A House Visit & 2 Wake Ups

We Head North, a Road Trip
Driving north to Michigan, passing field after field of corn, we count deer crossing signs and look for animals. We spot lots of horses and cows. America has so much open space. The downside of not being in Japan is the food.

American Food
Lunch at a fairly nice Italian restaurant was notable for it's absurd meat portions, sugary drinks- "we serve Pepsi products," said the waitress, and having to say, "no thank you" to the appetizers and twice to dessert. I can't help but connect the sugary drinks, lack of fresh food, large portions, and slabs of meat to the body sizes around me. Navigating restaurants and food on the go is tricky. On the airplane Saturday, I was eyeballing a Japanese woman's onigiri and wishing I had thought to bring one myself. Why is it in Japan fresh onigiri rice balls that are healthy and tasty can be had at a 7-11 for a buck while here I can't even get a healthy and tasty meal for fifteen bucks? My food tirades will likely continue.



Our Future Home
We finally toured our future home. I have to say the internet photos make it look in better shape than reality. It is more rundown than I expected. I would not recommend internet shopping for a home. A major renovation will be in our future.


2 Wake Ups
Being a guest and having small children do not help one recover from jet lag- evening conversations happen just when I want to roost in my bed, meals are served when my stomach is asleep, and children wander into my room at all hours. I have trouble getting into longer sleep cycles.

In my losing battle to quiet down the talking, singing, whistling, and ongoing chatter of the Mule, I suggested she watch a video or play a game in another room. My fatigue was entrenched after two hours of cajoling her back to sleep. Within ten minutes of my suggestion to go elsewhere, I was racing down the stairs to the screech of the house security system. I wasn't wearing my glasses so it was more of a blind stumbling through the dark. Some how my fingers typed in the code I heard mentioned once last year. I was momentarily proud of my brain cells for pulling that out of thin air. Returning to the Mule I asked, "Why did you try to go outside? It's dark." Her reply, "I wanted to get the newspaper." Having saved the household from being awakened, I resigned myself to morning and made breakfast for the Mule and I. Later, when the rest of the family awoke, I asked, "Did you hear the alarm go off?" No one had. My sacrifice of sleep was in hope that my husband, the driver for our trip north, would be well rested.

The night before it was the Moose who was unable to sleep. We had breakfast at four in the morning, followed by another breakfast at nine with everyone else. What is needed is simply to go to bed when one is tired even if it is five in the evening. Eventually day light straightens you out. It feels painful to be this tired, but there are no short cuts in life.

We Head North, a Road Trip
Driving north to Michigan, passing field after field of corn, we count deer crossing signs and look for animals. We spot lots of horses and cows. America has so much open space. The downside of not being in Japan is the food.

American Food
Lunch at a fairly nice Italian restaurant was notable for it's absurd meat portions, sugary drinks- "we serve Pepsi products," said the waitress, and having to say, "no thank you" to the appetizers and twice to dessert. I can't help but connect the sugary drinks, lack of fresh food, large portions, and slabs of meat to the body sizes around me. Navigating restaurants and food on the go is tricky. On the airplane Saturday, I was eyeballing a Japanese woman's onigiri and wishing I had thought to bring one myself. Why is it in Japan fresh onigiri rice balls that are healthy and tasty can be had at a 7-11 for a buck while here I can't even get a healthy and tasty meal for fifteen bucks? My food tirades will likely continue.



Our Future Home
We finally toured our future home. I have to say the internet photos make it look in better shape than reality. It is more rundown than I expected. I would not recommend internet shopping for a home. A major renovation will be in our future.


2 Wake Ups
Being a guest and having small children do not help one recover from jet lag- evening conversations happen just when I want to roost in my bed, meals are served when my stomach is asleep, and children wander into my room at all hours. I have trouble getting into longer sleep cycles.

In my losing battle to quiet down the talking, singing, whistling, and ongoing chatter of the Mule, I suggested she watch a video or play a game in another room. My fatigue was entrenched after two hours of cajoling her back to sleep. Within ten minutes of my suggestion to go elsewhere, I was racing down the stairs to the screech of the house security system. I wasn't wearing my glasses so it was more of a blind stumbling through the dark. Some how my fingers typed in the code I heard mentioned once last year. I was momentarily proud of my brain cells for pulling that out of thin air. Returning to the Mule I asked, "Why did you try to go outside? It's dark." Her reply, "I wanted to get the newspaper." Having saved the household from being awakened, I resigned myself to morning and made breakfast for the Mule and I. Later, when the rest of the family awoke, I asked, "Did you hear the alarm go off?" No one had. My sacrifice of sleep was in hope that my husband, the driver for our trip north, would be well rested.

The night before it was the Moose who was unable to sleep. We had breakfast at four in the morning, followed by another breakfast at nine with everyone else. What is needed is simply to go to bed when one is tired even if it is five in the evening. Eventually day light straightens you out. It feels painful to be this tired, but there are no short cuts in life.