Bits and pieces! Ikea yet again, baked ravioli, TV talk, etc..

Okay, it seems that my "bits and pieces" post all lumped together will be just, absolutely way too long. And so I will cut it in half and make it shorter and easier to read. So long story short, there will be 2 "bits and pieces" posts. : ) So, this will be the first half of October's bits and pieces. Hold on, let me go and check the dates.  Okay this particular picture was taken October 7th, 2013. As soon as the boys were driven to school, Noboru and I both hopped in the car and headed to the Ikea in Saitama. This will be the only trip we made to Ikea in October and we aren't planning any trips to Ikea for the rest of October either. And no, the house or living room isn't done by a long shot but, again it's a start though. : ) 

October 7th, we went for a few extra things to hopefully make the living room a little bit more complete. Stuff we picked, pictured here. 

We did get a 50 yen ice cream because they are super cheap in price, a bit small, but they are good. : ) So we wheeled our cart to the car and trunk with cones in hand. And then headed right next door to Costco. 

We were going to have rotisserie chicken fajitas. That thing we made a few weeks earlier. It's so good and easy and very filling for the whole family. 

This stand, is in the living room now. The price on this was very fair. 5,000 yen or 4,800 yen. About $50 US. So, again pretty fair price.  : )

After we got home, I started to put the plants in the pots, went and washed the 2 navy blue pillow cases for the pillows for the couch, we just bought. Put the pencil stands in each of the boys rooms. Just small little misc. stuff. Noboru meanwhile built the stand that would hold the lamp. 

Step stool for the sink area upstairs. 3 picture frames for Noah's room. Lint brush for 69 yen. 2 alarm clocks for the boys bedrooms. And hand wind flash lights, perfect if we ever get a power outage. Some of these misc, things were bought at the Ikea in Funbabashi and I'm just getting around to putting the pictures here. : ) 

Really like these flash lights.

The living room as of, October 7th. Though this picture wasn't taken until October 8th. But it basically looks like this now. It is slowly getting there. Again when you look at this room you just see, a typical family living room. Nothing way overly fancy, not at all. Just very regular and comfortable. : ) I still need to get family pictures on the walls, I know, but it is getting there. Work in progress. : )

A lamp, some plants, the stand. It's getting there, you guys. : ) 

The one thing I do really like though is our couch. It's big. And multiple people can lay down or spread out and watch TV or whatever. In this pic, Noah was watching a video on YouTube. : ) He had just had a nice hot shower and was getting cozy under the blankets. Branden was doing homework in the kitchen at the time. : )

The entry-way/genkan area. Family pictures and a plant. Again, it's not done 100% yet... but heck it's a start, right? : ) The picture frame, I picked up at Nitori for 999 yen. So $10 US, basically which isn't a whole lot and it looks cute, I think. : ) Anyway slowly but surely, just wanted to say things are starting to come together here. So this is the last update of the house picture, I'll probably give for another month or two, because like I said we are trying to get to Denver. And plus Branden's over night stay next week, etc etc etc. We are juggling a few things here at the moment so, the house decoration update is on a mini break for right now. Hopefully after we get back from Denver, we can start updating again. : ) 

One of the dinners we had, and according to my date stamp this was taken/happened October 4th. And it was a Friday and I remember it being on a Friday, but I forgot the exact date so good thing that stuff is saved. Anyway,  it was the start of it being the weekend. Boy oh boy do I love the weekends. : ) Anyway, as far as dinners go, I need a filling hearty, stick to your ribs type dinner! Especially with 2 growing boys in the house. : )  So I decided to make baked ravioli. I have about 8 pounds of frozen stuffed with ricotta cheese ravioli in my freezer still. So, I boiled some of them about half way, they were still firm-ish. Not 100% cooked, maybe half way cooked. Then drained them. Meanwhile I poured a ladle full of sauce down in the baking dish. Then layered a layer of ravioli, sauce on top and then a layer of provolone cheese, then laid down another layer of ravioli and then sauce and provolone yet again. I made 3 layers of ravioli with sauce and provolone in between said layers. 

One of the layers. 

