News From Guam

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 02 Sep 03 - 09:39 AM

Brett - they're not going to downsize you back to Maine are they? You've barely unpacked!

I can also retire in 4 years as I'll get a bit more money if I retire at 55 rather than 60, but as my accountant neighbour says it'll be 10% of nothing as I'm not on a high salary. I can remember starting work & it doesn't seem like 33 years ago ...

What else ya up to, apart from doing the work of 3 or 4 people?

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 01 Sep 03 - 11:08 PM

;-D

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 Sep 03 - 11:00 PM

Hi Kid!

I've been wondering where you were. I will email you the correct phon number. My home phone is not hooked up yet and the only email addresses that work are the Yahoo address and my work address. I will email all of those to you too. Look for the message.

Dad

As for the rest of you...

Yes, Charley, the end of the fiscal year is upon us. It is a time of high stress, unhappy people demanding too much from too few, with too little to compensate them for the reduced life style and time off. Life's a bitch in September. I can't wait to retire so I can finally enjoy what used to be my favorite month of the year.

As you enjoy that fair, Barb, please take a few moments to think of me here in a land without country fairs. I love them, wandering the grounds every year looking at the animals and displays of farm produce. There is an excited bustle in the fairway while the horse and tractor pulls add their own sound and smell.

Sandra, they are now downsizing again, leaving us with even fewer people. Only four years till retirement....

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 01 Sep 03 - 10:08 PM

Um, dad? Did you know i've been trying to get in touch with you for like a week and all that ever happens is that I get Steve Collins' voice mail. I even e-mailed you and you didn't answer so, like, how do I find you???

~Amy~

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: bbc
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 05:41 PM

Yes, Brett, regardless of what I *should* be doing, I plan to play a little, too. It has pretty much been an all work summer--no good for teachers! Saturday is committed to the college move-in, but, Sunday evening, a friend is coming over &, on Monday, we're going to the local county fair. Should be a nice breather before the whirlwind of opening day at school!

best to us all,

Barbara

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 09:25 AM

Say, Brett, isn't September the end of your fiscal year? You do have to spend all them millions left in your accounts. How about earmarking a few thousand for quality musical entetainment? Roll & Go's probably overbooked but there might be a few Mudcatters of interest. Just a suggestion from a taxpayer.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 08:48 AM

Our office is cutting at the moment - we don't have the money! BS - they do, they just think it won't last all year, then towards the end of the financial year (June 30 here) they will say, ooops, we've got money left, we'd better spend it.

In the mean time, voluntary reduncies are being offered, vacancies are not being filled & my poor interstate colleague was told by his bosses to work 25% harder. He sounded exhausted the day I called him - what with lack of staff & stuffed technology life is hard.

Since the office changed to Windows XP his system takes 14 minutes to search for a record & as you could imagine they have a huge backlog. The IT folks say it will get better. If you manage to survive, I said.

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Aug 03 - 03:28 AM

Amen, sister!

But I am going to play a bit this weekend. That is, when I'm not in here at the office. If anyone tries to tell you that civil servants are lazy leeches on the public treasury you can tell them that may have been so in the old days but we earn our daily bread now and then some. Like private industry we've been "right sized" to the point that there are too few people for way too much work. The taxpayers are getting a deal.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: bbc
Date: 28 Aug 03 - 11:09 PM

I know just how you feel, Brett. Here I am, supposedly in a lake community. Not only haven't I seen the lakes, I've hardly stuck my nose out the door. I've been trying so hard to get the unpacking & work on the house done before school starts. Well, the good news is that I'm about out of time. School starts Tuesday, bright & early. Frankly, I think it will be good to be back to a routine. If it ain't done now, to heck w/ it!

love,

Barbara

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Aug 03 - 10:32 PM

Not much news to report. I heard from the Traditional Seafaring Society that they have located a log big enough to build a canoe. This weekend they will be dragging it out of the woods so I hope to get up there to join them. Otherwise I need to keep on unloading the boxes in my house. Plus I need to get my wood shop set up. I want to get into production soon and start churning out bookshelves. Once I have two or three of them built then I can start building the boat.

Back to work...

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 26 Aug 03 - 03:55 AM

The mundane has caught up with me. For those hardy souls still following this thread I am immersed in overwork, unpacking, house cleaning, and other mundane tasks that leave me no time for exploring this tropical paradise. How could this happen?

