Emotional Sunburn

Grief is an emotional sunburn where each person experiences 
varying degrees of pain. 

We were on the other side of the world when we got the news.
We knew it would happen. My husband's father was ill and only growing worse.
With our laptop open, my husband and I were sitting on our bed, talking idly.
I took a sharp breath, and then the words tumbled out of my mouth:
"Your father died." I quickly looked at my husband to see how he would respond.
He just sat quietly, looking down. I asked him if he was alright. 
He answered, "Yes, I'll be fine." He gave a small smile of reassurance.
And, then said, "I knew this was coming. He was sick." And, for the most
part, that was it. 

This was a sharp contrast to my own experience. 
We were three states away. 
I knew it was going to happen. The Holy Spirit told me so.
I got a call after getting home from a long day of Christmas shopping
to come home as soon as possible. We threw some clothes in a few
duffle bags and raced out the door. When we arrived at the hospital
seven hours later during the middle of the night, I ran inside and asked
what floor my mother was located. The receptionist told me, and I 
raced to the elevator. I still believed that she was alive. I ran more
to find a nurse to ask what room she was in. And, that's when she 
told me, "Marge died." Just like that. I collapsed to the floor. 
Every ounce of strength drained out of my being. I just sat there 
sobbing saying over and over agian, "No! No! No!"

My husband knew that there was a good chance that he wouldn't 
be pressent when his father passed away, and he was alright with that.
I had an entirely different idea of how things would be when my mom 
passed away. I expected to be sitting by her bedside, holding her hand
as she exhaled her last breath. 

My husband has three brothers. I am an only child. 
This also affects the degree of pain from grief. 
An only child tends to have a closer relationship with
their parents, then children with sibblings.

These are just some of the factors that determine how much
an emotional sunburn from grief will hurt. It amazes me how
the degree can be so varied and so wide from person to person. 
And how differently each individual deals with grief. 
In the end, we all must walk through each step 
in our own time and in our own way.

Salon Experience

Ok, so I needed to get a hair trim and high lights because
my soul is much younger then my body, and I would rather 
project the age of my soul. Life is more fun that way! 

So, I ask Husband to make an appointment for me
at the salon on base. 
The time arrives and I get there a little early.
My hairstylist is a young Japanese girl. 
With help of another stylist, I explain what I would
like done until she understands. (Well, at least partly.)
I was a bit nervous because I had no idea what to expect,
plus, I had read a few negative reviews about the stylists. 

So, I'm sitting in the chair, she is ready to go. 
Before beginning anything, she writes down how 
much my hair cut and high lights will cost and asks
me if I agree to it. I do. So she proceeds.

First, she tears a piece of Seran wrap and places it
over the back of my shirt collar and tucks it underneath.

Then, she takes a folded hand towel and tucks it under the
back of my shirt and lays the other half over top of the back
of my shirt. 

Next, she takes another towel, drapes it over my
shoulders and pins it in the front. She takes yet another towel
and drapes it around the front of my neck and pins it in the back.

After all that, she clips about a quarter of an inch off of my hair.
She then leaves to mix the high light solution, and returns. 
She puts my high lights in. And, it takes a while longer then
what I'm used to. But, I'm patient. (Because what else am I 
going to do?) After the high lights set, she takes out the foils.

She ushers me to the sink. At this point, I'm a little nervous 
because she only cut a little bit of hair. But, I wait to see 
what she is going to do.

After I lean back with my head over the sink, she puts 
a cotton ball in each of my ears to keep the water out of them. 

She shampoos my hair, and then rinses it out. 
Next, she puts in the conditioner. After it is thoroughly
in my hair, she massages my scalp. She continues to do
that for about 5  minutes. It was the best conditioning I
had ever had in my life! I don't know how, but she 
always had the water the the perfect temperature too! 

Next, she sat me up, wrapped my head in a towel, 
took out the cotton balls and escorted me back 
to the chair. 

She scribbles a note on a piece of paper (because I told her
I cannot hear anything with my hearing aids out), "May I
give you a massage?" I enthusiastically nod my head, thinking
to myself, "This will be a nice couple of minutes." 

Let me just say....OH. MY! She massaged my head,
my temples, my neck, my shoulders, and half way 
down my spine.  She did this for about 15 minutes. 
By the time she was finished, I was almost ready 
to slide off of the chair. She was GOOD!  

Next, she proceeded to dry my hair. 
At this point I'm in a mild panic because she
hasn't cut hardly any of my hair yet. So, I ask her,
"You're going to cut more hair, right?" And, she
sweetly replied, "Yes, I cut your hair." 

