This blog entry here is one were I am shooting from the hip.  You see I pre-write all my blogs save tem then post them.  Now that I am back in America I have much to write about.  Now tonight I write to all of you from Anaheim.  We are here for the end of the week doing the Disney Land to Sea World. 

While here I decided to visit the parents of my ex girlfriend.  They have been very good people to me and even stood at my side long after Candy and I went our separate ways.  While driving to their home I was taken by surprise the number of signs that read BANK OWNED on homes.  I sat back with George and Evelyn and introduced my girls.  We sat for such a long time and talked.  They told me how a few years ago they would awake on a weekend morning to kids running around the neighborhood as they played.  It was serene and comfortable.  It had been like that when they raised their own children.  Now the streets are quiet and people are gone.  No more laughter, tears or voices of the kids that played in the street.  Only 1 family with children in the neighborhood remains and there is no one for that little girl to play with. 

After my visit, I drove for a while and the other neighborhoods were the same.  Houses for sale.  In my mind I am doing the math and I can see the profit someone in my position can make off these houses.  I have the means and the experience.  This is a buyers market.  But for every vacant home I see there is a story to tell.  Then I come across a house with a U-Haul in the drive way.  Several adults carry boxes from the house into the truck and a little girl sits in the front yard on dead grass as she plays with a doll house and I see her packing the furniture of the doll house into a box.  Do I dare ask? 

This is one of those moments were ignorance is bliss.  I spent the rest of the day at Sea World.  My girls had a great time.  But the image in my head weighed so heavy on what I saw earlier.  There I am thinking wow I can monopolize on all these bank owned homes lease them for 3 years cause I see the market on a turn around in 2011.  But my mind weighed heavy still on the face of that little girl. 

Time for us to head back to Anaheim, but I am still messed up by that image in my head and I return to that neighborhood.  I see the house and the U-Haul is still there.  Very nervously I ring the bell and a lady answers and I tell her why I am there.  And I tell her that I saw their daughter and how much she weighed on my mind.  I was relieved to learn that the family in that home was actually leasing and they were moving to a home that they got a loan for.  They could finally afford a home so they were actually leaving for a good reason.  I was relieved.  I imagined a little girl living somewhere scary like I had lived in my youth.  And how I remember a bedtime story when my father had lived with my family before leaving my mom.  He told me about castles in the sky were on winged horses we would ride one day into the sky to live forever.  I would close my eyes and dream of those horses one day to carry me off to a new home and away from the one we had lived.  For many years even after my father left I remained hopeful of seeing them.  But there were no winged horses, and no castles in the sky.  No rainbows for me to slide on.  No clouds to jump on as I played.  No stars to guide my way when the moon came to say goodnight.

So tonight I sit here with room service removing the dish cart of food from our room.  The beds are turned down the girls chatting with each other telling each other the fun they had.  I see them on the floor laughing and using the digital camera looking over the pictures.  They glow with what they have seen.  We have been here since Thursday.  We are going to spend the day at one more park before we come back to the hotel rest well and catch a plane back to Phoenix Monday.

My thoughts though are on children.  How many children though will not play in the streets were laughter and joy is needed.  Tonight there parents perhaps lay in bed asking themselves how do I get through this.  Others feeling guilty for getting in over their heads.  While the remaining few who bought within their means and had their homes go from a fixed to an arm because it was in their contract now suffer cause they cannot get a loan for the market is very hard. 

I wonder how much stress they will bear as they try to sleep.  Were will I go?  What will I do?  How can I fail my child like this?  The though alone saddens me as I sit in this suite that Disney has built.  I feel for them.  I honestly do.  Yet, this is perhaps the kicking the ass our country has needed since 9-11 to get ourselves thinking straight.  I never saw shame in buying clothes at K-Mart.  I still drive a 1997 Plymouth Neon that I had since it was new.  I just maintain it like you are supposed to.  Yes it sits in between  a Ford Excursion and a Nissan Skyline.  Not the same Skyline I have at the home in Japan.  But I keep that little car cause it is what I could afford at that time.  I bought within my means.  Now my means are vast.  Despite my means I still shop at WAL-MART for what I need.  Yes my girls have better than I but I see an important lesson here that I must teach them before we go much further. 

To my two little Sparrows Kiyomi and Hatsuko I will teach you to live within your means.  Unlike the American Express affair back in Scottsdale, mom might not be there to bail you out.

Here I go again with many of you guys trying to pick up on me.  So lets try this in several languages:

I am a lesbian.  I am not interested in dating anyone male or female.  No I am not looking to date.  No I don’t want to speak to you on messenger.  No I don’t want nude pictures of you.  No lesbian doesn’t mean bisexual.  No I don’t need a man.  No I don’t want to meet your so called female friend which is really you trying to play the role.  No I will not set you up on a date with my daughters!

