Honey I'm Home

I'm back from Australia without any flight problems. Unfortunately I can't say the same for Colleen. Keep your fingers crossed she makes her connection in L.A. after a delayed start in Sydney. Something about a mechanic strike for the Quantas Airlines ...

Excuse me if I get a little sentimental here

Last Memorial Day Michelle and I were a world apart last year, and who would have thought we'd find ourselves in the same predicament this year.

A few weeks ago we celebrated military spouses day, and I thanked Michelle for her love, patience, and support with me and my job. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I do, even if I do have choice words about it every once in a while. But to have such a talented wife held back with the restraints of working in or out of her field, I am grateful.

After the past two weeks of cooking, cleaning (yes Peter, I picked up after myself), eating, golfing, bowling, running, and biking by myself, I have a whole new respect for what Michelle did for the seven months I was deployed. She's only been gone two weeks and I cannot wait for her to get back. She did this for s-e-v-e-n months, and it is much easier for me to understand now that I got a taste of it myself. I couldn't imagine what it'd be like if I was away for a year, nor do I even want to think about it.

We learned a lesson we'll never forget at the Engaged Encounter we attended in 2004: you have to make the choice to love each other every day when you are married, no matter how hard it may be or how frustrated you may be. Thankfully it has always been an easy choice for me since the day we were married. But in the last two weeks, I've been reminded that the hardest part about being married is being apart. I'm am thrilled Michelle got to go on the vacation of a lifetime with Colleen and Rachel, but I am really looking forward to having her back on the other side of the dinner table laughing at my jokes (whether they are funny or not).

37 hours, 33 minutes, and 32 seconds until Michelle gets back. I'm a little excited, can you tell?

Round 1: Cy takes down Farve

at the gas pumps, but not by much. I have to give Farve credit. Farve has more miles (85k compared to 59k), but Cy has him by a few years (Cy was born in 1996, Farve in 2000). It was a close competition.

I pulled into the gas station to fill up Cy before the long weekend. Where I was going, who knows, but I wanted to be ready. Cy had only gone 271km, but the gauge read 1/4 tank. I started the pump and barely started cleaning the windshield when the pump stopped. Surely it wasn't finished yet, Cy only swallowed 4.8 gallons. I was wrong. After topping off Cy, he was satisfied after $17.99 of 90 octane gas (the only kind available here).

Farve didn't get his turn at the pumps until he was warmed up and got an oil change. You have to take care of the weathered players or they burn out before their prime. Although Farve drank only 2 gallons more, he did go further (although he didn't make it to the Superbowl), taking me for a grand total of 350km on 6.8 gallons of fuel.

Put away the calculators, I'll do the math. Your first runner up came it at 51.1 km/gal (32.2 mpg), only 5.4 km/gal behind your winner and reining V-Team efficiency champion, Cy. Cy tooled around Okinawa at a remarkable 56.5 km/gal (35.3 mpg for the state-side folks).

Some factors to keep in mind for this competion:
1. All the driving is done in the city, stop and go every 1/2 or so. I can't imagine what we'd get on the highway with a speed limit of 50 mph (80km/h).

2. Michelle usually doesn't drive Cy like a Cyclone, and I have a tendancy to be a bit rough on Farve being the Vikings fan I am (only a joke, I drive like an old man--no offense Dad).

3. Cy hasn't been worn down answering questions about retirement, unlike his competition.

4. I am not partial to Cy, even if he is huge Vikings fan. It's amazing the influence I have when the Packer fan is away. (this one was written solely for Michelle ;-)

In other bachelor news, I did improve my golf game if that is what you want to call it. I a 94, achieving my goal to not break 100 at the Bel Aire Country Club. A beautiful day after the morning shower went away. I managed to hit some straight drives and a par or two despite some shaky putting, including setting myself up for a 10 footer after the first putt (happened more than once). It's embarrassing for any golfer.

I also managed to get my handicap for the bowling league established on Saturday (make up match), still at 140. Of course in Benny fashion, I started with a 171, then 144, then finished off with a strong 105. Just like the No Mas bowling team in Yuma, I use the house shoes and house ball. Most others in the league have their own shoes and balls, they take this stuff seriously. Unfortunately it is harder to enjoy a cold one in this Tuesday night league, since 0.03 will get you a DUI out in town. Not worth it.

So the countdown to the Missus returning continues. It now stands at 51 hours, 30 minutes, and 29 seconds. But who's counting?

Greetings from Down Under

G'Day Mates!