Top layer and then I wrapped in tin foil and baked in the oven for about 45 minutes. And then I took the tin foil off and covered the top with provolone cheese and kept the tin foil off so the cheese would get toasty and all melty and stuff... baked for an extra 15 minutes. Yumm. : )

I just use the same provolone I use for those mini chicken rotisserie sandwiches, so I know I will indeed use a whole package of this cheese, one way or another. None of this cheese went to waste. : )

Noboru, sadly had a work shift that he could not eat dinner with us that night. The weather was chilly and so this was the perfect thing to eat on a cold-ish Friday night. It was super easy to make. I didn't even run to the bakery to make garlic bread from a baguette, but no worries I made a few slices of garlic bread anyway from the bakery sliced bread we had here at home and it was fine. : ) Noboru had the rest of the baked ravioli for lunch the next day and he loved it too, which made me happy. : ) I will for surely be making this again. : ) 

Still watching Grey's Anatomy. It's still just as good. : )

Am still watching the X factor also. And the Voice is good too. And holy goodness, Simon Cowell is going to be a dad. I think that's great! : ) 

I'm still watching Glee too, of course. Saw the episode where Finn died, called "The Quaterback". Don't read ahead if you didn't catch it and are worried of any spoilers. I think given the way Cory died in real life. Meaning they couldn't write him out of the show, obviously. The way they wrote that episode was really well. His stepbrother Kurt, starts talking saying something along the lines of "can't believe he's really gone" and goes on to say he'll miss him forever. So he died and they didn't say how he died. And in a way it's good the way they did that. The show just speaks about the grief of them all losing Finn. 

Finn's mom's part was really sad. She spoke about how she used to see on TV, a parent who had lost a child and she used to wonder how they go on after that? They were in Finn's room cleaning it out. 

Puck took it so hard! And here he was telling the coach that the only one whoever believed in him was Finn! The only one whoever believed he'd amount to anything at all.... again...was Finn. And now what? Again it was just such a well written episode. Really really heartfelt and touching. 

Also, Rachel (Lea Michele), the real life girlfriend too. Was not in the episode except for the last 5 minutes of the show and she sang her song. You see at the start of the episode they were told whoever wanted to sing a song for Finn, in memory of Finn or to express yourself in someway go ahead. Santana did, Mercedes did. Many did. But the last 5 minutes of the episode Rachel came to the school and she sang hers and it was so beautiful. Sad because you know she was Cory's real life girlfriend and she probably felt every minute of that song. But, it was really beautiful to hear. 

Santana took it really hard. 

I was so happy to see Mercedes come back for this episode. Though I know she's doing Dancing With the Stars at the moment. But it was nice she came back for this episode. 

Finn Hudson 1994-2013. : ( 

And then at the end of the episode the screen went black like this, except for his name and dates. : ( 

Hmm, any other last bits and pieces that I can add in? Swung by Cainz Home/Besia October 11th. We go through antibacterial hand soap around here like you wouldn't believe. Plus I like to have enough on hand, just in case, we run out. : ) Also picked up a toilet room/restroom spray. Soap scent. One for the upstairs toilet and downstairs toilet. 

In the left-hand bottom corner, it is a duo scent, fresh soap and floral. This smells really good. 

I like to buy my laundry soap by the case. I like to stock up on enough to last us for a month and a half. That way, if we had a typhoon and the roads are closed due to water, or freak snow storm, heaven forbid, another earthquake. I don't know....I guess, for me, personally I just feel at ease knowing certain things I have a month supply or month and a half.  If anything happens, (knock on wood it doesn't) I know my household is covered, is well stocked up with things. You know that type of thing. 

Jasmine tea. It has no sugar in it. And I usually buy it 2 cases/boxes at a time. Plus we also have those Costco cases of water also.

Misc drinks. usually fruit juice or soda for a dinner. Some fruit or sweet potatoes. I have a cheap meat store and I also have a cheap drink store and I like getting my drinks from there. And I usually will go there about twice a week and stock up. I only get about 4 days worth at a time though. : ) These particular drinks were bought October 3rd.

