Mt. Katsuu

Burr and I have had a great weekend!  On Friday night I got to go to the end of a "Hail and Farewell" with his squadron (HMM-262 the Flying Tigers) and then out to dinner with some of his cohorts.  Sushi Zen was as perfect as the name suggests.  We finished out the night at Eclipse, a bar on the Sunabe Seawall...  nothing starts the weekend off like a nightime view of the ocean!

Saturday morning led us to the gym for a spinning class - we worked very hard!  And our hard work was not finished... with Josh Miller we went adventuring in the north island.  We traveled up the Okinawa Expressway to the town of Nago then veered onto a winding jungle road up to Mt. Katsuu.  An intensive hike to the mountaintop followed.  We were not rewarded with a knock-out view at the top; instead we found ourselves in the middle of a cloud!  It was an incredible hike though and one we will likely repeat on a clear day.  In reward for our hard work we sought out a renowned restaurant called "Pizza in the Sky."  The curvy road to this picturesque location and delicious food was totally worth it.  

Here are some pictures from our hike and our lunch.

The winding jungle road


Pre-hike, looking out over the ocean


Sign at the trailhead... hope it didn't say anything important!


The beginning.


These signs were scattered throughout the hike.  Anyone read Kanji?  (Sp?)

Giant crevice.


Summit


View from the top.  Of the clouds...


So dramatic!


Pizza in the sky!

As I said, it has been a great weekend.  Sunday we went to church, then rested up in the afternoon.  We had a great steak dinner in honor of a friend who deployed today, and this morning (Monday) we watched the Superbowl!  Burr had the day off, so we enjoyed a traditional Superbowl Brunch.  Yum.

So, from wherever you are reading, we hope that all is well.  And don't worry, we will take you to Pizza in the Sky when you come!

Grace and Peace,
Rachel

Random Facts On My New Home

1. The streets are made of crushed coral and become slippery when wet
2. The key to driving on the other side of the road is to repeat to yourself "left is right" and go with the flow!
3. It's hard to order out of my comfort zone at Japanese restaurants... I have had some measure of success by simply not thinking about what I am about to eat!
4. Watching the Today Show live at 9PM is kind of weird...
5. All of the poultry at the commissary is sold frozen, yet the beef appears to be fresh...
6. We only have ten TV stations... good thing for the writer's strike or I would be seriously bummed about some of the shows I'm missing.
7. In the same vein... although the networks have full episodes of shows on their websites, they are only accessible to viewers in the US.
8. My car is a '98 Diahtsu Terio... purple... so cool!
9. We still don't have a microwave. The dilemma is whether to buy an American one that we can understand but might not work well b/c of voltage issues, or to buy a Japanese one that will work great, but we won't know how to set the timer (b/c all the instructions are in Japanese)!
10. Getting Gabe his food might be a challenge. The website from which we order does not work in Japan... if anyone has an awesome vet who will write you a prescription for some duck and potato dog food... and will then send it to us... that person will be our FAVORITE!
11. I am going through some serious "Friends" withdrawal... yes, I know, it's been off the air for a few years now, but I still always enjoy it in syndication. If anyone wants to hook me up with Seasons 1-10... you would be my FAVORITE!
12. Burr thinks that because we are living in Japan we should do as the Japanese do and remove our shoes as soon as we walk in the door. I have promised to comply as soon as he gets me some UGG slippers!
13. I comply with the shoe rule already. But am still waiting on some slippers.
14. I have seen the sun twice since I have been here... and both times it was beautiful.
15. The rain isn't really that bad... it's actually nice to hear on the roof at night, and most days it's either misty out or just overcast.
16. Gabe and Penny are becoming lazy slobs due to their quarantine.
17. Burr loves flying with his squadron over here.
18. SKYPE is awesome!
19. Gunners Gym on base is quite good. The treadmills are very high-tech (each has a built in TV screen), and I went to a Spinning Class today. (Somehow, I crashed on my stationary bike... it takes special talent!)
20. Burr and I are placing bets on who will be our first visitor. Get your passports and tickets and we'll see who called it right!

Stay tuned for more... as our place comes together, I will post pictures of it. Promise!

Grace and Peace,
Rachel

Hello One and All!!

It has been a long month and a half since I last posted and SO MUCH has happened! I had a great winter in Park City with Burr's family and really enjoyed the snow and skiing. I got to work at Dugin's West for Robert, and enjoyed preparing for and going to different holiday parties and events with Linda and the family. Kristy came out my last week there, and we tore up the slopes and hit Sundance for lunch. It was great fun all around. Mom arrived on the last Saturday there; she, Linda, Kristy and I had a great time snow-shoeing and sightseeing on Sunday before I had to leave on Monday.