My time with my sisters in Australia is coming to an end. What a lovely holiday. Truly the trip of a lifetime.

Since arriving, I climbed the Sydney Bridge, admired the views from the Opera House and drank with Irish blokes at the Hero of Waterloo pub. The best part was I experienced it all with my sisters.



I ate a kanga fillet, emu and barramundi with chips, of course. I pulled a beet from underneath my hamburger bun and tossed it aside. My favorite food is the lollies, especially chocolate Tim Tams and mango licorice. I would pass on a meat pie with sauce.

Donning my swimming costume, I snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef and weeped at its natural beauty. I tossed a boomerang and launched a spear that wouldn't sail. I bushwalked in the Blue Mountains, but didn't get sunburned in the Outback. I watched footy on the television, but didn't get the chance to attend a match.

I've written the train numerous times and climbed too many stairs to count. And every time I saw a sign for "rubbish," I giggled.

My camera memory card is crammed with heaps of photos. And I still need to photograph Rachel at her Uni. Maybe I can get her mates in the photo too.

If you found this Aussie slang confusing. Then you know how I feel. People talk to me in what I assume is English, but it sounds like a foreign language. I swear I don't understand them at all.

In a couple of days, I'll be back in a truly foreign country, Okinawa, with my Benny. Until then, safe travels and no worries.

In case you were wondering, I sent an APB to Australia

only to find out that Michelle and Colleen landed safely almost a week ago. I didn't really have to send out an APB, Michelle sent me a message a few days ago and I've been too busy catching up on my own James Bond marathon to update the blog.

After finding Rachel somewhere on the island, the three of them did their best to impersonate dare devils and scaled the bridge in Sydney. Yesterday they went snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef yesterday... twice, said it was awesome. Tomorrow they catch an "early" flight that leaves before the sun comes up at 8am... I forgot to tell her it seems darker if you keep the blinds shut in the room, and therefore seems early.

Sounds like the food is awesome, the people are witty, the sights are amazing, and the beer goes down well discussing the other things that went down that day.

Page 2. I'm not going to lie, I can't match that. I did do laundry tonight and I'm sure the neighbors will think I'm crazy for hanging it up tonight too. I just want that extra 10 minutes of sleep that I'd probably spend hitting the snooze button and not hanging the clothes in the morning. They'll be dry if it doesn't rain tomorrow, but they are also under an awning and should stay dry anyways.

Besides the laundry, having taco rice for lunch and a turkey/pepperjack cheese sandwich for dinner. It's been fun pretending to be the guy in the opening of Forgetting Sarah Marshall (before she gets home early).

If you made it this far, congratulations, you've won access to a lovely 10 digit Minnesota phone number to call us. Please email me if you'd like our Vonage phone number, but I'm not ready to post our fan club hotline on the internet yet.

That's all that is fit to print...

When the Missus is Away, the "Bachelor" will...

Fourteen days of freedom some might call it, but I compare it 14 days and 14 nights of really "not as much fun as when Michelle is here." But it did give me a chance to take care of a few things...

1. Learning that it is not just Michelle who wants to sleep in on Saturday morning. I figured out how to turn the alarm off on the first try and sleep in. Boring.

2. My golf swing. I went the the driving range on Saturday and spent 2 hours trying to remember how to hit my driver straight, how long I hit my irons, and more importantly... how to not embarass myself on Monday when I go on a golf outing through the outdoor recreation program.

I was happy to find out that with a few warmup swings and one cold Miller Lite later, the nerves were settled and I think I hit my driver about 220 yards with the roll (hard to see the ball against the overcast skies). Much better than the first few tee shots that did not go past the women's tees last Thursday. Thankfully we were not playing the "standard rules of golf" on the military installation that day (my first round in over a year).

3. Take advantage of free food and great friends. Our friends Alex and Deb invited me over for dinner and to play Cranium with their neighbors Rob and Merideth. The competition wasn't fair, 3 on 2 in favor of the men, but it was still close. I can't imagine what it is going to be like when Michelle joins the already strong ladies team next time.

4. Most boring, work. I have spent the last month trying to read up on instructions, plans, and procedures for my new job to no avail. Visitors, phone calls, and pesky meetings have kept me from really learning how to do my job. So I didn't mind going in to spend a few hours reading on a rainy day (ok, it wasn't raining, but that makes me feel better to pretend it was).

I cranked up the fan, kicked up my feet, and started reading... for about 5 minutes.
Page 2, feeling clastraphobic, I decided to move the furniture and make more efficient use of the space... which also lead to organizing the 50+ binders on the shelves on the wall... defrosting the mini-refridgerator... and walla! Two hours later I had the place rearranged, but no reading accomplished.

