Well I was home, as the aftershocks where hitting extremely often….I was like OMG, but G and J’s reaction was so blasé about each and every one of them.
Sunday morning I decide we are off to Costco, we needed some stuff.
We arrive at Costco to find that we have to queue to line up with our trolleys/shopping cart to get in.
We were finally at the front of the queue to get on the escalators. The elevators open and we barge across like we are in the race of life…I mean go on the escalators which take forever or take the elevator which only take a half a lifetime…no brainer, right?
So we are in Costco doing our shopping…5 cases of water…usual amount...We picked up another case as well because…well just because. We bought a case of toilet roll…because we were running low and I was not driving all the way back there just for that.(also mentioning it because since March 11th i some areas you were only able to buy 1 toilet roll per person or NO toilet roll at all... I mean REALLY??? Toilet paper would not be at the top of my shopping list!) Went and got some veggies and fruit and headed for the check out where people were buying cases of batteries that would properly last through the next two generations of their families. Also they were buying cases of toilet rolls and cases and cases of water.
We get back home and unpack and head out for a quick lunch…
We find out that there is no school the following day…Many thinking there would be no school for the rest of the week…which was correct.
G decided that J and I were going away…hummm no way mate…..Well next morning it was decided that we were leaving.
Tuesday night finds us at the local airport on route to Singapore…. One hour before we are due to take off I run to the bathroom and at that exact time we have ANOTHER big shake!!!! Well two big ones to be exact.
I am thinking REALLY???? This has to happen right now? I mean ANY NEED!!!! ..REALLY!!! No need for any of them no mind when I am in the bathroom. I leave the bathroom and say what was that...Yes I really did ask that question... Everyone had stopped and looking around...as another one hits...
Lines where down it seemed as I was not able to check for at least 10 minutes on the earthquake where, how big and level... Nor was I able to Text friends I other parts of the airport, but as soon as lines where back I think we were all checking the sites we know off by heart

Tuesday morning arrives and I have not even started to pack…. Not like me right????
So G calls and said make sure you have your passport and purse and don’t worry about what you have not packed you can buy it. Make sure your ready ON TIME!
So passport, purse, Kindle and tooth brush all packed. So off we go to the YCAT…hummm was not looking forward to that, but it was a lot better than I expected. Nice easy drive to Narita.
While on the drive there I was looking out across the fields loads of lovely open space and something else caught my eye, I was surprised to see what can only be described as a party trick… There was a young guy driving a truck with one foot on top of the dash board and looked to be text messaging at the same time….I mean WOW.
I arrive at Narita where I was sent from pillar to post….But in a NICE way…I mean I never raised my voice, it was ok.
All checked in, I go wander…looked in Tiffany’s, Yes I want the matching ring, not that I was buying it.
I will wait for G to buy it…I mean I am worth it, RIGHT??? They never had the one I wanted.
I then wandered to the gate, pulled out my kindle settled down to start my new book. Before I knew they were calling us to board. Thanks to my wonderful husband (no he is not always called wonderful) he had booked me a seat with extra leg room. The Stewardess then came up and asked if I would consider moving for a man who had broken his leg? Hummm ok...I mean what am I meant to say?
Then she moved me to another extra leg room seat and NOBODY beside me, BONUS!!!!!
It was an emergency exit…where you need to be able bodied. Not sure that was such a good idea, putting me there. REALLY, I don’t think it was such a good idea…But I did have the row to myself…..yayyyy

We arrived in Guam, got through customs where I was asked if I was in the wrong line….NO I AM A BRIT!!!! I need to go through NON US passport holder line.
Got my bag and was in the taxi all within 30 minutes.
Arrived at the Hotel within 10 minutes, checked in and took full advantage of the free WIFI

