back to the Golden Gate Bridge to take some additional pictures; these turned out much better because the weather was beautiful! Then we drove up to Sonoma to do a little wine tasting. California really is the prettiest state I’ve ever visited. They get the giant trees, the rolling hills, and a beautiful rocky coast; it truly is breathtaking. I think the view Californian’s experience makes up for the fact they’ll likely fall into the ocean someday and disappear. But hey, I’m in Japan and our Earthquakes are possibly equally as dangerous… so who am I to judge?






The wine was fabulous, it was fun to try new types of wine, and the experience did confirm I am a white wine drinker; the sweeter the better, I say! I napped on the way back to San-Fran so was refreshed for more wine in the hotel lobby and then dinner at an awesome Prime-Rib place. I haven’t had a good steak since I’ve lived here so it was a treat to eat such good food while in the states! I miss American food more than anything. I miss Chick-fil-a, Cherry Coke Zero, potatoes, pizza, curly fries, milkshakes, giant salads, Marble Slab… OMG the list could go on and on. Don’t get me wrong, Japanese food is good… but there’s nothing like the option to choose from any American restaurant I want. I hope you all savor the American food you’ll eat for dinner tonight, and think of me as you do! :)




Okay. So. We had dinner, then went back to the hotel for bed, and I had to be up to catch the shuttle to the airport at 7:30 the next morning, for a 9:40 flight to LAX. The shuttle stopped at 6, yes, SIX other hotels to pick up people and I checked in for my flight at 9:13am. I was SO panicked. I would have missed my flight had it not been for the incredibly kind elderly gentlemen in front of me in the priority security line. No, I did not have a priority ticket but thought I’d try it anyways since I was running so late and the security line was seriously the longest I’ve ever seen at any airport; I’m sure I would’ve waited for at half an hour, and since the flight was already boarding when I checked in, there was no time to spare!!! Oh. The kind elderly gentleman. When the ticket-checking-lady asked me if we were traveling together, I said no, and he said yes so I could get through the line cause I told her my flight was already boarding. Whew! I made it back to Japan a full 24 hours after I woke up for that original flight, a whole day and a half after I woke up. (And I say again, time travel is difficult…. I don’t envy Doc Brown).

I came home to a very happy-to-see-me-Cheyenne and a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a “welcome home” card from George. He’s so wonderful. It made leaving my family a little bit easier, which always bums me out for at least a little while. I caught a cold while in the states and am still fighting that, doing homework, and getting over the jet-lag. I think the 5 day trip was the perfect amount of time. I hope your weekends were less exhausting but equally exciting to mine. It was great to see family and good ole America. Love you guys.

Chelsea

Being Thankful

I realize it’s the end of September and not quite November, but shouldn’t we count our blessings and be thankful year round and not just when celebrating Thanksgiving? I must be honest in telling you that I am selfishly writing this blog to remind myself of all of the things I have to be thankful for. It’s been rainy for the past several days here and since we do not have a yard I have to take Cheyenne outside in the rain to “go potty.” It’s made me very bitter and I’m having problems understanding why it is that we were not given a home with a yard. We’ve been here for four months. I’ve been bitter about this for four months. Winter is quickly approaching and I’m going to be taking Cheyenne outside 3-4 times a day in the cold. This is why I need to remind myself to be thankful!!!

At least we are all living together. Sometimes all of the ‘garden units’ (that allow pets) are filled when people arrive here at the base and have to leave their dogs in the kennel for months, if they even get to bring them. I should be thankful I have Cheyenne here with me at all!!!

It gives me an opportunity to say hello to my neighbors. At least once a day while walking Cheyenne I see a neighbor in the parking lot or headed in or out of their house; even if it’s just a quick hello or a wave, I still get to see our neighbors, and that’s a good thing to keep in touch with them.

We are both getting exercise. Cheyenne has gained about 4 pounds in the time we’ve been here. It’s not a big deal but we used to let her into the backyard and she would run laps and give herself plenty of exercise! She loved it. I try to walk her around the block at least a few times a week, and sometimes we go for a run, because I know she needs it! It’s good for both of us!!!

Cheyenne gets to meet the other dogs in the neighborhood on our walks. (This is when she regresses on her newfound leash training)
Cheyenne is finally leash trained! She really used to be the most awful dog on a leash. Now that she walks on one frequently, she is great at it!

We live in such a tiny apartment and there are couples in the same situation as us, with no children, who are in 3 bedroom 2 bathroom homes with yards… and I am jealous and bitter but I seriously need to get over it! This is where we are living for the next 3-4 years and I need to deal with it!!!

I do like the kitchen. It’s ugly and I hate the stainless steel countertops but there is a very deep double sided kitchen sink that I do like. And the water is super hot! Plus, there is enough storage in the kitchen, and it was logically built (for the most part).