But I feel so much better going into the office, I can focus on my work instead of how the ineffective use of space annoys me. I'd post pictures, but my compatriate has the camera.
I have twice as much room behind my desk, it is welcoming to visitors who don't have to squeeze between a chair and my desk, and it feels great!

5. Watching basketball, and remembering how much more I love to watch baseball. Even if it isn't the Twins losing to the Rockies (that's right Peter, I saw the Rockies won the series) or Michelle's beloved Cubs. Pro basketball just isn't as much fun to watch as March Madness, there are way too many individuals on the court.

So that's the news from Lake Wobegon. If anything more exciting happens, I'll be sure to post. But did you really think I'd post what I've actually been up to while Michelle is gone? Like Michelle is really going to believe me if I said I actually made the bed this morning.

My bags are packed, set course for Sydney

Tonight I leave Okinawa and climb aboard a China Airlines plane bound for Sydney.

My youngest sister, Rachel, has been in Australia since February. She is spending a semester abroad and studying at the University of Newcastle. She flies back to the States at the end of June.

The middle Kann sister, Colleen, finished her last final at University of Iowa pharmacy school Wednesday local time and flew out this morning before I was awake. The two of us will meet at the airport on Saturday morning local time. Luckily I only have a 9-hour flight, while Colleen loses a day and will be suffering from jet lag.

We have action-packed vacation planned for the next two weeks with stops in Cairns, the Blue Mountains and Newcastle.

With all the fun, I probably won't have time to write about the trip until my return on May 30. If there is time, I'll post a picture or two to show we made it there in one piece.

But don't worry readers. The V-Team blog isn't going on vacation too. My partner in crime, Benny, is in charge in my absence.

Cheer him on everyone. Write Benny, write!

Painting No. 38 goes to No. 55 for $55

Last Saturday was art-buying day for Benny and I.

First we went to a bazaar to raise money for the American Red Cross on island. I surveyed the Chinese furniture, Japanese kimonos and Indian table runners. All were exquisite. But I'm not at a point where I'm ready to redecorate the house in an Asian style. Instead I'm making a list of things I would like to buy before I leave the island in three years. Then we will have cool Japanese stuff to show off to friends and family members like the Killians.

We did end up paying a guy to write "Volkmann Family' in Kanji. It's a nice addition to our home, don't you think?


In the evening we attended the NOSCO Art Auction, which is a fundraiser for the club's charities. NOSCO (which Benny kept calling Nabisco) stands for Naval Officers Spouses Club of Okinawa.

With wine in hand and appetizers in our bellies, we bought an auction card. I have limited experience with buying at an auction, but Benny still let me be in charge of our No. 55 card. I'm not if this was a good plan, because I'm an emotional sale participant and at one point I wanted to raise my paddle just because it was so exciting to see two people battle over a painting. The price was around $300 at the time.

We did take home two woodblock paintings, both of Mount Fuji. Both are nice additions to our home and something we will treasure long after we leave Okinawa.

The store with smiles

Now that I have freedom, I put my new-found freedom to good use and drove to the Hello Kitty store in the American Village this afternoon.

After I recovered from the initial disappointment that this Sanrio store was much smaller than the one I went to in Yokosuka, I focused my thoughts on the task at hand: Find Hello Kitty gear for Cy.

But here is the problem. Hello Kitty is so cute. Damn cute. And I want it all since the red hue on the Hello Kitty water bottle holder, vanity mirror and license plate cover PERFECTLY (or should I write PURRECTLY?) match the red paint of Cy's outside. This means I won't be parking Cy in the sun to fade her red exterior to a pink tone as Benny suggested when we bought the car.

The vanity mirror would be useful, since my car doesn't have any mirrors behind the sun visors. But at 3,500 yen, that was out of my price range. And I already have a coffee cup holder ... and I'm not sure if the license plate cover is street legal. I have yet to see a license plate frame here. That's why I didn't install my Cyclone license plate frames that Kati sent me a few years back.

Hmmm. What to do?

The obvious choice was a Hello Kitty glitter sticker that I could paste in the back window. It's affordable. It's small and tasteful. And it adds a bit of flare to Cy.

But I'm pretty sure I can buy that at the 100 yen store. And there it's only 100 yen, including tax. Much cheaper than the 500 yen at Sanrio in the JUSCO mall.

Next stop? The 100 Yen Plaza.

