News From Guam

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: JennyO
Date: 15 Aug 04 - 10:24 PM

Charlie, you turning into El Ted? :-)

Brett, you are going to have to stop bashing yourself up like this. It just won't do! I still have visions of those poor squashed donuts :-( I love donuts.

Jenny

Subject: WIld News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 17 Aug 04 - 11:10 PM

I just got an unexpected phone call from Brett - he would have called Charlie but it is late in Maine.

Seems Brett and Wakana came back from doing errands (including getting utilities set up for their new place) to find that their new place had been burgled! Wakana's laptop was stolen, but the guitars are safe down stairs. Not only did they toss the joint and steal an indeterminate amount of stuff, but they then set the house on fire. So when Brett drove up it was all charred and smoke damaged. The fire was started at his computer station where a pillow had been left to burn from the heat of a monitor (the burglars had to turn the system on and place a pillow on it to make this happen, so Brett reckons it was arson. Police and Fire officials are still working it.) The whole upstairs is smoke-damaged and charred, especially where the computer was.

What all this means, unfortunately is that Brett is sleeping on a borrowed floor somewhere in Guam, the t-shirt and shorts he has on being the only clothes not smoke-damaged or burned. I guess all those nice clothes he bought in San Diego are layered with smoke from burning CRTs and such...jaisus!!

He wanted me to post a report to you all and say it will be a while before he'll get to a borrowed computer and post to his thread.

I told him he was living an awful interesting sort of life with all these catastrophes in it, and he managed to laugh, so I guess he ain't broke, but it isn't as if he needed this extra chaos in his life!!!

Well, that's about it -- we couldn't talk long as it was his nickel from way the hell overseas. He sounded okay, considering all he's been through, and asked me to pass his warm greetings on to all his friends, so consider them passed to you.

Best regards,

A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 18 Aug 04 - 05:04 AM

Brett, I don't know what you've done to upset the gods and have all this recent bad luck. Have you been treading on any maere out there?
Here's hoping the force of the Mudcat can counteract it and send you some good fortune.

RtS

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 18 Aug 04 - 09:50 AM

Brett - big hugs to you & Wakana. I hope this time the police will find the (alleged) criminals.

Did your CDs survive - I can replace the Ozzies if they're gone.

love from sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Aug 04 - 02:37 PM

Damn! Of course there are scum like that in Maine too but what a bummer to come home to.

I note that the appropriate ads are for fireProof Files and Safes and attorneys.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 18 Aug 04 - 03:05 PM

Brett -

Big hugs to you and Wakana from me, too! This does seem like a somewhat different version of paradise than what I usually envision. I was thinking your new place was more suburb than rural - if so, they are one brazen bunch of thugs! (Or one sort of dumb and hopefully not too lucky jerk.)

I'm sending good thoughts your way - let us know if there's anything else more concrete you need from the states.

The ads have changed to ones for blues albums....

Love, Judy

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 18 Aug 04 - 03:35 PM

Brett,
Seriously...does someone have it in for you? Be careful. Any chance of you and Wakana moving to the relative safety of Maine?
Take care,
SINS

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 19 Aug 04 - 04:31 PM

Hi Brett!
Have the police made any progress? Do make sure you mention the other "little" things to them, like the identity theft and the stuff that went missing from your old place - if someone does have it in for you, it should help them find a pattern. Please keep us posted when you can (is there an internet cafe on Guam?
Hugs, JudyB

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: bbc
Date: 19 Aug 04 - 10:50 PM