We have full sized appliances. While our fridge is not wonderful and the clothes that come out of my dryer sometimes do not smell like they should; they are American sized! If we lived off base we’d be lucky to have a refrigerator larger than the mini-fridge I had in college, and we probably wouldn’t have a washer and a dryer in our house!

We have new carpet! It’s a nice color and is relatively soft. It does shed some and because of that my vacuum cleaner broke (minus the fact that I fell on it that one time… ) but… at least our floors are not tile throughout like our houses in Enid and Corpus Christi!!!
We have a good view from our balcony. We are pretty sure in a few weeks when the trees really begin to lose their leaves we will be able to see the mountains and that will make for a beautiful winter. (IF there is such a thing.)
There are thermostats that control each individual room, so we can keep the bedroom cooler than the living room if we choose and the kitchen cool when I’m cooking. That really is nice.

+PLUS+

I am living with my husband, whom I love more than anything, in a foreign country and we are exploring and having a wonderful time. AND Cheyenne is here with us! And that should be reason enough to be thankful. If we were living in a cardboard box in Detroit (ehhh… let’s make it the Gulf Coast) we’d be happy because at least we’d be together. Right, George?

What all are you thankful for? I love hearing from all of you!

Chelsea

My First Birthday in Japan

My birthday was this weekend. It was wonderful. Every time I sit down to blog I always think “I need to blog about teaching English in Japan!” BUT… it hasn’t happened and isn’t going to happen today. Except to tell you that I have a new student whom I meet with once a week. She rides the train about 1.5 hours, I pick her up, sign her onto the base, bring her to my apartment and we chat. She is very fascinating and I feel so lucky to have her as my student. The reason I am telling you all of this now is because she invited me and my two friends Adam and Cari to the pub she owns for my birthday!

Long story short I felt like royalty! The patrons of her pub were so colorful and I really enjoyed meeting all of them. We were served the best food I’ve had to date in Japan… sashimi, chicken yakitori, shrimp tempura, pumpkin tempura, potatoes, yakisoba, edamame, fruit, wine and beer. It truly was a feast! We sang karaoke and did a little dancing, a lot of talking with the locals and she even arranged for us to have a ride home so we wouldn’t have to take the train back! She even sent us home with Tiramasu desserts. It was one of the best birthdays, and as I said before, I am so lucky to have her as my student! 

On Saturday I had some friends over to my place. I ordered a few pizzas and made a salad and cookies. My friend Kate even made me a homemade chocolate coffee cinnamon cake which truly tasted heavenly! I’m a huge chocolate addict so it hit the spot but wasn’t too sweet so the non-chocolate lovers of the bunch enjoyed it as well! Thanks again Kate! :)

After everyone left my place I headed over to a party that some of the people from the squadron were having. It’s to honor the guys and gals who are going to miss the holiday’s due to a deployment. It’s called an all-holiday party and you are supposed to wear Halloween costumes, eat Thanksgiving themed food, there’s a Christmas gift exchange and at midnight there’s a countdown with a champagne toast and everyone shouts “Happy New Year!” I think it’s a brilliant idea! I made it to the party about 10 ‘til midnight and participated in the “Happy New Year!” It was a lot of fun to see everyone dressed up and see some of the gifts that were exchanged. What a hoot.
Overall it was a really wonderful birthday! For those of you who don’t know my mom owns a ‘party rental business’. She has moonwalks, cotton candy, popcorn and snow-cone machines, giant slides, karaoke machines, margarita machines, balloon rooms, dunk tanks etc. (So if you’re in the Atlanta area and need any of these services contact me, I’m happy to put you in contact with her!!!) The point to this is: imagine how fabulous all of my birthday parties were while I was growing up! My parents never skimped on throwing the best parties for all three of us kids. My birthday always felt like a big deal. Now that I’m older and really don’t have anything to look forward to birthday wise (except my car insurance rates going down), except for a day to celebrate with friends and family (pending we’re on the same continent). But you know what? That’s all that it’s about! I am so thankful to have made so many good friends who came over to celebrate with me this weekend! I’m so fortunate! And I had a wonderful birthday, and I’m looking forward to the next 2 (maybe 3) in Japan!  Thanks to everyone who made me feel so special!

I'll get pictures up soon!

Chelsea

Playing blog catch-up: Tonsillectomy

So I can get you caught up on how my surgery went... I'll just copy and paste you the e-mail I sent out to my parents and siblings, updating them on my surgery.

