Make up......and January

January So this actually started about 12 days ago. Well really at the beginning of the month but the challenge didn’t start until the 12th. Anyway. My eyes had been itching all the time but I kept not itching them because I didn’t want to mess up what little make up I wear. But then I thought, that is insane. Make up is that important to you? I only really wear mascara, sometimes when I am dressing up I will add eye shadow, liner and some lip gloss. But not always. Regardless, my eyes were itching! I did all the usual stuff, bought all new eye makeup, but it persisted. Then I decided you know what, maybe my eyes are just tired of having crap on them. I am gonna go make up free for thirty days. Don’t worry Lo and B, I am still wearing moisturizer. I don’t consider that make up. So I did. The first day at work people commented that I looked tired….great. The second day I still probably looked tired. But that was to everyone else. What I am shocked by is how I saw myself. As a woman who doesn’t wear much make up I did not think this would happen but it did and I am ashamed of myself because I want very much to have a positive body image, including face. So what were those feelings, you’re wondering? I felt wrong. Like I looked wrong, this is not my face. I look bad. I need make up. Those words. I NEED make up. Wanting make up, sure okay. But do I need it? NO. This is my face. This is what should feel normal to me, what should make me feel good. I shouldn’t feel bad or wrong for having my face be my face. IT IS MY FREAKING FACE. Slowly as the first week wore on, I got more used to my face again. This week has been better, I know longer feel I look tired, and the puffiness from having itchy eyes is gone. So that helps. But more importantly I am learning to love my face again, quirks and all. I never wore make up in high school and I felt FINE about my face. Why then did 10 years of makeup make me feel ashamed? I don’t know but it did. But I am not ashamed….well except for a few things on my face. So, in order to get over those things I am going to list them and come to terms with them RIGHT NOW. Get over it. It is your face, me. My nose is crooked. It bends to one side and throughout the day I push it back the other way as if that is going to fix it. I have a red mark on myself from getting hit in the face by a ball, I don’t know how it literally marked my skin but it did. I didn’t have the mark before that! I have one tooth that is chipped twice. Once from soccer and once from a pistachio. I call it my hillbilly tooth (no offense hillbillies….but you know you have those teeth). Those are my three biggest complaints. I have THREE complaints about my face and I was ashamed to be seen without make-up. Get over yourself, self. I may start wearing make up again. I don’t know. Maybe I will wear a full face (meaning mascara and eye liner, I don’t put that claustrophobic crap on my skin). Maybe I will never wear it again. Who knows. What I do know, is that I am proud of my face and I shouldn’t feel that I need to hide behind cosmetics. So I won’t. I don’t know what all my challenges will be every month but I do know that February because it is an extra short month will be a hard challenge. I am going to ONLY drink water. No soda (eh not that hard), no coffee (that will be a struggle) no tea, and no alcohol…..So February will be an interesting month. I also know that one month I want to give up TV, and only read for entertainment. But that will have to be a month when Tron is gone. Haha, because lets be real, I can’t take TV from that guy. He can barely go a meal without it. =)

It's been a while, New Years Resolution

Here is the deal, I, like many people, made a New Year’s resolution. This year I am determined to keep mine. This year my resolution was to be me. As some might, so eloquently, put it – to do me. I am determined to be the person that I want to be, to do the things that will make me happy. I am tired of being who people think I am, and pretending I don’t have feelings I have just to appease others. I am talking about being authentically myself in all aspects of my life. Some people might just be rolling their eyes, like damn girl I learned that when I was 16. To those I say, well la te freaking da and congratulations. I didn’t. I am 28 (dear god), and I learned this lesson a week before I turned 28. Not on New Year’s Eve, but you know. Whatever. I want to be myself. I am myself with some people. Thankfully, otherwise this might be hard because I would be like whoa who am I. Also that would be an interesting conversation. Hey Tron. Um I’m gonna be me now. Not so much and no thanks. Thankfully I have always been myself with him, so his life won’t change. Ha. But the rest of you…..be prepared haha. For some, you may not even notice the difference because I haven’t put up a façade at all (looking at you family and super close friends), for others you may have already noticed the change. And others still might think I have turned into an entirely different person. But I haven’t I just tore off the armor that I used to protect myself when around you. Because if I wasn’t myself it means I felt I couldn’t be and that’s your problem now not mine. Some people might be offended that I didn’t feel I could be myself completely. Don’t be. It is scary to be entirely vulnerable to the world. And you may have been one person with whom I was authentic; I just reserved the right to protect myself so I didn’t bare everything. Please don’t take it as a slight if you are not one of those people. It isn't a comment on you. It is a comment on my own insecurity. Insecurity I am determined to finally shed at 28. So don’t be sad, be happy. Be happy that we will now have a deeper and more important relationship and understanding of one another. And if you have left some part of yourself secret with me, I understand. If you want to open up completely, awesome. If you don’t it’s cool. So, I say all this because one other thing I have decided to do with this blog is document my other challenge to myself. Which just happened earlier today. I intend to challenge myself every month to something, whether to give something up or add something to my life. Only for 30 days, to see if I even can. Sometimes I will falter and that’s awesome because it means I am trying. I am not challenging myself to blog it daily, or weekly, or even monthly. But to just document it, my feelings and how it’s going.

A lot has happened in August

Well the month started out slow, just me hanging out with Jenner and Aj working a lot. But then it picked up substantially when some of the wives of 361 started showing up to visit their husbands. Namely, Bernadette came to visit and we were able to hang out a few times. I saw her during the week while the boys were at work and then we all went to okinawa world on the weekend. We were able to see a snake show and walk through some awesome caves and hold a python, say what!

