A birthday, some travel and elf in quarantine

November started out a tad slow due to Lilly being in quarantine -- we just didn't feel right leaving her home alone.  Also, Lucy took the opportunity to tell us to pretend she too was in quarantine and so Ben was the only taker on a bike ride down to the Tama River. It was super pretty down there and we had a fun time and got some exercise - I love killing two birds with one stone.  

So Lilly has been a real trooper through the quarantine, but she is ready to get back to school.  She had her exit Covid test and got her negative result, so the only thing now is to wait until all 14 days have passed.  Time needs to speed up!

 

Last month I started the blog with a picture of our practice garden.  Well I am happy to report we actually harvested a single cucumber from it.  There are a few more baby cucumbers on the vine, but I doubt they'll be big enough to eat.  Success (kind of)!!

Even though Mt Fuji is only 43 miles away, we can't  always see it.  Most days there is cloud cover or haze and you can't see it at all.  Then somedays - it is HUGE.  I particularly like to look at it at sunset. Sometimes there are flat pancake-looking clouds that seem to sit on top of Fuji.  The internet tells me these are called Lenticular clouds and they are made of colder denser air and they seem to hover over extinct volcanoes.  On this day the pancake cloud looked more like a ring.  My iPhone camera does not do the sight justice!  I need to start driving around with my old fashioned digital camera in the car with me!

This next part has nothing to do with Japan, it is just something that bothers me.  We got a new printer when we moved here because somehow the power cord to our old printer got lost in the move.  It took me awhile to find a new cord for it so we bought this one figuring two printers are better than one right?  Well this printer hates me.  Almost every day I walk into the kitchen to find this on the floor. Not only is it spitting out paper, it has gibberish printed on the paper so no one will use it.  ARGH!! I have of course consulted the Google and was instructed to update my software, which I have faithfully done.  It still spits out paper, not as much and not as often, but it still happens.  Like a belching paper volcano. 

Lilly's birthday is up next.  She is turning 16.  Which probably isn't as big of a deal as it was when Jim and I turned 16 (especially during COVID), but still.  I am looking forward to having another driver in the house.  Of course she will be restricted to driving on base (speed limit max 40km or 24mph most places). But it will be nice nonetheless.  She has been dreaming of getting a Mini Cooper for YEARS!  We lucked out when someone in Jim's office was moving and had to sell a Mini. It isn't exactly the one of her dreams but it will do!  She is going to be so excited.  I have been moving a tiny red die cast model Mini for 3 years as a symbol of her dream car! 

The birthday surprise extravaganza required support from the whole family.  Lucy's job was to distract Lilly, while Jim persuaded her to come outside.  Ben then drove the Mini around the corner while I stood by to film it all.  First we placed the tiny Mini model in the driveway where I usually park, and we placed a big bow on top.  Jim told the girls to come on out so we could head to dinner.  Lilly came outside and we yelled "HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Hope you like your Mini!" with reference to the tiny mini.  She was like "ha ha ha very funny you guys" until Ben drove around the side of the house in the real Mini.  Needless to say, Lilly was over the moon!! Yes - I know what you are thinking - Ben drove - he is obsessed with driving and we live on a small court with 3 other houses, so we thought it would be fine. 

We actually were going to dinner - Sushi - Lilly's favorite!

Now we come to the part where we say how fast the years have gone and can't believe she is 16.  Where did our baby go?  All those things are valid and we did say them but now all we can think of is when is she going to get her permit so she can start driving!!  

Every weekend we have the same fight with the kids.  We say we want to go see something in this amazing country and they push back and say they don't want to/can't go.  Occasionally we just make them go anyway.  This weekend was one of those weekends.  We got them in the car for a day trip to Nikko, a stunningly beautiful destination with one of the most famous and elaborate Buddhist shrines on the planet.  We had wanted to spend the night, but the negotiations broke down and all parties left the house wanting more and getting less.  