Sigh, here it is 6:00 PM and I am still at work. I started at 7:30 this morning. In a little while I will leave here and go forth to do laundry and some grocery shopping. Supper tonight will be an exotic Subway sandwich while sitting outside the laundromat.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 08:58 AM

A ballad of unending domestic upheaval by Michael Flanders and Donald Swann ©1959. Performed in the musical revue At the Drop of a Hat

The Gas Man Cometh


'Twas on a Monday morning the Gas man came to call
The gas tap wouldn't turn, I wasn't getting gas at all
He tore out all the skirting board to try to find the main
And I had to call a carpenter to put it back again
Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do

'Twas on a Tuesday morning the carpenter came round
He hammered and he chiseled and he said: 'Look what I've found
Your joists are full of dry rot but I'll put it all to rights'
Then nailed right through a cable and out want all the lights
Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do

'Twas on a Wednesday morning the electrician came
He called me 'Mr. Sanderson', which isn't quite my name
He couldn't reach the fuse box without standing on the bin
And his foot went through a window so I called a glazier in
Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do

'Twas on a Thursday morning the glazier came along
With his blow-torch and his putty and his merry Glazier's song
He put another pane in, it took no time at all
But I had to get a painter in to come and paint the wall
Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do

'Twas on a Friday morning the painter made a start
With undercoats and overcoats he painted every part
Every nook and every cranny but I found when he was gone
He'd painted over the gas tap and I couldn't turn it on
Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do

On Saturday and Sunday they do no work at all,
So 'Twas on a Monday morning the Gas man came to call!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Aug 03 - 08:32 AM

Brett - loved the description of the dog - so true. And waiting for deliveries/tradespersons - it's the same everywhere.

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,Trainman
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 11:59 PM

just like on a plane: you check your baggage in at your point of departure and it is waiting for you there at your destination--if you carry it on, you must carry it with you--

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Bill D
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 10:54 PM

..but the answer is, I think, YOU take care of your bags on a train, unless you have specifically arranged for them to be shipped. Then they travel in a baggage car ...if you have too many to carry, keep what you need and ship the others.

(Hi, Brett...fancy meeting YOU in this thread! You were just over in the FSGW thread!)

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 10:03 PM

Amy, you should make that a separate thread. Put it into the BS threads and ask your question.

Now, it's after 10:00 PM where you are so turn out the lights and go to bed. (Dads have to say things like that.)

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 09:56 PM

I found a present for you dad! It fits perfectly into everything you say about Kelli and I and you can pin it to your hat or bag hehehehhehe i'll send it when i get to school with a nice long letter detailing my trip on amtrack. Oh, I have a question for all you people who have ever taken Amtrack. If you have a connecting train, lets say I have a lay over in DC and then have to get on another train to get to school, do I move my own bags from one train to the other or is that done for me like on a plane???

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: curmudgeon
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 09:39 PM

Perchance, the dog is namd Guest -- Tom

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Aug 03 - 09:09 PM

Well, that was a bust. The gas company didn't deliver. They showed up to change out the bottle and found there was no bottle to take away. And my check wasn't large enough to cover the deposit for a bottle and regulator.

On Saturday the cable company was supposed to hook up the TV. They didn't show at all.

However, I did get through a lot of boxes and found a bunch of stuff I've been looking for. I even found some stuff I didn't know I had including a box left behind by my girlfriend in 2000 when she left me for another man. Interesting lack of emotion when I found that.

I guess my adventure in taking a break into mundane things. I haven't been doing much of anything lately. By the time I get home from work I am too tired to go back out into the world. At 10:00 I go off to bed so I can relax and listen to the neighbor's dog bark without any of the distractions of the radio or TV. That dog seems to think it has a lot to say. We've all known people like that, those who seem to think the world has to hear their voice. This dog must think the world is vastly improved by the sound of a barking dog.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Aug 03 - 03:51 AM

As I have said before I now have all my stuff. Yesterday I brought my little stereo into work and a box of CDs. It's been difficult in the office without music. For some reason the Public Radio station cannot penetrate this building.

So, anyay, I have been working my way through this box of CDs, remembering the great music I have picked up. Then the changer rotated around a few moments ago to Castlebay's Down To The Shore. Julia and Fred are singing as I type and I feel so homesick. I was doing fine but this has got to me.

