Fire Alarms

We moved into our newly renovated apartment just about a month ago.

In that time span, we've had FIVE fire alarms.

No joke.


What's even less funny is that in the past 24 hours, we've had THREE fire alarms. All for nothing. And it's snowing. And it's so windy that we're getting howls and whistles up here.

Oh yeah, that's the best part of all this "fun". Remember where we live? Let me remind you. This isn't our building, but it's built exactly the same way.



We're all the way up on the 8th floor, so every time the dang alarm goes off we're herded down the spiraling stairs like cattle and out into the windy, snowy parking lot where we all huddle in our cars until the Japanese firefighters give us the okay to go back into our warm apartments. Only to be herded down again. And again.

At this point, it's pretty clear there's a malfunction somewhere in the system. But since it's Friday night, nothing will likely be done until Monday morning. The whole building is unhappily anticipating meeting again and again throughout the weekend.

I was sharing with my husband just how much I've learned about our neighbors from all my fire alarm meet-ups. The previous two were during the afternoon, so it was mostly wives impatiently waiting in the cold. I know where most everyone came from in the states. I know one neighbor on the floor above us reaches for her iPad before her shoes or house keys in the rush of a fire alarm. I know which neighbors will come out cursing and which ones will quietly wait out the bugs and annoyances until they can get back inside. I know which wives don't know how to stand in respect during the Japanese and American national anthems (my husband and I were quite disgusted in this instance). The list goes on. He couldn't decide whether to laugh or curse.

Apparently he fits into that cursing group today.




On a happier note:
We went on some cultural tours this week around Misawa and a local city called Hachinohe, so I have some fun pictures and stories to share about some new experiences in Japan. My husband and I are bursting with information and ideas about where to go and what to see, which is exactly what we were looking for. I was floundering a bit with no one really telling us what to do and where to go, and especially how to get there, but this tour gave us some footing. Jeff has work this weekend, but we're already debating where to go exploring next weekend!

But first we have to get through the fire alarms!

My Favorite Beef Sandwich Recipe

I know there are a million different ways to make a tasty beef sandwich. Back home in Chicago, every restaurant has a different delicious recipe. They also sold tubs of beef pre-made to just heat up and enjoy. When I moved west, those tubs disappeared and the beef sandwich selection got a lot less interesting. Big bummer! My dad got this recipe from a friend who runs a catering business, so I like to think it's extra special. My dad shared it with me and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite meals.

This one is my favorite beef sandwich recipe for a couple reasons:
1. It's easy - stick it in the slow cooker and forget about it.
2. It's plain and simple - no fancy ingredients or expensive meats.
3. It has THREE ingredients, and one of those is water!

Since I love it so much, I figured I had to share.



Here are the super easy ingredients. One jar of peperoncinis, one chuck roast, 2 cups of water. I used a 3lb. roast this time because I didn't want too many leftovers, but I usually make 5-6lbs. in one batch. It freezes perfectly and thaws out delicious. In my grocery store, the peperoncinis are stocked with the relish, pickes, etc.

You can buy either sliced peperoncinis or whole, like I did. If they're whole, remove the stems. I also remove the peperoncinis after cooking because I'm not a big fan of cooked peppers, but that's your choice. Since I like the flavor but not the pepper, I use the whole peppers so they're easier to pull out after cooking. Also - you'll be using the juice from the peperoncini jar. For sandwiches full of spice, use all the liquid. If you want less, use less juice. The smaller the roast, the more flavor. With a 3lb. roast, I used all the juice. It was full of spice, but not burn your mouth dying kind of spice. Just a little kick.



Put the roast in the slow cooker and pour water, peperoncinis, and the liquid from the jar (however much you want)over the roast. Cover and cook for 12-16 hours. The longer the better!

I started the beef the night before and checked it in the morning. It was getting brown and smelling delicious.



I also flipped the roast because it was getting too brown on the top. At this point (about 8 hours in) pieces broke off of the roast but were not falling apart like it will when it's done.



The point is to leave it cooking until a fork can easily tear the meat apart. If it's falling apart, it's good to go. Once it's cooked completely and falling apart deliciously, I remove the whole peperoncinis. This step is a personal preference.



Remove the roast to a pan and shred with two forks. If it's cooked enough, it should shred quickly and easily. And it should smell ah-mazing.



I usually put the meat back in the juices for about 30 minutes to heat it back up to boiling and keep it super moist.

Once it's all hot and bubbly, serve on some rolls. Pour some juice over the meat to have a super moist sandwich. My husband says some red and green peppers would taste really good in this recipe too, but like I said, I'm not a big fan of cooked peppers. I think it tastes delicious as is. Of course, you could add anything you want to this.

