Thinking about leaving Guam. Nah, bought a house!

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 04:07 PM

Me2, Charley!

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: curmudgeon
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 04:15 PM

ABCD goldfish!

LMNO goldfish.

OSAR; CM!

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Ebbie
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 04:35 PM

KT was the first person I heard sing the Racehorse song.

11 was a racehorse
22 was 12
1111 race
22112

(One One was a racehorse
Two Two was one too
One One won one race
Two Two won one too)

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 09:27 AM

Hmm, things are getting out of control here.

Today we started working on a lovely memoir by Jamaica Kincaid called A Walk to the Jetty. I tried to explain what a Jetty was by telling them to consider the Glass Breakwater that encloses Apra Harbor. None of them knew anything about the Glass Breakwater and most did not recognize the name of Apra Harbor.

That got me started.

I began naming things on Guam. They knew all the shopping spots but none of the rest of the island. They've lived here all their lives and some have never been to the far ends of the island!

I finally commented that I was a haolie who had moved here only four years ago but it seemed that I knew far more than they did about their own homes.

I am amazed at what they do NOT know. I hope that my kids, at fifteen years old, knew a lot more than these kids.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 01:13 PM

Brett-

I bet they can text message faster than you can!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: JennyO
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 11:18 PM

Like this one:

YYUR
YYUB
ICUR
YY4ME

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Sep 07 - 11:50 PM

IC
I02
ERD CDB!

Brett, I had New Englanders tell me I'd seen more of their area than they ever had! The kids and I used to pile in the car on the weekends and just go. We were used to WY distances, so a few miles to the next state, etc. was nothing to us.:-)

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Sep 07 - 08:26 AM

Remember, Kat, we are talking about a piece of ground thirty miles long by ten miles wide. It is surrounded by water. If you want to go anywhere you have to board a boat or a plane.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 14 Sep 07 - 02:27 AM

It's been a while since I had the energy to update this thread. My routine is to come home, exhausted and hurting, throw myself on to the bed and sleep for two hours. Then I get up and work on schoolwork for the rest of the evening. Not exactly a dynamic lifestyle.

But there are some fun things happening. Most of it has to do with the kids. They say and do some of the damnedest things. For instance, I am setting them up with a major project that will be due at the end of the semester. Every class I explain they have to pick out a book to write up that no one else has. Each time I emphasize that they must give me the book title on a sheet of paper with their name as well as the date and time on it. The assignments will be on a first come, first served deal.

Sooo, yesterday when I handed a paper back to one of the students saying he needed to add the date and time at least three students were surprised by that announcement. And today I got a neatly printed list with no name on it!

But today is Friday! And it's payday! I just cashed my check and deposited all of it into my account. I like being rich... well, at least not too poor any more.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: curmudgeon
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 06:40 PM

Is all well over there? It has been a while since you posted , Brett.

Missed you at the Maritime Festival -- Tom

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: maeve
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 06:53 PM

I've been wondering the same thing. Are you both ok? Are you needing sleep, encouragement, food from home, music...?

maeve

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 07:32 PM

ME2:-)

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 04 Oct 07 - 06:18 AM

Sorry about that. We are very busy. This working every day is for the birds!

Besides, there's very little to report. I am working with the kids trying to instill some level of awareness of literature and to give them some concept of how to write. I feel like I am bailing the ocean with a sieve.

Still there are really good moments too. Two weeks ago one of my composition students asked me for some help on her literature project. They were studying The Masque of the Red Death. She had drawn a poster showing the death's head, a clock and a fire. She needed help matching her drawing to the story. I thought she was going about it backwards and told her so but I gave her what help I could.

This week WE are studying Masque. Today my 6th block kids performed a literary analysis on the story, detailing the elements of fiction (plot, setting, pinpointing the conflict, looking at the characterizations, etc. I believe that's a cut above drawing posters...

Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon when the kids leave for the day I find some version of '7th block rocks" on the chalkboard. I gues that means something.

They're good kids.