Gee, Brett, I can relate to this one, too. Sorry to hear about the break-in, smoke & fire damage, etc. When my house was broken into, it was winter. The bad guys slipped on the snow & broke a window on the way out. The draft blew out the pilot on the oil furnace & we came home to standing water & ice on the whole ground level of our house. I happened to have laryngitis at the time which was pretty amusing as I gave the report to the insurance adjuster. We had a plumber showing his butt crack who knocked holes in the walls to find the broken pipes. Then, we had to replace all the hardwood floors & wall-to-wall carpeting. Did I mention the several hundred dollar water bill? Thankfully, we didn't have to pay that!!! Anyway, it took about a year to get the house back in shape. The good news was that we never felt the sense of violation that many folks do when they are robbed. Who had time? Thinking of you with sympathy. Best to you & Wakana. This, too, shall pass.

love,

barbara

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Aug 04 - 06:36 PM

I am using Gordon's computer to make a quick post before we get back to work. In the last four days we have converted an empty abandoned house into a home. We still cannot live in it. The sewer system is blocked up and the aircon is not working either. But we have a bed and set of dressers. We are bone tired and ready to drop and we haven't yet started in the old house. Hopefully we'll have help today.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,Charley Noble
Date: 21 Aug 04 - 10:27 AM

Cheer up, Brett! The balance of the universe is being restored as I post, in that today we Gooch Island revelers are scheduled for Guam monsoon rains. The Island itself was last reported surrounded by bounding billows of muddy water. There are rumors of a tent being erected for the survivors in the adjacent Royal River Park but somehow the idea of crowding together in a tent while thunder and lightning is breaking overhead is challenging to even the most foolhardy.

The good news? Well, the rest of the week promises to be warm and sunny.

Charlie

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Aug 04 - 06:49 PM

Ah yes, weather. I failed to mention that Typhoon Chaba is bearing down on Saipan. That means we get tropical storm conditions today and tomorrow. I wonder when the earthquake is scheduled to occur.

We are both so tired we cannot see straight but at least the major painting is done. Today we work in the old house cleaning and salvaging.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 06:40 AM

Typhoon Chaba took a turn to the southeast and made a close pass to Guam. At it's closest it was about 85 mailes away and our winds were up to 70 MPH gusts. Rota and Saipan took it as a close approach and saw sustained winds in excess of 100 MPH. Currently it is moving away and has sustained wind speeds of 185 MPH.

We spent Sunday afternoon putting up typhoon shutters and preparing the old house and the new house for the storm. The rain was pouring and the winds were already high. I was soaking wet before we were half through with the first house. Then we were back to help Gordon get his and another house ready.

We rode it out in a friend's house. Oddly enough we had power through the heighth of the storm and sat up watching DVDs and movies. Then it crashed this morning around 8:00 AM as the winds dropped.

Tonight we are spending our first night in the new house. We had our first shower in a week this evening! What luxury!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 08:35 AM

Keep plugging, pal;!! Change is a bear...


A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: bbc
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 12:34 PM

Progress, dear. Being clean is almost as good as being rested. I remember from the time when my kids were babies!

Barbara

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 12:57 PM

Must be true love if you can stand each other without bathing for a week.
SINS

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Aug 04 - 09:31 PM

Here is a more detailed report from last week. I am now back in the office and very glad to be here. This is the easiest day I have seen in over a week.

I went out on Monday to arrange for the utilities to be turned on. That was a long and arduous day. I got home at 4:30 PM to find the door was not locked as I usually leave it. There was a foul odor in the air. I opened the door on to a scene of wreckage and the reek of smoke and soot. My house had burned while I was out.

Now that the investigation is over it appears that someone had broken into the house and stolen my camera and Wakana's laptop computer. They may have also taken my passport and social security card. They then set a pillow on top of the computer monitor and turned it on. The firemen report that the house was full of smoke when they got there. It was a smoldering fire. It wasn't until they ventilated the upstairs rooms that the flames came up and they could put it out. We lost a lot of our stuff. Anything that was made of fabric is full of the soot and smoke smell. We may be able to clean the clothing well enough to wear but the bed and easy chair are gone.

