Yesterday Dean and I hopped into the car and drove 20 miles/40 minutes to Kadena Air Base. The Air Force BX always has nicer stuff than the Marine Corps PX's, so I wanted to go there. Of course, before going shopping I dropped Dean off with his friend at the driving range on the Kadena base. It made me feel like a soccer mom already.
Christmas stuff out here is hard to come by. I had already struck out on two bases--Camps Courtney and Hansen were already sold out of Christmas trees by the day after Thanksgiving. I'd gotten a tip from a coworker that a third base (Camp Foster) was a complete zoo owing to them having procured some live trees, so I wouldn't even bother trying there. I got lucky and found a pre-lit, 6.5-foot artificial tree on Kadena for a pretty good price--$69. Someone snagged the last big ornament set before I got to it, but I was able to scoop up a few gold balls and an odd, Chinese pagoda thing that I decided to use as a tree topper. I like to wind thick ribbon around the tree, but that was no where to be found. I would ask my Ma to send it but by the time it gets out here, Christmas will be done and gone.
I browsed around and picked up a few gifties. If you think you might be one of the people I bought a gift for, better play it safe and send me one. Then I went to pick up Dean and spent a few minutes judging the driving contest, where the bets ranged from who had to buy dinner to which waitress at the club house Dean's friend would have to hit on if Dean drove the ball further.
We set up the tree when we got home. And by "we" I mean I tore into it while Dean protested from the couch that it was way too early to set it up. And then when I had made a mess of layering the fake-fir tiers completely incorrectly, he stepped in and fixed it with a sigh that I assume could only be one of contentment. I paired my fakey tree with a mistletoe-scented candle. I doubt its visible metal rod and sparse, Charlie-Brown-esque branches are fooling anyone, even paired with the (also artificial) scent, but hey, we tried! Then we had a few people come for dinner to our newly festive apartment. I served overcooked roast beef, which I blamed on my Japanese convection oven. But the Marines we had over were very kind and assured me they didn't mind at all, because the meal had their favorite quality--it was free.
Just another Sunday in Okinawa.
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