44th Holiday Party

As I had mentioned in a previous post, Mike and I planned the 44th Annual Holiday Party this year. It was a lot of fun planning an event where all of our friends get dressed up, bring gifts, enjoying some entertainment, and then dance the night away.... In fact, it was a little like planning a wedding all over again!! Though it may not be very interesting to most, I wanted to share it with you because I worked so darn hard on it and we had a great time! Thanks to Mom for all of your help planning, prepping, and decorating! It wouldn't have gone as smooth without you!!

A friend of mine designed the invitation, and they turned out BEAUTIFULLY... if I do say so myself!

I made bat ornaments with each guest's or couple's last name on it. It was used as both a place card and a parting gift. They were placed on small trees at the entrance table.

The centerpieces were glass bowls filled with blue ornaments or glass candle holders. During dinner, Mike and I went around to the tables and let people play cards to win the one at their table. We also had raffle prizes to give away all night long! Thanks to Mom for helping my shop for them all!

When the night arrived, we got all dressed up, drank some vino, and enjoyed mingling with everyone.

Left to right: Shelly, Julie, Andrea, Monica, Kristyn, Brittany, Me, and Emily

Throughout the night, Mike was the M.C. He did a great job directing the flow the evening and providing a little entertainment along the way. At the end of the organized portion of the evening, we did a little gift exchange. Mike and I rewrote The Night Before Christmas as if Santa were a fighter pilot. Between every other set of prose, we had people pass their gift to the right or left. At the end of the poem, everyone opened his or her gift!!

The poem that we rewrote is below. (hint: Vincent D. Vampire is the squadron mascot.)

If Vincent D. were Santa By Shot and Lynn Glass

Twas the night before Christmas, and all across base

Not a Bat was sober after each melting his face.

The bat plaques were hung by the front door with care,

In hopes that Vincent D. soon would be there.

The Guanos were nestled all snug in their beds,

I cannot speak of the visions that danced in their heads.

Still in my party suit, Bat Babe in her dress,

Had just passed out for a hot winters’ rest.

When out on the flight line there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window, my head it did pound.

Tore open the curtains to yell, “Keep it down!”

They were sitting on the ramp all ready to go,

Loaded with AMRAAMs, 9x’s and presents, fo sho!

It was an eight ship of Eagles, but one in the lead

Had the canopy popped and deplaned with some speed.

He was a crusty Eagle Driver that much I could see.

I knew in a moment it must be Vincent D!

His wingmen in tow were all doing the same,

But he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Hey Joker! Hey Moose! Hey Rolexx and Smokin’!

Yo Bucko! Yo Blaze! Yo Bluto!” were all spoken.

“To the window! To the wall!

It’s 4.4 minutes to hack, you’re all late for roll call!”

And then, with a chuckling, I heard in the yard:

“So to speak,” in response to, “It must be hard.”

As I laughed to myself, and was turning around,

In the front door Vincent D. came with a bound.

From his head to feet, he was dressed in all green.

The blue cap on his cranium, to one side it did lean.

The bulging red sack he was dragging behind

Was filled with presents! You dirty, dirty mind!!

His flight suit was quite wrinkled, his boots were not shined

He wore only Friday patches, is there any other kind?

The ‘stache on his lip was so full and so lush,

I knew in an instant he could turn women to mush.

With a grin and a tap on his new can of dip,

I could see a neat lump in lower left lip.

From his pocket he pulled some Jeramiah Weed

And with a swig and a wink he then passed it to me.

This bottle must have been much stronger than most.

I’ve had my share of Weed. I don’t mean to boast.

But the room began spinning and reality unraveling.

This has happened before. We call it time traveling.

My memory was foggy for the rest of the night.

He delivered tons of gifts in the flash of a light.

Then he ran out the door to some unspoken cue.

As he went I heard him sing, “I love my wife. Yes I do.”

He sprang to his jet, to his team gave the finger.

And away they all flew, the smell of Weed it did linger.

But I heard him exclaim as he went to depart

“Happy Christmas to all and how does every great fighter pilot song start?!"

All Things Christmas

I have been slacking on my weekly updates, but most of the past week was spent celebrating Christmas in one way or another so let's talk about All Things Christmas!!

I had been watching Christmas movies all week, including Elf. All had inspired me to decorate the house even more than I had when Mom, Dad, Michele and Al were here. So I spent a few evening making snowflakes and taping them all over the house. Rusty especially enjoyed the front window decor.

Thanks to my dear sister Laura, I have some bat lights left over from Halloween that I used to make my very own 44th Christmas tree! I know I'm a huge nerd, but call is school spirit or call it extra materials, I love my little bat tree! I had this small tree and blue tinsel left over from last Christmas. The bat ornaments were left over from this year's squadron holiday party, and the lights were the perfect touch!!