Next day we started in the new house. It had been empty for about a year and a half. We had to clean and paint the whole thing. What a chore. We had planned to do this work over the rest of the month. Now we had a week. I bought a new bed and a dresser. The kitchen cabinets were full of termites and ants so we tore them out. The air conditioner didn't work and the refrigerator wouldn't cool. Some of the windows were broken. The bathtub was full of rust and debris. The sewer line was plugged. The driveway was silted up with four inches of mud washed down from the neighbor's new yard.

While we worked we stayed with a friend, and our future landlord. We slept on his couch and on the floor. The village was having water problems so we weren't able to shower. We would arrive at his house after a long hard day, drenched in sweat and covered with dirt, barely able to stand. To clean up you would turn on the water in the bathtub but there wasn't enough pressure to take it up to the shower head. Instead you had a Taco Bell plastic soda cup which you would fill and pour over yourself. There was no hot water. Once you were wet you could lather yourself with soap and then rinse with the cup.

Last night, Monday, August 24, 2004, was our first night in the new house. It still looks like a construction site with paint cans and tools scattered around. The range is in the living room and there is a roll around dishwasher waiting to be removed. We also have a water cooler in the living room. But we slept in a bed and we got to take real showers. The house is near the naval magazine and for some reason has water while the rest of the village is dry. What luxury is a hot shower…

Oh, then after all that work we heard of Chaba. Chaba is a Thai word that means "sweet flower". It is also the name of the typhoon that was bearing down on us. We spent Sunday in the pouring wind whipped rain putting up storm shutters and preparing two houses for the storm. Then I helped Gordon get his own house and his neighbor's house ready. Gordon was house sitting for the neighbor and we stayed in the empty house to ride out the storm. Chaba passed about 90 miles north of us so our winds were only in the 60 to 70 MPH range. It hit Rota and Saipan pretty hard. Now that Chaba has moved on we hear that the sustained winds are up to about 180 MPH.

So let's see, fire, typhoon, hmm, I guess that's the list. I figure the big earthquake is next. And that's the news from Guam.

I hope you can see this. It is the satellite montage from our neck of the woods. Next time you hear Florida complaining about storms just think of this picture. Chaba and Aere

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 12:41 AM

SOmething weird has happened to this thread....

anyway: Brett, the operating range for a monitor of the CRT type can be around 140 degrees farenheit. But that is with the ordinary airflow, calculated to keep the heat down. So I reckon just putting a cheap cotton pillow on the air vents near the hot part of the tube might be enough to start it but I am not 100% sure.

A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 02:41 AM

Holy cow, Brett! I see I am going to have to call more often to keep caught up or be sure I make more reading time! I am very sorry to hear of the burglary and fire. What a terrible thing to do to anyone. I am glad to hear you had a good friend to stay with and that you both seem to be coping with it, together and well.:-) Wakana sure sounds like a keeper.:-) Oh, and I can relate to those winds, though NOT 185 mph! Wyoming has wind, but I don't remember any blizzards going beyond 100 or so!

Take care and enjoy your new place as it takes shape. There is some satisfaction to be had from surveying the results of one's hard work, esp. when shared. And, let us know if there are things we can help to replace, okay?

luvyakat

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 08:48 AM

So let's see, fire, typhoon, hmm, I guess that's the list. I figure the big earthquake is next. And that's the news from Guam.

If you were in Oz it would be fire, cyclone, flood, drought & locusts! We're heading for bushfire season, & cyclones hit the northern regions Nov to March, naturally floods follow, drought is endemic (Sydney's dams are below 5o%) & lotsa' locusts are hatching out west.

Do the police think all the incidents are related?

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: wysiwyg
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 11:34 AM

Brett, although of course I'm concerned and sympathetic about your troubles, I have to say that shining through it all I see a strong man being wonderfully strengthened by the circumstances and people of this place and time-- a man living as large as is his heart and spirit.

Go, man, go!