A habu

A cobra, the lady actually slapped the cobra on the back of the head to show that they can only see what is infront of them, it was crazy.

Aj and I inside the tunnels.

And being photo bombed by mike.

Bernadette and I held an emerald python!

Bernadette brought us a carne asada burrito all the way from California and it was amazing.

I have been running for just shy of two months now and about 3 weeks I went and got new running shoes. They are amazing and have really helped my stride.

My most recent run selfie.

Jenner is really enjoying our patio, he spends hours out there. Laying around until he gets to hot and then comes in to face plant on the tiles before heading out again. He is our very own shisa dog/cat.

Most importantly I got a job! I work at the education center on camp hansen right ight across the way from Aj. I am helping marines with their financial aid and getting an education. So far I like it. Jenner does not.

And last week after some rain storms there was a beautiful rainbow, probably the most beautiful I've ever seen.

Lastly, this weekend Aj and I did our part in helping Japanese and American relations. We volunteered with a beach clean up crew up in Kin where we both work. Afterward we went to our favorite cafe and had lunch. In japan we have found people love disney and this was readily apparent when AJs sandwhich came out.

Adventure

We decided to have an adventure and drive along streets we had never used. That didn't pan out but we did have an adventure!

We scouted several beaches and found one that was terribly rocky and shallow. And another that was amazing and sandy, also shallow but connected to lovely stepped seating. We then stopped at a cafe that was amazing. It had a wonderful view. And it also had the most delicious Japanese milk cake. Which is basically crepes layered with whipped cream. There were also lovely drinks. I had blueberry soda and Aj had an iced coffee. 

After our delicious desserts we went for BBQ and it was alright. Probably the best we will find here. The Mac and cheese wasn't good but the pulled pork was alright. The potato salad was good and mustard-y just the way we like it and the drinks were free!

On the way home Aj convinced me we had to stop on the road (and not get out of the car) and buy ice cream on the road side. It was amazing. Local ice cream is like cream added to ice rather than ice added to cream.

Lastly and thankfully since all we did on our adventure is eat! I've been running a lot out here but the humidity is killer and turns me into a red faced monster!

But such is life!!

Past few days

It's been a pretty boring few days. But we did see a funny sight. A truck hauling an even smaller truck in its bed!

Also the sheets I ordered finally arrived. So I was able to finish our bedroom.

Butter, grey and a deep turquoise.

Overall I like the functionality of our room but I do wish we could paint. 

They finally picked up our loaner furniture as well. So now we have a functional dining room. 

And now our house is finally done.

All the stuff!!

Well on the Thursday that I wrote about all the awful that happened in getting Jenner to Japan, I was patiently (read: completely spazzing out impatiently) awaiting the arrival of our household goods. And I was in good spirits because Jenner had passed his entry physical the day before, and was officially legal in the country. AJ was on duty so I would have no interruption from the peanut gallery while I set about putting things where I wanted them to be! But the movers didn't get to my house until nearly 6 pm. Well past the 8-5 time frame I was already struggling with. Once they did arrive, in true Brittany fashion, I had a game plan and was ready to go. They unloaded all the stuff and I asked ever so nicely in Japanglish (which is what I call my Japanese, its half Japanese half English)if they would set up the furniture and unpack the boxes. Because I just wanted all the boxes and wrapping paper gone. At first they thought I wanted them to literally unpack and put things away. But I quickly corrected that. And they made swift work of setting all my stuff on the ground. Also in true Brittany fashion, I stayed up until 2 am unpacking boxes only to wake up again at 6 am and unpack some more. All said and done, I was finished unpacking by 2 pm and only had to hang curtains and paintings, and convince AJ to set up his computer. Our bedroom still isn't done because I am waiting on my sheets to arrive that I ordered a month ago. And our dining room isn't quite done because all of the loaner furniture is still piled up in it, waiting to be taken away. But once all of that is done, I will share pictures of our new home!

All the awful, part 6.

Alls well that ends well.

I actually board a flight. And I immediately asked the stewardess to find out if Jenner is on board. She tells me that they cannot contact the loading people until we are in air but never in her experience has an animal been left behind. Which was comforting. After we reach altitude she tells me that the captain said it would be okay and further told me to go to baggage claim and they would bring Jenner to me, imagine that! And I said how will they know me and she said they will, don't worry. And now I'm convinced they are all telepaths or something. 

The 2 hour flight was entirely uneventful and I actually got some sleep. I head down to baggage claim  and I'm waiting for Jenner. I see a lady bringing him out and I make a bee line for her, so that's how they find me. The crazy American running toward you with a look of glee, is the one who owns the cat. She hands Jenner over to me after checking my baggage claim tickets and passport. Tells me he is lovely and fat, I agree. Other people ask about him and want his picture. Because he is so fat and entertaining. He was panting from the heat, but laying on his side, lounging. We get our bags. Make it out of baggage claim and find Aj. We release Jenner from prison into the car and he goes under a seat which was a pain in the ass when we got home.but ultimately he was fine, as the vet said. He is no worse for wear and didn't suffer adversely from the flight. I'm convinced it's because he is a giant.

Clearly Jenner has zero problems adjusting, this is him the night we got home.

It's a lot to deal with for a pet, but when your pet is as amazing as Jenner. It's worth it.

So to sum up, united is shit. ANA and JAL are amazing and I will forever be greatful for the way they treated us, and will endeavor to fly them for the rest of my life if I can. And united has lost a good 60 years worth of business and they have earned my hatred.

United negative 5 bazillion points

ANA and JAL - incalculable.