Good grief.  The phishers are getting more creative and bold, as I just got one purporting to be from the IRS:

Oh no!  A 'deliberate wrong input' will result in my being criminally pursued and indicated? 

Better not risk such an eventuality. 

Which is great, as all I'd had was the snippets I'd video'd with my digital camera.  Here's Alex with the Dixieland jazz band with whom he would play, and who kindly agreed to take part in his recital, playing "Sweet Georgia Brown":

The first is a medley of songs with a nautical theme, while the second is the William Tell Overture.  We were standing next to the street so there's a fair amount of road noise, etc.

Alex got me online, bless his heart, so here are some pix from the past few days. On Thursday morning we took Hannah down to her play group, where she made - with a little assistance - a keen kitty cup to hold candy:

After play group we went outside to the play ground:

That afternoon Beth's friend, Monica, stopped by with her little girl, Chee-Chong, to Hannah's intense delight.  The little girls played and squabbled for a bit, Beth and Monica chatted then the latter took both children outside to play so Beth could take a nap and Faith and I dozed in the rocker in the back bedroom. 

Once Alex got home, Hannah tore into the package her Paw-paw had sent:

Faith kept an eye on the situation as it unfolded:

There was a bunch of goodies in it, including some sunglasses, a feather boa, coloring book, etc.  Alex was particularly taken with the sunglasses:

There was also a package of Halloween balloons to provide amusement:

Here's a photo I took where the flash didn't go off, so I turned it black and white instead:

On Saturday before we headed out, Alex practiced his tuba, combining it with bouncing Faith:

What a multi-tasker.    In the afternoon we went to a park close to the base:

Then it was off to the Italian Garden restaurant on base, which makes a terrific pizza; here's Alex and Faith while waiting for dinner to be brought:

On Sunday we went to church at the chapel on base, then mosied around the NEX before taking Alex to the band building for muster, as there was a gig in town that afternoon. We parked in a garage on base then walked down into the city where the performance was to be.  When we got there a mostly-female band was playing and they were excellent.  Turns out that was a middle school group!  Amazing.  Stripling Middle School's band sure never sounded like that, lemme tell you.  Finally it was time for the Seventh Fleet's ceremonial band to make it's appearance:

Faith was very excited.  

The band sounded great, and I'll post some videos from it.

Then it was back home for a supper of left-over pizza and just resting after a long, lovely day. 

Sorry for the silence, but Beth's computer's been acting up and Alex's internet connection isn't working.

Beth is feeling mucho better, praise God.  Hannah couldn't be any more Two Years Old no matter how hard she tried, and Faith is a true cuddlebug, just as Beth said.  I've held her a lot.  Oh, the hardship. 

Tomorrow Alex is off work so we're going to go out and about some.  The aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk has been in port and I'm going to try to get a picture or two of it. 

Japanese snack foods have to be seen to be believed!  Packets of small dried fish.  Shrimp-flavored potato chips.  It's weird.  OTOH, I found a very tasty flan in a cup at the local "7-11".  Need to get another one or two of those while I'm here. 

Will post some pictures next time. 

But it's not totally contempible, surely.  This morning while Alex took Faith with him to get Beth from the hospital, Hannah begged to be allowed to play with the Play-Doh.   So I got the step stool, climbed up to retrieve the box of craft stuff in which the Play-Doh cools its heels, spread out the plastic cloth, and proceeded to create.

Naturally, what happened was Hannah wound up munching raspberry Newtons and Ritz peanut butter crackers while I obediently fashioned whatever she requested.  In honor of Halloween, this is what she wanted:

Not too bad, I didn't think, considering my near-total lack of artistic talent and the limitations of Play-Doh. 

It is an odd thing how alluring are lines. There is quite the line @ my gate, and it's hard not to join it.

And if not now, very soon.  Will post when I get the "all-clear!" message from Alex. 

A few photos from last night:

Beth holding Faith.  Hannah's going to be Cinderella for Halloween, so I brought accessories....shoes and gloves and a purse:

Wow.  Those gloves certainly are reflective, aren't they?  After getting all dolled up, it was time for a dance:

Of course Faith wasn't left out.  Before leaving for Japan I found a darling bat costume:

Here's hoping it's fairly cool, for the outfit's warm.  And here's one of her this morning:

They're a pair o' poppets and no mistake!  :heart

I was sitting in 36D, which was second in from the aisle.

A nice young woman who works for Burnes of Boston (very likely you've some of their frames in your house!) sat next to me, in the aisle seat. 

She belonged in the E seats, not the C seats.  Darned woman could sit for HOURS without budging, iPod buds in her ears, covered with her blanket, eyes closed, mouth slightly open, either deep in sleep or just zoned out.  Hour. After. Hour.  While I needed desperately to get UP.  To visit the lavatory.  Just to stretch my uncomfortable legs.  Whatever.  A few times I apologetically requested to be allowed to exit, which she civilly did. 

People who can fly indefinitely for hours without moving a muscle shouldn't be taking up an aisle seat, that's what I say.    Aisle seats should be inhabited by those who like to get up regularly, thus providing plenty of opportunities for those in the inner seats to do the same. 

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