Wakana is doing better with her kids. The school hired another Japanese teacher so she got to reduce the size of her classes. That helped. Plus she has implemented an interesting system that uses the competitive spirit of the boys. She issues credit slips, each one good for additional points on their final grade. When someone does something well, or extra or just when she feels like it she gives the kid a credit slip. When they screw up she takes some away. The kids are keeping careful track of their slips and comparing notes. Some of the kids have special folders in which they hoard their slips. She reports that the system is working well.

Today I fueled my Mercedes. I didn't stop at a gas station. A friend told me where I can buy biodiesel. I went there. For $2.50 a gallon I got my tank filled and went on my merry way. I like it. No more Middle East oil. It feels good!

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: maeve
Date: 04 Oct 07 - 08:54 AM

Thanks for the update, Brett. Teaching is indeed very hard work, and you must each be doing a good job to be so knackered. Do keep track of your successes, both large and small, and do try to write them down for your encouragement and our illumination!

Isn't it a rare and wonderful balancing act? One must start where one's students are while simultaneously challenging them to reach far beyond the familiar world. Oy! I'm glad you're finding treasure along the way.

maeve

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Charley Noble
Date: 04 Oct 07 - 12:57 PM

Brett-

Thanks for checking in. We were about to send out a flying squad to investigate.

At the Maritime Festival in Portsmouth (NH) last weekend there were still people asking about "that big feller."

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Oct 07 - 03:05 AM

"We were about to send out a flying squad to investigate."

Rats! You mean if I'd kept quiet a little longer I might have had some visitors? My timing sucks! *grin*

People remembered me from last year? That's nice. I may have to come home every once in a while. My next trip will be sometime in late June or early July. I will have to go to England to see my new granddaughter and then home to Maine to visit for a while. I need to keep some of my summer for island hopping. Wakana and I want to go to Pohnpei.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Oct 07 - 07:46 AM

I guess it was TWO years ago that I was there. Time flies like the wind, fruit flies like bananas.

Busy day today. We took Wakana's car in to the shop for tires and alignment. Ended up doing a full brake job too. Wakana is upset about it.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 02:56 AM

Last Tuesday was one of those days when you are glad to get into work. After all that work on Wakana's car mine had a flat. Then the sewage started bubbling up out of the ground...

Good week at work. Only four days. I gave a vocabulary quiz. I guess I made it too easy. Too many passing grades. I mentioned that in class and the students enthusiastically claimed the quiz was difficult. Yeah, right!

Today the drama class put on a play about stereotypes and violence in school. It was pretty good. I took both my classes to see it. Tomorrow I'll take another two classes to see it. My third black class will have to suffer. No play to go to though I'm pretty sure they will all have seen it by then.

We talked about stereotypes and violence in high school in my seventh block class. The kids have pretty much agreed that the play had some very good point but that things are not bad in our school and that they feel pretty safe and secure.

During the class I talked about depth of character and how everyone has something interesting about themselves. I mentioned a couple of the students in front of me and the mistakes people would make if they only looked at the surface. One of my students is a pretty good poet. She even let me read one of her poems. I handed back the paper and commented on how the first stanza reminded me of a singing group back home. After class I was packing up to go home when I found the poems on my desk with a note. She said she hoped I would enjoy reading the poems. These are some pretty good kids.

I noticed that the drama teacher took on a different tone when talking to the students in the audience. She seemed to talk down to them as if they were children. Too bad. These are teens. They don't want to be treated like children. They want to be young adults. I've seen other teachers take a belligerent attitude also. I try to treat them respectfully and maturely. I insist on what I call "my time", that time between the bells. Their time is during the breaks and lunch. My time is that 75 minutes or 100 minutes between the breaks. I am selfish and jealously guard my time. I get cranky when they don't let me use my time the way I want to.

This is a pretty good job!

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Oct 07 - 03:23 AM

sounds like you are a pretty good teacher!

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 10:07 AM

This evening I finally pulled out my guitar-banjo. I haven't touched it in two years. I decided to change the strings. As I worked on the thing the kittens were watching me from the seat of a chair across the room. The minute I started tuning their heads came up, they leaped off the chair, and made a beeline for safety under the couch! There was no budging them after that. They were huddled under there for the longest time. Everyone's a critic.