TV shows, I am loving besides the ones up above pictured. Am still loving the Blacklist. And I also really like, Witches of East End. I have caught every episode of Witches of East End and I just really like this show a lot.  Two 20 something daughters and 1 mother played by Julia Ormond. Anyway they have a curse and they must relive their lives again and again. And every single time the daughters get killed or die horribly somehow, but it's always because they are witches. Them being witches somehow or another messes them up. So this life, the mother, did not tell the daughters they are witches on purpose. And by the way the mom knows it is the daughters whose memory is wiped clean each time. So this time she raised the 2 daughters without telling them they are witches! One of the 2 daughters thought she had powers and the mom (Juilia Ormond) sent her to therapy! She felt she was crazy! Yet turns out she was right and correct! The mom (Julia Ormond) is only finally forced to tell her daughters they are witches because someone cloned themself to look like the mom and is out to kill the 3 of them. So she had to warn her daughters. The 1 daughter said..."you sent me to therapy and I was right all along????!!!!" @.@ Hahaha! Anyway it is a very good show that I have been enjoying this October quite a bit! Love this show! The girls are having to learn their powers from scratch here. Plus they need to hurry and learn them as fast as possible because somebody is out to kill them! Plus the mom characters sister in in this. And she really adds something to the mix too. Awesome show!

This happened a few weeks ago, but did any of you catch the video of the girl who quit her job with a video of her dancing! She was so awesome! Also caught that she was offered a job by Queen Latifah. I hope she takes the job! : ) She said she was going to when she was on the Queen Latifah Show.

Kim and Kanye got engaged! Congrats. The only thing though is, Wendy Williams said she would eat crow if they ever got married! : ) I like Wendy Williams a lot and watch her show. Anyway she revised her statement and said they are not married yet.... only engaged and that if they get married and their marriage lasts longer then her nuptials to Kris Humphries did, then she would surely eat crow. So...for now we'll see.

Did anyone catch that story 2 days ago, where that guy spent $100,000 to get cosmetic surgery to look like Justin Beiber?

Branden's birthday is this coming Saturday, October 26th. Plus the typhoon is expected to hit, either tomorrow/Friday or Saturday. Sometime between then. So, hopefully it blows over and is nothing. But if it gets here, we'll be ready for it, hopefully. : ) 

Edited to add, Noboru just called me, just now and said he did get his vacation days off! So we are going to Denver 100%, this November!!! I am so happy you guys! : )

Hopefully heading to Denver, Colorado next month

Our family of 4, is more then likely heading to Denver, Colorado in November. And I couldn't possibly be more excited and happy about it! : ) Noboru has already said and requested he get off either the first week, 2nd week or 3rd week off in November. Just 10 days of whichever week, of course some days will overlap into the following week. But his work already knows, that he would be happy with either of the first 3 weeks off (just 1 not all 3 weeks : ). And the last week of November, we can't go because that's Thanksgiving week and we'd like to be in Japan for that and have a nice quiet little Thanksgiving here and that week is spent baking pies and defrosting the turkey and whatnot. So that's why he's letting them know in advance, just either of the first 3 weeks would be fine. Also, nobody else is requesting off in November. I'm excited because I was, as you know born and raised in Denver, Colorado my whole life. I love Colorado so much. The weather is just so beautiful. The people are so friendly. : )  I haven't been "home" since 2008, thanks to the time stamp on these pictures.  That is an awful long time, to be away from a place you were born and raised and love so much. : (  It's just, the flight is a 2 leg flight, meaning we fly to someplace and then switch planes. So the journey to get home is quite a long one. It's like 15 hours considering waiting near the gate, etc. It's very hard on us all. We get badly jet lagged, since it's day here when it's night in Denver. Plus my mom lives in California and my dad now lives in Guam, to be closer to us. So, it's no wonder why we just haven't gone there in years. Especially when I can meet my mom in places like Hawaii. And see my dad in Guam or he fly to Japan. Nonetheless though, I do miss "home" a lot. And plus Noboru lived in Denver since he was 15-16 years old until he was like 27-28 and then we moved to Hawaii. So he's very comfortable in Denver too. This past August, I mentioned to Noboru, I just feel it's time to go back, and he agreed. However, we know going at Christmas or mid summer is not a chance in heck, since we fly stand-by. And no we're not complaining because the travel is free. But we had to be smart and travel at a time most wouldn't. And so we picked November. Most folks travel in summer, Christmas and also Thanksgiving. So, we picked a time that wasn't either or any of those. : )  I've been sorta keeping very silent about it. My dad knows and family know. But up until now, I've been pretty quiet about it, in fact I haven't said a peep about it on my blog until now. Also, if you think about it, our family usually goes to Tokyo Disney Sea or Tokyo Disneyland by now, am I right? : ) Well, this is why we decided to skip it this year. Because this is a bit more special to us this year, a 10 day trip back "home" trumps Disney this year, sorry. We'll go next year, I promise. ; ) So anyway, just thought I'd share it now. : ) All of our hopes and plans are on Denver for right now. We have hotels booked and car rental booked. Anyway hope to see this "welcome to Denver" sign soon. And here are some pics from our last trip to Denver. Branden remembers the trip, but Noah was probably too little, because he has no memory of being there.: ( So hopefully we can make some new memories this coming November! : ) 

