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Who better than to spend the Fourth of July celebration than with the Principle of the Bayside High Tigers? Generationally, those currently in young adult-hood grew up watching the teen sitcom “Saved by the Bell” which played a seminal role in all of our upbringings. We learned valuable life lessons, like how to sit cool in a chair (thank you AC Slater!), talk on your brick sized cell phone in class, and especially how to save your local school duck pond from being drilled for oil. In any case, the actor Dennis Haskins, who played Principle Belding on the sitcom, happened to be in Atsugi, Japan for the Independence Day celebration. He was headlining a Navy Entertainment lineup of bands that must be connected to the USO somehow. I need to pay more attention at work to local events, as most of those in our group had no idea he was going to be there, and were pleasantly surprised when he walked up to our grill out and shook all of our hands. After thanking us for our service to the country we took some group photos and off he went to another group. He was very nice and seems to be busy these days with minor acting gigs, radio performances, and other hosting events at minor league baseball games. Seeing him took us all back to simpler times and we “geeked” out over who could recall the most mundane piece of trivia from the show. Seeing the Mr. Belding of our youth was more odd in that we were in Japan, celebrating American Independence with thousands of Japanese and their kids in kimonos that we had let on base… made the moment surreal. But it helped kick start a great day of celebrations and appreciate him taking the time out to come across the Pacific for us.
There’s something about Christmas lights that make everything a bit more magical. I watched a TV special this year on those people who spend their entire year planning exquisite (or tacky depending on your opinion) light displays to make the holiday season a little more festive. What I didn’t know was that many of these lights displays have more than a 
million bulbs, and the displays literally take all year to plan. I also didn’t know that many of these homeowners have been ticketed by the city, taken to court, and harassed by unhappy neighbors and homeowners associations. I didn’t realize these beautiful displays bothered people, but I guess the bright lights and the crowds get to individuals who have to live next door. That’s not really my point though. My point is that I love Christmas lights, and every year we make an effort to visit a large display. Some of the childlike happiness of the holidays comes back to me through the lights, and I appreciate the artistry that goes into the designs. This year, we visited Enoshima Island on my birthday to view the light displays. It was pouring rain, which meant we had this magical island to ourselves and that the lights were reflected all over the ground. It was like we’d been transformed into a fairy tale. Minus the being wet part and getting rid of my rain boots before we moved, it was perfect. Despite not being a Christian nation, the Japanese love decorating for Christmas. It’s strange for me, Christmas without Christ, but I love the light displays, so I am excited they put them up. These are some of my favorite pictures from the Christmas season this year. Enjoy! 
And a Happy New Year! 
Once again we failed at sending out most of our Christmas Cards, but we still wanted to share what we had with you! May 2010 find you filled with happiness and joy, and may God continue to bless you throughout the year!
