OMG- Two Days, No Three Days of Travel!

September 28th

It only took me a few minutes after boarding the plane to let the waterworks flow.  While I will miss dearly extended friends and family, it is my oldest daughter who I will miss the most.  She has been with me for more than half my life and we know each other like the freckles on the back of our hands.   She is me and I am her.  We encourage, joke, defend and battle.  Yes, she is a young woman, but she is my baby.

I am not completely in touch with these feelings.  I question if I am a good mom to leave her.  I question if I have done enough to get her ready for our leaving.  I question if we should send for her immediately. No matter the question, Franklin assures me that I have done well and what ever I want to do, he will support.  That always makes me feel better.

Ooo, I did not get to tell you guys about the fight Franklin and I had over dog support vs. car insurance for Quortney.  Naturally the car insurance won.  It was funny when we talked about it later.  That's what I love about us.  We battle like crazy, come to a decision and laugh about it later.  That might be called a good marriage and lasting friendship.  LOL!

After we arrived in Seattle, we rented a car, checked into the hotel and headed to Mt. Rainier.  This place was spectacular.  The forest was so lush and green, the water crystal clear in some areas and yet greenish blue in others.  We had to take pictures constantly and especially with Agreyni, the stuffed bright yellow duck Nyjai's friends gave her.  Franklin and I enjoyed the drive immensely.  We have always liked a good road trip.  Nyjai slept in the back and at each stop informed us that it was cold.  I agree. We just left 80-degree weather, so 54-degrees nipped at our noses and Nyjai’s toes.

Later that evening, we went to the Space Needle for dinner.  It was absolutely amazing.  The view, food and drinks left nothing to the imagination.  If you wanted it, they had it. We did not hold back.  I even had dessert!

I admit, that I cried, as during each thing we did, there was a spot for Quortney.  On the flight, an empty seat next to Franklin, her usual seat in the car, and at dinner next to Nyjai.  I am trying to hold it together, but at times, I just don’t care.

September 29th

Okay, this morning was rough.  My husband took off his listening ears and stored them in his carry on.  I made him put them back on as I gave him a what for.  In the end, he fixed it as usual, but I hate going through it to begin with….uggg!  Then, when we got to our gate, the first thing I saw was a gang of 2-5 year olds jumping up and down.  I wanted to start selling Benadryl or vodka shots.  Somebody somewhere needed to settle all that down. 

10 hours on a plane with at least 75 kids.  I am so glad they had movies and I had music and a good book.  Ya’ll know I did homework too! LOL!

It was hard to sleep though.  I am not sure if it was the excitement or the fact that technically I am supposed to be awake.  Franklin keeps looking back at me (O yeah we aren’t sitting together- part of the morning problem) telling me how much longer we have.  He is so funny. 

He came back earlier to give me a smooch.  I love that man.

We have a lot to do when we hit the ground.  We will see how the rest of the day goes…

September 30th

O Yeah! We are finally here.  Getting off the plane, getting our luggage and catching the shuttle was fairly easy.  I tried with all my might to see this country side on this 3 hour ride from Yokota to Yokosuka.  I haven't slept in so long, everything is a little hazy.

Franklin was so excited.  He started telling us where we were going, where we needed to go, how to get there.  He is as giddy as a kid in a candy store with money to spend.  Money to spend is key...LOL!

We checked into the lodge.  This will be our home until we find a place to live.  I am excited about the hunt for the perfect home.  The base is huge and he keeps trying to tell me what everything is.  I am not going to remember, so I just smile and say, "ooo okay.  Just tell me how to get to the gym in the morning
:-)."  

The shower and toilet are in Japanese.  Nyjai freaked out because she thought she would have to take a cold shower.  Then she realized the water it is 40 degrees Celsius not Fahrenheit.  That was funny.  I could not figure out how to flush the toilet or turn on the water.  Everything is turned around, pull rather than push.

This is going to take some getting use too.  We are up for the challenge.

OMG- Two Days, No Three Days of Travel!