But it's delicious and spicy and filling as is. I just made this last weekend, and I'm pretty sure it will be on the grocery list again soon!

Round 3 - 60 Pictures

For the full list and questions 1-5, click here.
For the rest of the questions, click here.



11. A picture of something you hate.




One of my biggest pet peeves is willful ignorance, especially when it's coupled with arrogance. I'm a big believer in knowledge being power. If you don't know, learn. Not knowing and being okay with that is frustrating. And a little disgusting.




12. A picture of something you love.



This is kind of a double whammy. I love books. Obviously my blog title kind of clues you in to that little fact. But I also really love learning about cultures and history. I find any cultural study fascinating. It's one of the reasons my husband and I frequently explore museums, it's one of the BIG reasons we plan to travel in the future. We both love diving into history and learning all we can about different customs, beliefs, traditions.




13. A picture of your favorite band or artist.



I like listening to music, but I'm not very particular to bands or artists. I'll pretty much listen to anything. But I do have a soft spot for Paramore's album All We Know Is Falling. It's probably my favorite music of theirs. If I had to pick, I'd pick them.




14. A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.



My older brother is a very important person in my life. I've always looked to him for advice and know-how. We like to laugh and have fun and we do that together as much as possible. We've been separated by miles for years, but we've always visited and always had a wonderful time doing it. In my list of the closest people in my life, it usually runs from husband to brother to parents.




15. A picture of something you want to do before you die.



I recently finished my bachelors and am loving a break from the stress of papers and exams and no time to do anything but bury my head in a book. But. I intend to go back for my masters in literature. And eventually, my PhD in literature. I thrive under the challenge of reading a book and pulling something different out of it than someone else sees, then making them see what I see through written or oral words. My graduate school plans are on the back burner right now, but they will be in the forefront at some point in my life.

In The Works - Wall Collage?

Since we moved in and unpacked, all my wall decorations, picture frames, candles, and misc. decorating items have been shoved into a closet and ignored. First I had to get everything unpacked and all the empty boxes outta here!

We have a lot less wall space here than in our last place, and I don't want to throw things up randomly then change my mind a week later. I've been trying to figure out how I want to decorate our living/dining/kitchen area (I guess that's called a great room?). In our old place, it was split into almost 3 rooms. Here, it's one big long space and I really only have one wall to work with. Above the entertainment center is maybe 3 or 4ft. of empty space. Not a lot of wiggle room, especially when things are so packed underneath with movies and entertainment goodies.



To the left of all the furniture is one big wall of windows.



And behind me, in the kitchen, there's tile as far as the eye can see.



So I'm left with one big long wall. We have a lot of small pieces -- picture frames, wood plaques, etc. As a matter of luck, most of them are black. So I've decided to do one huge wall collage. Lots of different shapes and sizes grouped together to encompass a huge chunk of that empty wall.

Like this:





(I believe I found both of these pictures at Pottery Barn's website)

Nothing too symmetrical or perfect, but nothing too chaotic.

I've pulled together pieces from all over our old house. Here's some of the pieces:





Counting them up, I have about 25 different sized picture frames, wood plaques, tin signs, ledges, and letters (J & T above). It'll be a huge hassle to organize them and hang them, but I think the end product will be interesting and eye-catching. I hope anyways.

What do you think? Will a wall collage fill up the space nicely?





(By the way, those boxes are history! I'm planning to take some newer pictures, I just keep putting it off.)



I got all excited and told my husband all about my plan. He rolled his eyes and told me I should finish one project before I jump into another one.

Oh yeah... I've been working on this crocheted afghan for a few months now and have yet to finish it. I'm almost done with the squares, maybe 5-10 more. Then I have to arrange them and crochet them into one big comfy blanket. He tells me I should probably finish it before all the snow melts.



So I should get off to my yarn. But after that, it's on to picking out pictures and planning out the collage for our great room!

Round Two -- 60 Pictures

See the original list and the first five pictures here.


6. A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.




This is Amanda and she lives in Italy. (And I'm a creeper and borrowed this picture from her Facebook!) Living in Europe is one of my dreams, especially since my lucky husband has already lived in Italy for 2 years! The languages, the food, the culture, the history, it's all amazing and I can't wait until we get a chance to travel through Europe. And maybe live? I can dream!




7. A picture of your most treasured item.




My rings mean the most to me. They may not be the most expensive thing we own (that'd be our car!), but they definitely have the most sentimental value. The stone in my engagement ring is taken from my grandmother's engagement ring. They were married for over 50 years, so I figure it has to be some kind of good luck!