Next morning opened the shutters and the sun was shining. I go down to breakfast, the lady looked around me and said how many? Hummm one please, I said in a corner would be good. So she placed me in a corner alright with a load of Korean couples who I had to pass and try not to stare back when they were staring at me all on my own. I left pretty quickly and headed down to the beach as I knew that nothing opened until at least 10 and it was only 7.30am.
I wander down into the water and the fishys came swimming all around…I was not as brave as usual but I was brave enough!
After sitting there and reading my magazine and watching the Japanese woman with pink arm bands on her wrists and matching pink snorkel and flipper getting over excited every time she seen a new type of fish, I decided to head back to my room and get ready to go out to shop for my knicker shopping well as that what was on the top of my list to buy.
I headed to the bus stop and bought my 5 day ticket for $20 (even though I was only there for 2 ½ days)
I thought I was heading to the GPO mall, but I ended up at the Micronesian mall.
I wandered around Macy’s and picked a few things up and also managed to meet 2 FANTASTIC ladies.
Who we shall call TTB3 and Fab-K, it was TTB3 I seen first. I found out that Fab-K lived in Japan also and not that far away from me…I mean REALLY????
TTB3 said I just need to get lunch for my daughter, who I assumed was a school aged child. So I run downstairs to get my shoes that I had seen and thought yep just buy them which turned out to be a bigger bargin than I thought….one pair $79 with 50% off LOVELY sales lady tells me buy 2 pairs and you get 25% of the totally amount…ok….can’t find shoes for me in Japan…she rings up the shoes….Less than $20 for BOTH pairs…so the day can only get better right????
So TTB3 comes back into the store and hands lunch to a beautiful tall sales lady (I am think ahhh bless how sweet of her)…well the sales lady turns out to be her daughter. Not only was she a beautiful young lady…but she talked so lovely to her mum….I am hoping Jamie talks like that to me when he is older!!!! REALLY I do.
We get to the GPO, FAB-K and I swap details and we head off to shop.
I seen the ladies a couple of times during the next hour or so. I then head off for some lunch, where I am asked where in the UK I am from. Are you from Wales, Ireland, Scotland or England he asks…I am impressed he knows the UK consists of more than England? I said I am impressed you know about Wales…Oh I watch BBC news he said of course I know about Wales…Another smile on my face, I was not asked if I was English!!!
I worked out the bus system so I was able to also do K mart extra. Bought new swimmers for the summer….Which I might add went on SALE next day ARRGGGHHHH….but a lovely sales assistant who remember me from last summer, said do you have your receipt on you I said yes she said then go get the price difference….So let me get this right, I don’t have the goods with me…I have the receipt and you will give me the difference???? Yes she said….I mean REALLY…how awesome is that????

Next morning I sat at the beach again and watched the waves break and thought Man if SoM is right this place could be gone so easy……..
I called G that lunch time and said right I am ready to come home…Just enjoy yourself…and you have done this on points you are returning on the Friday…Arrggghhhhh I wanted soooo badly to be back in Japan

