We are home. Last night we slept in our own bed in our own home for the first time in a month and a half. Very nice. The change in climate from Japan to Guam is very nice. We went out to breakfast at Jan Z's and sat watching the boats in the marina and the surf out on the reef and feeling very comfortable to be at home again.

Of course we had a good old fashioned Guam welcome. If you are thinking of grass skirts and flower leis then let me disillusion you at once. We came home to find there was a hole in the water pipe outside the bathroom and water was spraying all over the place. Gordon and I went out, wrapped the rusted area in duct tape and added two pipe clamps. Today he'll put on a more permanent temporary repair. And, yes, "permanent temporary repair" is Guam standard practice.

I got home to find the PDN (local newspaper) shouting headlines about the poor condition of the roads. Apparently the governor had a little meeting to introduce 29 road projects he managed to get the Federal government to pay for. A couple of the local mayors gathered their constituents and crashed the meeting to demand more attention to the condition of the roads. The potholes and poor paving are tearing up people's cars.

That is true. The roads can be pretty bad. But last November when the PDN ran articles on the poor condition of the water system the arguments fell on deaf ears. I guess our locals would rather drive on smooth roads than have fresh water to drink and bathe in.

Oh, and we woke to the telephone this morning. It was the U.S. Marshall's office looking for me so they could serve me with a lawsuit. Apparently the landlord has decided to sue me for the fire after all. Back in November he wanted me to pay him $10,000 for the repairs to the house. Now he is suing me for $5,982 for the repairs. I guess we'll work it out in court. Wish me luck.