I also have two pearl necklaces from each side of my family. One was made specifically for me and one was passed down through the family. They both mean a lot to me, but are tucked safely into my parents' home so they don't get lost or damaged in all the traveling I've been doing. I don't have any pictures of them, but imagine beautiful pearls.




8. A picture that makes you laugh.




This would be my cat standing on the door frame. I don't know why he decided to do this in the hotel we stayed at while we were in San Diego. He'd never attempted a door climb in our home. He did it repeatedly though. He's a jumper, planner, and daredevil. Since he's been staying with my parents, he's continued his habit of finding weird favorite spots...






9. A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.




I'm cheating and listing two people, but they're a pair! My parents have obviously been around for me the longest, but they're two people I can go to for anything. I can ask anything, tell anything, and they'll listen. They'll give advice without being pushy. They'll help if they can. From little things like making my favorite foods when I visit to big things like taking care of our cats and car while we're in Japan, I know they're two immovable pieces of my support system, which also includes my brother and husband.


10. A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.




I don't really do "messed up" things, but if I do anything slightly crazy my husband is usually nearby. Most recently, I've been having a lot of fun with the group from his work, so I figured his uniform could signify that since I never pull my camera out ;)

Take a Picture, It'll Last Longer

I've seen this around Facebook a lot, and since I don't have a lot going on right now I decided I would try it too. I didn't want to dedicate myself to a picture per day, so I changed it to:


60 Pictures
1. A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.
2. A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.
3. A picture of the cast from your favorite show.
4. A picture of your night.
5. A picture of your favorite memory.
6. A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
7. A picture of your most treasured item.
8. A picture that makes you laugh.
9. A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.
10. A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.
11. A picture of something you hate.
12. A picture of something you love.
13. A picture of your favorite band or artist.
14. A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.
15. A picture of something you want to do before you die.
16. A picture of someone who inspires you.
17. A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.
18. A picture of your biggest insecurity.
19. A picture of you when you were little.
20. A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.
21. A picture of something you wish you could forget.
22. A picture of something you wish you were better at.
23. A picture of your favorite book.
24. A picture of something you wish you could change.
25. A picture of your day.
26. A picture of something that means a lot to you.
27. A picture of yourself and a family member.
28. A picture of something you're afraid of.
29. A picture that can always make you smile.
30. A picture of someone you miss.
31. A picture of a tradition you have.
32. A picture of a crazy night.
33. A picture of the house you grew up in.
34. A picture of your currently most played CD.
35. A picture of your favorite place to eat.
36. A picture of your ‘other half'.
37. A picture of the people you spend most of your time with.
38. A picture of the best part of your day.
39. A picture of your favorite movie.
40. A picture of your favorite Disney character.
41. A picture of your pet.
42. A picture of your dream house.
43. A picture of something you can’t function without.
44. A picture of someone you’re told you look like.
45. A picture of your room.
46. A picture of where you wish you were right now.
47. A picture of your favorite place to shop.
48. A picture of your favorite actress/actor.
49. A picture of where you live.
50. A picture of your most frequented place.
51. A picture of your dream car.
52. A picture of your favorite sport.
53. A picture of someone you think is hot.
54. A picture of the one thing you would bring if you were stranded on a deserted island.
55. A picture of the last movie you saw in theaters.
56. A picture of something that makes you happy.
57. A picture of your favorite holiday.
58. A picture of your favorite animal.
59. A picture of a random item that you own.
60. A picture of something you’re excited about.


_{(Italics = completed)}




Ready for the first five?






1. A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.




-I’m left-handed.
-I don’t like dresses, skirts, or jewelry much, but I adore heels.
-I can’t wear heels because of long-standing foot injuries, but it doesn’t stop me from looking and loving.
-When I was little, I refused to wear anything but a skirt.
-I recently started watching The Mentalist, and it’s become one of my favorite shows.
-I can’t relax unless the house is clean, or at least picked up.
-I have no doubt my need for things to be clean will evaporate when I have children.
-My husband and I talk about our future children a lot, even though we don’t plan on having them anytime soon.
-We also have a game where he quotes movie lines in regular conversation and I have to catch it and identify the movie. I’ve gotten a lot better over the years.
-I like to make wish lists online. My book wishlist on Amazon is insanely long.
-I want to live on the East coast at some point in my life, preferably in the north where it snows.
-I want to visit Europe for the history and the food.
-My husband and I are planning to climb Mount Fuji next summer.
-I need to get in mountain hiking shape!
-I prefer working out at home to going to the gym and sweating in front of strangers, and Jillian Michaels is my favorite trainer. She needs to release a “Get in Shape for Climbing Mountains” DVD and I’d be set.



