Spooky Halloween Ghost Tour...Okinawa Style

 

What do you do when you live overseas and it's Halloween?  This year we went on an annual Spooky Sites Tour with MCCS Okinawa.  MCCS is Marine Corps Community Services and they provide a lot of things for the Marines and Sailors stationed on Okinawa.  They offer trips and tours.  This tour was described the following way from the website.  

        Get into the spirit on our haunted excursion. We'll visit well-known spooky sites on Okinawa. How brave are you? Test your fear factor on this tour!

*Bring a flashlight.

We loaded up on the bus and headed out.  On our drive, our tour guide Chris told many stories about ghosts and the paranormal.  

We made our first stop at a hill across from the famed Hacksaw Ridge.  The hill was steep and I am so fat these days that I was huffing and puffing up that thing.  My back played up a bit too.  Thankfully I took ibuprofen before we left so I didn't have much pain, just the embarrassment of being the out-of-breath last one up.  His story was spooky and I got some great photos of the moon.  There was also a pillbox from WWII there that the kids went down to check out.  

Our next stop on the tour was Kadena Airbase and the location of the infamous haunted house by the childcare center.  I did not take any photos there.  Here's a link to a video about the haunting.  

Our next stop on the tour was Cape Zanpa.  It is spooky to see the lighthouse at night.  

Overall we had a great time on the tour.  

Adventure to the Consulate in Naha

 This past Friday, we had an appointment at the US Consulate in Naha.  The two kiddos' tourist passports expire in May 2023 but we want to keep our options open in case we want to take a quick jaunt over to another country so we went to get them renewed.  

Our appointments were at 8:15 and 8:30.  We found the location and pulled into the parking lot.  We all got out and headed to the security guard's window.  The guard behind the window pointed out that our appointment was at 8:15 and it was only 8:00. Also they made sure we had masks to wear.  So we went back to the car and waited 15 minutes.  We are not used to that kind of reception.  It's been drilled into my head to arrive at least 15 minutes before any appointment time I've ever had, so I found it a bit annoying to be told to come back later.   

We got through security which included turning off the Bluetooth on our phones, X-rays of our purses, and walking through a metal detector.  We arrived at the receptionist and the process was pretty smooth.  It took just over an hour for the two appointments, so it was not too bad.  They take credit cards which made payment easy.  

Photos of Food

I have been taking photos of our food when we eat out for years.  It all started when we moved to Sicily, the Italian food looked so good and I wanted to share it with my family back home.  I supposed it turned into a habit...oh my...didn't I just talk about habits?  

I like the food photos and recalling the delicious meals we had.  I usually post them on Facebook and as I write this now it sounds kind of silly to me.  I do it for my own benefit since Facebook will show you memories of things you have posted.  It's like a scrapbook really.  I have posted so many photos of food.  Lately, though, I've been posting them but keeping them private.  We eat out a lot.  I love a good restaurant meal.  

At any rate here are some food photos.  

Cajun Shrimp and Pasta
Seaside

Fish and Chips
Seaside

Shrimp Alfredo Flatbread
Seaside

Alfredo
Seaside

Sides salad
Seaside

Seafood Bisque
Seaside

McDonald's Chicken Garlic Pepper 

BBQ Bacon Burger
Globe & Anchor; Ocean Breeze

Side salad
Globe & Anchor; Ocean Breeze

Cowboy Queso
Globe & Anchor; Ocean Breeze

Club Sandwich
Globe & Anchor; Ocean Breeze

Pork Yakisoba
Globe & Anchor; Ocean Breeze

Pappardelle Bolognese
Taiyo Steakhouse

Chipotle Shrimp Linguine
Taiyo Steakhouse

Baked Potatoes
Taiyo Steakhouse

New York Strip
Taiyo Steakhouse

Porcini-Encrusted Salmon
Taiyo Steakhouse

Maryland Crab Cake
Taiyo Steakhouse

Pineapple Margarita
Taiyo Steakhouse

Habits and Routines

Habits or Routines?

 I remember always hearing it takes 28 days to form a habit.  I suppose it's the same for a routine.  What is the difference between the two?

Okay, from what I gather, a habit is a single action and a routine is a set of habits strung together. Habits are supposedly automatic.  Routines are not automatic. 