Friday 11th March
So I wander to the beach sit for around an hour…plastered in sun cream and still managed to burn!!! I mean REALLY
Then decided enough is enough I am off to the airport...I had my kindle I would buy a coke and go be one step closer to home….
I go check in, relax and then decide to go find a seat at the gate….I try calling G but could only get a funny ring tone if it was even that. I checked my email… (Thank goodness for smart phones)
G had emailed...Had a quake, lines down, trying to get hold of J. Japan has quakes all the time…but did he really need to contact J??? Then I say to the guy at the boarding gate look I have just had an email from my husband…little bit concerned until I can get in touch can I be last to board? He looks at the phone and says where are they? He asked where G was and I said….he said planes not taking off…ok…that’s good…I am thinking delay.
So I call G, nothing, I call the office…managed to get a very, very crackly line and I spoke with someone but the line was bad.
So then I get a number on my facebook app…one of the reason I keep removing it from my phone…
I open it up… there was 2 posts, Keep Safe!!! also Wendy are you still in Guam, just watching the news and seen the earthquake and tsunami warning hope your safe!
Well once again thank goodness for smart phones….So I go to my CNN app and see what’s happening in Japan…I can’t tell the emotions I went through right there and then…
He ground staff kept coming over to me; I am in a right state. I am calling, emailing, texting. The one ground staff lady gave me her phone charger. I then check Facebook again to see if there are updates…and J had posted he was fine, ground staff and people around me where like thank god…and smiling and a some claps it felt a bit like a movie….once again the emotions I can’t put into words…So J is fine..What about G… I wanted to get in that plane myself and fly it myself I needed to get back to Japan…I did not care what was happening there I NEEDED to be there.
The ground staff lady said try and get a hotel…So I did try every hotel it seems…NOTHING. Called the hotel back I had not long checked out of…She said we have nothing, but I will send the car over and you can wait here until all know what is going on. I am also becoming aware Guam was expecting a tsunami.
That part never even registered.
I tried calling family…sent emails managed to call my Mum.
So I am the last one to leave the airport…There was a lovely lady who said look my husband and son are back in Japan also and (she was also on the flight) they have just given me a room, you can share with me. She also said I have a spare calling card. I mean REALLY…how kind was this lady.
The airline managed to get me a room also.
We finally get to the hotel. I connect to the WIFI straight away the lovely lady said here is my room if you want anything call me….I mean WOW
I speak with SoM, also with MIL and SIL, spoke with my Mum properly well 2 minute properly.
Nobody was allowed in the lobby…there was no way I was moving …they had WIFI, I had a smart phone..No PC I needed access…to be honest the staff were amazing. The reason they wanted nobody in the lobby was because of the pending tsunami. I speak with Fab-K online who offered to come get…again WOW
I finally G and myself are able to send a few text that got through and then my phone rings and it is G…OMG…I was so happy to hear my boys where ok, shaken but ok and camping downstairs.
He said stay there until at least Sunday or Monday…hummmm I don’t think so mate..Not on your nelly!!!!! I am coming home as soon as I can get my backside on that plane!
During all this time I had Mrs. ciSL emailing me constantly checking on me.
Don’t know what I would have done without SoM and Mrs. ciSL
Well off I go to my room and thought..Oh no I have no idea what’s happening. So I asked front desk if they knew what the airline plans were. He called the airline. I called the airline… and I spoke with another amazing lady who said look I can’t say you can fly out we need to wait for Japan to tell us. Called different airlines all the same response…I could have gone via about 30 places and maybe gotten back to Japan just before Christmas….Ok…but you call me in the morning and we will see what we can do she said…I set every alarm in that room in case I feel asleep…(never slept the night before because I don’t like flying) So at 4.30 am I call the lady back who said ok…come in to the airport ask for me and we will see what we can do. I get to the airport; ask for the lady who had helped me like she told me to. I must have looked more of a nightmare than usual. She took my passport and said there you go you have an aisle seat…so my stupid reply was I have a seat?
I went through…I had not eaten anything since lunchtime the day before. I had no Dollars on me only Japanese yen or Korean won, and guess what the currency exchange was closed…..arrrggghhhh!!!!
So I go to the gate when we are allowed through. The plane was delayed taking off…the staff counted and recounted us…asked to see our boarding passes and I am thinking have I got on the wrong plane???
Well eventually we take off and what seemed like forever we landed.
I walk through the airport and the flakey paint on the ceiling is all over the floor. There are things that have fallen off the walls. I get through to arrivals unbelievable. No return buses as they have been suspended, G had called me when I landed and said he could not come get as the roads in were closed….so this meant a train….I could do this!!! I could….Not a problem….well there were one or two but…needless to say I get on the train with EVERYBODY else in Japan!
I start to feel sick…I am thinking I need to get off here and start walking…
G is texting me….ok where are you…hummm no idea…I will send you a map he says…
Ok but what do you want me to do with it…no good if I have no idea where I am…
Ok I will get somebody to call you, you had the phone to somebody and they will say where you are…
hummm no you won’t I am already been looked at like I am from another planet.
I get off the train where I was told to at the beginning of my journey to be told to get back on until Tokyo. So….I get to Tokyo…the train comes in but is not leaving….
We are finally allowed to board the train…I get off at Yokohama station…no idea where I am meant to go from there. I have G texting me we are here….A lovely older Japanese man asked if he could help me…Which unless he knew where G and J were, no he could not.
I get through the gate and I was sort of rugby tackled by J….I can only tell you I had the same feeling as the 1st day I held. I was home with my boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was not until later feeling the aftershockers (big aftershockers) and sitting down reading all the emails, text messages and facebook posts and messages that I realized how truly blessed my boys and I are