~Susan

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 12:10 PM

Brett, I'm supposed to tell you hafa adai! I hope you are well.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 05:06 PM

Hey, Brett -
Sounds as if things are looking up just a little if you actually have running water now (without standing in your yard with your bar of soap during the typhoon)! I'm a little confused about which house is which - is the one with the fire the one you've been living in for the past year or so? Or the one you said you were moving into a few weeks back? Not that it matters, but I was curious as I know there had been a couple of other "incidents" at the house up in the hills over the past year. Do they have lottery tickets on Guam? Seems as if there should be a wave of good things due your way now (though Wakana sounds like a major step in the positive direction!).
    Take care!
    JudyB

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 07:16 PM

Judy, the house that burned is the one I have been in for a year.

Hafa Adai to you too, Ebbie. You must know someone who has lived in Guam!

Is there more? YES! We have more! Come to the fire sale for your own mess of bad luck!

Yesterday I answered a message from the MBNA Fraud Department. I thought it must be related to the earlier ID theft problem I'd experienced back at the end of July. Oh no, not so Mr. Burnham. It seems that on the day of the fire someone began making purchases with my new credit card, the one I could not activate because I no longer had a home telephone. So here I am, with a brand new credit card still stuck to the mailer in a folder at my new home and someone is out having a great time with it!

How does that happen? Remember I said I thought my social security card and passport had been stolen? Well, they appear to really have been stolen! And someone is having a great time out there.

Wonderful! What is next...? Do I dare even ask?

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 24 Aug 04 - 11:32 PM

It occurs to me that Amos was right in his 24 Aug 04 - 12:41 AM post. "SOmething weird has happened to this thread...." I thought about it and realized I have only been whining lately. No descriptions and no mental pictures.

I drove out at lunchtime today to buy some plumbing items for the new house. As I drove down Marine Drive I noticed the surf crashing out on the reef. It has been cloudy and rainy for as long as I can remember. Today the sun peeped out and lit up everything with an unfamiliar warmth. The sea turned a lovely green-blue and the waves crashed into a brilliant white. The surf is running very high because of the typhoon and instead of a thin line of white surf out by the reef we have huge masses of incredibly white water foaming over miles of reef and shore. The waves loom up in translucent tropical water colors and then explode into white masses while the wind drives the white flecks inland. The surf cannot reach the shore so all this drama takes place about 100 yards off shore.

The typhoon was a wonderful experience of driving warm wind and rain. Early on as we tried to put up shutters we were soaked by showers that filled the air with water. It was warm water so there was none of the shivering I have always associated with being wet by the rain. The wind, when it came on strong, bent the palm trees over and sent their fronds tossing all in the same way, as though Mother Nature were combing their unruly hair.

We were safe indoors but we could hear the wind battering the house. The shutters were thin sheets of steel bolted to the concrete walls and they boomed with every gust. Often there was no rain, just the driving wind. It was a wonderful display of nature's power.

Last night I could hear water trickling past the house. The rain water is still draining. Who knows what else it might be. Wakana thinks there may be a water line broken in the jungle behind the house. It certainly sounds like gushing water. I like to think it may be a natural spring that has opened up after the storm and now I will have a brook to deal with next to the house. I imagine building a pool and concrete water channel with rocks in place to make the water splash. Maybe I could even install a little water wheel and rig it up to a generator... Nah, my daydreams go too far.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 01:27 AM

Nah, man, push them further!!!


A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 03:18 AM

I'm not a great believer in coincidence- as some above have intimated, it might be fruitful to investigate whether the pieces of your recent 'bad luck' originate in one person's puzzle.
(
Hafa Adai! Great phrase). Yes, it comes from a Coastie now posted in Juneau.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 09:16 AM

whining?

na, just too busy with other stuff, you certainly do live in interesting times, Brett (and a beautiful place).

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,winterbright
Date: 25 Aug 04 - 06:35 PM

It may interest you to know that very recently we (the Earth) missed getting hit by a space chunk by - get this - a mere 4,000 miles.
It appears your luck is turning. (grin)

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 07:47 PM

Thanks for that, Winterbright. Sometimes you have to look beyond your own pool to find the good luck.