Here you go. Please note that I may have been on prescription medication. So, here are my apologies in advance if the context is a bit 'loopy'. :)

Hi Family,
Just wanted to give you guys the quick story on having my tonsils removed! I'll probably blog about it too but am bored right now and thought I'd shoot you all an e-mail... even though I know your computers aren't working really well. We got to the hospital on time and they set me up in my own bed. They made me change out of all of my clothes and put on a gown that didn't tie in the back. My appointment was at 8am and couldn't eat or drink anything from midnight the night before. They decided to put an IV in me and start me on fluids. The nurse stuck me in my left wrist but my vein ruptured (her words, not mine). So she tried my right wrist, and that vein ruptured too. Then she called over another nurse and he stuck me a third time, on the top of my right hand. This vein also ruptured. OUCH! This is 3 very painful sticks and by now I am crying. Of course. So then another male nurse came in and said he was going to do it. He found a vein about 6 inches up my right arm and stuck it. Thankfully this one worked!!! It hurt really bad. They all kept apologizing though, and told me thanks for challenging them so early in the morning.

They made me take off all of my jewelry and took the nail polish off of my big toes. I know they explained to me why they did this but I don't remember why. Anyway, I finally had to use the restroom so they draped another gown around the back of me and helped me walk to the bathroom. I took the draped thing off of me and laid it across the sink but the water automatically turned on and soaked it. oops.

The results came back negative for babies (HOORAY) so then they started me on anesthesia. I gave George a kiss and then started giggling. Everyone in the room (about 8 doctors, nurses and anesthesiologists) said they like when people giggle because that means I'm happy. And they all laughed back at me. And that's the last thing I remember. When I woke up I really felt like I hadn't fallen asleep and kept asking when it was time for me to go back to my surgery, even though it was over. I also apparently insisted George take my picture and was upset when he said Cheyenne couldn't be in the picture with me. (These pictures are on facebook).

Because of the shape of my chin and face, and throat for that matter, they had to intubate me at some point during the surgery cause I wouldn't breathe on my own but they gave me oxygen and I'm fine. The doctor explained to me afterwards that my throat is going to hurt worse than normal because they had to do that. He also said that my tonsils had a ton of scar tissue on them as well as lots of puffy white dots, like if I was really sick. Even though I wasn't sick at all before the surgery. That means my tonsils really were in very bad shape!

Yesterday when I got home I felt pretty good. I had a sore throat but it really didn't hurt any worse than when I'm sick with tonsillitis or strep. I am on an antibiotic and percocet. Before I agreed to the surgery I made the doc promise to give me a nausea medicine. After the surgery he was explaining my meds to me and didn't mention one. He said he didn't want to because it could have a bad effect with the pain meds. I haven't had a problem feeling sick from it though so I guess it's okay! I take the pain stuff (it's liquid!) every 4 hours and that has kept me pretty comfortable.

I did wake up with a choking feeling yesterday afternoon and coughed a little more than I was supposed to. I'm supposed to sleep sitting up for the first 48 hours after surgery, which has had a very bad effect on my neck, and my ribs really hurt too (I have no idea why). I've been eating applesauce, yogurt, pudding, popsicles, chicken broth and lots of water. I'm very happy that I can eat! Even though today really does not feel good I was prepared to feel worse! I am constantly hungry but am taking that as a good sign that at least I can and want to eat and drink. I was very afraid I'd feel too nauseas to eat or drink and would make myself sicker.

Anyway... that's the update. I love you guys so much and miss you and I'm already bored out of my mind for being in bed for 2 days. Maybe I'll move to the couch tomorrow...? And since I can't talk on the phone really I thought I'd give an e-mail update. You can call and check on me anytime. I will try to talk to the best of my ability, but only briefly!

I LOVE YOU guys!

Love,

Chelsea

P.S. I've been using my yellow baby-blanket. It makes me feel better. :)





So... that's the e-mail sent to the family! That was written on day 2 after the surgery. Day 3 was alright, but day 4 and 5 were miserable. I felt so horrible! I can't explain how much pain I was in. I was just so uncomfortable. My whole body ached and I just felt sick! Days 6 and 7 were better than 4 and 5 and I felt like I was 'on the mend'. BUT day 8 and 9 were the worst of them all. I was sure I was going to die. My ears hurt SO bad. The doc had warned me that I would think my ears were infected and I sure did! But because he had warned me of this I knew that they weren't and was able to get through it. It truly was an awful process. I am glad I only have one set of tonsils and I won't have to get them out again! I wish to never relive that!!! Whew! I am looking forward to the positive effects of not being sick all the time! I had strep, ear infections and tonsillitis frequently (like, every 2-3 months, if not more) and I hope those will subside! I haven't been sick yet! Although it's only been about 4 weeks, I've been feeling well... with the exception of my throat hurting when I yawn. My sneezes are also different!!! I used to have tiny sneezes and was complemented on 'how cute' my sneezes were. But now... they're big sneezes! They feel completely different and I don't care much for them. Oh well! I hope I get to feeling better for good!!!