News Flash

beep... beep... beep....beep

News Flash: Cy is not longer riding around looking like a ghetto fabulous hoopty. He found his disguise Sunday afternoon on the way to the beach. You can find Cy sporting new wheel covers as he tools around Okinawa, Japan.

This has been a special alert news flash, brought to you by powder milk biscuits.

beep... beep... beep... beep

Does this photo make you hungry?

If you read this blog, you are going to see lots and lots of photos of food.

And even more photos of my chopsticks alongside a wide open mouth ready to chew and swallow.


I can't help it, it's the German in me. Usually the food isn't that unusual, it's just pretty or tasty. Most likely tasty, which is hard to convey over a print medium, so I'm hoping my facial expressions will be your guide.

Warning: If food isn't your thing, it is best not to look any further.

I compiled various dining pictures into one posting. Happy dining!


This photo is from our first off-base dining experience. At least we can point at the photos of the entrees.


A plate of octopus takiaki. I'm not sure if I'm spelling that right. I'll keep looking for the correct spelling. Benny had this dish previously at Adam and Yoko's house in Oxnard.


Our first sashimi in country


A bowl of ramen with pork in Tokyo. This is much larger than any ramen I survived on during college. Much more flavor too. Very filling. Very yummy. This ramen bar is where Benny learned that spicy ramen is very spicy. The Japanese aren't joking when they say something is spicy.


This is the fun game we had to play to order our ramen noodles. The top part had the menu in both English and Kanji. But the part on the bottom where we pushed the button to place our order was only Kanji. Luckily I'm super good at the game of matching Kanji top to Kanji bottom. It's my newest skill.


Fresh pineapple on a skewer for 100 yen thanks to this gent.


Strawberry dessert at a coffee and tea cafe in Tokyo


Ice cream vending machine at the observation deck of Tokyo's domestic airline terminal. Vending machines are HUGE in Japan. I swear there is one kind or another on every street corner. Usually it's coffee, tea, soda and water vending machines. Occasionally you will run into one that sells cigarettes or ice cream. The ones that sell beer aren't in Okinawa. It's to keep the beer from getting in the hands of under aged military personnel. Or at least that's what I was told when I asked about it. Yes, there are beer vending machines in Tokyo and it's so cool.



Benny eating a nameless item. We bought it from a vendor at the Lily Festival.


Likewise with me. More nameless tasty food. It's not nameless to those who speak Japanese. It's only nameless to Benny and I.

Our first Japanese meal at home

This posting is dedicated to our friends, Adam and Yoko, who taught us that the best Japanese food is the food you prepare in the comforts of your own kitchen.



Japanese food is more than sushi.

It's noodles and eggs. Lots of eggs. All kinds of pork, beef and chicken. I've been pleasantly pleased with the pork selection here, even though I'm not yet eating any more of the pig than I did in the States. There is tofu, eggplant and cabbage.

The staple of all Japanese meals is rice. God, this country loves their rice.


Benny and I sample these native dishes as often as we can. The one problem with being a culinary guinea pig is that we haven't been invited to any houses for home cooked Japanese food yet. If we want to shock our taste buds we have to eat out.

This trial-and-error system can be a pricey way to discover that I don't care for custard soup or a deep fried rice ball. The feel of each one on my tongue is what turned me off more than the actual taste.

So to cut costs and to get the most out of our overseas experience, Benny and I decided to learn how to cook Japanese food.

Benny talked to his female co-workers about his plan. At first they laughed, since he was eating macaroni and cheese for lunch, but asking how to make okonomi-yaki for dinner. But they kept listening and decided he was serious. So they told him the secret to making okonomi-yaki is to buy the okonomi-yaki sauce at the local grocery store.

Armed with this vital information and "The Joy of Japanese Cooking" cookbook I checked out from the base library, I went to the commissary. No luck. No okonomi-yaki sauce.

On Saturday we visited a grocery store in the basement of a mall outside of the base's gates. The shelves were lined with noodles, sauces and rice varieties, we had never seen before.

There was only one problem. It was all written in Kanji, so we couldn't read the bottle to know if we were buying okonomi-yaki sauce or low-sodium soy sauce.

A few food samples later, a helpful store employee tried to guide us in the right direction. Alas it was all lost in translation.

Instead we bought dried soba noodles and a bottle of sauce recommended by this clerk. With her limited English advice, the borrowed cookbook and visual boiling instructions on the package of noodles, we were able to successfully make our first Japanese meal at home.

I have to say it tasted nearly as good as the zaru soba we had in Tokyo. An added bonus was that we used our chopsticks that Darrin gave us as a farewell gift for the first time.