I hate to write this post. I have listed so many bad things is such a short time that it seems like overload to add any more. There has to come a point where people just stop believing that all of this could happen to one person. Believe me, I am telling everything, exactly as it has occurred.

On Tuesday I stopped at the credit union to get a printout of my account. I knew that I had blown through the money I had transferred into checking to cover the move and the preparations in the new house. It didn't seem right because I had been keeping careful track of what I was spending.

Well, it seems our resourceful thief had taken more than just Wakana's computer, camera, social security card and passport. He also took my box of checks. Starting on the day of the fire he started wiping out my accounts. I now have a net worth in the negative numbers.

This last straw seems to have broken the camel's back. I am sunk in depression and gloom. I live on the verge of tears and flinch from everything, expecting it to be another attack.

Oh, and I don't think I mentioned that Wakana's car broke down the other day and may cost upwards of $1,000 to fix.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: wysiwyg
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 08:48 PM

I'm so sorry-- stay close to Wakana and decide together what to do next.

Bad check kiters usually get spotted in due course. When s/he starts bouncing them, that may be their undoing. You can always hope for restitution.

~Susan

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 08:49 PM

Just remember your net worth is a LOT more than numbers.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 09:12 PM

Ugh!

I would think that Guam is a small enough place that if someone were using your checks to purchase something they would run the risk of being recognized by a store clerk or being caught on a security camera. Hopefully the thief or thieves will outsmart themselves. They probably live in your old neighborhood to start with.

Well, it's at least a good thing to get depressed about, not to mention pissed off! There's got to be some clues that could be followed up.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 09:16 PM

Keep this in mind--you live on an island. It's harder to hide what you're doing when you live in a confined space like that. And WHEN (not "if") they catch the thief, they'll add on a hefty charge of arson to the crime list.

Someone should be able to track these purchases made with the checks and get this guy pretty soon. Keep your chin up. You're not liable for more than about $50 of the charges on your card (if even that much) and the checking account should be restored.

SRS

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 09:28 PM

Hey Brett -
Work with the credit union - they shouldn't be paying on the checks if the signature isn't yours. (If the signature is yours, get Wakana to tie you to a tree on the nights of the full moon. But I digress.)

Retrieve "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" from your wayback files - it got me through some rocky times because after singing it enough times in a row it was just so dumb I had to laugh (not the song, exactly - just something about singing "I Am a Maid of Constant Sorrow" enough times in a row struck my ludicrous bone).

Guam isn't that big - they should catch the buzzard (or some other word that I don't think would make it past the censors).

Does Guam have a gym with those giant punching bags that boxers use? If it were me, I'd want to punch someone, and that seems like a good alternative. Visualize the son of a seahorse (or whatever) and WHAM!

When you're at a place that you can do it, remember all the folks that love you - and realize that they may have your bank account (at least for a while) but they can never get their hands on your true wealth.

And do keep posting as this continues to unfold. We care, and we're rooting for you!

I actually know you (unlike Corridus), making the story all the more real as it unfolds. And I've had enough strange things happen in my life (for better or for worse) to have a real appreciation for the journey.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Hug Wakana.

Tomorrow is another day.

Love you,
JudyB

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: JudyB
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 09:32 PM

Brett -
Oops - forgot to log Charlie out and me in - Oh, well, Charlie loves you too - he's just not quite as vocal about it.
JudyB

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 26 Aug 04 - 10:49 PM

Deep breaths, Brett. The single most important thing right now is for you and Wakana to stay healthy and focussed on each other. Don't let the anger, frustration and depression come between you. What you have lost is only things. They can and will be replaced. Don't make it worse by giving these low lifes the single most precious thing you two own, the one thing they couldn't take without your permission - your devotion to each other.

