My new car, yay! : )

Well, we did it! I found my "new" car and I just love it, you guys! Monday, March 10th, we (Noboru and I) ended up going to the car dealership first thing after sending Branden and Noah to school, we drove all the way to Makuhari. We had originally planned to go on March 11th, but something came up for Noboru and also for me too... I ended up going to the movies with 2 of my closest friends on Tuesday, March 11th to see, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. So anyway, this particular car dealership has the largest selection of the Nissan Leafs, the 100% electric car, in the Chiba area. They had them all lined up in a row here and they also had another row on the other side and a handful also in the showroom too. Wine color, black, silver, blue, white and silver. I knew, I didn't want white (white cars are just really really common here), didn't want silver either, too basic (again I think the 2 color cars... I see most here are white or silver, not that they're necessarily bad colors, mind you, it's just I'd like something a little different, is all), wasn't interested in blue either. I was interested in wine and also the black. However, my last car was wine colored... Pepper was the same color. So, since I had driven a wine colored car for the past 6 years.. I really wasn't wanting to drive yet another same exact color car... for another 6 plus years, if you know what I mean. Plus...I just really wanted black! I really did. In fact, I told Noboru, either I'm gonna get a black Nissan Leaf or a black Toyota Prius. I really am not interested in any other color. This particular dealership had 2 black Leafs. But 1 of them was a special model/special options available on it, meaning it had the full skirt around the car. And I love the back of this car...it is so distinct, lol. You know how some cars, just have a certain look. Do you know what I mean?  Like the old 80's Saab, I always really liked that model car, the butt/rear of that particular car was always so cute. : ) or the VW newer bug just has a really cute look too. Even the Prius has a certain back/rear look, that's again... so cute too, I think. : ) This car, also has a certain butt/rear/back too and also by the really long back lights, I always know it's a Leaf. : ) 

This is her you guys... my "new" car. She was a dealer test drive car, so she has never lived at a house or had a family before...not ever. : ) She has only 1875 miles on her, if it helps...for you who are more familiar with km, she only has 3000km on her. That's nothing! She smells like a brand new car, she is so amazing guys. Look how shiny she is, even. Aww. Oh, and she's only 2 years old, but was only driven on test drives. : ) 

Yep, absolutely zero emissions! Can't possibly be anymore eco than that! lol! : )

See this wine colored car, see the bottom of the car door? How the car ends a bit after the door, a little wine colored metal after that... but not too much. There is no side skirt, front or back skirt on this car, like mine has. This is a regular model. A typical Leaf. 

She was moved because I just took her for a test drive. She has so much power! And we just filled out the, we are buying her paperwork. They asked me, if I had any favorite numbers to pick for my license plate numbers? Yes, I did! So, they have to do lots of things on the car dealers end. Meanwhile us, we have to make her charging station at our house and we already have a company coming to make it and we ordered the color on that already too. Plus in Japan you have to show proof  that you have a place to park the car.... yes we do have a parking space. : ) But again we needed to show proof of that, so we had to go to the police station for a parking space certificate. Yada yada yada. So, it will take a while to finally get the car, but yep, Noboru bought her for me. She has no name as of right now because...she just doesn't. :  ) But see, she does look a little different than the wine car on the above pic, and that slight difference is the front, side and back skirt. In America, the skirt for the Nissan Leaf is not available!  And, out of 300 used Nissan Leafs sold in Japan, on the week of March 10th when we bought ours, only 2 in all of Japan...whole country wide.... had the skirt that were for sale, ours was one of them, so it is a little unusual to find a Leaf with that detail on it. I'm just glad, I found one and in black nonetheless. : )  And the condition of the car just couldn't be better. I also like the extra tinting for the back windows for the kids.

Also, this little extra detail which I think makes this car even way cooler than she already was, being 100% eco and all.  Is the emblem at the front of the car. It glows at night. My car doesn't have this on it yet, but Noboru has promised to call up our nearest Nissan dealership immediately and pronto, just as soon as we bring her home with us.... and he's going to order me the glowing Nissan emblem and I am really excited about it. I can't wait! This glowy emblem isn't available in American either. The only reason we know this is as new Leaf owners, we have been reading the Nissan Leaf owners forum in America for info, and..who knew... many of them were trying really hard to find a way to order the skirts for their Leafs and the glowy emblems that are only available for us, in Japan. Go figure.