2. A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest.




This is my best friend, Helen. We met on the first day of First grade. She's a person I can tell anything to, ask anything of, and depend on always.



3. A picture of the cast from your favorite show.




I always have trouble picking just one of anything, but if I had to pick a favorite show, it'd probably be Chuck. But I also love Burn Notice, NCIS, Desperate Housewives, The Office, and The Mentalist.



4. A picture of your night.




I've been battling a headache all day, so I'm avoiding the gaming noise by hanging out in the bedroom. I turned on Chuck, but needed something to do with my hands (I'm incapable of sitting still) so got my laptop and started digging through old pictures on my external and doing this meme.



5. A picture of your favorite memory.




This was even harder to pick "just one", but marrying Jeff will always be up there. Life's been crazy and fun and surprising since, and I treasure every minute.

Superbowl Monday!

This was my first Superbowl overseas, and it turned out to be so much fun! Because of the time difference, the Superbowl was live on Monday morning here in Japan. The military members even got the day off work, although schools and other businesses were open as usual.

The base had a party for the Superbowl, and a bunch of guys from Jeff's work planned on meeting and watching the game there. I jumped at the chance. I'm a bigger football fan than Jeff is, and I really only watch the Bears... but we were both thrilled to cheer on anyone playing against the Packers ;)

The game started live at 8:30am, so the ballroom opened at 6am with a breakfast buffet. Oh, and beer. They had all sorts of free prizes set up to give away, and had a couple large screen TV's and a huge projection screen for us to watch the game.

We even had professional cheerleaders! Apparently cheerleaders from other NFL teams often go overseas to help cheer on with the military members. I was suprised they were there, but Jeff said he's had cheerleaders every time he's watched the game overseas. He's been overseas for four Superbowls, so he knows more than I do! This year we had two Cardinals cheerleaders who were nice and liked to flirt, so the single guys were very happy with them.

Here's one of the cheerleaders teaching one of Jeff's co-workers a cheer during a commercial break.


(It was dark in the ballroom, so pictures were tough!)

Unfortunately, since we watched the game on Armed Forces Network, we missed all the great commercials! (Luckily they were all over the news the next day, so I saw the most talked about ones) To keep us occupied during the commercials, they had all sorts of little games for us to play. They did football trivia, races, and other little things. I played a game where we put on dark sunglasses and dug through a kiddie pool full of footballs for a couple footballs that had "go fight win" written on them in permanent marker. The picture above is a guy from Jeff's work learning a cheer. (I have a video of his "cheer", I'll have to upload and post it soon! It'll make you laugh!) They had a race where wives sat in inflatable chairs and the husbands had to push the wife across the dance floor first. They gave away free t-shirts, coolers, and all sorts of little things.

They also had cheap beer. As soon as we sat down at the table, the guys were asking when we were going to start drinking! Since Jeff was driving, I got to indulge a little. It was odd having beer with breakfast, but it was such a fun atmosphere that you forgot what time of day it was. I hadn't met too many of the people from Jeff's work yet, but it was easy to have a lot of fun with guys at our table. We were busy bashing the Packers and making fun of the Packer's fans in the room...and at our table. I kept joking with Jeff that those AS guys (his rate) are dangerous to hang out with!

Here's proof:



Not to worry, everyone had safe rides home or were within walking distance of their barracks. And despite the pile on our table, no one got too out of control. I did come home and take a very long nap though!

Overall, it was a blast. The outcome was disappointing, since I'm from Chicago, but we were having so much fun as a group that it was easy enough to ignore the WI win. I missed the commercials and junk food that go along with evening Superbowls, but it was still a lot more fun than what I expected. Not bad for my first Superbowl overseas!

We also came home with a bunch of free goodies!




I also learned that the bars overseas give free fountain drinks to the DD's. Jeff got a free cup for being a designated driver, and enjoyed free Coke through the game. I guess they do that at almost every overseas on base bar, but I thought it was pretty cool!





This weekend, we're getting together with some of the people from work again to go bowling. Should be fun. Jeff and I are also hoping we can get out into town and start exploring soon!

Mil-Spouse Friday Fill-In

I'm a sucker for surveys, so Wife of a Sailor's Friday Fill-In's are right up my alley.