Last Friday Gabe, Penny and I made the trip from Seattle, WA to Okinawa, Japan. And, let me say, that without my mom (who traveled with us from Park City to San Diego and saw us of there) and Caroline (who met us in Seattle and saw us off to Japan) I think I would have died! It was so wonderful to spend my last few days in the States with them and to to have their help and support as the stress came crashing down! Gabe and Penny made the trip like seasoned pros, and we are coming up on one full week in our new country!

Burr did a FANTASTIC job finding our home and we are loving being back together and starting our new life! I promise to get some "house" pictures to you soon, but the movers are coming today to deliver the rest of our things, so give me a few more days to pull it all together! In the meantime, enjoy these photos and the new links on the left.

All the Best,
Rachel

Burr is There!! And I am Here.

On Friday, November 30, Burr arrived in Okinawa, Japan after a 16 hour flight from Seattle, WA.  He crossed the international dateline, and is now a day ahead of those readers who live in the Continental US.  As I post this at 11:27 AM on Saturday, Dec. 1, in Park City, UT, it is 2:27 AM on Sunday Dec. 2 in Okinawa!  

The best way to contact Burr at this point is email.  His address is: uaferg@gmail.com

I am in Park City, UT with the Dugins Family until mid-January.  As we don't have an address yet in Japan, if you have any correspondence for us at Christmas, the best place to send it is here:

1 Walker Court Park City, UT 84060.

Gabe and Penny are doing well... Gabe loves playing in the snow, looking for food, and chasing Linda's cats.  Penny Lane is being very bossy to the other cats and working to establish her turf.  Par for the course, I'd say.

You'll notice on the left a new pictures link.  Check it out for photos of Burr's arrival in Okinawa.  Hopefully he will get us more and more pictures so we all have a sense of what it's all about!  

Grace and Peace,

Rachel

The Movers Are Here!

The movers are here RIGHT NOW packing up all of our things! FINALLY!! We are moving to Japan! (well, Burr is... I'll move in about six weeks!) Just to refresh, Burr leaves tomorrow (Wednesday) and then flies to Japan on Thurs. I'll be in Park City, UT until mid-January.

Here are some recent pictures... some of the pets, some of Burr and Robert skiing at Alta, and some dating back to Halloween! Enjoy!

Gabe, Penny and I... Ready to go!


Burr and Family at the University of Utah - last homegame... legendary Tailgate at Fred's.




Alta.

At Grandmother's.


Penny Lane was Bat-girl for Halloween!


Gabe and I, checking out what's going on outside.

Lots of Updates!

Hi Friends!

Sorry it has been so long since I last updated - a lot has been going on... so read on to find out what's new with us!

Sunday Oct. 28 - I wrecked my car on the 5 coming home from work. Amazingly, given that I did a 360 in traffic, I hit no other cars and no one hit me. The back door to the Liberty was damaged because I hit the cement divider backwards, but other than that you would never know what had happened.

Tues. Oct. 30 - My last day of work at Mistral. I was sad to be done, but it puts us one step closer to our move.

Wed. Oct 31 - Halloween!! Gabe and I carved a great looking pumpkin! Burr and I headed down to San Diego to have dinner with our friend Torrey Smitherman who was in town from Alabama for a conference. We had a great time and saw some very impressive Halloween costumes.

Thurs. Nov. 1 - We (FINALLY) found out what our travel dates for Japan will be. Burr will leave on Nov.29. I will leave on Jan. 17. The military flight did not have any space available for Gabe and Penny Lane until the January flight, and Burr's squadron needed him before mid-January. It's sad that we'll be apart for six weeks and Christmas, but there are some perks to Burr getting there first and getting things set up and going before the pets and I arrive.

Sun. Nov. 4 - We flew to Nashville, TN and Caroline picked us up at the airport. We spent a fun night at her house and she treated us to a great home-made soup.

Mon. Nov. 5 - Burr, Caroline, and I went to Bowling Green to visit Grandmother. First we stopped in at Jackson's Orchard to pick up apple cider and fresh apples to use for applesauce. We went on to Chalybeate and spent a great afternoon with Grandmother. The visit was even better because we got to visit with Aunt Jenny and Aunt Chickie. Caroline and I prepared a meal for Grandmother (quite a role reversal) and our applesauce was fantastic!

Tues. Nov. 6 - Most of the day was spent with Burr and me hanging out at Caroline's, but in the evening we got together with Kristi Vick-Stratton and went out for a great dinner with Caroline and Andy then on to Borders for books, etc.

Wed. Nov 7 - Burr and I headed down to Birmingham and spent a great day with Anita and her family.

Thurs. Nov. 8 - Our trip took a very unexpected turn when we arrived at Burr's grandmother's (Peggy) house and found her unconcious. She was rushed to the Emergency Room and later in the day passed away.

Fri. Nov. 9 - Was spent at Peggy's making arrangements for her service. In the morning, I was able to have a meeting with Dr. Richardson (I was in his voice studio at Samford) and reunite with some SU friends. Various members of Burr's family arrived in town throughout the day and all were trying to come to terms with the events of the day before. Peggy was very special to Burr, Katie, and Fred. Her prescence will be greatly missed.