With that definition set up, it's clear that I'm actually not good with good habits and terrible with routines.  I mean I've got not exercising down to an art.  I drink too much coffee.  I don't choose water over other drinks.  I do enjoy driving through Popeyes for chicken strips.  So I do have habits...but most of them ain't good ones.  

I have routines but they are mostly forced.  I have to get up and get the kids off to school.  I have to cook dinner for us in the evenings.  I go to my volunteer jobs (forced because I signed up to do so).  

I know that most of the time we try to begin new good habits at the beginning of the year, calling them New Year's Resolutions.  We declare, "I resolve to XXXX" whatever that new habit will be.  I've done that and never follow through.  I've used Lent as a time to give up something, such as soda or chocolate, and was successful for that limited time. 

I don't think I want to make resolutions anymore because the feeling of failure is not one I want to keep torturing myself with.  

I want to nurture myself instead of always putting myself down.  I've neglected myself while trying to mother everyone else.  So I want to try to form some good habits that result in some good routines. 

I've got to start small and build up.  

I'm going to drink the proper amount of water for myself every day for the next 28 days.  What is that amount?  According to the Mayo Clinic, women should have 2.7 liters a day.  I live in Okinawa where it is hot and humid and I sweat a good bit so I'm going to round up to 3 liters.  Now it says you can count your coffee and other foods and beverages.  So I'm going to aim for 2 liters daily of just water.

I will report back on November 20 with my progress. 

Where am I now?

I've moved so many times since I started this blog and even since I last updated.  So where the heck am I these days?  

Well, I live in Okinawa, Japan right now.  We moved here in July 2021.  In the midst of the COVID times.  Before here, we were in Beavercreek, Ohio for two years.  We were there for 9 months before COVID hit and we spent the rest of the time at home.  My husband teleworked the whole time and I loved it.  

I know during COVID when we were all locked down in our homes so many people figured out if they really wanted to be with their partners or not.  I spent all that time with my husband and loved it.  We truly are meant for each other.  I can't complain about my husband, we are great together.  I'm so happy we are at a place and time in our journey where that is the case.  

Back to living in Okinawa.  I hear all the time, you either love it or hate it, no in between.  I disagree with that statement.  I am indifferent to it.  I don't hate it here at all.  There are a lot of things to like or love about it.  

Things to love about living in Okinawa.
1) The ocean

2) Yakiniku
3) The friendly native Okinawans

4) The blue sky

5) The green grass

6) Snacks

But also there are things that I do not like about living in Okinawa.

Things to not love about living in Okinawa.

1) COVID protocols

2) Language barrier

3) How far you are away from "home"

4) How far away you are from mainland Japan

5) Slow US mail service

6) HEAT and HUMIDITY

As you can see from my short (not comprehensive) lists; it's a draw.  I have been enjoying my life here as best as I can; just like I do at all of our assignments. 

I'll be sharing more specific things from my lists in the coming weeks.  

Thanks for hanging out with just me.

Still Just me...

I'm still just me.  Still Sarahtish.  

Goodness, I let this blog lie dormant for a very long time.  So much has happened in the last six years.  Six years!  Good grief that's a ridiculous amount of time to let something just sit.  

Poor blog.  

Well, I'm back.  I'm here.  I'm ready to share again.  

Where do I start?  From where I left off?  A new beginning?  

We shall see what happens next.  

Here we go...

Ghost Hunting in Gettysburg, PA

To celebrate our birthdays (mine was Sep 18th and Gavin's was Oct 13th) we went to Gettysburg, PA.

Gavin and I went on what is billed as an "Extreme Ghost Hunt" in Gettysburg, PA. We got our tickets and met with a team of Paranormal investigators from Gettysburg Paranormal Association to be divided into groups and find out who our lead investigator will be.

There were what felt like 200 people there, seriously! We all gathered up in the back gravel parking-lot and were given instructions by a guy called Bald Rob. He gave us the lowdown on how to operate the equipment we would be using. The equipment list was impressive. There was the normal equipment that you usually see on the ghost hunting tv shows. There were voice recorders, K2 meter, Mel-meters, one other meter that I can't recall the name of, diving or dowsing rods, thermometers, spirit boxes, and laser grids. Gavin was pumped to be able to use a spirit box as we have seen them used extensively on Ghost Adventures.