On the home front the gas company was supposed to deliver gas today so I should be able to cook tonight. I think I'll make spaghetti. It's been a long time since I had any. Thinkiing of that made me look at the clock and I just realized it's almost 6:00 PM! I need to get out of this office now and again.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 11:43 PM

Lunch was a hoot. There is one woman, small with quick movements and an infectious laugh. She had us cracking up. That is a fun group.

One thing I haven't talked about much is the office. I arrived on June 12. Since then the entire management team has changed. That may not be too unusual in the corporate world but I got used to stability in my last job. Now there is a whole bunch of us with no "corporate knowledge" to rely on. It's very strange and makes the job that much more of a challenge.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 09:54 PM

Well, Brett, one thing about moving to such a remove is that there is a strong incentive to enjoy being there, because moving away again is a major piece o' work! This was very clever of you. And it sounds like there is more than enough there to make life quite enjoyable.

This thread has been a source of constant pleasure to me, Thanks for keeping it up!


A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 19 Aug 03 - 09:46 PM

Since I have the chair I cannot be considered an EX-chairman.

Have I mentioned the gekkos? I'm not sure how that is supposed to be spelled. I remember mentioning one in my hotel room but there is so much more to them. They are small, fast, and can run up the walls. I haven't seen one on the ceiling yet. When you walk through the grass you can see them running away, long low shapes scurrying across the lawn. This morning I had to help one out of the kitchen sink before I could wash the dishes. He had lost his tail so it had been a hard day already. They run with a wonderful wiggling motion so it almost seems as though they were snaking along instead of running.

They are brown but they have some limited chameleon ability. On a light color they lighten up to a pale tan and on dark colors they darken down to a deep brown. Last night I noticed one on the living room window racing up and down the typhoon shutters chasing some flying insect.

My neighbor, the big spider outside the front door, I've named Charlotte (what else?). Last night I noticed her moving around, possibly repairing the web, possibly trying to grab something that blundered into her trap. I wonder how long spiders live around here?

I hear laughter from the other room. People are gathering for lunch. I guess I'll go get some lunch and join in the fun.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Aug 03 - 08:35 AM

Hey, I WANT that chair! You could always bring it to Sydney as "carry-on." You could explain to the flight attendants that you are the ex-chairman of Roll & Go, Inc.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 Aug 03 - 02:51 AM

Hmm, I sent a short post earlier today and it isn't here now. What is cyberspace doig with my words?

So, Charley, did you miss any of your stuff after I left? I noticed I wound up with one of your wooden folding chairs that was stored in that basement locker. I am NOT sending it back to you by mail. You'll have to wait till I move back to Maine.

Mary, trash is picked up by GovGuam. There is no recycling program that I can see. It was a big wrench the first few times I had to throw away a soda can. But the moving company will take away the empty boxes and loose paper. I will have a lot more room in my place after tomorrow.

I'm going to submit this and hope it goes through. I can't see writing a longer message if cyberspace is just going to eat it up.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Aug 03 - 09:40 PM

Brett, my dawg is still pondering the finer points of philosophy which you brought to light for him! **BG**

So glad to hear that your stuff has made it there, okay. Take your time and enjoy unwrapping your treasures!

luvyakat

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 13 Aug 03 - 10:11 PM

You triggered a memory, Brett. When hurricane Andrew hit Florida, I was on a cruise ship which gingerly picked its way around the huge storm. At night on deck I could see it off in the distance swirling and black occasionally lit up by lightening. It looked alive.

Did your LPs survive the heat? Last weekend I almost bought an LP which had warped itself into an ashtray shape when left in the sun. Almost but not quite. I advised the owner to put it up for sale on Ebay. Bet he makes a killing.

Silly question: what do you do about trash removal? Do you recycle? I had a heck of a time getting my cardboard into acceptable trash pick up shape.

Enjoy your new home.
Mary

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Aug 03 - 07:13 PM

Do they still have the dog track on Guam? Greyhounds? If so, I bet they still have some of the same mutts running that ate my money years ago. And go to one of the hotel penthouse bar/piano lounges overlooking Tumon bay for some interesting views of the storm cells. It really is amazing.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Aug 03 - 05:59 PM

Hurray! Hurray! HURRAY!