Well busy, busy week…Indian cooking class learnt 2 new recipes to add to my collection that I will probably NEVER cook. Still playing online word game with friends, Spoke with Yeti Moo,and SoM. We also had Kristpoher the Danish Gymnast stay with us. What an amazing kid…well amazing 20 year. Took him out for dinner as I had no idea what he ate…Him and his perfect English where doing back flips in the middle of the restaurant. I was so nervous about this, no idea if we were have a girl or boy for the home stay, No idea about the language…(his was perfect!) Allergies etc...What he would eat and not eat…He was a total sweetheart. I just hope he was not hungry at anytime.
When I drove him to the school on the last day, I was extremely sad to see him leave. If all home stay kids are like Kristopher we will have 10!!!!

I had a beautiful gift from JJ. She said just because you’re a friend….I mean how lovely it that???
Thursday I could put Costco off no longer…I decided just get in the car and go…For some reason Thursday is not the day to go to Costco…No idea why… I also managed to get of there without thinking “did I really spend that amount???” so very happy with that…lol

After dropping of Kristopher and 2 of his team mates I seen my Aussie Star for lunch on Friday, Don’t get to see her very often, but when I do She just makes my day!!!! Thank you My Aussie Star! The Beef pie was awesome as was the baked beans!

Had dinner with Mrs. H, Miss G, LLL and their husbands last night.
My menu …(that sounds posh. Well it does for me…normal I would say…I did……)
For something to nibble on I made a Veggie, herb mix and a tomato salsa
Fresh homemade tomato soup with parmesan crisps
Roast dinner with Beef, lamb and Yorkshire pudding made from scratch and they worked!!!!
Then Brownies, with raspberry cream, and pineapple and chili and Blueberry crème brulee…Go me!!!

Only 2 more sleeps then I go to Guam. So many errands to run before I go…not enough time in the week for a stay at home mother!!!!

Well book still not started, nor do I think it ever will be started!!!!!
G is well and truly home…..!!!
Started play a word game online and playing with friends all over the world…..I just keep placing tiles until it accepts the words I place….no idea if half of them are actually worlds but it seems to accept them.
J is finally off crutches, hoping to stay that way as long as he is sensible…but well we are talking about J.
Had a lovely lunch with some lovely ladies…Decided I DON”T like risotto and I don’t like olives…No need for either, really!
J was out Saturday night, He was invited to a movie night...Do you know how bad it is waiting for your child to come home while your falling asleep????? I mean my 11 year old was wide awake having a blast while I was holding my eyes open.
Still trying to sort the summer out….one plan seems great then something else comes along and it’s like hummmm ok….I mean any need!!!!
Had a couple of quakes…5.2’s Only really felt the one ……4.12 am Saturday morning the earth moved…I am sure we have a lot more quakes than we realize…I have no put the wind chimes up…I am there sometimes and I think hummm was that a quake…So know I have my chimes up…I will know…Just call me Sherlock!
No idea what’s happening with the weather….actually had the windows open all over the house on Friday…19 degrees…Then 4 degrees today and something that resembled a sort of crunchy snow….But it was NOT hale….

Tomorrow I have a Danish gymnast coming to stay. No idea if they are male or female…
No idea if they speak English, what they eat…I just know that the spaghetti bolognas I was planning on making is just not going to work……

I am also on my countdown to Guam….to say I am looking forward to this…well it would me a lie…Yeah I want to go…Yeah I want K-mart and Macys…but wish G and J were coming. Yes I actually typed that. I want them to come with me…lol
I tried to get Guam on my weather app…seems that area is not covered…Does nobody in Guam want to know the weather without looking out the window….Hello that’s what the weather app if for surely???

