Some of you have asked why I write so much about the weather. It’s a major pat of life in the tropics. Because of that we’re much more prepared that Florida for example. Its four hurricanes have made a lot of news. Japan is the size of California, has have the population of the US and has had 10 Typhoons this year. Typhoon Tokage (lizard in Japanese) slammed into Okinawa Tuesday. We got the day off but winds were less than 100 mph. I measure Typhoon Strength with the Ray standard. How long was I without electricity. Two ten minute outages hardly count.

After Okinawa, Tokage headed to the mainland of Japan. It killed 44 people on Wednesday and 39 are still missing, mostly from flooding. Deaths in the US were much less and landfall far greater. Typhoon Nok-Ten is scheduled to hit early next week. Woth luck it will be a glancing blow.

By the way, when a Typhoon hits an island there is no evacuation route.

Despite all of this I love the place. My pipe-dream to go to Germany vanished in smoke. It was one of those military Catch-22 situations where you just can’t get there from anywhere. My second choice was also a long shot and that was to get to stay here. The assignment process for senior offices (Colonels and Generals) is tightly controlled. The Dental Corps only makes recommendations to the Senior Officer Leadership Group. This Group then puts the officers out to bid. General then bid (hire) these officers. The process sounds way too much like the football draft.

The Group is there to insure even distribution of opportunity for choice, influential or career enhancing assignments. They want to avoid anyone from hogging these assignments. Our last General was very adamant that he didn’t want anyone overstaying their assignment and rarely granted an extension. Just before I left for Pittsburgh I had an interview with the new General, a fellow former New Yorker. I pleaded my case well enough that he said he’d see what he could do. Yesterday I was informed that he approved it. Essentially, I think he bid for me before the Group met. This should assure that I get to stay.

Looking back at my Air Force assignment history I’ve been blessed. I didn’t always get my dream assignment because some of those choices were pretty wild but I never scored lower than second choice. I was stationed at Travis when I first entered the vice got introduced to my home for the next 28 plus years. I was there for 15 years out of my Reserve career and had 9 mile commute, sweet. Nine months in Spokane visiting the snow was followed by three years in Honolulu, even sweeter. Then it was back to Georgia where I did my residency making a kind of full circle in my life. Then I followed the lead of my folks and moved even farther west. It’s interesting how we’ve migrated from Europe to America and now Asia. If I keep going west I’ll end up in Europe…… more on that plan later.

Wednesday my orthopedist took me off most of the restrictions I’ve been on since tearing my Achilles tendon. So, I’m back in the saddle again… my bike, of course. There are few horses on Okinawa. No grazing land. This is a good thing because I’ve actually gotten to like working out.

Staying in Okinawa will probable fixate me on this pottery-thing. Of all the new things I’ve tried here this seems suited to me. I get to dirty my hands and stimulate my creative juices. Some think, I’m actually good at it. If things go well my Japanese pottery sensei (teacher) will be moving to San Luis Obispo soon.

My stomach tells me it’s getting close to dinner. I’m having lunch leftovers. One of my patients is Jamaican. She cooked lunch for my whole department and I got to take the leftovers home…real jerk chicken.

Till next time

Ray