First stop was Kegon Falls.  It is ranked as one of Japan's three most beautiful falls especially in autumn when the leaves change.  We were just past the peak of colors, but the surrounding country side was still impressive.  Apparently the falls are also beautiful in the winter when frozen almost completely solid!  The road leading up to the falls is also pretty famous .... for 30 jaw-dropping 30 switchbacks.  We were feeling that by the end.  

It is almost 100m tall! 

After the Falls, we headed into Nikko to check out the Toshogu Shrine, which has been described as one of the most important religious sites in Japan.  It is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu who was the samurai ruler who united Japan in the early 1600s.  The place is super impressive and there is lots to see, but I will just give you the highlights. 

 

First up is the Yonmeimon gate which has over 500 intricate carvings and is considered to be one of the most beautiful gates in Japan and has been designated as a National Treasure.  We also saw the Three Wise Monkeys carving.  It is believed to be the birthplace of the saying "Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, and See No Evil."  

We also saw the Shinkyo Bridge.  It is a sacred bridge and considered to be in the top three in the country.  However it was closed.  We weren't sure if it was closed due to Covid or if they were doing repairs but regardless we weren't allowed to walk across it.  We made it back home just under the agreed-upon hour and the kids reluctantly agreed it had been worth going so we are chalking it up as a win!

Before you can even turn around it is Thanksgiving!  We decided we were going to go somewhere via train for the long weekend and ultimately picked Hakuba, which is in the mountains near Nagano.  After extensive research Jim booked us on the Shinkansen (Bullet train) out of Tokyo to Nagano.  But to get to it we had to take the train from our station in Fussa to Tokyo and then once we got to Nagano we boarded a bus for the rest of the trip. All the trains in Japan are nice and clean and quiet.  The Shinkansen is even nicer if you can imagine that.  It doesn't feel like you are going that fast, but you are!  We decided to use our backpacks for this trip since it was short and we would be on trains and buses.  Nothing worse than dealing with a suitcase or duffel bag when you are maneuvering in tight quarters.  

Once on the train we decided to change up our itinerary a bit and check out Snow Monkey Park about 30 minutes north east of Nagano before heading over to Hakuba.  Of course there is no snow yet, but the monkeys are there year-round so we decided to give it a shot.  The bus stop for Snow Monkey Park is about a half a mile from the park and once you get to the park it is another 1-mile walk on a mountain trail to get to the actual monkeys.  I can't imagine doing this with snow and ice on the ground - sounds brutal.  The monkeys are all just lying around in heaps grooming each other.  Every five minutes or so a fight breaks out and at least two or three monkeys take off running through the crowds screaming at the top of their lungs.  It reminded me of an elementary school at lunch recess.  Some monkeys were lounging by pool but only a few dipped their toes in.  One monkey, who apparently lost a bet, reluctantly got in, but he didn't stay long.  All in all we enjoyed it and it's crazy to be so close to monkeys - they were literally running between our legs.  But I am not sure if we got the whole snow monkey experience without the presence of actual snow.

On the way back down to the bus stop, we grabbed some hot chocolate and some snacks at a little cafe. Ben also got an ice cream (despite the freezing temperatures) while the girls got a pastry.  It was nice to sit and warm up before the cold walk back to the bus stop.  

We made it back to the train station in time to grab something to eat (remember - this was Thanksgiving Day) before boarding our bus to Hakuba.  Ben was all excited because there was pizza on the menu.  He ordered the cheese pizza.  Or what he thought was a cheese pizza.  Unfortunately for him (and ultimately me) his cheese pizza also had lots of tiny little fish on it.  So Ben ate my chicken and I picked off the fish and had ate his pizza.  It wasn't gross, but I won't be eating it again.  Not quite the Thanksgiving dinner any of us thought we would be having.  Reminded us of our Christmas Dinners at Waffle House when traveling to see family back in the day ...

