A Couple Of Links...

Here's our hotel: http://hotel-thebeach.com/ - "Restaurant & Bar Hokulea" is the restaurant on our roof. And on the right, if you click on "Access Map" there's a bunch of other restaurants & shopping places noted in there with links when they're available. It's great that we're in a hotel so they have the info about our apartment online!

Here's the cool restaurant/bar 2 blocks over from us on the sea wall: http://www.transitcafe-okinawa.com/ (Click on the top picture for cafe menu & pictures of the food - hungry yet?)

And, last but certainly not least - 2 blocks away is this coffee place! http://casa.ezlog.jp/ AMAZING little place, definitely going to get to know those folks.

There are 2 floors with 4 apartments each in our building, the rest are hotel rooms. (3rd & 4th floor); 2 apartments on each side of the elevator. 5th floor houses the roof & the restaurant. All the apartments are homes to Americans - and across the alley (those townhouses you can see in the pictures of our view) are all Americans too. We met a bunch of people on July 4th when we went to the rooftop to watch the fireworks being shot off from Kadena Air Base. The whole neighborhood was up there! All the kids knew each other, and all the parents knew the kids; we met one boy, Logan, who will definitely be in Mia's kindergarten class. (he's one of 3 soon to be 4 kids in a very nice family) They were nice enough to tell us about the school & the bus stop - so we know that'll be easy enough. (Yes, I will cry like a baby when my little girl gets on a school bus!!) It truly is like a small town 50's scene here the way everyone is - it's so nice. And with the cool bars & restaurants here, it's nice to know people trade off babysitting so that you can get out with your spouse now & again.

So much more going on - our neighbors in the building are great. We met Leighanne in our parking garage- she lives 1 floor below us and across the building. She has a 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Aubrey, who's a cutie and Mia's already acting like a "big sis". Her husband is a Navy pilot and is stuck in the Philippines at the moment because his plane was struck by lightning and he's waiting for his new engine to come through customs. Get this - that's the SECOND time it happened too! They're here for one more year, I see a definite friendship there - super sweet family. And apparently we have another great neighbor who's visiting family in Hawaii right now (Maggie) and due in October with a baby I think - I know her hubby is in Iraq until October. She lives on our floor across the way from the elevator, and everyone in the neighborhood seems to know her - very friendly and outgoing. I'm excited to meet her! Leighanne was telling me that they knew our apartment was vacant and they were hoping a cool family would move in. I guess she's satisfied....

Ok, off to pour some cereal for the kid & me - it's 9:30am Sunday morning. Not sure what we're doing today, but finally our living/dining room A/C should be fixed tomorrow morning at 9am! Now we just need television and faster Internet, and our household goods shipment with the rest of our stuff - and this just MIGHT be home!