Mary and I will soon celebrate 23 years of marriage.
I love you dear!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Okinawa Japan
Okinawa has been fantastic! The weather was warm, it rained the first day and today (Saturday). We had an accident this morning on our way to go diving. Rob missed the stop sign and we hit a lady's car in the back end, she fishtailed and hit the other side against a tree. Everyone was okay but, No last dive today.
The glass factory was cool (I mean hot), they have a giant furnace. Rob and I blew glass to make goblets, then as they spun the glass we formed the shape. My glove and sleeve protector had a gap and my arm got a little burn. Ouch. We go back to pick up the glass this afternoon. Rob's kids want to do it too.
My SCUBA dives were neat. The first dive was a short one to get me familiar and comfortable with the equipment. I was nervous, my mask had a little leak so I had to keep clearing it by blowing air through my nose, I also forgot to clear my ears so they were painful until Rob gave the okay hand sign (something divers do to check in with their buddy) I pointed to my ears and Rob pinched his nose and filled his cheeks with air to remind me. Once I cleared them I was good. It was not very clear because of the waves, but we did see a little sea life and Rob played with a sea snake. They are venomous but we wear wet suits that completely cover us, as well as gloves, and boots; so only a little bit of our face is not covered.
Getting in and out was the hardest part due to the weight (20 lbs of weights, 20 lbs tank, wet suit, water weight, and tired legs).
The second and third dives were much nicer, I felt comfortable. I am an air hog, meaning I breath air quickly so it doesn't last as long as Rob and Jim (Rob's friend). Rob and I shared his tank for a while so we didn't have to get out as soon. I saw both hard and soft corals, clown fish, pipe fish, scorpion (lion) fish, jelly fish, sea cucumbers, nudybronk (don't know how to spell - little colorful sea slugs with no shell), crabs, sea urchin, all kinds of star fish, an eel, and a lot of sea snakes. I took some pictures.
My third dive was a little freaky. There were jelly fish all over the place, most were not the kind that sting but it was like swimming in soup. Then Rob and Jim had talked about getting 'narked' when you go past 90' and were planning to go to 120 so that had me a bit concerned. As we descended my mask felt like a ton of bricks was on it, I just needed to let air out through my nose but since I was shook up I was not thinking clearly. The decent was faster than I felt comfortable and the bottom looked endless, I was freaked out so I stopped and hung to the side of the cliff (we were at 80 feet down). So we went up to 60 feet and there was a shelf; that took away a lot of my fear as I had a bottom under me. We found a scorpion (lion) fish which was cool.
The 4th dive (my last) the surf and surge was high, when we got in I swallowed two gulps of ocean trying to breath through the snorkel, then the waves were bouncing me all over, my BCD vest was full of air to help me float and squeezing my stomach; needless to say I felt sick. Rob helped me out and then he and Jim did the dive with out me. I bought a Coke to settle my stomach. My stomach felt sick the rest of the day. Even now typing about it brings the ick to my stomach.
The weather was raining and windy so we didn't get to go to the site we had planned, as we were heading to a different spot we had the accident. That messed up our time, and since the weather was bad no last dive.
The glass factory was cool (I mean hot), they have a giant furnace. Rob and I blew glass to make goblets, then as they spun the glass we formed the shape. My glove and sleeve protector had a gap and my arm got a little burn. Ouch. We go back to pick up the glass this afternoon. Rob's kids want to do it too.
My SCUBA dives were neat. The first dive was a short one to get me familiar and comfortable with the equipment. I was nervous, my mask had a little leak so I had to keep clearing it by blowing air through my nose, I also forgot to clear my ears so they were painful until Rob gave the okay hand sign (something divers do to check in with their buddy) I pointed to my ears and Rob pinched his nose and filled his cheeks with air to remind me. Once I cleared them I was good. It was not very clear because of the waves, but we did see a little sea life and Rob played with a sea snake. They are venomous but we wear wet suits that completely cover us, as well as gloves, and boots; so only a little bit of our face is not covered.