September 28th

It only took me a few minutes after boarding the plane to let the waterworks flow.  While I will miss dearly extended friends and family, it is my oldest daughter who I will miss the most.  She has been with me for more than half my life and we know each other like the freckles on the back of our hands.   She is me and I am her.  We encourage, joke, defend and battle.  Yes, she is a young woman, but she is my baby.

I am not completely in touch with these feelings.  I question if I am a good mom to leave her.  I question if I have done enough to get her ready for our leaving.  I question if we should send for her immediately. No matter the question, Franklin assures me that I have done well and what ever I want to do, he will support.  That always makes me feel better.

Ooo, I did not get to tell you guys about the fight Franklin and I had over dog support vs. car insurance for Quortney.  Naturally the car insurance won.  It was funny when we talked about it later.  That's what I love about us.  We battle like crazy, come to a decision and laugh about it later.  That might be called a good marriage and lasting friendship.  LOL!

After we arrived in Seattle, we rented a car, checked into the hotel and headed to Mt. Rainier.  This place was spectacular.  The forest was so lush and green, the water crystal clear in some areas and yet greenish blue in others.  We had to take pictures constantly and especially with Agreyni, the stuffed bright yellow duck Nyjai's friends gave her.  Franklin and I enjoyed the drive immensely.  We have always liked a good road trip.  Nyjai slept in the back and at each stop informed us that it was cold.  I agree. We just left 80-degree weather, so 54-degrees nipped at our noses and Nyjai’s toes.

Later that evening, we went to the Space Needle for dinner.  It was absolutely amazing.  The view, food and drinks left nothing to the imagination.  If you wanted it, they had it. We did not hold back.  I even had dessert!

I admit, that I cried, as during each thing we did, there was a spot for Quortney.  On the flight, an empty seat next to Franklin, her usual seat in the car, and at dinner next to Nyjai.  I am trying to hold it together, but at times, I just don’t care.

September 29th

Okay, this morning was rough.  My husband took off his listening ears and stored them in his carry on.  I made him put them back on as I gave him a what for.  In the end, he fixed it as usual, but I hate going through it to begin with….uggg!  Then, when we got to our gate, the first thing I saw was a gang of 2-5 year olds jumping up and down.  I wanted to start selling Benadryl or vodka shots.  Somebody somewhere needed to settle all that down. 

10 hours on a plane with at least 75 kids.  I am so glad they had movies and I had music and a good book.  Ya’ll know I did homework too! LOL!

It was hard to sleep though.  I am not sure if it was the excitement or the fact that technically I am supposed to be awake.  Franklin keeps looking back at me (O yeah we aren’t sitting together- part of the morning problem) telling me how much longer we have.  He is so funny. 

He came back earlier to give me a smooch.  I love that man.

We have a lot to do when we hit the ground.  We will see how the rest of the day goes…

September 30th

O Yeah! We are finally here.  Getting off the plane, getting our luggage and catching the shuttle was fairly easy.  I tried with all my might to see this country side on this 3 hour ride from Yokota to Yokosuka.  I haven't slept in so long, everything is a little hazy.

Franklin was so excited.  He started telling us where we were going, where we needed to go, how to get there.  He is as giddy as a kid in a candy store with money to spend.  Money to spend is key...LOL!

We checked into the lodge.  This will be our home until we find a place to live.  I am excited about the hunt for the perfect home.  The base is huge and he keeps trying to tell me what everything is.  I am not going to remember, so I just smile and say, "ooo okay.  Just tell me how to get to the gym in the morning
:-)."  

The shower and toilet are in Japanese.  Nyjai freaked out because she thought she would have to take a cold shower.  Then she realized the water it is 40 degrees Celsius not Fahrenheit.  That was funny.  I could not figure out how to flush the toilet or turn on the water.  Everything is turned around, pull rather than push.

This is going to take some getting use too.  We are up for the challenge.

My Daddy Called!