 

We finally got to Hakuba and to our awesome Airbnb after a relatively short brisk walk in the early evening.  There was the usual fight over who will have to sleep on the couch and Ben pulled the short straw this time.  Lucy has to do it tomorrow when we move to a nearby hotel.  We got up the next day, stashed our packs at the new hotel and hit the streets to see what we could see.  One of the biggest attractions in Hakuba is the site of the 1998 Nagano Olympic Torch and Flame as well as the Ski Jump venue.  It is still used today on the World Ski Jump circuit.  We took a self-guided tour and the kids posed on the podium.  You could not pay me enough money to ever willingly ski down the ski jump.  It is just as terrifying up close as it is on TV.

We grabbed lunch at a ramen place and before we all went in different directions Jim and I decided to put our feet in the public bath.  I did not want to leave!  The water felt so nice.  Perfect temperature.  Hakuba was essentially empty!  We passed very few other people, much less tourists.  Most of the businesses were gearing up for the ski season.  Hard to believe that in a month this place will be covered with several meters of snow!

For dinner we hit up a Korean BBQ joint.  The kids are always a tad skeptical of our ability to order what we think we want and then to cook it.  Jim on the other hand is completely in his element!  Now this was the Thanksgiving Dinner we were looking for (Japan style).   

The vending machine game in Mainland Japan is pretty strong.  You can find ones that sell drinks, of course, in addition to ones that sell ice cream, cigarettes, hot coffee and soup, eggs and apparently beer.  Why can't we do this in the U.S.?   

We made it back to Fussa in one piece and at a decent hour.  We have a day to reset before the kids have to go back to school, which is always nice.  The next morning we awoke to find that Kringle had shown up.  It is nice to know that elves have to follow the same quarantine guidelines as the rest of us.  At last, something good has come out of Covid.

Back to a more normal pace

 After the relative quiet of September, the month of October finds us with at least something other than a picture of my now-withered pumpkin vine.  First up is an activity for the boys.  Ben's Scout troop had a camping trip up to Mt. Yatsugatake, which is situated in the Japanese Alps near Nagano.  They both stated that the hike was really cool.  I do think the weather, while dry, was a bit colder than either of them were really expecting.  The pictures they took are spectacular!  I really hope we get to go as a family while we are here.

As soon as they returned, Jim had a work trip back to Okinawa.  We were all hoping to join him down there for the weekend, sadly that didn't happen.  Okinawa is still off-limits to everyone stationed on the mainland unless on official business.  Which means until the covid situation improves, we will have to wait to visit our friends down there.  Jim couldn't resist sending us pictures of his favorite sights (for example, shisa dogs) to make us nostalgic for our old home.

If you haven't already figured it out, Japan is REALLY different from America. I don't mean in the obvious ways either.  The Japanese think nothing of selling owls in a hardware store.  While you are shopping for your essentials you can also pick up a few owls for -- well, I am not sure why you would need an owl.  Until seeing them in their cage while looking for cat toys, I assumed you could only purchase an owl on Diagon Alley.  Notch one up for the Japanese.  Note:  they are really expensive, and apparently TERRIBLE pets.  

Ben has been trying for the last couple of months to get on better terms with Yoshi. His originally plan of trapping the cat in the sunroom and forcing him to sit with him hasn't really gotten them to a better place.  I finally told Ben the best way to get Yoshi to tolerate him is to entice him with food.  So Ben has started a campaign to win Yoshi over.  I don't see Yoshi snuggling with Ben any time soon.

However, Yoshi REALLY loves his kitty snacks, so there may be hope for their relationship after all.

Since we couldn't go to Okinawa, we decided to go to Matsumoto instead. The kids (of course) protested and we ignored them.  We delayed our departure so they could get in a full day of what appeared to be absolutely nothing but they swore was super important.  At last we got them in the car and started out.  Jim found a really cool AirBNB that we were all sad to leave even though we were there less than 12 hours!  

