I have finally found my way to a computer and I can post again. The time in between has been filled with hard work and hot days and nights. I called the landlord this weekend and told him we surrendered. We would pay for replacing the air conditioner if he would let us use the rent for that. He agreed. By this weekend we may have A/C! Plus Wakana bought a sofa which will be delivered on Thursday. No more hard kitchen chairs and lying on the tile floors to watch TV.

This weekend was our first weekend where we did not have to work in the old house. I managed to stay relatively soot free this weekend. Friday night we went to KMart where we found cheap bookcases (laminate on pressboard) and we bought the lot, two double wide Cherry bookcases, one single wide Oak bookcase, and one white singlewide bookcase. We used the money Wakana's mother gave us. The logic is that we have boxes of books sitting under cover outdoors soaking up the humidity and attracting wasps looking to build nests. We have to get them out of those sooty boxes, clean them, and then... why not into bookcases where they can be accessed? I hope we have enough bookcases.

I constructed a time line of the various criminal activites that hit me lately. It was very interesting. The first activity on my credit cards happened when I was in Palau! As I see it the thief was in my house at least twice if not three times. The last time he set the fire. By my estimate he has made off with almost $10,000 in goods and cash from various merchants, my credit card companies, and me.

If a man ran down through the streets of Tumon with a gun robbing pedestrians and shops ,etting $10,000 the police would be all over him and the newspapers would be shouting the story to the rooftops. But the cops aren't interested in my little problem. The special agent who is supposedly working on the case just tells me to submit my additional evidence to the original interviewing officer. He will not stir from his desk to do any legwork. I think a TV show about the Guam police would include lots of arguing over donuts and plenty of coffee and little else. I am getting frustrated and disgusted with the whole process.

It isn't as though I have nothing to go on. I have dates and times that the criminal used an ATM. There are cameras on those machines. All the cop has to do is go to the bank and get the tapes. I also have dates and times for use of the card at KMart. KMart has the best security system on the island. It would be so easy to find the guy. I also have bank transfers and checks written to a specific person. How tough is it to find that guy and question him? Grrrr!

As a result of this whole problem Wakana and I are talking of moving to another place, a safer place. I think she would be happier in Japan but I am not sure I would be. We have considered the Pacific Northwest of the USA and the smaller islands in the Hawaiian chain. It will not happen soon but it will happen I think. More to come on that.