It's so nice to hear that all that stuff is where it belongs. I had this nagging suspicion that it might all end up back here in Maine because someone couldn't read or understand the Guam address.

Good thing you got your stuff out of our basement in June. It's been so humid the last two weeks that the basement walls and some of the stuff down there is covered in black mold. We just scraped and blasted walls of the stuff.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Aug 03 - 04:53 PM

Well, if I hadn't seen the picture I wouldn't have believed it. Racing carabao caroming around the course!

Got home last night and wrote this up. Slept well, the sleep of the exhausted. Now I am headed back into it and this may be my last post from this "hotel" room. From now on I'll only be able to post from work.

8/13/2003 9:11 PM (Local Time)
Well, the Mudcat is down and I need to update the diary. So I'll do it offline and copy it into the system later.

Today was a banner day. My household goods arrived. The truck pulled up around 9:30 with three guys in the cab and four large crates and one smaller crate on the back. The load was covered with a large yellow tarp. Once the truck was in place and the crates were opened they pulled the tarp back over and tied it off to make a shaded workspace.

The crew was made up of one crew chief and two younger guys. The crew chief, Harry, explained that the helpers were new and worked hard. He was right about that. Those kids worked hard all day long. They were a pleasant group. We tuned our two boom boxes to the same station and they went to work. The boxes came off the truck and flowed into the house.

And the house slowly but surely filled up. It was like Christmas day! All my goodies were there like old friends. The first thing that came off the truck was my 12 foot Viking spear. That must have set the theme as far as they were concerned. Then the boxes of books came off in an endless stream. And the crummy furniture. And the tools, and the boxes of LPs and the boxes of music books, and the racks of CDs, and the cassettes, and video cassettes, and all that other stuff.

And then off came the crate with my guitars. I quit everything else and turned to opening the crate and tuning up the 12-string. Ah, the sweet sound of that wonderful little lady. I didn't take too long but I enjoyed every minute.

At lunch time I ran down to Taco Bell for lunch and ran into the carabao protest outside the main gate of the base. There were a lot of people there, waving signs and standing under colorful umbrellas. They even had a couple of carabao there, stolid in the sun, chewing and completely unaware of what was happening around them.

In the afternoon they finished the unloading and headed out leaving me with a real mess to straighten up. Boxes and paper litter the rooms. Sigh, it's going to be a long couple of weeks till I get it all under control.

Coming back to the hotel room for one last night I saw something interesting. A person standing on the deck of a ship can see about a mile and a half to the horizon. Coming down off the mountain in the dark I could see a lot farther than that and what I saw was very impressive. I saw a thunderstorm out at sea. I could see the whole thing from top to bottom, sporadically lit by silent lightning. I have never seen anything like it. The storm was too far away to be heard but I could see it clearly. Quite amazing.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: MMario
Date: 13 Aug 03 - 11:06 AM

If I got a carabao I think I'd want one of the racing carabao.    You would think they would start that back up - get a bit of income in from the betting etc...carabao races!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 11:23 PM

Here is a picture of a Guamian carabao, but one horn a bit short.

A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 10:45 PM

i like cows...they moo.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 05:11 PM

The other daughter is level headed enough to not burden herself with undersized water buffaloes.

Cute? They are cattle. They are dark brown and black with curved horns and wet noses.

And I guess they are kinda neat looking...

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 02:01 PM

awwww...but they are sooo cute!!!!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 10:11 AM

you only forbade ONE daughter! Silly man.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 08:11 AM

"All the stuff"? Wow, in addition to the boxes of books and records, I'm sure you'll really be pleased to see the box of Maine fieldstones that I added to your locker in the midst of your final packing. What you're supposed to do with them, Brett, is plant them in a row at the edge of your freshly mowed lawn. In a few short years you'll have a robust stone wall.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 05:34 AM

Such a deal I have for you. This deal is open to anyone and everyone with the one exception of Tenjiro. She may NOT participate!

GovGuam (as the local government is called) is trying to work a deal with the U. S. Navy to help them get rid of a problem up at the magazine (ammo storage area). It seems that a herd of carabao have multiplied to the extent that they are damaging the facility. Navy sharpshooters have been killing them at a rate of 10 to 15 a week and now the island is up in arms. Yesterday the newspaper had an article where GovGuam wanted to work a deal with the Navy for people to adopt the carabao to get them off the facility. It would only cost them $150.