I also wanted to do something a little Japanesey too so I got Christmas orchids to decorate the kitchen window. These orchids were not only super cheap but have lasted weeks! I love them!!

Wednesday night before Christmas, Mike and I celebrated our own Christmas by making a big meal for just the two of us. Mike deep fried a turkey and I made the sides. We sat at our table while Rusty sat at our feet. It was a perfect family night!!

Thursday night we went caroling with the squadron. We had about 44 adults and children from the 44th out to sing to neighbors on the base.

While most of us sang at the doorsteps, some of the guys, including Mike, stayed on the sidewalk to keep the booze wagon company.

And of course, you can't truly celebrate the birth of Jesus without a little awamori and karaoke.

Mike and Wizz are more than a little excited about awamori.

I think Shotgun is singing Jingle Bells - no, probably a little Eminem.

Christmas morning we woke up to make breakfast, open presents and talk to family. Rusty had a ball opening all his new toys and treats!!

And I think Mike peed a little when he opened his new Ipad!! He's been talking about getting an Ipad for ages now! Rusty can't wait to get his paws on it too!

Later that night went to celebrate with our close friends: Wizz and Kristyn Szala, Spear and Brittany Mintz, and Bluto, Emily and Shelby McSwain at the McSwain's pad. Missing her home in Alabama, Emily made a fantastic southern meal of standing rib roast, creamed spinach, corn soufflé, and mashed potatoes. It was so nice to have a family meal with our Okinawa family.

Wizz was digging the rib roast!!

We not only celebrated with our friends but Rusty and Ally got to celebrate too!

Ally is a 4 month old puffball and wasn't quite sure about Rusty.

We finished the night off with a fun Naughty Santa exchange. Bluto and Emily opened a "Doodie Head" game which proved to be tons of fun later in the night!!

If all that wasn't enough, we found out later our newest cousin, William Jenkins Denlinger, arrived on Christmas day!! Lucky kid gets to share a birthday with JESUS!! Mike and I are happy, proud godparents!! We can't wait to meet him and love him already!! Congrats Andy, Emily, and big sister Maggie!!

Of course, the post office here on base is very backed up so we are still getting packages in the mail. If you haven't heard from us, don't worry, your mail is still arriving every day! But that's the fun of it, Christmas lasts all week long!!

Thank you so much to our family far and away. We had a fantastic Christmas chatting with you all on the phone or skyping. Thank you for your letters, pictures, emails, and well wishes. We miss you all and hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!

Merry Christmas 2010

Merry Born Time

So, I woke up today excited to celebrate my birthday but not quite expecting the day I had. I had planned to sleep in, get my toes done at Cocok's, have lunch with a friend and then go out with my girls at night. But the day was much more special thank anticipated.

Mike returned home after an early meeting to wake me up around 8 to open presents in bed. Before leaving for Cocok's I found this sign in the yard!

Then the lady at the nail salon massaged my feet and legs for an extra 15 minutes and did a fabulous paint job!

My lunch with friend Shelly and her little boy Evan ended with the sweetest "Happy Birthday Miss Win" I've ever heard!!

After returning home, I checked my email to get a video from my family. I was a blubbering mess after watching it twice. They end the video by singing Happy Birthday in Engrish: "Merry Born Time, Rynn Grass!" I have the best family in the world! Seriously, best family EVER!!

Check out this link to see the video

All afternoon I sat on the couch watching TV with my best bud, Rusty. Even he gave me birthday kisses.

Later that evening, my good friends Kristyn, Emily, Brittany, and Angela picked me up for an evening on the town with the ladies! Mike had a big night at the squadron planned so he promised to spend all day Saturday celebrating my birthday with me. This gave me the perfect opportunity to hang out with the girls. We ate dinner at one of my favorite places, Som Chai! There were about 12 ladies there to share the meal and conversation with me! Then we went to Kristyn's for champagne, cake, and presents. The girls gave me some great gifts including a few items to make me feel a little more... humble.

Thanks for the cake, Kristyn!!

They gave me granny panties, a sash with "I'm 30!" on it, a shirt with "So Happy I'm Thirty" written on, and a birthday tiara.

We ended the night at the O'Club where I met Mike and many more friends to dance the night away!

It was a fantastic night surrounded by friends with many thoughts from family and friends at home. Thank you to all who made the day so special! You made me feel so loved!

It's a Green Christmas

In efforts to "Go Green" this year, Mike and I emailed our Christmas letter to our friends and family. (You should have gotten one too!) Below you will find our picture page and letter. Just in case you didn't get one in your inbox, you can read it here.