The other day I decided to rename them. I told Wakana I thought they could be Grendel and Smaug. She didn't get it at first and neither did my kids at school. Do you? Hint: They are monsters... the kittens, that is.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 12 Oct 07 - 08:22 PM

The kittens have discovered the perfect sleeping spot... for them, that is. They get under my chest of drawers and climb up in the space between the back of the drawers and the back of the chest. Then they get into one of the drawers and go to sleep on the clothes. Wakana can't find them and they don't come when called yet. I told her this morning to just feed them a lot of food and get them nice and fat. Then they won't be able to fit into such small spaces.

It's Saturday morning and I am tired. I slept in until 8:00 and now feel the need for a nap. Wakana just left to do her laundry. I'll do mine tomorrow, I guess.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Oct 07 - 01:20 AM

clever little moggies, but no doubt very cute while doing monsterous deeds (unlike the originals!)

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Oct 07 - 07:55 PM

This morning, while sitting at breakfast and talking with Wakana, I suddenly was seized by incredible pain as Grendel, uh, Chibi-chan, leaped onto my bare leg and climbed up to investigate something on the underside of the table. Wakana removed the kitten while I mopped up the blood. A few minutes later I saw the little monster once more contemplating the underside of the table and preparing to spring for the same route. I managed to stop her that time.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 14 Oct 07 - 08:17 AM

maybe not so cute after all

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 19 Oct 07 - 07:56 AM

Today, October 19, is the end of my first quarter as a teacher. I have survived. I need to correct another bushel of papers and get the grades into the office by next Wednesday and I'll be done with the quarter. In celebration of this fact we had half a day today and no school on Monday!

I'm exhausted. I feel like I've just run a race. I was up till 3:00 AM again working on papers because I thought the deadline was today. I didn't succeed and figured I was in trouble. When I got home this afternoon I lay down to rest and slept from 5:00 to 9:00. I got up to eat and when I finish typing this I'll be headed back to bed.... now.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Amos
Date: 19 Oct 07 - 09:14 AM

With all this dough you are bringing in, Brett, I don't see why you couldn't come to the Getaway!!


A

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Oct 07 - 09:55 AM

Or join us next weekend at the Loaded Dog and BBQ in Australia!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Oct 07 - 10:36 AM

I think with all that dough, ya oughta buy a few days off so we can read some more of your creative descriptions of what's going on and of the land, etc. Not that you aren't creative any more...it's just there's not as much and I miss it!:-)

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Barry Finn
Date: 20 Oct 07 - 02:43 AM

Who's says that teachers keep bankers hours. All that money? If you put it on an actuall hourly basis that you're working Brett, sorry let's not go there.

Well maybe you can keep this thread as a journal & publish it, will the school finiance the costs? Sorry, I guess my jokes aren't funny tonight, OK, I'll go to bed without supper Mr. Brett.

Barry

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Oct 07 - 10:08 AM

I'm sorry Kat but once you've been in one place for long enough you start to take things for granted. That doesn't mean I drive blindly but the impact on me doesn't last long enough for me to get to the keyboard to report the scenes.

I was actually thinking about my lack of descriptive reports the other day. I wanted to make some changes to my reporting but that doesn't sem to have lasted very long.

In the morning, those rare mornings when there is no rain (this being the wet season), I head east on Cross Island Road from Santa Rita to Talofofo. Driving over to the western end of Cross Island I am treated to a couple of lovely views of the Philippine Sea and the bay where the dolphins play. Then I have to drive uphill to get onto the pass over the hills that run down the center of the island.

The drive across the island is very pretty. The road is two lanes of occasional jungle and occasional grasslands. There is a long stretch where you look south into the valley that holds Fena Reservoir. All of that land belongs to the Navy so there are no houses or roads. Beyond the land rises into a line of hills that form a wall separating the driver from the rest of the southern half of the island. The hills are very rough but covered with grass and trees. Their sides are deeply cut with ravines but everything is covered in thick growth.

This time of year is fall back in the northern part of the world. Back there the trees are turning color. Here we have a few indications of fall weather too. Here the tall grass has gone to seed. The grass stalks are between eight and ten feet tall. At the top they have feathery white horse tails. On the hillsides you can see large white patches waving in the breeze. If you really stretch your imagination you can believe it is actually snow.

