Seth & Japan

So I finally got Seth to write about his experience in Japan. Unfortunately he didn't take a camera so we don't have any pictures:

I had a great time in Japan for the first time, but I wish I would have brought a phrase book so I could have asked questions. I was working one of Nissan's old assembly plants where the first physical vehicles are built. During the week we experienced little, hardly noticeable tremors (about 2/day or so). When the big one hit there were 20 of us in a somewhat small room crowded around a vehicle taking measurements. For about 30 sec there was a good rattle (hanging lights swaying, vibration). I slowly started toward a safer part of the room, and a local guy was smiling at me saying “it’s ok, ok” (I guess he was used to that kind of stuff). Then all of a sudden all hell broke loose! Like a freight train went through the plant. That local guy then yelled “OUT GET OUT”. As we started to leave it got even worse (10 freight trains) you could see the truss members in the roof flexing and every step (we were running by then) felt strange, almost uneven. After we evacuated the plant we just stood in the parking lot getting sea sick. It felt like we were all on a boat in the water and someone was slowly pushing us back and forth a few inches. That seemed to go on for 10 or 15 minutes. For a few days after I felt like I just got off a cruise boat and had to stop and look at stuff to see if there really was shaking or not (50% were false alarms). When we tried to go back to our hotel the trains weren't running so we had to stand in line for a taxi for about 2 1/2 hours. We couldn't make it to the hotel room we were supposed to be staying in that night (one nearer to the airport) so we were going to try and stay at the hotel that we had been staying at all week, but the rooms were all booked up because all public transportation was down. We ended up staying with some co-workers in their hotel room. I got to spend the night on the floor. My co-worker made fun of me because I slept through a large after shock (I think a 6). In my defense the builds over there are built to sway, so probably helped me sleep on that hard flood. We got up the next morning and the trains were partially working. We made it to our next hotel and were able to leave a day later than our originally scheduled flight because our original flight had been canceled and the airports had been closed.

It was a pretty crazy experience, quite the adrenaline rush. I had a great time in Japan.

March Showers & Messes!

March Rain - they were actually outside putting out fires, according to Canon.  Savana is just happy to join in whatever project is going on.

The snow has started to melt - again - and we have been having a lot of rain lately instead of snow.  I like rainy days a lot more than snowy ones, because the kids can at least go outside.  But I'm just starting to remember and realize what else that means.  Messes!  Inside the house AND now out.  I've been trying to decide how much mess I'm required to endure in the name of boyhood, pretend play and fostering creativity.  I'm about at my limit!  Today we have Legos scattered all over the house (dinosaur bones), bottles filled with water on the table that Canon brought IN from the recycling bin (attempting to make a musical instrument), couch cushions piled all on one couch (a mole hole), mud all over the drive way and a large dead branch, taller than the garage sticking out of the ground (Canon planting a tree) not to mention our muddy car because Canon CANNOT go outside to get into the car without a detour through the mud, and a glittery floor from yesterdays attempt at an art project (how do you get mad when he says he was trying to make you something).  Some other recent messes have also included dirt from the indoor plant on the floor (Canon trying to see if the roots were healthy, thank you "Cat in the Hat"), and a constant string of rope around the banisters that have been any thing from pulleys hauling chairs up the wall (yes it left a mark) to spider webs.  When I ask him not to do what ever recent mess he has just made he says "But Mom, I'm digging for Dinosaur Bones" or "I'm checking to see if the plant is healthy" or "I'm planting a tree" in such away that I feel as if I've just asked the President of the United States not to be president.  Yesterday I asked him if he was done playing outside.  "I'm not playing! I'm planting a tree and chasing out the moles."  "I'm sorry, are you done BEING outside" I rephrased.