We miss you all and wish you a VERY Merry Christmas and safe New Year!!

Hello friends, family, and loved ones,

I hope that this letter finds you all healthy and happy this holiday season! Since we have not seen most of you in a long while, I thought that this “Green Christmas Card” would be the perfect opportunity to catch you all up on our lives in the Pacific.

We have been in Okinawa for a year now, and what a year it has been!! Last November, we arrived at Kadena Air Base and were quickly engulfed by the squadron, the culture, the language and a flurry of activity! We rushed through Thanksgiving and right into Christmas while successfully moving into a house on base, buying cars, learning to drive on the left and mastering a few key Japanese phrases. For New Years, we took a long weekend trip to Tokyo to celebrate the Japanese way, in the Shinto Meiji-Jingu Shrine.

Shortly after New Year’s Mike went with the 44^th Fighter Squadron to Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, NV for Red Flag, an advanced aerial combat training exercise. There he participated in his first exercise in the F-15C, had A LOT of fun, and received his official call sign. He shall now and forever be known as Mike “SHOT” Glass. Though Vegas was his first TDY, or “business trip” as I call them, it was not his last. The Air Force has also taken him to South Korea twice and Chitose Air Base in northern Japan to fly with the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.

In addition to traveling with the Air Force, we have had the opportunity to do some personal traveling of our own. In early May, we both went back to South Bend, IN to watch Mike’s sister, Mallory, graduate from St. Mary’s College. Mike also commissioned her as an officer in the US Air Force. It was a great weekend spent celebrating her accomplishments with extended family. During the trip, we were also able to see my family in Indianapolis, friends in Chicago, and even catch a Cubs game! Later that month, we went to Maui for a week with friends from the squadron. We just needed a break from our own tropical island!

I have done my fair share of exploring the world as well. In June our very good friends Matt and Jenny Boling came to visit us! After a week of Okinawan adventures, I went with them to Kyoto and Tokyo for more touring while Mike stayed behind to dominate the skies of the South Pacific. July and August were busy with a trip back to Indy for my brother’s wedding. Dave and Catherine Taylor were married on July 30^th in Indianapolis. It was a gorgeous ceremony and rowdy reception with lots of loved ones celebrating their new life together! During that trip, I also made it to Cleveland for my friend Ann Marie Grimberg’s wedding, had a weekend at Lake Monroe with my best girls from high school, and toured western Ohio visiting Mike’s family. It was a jam-packed but much needed 3 weeks in the USA! Finally, in October I spent ten days in China with five other wives from the squadron putting more checks on my bucket list. We saw Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall in Beijing, the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi’an, and did too much shopping in Hong Kong. It was the trip of a lifetime and I have 2,ooo pictures to prove it!!

Still, we have not been the only ones to have fun this year! We have had several visitors in Okinawa, including friends Matt and Jenny Boling in June and Mallory for two weeks in September. My parents were here for Thanksgiving and my mom stayed for an extra week just to finish her Christmas shopping. Mike’s mom, Michele, and her husband, Al, were here for a week in December. With every set of visitors we saw the important sights such as Shuri Castle, various WWII battle sights, and the Churaumi Aquarium. We ate sushi, soba, corn pizza, taco rice and other Okinawan favorites. We drank the local Orion beer and Okinawan sake called awamori. We shopped at Jusco, the Japanese Walmart, and we showed them the squadron and the jets. It has been a blessing to share our life with family and friends from home so that they can better appreciate what our life is like in this part of the world.

As you can see, this year has been more than busy for us, but 2011 promises to be even better. We will welcome two new family members: Boy Cousin (and godson) Denlinger in December on Mike’s side and Nephew Critser in January on my side! Shot’s flying and TDY (business trip) schedule should be full. He is also in the process of getting his Masters in Aeronautical Operations from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This February I will be starting a new job as a pediatric Physical Therapist in the schools on base! We also hope to return to the US in June for our friend Cody Conway’s wedding and meet our families in Kauai, HI for a week in September.

Needless to say, the Good Lord has given us more blessings than we can count. We thank you all for your continued love and support during the past year. It is not east to be so far from home. Thank you for your phone calls, emails, cards, thoughts and prayers. We sincerely hope that you each have a wonderful Christmas and safe New Year’s. May the next year be better than the last!!

Merry Christmas and God Bless,

“Shot,” Lynn, and Rusty Glass

PSC 80 Box 15743

APO, AP 96367

317-222-1570

michaelglass14 (skype name)

A Week in the Life...Dec 12

It's been another fantastic week visiting with family, touring, and making memories! We have had fantastic weather which has allowed us to get out and explore some great parts of the island. Unfortunately, Mike has been really busy working on an upgrade at work and finishing up a class online. He's done his best to hang out when he can but he's had to miss out on a few fun things this week. So, without further ado, here are the pics from this week:

Monday: Mom left on a jet plane in the morning but Michele and Al arrived that evening!