It doesn't show up so good on a silver car... but it's gonna look so tight... on my black car! Anyway, so this whole car switcheroo is nearly done. Oh and this is so cute, the grandma next door, asked Noboru a few days ago...where is your wife's car? Meaning our Subaru R2/Pepper. We had already bought the black Leaf, but as usual...Noboru is so tight lipped. He just said...We sold my wife's car and we bought her a new one. You could tell she was hoping for some...extra info...but nope...he wasn't sharing. Hahaha. I asked him..you didn't want to tell her, huh? He said, "no...she'll find out eventually." : )   

Noboru’s trip to Okayama, Pizza Hut and a 3 day weekend (Coming of Age Day)

Thursday, January 9th, 2014, at noon, I dropped Noboru off at the station and he made his way to Tokyo Haneda airport. Flew via ANA to Okayama. The plan was for Noboru to meet the seller at 8pm, he would be picking up Noboru at the station there. However, as luck would have it, the 1 time Tokyo gets hit with snow would be that very day! Hahaha. So, Noboru's flight was delayed because of the snow by 1 hour. No worries though he made it safe and sound and that is the most important thing afterall. : ) Met with the seller and Noboru did email him explaining about the snow delay. Anyway after a lot of paper work, and Noboru paying the other half of the car when he actually saw it and signed the paperwork, they shook hands and Noboru dropped him home and he left. That same night, Thursday night, Noboru took a ferry from Okayama to the city of Takamatsu in Shikoku. From Shikoku he drove to Tokushima and from there Noboru boarded the longer distance ferry 12 or 14 hours type ferry that would be taking him to Tokyo, Friday at 10am. Taking the ferry would be 2,000 yen more expensive than driving, considering driving in Japan, it is all toll roads on the highways. Also, he would be driving alone and would be exhausted. I worry about him and don't want him killed driving on little sleep and neither does he, so it was better for him to pay an extra 2,000 yen ($20 US) and not have to worry about driving or exhaustion and sort of just take it easy and enjoy the journey. And he did. This pic is of the ferry that would take Noboru from Tokushima to Tokyo. He and the new to us, mini mini van. Micro mini van? @.@ Both went on the ship and Noboru got to enjoy his trip. : )

They have private rooms for families. But you know he was alone and so he picked just a regular room with bunk beds (not a family private room). Noboru said the boat was pretty much empty and there was no one else in his sleeping area, not even remotely. :  ) 

Again not a whole lot of people on board which was fine by Noboru because he was the only one in the sento/bath. And wow look at that ocean view, how truly pretty! What a nice clean bath too. I line messaged him after he sent me this pic and I said..."how pretty....sparkling clean bath and wow what a killer ocean view, enjoy, have fun and I love you!" He replied back and said "thanks." He messaged me an hour later saying he felt fantastic and so relaxed. : )

After his bath and the message saying how relaxed he was, he sent me this picture saying, "gorgeous sunset wish you were here with me" I was like awe. : ) I replied to him "beautiful...enjoy enjoy, wish I was there too but, see you tomorrow, all is fine here, no worries." he sent me one more pic of what he was eating on the boat and called right before he went to bed, talked to Branden and talked to Noah and said he was proud of the both of them. Backing up a bit, the day before, Thursday evening, Branden read Noah's renrakucho (stamped it and made sure Noah's homework was all finished, phoned dad/Noboru and said he made sure Noah was done. Branden did his own homework and stamped his own renrakucho (communication notebook between parents and teacher). And Noah did tell me directly what his homework assignment was and showed me his work but Branden just doubly made sure, good older brother that he is : ) Friday morning the both of them got up and both dumped the trash, flattened out all the cardboard. I did go around the house to various little trash cans and dumping them into the big trash can, checking the fridge too making sure nothing was old or needing to be thrown out. But yeah the boys were amazing while he was away and Noboru called them Thursday evening and Friday evening while he was away to check in on them besides me. And the boys looked forward to his call. : ) 

Thursday after dropping Noboru off, I went and drove to Narita city and picked up some Pizza Hut. Right now, the Pizza Hut in Narita is having a special, 50% off if you pick up the pizza. I figured with Noboru being gone, I'd like to make our 2 nights here as fun as I could, for both Branden and Noah. So, Pizza Hut was a nice surprise. : ) Thursday night was the night Noboru was transitioning himself and making his way to Tokushima. Friday is when he was in the boat and slept in the bunk bed. : ) 

Two large pepperoni and mushroom pan pizzas and 1 large baked fries. They both get out of school on Thursdays at 3pm. Here in our town it was so bitterly cold, though we got no snow at all. Cold enough we should have, but nope no snow. I heard Tokyo got it, hence the delayed flight. : ) But nope not here. Thursday the boys ate pizza, did homework, went to swim school, came home and had more pizza. Took showers and put on their pjs, Noboru called them and asked how they were. They were happy, they told daddy (Noboru) how mommy bought pizza and they went swimming. Noboru reminded Branden that the next day was trash day and that it's usually his job but since he's not here, he was counting on them. The kids went to sleep and Noboru and I talked for a minute or two. All was quiet and well here. 