1. Since most of the country has had nasty weather, what has your weather been like this week?
I'm not IN the country ;)
It's actually been pretty nice here in northern Japan. Since we've gotten here, it's been snow and 20's all day every day. The past few days have hit 40 and it's been clear and sunny! It's back to snow again tomorrow, and I don't really mind.

2. What is/are your best money saving tip(s)?
I'm no expert at saving money tips. One thing I try to keep up is meal plans. If not, we both give up and go out to eat. Which is bad for our wallets and waistlines.

3. What was your favorite vehicle you’ve ever owned??
Our 2008 Dodge Avenger. My husband bought it brand new and it's gorgeous, with leather seats and a beautiful dark blue paint color. It's reliable and easy to drive in. I drove it cross country twice with no problems. It's sitting at my parents' house waiting for us to return to the states, where we'll happily start driving it again.

4. What is a question you’d like to see asked in a future fill-in?
Hmm, I haven't done too many of these, so I'm not even sure what's been asked!

5. Fill in the blank: You might be a MilSpouse if….
The first questions you ask new people include "where did you come from?" "where are you originally from?" and "how long have you been in?". There was recently a fire alarm in our building, and all of us wives waiting outside spent our time sharing stories of where we've been and where we're from. I think it's even more noticeable overseas, although it happened a lot in the states too.



Not much going on around here this weekend. We watched The Town and re-watched Red tonight, complete with ice cream and cuddling up with a blanket. I think Red is my favorite movie we saw in theaters in 2010. It's action and comedy and romance and all of these experienced and hugely talented actors like Bruce Willis and John Malkovich. You should watch it!

This weekend we're planning on sleeping in and gearing up for the Superbowl! It's on Monday morning here in Japan, and we're meeting up with a group at the local bar to cheer on the Steelers. Have a fun weekend!

Unpacking is a Workout!

I haven't really needed the gym this week - my muscles are screaming from all the box carrying, lifting, squatting, and moving I've been doing. Yikes!

But the wonderful news is that we received our household goods shipment with little damage (a few nicks here and there and a busted corner of a small cabinet which can be mostly fixed with wood glue). Not bad for a trip across the ocean.

We're not done unpacking and organizing, but I wanted to take a break and share some pictures!



We were up bright and early for the movers. The loaner furniture was taken out at 7:30 and the movers were here by 8:00am. I think they were in and out by 9:00am, they're quick! I took pictures of the house before we started digging in, so here's the damage.





The kitchen and living room weren't too bad. Just a few piles. And the bedroom was pretty bare, with just our bed (which I love, love, LOVE having back home with me) and nightstands.

Now the office, on the other hand...





Holy chaos. I couldn't even get to the back boxes, which happened to be kitchen things. (The movers had a little trouble deciphering the boxes' labels, and I had a little trouble deciphering their words, so we did the best we could.)

Jeff came back from work just as they were finishing up, so he helped me dig in right away. He started on the massive movie collection (alphabetizing that thing is a beast of a project) and I started in on the kitchen. Food and movies are our priorities, obviously.





We worked all day long and fell into our wonderfully comfortable bed late that night.


After 2 and a half long days of unpacking and organizing, we're starting to see our house again! The kitchen was the first room done, since cooking was a priority. And it had places ready to put everything. The living/dining room is mostly finished besides any sort of decoration. The bedroom has the bed, but not much else. And the office is less of a disaster.



All the empty boxes were taking over, so I spent this morning packing the paper tightly into the big boxes and flattening the smaller ones. They would be down in the garbage room right now, except someone from Jeff's work might be taking some. I just want them gone!





I'm really liking the way our furniture fits in this apartment. It's cozy, but not too cramped. The wall with the entertainment center is just long enough to fit the DVD's too, which worked out great. We're grateful we bought a small kitchen table, so we have more wiggle room between that and the kitchen.





Look, you can see the floor! This room is still the least done, but I did get the desk built yesterday and then Jeff built the bookshelves when he got home from work. Now I just have to unpack that pile of boxes, which is all books, and alphabetize them. I'm avoiding that headache for the moment ;)

I also have the closets to organize, which I'm also dreading. I HATE putting clothes away, so I'm avoiding that one. Of course, my husband hates laundry just as much as I do so it's not likely he'll take that project on either.

Things are shaping up nicely, though, and we're really happy to have our stuff back. It's nice to cook in my kitchen again, and relax on our couch. Jeff's enjoying gaming on his TV again, and I'm in heaven as soon as I lay down on our bed.

We're hoping to have the house relatively finished by the weekend, and as long as I keep staying productive (rather than...uh....playing online?), it looks like it'll happen. I'll post pictures of the whole house once we get it relatively finished!