Stay strong,
SINS

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Aug 04 - 11:35 AM

don't let the bastards get you down.

Do the police have any ideas or leads? Is this a fairly 'common' kind of crime?

And is the island covered with cameras so there is hope of getting pics of the person/s passing them?

love from sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,winterbright
Date: 27 Aug 04 - 05:54 PM

White light & hugs. And remember, it's always darkest when the lights are out.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 02 Sep 04 - 11:31 PM

Thanks all. Sorry about the lack of posts but this is the first time I've parked myself at a computer in a long time. I need to compile what has happened and create a mega-post so you can find out what I've been going through. It is a testament to frustration, anger, and stupidity.

I don't have any news of progress on the case. Two days ago I bought an abstract of the police file and all it talked about was the theft of the physical items from the house. And it didn't mention Wakana at all though the computer that was stolen was hers.

I have been trying to pay off the legitimate checks I wrote but now the credit union won't let me have any more money until the negative balance in my account is made right. That will be next payday, 9/10. The companies I have talked to do not care about the ID theft. All they care about is getting paid the money owed PLUS the returned check fee. In one instance I was paying the debt before the check came back and they STILL assessed the returned check fee.

In the meantime I just learned that my Government card has been compromised as well. The thief apparently took that as well. I cannot talk to those people until the world turns far enough that they have a work day on their side of the world. I guess I'll be up late tonight.

But there is humor and laughter to be found as well. Wakana's mother came to help us out. We met her at the airport. Just before she arrived Wakana confessed that she had not had the opportunity (nerve?) to describe me to her parents in more than general terms. Wakana's mother arrived, a tiny, elderly, Japanese woman and they greeted each other warmly. Then Wakana introduced me and the older woman's eyes travelled up, up, and up, with increasing astonishment at my size and appearance. Her mother is only a little shorter than Wakana and Wakana is only 5'1". I am 6'2" tall and at last count weigh in at 365 pounds. I think Wakana's mother is concerned about her daughter.

Time to go back into the fray. Thanks for all the good wishes. We are doing as well as can be expected. It's tough but we will survive it.

By the way, thanks to the extremely wet weather this year we have a brook running through our yard. The landlord says there is a spring up in the jungle that flows when the aquifer fills up. It is quite pleasant to listen to. It took some doing with a shovel to get it to follow a particular course but now it flows down past the house, across the driveway and into the neighbor's yard. It's been very well behaved and has stayed out of the house though the neighbor has complained about it coming into his house. I'm thinking of naming it. Any suggestions?

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Sep 04 - 11:41 PM

{{{{{{{{{{Brett & Wakana}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

I'll call soon. We love you,

kat

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 02 Sep 04 - 11:45 PM

Wakana-Wawa?

I feel for ya, man. Keep breathing, 'kay? Get through it soon!


A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 03 Sep 04 - 10:05 AM

Brett-

Sounds like one hell of a tough month to come, with all that you've described, plus the end of the budget year, and winding up your job. That's a whole lot of stress. Plan for some quality quiet time afterwards if your new plastic arrives intact.

As for naming the brook, how about "Merry Meanders"?

Off to the 10th Windjammers Weekend in Camden this Saturday. I plan to hang out with Kendall at Gilbert's Pub for the Thirsty Whalers Reunion from 1 to 5 pm.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Sep 04 - 10:59 AM

For the brook:
Roll'N Gone ?

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,winterbright
Date: 03 Sep 04 - 02:26 PM

"Brook Shields"? Oh, no, wait - that's been taken. "Brook-no-nonsense"? "Re-moat Control"? Or maybe just "Enough-is-enough".

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 04 Sep 04 - 10:13 AM

Giac sent me pictures of her Springbrook Park - one shows the spring bubbling up in the brook, the other the brook.

