If I were born a blonde

Since we didn't have the baby on Feb. 27 (sorry to everyone who picked that day), we were able to attend a fellow Navy officer's farewell dinner party at a local restaurant. Regina has been in Okinawa for 2 years and is leaving in a few weeks. Regina is the most sociable and outgoing person we know on island. We are really sad that she is leaving. She has a great group of friends, who typically have theme parties, so it wasn't surprising to get an invitation to wear a wig and say goodbye to Gina.

On Friday afternoon, I shopped for our wigs at one of my favorite stores. ETWS is the place for everything -- it's Spencers meets Hallmark. This store has costumes, tea cups and postcards. It truly is a variety store.

Avoiding all distractions, I headed straight to the wig aisle and surveyed my options. Of course the neon-colored wigs are the most popular with the Japanese, so a hot pink bob was a tempting choice. But after careful consideration, I selected some 70s hairstyles for Benny and I. Benny also wanted to wear his mustache from Halloween (another purchase from ETWS).




Regina, Benny, and Slash (Garrett); Michelle and Benny

The party was great fun, even though we didn't stay out past dinner. Being 40 weeks-plus pregnant was my excuse to be home by midnight, that meant Benny didn't get to finish his Awamori (Okinawan liqueur that looks like a chemistry set).



My favorite parts were meeting a bunch of people who I won't recognize again because I don't know what they look like without a wig, the reaction from the Okinawans when we were walking into the restaurant (talk about shameless stares) and the guy who asked me "Hey is that real?" while pointing at my stomach.

Yup, buddy. I'm really pregnant. The hair and mustache may be fake, but belly is all real.