Soy una lesbiana.  No estoy interesado en fechar cualquier persona masculino o femenino.  Ningún no estoy mirando hasta la fecha.  Ningún no deseo hablarle en mensajero.  Ningún no deseo cuadros desnudos de usted.  Ninguna lesbiana no significa bisexual.  Ningún no necesito a hombre.  Ningún no deseo satisfacer a su amigo femenino supuesto que sea realmente usted que intenta desempeñar el papel.  ¡Ningún no le fijaré para arriba una fecha con mis hijas!

私はレズビアンである。  私は男性か女性だれでも日付を記入することに興味がない。  私は今までに見ていない。  私はメッセンジャーのあなたに話したいと思わない。  私はあなたの裸映像がほしいと思わない。  レズビアンは両性体を意味しない。  私は人を必要としない。  私は実際に役割を担うことを試みているであるあなたのいわゆるメスの友人に会いたいと思わない。  私は私の娘が付いている日付の置かない!

أنا سحاقية.  أنا لست راغبة في يؤرّخ أيّ شخص ذكريّة أو أنثويّة.  ما من لا ينظر أنا [تو دت].  ما من لا يريد أنا أن يتكلّم إلى أنت على رسول.  ما من لا يريد أنا صور ناقصة من أنت.  ما من لا يعني سحاقية [بيسإكسول].  ما من لا يحتاج أنا رجل.  ما من لا يريد أنا أن يلتقي صديقتك ما يسمّى أنثويّة أيّ يكون حقّا أنت يحاول أن يلعب الدور.  ما من لن يثبت أنا أنت فوق على تاريخ مع ابنتي!

Eu sou um lesbian.  Eu não estou interessado em datar qualquer um masculino ou fêmea.  Nenhum eu não estou olhando para datar.  Nenhum eu não quero falar-lhe no mensageiro.  Nenhum eu não quero retratos nude de você.  Nenhum lesbian não significa bisexual.  Nenhum eu não necessito um homem.  Nenhum eu não quero encontrar-se com o seu assim que - o amigo fêmea chamado que é realmente você que tenta jogar o papel.  Nenhum eu não o ajustarei acima em uma data com minhas filhas!

Είμαι λεσβία.  Δεν ενδιαφέρομαι για τη χρονολόγηση καθενός αρσενικού ή θηλυκού.  Κανένας δεν κοιτάζω μέχρι σήμερα.  Κανένας δεν θέλω να μιλήσω σε σας στον αγγελιοφόρο.  Κανένας δεν θέλω τις nude εικόνες σας.  Καμία λεσβία δεν σημαίνει αμφίφυλο.  Κανένας δεν χρειάζομαι ένα άτομο.  Κανένας δεν θέλω να συναντήσω τον αποκαλούμενο θηλυκό φίλο σας που είναι πραγματικά εσύ που προσπαθείτε να διαδραματίσει το ρόλο.  Κανένας δεν θα σας θέσω επάνω κατά μια ημερομηνία με τις κόρες μου!

Я буду lesbian.  Я не заинтересован в датировать любое мыжское или женское.  Никак я не смотрю to date.  Никак я не хочу поговорить к вам на посыльном.  Никак я не хочу nude изображения вас.  Никакой lesbian не намеревается bisexual.  Никак мне не нужен человек.  Никак я не хочу встретить ваше поэтому - вызванный женский друг будет реально вами пытаясь сыграть роль.  Никак я не установлю вас вверх на дате с моими дочами!

我是女同性恋者。  我不是对约会女性任何人感兴趣男性或。  没有我迄今不看。  没有我不想要与您谈话在信使。  没有我不想要裸体图片的您。  女同性恋者不意味两性体。  没有我不需要一个人。  没有我不想要遇见真正地是您设法扮演角色的您所谓的女性朋友。  没有我不会设置您在一个日期与我的女儿!

나는 여성 동성애자이다.  나는 남성 여성 누군가를 날짜를 기입하기에 흥미있지 않다.  아무 나는 현재까지 보고 있지 않다.  아무 나는 메신저에 당신 말하고 싶지 않다.  아무 나는 당신의 발가벗은 그림을 원하지 않는다.  아무 여성 동성애자도 양성을 의미하지 않는다.  아무 나는 남자를 필요로 하지 않는다.  아무 나는 진짜로 역할을 하는 것을 시도해 당신 인 당신의 소위 여성 친구를 만나고 싶지 않다.  아무 나는 나의 딸과 가진 날짜에 당신을 위로 놓지 않을 것이다!