But I don't suppose you can have a Springbrook in Guam, too, where would the world be if people started naming things after places in the Old Country?

don't let the turkeys get you down

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 Sep 04 - 10:21 AM

One of my favorite rivers names has to be the Nonesuch River, just south of Portland passing under the Maine Turnpike. As our car approached the "bridge" we'd eagerly stare over the side, only to see nothing but a dry creek bed.

Of course, you could always call your stream "Further A-Dew."

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,Canberra Chris (guesting)
Date: 05 Sep 04 - 07:41 AM

Brett,
Just caught up with your thread. I'm travelling in UK, mainly family business, but catching up with the odd session (great hospitality in Chester), and inducting my 10 yr old nephew who is starting to play. I came over mainly for a family wedding (sang 'Fields of Gold' at it in late summer country England), and to pitch in helping to move my mother which is a major family exercise.
Sorry to hear about your troubles - the kind we don't need, just hassle upon hassle for nothing. But as all your friends say, hang in there, and don't let it get between you and what you love. Just work through it, and keep singing. And just tell Wakana's mother you were built for resonance!
Names for brooks? After a brief drive round the Lake District, I wouldn't know where to start!
Chris

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Sep 04 - 08:38 PM

The visit with Wakana's mother was a big success. They worked on setting up the kitchen while I made another round of visits to banks, merchants, and the police department. Then they worked on cleaning and repacking books as I hauled truckloads in from the old house. The landlord had a pile of concrete pavers stored in the way so I laid themout to form a patio where we could work comfortably. It was funny to see those two small women reaching out to help move the pavers. These are four feet long by two feet wide by four inches thick with re-bar inside. I can just barely carry one and preferred to just lever them into place.

But we got a lot of work done and in the evenings had long conversations with Wakana translating. I think it was good for Wakana's English skills and told her mother so. Wakana wasn't pleased about that but had to agree.

When Mitsuko-san left I named the brook in her honor, the Mitsuko River. She was pleased with that.

Yesterday Wakana, Gordon, and I finished moving our stuff out of the old house. We gave up on cleaning it as we moved it. That was just too slow. Instead we have stacked it outside in a corner of the house that includes an outdoor closet. There a blue tarp and a large overhang protects it from the weather but I have to get the books and stuff into the house ASAP. Our next priority is to build bookcases and unpack the boxes. It makes as much sense as cleaning and repacking the boxes and might not take as long.

Moving sooty boxes and stuff out of a sooty house is dirty work. In the evenings the shower water flowed dark around my feet. My clothes were dark with soot that managed to get through my shirt and on to my skin. The sweat and soot seems to have turned me grey in places. It may take a few showers to get back to my usual color.

Today we need to go back to the old house to shovel the leftover debris out of the office and pick up a few odd bits of trash. Then we will be done.

Here's a memory out of the blue. When we moved into the new house I ordered the new cable TV service. As a surprise for her I included the Japanese public TV station, NHK. The first night we watched a program on a kite flying competition that took place last May. Two teams were trying to fly giant kites and these things were huge. They measured 6 meters by 22 meters. One of the kites couldn't get into the air but the other team managed to fly theirs. What a sight. Try to imagine a billboard flying in the blue sky. The lines came down from the kite's edges to meet at a junction into a rope that ran to the crowd of people on the ground. It was obviously a tug of war between that kite and the ground crew. Great stuff.

Wakana is very nervous about our security since the fire. She wants to leave Guam. We've been discussing possible future homelands. So far I like going to the Pacific Northwest USA (or Pacific Southwest Canada), or Australia/New Zealand. Wakana is worried about racial prejudice in Australia/New Zealand but is interested in the USA/Canada. She thinks of Japan as an option too though I doubt I could be comfortable in a place where I am so much larger than the furniture and bathrooms. We are open to suggestions. I think we will stay in Guam for a while longer but be leaving before the middle of next year.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 06 Sep 04 - 09:27 PM

Leave there, Brett and start new somewhere else where you have friends to help you. Given the length and breadth of Mudcatville, that is almost anywhere in the world.
SINS