This was my last weekend at home.  It was hectic to say the least.  We promised each other we were not going to do all this crying and snoting all over each other.  I have done most of my crying in private away from the girls.  Though they try to hide it, they are very emotional like their mommy.  The girls visited their friends and some of their friends stopped by.  My BFF's (MLD) took me to lunch and dinner and chatted my ears off.  Mom and I spent time clearing up administrative stuff and getting our papers in order... Instead of crying, we went shopping and out to lunch and shopping and out to dinner and ...  You get my point.  

September 2010

Oooo but my father called on Saturday and we began to talk and within seconds, tears welled up in my eyes.  I had to turn away from the phone and have not been able to speak with him since.  I love my daddy dearly.  He has always been my protector and provider.  He taught me what it was like to trust God the father because I could always count on my earthly father.  

Our favorite pass time was going to the movies.  It was always just the two of us, with a big bucket of popcorn and a soda and me begging him not to laugh or cry loud. J   He took me to my first play, "The Wiz" and he cried through the entire number of "Home" song by Stephanie Mills.  Now I understand "Home" daddy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQfbazUqaBU&feature=related.

I remember going to the lake and getting a paddle boat and daddy saying… “Look now, we do not have time to row in circles, straighten up and let's go.”  I remember when he taught me to drive a stick shift and I nearly rolled backwards down Clopper Road.  My daddy would show up at Seneca Valley football games to watch me cheer.  He was the one in the puffy blue and beige jacket, skullcap and bell-bottoms that were not in style.  But I did not care… my daddy was there.  My daddy was the only African-American male on the PTA.  It meant a lot, but I would not admit it.  He taught me how to budget and have enough left for a personal banana split.  "Hey, but the bills are paid." When I was a funky little know it all teenager, he helped me figure out what “state” I was in.  He meant psychologically.  I thought he forgot we moved to Maryland… I was so philosophical!   

Perkins Family - Four Generations
(Franklin at sea and Uncle George taking picture)

My daddy inspires me, challenges me and forces me to think waaayy outside the box.  When my daddy is around, I feel like a little girl no matter my age.  He let’s me know that everything will always be okay and no matter what I do, I will always be the greatest.  We are so much alike its funny.  We are entrepreneurs, inventors, enjoy a great joke, have protruding heels and soon I will have “to rip those little buggars out.” LOL!  My daddy has charged me to be better when I mess up and celebrates me with intense passion when I meet the goal.  My daddy was so good to me, I even married a man very much like him!

I will miss my daddy so much it hurts.  I cannot sum my daddy up in one word.  He is charming, captivating and charismatic. He is funny, full of fantastic facts, a family man and focused. My Daddy is the worlds greatest Perkins Philosophical Proliferator.  There is no one in this world just like my daddy. 

God knows I love you daddy.

Seriously!! Where Has Good Customer Service Gone?

Those of you who know me, know that I abhor incompetence!

Well, Lila (check last post) has taken me over the edge.  She decided that she would withhold information from the Enterprise (Franklin's ship) in an effort to teach a Seaman how to look up three lines of verbiage needed to process our tickets.  Do you understand what I am saying?

My family and I are flying cross-country next Wednesday and she wants to do remedial tutoring on my travel!  I had to call her supervisor every 1/2 hour for 1 1/2 hours in order for Lila to call me back. The funny thing is, in each of my voice mails, I never told the supervisor Lila's name.  Just before I was about to make my third call, Lila rings my phone.  She was dealing with Franklin only previously.  She had to have received  my number from the supervisor.

When I spoke with her, she tried to turn me against my husband!  WT...  She said she told him she was working on it.  What she did not know was I was listening to their conversation.  She actually told him we could purchase the tickets ourselves and get reimbursed.  Is she nut!?  YES! That is why I decided she was not the person who could accomplish the task at hand.  At the end of the conversation with me, Lila assured me our travel would be taken care of immediately.  Then she had the audacity to ask me not to call her boss again because she was in a very important "restructuring" meeting.  I told her that "as long as my needs are met, your boss will not hear my voice again." Then it turns out, that the place Lila was telling the Seaman he would find the verbiage, was incorrect.

This all happened on Friday and  guess what?  The tickets I could not get for a month, where delivered to me by noon today.  Amazing!