Before too long I can see the Pacific Ocean but I have to turn south before I get too close. The road to Talofofo runs past a golf course and then into town. Talofofo is a very small village. There are three Mom&Pop stores and no gas stations. The nearest ATM is down in Ipan near Jeff's Pirates Cove.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 27 Oct 07 - 06:19 PM

Last night I got a chance to perform at the Mermaid again. It wasn't much, just a few minutes while the Pago Bay Reefers took a break. The purpose was to advertise the canoe club. Sandy was there to talk about the club and what we are trying to do. Then she introduced me and I sang a few songs. It was well received and a lot of people came up to me to tell me how much they enjoyed it. In my first set I did Sugar In The Hold, Rolling Down To Old Maui, and ended with Old Dun Cow (Mermaid had a fire last year). In my second set I did Zombie Jamboree (Halloween song), Rio Grand, Long Time Ago, and Whaler's Tale.

It was great fun. The waitresses who usually are in regular street clothes were dressed up in some very sexy old style barmaid's outfits with high waists, very short skirts, lots of ruffles, and plenty of décolletage. The costumes looked like a cross between the dirndl and a clog dancer's outfit.

I also learned, last night, that I have forgotten a lot about performing. The first rule that I violated was DO NOT EAT BEFORE A PERFORMANCE! I seemed to have no control over my voice. The next rule was ON STAGE THE RIGHT KEY MIGHT BE TOO HIGH. Everything I did I felt like I was doing in the same key I'd rehearsed but it seemed too high. I did a few other things wrong too but people liked it so it couldn't have been all bad.

On the ride home we enjoyed a lovely full moon lighting up the sea. It wasn't low enough to throw diamonds but it did light up the water and give it an eerie ghostly look. Far out to the east was a cloud bank that was dim and half lit. Very nice.

Oh, by the way, the food and beer were great! Wakana and I had the shrimp Ceasar's Salad, the steak dinner and finished it off with a brownie al a mode for desert. No wonder my voice was uncertain.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 27 Oct 07 - 07:00 PM

I don't have much time to roam the threads but I took the time today. I noticed that Sinsull's birthday just slid by. Happy Birthday to you, dear Mary. I hope you are well and happy.

I also noticed that Charley is in OZ right now. Wish I could be there. Full time employment is a bitch.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Oct 07 - 10:10 AM

pics of Charley Noble's visit to Oz to whet your appetite for getting a few more jobs & saving lots of money so you can visit far-flung family & friends!!

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 06:44 AM

Well, things look a little grim here at the homestead. This morning Wakana let the kittens outside and left for the day. Neither were in evidence when I left. I came back and found Neko-chan but Chibi-chan is not to be seen anywhere. Wakana is already acting as though she is gone for good. I tried to explain that she is probably out there, not too far away and that she'll find her way home soon.

We are not worried about the road. We sit well back and it is not busy at all. I figure she explored a little too far and will find her way back, dirty, wet, hungry, and tired by tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime we are a little concerned.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 31 Oct 07 - 07:41 AM

Still no kitten. I guess she's gone for good. Wakana is taking it OK for now.

Today is Halloween. In my classroom I put up spider webs and played Toccata & Fugue in D minor. I also played a bit of a CD I picked up in England. It includes stories told by one of the yeoman warders at the Tower of London. I told ghost stories of my grandmother's house and sang With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm to them. I also told one of the old fashioned ghost stories where you carefully build suspense and then yell loudly. I thought they were going to jump out of their skins.

My second block class did not get to participate in any of this. I started out but they thought their own conversations were more important so we ended the fun and went into a class. When it turned out they did not bother to bring their books (I hadn't told them about my Halloween plans) I made them sit up straight, look at the front of the class, and we sat in silence for about 20 minutes.

Tomorrow is Parent-Teacher conferences. I wonder what I face?

