Turning Japanese

Oh. My. Gosh. What a trip!

There was a minor hangup regarding Ginger's crate at our initial check-in, but when I explained the situaution someone was willing to work with me and finally OK'd it just in time for me to get some coffee before boarding. Then of course the plane sat around and was nearly an hour taking off; yet even at that it was several hours into the flight - well after lunch had been served and trash collected - that I was able to get confirmation that Ginger was on board.

Only then could I "rest easy" although as predicted I was unable to sleep on either flight. I did have nice company for 14 hours, though: a Korean War veteran and his Japanese wife who told me stories about their children and how flying used to be and what a blessing marriage is.

When we landed in Tokyo, and I got Ginger and alllllll my luggage on a cart, everybody at the airport was very friendly and helpful, pushing my heavy cart for me and explaining exactly where to go and what to do next. Unfortunately the customs process took a long time with a dog and we did not have time to go walk or eat or drink water before transferring to the next flight. And of course she "held it" like a champ.

It was so funny how they wrapped her up like a fish in a net! 

Even though I had been awake for 26 hours straight and I felt filthy, I have rarely been so completely happy as when I saw Alec outside the baggage claim. Alec gave me and Ginger a big ol' hug and we both drank a bunch of water!

Japan, even here on Okinawa, looks as neon and mountainous as you would expect. I will save my general reflections for another post.

Stay tuned!!

I did take pictures; but that was with the camera and right now I can only use internet from my phone. When we move out of the BOQ or if I use the wifi at the bowling alley I will upload them!

[EDIT] PICTURES!!!

Leaving On A Jet Plane

Today is the day! Ginger and I board a plane to Tokyo, then through customs and on to Okinawa :)

I'll be in touch when I can, again, and I promise to post more pictures soon. Wish us luck!

A Little Help From My Friends

I am stubbornly independent. And that's an understatement.

And while I know it's one of the things Alec loves about me, it's only good to a point. Only in the past couple of years have I really learned that it is OK to ask for help from people when I need it. Everyone from good friends to total strangers is usually willing to give assistance, if others would only request it.

Pan out to my current situation: I finally got tickets issued on a pet-friendly flight this Thursday. But last week I dropped the car off for processing and storage, and signed it over to the government. There's really no way to reverse that. So I caught a ridiculously expensive cab ride with myself, the Ginger, and 5 bags to a hotel nearer where I will now be flying out of; and I've been walking everywhere ever since.  Unfortunately, in order to get her on the plane she needs current paperwork from the vet stating that she is in good health and whatnot. The only appointment they could give me is the afternoon before we leave!  And without a car, it means two more super-expensive cab rides, plus a ride to the airport the next day.

A young lady I previously did not get along with, but with whom I recently had lunch and made amends, offered of her own decision to pick us up on Thursday and take us to the airport. It's a 2.5 hour round trip for her. All I had to do is get her coffee and gas money :)

Another woman, the wife of one of Alec's contemporaries whom I have literally met twice in the past month, agreed to make two round trips to get me and Ginger to the vet, and bring us back in the evening. I felt terrible asking, initially, for what seems like a huge burden. I do really hate to impose, and if I still had the car it would be nothing, but at 27 years old I have *finally* learned that it is OK.  Her response really warmed my heart, and gave me a warm fuzzy feeling.

"I have certainly had a similar realization in the last two years, particularly with the children and Andrew absent at different times - I think asking for help actually is a sign of maturity and humility, and also, really, people are blessed by helping others! So many friends - people I knew well, and people I didn't - helped me over the last year, in so many ways. I'm delighted, now that we're settled in, to do the same."

Awwww :) I am so glad to have such a strong, kind, built-in community!

It's here! It's here!

My passport is finally here!  The congressman's office made all the difference, I believe, and I am optimistic that even though I still need to take Ginger by the vet's office, and store the vehicle, and call all the airlines to be sure the flights have room for a dog, and make sure nothing else goes wrong, I should be able to leave by Thursday


EDIT:   You know how I said "nothing else goes wrong"? I should have known better.

I was able to get tickets booked for Thursday. Unfortunately, a lot of things have gone wrong in the interim. I dropped the Corolla off for storage, but I couldn't rent a car. I couldn't get Ginger to the vet in time to get her health certificate signed off on by close of business today. And it turns out they booked the wrong flight anyway, I wouldn't have been able to take her.

So, I am carless in Baltimore for the time being. Going to call SATO again tomorrow and ensure that they can get me on the direct (dog-friendly!) flight out of Dulles next Thursday, and try to travel as little as possible in the meantime. We are probably not going to get reimbursed for my month in a hotel, and we're not even sure if we're getting BAH between when Alec left and when I get there.

But in any case, nothing's to be done about it now except try to move forward! (After a short intermission for crying).

This is easily the worst experience I've ever had (not)-traveling. Love, support, prayers, hugs, all appreciated.

Ghosts in the Machine

(This post was originally called "Rage Against the Machine" because I was just so ANGRY at first that this was happening to me, but I've calmed down a little so the title's changed.)

You know how when you have a problem with bureaucracy, sometimes people say "Call your congressman!"? Well I did! Or more accurately, I wrote several of them.

It's a long story with a lot of facts, so I composed some notes; then I drafted letters and sent them by email or fax as appropriate.

 

When I called to follow up, the short summary of what their offices could tell me is:

Galveston county: We got your fax but you aren't a constituent of our district. Sorry, call the other guy. We faxed your letter to his office.
Ron Paul's office (the other guy): Uhm we didn't get that fax. But you should probably talk to your local representative in Virginia. It's best to just have one office on it anyway.
Local representative's office: Check. Got your fax, we can definitely help you. Let us get on it and see what we can do.

Now it's still a waiting game, but at least I have one more set of muscular arms (metaphorically speaking) on my side. And, since the magic of the Bureaucracy Machine shuts down on weekends, I have two worry-free days ahead of me. ... Yay?