I wanted to post a link to that story but couldn't find it. However I found this article in the Pacific Daily News about the protest that will be happening tomorrow afternoon.

As I say, Tenjiro can NOT participate in this offer. NO! You cannot have a carabao.

The house is clean and ready for the furniture and junk to go in. The great day is tomorrow. The moving van pulls up to the front door and all the stuff has to be jammed into the house. By this time tomorrow I will be exhausted, dirty, and in a lot of pain. But I will have a home.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Aug 03 - 12:21 AM

Sigh... I HAVE to keep in mind that both of my daughters are reading this thread...

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Tenjiro
Date: 11 Aug 03 - 11:31 PM

see dad, what did I tell you...*points to your last sentence* you are such a player! heheheheh kidding!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 07:58 PM

That's the nice thing about life in a hot climate. So many places are air conditioned.

And before someone from the northern climes comments about the high price of such luxury I would offer that s/he could try going through a winter without turning their heat up over 50 degrees. It is the same thing, survivable but not comfortable.

As I understand it I should be prepared for a monthly electricicle bill of $200 to $300 a month. I am budgeting $300. We'll see how it all works out in the end. The gigger air conditioners have timers on them so they will shut off during the day or at night. Plus each room has its own A/C so I can close off doors and run the A/C in there at a higher temperature, such as in the extra bedroom. I don't dare turn it off because the humidity will do damage.

By the way, if anyone is tempted to come visit give me enough time to furnish the extra bedroom. I have neither couch or extra bed. Of course, if you ladies don't mind sharing...

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 06:16 PM

Locked your keys in the house??????

Is there a place to have multiple sets made? You can wear it around your neck or keep a spare in your pocket. Time to get a set to the neighbor for just such an emergency. But next time have a bag of dog biscuits in tow.

If it is any consolation, Maine is HOT and HUMID. Has been for over a week and will be at least until Wednesday. I have showered twice today and once again feel like a baby in a wet diaper.

Air conditioning??? WOW!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 06:10 PM

What's funny is that just the day before I had almost bought a ladder that would have done the job. But I decided I'd never have a use for it...

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 05:06 PM

Another day in paradise!

Maybe you should pack a scaling laddar in the pick-up.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: bbc
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 10:04 AM

Bummer, some days are like that, even in Australia!

bbc

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 08:58 AM

tomorrow can't be worse, but surely it will have a fantastic sunset.

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 10 Aug 03 - 06:34 AM

They say that barking dogs don't bite. My experience this afternoon sure carries that out. Fortunately Whitey growled just before impact and I was able to dodge, kinda.

I guess I should start at the beginning. Today wasn't one of those days you want to repeat. It started out bad and went downhill from there. I should have stayed in bed.

I decided that I needed to get the windshield wipers fixed. I knew the Autoport at our base was pretty much useles but everyone said the Car Care Center at Andersen AFB was pretty good. So I made the trek up to AAFB and hour away. I got there a little after they opened at 10:00 only to find out that since Supertyphoon Pongsana they had been relegated to doing oil changes and minor maintenance.

I came back to Big Navy to get some stuff together to go up to the house. I had some lunch.

I went up to the house intending to reverse the hinge on the refrigerator door. That proved to be a more stubborn job than I expected. I finally finished it up and left the house.

Now, I am generally pretty paranoid about keeping track of my keys. I rarely go through a door without checking to make sure my key is in my pocket. So I was somewhat at a loss when I realized I had just locked the keys in the house.

So there I was, in the middle of unfamiliar territory, no keys, and no way into the house. The only windows large enough to break and get through we covered by typhoon shutters and were too high to reach.

One of my co-workers, when I described the location of my house, commented that it was across the street from her cousins house. With that tenuous connection I went looking for a ladder. You see, I knew that one of the back bedroom sliders wasn't locked. The latch was broken. If I could get on to the balcony I was set.

The driveway to the neighbor's house runs almost straight uphill. There are plenty of places here that would never fly back home. Places that would be deadly if Guam ever experienced ice and snow. But that isn't a problem here.