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 11:16 AM

This morning Wakana told me that she had been outside with Mama Kitty and Neko-chan. The boonie dogs that sometimes wander into our yard made an immediate attack on the two cats. She stopped them but she realized that might have been what happened to Chibi-chan. We've pretty much given up hope on the poor little thing. The boonie dogs are vicious and always hungry.

Today at ND we had our first quarter parent teacher conferences. I was a little nervous about it. By the time it was over I'd had 31 interviews with parents whose moods ranged from happy and curious to angry and peevish. I imagine life is a little difficult for some of my students right now. Fortunately none of them wanted to attack me.

Later, as I was leaving, I saw one of the science teachers. He and I have become friendly. He told me that some of the parents asked him why he couldn't be more like Mr. Burnham! Hmm, I wonder what that means?

It was an interesting day but I was exhausted by the time it was over. I came home and napped for a few hours. Wakana and I have Friday off so we have a three day weekend. Friday is All Souls Day. The families have been busy cleaning and decorating the graves of family members. Tomorrow they will spend the day in either church or at the cemeteries.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 07:18 PM

poor little kitten. what are boonie dogs - a local breed, or just ferals/strays?

it looks like you are becoming a legend in the School! In years to come all teachers will try to attain your natural style!

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 01 Nov 07 - 10:28 PM

Boonie dogs are just stray dogs, wild and mangy, skinny and unloved. Most have some kind of injury. Runners usually carry a stick or something as a form of defense as the dogs will attack if they think they can get away with it. Most island dogs are built with regular size bodies and short legs. It's a strange looking dog. They seem to have huge heads. There was an article in Smithsonian a few years ago about the dogs on another island but it seems to be the same no matter what island you are on. Maybe it is to keep them from being swept away by the typhoons...

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 07:35 AM

We had a bit of a cat scare today. Wakana let the mama and the baby out together this morning and they immediately disappeared. They weren't around when she had to leave nor were they around when I left. Once she got home she called and called and finally found them. She was weeping, partly in relief, when I called from the store to ask if we needed anything.

This week at school we've had a team from the National Guard giving a presentation on drugs. Last Tuesday one of my students collapsed during the presentation. Today she asked to sit next to me. When we got to the same point in the talk where she'd collapsed before I turned to her and asked if I needed to catch her. She's a good kid and it was worth the laugh. One of the other teachers was teasing her (gently) about it too.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 10:32 AM

THANKS for continuations, Brett! Sorry to hear about the kitten. Glad the others are okay.Not surprised at all that your students love you. SOunds as though Halloween was a blast!

luvyakat

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 06:32 AM

I had to substitute for another teacher today. When I took attendance the kids laughed at my mispronunciation of their names. So I wrote a few names from Maine on the board and invited them to pronounce them. They had a little trouble with Wytopitlock, and Mattawamkeag. Piscataquis stopped them dead.

These were freshmen, the kids I will see next year. They are a little unsure of things. One girl kept apologizing for things. I asked her if I sounded angry. She relaxed and said that I didn't. Then I put on my growliest voice and shouted "HOW ABOUT NOW!?!" She screamed and turned away. I couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying.

Then I told my story about the golden arm. By the time I was done with them they were only too happy to sit quietly at their desks and work on the papers their teacher had left for them. I plugged into my mp3 player and read while they worked. They were amused to see an old guy with earphones and an mp3 player.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 10:28 PM

Brett-

Good to hear things are moving along fairly smoothly.

Judy and I are having fun with our friends in Sydney, and with our new friends in other parts of Oz. I've actually been earning money here in Oz, under the radar, with my set at the Loaded Dog and the workshop and sea music concert at the Maldon Festival, almost enough to feed us for a week! People I don't know are even buying CD's!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 10 Nov 07 - 01:55 AM

Good for you, Charlie! Give me plenty of advance warning for your next trip and I'll convince Wakana she needs to give Australia another go. I'd love to get back there again.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 06:25 AM

It's been a few hectic days. I was out sick on Tuesday. We didn't have school on Monday. I had planned a test for the kids this week but left it at home when I finally got to work on Wednesday. They were not disappointed.

