Fast and Furious

78!  Days!  7-8!

These past 2 weeks have been much about the work involved in going to Japan.  Japanese government requires a pile of documentation for prescription medication as well as OTC medicines.  There are also very strict rules about what can be brought into the country, even for personal use.  Any medications brought in must be cleared by the government first through a lengthy set of paperwork and documents from your current doctor.  And there is a limit on the amount of medication you can bring into the country.  In my situation, this is going to be, I hope, fairly easy since my medical condition has a fairly typical treatment protocol.  So I will have to obtain a doctor almost immediately to continue my current medications.

But I must also get one for E because she also has an epi-pen for her possible allergy to strawberries.  Any medication which involves a syringe also requires declaration.  In addition, only a 2 month supply of vitamins (I take several supplements) can be brought in.  And no, you can't mail yourself medication from home.  They do check the packages and you can be arrested on the spot for breaking the law.  Wow, scary stuff.

In addition, we have to change our medical insurance because the current insurance doesn't cover anything outside of the US.  What a headache.  That means possibly needing to locate new doctors here as well.

And pile on to this the plan to sublet our condo out while we are away.  I've left that little project to Kurt.  He hasn't yet been very successful in getting much done with it.

And let's see, there seems to be a pile of other things that need doing, like getting E's school evaluation complete before she leaves for Louisiana on April 18th.  And finishing her school work ahead of time since I know nothing will likely happen once she is with her father for 6 weeks.  I'll be fortunate to get back a daughter with some semblance of a brain.  I could be wrong, I truly hope I am wrong for E's sake.

Oh and let's not forget federal and state taxes for 2 different states and the pile of itemizations I will be doing for the medical expenses last year.  Add to this my current graduate statistics class, the normal household chores, E's classes (gymnastics, soccer and swimming every week), the packing planning, the plethora of doctor appointments we have each week and some where in there I usually walk 30-40 minutes every day.  It's a lot on our collective plates and no wonder we feel overwhelmed at the prospect of leaving in t-minus 78 days.

78 days!  Holy cow!

In those 78 days we also have a trip home for little brother Adam and Enny's wedding and an 18 day stay in Europe just before we leave for Japan.  It's going to be a fast and furious April and end of May.  Japan packing better be largely together before we leave for Europe since there are only 8 days between our return to the US and our departure for Japan.  And Grandma Pounders is escorting E back on June 5th.  This will be Grandma's first visit to Boston.  I hope we have lots of time to enjoy her visit when she is here.

78 days!

Fasten Seatbelt While Seated - Why?

FSWS for short

Why indeed.  Why: because I've read this particular sentence and several variations too many times to count, especially recently.  It seems to apply to my life both literally and figuratively.  Whether I bring on the challenges myself or they just happen to be a part of my history and my future, there is no shortage of where to apply this particular blog title to my life.  Period.

If you know me well, or even somewhat well, you are probably already aware of how well this may suit the overarching theme of my life regardless of how those events occur.

I've decided to start blogging because I never seem to have enough time to catch up on my personal journaling these days.  There never seems to be a good space, place or time to actually write my journals.  And the actual process of physically writing has become, well, painful some days due to medical issues.  So I've decided to try this method with the hope that I would be able to journal more often.  I have journals going back 25 years.  At least, I've been journaling that long although I may not be able to lay my hands on those journals since particular events may have claimed those writings forevermore.  Which is sad, but also another reason why I've considered this method.

I journal for myself, and perhaps my daughter.  No one else usually reads them and my daughter is not old enough to be allowed.  I blog primarily for this reason as well.

Finally, I am starting to blog because of our imminent move overseas which will perhaps leave a hole in my world.  And I've probably invited you to read my blog because there is a thought someone might like to share in my adventurous world, or because someone has expressed that there is or will be a hole I once filled for them.  This is my solution for those who enjoy living vicariously through others and sometimes through me.  I hope it will at least be entertaining.