Je suis une lesbienne.  Je ne suis pas intéressé à dater n'importe qui masculin ou femelle.  Aucun je ne regarde pas jusqu'ici.  Aucun je ne veux pas te parler sur le messager.  Aucun je ne veux pas les images nues de toi.  Aucune lesbienne ne veut dire bisexuel.  Aucun je n'ai pas besoin d'un homme.  Aucun je ne veux pas rencontrer votre prétendu ami féminin qui est vraiment toi essayant de jouer le rôle.  Aucun je ne vous placerai pas vers le haut une date avec mes filles !

Ich bin ein Lesbier.  Ich bin nicht interessiert, an, männliches oder weibliches niemand zu datieren.  Kein schaue ich nicht bis jetzt.  Kein möchte ich nicht mit Ihnen auf Kurier sprechen.  Kein wünsche ich nicht nude Abbildungen von Ihnen.  Kein Lesbier bedeutet nicht bisexual.  Kein benötige ich nicht einen Mann.  Kein möchte ich nicht Ihren sogenannten weiblichen Freund treffen, der wirklich Sie versuchend, die Rolle zu spielen ist.  Kein stelle ich Sie nicht oben auf einem Datum mit meinen Töchtern ein!

Förmiddag I en lesbisk kvinna.  Förmiddag som I inte intresseras i datummärkningen någon som är male eller som är kvinnlig.  Ingen I-förmiddag som inte hitintills ser.  Inget önskar jag inte att tala till dig på budbärare.  Inget önskar jag inte nakenstudie föreställer av dig.  Ingen lesbisk kvinna betyder inte bisexuell person.  Inget behöver jag inte en man.  Inget önskar jag inte att möta ditt så - den kallade kvinnliga vännen som är egentligen dig som är pröva att leka rollen.  Inget ska jag inte uppsättningen dig upp på en datera med min döttrar!

Well with the Hatsuko shopping affair behind us and my trek on deciding on what is best for the girls, I take them to a water park to return to the level of normalcy. 

Once there we change clothes and we are having fun.  Hatsuko is still feeling very guilty of the card issue but I tell her its ok.  Its not all her fault since it was I that gave it to her.  I really thought she had the maturity level to handle it.  Though it was done and over with I could tell that Hatsuko was not ready to let the issue die just yet.  So once more we had a long talk over it, after which I tell her the issue dies right there.

In the course of that conversation.  Kiyomi found herself eyeballing all the local guys.  One even came and up and tried to chat with her.  But do to language issues there was no real dialogue.  But the guy was cute!!!!  So that had her a bit alarmed.  Until then all she knew was Akira.  But here are American guys.  some a tad older.  They are cut in shape.  Some despite their youthful age are showing decent six packs and very fine pectoral muscles.  Guys never looked like that when I was her age!  Maybe that’s why teachers are running off with their students.  Just Kidding!

But she felt guilty.  I am like why?  Cause mom these boys out here are much cuter.  They are in shape, nice tan bodies, great teeth, and hair.  So I ask her.  Shall we stay then in America?  Hatsuko and Kiyomi both do a double take.  Stay here?  What about our school back home?  Our Friends?  Our Boyfriends?  But mom I don’t know how to speak English!  Hatsuko didn't miss a beat!  "Kiyomi!  Think about the boys and the shopping!  We will get over our guys eventually!"

Give it to Hatsuko to find a way to add shopping as her own form of emotional support!

That’s my girl!

I like shopping.  I like it so much that it’s a way of life for me.  So it stands to reason that my girls would fall into that realm.  Now when we got in country I knew the girls would have to get used to seeing Americans so I thought what better way than a trip to the Scottsdale Galleria.  There eyes lit up more than the fact I had mentioned we would take a trip to DISNEYLAND at the end of July.  Disneyland the happiest place on earth?  Not to a 10 year old with a valid passport and her own authorized copy of American Express and a mall!

If you are gasping, yup you guessed right!  Thank gawd for American Express security!

See this is what happened.  We three were together going from store to store and trying on new clothes shoes you name it.  I didn’t have them pack much cause I knew we would do some shopping here.  We were in a store named Industrial which sells clothes and skateboards.  Hatsuko knew that Corey loves skateboards.  So her thinking was all in Japanese lets get Corey something.  Ok I gave each girl their own AMEX with a max of one thousand dollars.  Well it’s a verbal limit.  They don’t know is each card has an actual 10K max.  Now let me give you a little run down on what this is all leading too.  Japan prices are in YEN and as you know America is Dollars.  SO if I were to go but Guitar Hero Aerosmith it sells for 49.99 plus tax.  In Japanese YEN to make it easy that’s 4999.  So when I tell the girls they can spend 1k on their AMEX Kiyomis thinking is ok 1K America she's doing the math and subtracting backwards from 1000.00.  Hatsuko is thinking Japanese so her thinking is counting back from 100,000.00 in American Dollars!

