So proud of Jon!

I took a much needed break from how much time I was spending on the computer and TV monitoring, processing and reporting this whole situation. I just needed some time to regroup and do "normal" things for a while. I will post an update from the last week soon, but for tonight I just wanted to share a link to a short new story where Jon and his crew were highlighted. I am so proud of all the hard work that he and all the 36th Airlift Squadron are doing to help the relief and recovery efforts in Japan. They are all so excited to have the opportunity to help out. This is exactly the type of thing they train for.

Yokota's Hometown Heroes 29 March 2011 

3/29/2011 - 1st Lt. Jon Parks, a C-130 navigator from the 36th Airlift Squadron, reviews a flight manual during a mission to Matsushima Air Base, Japan, March 29. Lieutenant Parks, a native of Sacramento, Calif., was part of a team from Yokota that delivered more than 11,000 pounds of relief supplies to support the Government of Japan's request for humanitarian assistance. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Robin Stanchak)

You can find this and other news/photos about Operation Tomodachi (which means "friendship" in Japanese) at http://newpreview.afnews.af.mil/yokota/

Japan Quake Map

This is pretty amazing. The map takes you through all the quakes since "the big one." 731 and counting! We feel a lot of them because we live on the 9th floor of a tower, but I am so grateful we haven't felt them all. Just when I think they are dying down, there seems to be a burst of them. There were two or three that woke me up this morning. Jon felt his first "bigger" one the other night, but I had to smile and explain that it really wasn't that big--nothing fell and there was no need to seek shelter. Ellen either sleeps through them or doesn't seem to notice them. (Thank Goodness!) I think since her legs are still wobbly, she is use to the feeling that the ground is moving beneath her. The earthquakes don't rattle me like they use to. I think part of that is the comfort of knowing Jon is home and I am not the only person responsibly for our safety. I do feel like my nerves are starting to fray from being on alert all the time. I am tired of trying to keep up with the flow of information, the energy it takes to process it and the decisions that need to be made. However, I am grateful to be dealing with all of this with a roof, heat, a cupboard full of food and my family all together. My heart breaks for those who are still in shelters and are trying to even find the pieces of their life, much less put them back together. Please keep the people of Japan and all those working towards its restoration in your prayers!

Click here for the Japan Quake Map:
http://www.japanquakemap.com/

Radiation Risks

This is an informative article for anyone wanting to know more about the radiation risks coming from the Fukushima plant. The Japanese have evacuated people within 20 km and have advised people to stay inside up to 30 km. The US in "an abundance of precaution" have advised evacuation of US citizens within 80 km. We are over 300 km from the plants and should be way out of harms way should the worst happen. I hope this article will help put some of the risk into perspective. It is helpful for me to get facts and information without all the hype that is designed to increase ratings.

How Far from Fukushima Will Fallout Pose a Health Risk?

Amid conflicting evacuation recommendations, radiation experts say that exposures to date have been relatively low outside the power plant and that people in the U.S. will not face any danger.

Read more: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=japan-nuclear-plume

 

We could learn a lot from the Japanese

This news story is a little older, but I think it is still worth posting. I have been so impressed with how the Japanese people have handled this tragedy. We could learn a lot from their sense of community and responsibility. Most of the blackouts in our area get canceled because people have conserved enough power on their own so that the blackout is not necessary. There has been no looting at all, which is impressive when you consider a fact I heard today: The damage from the earthquake and tsunami is 5 TIMES that of Hurricane Katrina in a country the size of California. We have only been here a little over four months, but I have so much love and respect for the Japanese people.

Here is the article, but you should also watch the video: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/japan-victims-show-resilience-earthquake-tsunami-sign-sense/story?id=13135355

Happy Birthday to Me :)

For my birthday, I gave myself the present of no facebook or internet for the day. It was a much needed break! Thank you to all my wonderful family and friends who made my birthday feel special. I feel so incredibly blessed!

The best part of my day was having Jon come home early. He got back around 1 AM and still had to go into work at 11 AM, but I was happy to have him back in the country at least! I spent the day with Ellen and wonderful friends and was surprised again when Jon got off in time for dinner.

Things continue to be good here. "Conditions at Yokota remain the same: clean air; ample food, water, gas, and electricity.  Yokota continues to be a safe and enjoyable place to live and work." (From our daily update from Jon's commander.) There is a lot of debate on base as people decide whether or not to take advantage of the voluntary departure program. With so many people leaving, I am starting to feel a little left out--like there is a really fun party going on and I wasn't invited! If Jon were deployed right now, or wasn't deploying this year, I think I would be taking the opportunity to come home. However, unless the reports change and our health is at risk, I think it is better for all three of us to be together. Jon will be deployed for 4-5 months this year, so I just can't see adding another month to that unless it is absolutely necessary. It looks like things are starting to improve as they have restored power to one of the reactors and it is starting to cool. My prayers are with all those who are putting their health at risk to make the rest of us safe.