Wakana has a great way to get her students' attention. Quite some time ago she made up credit slips, bits of construction paper with a stamp. Each one is worth one point on the final grade. You give them out for good academic behavior and take them away for poor classroom behavior. I started doing this yesterday. The kids fall all over themselves to answer questions. Before I might ask a question and get a few dispirited hand and a cacophony of voices shouting out wrong answers. Yesterday and today there were hands enthusiastically waved and nobody giving away an answer that might earn them a point. Quite a difference.

Big news on the island. Home Depot just opened their latest store out by the airport. People keep saying it's the largest in the world though I have trouble believing that. They say the same thing about our KMart but it isn't any bigger than any other I've been in.

Next week (11/20)is Wakana's birthday. I've been trying to figure out what to give her. Every time I try to probe for an idea she refuses to be helpful. When I make a suggestion she just turns the conversation away. Sigh, she can be so difficult.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 10:42 PM

Probably not enough time to get one of Rita Ferrara's beautiful pendants or one of her boxes: click here. They are really beautiful!

Hope you are feeling better.

Love Wakana's incentive for the students. I have two water bottles, empty, with a small slot cut in each one. One has a happy face on it, the other a sad face. When I was watching my grandson more, he earned money for listening well, doing chores, paying attention, etc. If he didn't he lost money and had to pay it from the happy faced one to the other which then became MY money. We stopped doing it when he started school. The other day he was over and was all excited about how much he had earned and that I hardly had any. He took it all home with him for his birthday.

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Nov 07 - 05:40 PM

Hey, Brett, we're back in the States. What's new with you?

Charley Noble and JudyB

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 Nov 07 - 05:50 PM

Well, where to begin? Wakana and I are exhausted. Teaching is like being a performer in a play and having to learn new lines every night. We're always 'on' which is very tiring. It doesn't help that the kitten thinks anything in the house is her toy. I was awakened early this morning by teeth and claws in my feet because she thought they were ferocious beasts under the sheets.

I am behind in my work. I must have three inches of papers to correct. I wish I could figure out how to do English without lots of papers from the kids.

Tuesday was Wakana's birthday. We had a nice time. I took her to dinner at the Mermaid, the best steak dinner on the island.

Wednesday at Notre Dame was Trash-a-thon. We bussed the kids out to various locations to pick up trash along the roads. My sophomores had to walk a mile and a half from the golf club back to the school. As you might guess with teens 9o% of the conversations were variations on the theme of being uncomfortable. "I'm hot." "I'm sweating." "I don't like walking." "I have to go to the bathroom and the bushes is not an option." etc. I don't know what they thought I was going to do about it. I am forty years older than they are, more than 200 pounds heavier, I have arthritis and I was out there walking too.

Thursday, of course, was Thanksgiving and we did NOTHING about it! It was heavenly. We did go shopping at K Mart and had lunch at Denny's but no fancy feed anywhere.

Yesterday we went to Kenko Spa for a sauna, jacuzzi and massage. We were allowed all the time we wanted on the deck with the jacuzzi and sauna. They had a steam sauna, a cold jacuzzi and a hot jacuzzi. It was lovely going from the sauna to the cold water and then on to the hot water and then back to the sauna. More water on the stones and then repeat the process. Then it was time for our aromatherapy oil massage. One hour of bliss.

Now it's Saturday and I've done nothing about the homework, the broken canopy, the dishes, or anything else. Gotta get busy...

Last week Guahan Magazine published their latest issue with an article I wrote on the canoe club. It turned out pretty well for a first published piece. I'll send you a copy, Charley, to show around to the gang there in Portland. It has some pretty good pictures of the canoes.

Today is a rainy day. The rain varies between hard and sprinkling. I guess I get to work indoors today. I'll make some progress on that pile of correcting... but then, I originally came in here to do that and I am typing this instead. Sigh, prioritize, Brett!

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Nov 07 - 09:30 PM

Brett-

I'll look forward to receiving a copy of your canoe club article.

And in return I'll send you an advance copy of my new CD OLD SAILOR-POETS: Sea Songs.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Naemanson
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 01:36 AM

Still not prioritizing...

Subject: RE: Thinking about leaving Guam.
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 04:35 PM

300!

Charley Noble