Friday, after sending the boys to school, I did a load of laundry, vacuumed the upstairs and downstairs, cleaned the house, pulled the laundry out of the dryer and folded it. At noon, I set the rice cooker. Cut the chicken, for the chicken teriyaki bowls. Wrapped it and put it in the fridge. Picked up the kids Friday from school. They brought me all their notes. Branden told me about his upcoming ensoku/field trip to Tokyo and he will be needing a lunch for that. But that's in a few weeks. But at least I have the heads up. The boys finished their homework. I meanwhile made dinner. I usually will make this when Noboru isn't here, but Noboru does like this too, and I make his with thigh meat. It's a very Americanized chicken teriyaki bowl. Something you might get at a food court in the mall in the states. And what I notice about eating in a food court in the US, is families share food. Say someone is eating Subway and someone KFC or someone Burger King, they will say, "hey can I have a few fries", "oh yeah sure, no problem" and so, that's how this meal came about. Someone would surely be sharing a few fries with someone else. So it's a total food court type teriyaki bowl, even with a few french fries. Just 3, because that's how many people would share, I'd say, if I were to take a guess. : ) Just white/chicken breast meat (skinless), mushrooms, some steamed broccoli and 3 fries, and a light sprinkling of seasoning on the chicken. we had that for supper last night. It's very filling. The boys went upstairs and took their goggles into the tub, they were going to enjoy a nice hot bath/soak after a shower first. I meanwhile just read through some emails and by the time they came down, both Branden and Noah were melting from the tub, they had on their jammies on and hung out on the couch for the rest of the night. I went upstairs and took a quick shower and a soak in the tub and then came downstairs in my Frosty fleece-y night T and a pony tail. We popped popcorn and watched Pearl Harbor on TV last night. Noah konked out before the end, but Branden and I finished it.

This weekend here in Japan will be a 3 day weekend. It's a holiday here (Coming of Age Day) and schools are closed. No school for Branden and Noah this coming Monday. 3 day weekends are so nice. :) Anyway that's it for now, I have a bits and pieces/catch up type post to do, but I am just going to chill out here at home and enjoy the weekend. Noboru got here this morning and the only thing we have planned to do today is to hit that cheap 20% off time at the cheap meat store. lol. : )
PS, Our little red R2 came from Okayama, the mini mini van, we just bought just now, also came from Okayama and the Mazda MPV came from Osaka, lol. Hahaha. Just something that made us laugh when we realized that, this morning. : )

Changing both of the family cars for 2014, phase 1

This is what the Nissan leaf looks like, that we took a test drive in, in December.

For years, our cars/vehicles have been, 1 white Mazda MPV (regular minivan) and 1 little red Subaru R2. Both bought and paid for in cash at the time we bought them. We didn’t buy them new granted, but they were just a couple years old, when bought and really low mileage at the time, when we bought them. The MPV, perfect for taking long drives like to Osaka and Hakone and Nagano type trips and for trips to the airport for carrying mass amounts of luggage. The little red car has been perfect for my everyday car, we bought the little red car right before Noah started yochien because we knew that I’d be driving back and forth, from yochien everyday with Noah, from our town to the small city nearest us, so for us, the little red car has already served it’s purpose already, meaning Noah is in elementary school in our town and so I drive way way less. So anyway....

Ever since the March 11th earthquake. And one day I’ll type out and write an update about that. But for now, what I will say is, after the horrific earthquake, besides there being a food shortage, milk, whathaveyou.  Gas for our vehicles was superly hard to find, and when you could track a station that was selling gas and not all sold out or temporarily closed, the lines were hours long! @.@ Yes, that is something we have not forgotten. I think the earthquake in a way, was a factor in our choosing to get our solar panels for our house, I have mentioned that already that it was a factor. And the gas shortage for vehicles has also, never been far from our minds either.

For the past year, we have been thinking about getting a new water boiler, for our home and we will be getting a more eco friendly one this year. Also, we have been deciding to change our cars for the past year as well. For starters, we have been deciding to get either a hybrid or a 100% all electric car. That has been the biggest decision. The choice for our particular family was between the Toyota Fielder (hybrid sort of like a station wagon meaning roomier but a modern looking one) or the Nissan Leaf (100% electric) The thing with a hybrid though.... is that it still needs gas. Granted much much less gas, but yes... gas all in the same. However, with the all electric car...if god forbid, another huge earthquake ever goes down.  And there is talk about that Nankai trough going to be even bigger then the Tohoku quake, not sure if any of you keep up with fault lines etc, but yes there is talk about that one being a definite possibility. So if a huge earthquake does ever happen, gas shortage wouldn’t be a problem for us, and our car could get power from our house, we have already checked. So, though we are not 100% certain and it’s not carved in stone as of yet, we are 98% sure it will indeed be an all electric car. We have already taken a test drive, the power when you step on the.... well technically it’s not a gas pedal anymore...so I guess you could say the "go peddle", lol. It is hella powerful. It has a lot of get up and go. And so the 100% electric would be my mama cruising car. Doing all my grocery store shopping to and from the, cheap meat store, the bakery, JA to get farm fresh eggs and veggies, Costco run, etc. There are also charge up stations near here, like at the mall nearest us for example, so, I could shop or go to a movie with friends and charge my car at the same time.