Hope you are all in good health!!!

Chelsea

Why you should lock your doors...

Ok. So. I realize it's been a very long while since I've posted... over a month. I've had quite a bit to post about but I just haven't gotten around to it... despite George's daily "When are you going to update your blog?!"

I left you all with a cliffhanger on how my surgery would go and how the Friendship Festival went. But since I've had very little inquires on whether or not I survived (I'll assume you've been checking my facebook and realize I've been posting so I'm not dead) I figure you all know I'm alright. I've been very busy with homework. Going back to school full time has been semi-exhausting. I'm also still teaching about 15-20 hours a week, which some would refer to as "part-time". Between those classes, doing laundry, socializing, walking the dog and making the occasional home-cooked meal, I'm staying pretty busy! I can't tell you the admiration I have for mothers who go back to school! I am worn out from my life... I can't imagine doing this with a kid or two or three! They all deserve an award!!!

Today something happened to me that me made feel like I needed to blog about. Mostly for your entertainment. Trust me. This story is one of the best I have to date.

Today I woke up (though I slept in until a ridiculous time), did homework for several hours, went and taught a class, picked up a pie from the commissary to take to dinner at a friend's house, and then went to a 1st birthday party for one of our friends' daughters. This party was a little bit past my house. As I was leaving this party, it was getting dark. I was looking for my house, and then saw some flames.

Flames... as in...fire flames!!! Big ones. Then I thought... "that's an end unit. Oh my gosh... my house is an end unit. Oh my gosh! My house is on fire!!!" I completely panicked. I gunned the gas pedal and drove very quickly into my parking space.

Here are the thoughts going through my head... "Cheyenne! I've got to get to Cheyenne! I wonder whose car that is parked in my neighbors spot... Cheyenne! OMG, I've got to get to my dog! When's the last time we BBQ'ed... maybe the computer caught on fire... did I leave the stove on? Quick! Run up the stairs! My wedding photos are going to be ruined. I wonder whose bike that is? My furniture! Where's the wreath on my door? Oh good, voices! Firemen! The firemen are already at my house!" SO I swing open the door, run inside and then thoughts are... "My carpet is a different color... wait, where's my furniture... and who are these two guys doing karate in my living room. Oh... maybe my house isn't on fire. This isn't my house. And it's not on fire either. Oh my gosh, I'm at the WRONG HOUSE!!!"

So then I say to the guys who are looking at me, because I'm standing in their house... "This isn't my house." To which one of them who is still holding a karate pose says... "Okay." And then I say... "My house isn't on fire." And he responds... "Okay." Then I start repeating how sorry I am and I run out the door, closing it behind me. I run down the stairs, get in my car, drive to my correct home (one apartment entrance down...). I am laughing hysterically at this point. Who else could this possibly happen to?! Only ME! I can't believe I did that. I went to my friend's house and tell them this story (I was having dinner there and was bringing the afore mentioned pie) and they told me I had to blog about it. I am SO horribly embarrassed. I am also SO very thankful that my house wasn't on fire and neither was theirs. (It turns out they had a fire-pit on their balcony that was billowing some pretty big flames, but wasn't "on fire")

In my defense, all of the apartments here look the same. And... all of the cars look the same. (To an extent).

It's semi-common knowledge that some people who live on base do not lock their doors. It's a very safe place to live and it's not always necessary to do so. However... I am a door locker. I was raised this way and I am a firm believer in constant door locking! I am a cautious person! I can't help it! I always hope for the best, but plan for the worst. You just never know when a crazy person will think your house is on fire and come barging in unexpectedly.

I am SO thankful that it was two guys who acted very calmly about a crazy lady barging in (aka... ME) and not a poor mother of 4 whom I could have really startled! I am thankful it wasn't a couple doing something dirty... I'm thankful no one's home was on fire and all of our items are safe. I'm glad Cheyenne didn't suffer from (imaginary) smoke inhalation. I'm thankful that everything is okay! Besides my pride, nothing or no one was injured or hurt and nothing was damaged. But I must tell you... that was a really scary moment. I feel completely crazy. I spoke with my Mom on the phone this evening and she told me it only gets worse with age... while I realize I am still very young, with a birthday coming up this weekend (by the way... did you put my b-day present in the mail?!) I can't help but feel a little old and senile.

Lesson: Lock your doors. There are lots of crazy people out there. What if I was a big scary drunk person who tried to crawl into your bed... at a house that wasn't his in a bed that's not yours?! Just think about it! AND... LOCK YOUR DOORS! :)

Chelsea