You would think that she would understand how taxing this process is without her trying to enforce some sort of civilian dominance of knowledge.  Franklin says we do not need to tell her right now.  I promise you she will find out my feelings in a very nice letter once I am settled in Japan.

Where has good customer service gone?

Let God Work it Out!

There are so many twists and turns as we head to Japan.  Today was more than interesting.  We were supposed to go pick up our tickets for our commercial flight to Seattle.  Franklin was told to bring the “Port Call Message” with him to the travel office to start the process.  The person who told him to bring the message (we will call her Lila) is also responsible for sending the message.  Well, Lila did not send the message.  But the bigger question is why is she sending a message that we have to bring back to her?  Why doesn’t she keep the message?  The ship knows we are leaving. 

In addition to that, Quortney is living with my stepmother, Carlita, until she finishes school.  I am trying to help in the navigation and translation of this very delicate relationship between a grandmother and gran-daughter who are worlds apart in their thinking.  My position is simple.  When you live in someone’s home, you live by his or her rules.  I remember 19 and I wish I had it as good as Quortney does.  I know they will be fine because I cannot come back from Japan to mediate.

On another note, my husband is supposed to be packing while I do my homework.  I have two more classes starting in a couple weeks, so I am in finals mode.  Instead, he is listening to music on his I-Pod and dancing around like we are finished.  

Now here is the question… Will I let all that is happening around me cause me great anxiety?

NO!  God has all of this under control.  Though I am usually the one to slip into my Superwoman garment and save the world.  I am going to breathe, say a prayer for peace, strength and time management, have a glass of wine and do what I can. 

I think I might have actually learned something in my 40 years of living.  I haven't arrived, but I like where I am on the journey... LOL!

19 DAYS UNTIL LIFTOFF

I feel like I have been preparing for this day for years.  I have always wanted to live in another country and though I knew it would happen, I am still nervously excited.  I have packed up our home, gotten our passports, traveled the country with Nyjai (My youngest daughter) to see and say goodbye to family and friends, and welcomed my husband back home.  He was out to sea for the entire time I was preparing for the move.

As soon as he came home, I took him on a vacation in Cancun, Mexico.  It was a surprise.  I packed his things, got his passport, and kidnapped him right away.  When we returned from Mexico, we went to see his family in Chicago.  Chicago is one of my favorite cities. My in-laws are there and I get to shop too! Who could ask for anything more.  I could not stay away from the love of my life any longer, so I rented a small apartment in Portsmouth rather than staying at my mom's in Germantown Maryland.  The hardest thing in the world for me to do is be separated from Franklin for days at a time.  So all my friends, I know I was unbearable for 6 months without him.  But they love me anyway!

Now, we are playing the waiting game.  I admit that it is worse than the preparation time. Though I am distracted by studying and packing the bits and pieces we have left, I am now feeling the emotion of it all.  I am alone with my thoughts and the uncertainty makes me want to cry sometimes.  I try with all I am not to let a tear fall and so far so good.  If I just remember not to talk to Darice too often, I'll be fine.

Some of my concerns might seem superficial.  They are real to me. I am very family oriented.   I will not be able to reach out to family and friends quickly.  Sometimes a phone call does not do what a hug does. I am very close to Quortney (my oldest daughter), my sisters, Lakisha, Darice and Michelle.  What will they do without me?  Then, there's the where will I get my hair done...I have locs?  Will my eyebrows grow together for lack of maintenance? Who will do my Mani-pedi? I know that as long as I have Franklin and Nyjai with me, things will be just fine.  But they can not begin to substitute for a "Girls Night Out".

I plan to use this blog to give you a glimpse of the things I see, people I meet and overall life in Japan. We plan to live in the economy vs. on-base. I will eventually work.  But I'm not pushing it.  I really want to see this country and all of Asia and Europe up close and personal.  When I do go to work, I will either teach English or step into the Japanese corporate environment.  I will share those experiences as deeply as I think you can handle or won't get me in trouble...

Stick with me kid... we will go places.