Well I have not started to write a book like I wanted to…have enough problems trying writing this…
I love the idea of writing a book; I love the idea of sitting planning how the book will pan out… Characters, places it could be set…remembering something that has happened and laughing out loud and thinking …Oh that could be added to the book…lol
The way it is planned in my head it will need to have at least 24 follow on books , with all I want to put in there….But how can this happen when instead of writing (even here) the calling of Soaps or ANOTHER crime TV show is just too great to resist . Also Iron chef can be added to that every morning at 9am Tokyo time. Another crime is on the TV right now actually….
I was also thinking about how many of my New Year resolutions I actually kept to. I am thinking probably ZERO. Not sure I can even remember what I agreed to...

I think we had a good extended weekend….everything needed to be done was done, relaxing time with friends and Hubby finally home………..

By 8.15am on Friday morning we were in Tokyo for J’s physio appointment. It took us only 1 hour to get to there, which that time of morning I am thinking is good. Having to drive to Tokyo for one hour every week is a pain…not just because of the distance, toll road and time, but because afterwards we have to come home because he can’t do anything, Can’t really go to the International food stores (which might actually be a blessing because I always find more than I actually need and it always seems to end up in the cart.) We can’t go for lunch in case parking is too far...Blah, blah, and blah. Also where I want to go I am sure J would have no interest and I am almost positive he would let me know.
Friday night Mrs. H, N3, Miss G and Smiler came over for dinner. As I had no idea about the new type of rice I had bought, I asked Miss G if she would need help. After washing the rice and then telling me the rice needed to sit after cooking…I was like right not buying this again. I want rice I can buy wash cook and serve. You let meat rest after cooking, surely not rice as well….I need to get back to Uncle Ben’s rice. That is easy to use, does not stick together and you need a folk to eat it!

Saturday night we played board games at Mrs. H’s. I miss board games, it was so nice just chatting, playing, laughing and relaxing. At 9pm I looked at my watch and realized that that time the next day G would finally be home. I make it sound as if he was gone for months….Well it felt like it!

Finally G came home over 2 hours early, to say I was happy to have him home is an understatement. That night I was asleep by 9.30 and awake by 3am, It was the best sleep I had, had while he was away…I was not listening to every creek of the house (so bad at times where the creaking noises I was convinced one side of the house was going to fall down!)
G brought home my things I had asked for. Some clothes for J, one of my favorite’s seasonings, a couple of items that I had assured him that we needed and we could not live without. ( I am sure he did not actually believe we could not live without these items, but he brought them home without question..Thank goodness)
Then he produced the ‘gift’ WOOOOO HOOOOO the little blue bag (turquoise colour to me) I don’t know if I was more excited about the little bag and box or what was inside it. After opening the box and seeing what was inside and falling in love instantly (not quite like when I held J for the time, but close!) I soon forgot about the bag and box. I have to say I loved my gift and I could not have picked anything more fab if I had picked the gift myself.

Last night I hosted my first book club evening. Awesome group of ladies and the book was pretty good as well. This was the second book I had read with the book club. I am REALLY looking forward to the next one.

To say I am a nightmare would be putting it mildly…I am making myself feel crazy with checking and double checking taps are off, cars are locked, wallet in handbag, car park ticket put in bag…etc etc.
It seems to be taking me so long to check things that I am getting later and later for things.
This week I went to Tokyo with Mrs. H, Miss G and Miss B. Mrs. H called and asked if I was ready to leave, I told her I would be leaving in 2 minutes. 12 minutes later I was still rechecking I had unplugged something for something like the 30th time. I mean any need really…which reminds me I had better go and check I have unplugged the same item now!........
I just went and checked THREE times and it was unplugged!
Nightmare or what?

So I told J that while I know he can’t do much we were heading outside even if it was just to the store.
J could not understand this….Apparently he opened his window yesterday and put his face by the window, so I am gathering in his mind that is a great way to get exercise and fresh air…
Exercise by walking to the window and opening it and then hanging out the window for fresh air and filling those lungs….Any need, REALLY!!!!