Sat. Nov. 10 - Peggy was laid to rest beside her husband at the Elmwood Cemetary in Birmingham. The family regrouped at Rick and Terri Ferguson's house after the service, and in the evening the McKraneys (spelling?) invited everyone to their home for a BBQ dinner.

Yesterday, Sunday, my mom and I returned to Tallahassee, FL where I will stay with her through the rest of the week. Burr remained in B-ham and will go to Park City, UT to see his mom and family there today. We will both return to California on Sunday and will be there until Burr leaves for Japan.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers during this tumultuous time in our lives.

Grace and Peace,
Rachel

No Worries!

Hi friends,

Just wanted to update you on the wildfire situation. Yes, the fires are out of control in San Diego county; no, (thank goodness) we haven't been negatively affected by them. I was told not to go down to Solana Beach for work on Monday and Tuesday (I don't work again until Sunday), because of the evacuation orders in the area and the fact that NO ONE would be out shopping for SOAP in the middle of a natural disaster! So I've had the last two days at home cleaning, straightening and preparing for the next month.

Burr has had to go to work everyday, but Monday he got to come home early and yesterday he didn't have to be there until noon. Today he will have normal hours. Let me assure you that he has been in no danger from the fires on Camp Pendleton. Yes, there are fires there, but No he has not had to fight them or be in their path! ALL IS WELL!!

Gabe is a bit confused about why I've been home the last two days and we haven't played outside any. How do you explain to a dog that the air quality is so bad that going outside for exercise would be counter-productive? Not to mention, every time we DO go outside, we come back in smelling like a campfire!

Hope all is well with you. Please keep the victims of this fire in your prayers. We know several families who have lost their homes.

grace and peace,
rmf

Entertaining secrets...

Well, not really secrets, just what I did when Linda and Robert came to town last weekend.

By the way, we had a fantastic visit! They arrived on Friday night and we headed out to Coronado Island to stay at the Marriott on the Bay. We had dinner at The Del, and it made for a wonderful evening. On Saturday, we took it easy at the hotel until check-out, then headed over to Miramar for the annual Air Show. We saw a huge demonstration by the helicopters, a Harrier jet, the Red Baron bi-planes, and the Air Force Thunderbirds performed! That night when we got back to the apt, we feasted upon appetizers and a delicious risotto (recipes to follow). On Sunday we had a brunch at the house, then went out for Fish and Chips in Carlsbad. That evening we went up to San Juan Capistrano for dinner with Linda's cousins from Ohio. Monday meant that I had to go back to work, but Burr was able to take the day off and continue to play host. The crew came down to Solana Beach for lunch and shopping, then went to the airport for their return flight to Park City. It was an incredible weekend.

As per Linda's request, here are the recipes for my hummus and Ina Garten's Butternut squash risotto.

Hummus:

2 cans of chickpeas, drained
juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic
salt
pepper
dash of hot sauce
2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)
olive oil

Puree all ingredients except for the olive oil in the bowl of food processor. With the food processor running, stream in the olive oil until hummus is desired consistency. Serve with pita chips, feta, olives, veggies... whatever!

Butternut Squash Risotto
from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 oz. pancetta, diced (this is an Italian cured bacon; if you can't find it, regular bacon is fine)
1/2 cup minced shallots
1.5 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4 inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.

I Met A Celebrity!! (sort of)

Well, I definitely met her... I guess it's just up in the air on how many of you would consider her a celebrity! Amy Finley, winner of The Next Food Network Star, came into my store, Mistral, about two Sundays ago! I recognized her right off the bat and tried not to act like a goof. I told her how excited my husband and I were that she won, and that we were looking forward to seeing her new show, The Gourmet Next Door. She was very nice and down to earth, just like she comes off on TV. Her show premiered on Food Network this past Sunday at 1 eastern/noon central. It was good... and her food looked great!

Hope that all is well with you. We have been busy the last few weeks. Two weekends ago we went camping in Cleveland National Forest, Burr finished his flights last week (he is now a qualified co-pilot), and this past weekend Linda and Robert came down. Stay tuned for more pictures and details from their visit.

We still don't know when we're headed overseas, but we're hoping that it will be in late November, after Thanksgiving. I promise to let you know as soon as we know!

Grace and peace,
rmf

Milkshakes and Pedicures!

If you're going to be alone on your birthday, there really isn't a better way to spend it. Work called Burr to El Centro, CA last week for some very intensive night flights, and I got to celebrate my birthday independently.

I'm very good about not spoiling surprises, so I had lots of cards and a few packages to open throughout the day. Gabe and Penny Lane kept me company, and after my pedicure, Gabe took me for a walk on the beach. I received beautiful roses from Burr, a pretty floral arrangement from the Derings, and Caroline hooked me up with a great bottle of white wine. Here are a few pictures from the big day.