So Hatsuko buys Corey a new board and I even talk the store manager into shipping it to the military address Hatsuko has for sending Corey postcards.  For fun I let Hatsuko use the AMEX.  Big Mistake.  Now she feels the power of a charge card.  We go to GUESS, and we three are shopping.  Now in that store Kiyomi buys what she likes and the prices there its very easy to hit that 1K max limit.  Again I am letting them buy on their own so I can teach them how to budget  and use the PC at home to monitor what they buy and learn how to budget.  We go to Victoria's secret, and while there I am asking Kiyomi to be measured properly.  While that is going on Hatsuko is mom can I buy some lotions and body wash?  I say sure.  Not thinking anything of it.  Now Hatsuko doesn’t understand English very well but I see she is having a lady help her she's within eye view so I let it be.  I turn my attention to Kiyomi and we begin to have a serious mom to daughter talk.  Recently Kiyomi crossed over to womanhood.  So its time she was allowed to experience her womanhood.  Now that she's developing I allow her to explore more of a ladies choice in lingerie.  I tell the lady please bring us a large amount of choices we are going to do some major shopping.  In making that stupid statement I never thought to mention it was for Kiyomi.  That got to the ears of the other woman and she's like oh!  Now the ass kissing is going on I am relaxed I never paid attention that Hatsuko purchased a large amount of lotions and body cleaners but even got her  thongs she had originally wanted.  

Now here is the capper.  I am there sitting being waited on Hatsuko says to me mom there is a woman's clothing store over there can I go look please?  I asked her if she has her cell she says yes I say OK.  Now my mind is getting this done so we can join Hatsuko across the mall.  I'm watching the time holding my cell Kiyomi is being fitted some more I am translating from English to Japanese and vice versa and the cell rings.

Hello?

Hello Miss Yamada?

Yes this is Miss Yamada.  Who is this?

Yes Ma'am, this is Michelle with American Express Security.  I am sorry to bother you but I am showing a large amount of transaction occurring on the extended cards you had issued.  We are calling you to inquire if these purchases are authorized.

Ah yes we are shopping right now I am with my daughters in Victoria's Secret.

Oh really wonderful.  Right now we have a hold with a pending transaction from Lucky Brand Jeans.

That’s fine that should be my daughter Hatsuko.

Understood Ma'am cause the transaction is several hundred and they are holding her in the store.  Her card has had sales in excess of 1800 in the last 20 minutes to include an item purchased from Luis Vuitton  

She bought how much?

You know that one moment when you get a reality check?  This is one of those moments and it comes back and slaps you about the face for several seconds.  I went to Lucky Jeans and I joke you not she has this smile that can rival the Cheshire cat! 

Ma'am is this young lady your daughter?  Yes she is!  The manager oh American Express Authorized the charge.  She had bags and bags!  She went goofy in VS with the lotions for her friends.  Oh my gawd!!!!!!  No joke she had more bags than she can carry!  New Lesson in stupidity.  Despite good intentions on my part, I am stupid!  You don’t go given a 10 year old a charge card.  Especially if its an American Express!  I had to call for mall management to send up two personnel to Victoria's Secret so they can get all the bags to the Excursion.  Yes I have one.  Don’t talk to me about fuel prices I have had that thing for years and I only drove it today cause the girls wanted to ride in it.  I used Valet. 

Now the flip side.  One part of me wants to chew some ass.  But the other part of me also knows I need my own ass chewed.  So how did I resolve this?  I took away Hatsuko's card and now I will bend over and let all of you my readers of this blog walk up and take turns at kicking me in the ass for being a dumb ass!

Several years ago I got this old Jeep to help settle a divorce.  I was buying a home in foreclosure and the married couple agreed on a price to sell me the home at.  On top of that the husband didn’t want his wife to have the Jeep so he sold it to me for 500.00!  The thing was old but I had a soft spot for I.  Since getting it, I got new tires rims new paint sound system.  Painted the thing pink and black!  It quickly became my toy for the urban jungle.  What better way to cruise around the valley in a bikini on a hot summer night.  Trips to Sedona, New Mexico, and anywhere in between.  I totally forgot how fun that thing was.