Eating delicious Mexican food at my favorite Mexican restaurant.

Eating from scratch, ravioli and pasta at my favorite restaurant too! Oh their food is so amazing!

We took the boys to an amusement park. Denver has 2 amusement parks. We took them to Lakeside Amusement park and that's where they were in this picture, enjoying an Icee. : ) Lakeside is surely closed now that it's Fall, but I'm sure we'll find something else equally fun to do this trip. : ) 

Noah sitting right next to Noboru. Branden came to sit next to me on my bench so Noah ran to Noboru's bench to sit. And I still see his straw in the right hand part of this picture. : )

Colorado Mills Mall, this is an outlet mall. With a Super Target there also. That's the good thing about going "home" I know where all the best shops are and all the outlets are, etc. : ) I will be stocking up on, clothes and foods and whatnot. I have already begun my list. 

Ahh, Gap Outlet, I will be seeing you soon, hopefully! : ) We will hit 2 different outlets malls while there. Because I do love a good bargain. : ) 

We will also be going to Glenwood Springs for an over night. Colorado is famous for their hotsprings/onsen too. When Noboru tells his friends or our neighbors, my wife comes from a state that has many natural hot springs. They are often very surprised. : ) 

Dairy Queen, see you soon too. : ) 

This pic was taken at the 2nd outlet we will go to, the one in Silverthorne. All in all, it's not anything too major. It's just we want to go back and enjoy a nice quiet 10 days, sight seeing, eating good food. Do a little shopping and enjoy and relax in the hot springs. Maybe even take in a movie. That all. : ) Anyway, that's all for now. : ) 

Landslides

I apologize if this post is a little doom and gloom. I am currently working on a fun post, a "bits and pieces' type post. But this really happened yesterday and I just have to post it. Yesterday's plan was to head to Narita City to go to Uniqlo, to get Branden a new pair of pjs! Nothing all to major or anything. By now we are probably about 5-10 minutes from Narita, so we're not close to our town at all, in these next bunch of pics. Only the last 4 pics are from our town. Anyway, all of a sudden the cars were at a bit of a stand still, which is rare for around here. A couple fire trucks. Rescue type vehicles, two ambulances. Many looky lou cars and people standing along the street. By the crowd it was hard not to wonder, "what is it???" 

A news crew! We knew it had to be because of the typhoon. Or related to the typhoon. But at that point we could not tell exactly what it was. We found out later at Uniqlo. : (

Also important to note, is that on our drive to Narita City and Uniqlo. There were these blue tarps scattered all over between our town and Narita City, just wherever a landslide had taken place. Here is a pic of what one looked like, a blue tarp, with mini sandbags stringed along with rope. Caution, be careful, is what we thought when we saw one! We saw these a lot on our way to Narita. All the way there we would said...."Oh no, another one!"

This house nicely nestled against this small hill. Well as you can see by the digger that the hill pretty much turned into a landslide, sliding into the back of their home! : ( We're talking like mega tons of dirt and mud here. 

The bright side is, they all looked fine and alive and were walking around looking at the damage. And from the look at an another angle it just looks moderately crushed so, I am unsure if this house is fixable? Or if it's a goner and will need to be rebuilt or not. And again, with the next typhoon approaching this week, will this house be okay if the next typhoon is even worse and wreaks havoc yet again? 