The main tourist attraction in Matsumoto is the Matsumoto Castle, commonly called the "Crow Castle" due to its black walls.  It began as a small fortress with moats in 1504 and was remodeled into its current configuration beginning in 1592 just as Japan was becoming a consolidated nation.  It is the oldest surviving tower, standing at 95 feet, because it was constructed after most of the civil wars ended.  Since the local community had no need for the castle, it was set for demolition in the 1800s until some local people banned together to save it.  Now it houses a small collection of samurai swords, armor, rifles & flintlock pistols used over 400 years ago.  It is pretty amazing, even the kids were impressed.   

The kids refused to get anywhere near these two dressed in traditional garb - shocker

After checking out the castle, we wandered over to Old Town and walked around Nakamachi and Nawate Streets looking for souvenirs and sampling some local foods.  While on Nawate-dori you will quickly notice there are lots of frog statues, signages, merchandise, pretty much everywhere you look. A quick google search later you discover that this street used to be the home to the Kajika frogs.  At some point the nearby river flooded the area destroying the frogs.   In the 1940's the city decided to clean up the area and it became a tourist attraction due to its close proximity to the Crow Castle.  The frog became a symbol of "rebirth" of the area.  Since the actual frogs did not return to the area, they are now honored by way of merchandise for tourists to buy.

On our way out of town we went by a museum that has a permanent display of Yayoi Kusama, a famous Japanese contemporary artist who is famous for her work with polka dots, and happens to be from Matsumoto.   We couldn't get the kids to agree to go inside the museum but I was able to guilt Lilly into at least sitting next to one of the large outdoor exhibits.  Hopefully the next time we come, we can spend more time here.

The next week there was a spouse event with a Halloween theme.  So of course I decided to dress up as Moira Rose (from Schitt's Creek).  Another friend of mine decided she was going to do the same, and in fact we tried to get several of the other people going to do the same because what would be funnier to have a room full of Moiras?!  Sadly, that didn't happen but we still had a pretty good time.

The next weekend, Jim and I got invited to join another couple for an afternoon at a local sake brewery.  We took the train up into the hills, had a late lunch and enjoyed a round or two.  I am not a big fan of sake but the place was amazing and we really enjoyed it!  Another place we could return to again and again!

The next week, Jim had the honor of giving a speech for the 75th Anniversary of the battle of Iwo Jima.  He said it was an unforgettable experience, wish we could have been there with him! 

While he was off, the rest of us were dealing with Lilly's recent status change.  A student in one of her classes tested positive for COVID and she was designated a "close contact" (along with 19 other students) thus sent into quarantine for 14 days.  This required her to be in her room with the door closed for 14 days.  She was allowed to go outside as long as she did not get close to anyone and didn't touch anything.  Surprisingly she took it mainly in stride.  Several of her friends stopped by to drop off treats and to give her some support and a few treats!  

Back in the states the big news is my daddy turned 80!!  My mom and sister and one of her best friends came up with a way for everyone to wish him a happy birthday!  He was super excited by all the people who drove through the circle drive and wished him a happy birthday!  It was like his own little parade! Afterwards he commented that he had no idea he knew so many people!  I can't fully articulate to everyone who participated how much this meant to him and especially the rest of the family.  Thank you so much!!

We are now in week 2 of Lilly's quarantine and since she has to stay in her room with the door shut, we sometimes forget she is in there.  So this has been an almost daily occurrence while Lucy and Ben are at school - out of sight, out of mind!  

Sadly, this is also a daily occurrence.  I told her that being quarantined in her room doesn't mean she is quarantined to her BED!  She is spending hours and hours in that thing.  UGH!!

To wind things down for the month, the kids carved their pumpkins on Halloween afternoon. Every year, they attempt to do some grand pattern and every year there is wailing and gnashing of teeth.  This year, FINALLY, they listened and kept it simple!  We even got Lilly out of her quarantine room to socially distance carve after the other two finished up their pumpkins.  We made her a Boo basket with some treats and some of her friends also dropped candy off to her to make up for the fact that she has another 5 days of quarantine.  Lucy and Ben on the other hand made plans to socially distance/mask trick or treat with some friends.  So Jim and I had a quiet night at home.  We only had 1 trick or treater come to the door.  Good thing I didn't buy lot of candy!