So why mention it?  For it was that Jeep that took us to our first 4th of July fireworks show.  See, the girls and I got in it because to me it’s the easiest way to kick back and watch a good show from a car.  But I totally forgot the freedom it had.  Kiyomi was quick to remind me of that freedom too.  See Kiyomi is starting to develop from a girl into a woman.  So when we were in the house changing she came to chat with me in my room and my walk in closet.  She was amazed by the sheer size and the amount of clothes I had.  No joke my walk in closet is 967 square feet of custom built fixtures that have all my clothes.  I even have a special vanity for cosmetics.  So it didn’t take long for her to try on clothes. 

Here I am with Kiyomi in my closet and we are playing dress up.  Hatsuko joined us and it became a fashion show.  Outfit after outfit laugh after laugh I was feeling the comfort and warmth of this house as it was meant to feel.  Before long we had hot pants and mini tops.  Down the road we cruised jamming to my sisters cd and drinking bottled water.  Both girls were excited over how a Jeep feels with its air running over our bodies and the sky above us.  Clouds were coming in but we found a good spot and just chilled.  It wasn’t long before we three were catching the eyes of young men and a few tried to come and talk to us only to learn that I was the mom and those two were underage.  Still the thrill of it all was great!  Lights went down fireworks raced across the sky and booms echoed.  Both my girls were grinning ear to ear over the sight,  And when it was all done we cruised and stopped at a SONICS for 3 banana splits and a moment to reflect in that Jeep. 

Many people spend money on crazy vacations or ideas to have fun.  This though was free.  Just some fun at home a cruise into the dusk, a light show and ice cream while guys cruised us as if we were the flavor of the month.  Those are the simple things in life we tend to overlook.  I am glad I didn’t miss it.  These are how memories are made of.  I cant wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Hi:

Now this is probably on the minds of many of you.  We are in Phoenix Arizona.  We arrived in country prior to Independence Day.  Now the big question.  What have you all been doing?  Showing them America.  Take two preteen Japanese girls out of their element, put them in a new country 1/2 way around the world with a new language, lifestyle, and home and yeah you can imagine the culture shock they are enduring.

But lets get to the start.  We arrived in country and cleared customs.  They were in shock.  Okasan (mom) we are in San Francisco?  Yes we are.  They looked out the airport windows only too see that we were south of San Francisco and is disappointing view.  But they did get their first taste of See's candies from a kiosk and boy did they love those!!!

After a quick lunch and a trip into the restroom to freshen up we boarded a plane to Phoenix.  Just about 2 hours in the sky and taxing we were home.  I got my girls and at the luggage area was a drive waiting for us.  This was their first taste of luxury for outside in the heat was a long black limousine we got inside and off to the house we went.  In my mind I was like wow I am home those two were glued despite exhaustion to the windows and every other comment from them was ooooooooooooooh!      American cars are so much bigger!  Look at the houses over there!  Look at how blue the sky is.  Wow that mountain has weird holes in it!  Look at that one family!  They are all so big they must eat very well and everything!  I sit back and take it all in.  Then I recognize the area.  My home is coming upon us very soon.  That’s when I heard Hatsuko.  NANI SO-RE!  Translation - WHAT'S THAT!  That house is so big!  Its huge, who would want to live in a house that big?  And they both freaked out as the driver turned into the drive way.  They both looked at me.  No comment no words just a look of shock. 

The driver is removing luggage I open the door and my two little sparrows go into the house and are running around like children in a playground.  I tip the driver thank him for his time and ask him to return in a few hours to bring us to dinner.  Its been a while since I have been in this house.  When I left it was undergoing construction.  I had a Japanese style bathroom built.  I also had the front door and area around the front door reconstructed for personal reasons I will not mention here.  The sudden change in this house was intense.  I can here the girls rush around in excitement.  I walk the house again and memories came back.  Everything from places were I cried alone to moments of sheer joy.  I walk the halls and see the fruits of my labor.  I stand in awe  now.  The silence is gone by the sheer squeals of two girls exploring this house.  I go upstairs to my bedroom and find that the girls both find their own rooms.  they also found mine.  So many questions of mom this and mom that!  They love my bedroom then Hatsuko squeals one more time!  Mom has a swimming pool and a stairway from her bedroom to the pool downstairs!!!!!

They both go running out the balcony and down the spiral staircase.  Normally I would take all my clothes off and swim nude.  but instead I put on a bikini and go running out too like a little girl and as I do I push each one in the pool and dive in myself.  If they weren't fully awake they are now.  I am laughing both girls are stunned then decide to come after me.  There we were playing in the water like school age children.  This very moment were I have been wanting happiness in this very home was finally achieved.  I feel so alive now.

Now the big question.  Will we actually stay here?