She finishes blow drying my hair. Then, she 
takes a flat iron and begins to use that. 
My mild panic has now intensified.

I ask the stylist again, "You're going to cut more hair, right?"
"Yes, I cut your hair." She smiles and continues to use
the flat iron. After she is done, she brings out the sheers.

She begins to cut my hair. And, cut. And, cut.
She then brushes it. She leans over while standing in
front of me to see if it is even. She cuts. She stands and 
checks to see if my hair is even. She cuts. She checks. 
And, cuts again. She goes back and forth like this for 
about a half hour. 

Then, she styles it............ as though she is a 
perfectionist celebrity stylist. And, after she gets
it just right, we're finished. 

I tell her I love it. Because even though it wasn't what
I had in mind, it was still a great style. Plus, I am at the
mercy of the stylists on base. And, she was very good.
I tip her and then I leave. 

Let me just say, I'd pay to just have her wash
and condition my hair! The mini-massage was 
amazing!

Having said that, it took a total of 2 hours and 
15 minutes from start to finish.  It is definitely 
an experience. And, when my hair begins to show
the age of my body instead of my soul, I'll be back
in again to see her.  

Sushi Go Round

Sushi-go-round.
The first time I heard of it, I had the most bizarre image in my mind!
I imagined sea creatures made of fiberglass, painted fabulous colors
going around on a merry-go-round, including the pole, while moving
up and down. There was a shrimp, octopus, crayfish, clam, among other
edible sea animals. A family member described it perfectly, "A culinary
nightmare!" I think she's right.

But, thankfully, that is what a sushi-go-round is NOT.

I've been to one of these awesome restaurants three times now.
And, I love it! I love everything about it!

The one I frequent is near the base. It's a large, bright yellow building.
When you enter, they will ask you if you want to sit in a booth, or at the
counter. Then they will give you a number, and you go find that
number on the booth and take a seat.

To one side of the table (if you choose a booth), there is a small
computer touch screen, and below that something that can only
be described as being like a conveyor belt.

On the screen, there are different categories. One category is for
sushi as we know it (rice with another food, wrapped in seaweed),
or another kind of sushi (my favorite kind) that has a small mound
of rice topped with a thin slice of raw seafood, which will sometimes
come with a sauce or thinly sliced onions on the very top among
other things. There are other category buttons for desserts, drinks,
soup, sides, and a few other things.

You decide what you want, and then you press the button
of the item you would like. Then, you select how many of
that item you would like. And, after that, if it applies, you
press a button to indicate weather or not you want wasabi
on it. Finally, you press "Order".

Your order is then sent to the kitchen where your food is
prepared. When it is done, the chef puts it on the conveyor
belt, and when your order comes near, the computer screen
begins to make all kinds of racket and starts to flash to alert
you that your food has arrived.  You then reach over and take
the plate with the food off of the belt.

There are different meanings for the plates that go around
on the belt. If the plate of food is on top of a small platform,
then that food was ordered by someone and it belongs to them.
(Or it belongs to you if you ordered something.) However,
if a plate is sitting directly on the belt, then it is there for anyone
who wants to take it.

You generally get 2 pieces of sushi per plate.
You keep placing orders until you've had your fill.
As you're eating, you stack similar looking plates together.
Each color and style of plate represents a different price.

When you're all finished eating, and your plates are stacked,
then you press a "call" button and a wait person will come
over to your table and count up your plates and hand you the
bill. You then pay at the register.

As I mentioned, I love this kind of restaurant!
And, I like it for several reasons. One is that I
can't hear very well, and this method of ordering
food myself, eliminates the awkwardness of trying to
communicate what I would like to eat.

Another thing I like about this method of ordering food is
that it is much quicker then American restaurants.
There is no need to wait for a waiter/waitress to come
to your table, take your order, then bring you your food.
You can order right away.

The food is also much healthier and very fresh. It wasn't
sitting under a heat lamp for 30 minutes before you ordered it.
I have to say that I love Japanese sushi. I never liked sushi in
America. When I had to go to our culture class, the woman
there said, "If you've eaten sushi in America, and you didn't like
it, please try it here in Japan! It is not the same." She wasn't kidding!
Sushi in Japan is very good. I think it is like comparing an authentic
Italian pizza pie to a pizza from Pizza Hut. They're the same thing,
but only one is the real deal.

I've been to several Japanese restaurants, and I have to say that
this is probably by far my favorite type. I love the way we order,
I love the food. And, I can't wait to go back again!