Second Derby Bout

The Yokosuka Sushi Rollers teamed up once again with The Yokota Scary Blossoms for their second roller derby bout on February 12th in Ikego.  This bout was appropriately named The Heart Break'her bout in honor of Valentines Day.  This time, our teams (The Black Hearts vs. The Bloody Valentines) did much better than at our first bout in October.  We were all much better skaters, had better strategies, had more players, and overall, everyone had a better understanding of  how to play the game.

After the bout silly photo!

This bout was actually fun and with each team having their own non-skating coaches, everything went much more smooth.  Word had gotten out to the military community because we had over 400 spectators watching us, plus a lot of recognition in the military newspapers.  The next bout will be on Sunday April 1st at 6pm in Ikego.  This time, we will be teaming with ladies from Misawa, Yokota and Zama.  Roller Derby keeps growing in Japan!  There are many great things to come for this sport in The Land of the Rising Sun.

Me in red tutu.

Read the articles about derby in the local military newpapers:
http://kanto.stripes.com//blogs/all-female-derbies-are-roll#.T0A8xDqD7Jw.facebook

Teammates in Seahawk Newspaper!

Skiing in Japan

Gorgeous view of Mt. Fuji

If you love to ski or snowboard, then Japan is the place to be.  There are over 500 ski resorts scattered around the country, tons of onsen, and beautiful scenery to enjoy.

Over the long holiday weekend we went with our friends to a small ski resort near Mt. Fuji called Yeti.  The bonus of going to Yeti is that it is a little over 2 hours from Yokosuka.  We stayed at Camp Fuji (a Marine Corps base) which is about 20-30 minutes drive from Yeti.  Very quick and convenient especially if you only want to play in the snow for a day.

I had few expectations about the weekend and figured we were only going sledding.  Turns out, the older boys wanted to try snowboarding, so Justin and I decided to ski.  I haven't been on skis since age 21, and Justin hadn't been since he was probably in his teens.

Vending machine to buy equipment.

The day went well.  The boys loved snowboarding and were able to make it down the mountain relatively unscathed.  Luckily, Yeti is the perfect place for beginners and the ski runs are manageable.  I fell a couple times by crossing my skis, and once when getting onto the chairlift, but overall I was able to stay upright.  Justin, on the other hand, was a really good skier.  I was very impressed and he was giving me a lot of tips I either forgotten, or never learned.  I'm just happy that almost all of were able to have this experience (our youngest played at the sledding area the entire time we were on the slopes).  The kids can't wait to go back.

http://www.yeti-resort.com/e/area.html
 

Being in the Workforce

Where I work!

A little over three weeks ago, I had an interview and a job offer for a part-time position on base.  This was a huge feat for me because I have been actively looking for work since Spring 2011.  I have blogged about the job process for civilian spouses, and of my frustrations.

So, to counter my frustrations, I decided I had to set a goal for myself in the New Year.  The goal I needed was to use my networking skills to see if that would lead me to getting a job.  I have been so tired waiting on others, that I had to take some action.  I have been ready to get some structure into my day, gain more work experience and not to mention, I've been more than ready to get some travel money set aside.  Either my effort of utilizing my connections paid off, or it was just plain old good timing.

Tomorrow, I am starting my third week of work.  It is the perfect position.  I work with great ladies, work around 20 hours a week, love the store, and its close to home.  I enjoy working with the public, enjoy being on my feet and now am much more productive.  My new schedule has taken a little getting used to, but I'm getting into the groove of it all.  Soon it will be second-nature.

I'm hoping to get back to blogging on a more regular basis.  We are pretty much settled from our move, and there are still endless topics on Japan that I want to write about.