Getting in and out was the hardest part due to the weight (20 lbs of weights, 20 lbs tank, wet suit, water weight, and tired legs).
The second and third dives were much nicer, I felt comfortable. I am an air hog, meaning I breath air quickly so it doesn't last as long as Rob and Jim (Rob's friend). Rob and I shared his tank for a while so we didn't have to get out as soon. I saw both hard and soft corals, clown fish, pipe fish, scorpion (lion) fish, jelly fish, sea cucumbers, nudybronk (don't know how to spell - little colorful sea slugs with no shell), crabs, sea urchin, all kinds of star fish, an eel, and a lot of sea snakes. I took some pictures.
My third dive was a little freaky. There were jelly fish all over the place, most were not the kind that sting but it was like swimming in soup. Then Rob and Jim had talked about getting 'narked' when you go past 90' and were planning to go to 120 so that had me a bit concerned. As we descended my mask felt like a ton of bricks was on it, I just needed to let air out through my nose but since I was shook up I was not thinking clearly. The decent was faster than I felt comfortable and the bottom looked endless, I was freaked out so I stopped and hung to the side of the cliff (we were at 80 feet down). So we went up to 60 feet and there was a shelf; that took away a lot of my fear as I had a bottom under me. We found a scorpion (lion) fish which was cool.
The 4th dive (my last) the surf and surge was high, when we got in I swallowed two gulps of ocean trying to breath through the snorkel, then the waves were bouncing me all over, my BCD vest was full of air to help me float and squeezing my stomach; needless to say I felt sick. Rob helped me out and then he and Jim did the dive with out me. I bought a Coke to settle my stomach. My stomach felt sick the rest of the day. Even now typing about it brings the ick to my stomach.
The weather was raining and windy so we didn't get to go to the site we had planned, as we were heading to a different spot we had the accident. That messed up our time, and since the weather was bad no last dive.
Monday, March 9, 2009
The first dive
Rob and I went SCUBA diving this morning at the Sunabi Seawall in Okinawa. It was great! The water was nice. There was a little wind, so the surf was up and the water wasn't very clear but, we did see some fish and a couple of sea snakes. It took a little while for me to adjust and remember to clear my ears.
Rob has an under water cover for his camera so we (I) took some pictures;
Rob took this picture of me.
I have a hat on, so my hair looks strange... but if yooou concentrate and look deeeeep into my eyes you will see - it's me!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Okinawa Japan - Trip to the beach
Saturday Rob and Steve took me to the beach (it was raining but we got some nice photos). Okinawa reminds me of Hawaii, lots of vegetation including sugar cane, pineapple, and palm trees. Here are some of the photos of Okinawa outside in the rain.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Japan
I made it to Japan! It is warm and humid (its been raining and you can feel the moisture in the air). Rob and Steph and the family are doing well. We got to bed late (1 AM) as everyone came in around mid night from the play practice.
Rob and I stopped for Curry oh man it was yummy! Rob had a CALPS drink for me right away in the car, it's a yogurt drink that I love and always ask for when ever I get care packages from Japan.
I met some nice people on the flights here. A student at the U of M (Joo-young not correct spelling) returning to Korea for a cousin's wedding. A family going to a wedding in Thailand, their son is getting married, they are American from Illinois. And a man who visits the Asia Seventh Day Adventist schools from Michigan.
I'll work on getting photos up soon.
Rob and I stopped for Curry oh man it was yummy! Rob had a CALPS drink for me right away in the car, it's a yogurt drink that I love and always ask for when ever I get care packages from Japan.
I met some nice people on the flights here. A student at the U of M (Joo-young not correct spelling) returning to Korea for a cousin's wedding. A family going to a wedding in Thailand, their son is getting married, they are American from Illinois. And a man who visits the Asia Seventh Day Adventist schools from Michigan.
I'll work on getting photos up soon.
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