And we made it to Narita City. Noboru said he heard that Narita City was badly flooded last week. The roads all around the Aeon mall were under water. Hearing this does make you worry about the upcoming typhoon. Because this one last week hit here very hard. Very very hard!

This road used to be a 2 lane road. 1 lane per direction. But look close. Where is the right lane? Where did it go? If you guessed landslide, you guessed right! The 1 lane is totally no more! It's completely gone! This is our road we take to get to Narita. 

Close up, of the collapsed and gone lane! Yep, I wasn't kidding, when I said the typhoon hit us and hit us hard in our little neck of the woods. Again this collapsed road wasn't in our town. It was closer to Narita City but it is the road we take and yes we were shocked to see that half the road was totally gone! Oh that reminds me. Noboru checked his smartphone for news for surrounding Narita as to why all those people and news crew and fire trucks where there. According to what he found, a house was smothered in mud and dirt and they were looking for the missing! 

On our way back, a lot of the search team and vehicles were leaving! Did they find the survivors? Were they found alive? We wondered. We hoped alive!

And more vehicles passed.

Until only 1 fire truck was still there and 1 ambulance was there. Lots of people though were there still. Lucky these other houses were fine, hope they remain fine during the next typhoon that is coming this week. Sad that one of their neighbors house is no more. And again with the approaching typhoon will these people and their homes near the crushed house, be okay? 

Here's bits of the crushed house they have all moved to the side near the rice field. Just reduced to rubble. When Noboru got home, he checked online and yes they found the last person they were searching for and he was indeed dead. He was 54 years old. Again, not trying to bum anybody out or anything, but wow, that typhoon sure did hit our area pretty bad. 

A common thing to be seen around here all week, mud covered roads. Why the mud? Because these roads were all completely under water and soil from either the hills or rice fields. 

Now this house being damaged REALLY bothers me a lot, because I am so fond of this house. This house is about halfway between our town and Narita. Could actually be closer to our town. Every single time we drive to Narita City or go and have yakiniku or head to Hanamasa, we see this house. It's not situated near any other houses. It's real big and pretty. Reminds me of an old American farm house type house. I often wonder who lives there. I know everyone really likes this house. I think because it's just the 1 lone house... we all know this house. We all see it. You can't possibly miss it, if you're driving to Narita City from our town. So then, you can just imagine our shock when we saw this house is now, hanging on by the skins of it's teeth! It has always been pretty much built almost right to the edge of the cliff/back of the drop to the rice field. Maybe a couple feet of leeway but not much. Whatever ground between the house and the drop, all that land totally collapsed and slid down. I think in a perfect world, if there were no other typhoons, this home owner could quickly build a wall or structure and fill that land back in. However, as you know...an even bigger typhoon is headed directly at us this week. You have to wonder, is this house going to be okay? Anyway, yes we were so gutted to see this house, one of our most favorite houses we always enjoy seeing. : ( I just hope this house makes it through okay with typhoon 27 approaching. Typhoon Francisco. 

As far our town goes, we had 4 total landslides in our town. This one right here, the pic right below is the same landslide just a different viewpoint. Again blue tarp and sandbags.

You can see the mud along the sidewalk and in the street.

And this one was pretty big. But the old house was not built near the edge of the drop at all, which was nice, the only parts that collapsed were part of their yard. The next pic is of the same landslide pictured here just the zoom is off. 

Zoom off. Anyway I hope that the typhoon heading our way looses it's steam, again like I said, or changes course or direction. And again as of this morning it appears to be still heading directly for our town and surrounding areas. : (  It's supposed to be here somewhere between Wednesday and Friday of this week. This Thursday Noah is supposed to be singing and playing the pianica with his class at the town plaza. Will it be canceled due to the typhoon? We don't know yet. Also Branden's ice cream cake is to be delivered Friday morning. Will it make it here safely and soundly with the approaching typhoon? Again we don't know. Will school be canceled? Again, as of right now it's just anybody's guess. Alrighty, enough typhoon talk for now. : ) I am now going to sit on the couch and enjoy some TV this afternoon. At 3pm, I am going to the cheap meat store to stock up on 7 days worth of meat, the sale of 20% off starts at 3pm, so I need to be there around 2:30pm-ish. : )