We got divided up into smaller groups, thankfully! I was concerned at first because there were so many people. We were divided into a group that consisted of us and two other parties for a total of 10 people. Our lead investigator was Ginger.

The way these hunts work is that you drive yourself to the locations. We all got into our cars, put on our flashers, and followed Ginger to the first location. We went to a farm on the edge of the official battlefield area. We parked at a barn and walked out into the field. We were across the street from a known field hospital. I believe it was a Confederate hospital, but I'm not completely sure.

We were given our bag of equipment and we set out into the dark field. The moon was full and bright. It wasn't spooky at all, it was very nice out. Gavin and I walked along, we had our voice recorder out, the K2 meter and the Spirit Box. It was interesting as we began to get hits on the K2 meter. It would go all the way up to red. We asked, "Are you Union or Confederate?" and through the Spirit box we heard, "Union" very quickly. It was weird. Then Gavin asked, "What is your name?" and we believe we heard "John or Ron". It was so quick, it's hard to know for sure what, if anything we actually heard. I tried out the diving rods first. I wasn't asking any questions or anything, just holding them like the told us to and my right hand started to feel tingly, kind of electric and the rod started to move outward. It was a strange sensation.

We walked further into the field and Gavin would get multiple hits on the K2, which should be going off since it's the middle of the field with no electricity around. It was neat. There was once point that there was a noticeable cold spot. Of course we didn't have a thermometer in our bag to document the temperature change, but it was very evident. We did a bunch of evp work (they will analyze the evidence and get back to us later). It was nice that the other parties in our group were not near us, as later on I find out they are nuts! We were in the field about an hour. I would have liked to have stayed longer, but we had a second location to check out.

Gavin with the K2 meter and the Spirit box

Gavin investigating

We all headed back to our cars and made our way over to the next location. We went into the home where General Reynolds's lifeless body was taken. It is now Servant's Olde Tyme Photo. General Reynolds was the first Union causality of the battle.
Here is where I realize that the people we are investigating with are nuts. First off there are three rooms to investigate in. There are 10 people. Too many for there to be any real investigating to be done. Second there is electricity so every hit on the K2 is NOT paranormal. It just isn't. The story here makes little sense to me. If the General was shot on the battlefield, in the head, why would he necessarily haunt this building? Wouldn't it make more sense for him to haunt where he fell and his soul left his body and not where they brought his body? I don't know. He is not even buried in Gettysburg. Then the story was that Kate his fiance was there. WHY? She didn't die there. She died later in New York. This is the part that makes some paranormal investigators look like nut jobs, right? I feel like you should go with the evidence that you actually find, not just the story that you think it might be.

Gavin using the diving rods

So one of the parties we were with started asking ridiculous questions, like; "Do you think I'm attractive?". This was a male asking the supposed fiance Kate. Please! I found that to be just about disrespectful. There was no real investigating going on in this location. These people were nuts! There was so much chatter and talking, it was impossible to do any serious investigations. I was not impressed.

Gavin investigating inside

However, Gavin and I did sit down on a bench and try to be quiet to see what would happen. When I first sat down there was no reading on the EMF or Mel-meter, but it suddenly spiked up to 14.0! WHAT?! It stayed steady for a long while, then it went back down. I could feel the energy. But I'm almost certain in was something electrical in the building. It would spike and then go back down, and I could feel that spike of energy, but I'm not convinced it really was anything. We finished up around midnight and we left. As part of the package we got a certificate, a photo, and will receive all evidence collected on a DVD. The photo and DVD will be mailed later and it might take 2 months, because they actually analyze it and they are super busy during October.

Overall, it was a lot of fun. I had a great time bonding with Gavin over our enjoyment of all things paranormal, however I was left wanting more. I've investigated with Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson from the tv show Ghost Hunters at a convention back in 2006 and it was a much better experience. I would say that if you do this ghost hunt in Gettysburg and you can do it in the off-season with a small group of people you know, you would be able to catch some phenomenal evidence as I'm certain there is paranormal activity in Gettysburg.