Aug 14, 2008

Dear Journal,

Dear Journal,
Yesterday I got my Japanese DRIVER'S LICENSE!
YES! I am officially licensed to drive on the left side of the road! (Doing my darnedest not to kill anyone!) I've driven twice now, and so far I'm doing okay. No fatalities, anyway...

So when Doug and I got home from the class yesterday afternoon, I stayed over at the M's house to use their Internet. They are our Sponsor's and have been very good to us.

Anyway, turns out, they're health food nuts. They eat a very "nutrient dense" diet which consists of LOTS of fruits, veggies, and beans. (And shockingly, not a lot of ice cream.) Well, it just so happened that my previous post took so bloody long to finish, (Lot's of pictures...) that I was still there at dinner time; and J, being the kind lady she is, insisted I stay and eat with them.
She made homemade pizza and this is how she made it:

Take a pizza crust. Add a very small amount of pizza sauce. (3 Tbsp?)
Add 2-3 heaping cups of sliced bell peppers and onions.
Then add 2-3 heaping cups of mushrooms, broccoli, and olives.
Then add some artichoke hearts along with some steamed, drained spinach.
Cover the top with sliced tomatoes and then VERY SPARINGLY add a little mozzarella cheese. Bake and serve.

So, can you picture this pizza? It's stacked about 6 inches high (no exaggeration) with veggies. And guess what?? I ATE IT!!! The WHOLE SLICE!!! And it was surprisingly good!
(Mom would be so proud of me! I'm growing up!!!)
Yep. I'm pretty awesome!
(I may have picked off a FEW of the tomatoes, but COME ON! I ATE PEPPERS!)

Anyway, that was yesterday. TODAY, was ALSO a big day. We got to move into our new home! Technically, it's a 4-plex. Or town home. Or something. Anyway, it's the end unit in a group of 4 attached units. And we didn't so much "move-in" as transfer our suitcases from one place to the other.

It has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths upstairs, and an eat-in kitchen, dining area, family room, and half bath downstairs.

It is just up the road from the elementary school and within a short walk to the hospital where Doug will work. So it's a pretty sweet set-up. And the best part is, someone in the neighborhood has unprotected wireless for me to steal until our Internet can be turned on in a week or two! (Did I say steal? I meant "share".)

Some other highlights from today? Car shopping in a torrential down-pour and visiting the "100 Yen" store for the first time. Awesome.

More later, I'm pooped.
xoxoxoxoxo
Elora Danan Cusack

13 comments:

FOX said...

OHHHH! I have such found memories of driving with you the night you got your drivers license here in the states.

WHAT WERE THE JAPANESE THINKING!!!

Then there was the time you drove Karie and I to the SD zoo with our newborns!!!!

AGAIN, WHAT WERE THE JAPANESE THINKING!!!

JK!!!

I am so glad there is internet now for you!!! Borrow away I say!!!

You are just being a good example of the Law of Consecration, so way to help out the community, I say!!!

FOX said...

ooops! that would me "fond memories" and not "found"

all though I did "find" those memories in my brain somewhere!!

and hey, every time I make a spelling blunder, I am just raising your blog self-esteem by writing an additional comment to explain that I am not an idiot!!! :)

Anonymous said...

What did you have to do to get a drivers license? Did you have to take a drive? How much English is over there? Are their menus in English or do people that work at stores speak English? The base is pretty all English right?

Now, I wasn't asking all of these questions because you asked for questions, but I am going to complain that you said Beth was the only one who asked you questions and if you look at my comment, I asked 2 questions!!!! So you have to be my friend too, but I might not want you for my friend since you don't notice my questions!

By the way, you pretty much already answered my original questions through your posts.

How many people in your ward or dentists or doctors doing their time?

Bartimaeus said...

Just because you are mad at me doesn't mean you can change your last name to Cusack!

Bartimaeus said...

Marissa I'll be your friend. Only one other dentist and two docs...one OB and one ER/fam med.

Mrs. Dub said...

Every time I read your posts, I immediately search for overseas jobs afterwards. You are so selling me on this whole thing.

Linz said...

Yea for driving on the left! Scary!

I am happy that you are in your house! Yea!!!

Val said...

You are so funny, I love your posts. What's with the name change?

Val said...

You are so funny, I love your posts. What's with the name change?

T J V said...

your sign off name is fabulous! and you are hard core getting a japanese license, i used to work with quite a few japanese and some of them never even drove until they moved to the US b/c they were too scared to drive there!

Anonymous said...

Just so you know, I read your blog everyday. I am just too lazy to leave a comment. Love you guys.

Anonymous said...

Number one, I never knew that you were a bigamist. Number two, you rock. I can't imagine you and the boys driving on the left side. Have you hit any speed limit signs yet? Number three, what did HE do that made you turn back to your Cussak lusting?

Anonymous said...

Thanks Dougie! I've been enjoying some yummy corn on the cob this summer thanks to you!