TCCOR 1: Typhoon Roke

TCCOR 1: TROPICAL CYCLONE CONDITIONS OF READINESS: LEVEL 1 means destructive winds of 57 mph (50 kt, 93 km/h) or greater are anticipated within 12 hours and Yokosuka Naval Base issued a TCCOR 1 effective around 1400 this afternoon. Tropical Cyclones are also known as typhoons, hurricanes, tropical storms, cyclonic storms, cyclones, and tropical depressions depending on their location and strength. Earlier this morning we were at a TCCOR 3 here on base and we were to be prepared for high winds and heavy rain but nothing was being shut down or closed. By 1400, many employees on base were sent home and all activities for the afternoon/evening were cancelled. The commissary and exchange were closed and people were advised to stay in. I had to drive home around 1600 and the car was blowing all over the place, the roads were basically flooding, and there were branches hitting my windshield the whole way home! Here in Yokosuka we are right on the water and the wind really comes in here and whips around. TCCOR 1 can be compared to a Category 2 hurricane for those of you on the East coast that are familiar with this kind of weather. On a brighter note... my car is getting a very thorough wash right now!



I am sitting in my living room right now listening to the wind blow and howl outside. All my plants are knocked over and I'm just leaving them there... no point in continuing to pick them up every time they blow over! Hopefully the worst of this storm is over by tomorrow afternoon so I can go out of this apartment and be a part of the world.

Yesterday I spent running around the base to get stuff turned in for my security clearance for the hospital. I had to get fingerprinted at security, then print out and sign a bunch of papers consenting for them to do the background check, then I had to wait until the security guys lunch break was over before I could go hand in all my paperwork! At least it is all turned in... only a few more hoops to jump through to complete Red Cross Volunteer training for the hospital. Since I am getting so good at jumping through hoops between the military and the Red Cross, I'm thinking of running away and joining the circus!

Today I had Nurse Orientation at the hospital which is part of the training I need to be a Red Cross Volunteer... 8 hours of how to be a nurse... which confuses me because I could have sworn I went to Nursing school... twice!!! It didn't help that they grouped us together with the corpsman (like a medic in the Navy; basically acts as an LPN) for some of the training so it was extremely basic and I spent 8 hours of my day completely in la la land. There were 3 nurses in orientation with me and all day they took notes... like pages and pages of notes... I leaned back and drank my coffee... I honestly have NO idea what the heck they were writing all day! Still no jobs for civilians here on base but I am realizing that if a job opens up I may be pretty high on the list because of my qualifications and experience. I met a nurse today who was helping with the nurse training and also works in the ER and she asked if I was Lieutenant Storz's wife, I told her yes and she said she heard I was an experienced ER nurse and if she heard of any openings she would be sure to call the GW and let Damian know! I'll take it...

I got an email from Damian today and since they just left a few days ago they haven't gone all that far so they are also feeling the effects of this typhoon... except they are in the open sea... Damian said they are having enormous swells and everyone is getting motion/sea sick. He described it as being on a long roller coaster ride that won't stop... I can't even imagine! it doesn't help that he has to deal with all of the people who are sick since he is in Medical and he is feeling sick himself... I think he finally took something today to help... poor guy!

It really sucks here without him... our apartment is quiet and empty and doesn't feel like home since our stuff isn't here yet (it's probably in the middle of this storm and I can see our crates of belongings going overboard as we speak)... This deployment is definitely different than earlier in the summer where I was at home with family and friends and busy all the time... it's pretty lonely being on the other side of the world and always a day ahead... not much time to skype and chat with everyone. I'm still working on finding my niche here... the mommies kind of stick together and their kids keep them busy so that's about 95% of the population here. Sometimes, when I am out shopping I feel like I have stepped into the twilight zone like I'm the odd man out because I'm the ONLY one without a stroller... it's bizarre!

Japanese word of the day:
Ame: Rain