We went to the store….the main thing I needed was bin/trash bags.
I bought everything except the bin bags….Any Need!!!!
While at the store I knew I need rice for tomorrow evening. So I go to pick up a bag of rice….easy right? NO it’s not! Do you know how many types of rice there are in Japan? Well I will tell you…..100000000000000000000000000000000000000 well may be one or two zeros too many but I am not far off on those numbers
There is a whole aisle of rice….ranging from tiny bags which I am sure would be enough to feed a baby to 10kg plus bags….So which one do I pick???? Well I like the look of the one with the mountains and icy cool looking water…but at $40 I can live without the picture on the bag of the mountain.
I have no idea which bag to pick up…Some of the bags have a picture of a hand and a fish…
Does that mean it goes with fish only? Or it is handpicked by a fish pond??? Or is it picked by fish that spit it out…like that expensive cat coffee stuff…
I then saw 4 bags that looked similar except for the colour of the bags. So I said to J pick a number 1, 2, 3 or 4…He picked one so we picked up the orange bag!...I did look at the grain…all looks like pudding rice to me. I mean where’s Uncle Ben’s when you need it? I can even cook that one on the stove now thanks to Wellies.
Wellies never showed me how to cook anything except Uncle Ben’s. Wellies taught me one cup of rice to 2 cups of water…Not like that for Japanese rice. I do have a rice paddle with little bumps on…I think somebody made that for people like me…to try and save my rice/

I came home and unloaded the shopping, picked up a bag of chocolate chips that went EVERYWHERE and I mean everywhere…I found some in my Jacket pockets when I looking for a receipt…ANY NEED!
Gold might actually be cheaper than chocolate chips…
To say this was not good would be putting it mildly….I picked up, swept, hoover and washed the floor…bet I still find more…I am sure I missed some!

Yesterday we had snow…not a little bit but a lot…Now I have to say, by the rest of the worlds standards it was a flurry…By this areas standards it was AWESOME!!!

Today is my anniversary, and yet another year we are not spending it together, him on one side of the world and me on the other. We have actually only spent 2 anniversaries together out of 12.
I have had a nice day (I am sure it would have been nicer if G was here) I did a few chores and a few errands; I needed a nap which I took!
I have actually taken to setting my phone alarm in case I do end up falling asleep and I miss the school run. I just know one day that will happen!
Ski break time so rest of the week NO school…Yayyyyyy.

Today I decided that I should change my name to Nigella, Delia and Martha. I made two new recipes, I NEVER used every pan I own, I cleaned up ASAP…I am getting sooooo good.
So I made crepes for the 1st time and Beer battered fish. Both went seemed to be a big hit. The kitchen I am sure stinks of fried fry…
The crepes I made Because Mrs. H called around last night and she brought some crepes she had made.
J wolfed them down, I think the Nutella over load helped as well.
So when J asked for crepes this afternoon I was like Ok come on then!!! I though surely it’s not that hard to make the crepes…Off I trottered to the kitchen and whipped up a batch of crepes.
I impressed myself, I made J happy….So go me!!!

I have also decided that it is ok to eat biscuits/cookies in Japan. I will tell you why….You buy a packed of biscuits, you fight to open up the outer wrapper, you think okay chocolate biscuits….yummm
Then you find EVERY one of those biscuits individually wrapped, and if you think the bigger outer wrapper was hard to open, you have NO idea how hard the smaller individual wrapped biscuits are to open. So by the time you have fought to open the biscuits you have used at least 100 calories opening each biscuit.
This actually makes me laugh. The Japanese are the recyclable kings. Their rubbish/Garbage system when you get used to it is pretty awesome. (Made me cry in the beginning)
You can’t put just anything in the wrong bin because the rubbish/garbage guys will sick a HUGE yellow stick it and they leave it there. No idea what these yellow stickers say…but what I am trying to say for a country that recycles and is red hot on rubbish/garbage they produce enough of it. I mean does the packet of biscuits really need a outer wrapper (which goes into plastics and not PET recycles) plus the 10 biscuits and their nearly impossible to open wrappers…I mean ANY NEED, REALLY!
May-be it is a sign that they are just not meant to be eaten…Nah!!! Biscuits where meant to be eaten!