As I approached the house a low yellow and white dog rose from its spot in the front yard and barked at me. I spoke reassuring words and explained I needed to knock on the door. As I approached he quit barking and worked around behind me. I knew what that meant and turned to face him still working my way to the front door. I was almost there when I heard a voice from one of the windows. And I turned to look.

Later, I learned the dog's name is Whitey. He charged and just before he grabbed me he growled and I jumped. He missed his hold but a paw raked my calf. I turned to face him again and the owner yelled at him. He began his circling and I returned to my maneuvering to face him. The owner came to the door, put on her flipflops and finally collared the dog. She tried to get him into the house but he wouldn't budge. Finally she went to get the ladder and left me facing down the dog. I kept up a conversation with him, explaining how important it is to get along with your neighbors and how much my daughter likes dogs. I was just getting into the deeper meaning of life for a dog (if you can't eat it or f**k it, piss on it) when the owner returned with a 5' stepladder. This was not working out at all. There was no way a stepladder was going to get me up on that balcony. I thanked her and returned the ladder.

I wandered down the street to a little fiesta. I asked for a ladder there and they showed me… another 5' stepladder. I thanked them and headed back to the house. I tried punching the front door for a while and then headed around to look at the back door. They are both wooden doors but the back door seems to be falling apart. The finish is coming off and the wood seems weaker. I studied it for a while and decided it was an interior door. It is installed with the hinges on the wrong side, the outside, and opens out. I went back to the truck for the big screwdriver and started to try to jimmy to door.

I worked and I pried and I sweated and I cursed and then I sat down to rest and then ran through all those actions again. FINALLY the door popped open. The door latch was in pretty sad shape but the door was open. I got my keys, tied the door shut, and came home.

What a crumby day.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: bbc
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 09:08 AM

Good to hear your news, Brett. I empathize w/ filthy house, but I think I've got you beat on address. I'm at 4 Fairview & the view *is* fair--mountains & fields!

love,

Barbara

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 09 Aug 03 - 06:05 AM

I should have known better. I implied that Friday was so good and the weekend could only get better. So what happened? I started my day by paying bills. Not auspicious. Then, as I licked the last flap and pasted on the last stamp I heard the thunder rolling. Looking out I saw the rain falling, pouring in sheets, filling up the parking lot to the curb's edge, gushing out the drains. I could see toads happily hopping across the grass and swimming in the flood.

The rain kept up all day. Without wipers I was stuck at home. I played my guitar and listened to the radio. And I watched the rain.

In the early afternoon it let up enough that I chanced going to the store. I got a few house things and some groceries. I wanted to get some bug bombs for the house. I wanted to bomb the place before the cleaners get in there on Monday. But the rain began again and I scuttled for home.

Later that afternoon the rain let up again and I headed for the house. While there I assembled the refrigerator and set the bombs to spraying their contents all over the place. Six bombs should do the job.

The house sits up in the hills. As you drive down out of the hills the wide Pacific sprawls our before you with the shore and bays, jungles and lesser hills rolling between.

And over it all the sun was setting.

It rolled down into a lake of golden fire. There was a finger of cloud that split the center of the brightest light as it filtered through the thinner clouds beyond. Farther out from that point the clouds reflect pink and gold with pools of blue and green where the sky showed through. I nearly drove off the road looking at it. I straightened out and glanced to my right.

And nearly lost control again!

To the east a cloud bank behind the mountain reflected the pinks of the sunset and reaching up from the top, almost straight up, was a rainbow of color, launching into the sky. There was just a hint of curve to it.

I tell you, this place can do sunsets!

By the way, I was going to mention my address. All my life I have wanted a simple address. My previous addresses have never been overly complicated but when you have to write them out on a form or as a return address you want them to be simple and straight forward. So where will I be living for at least the next two years? Bishop Felixberto Flores Drive. I don't think you could make it longer if you worked at it. C'est la vie.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Aug 03 - 09:32 PM

Your mention of white sand beaches reminds me of something I don't think I've mentioned yet. Guam is an old volcanic island surrounded by coral reefs. The northern part of the island is mostly limestone, the south is the volcanic part.

This results in some beaches having lovely white sand and others having black sand.

Also, people who are at home with the red clay in Georgia would feel at home for the southern soil has a distinct red color that gets into your clothes and cannot be washed out.