It's always difficult to say goodbye to my mom.

I loved having her here and was sorry to see her go.

But I couldn't be sad for too long...

Welcome Michele and Al!!

Tuesday: Dad returned to Okinawa from a business trip to Hong Kong to spend one extra night here before returning to the US.

The four of us, Michele, Al, Dad, and myself, enjoyed a dinner at my favorite Thai place: Som Chai.

It is SOO good and it's just a little hole in the wall.

Wednesday: After dropping Dad off at the airport in the morning, Michele, Al, and I went to see Shuri Castle.

I've talked about this castle in the past, but it's the original center of the Ryuku Kingdom built in the 1300's.

It's a beautiful piece of Okinawan history.

Thursday: I went to the 44th December Coffee.

Each month the wives of the squadron gather to chat, catch up, and have a business meeting of sorts to discuss upcoming events, etc.

Though we call them coffees, we rarely actually drink coffee!

Friday: We hired a tour guide to take us to some of historical sights highlighting the Battle of Okinawa from WWII.

We went to five different places and listened to her stories and statistics.

She had so much information to share with us and really opened our eyes to the entire environment surrounding WWII in the Pacific.

It was a fascinating day and our tour guide was phenomenal!

This is Setsco-san, our tour guide.

She is a spry 65 year-old lady with a great sense of humor and endless information about the Battle of Okinawa and Japanese history and culture.

Saturday: Mike has taught Rusty a new trick: High Five.

Rusty can jump to Mike's height and actually make contact with is hand!!

Mike doesn't even have to move his hand!!!

Good boy!!

Sunday: After a relaxing, lazy day at the house, we all went out to eat at our favorite place, Uroko.

We were celebrating our birthdays early with some cheesecake and ice cream!

YUMMY!

J-O-B!!!

I HAVE ONE!!!

I guess it's time to share the news.... I had interviewed for a position with the Education Developmental Intervention System (EDIS) here at Kadena a few weeks ago. Seriously, I thought it was a long shot that I would get the job. BUT last Tuesday I got an email telling me they want to hire me!! I will be a pediatric Physical Therapist for a district of schools on the bases here in Okinawa starting February 2nd!! This leaves me some time to study up, review my stuff, fill out heaps of paperwork, and do some last minute traveling before I start up full time in Feb!

Thanks for all of your support, encouragement, and love during this long two years of unemployment. A special thanks goes to Michael for his endless support (moral and financial) and for pushing me to put myself out there. I am very excited to get back in the saddle and practice some PT (oh yeah, and get a pay check!!)

Now let's all get a fruity drink, fruit garnish required, and cheers to EMPLOYMENT!!

A Week in the Life...Dec 5

It's better late than never!! We have had lots of family in town so I've been busy visiting, touring, and partying. But here is a peak at last week's events.

Monday: Dad spent the morning with Mom and I touring a few places in Naha. First we went to the Japanese Naval Underground Headquarters (more on this to come) and then explored an area called Kokasai Street.

We ate at a great little Japanese place where you had to take off your shows and eat with chopsticks. We had meals of soba noodles, rice, pickled seaweed, and sweet bean curd for dessert.

It's actually not bad!

Soon after this meal, Dad hopped a plane to Hong Kong for a week of business.

Tuesday: Mom and I decorated the house for Christmas. We started with the tree which took some furniture moving, but we found a good spot for it. Rusty is waiting for Santa!!

Wednesday: I babysat for my little friend Kat again. The fun thing that happened this time was the cat. She sound an opened package and made herself at home!

Thursday: My very good friend, Brittany (on the left) had her birthday on Dec 2nd. We celebrated with her with lunch at Chili's!!

Happiest Birthday wishes to you, Britt!!

Friday: Mike and I were the planners for this year's Annual 44th Fighter Squadron Holiday Party. I've been working on this party for weeks now, but Friday was crunch time!

For the place cards/ parting gift combo, I made Santa bat ornaments for everyone attending.

The bats were hung on trees at the entry table.

Along with these fun crafts, we got the center pieces together, finalized the script, and made sure all was in order before the big party on Saturday night!!!

Saturday: The big day!! The Holiday Party!!

Mike was the MC for the party and did a fantastic job!

For the entertainment, we rewrote the Night Before Christmas as if Santa were a fighter pilot. (I will also be addressing this at length in the future.)

All in all, we had a great night!!

Sunday: We spent the whole day on the couch recovering from the night before.

No one wants to see a picture of that!!