Now if we can only find that okonomi-yaki sauce ...

Meet Cy

I am happy as a 16-year-old who just passed his driving test. I have wheels. I have a car. I am literally jumping up and down as I type this.



After what seemed like forever and a day, Benny and I found a car that meets my needs. It is small and compact, so I'm not afraid to drive it on the James Bonds-daredevil streets make up the neighborhoods here. It has a yellow license plate. Remember my fondness for the yellow Japanese plate? I mentioned in one of my first Far East postings about buying a car.

The engine is small, only a three cylinder. If that's wrong, I'm sure Benny will post something correcting me. It's fuel efficient and cheap on the annual road tax and tolls for the expressway.

It has three doors, which is kind of funny. And it seems to be the national car of Japan. After buying this 1995 version from a Marine couple moving to Monetary, I see Suzuki Wagons everywhere.

We named the car Cy in honor of our favorite college mascot. Now all I need is some Iowa State gear to give this car some personality.

Since this photo was taken, we paid another $100 to have the back windows tinted to a limo darkness. We also had a new stereo put in, so I'm not stuck in the cassette tape deck era anymore. I can listen to my iPod and CDs. Exciting.

And don't let this picture fool you, this car is short. I'll try to take a comparison photo and post that so you can see how small it is.

Until then, wish me luck driving on the left side of the road.

A Cinco de Mayo welcome

Navy pomp and circumstance took centerstage as we headed to the commander's house for a Hail and Farewell Friday night.

I never heard of Hails and Farewells, (basically a get-together among military people and their spouses to welcome new folks and say good-bye to those departing) until our arrival to Port Hueneme, California. At that large Navy installation, Hails and Farewells are a monthly affair. The event is the first thing on the social calendar and nothing interrupts it.

Two years ago, we were hailed for the first time by the XO of Benny's Seabee battalion. I had no idea what to expect and called the XO's wife the night before. She told me the general purpose of the event and what to wear for such an occasion. I had butterflies in my stomach when we arrived at the Officer's Club (an on-base bar and restaurant for the non-military readers) that night. But wearing a blue sundress and pearls, I felt as though I played my role as military spouse calmly. Plus the beer Benny handed me relaxed my nerves.

When it was our moment to be presented before the crowd, I wasn't too worried. Until the XO said that "The Volkmanns don't have any children yet, but Benny says it isn't from a lacking of trying." Cue: My red face showing all embarrassment.

I didn't attend another Hail and Farewell until it was our time to be in the goodbye spotlight in February. Luckily the new XO kept his speech focused on Benny's professional resume.

With this in mind, Benny and I went to the commander's house for a Cinco de Mayo-themed Hail and Farewell for the CEC officers of Okinawa. It was a Mexican potluck, so I made chicken tortilla soup in my slow cooker. I believe it tasted good if an empty pot at the end of the evening is any indication.

The food was delicious. The company was welcoming. And there was even a pinata, but Benny and I didn't get a swing at it. It was only for the children. And just for the record, the whole experience made me "homesick" for my Yuma gang.

The speech to welcome us to Okinawa was short, traditionally and casual. The "fun fact" about us was the observation that Benny and I live in a "house divided" when it comes to the NFL. But I'm not concerned because at this location, thousands of miles from the frozen turf of Green Bay, I have already embraced a handful of Packer fans.

And guess how many Vikings fans Benny has found at Okinawa?

Zero.

It looks like Okinawa will be an isolating place for my favorite Viking. Maybe he will find some fellow Minnesotans at the Hail and Farewell luncheon with his command on Thursday.

Size matters

Driving along on the wrong (or right side to us now) side of the road in our pint size car behind a dump truck, I feel ridiculously small. It's hard to tell if the dump trucks over here are bigger, or they just seem that way because the cars are so small. Looking down, the dump truck only has a few inches to spare on both sides of his driving lane. When I pull up next to a dump truck, it feels like I'm in a Modern Marvels clip looking out my driver's side window at the lug nuts of this gigantic dump truck that you'd see in open-pit coal mines. But the more I think about it, and it doesn't seem any bigger than your average International Truck. So back to my original question, are the dump trucks bigger over here?

Before I can figure out this mystery, the light turns green and I must change my focus back to being a professional driver. Not that being a professional driver allows me to speed through traffic like Dale Earnhart... nope, everyone here takes driving seriously, and no one wants to get fired.

I'll post a picture for anyone interested in this brain buster once I remember to take the camera with me next time.