White license plate (standard car), yellow license plate (light weight car/kei car). In America getting your yearly registration or "license plate renewal" even if you drove a rather nice car, it was still only a couple hundred dollars to get your yearly registration for your car. Here in Japan, it’s by weight and size of engine, same as America but the cost difference is huge between how much it would cost in America for the MPV for example as to what it costs to register it here, same type of vehicle. Yellow license plate cars are cheaper to drive, my red car is around 7,000 yen for my yearly car tax. Where as our bigger MPV, had a V-6 engine and so it cost our family $1800 US every 2 years because of car inspection, weight tax and car tax. Yep, isn’t that an insane amount of money to own a white license plate car??? @.@ My family in the US couldn’t believe it, when we said $1800 to renew our car stuff. Our MPV needed renewing in April 2014, so another $1800 US would be approaching in a few months. And so that sort of gave us the push we needed to get the ball rolling. Noboru and I both sat at the table in November, should we keep the MPV or sell it? If April gets here and we pay the $1800 insane price, then we should just keep it for another 2 years.  So we knew it either had to happen before April, or stick with the MPV for another 2 years. So now or never so to speak. In December, we sold it. So the MPV is gone. Again, when I said December was slightly busy, yeah I wasn’t kidding, selling the family minivan was also on the list of stuff going on. : )

Also, we would love to have 2 yellow license plate cars. Why? Because of the cost to have them! We would never want 2 white license plate cars, let’s put it that way. Can you imagine two $1800 bills every 2 years? Yikes! @.@ : ) However...1 yellow plate and 1 white plate is totally doable. And more than likely what we will have.

The Nissan Leaf and Toyota Fielder would be a white license plate car. So since that will be a white plate car, we wanted our 2nd car to be a yellow plate car, so we decided to get a mini minivan, 4WD and a turbo, same thing as what we used to drive before we had the Mazda MPV. So as of right now, the plan is to have a mini minivan (super tiny) but 4WD which means we could still cruise it to Hakone in winter and the turbo means we wouldn't’ feel like we were cruising a vehicle with a lawn mower engine. So it would have some get up and go. We have since bought the mini mini van also, but have yet to pick it up. It is near Osaka and Noboru will be leaving this week with his 3 days off in a row (since he gave up that 1 day for his coworker during New Years) and that gives Noboru time to go and get the car and bring it back to Chiba. It will be much tinier than our MPV, however it will cost annually only about $70 US a year for car taxes and the other inspection on top of that... the total would be only about $300 every 2 years, including weight tax, inspection fee and liability insurance for 2 years so pretty cheap, same costs as our red car) And we still get to drive everywhere in it because it’s a 4WD and a turbo too. And we have already paid cash for it, since we hate the idea of making payments on stuff, when we can pay cash for it instead. It may not be brand new, but we own it and no payments. : )

So, it will appear that we have 2 yellow plate cars for the time being, my red car and the "new to us" mini minivan. But...our next move is to bide our time and in May or June we will buy the electric car. We are only waiting because....we don't want to jump too fast and we know there is another 100% electric car coming out soon and we want to see how the new 100% electric car that Honda is making compares to the Leaf...the Honda Fit EV. They’re out already... but not available for regular customers/general consumer yet.

Nothing too earth shattering here, but we’re happy....and we’re super happy we won’t have an absurd $1800 renewal in April. If we’re going to spend $1800, it would be nicer to spend it on nice family vacation...or toward a water boiler, you know what I mean, something that really benefits our family in the long run.  So the next step is selling the red car in May and buying ourselves a barely 1 year old Nissan Leaf. Or a brand new Toyota Fielder or Honda Fit EV. So upgrades all around... just smarter spending when it comes to our car renewals and stuff. And for what it’s worth, because the next car will be electric the white plates will be much less than the MPV was, since it was a gas vehicle. And it does vary from car to car the price, but yes white plates are more expensive than yellow plates. But factor in, we won't be paying gas for our new white license plate car, so for us it will be cheaper owning that.

Anyway just wanted to keep you all updated. but the cars are being switched and changed this year, in 2014. : )