Flashback Friday

I'm not flashing way back....just rewinding to last year at this time.  We were living in Rhode Island and experiencing the change of seasons.  There's not a lot of this happening on Guam, but I'm not complaining.  Happy Fall!

Manic Monday and Tidbit Tuesday....on a Thursday

I've been having trouble deciding what things I love the most lately, which is why I haven't written a Manic Monday post in a while.  I have trouble making decisions...go figure.  You may also be wondering what's been going on lately?  Well, maybe not, but here it goes.  Hmmmm, well, I  succumbed to an energy sapping (or is it zapping?) cold, and I had the privilege of going all ninja party planner and housecleaner in prep for hosting book club at my house (which was fabulous...so happy to be part of a book club again).  I actually got to play tennis twice this week because it wasn't raining, and I am happy to report that I am still manic about the sport.  It is such a great workout and so much fun.  It helps that I "play" with some awesome girlies.  Oh, and the A/C went out in my car, so I got that fixed, and all is now right with the world.  I am in the car driving kids all over this island on a daily basis, and we were all quite miserable.  Let's see...oh, Halloween!  The kids had fun trick-or-treating, and I am regretting the amounts of candy I eat everyday.  Same story, different year.  The hubs has been on a few trips and is currently on his way home from Japan, where he experienced a fairly sizable earthquake.  That about sums up the last week or so.  The kids had last Friday off, and they have tomorrow off as well.  I am thankful to not have to hear the beeping of my alarm in the morning.  OK, I am admitting this to the 3 people who may read this....I love the show Ghost Hunters, and I'll leave it at that (it's on right now).  I totally believe in ghosts.  I'm too ashamed to list it in my Manic Monday top 3, though.  Speaking of, here they are:

ROSS

This is not a store I frequent in the US because I prefer TJ Maxx or Marshall's, but I am at this place once a week here on Guam.  I feel like I'm getting a taste of my two favorite stores, and I always seem to find what I'm looking for there....well, me and the 500 Japanese tourists that stop in to shop there on their vacation.  Did I mention that K-Mart is a tourist stop here?  Anyhow, I love that we have this store here.  It makes me giddy.

LA TORTILLA FACTORY TORTILLAS

Being that I was born and raised in South Texas, I am not a stranger to savory homemade tortillas.  I never knew how bad pre-packaged tortillas could be until I moved to Florida.  I have tried to make my own tortillas in the past, but they just didn't turn out right.  Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon the La Tortilla Factory brand tortillas in the deli section at the commissary.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Thank you, Lord for bringing these into my life.  I have been trying to cut back on the carbs for a few months now, and these tortillas fit the bill.  I actually eat the corn tortillas.  The rest of my family eat the flour tortillas weekly on Taco Tuesday.  They are as good as the pre-packaged variety can be, especially the low-carb tortillas.  There are several "flavors" of corn tortillas...one of my faves is the chipotle.  Guammies, find them and try them.  You will not be disappointed.

MY BED

Yeah, this may seem downright silly to most of you, but I am always so freakin' happy to get in my bed each night.  There is nothing special about my mattress.  I don't have a Sleep Number, or whatever those things are called.  In fact, our mattress is almost 10 years old.  What makes my bed so comfy is the super soft sheets and cozy down comforter.  Who needs a down comforter in Guam?  We do, that's who.  We crank that A/C down at night and sleep like babies.  I love my bed, even more so after moving and being without it for months.  In fact, I'm going to get in it right now.  

Flashback Friday

I am totally stealing this Flashback Friday idea from other blogs.  Ladies that I have swiped from, please take it as a compliment.  Here ya go...my most favoritest Halloween picture of my girls:

This is Halloween of 2003 in Germany.  E was 6 months old, while A was 2.5 years old.  I thought it would be really cute to dress them as Jessie the Cowgirl and her little cow.  E wasn't really digging it.  She's looking at A like, "Don't mess with me, sistah!"  Aaah, the good ole days.  Some things haven't changed.

A was happy.....wasn't she cute?

E was tolerating it.  I have a picture of her crying in this get up in an album somewhere, but this was before I had an operable digital camera, so that would require more scanning (of which I do not have the patience for right now).

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Boonie Stompin'

Boonie stomping, aka hiking, is sort of like a rite of passage on Guam.  It's just one of those things you have to do, mainly because there's not much else to do, but more importantly because there is no better way to explore Guam's beauty.  So, I went on my first official boonie stomp last Thursday.  I joined a group of ladies at Ritidian Point, which is near Andersen AFB at the northern most tip of the island.  It was a beautiful Guam day, and we were given a very informative tour by a park ranger named Ms. Emily.  If you can get past all of the pictures to the end, you will read about the most interesting part of the day.

Ms. Emily

Our group

Here's a few shots from the beginning of our hike/tour...

Cool painted coconuts in the visitor's center

Dead brown tree snake

Here's the point...isn't it gorgeous?

Looking up through the trees of the jungle,
asking the Taotaomona permission to enter

Once on our hike, we saw some amazing caves and encountered an unexpected sight...well, two, actually, but I thought you probably wouldn't want to see a picture of a dead baby pig.

If you can see the holes in the limestone/coral--
those were used for grinding, like a pestle and mortar.

About to enter a cave

Always love seeing a boar skull

Stalagtites/Stalagmites...I don't know
the difference.
I'm sure my oldest daughter could tell me.

Huge toad

Cycad tree...I remember studying these in Botany.
They are prehistoric in nature.

Standing stone

More cave

Then we saw some ancient cave art and fossils, since this area used to be under water and part of a reef....

Handprint

Turtles

More turtles

Antlers

Fossils

More art

This was our reward:

 

  Ritidian Beach

So, the hike was beautiful, but I made a few mistakes beforehand.  First, I did not eat breakfast, but I quickly downed a Clif Bar on the 45 minute drive to the place.  Secondly, I did not have caffeine that morning.  I don't drink coffee, but I always have a Diet Coke (or 2 or 3).  I was out of DC that morning.  I had plenty of water, thanks to my new Camelback, but that apparently didn't matter.  I ended up with a killer headache towards the end of the hike, which quickly turned into a migraine. 

Well, as I rode in the backseat of a friend's car, with 3 other ladies aboard, I started to feel not quite right.  That's when the barforama happened with almost no warning.  Luckily, we were able to pull over before I spewed all over my new friend's car (she may not want to be my friend now).  I don't throw up.  I'll do anything to not throw up.  I hadn't vomited since 2003.  Check out my feelings regarding vomiting here.  Ladies that were in that car, I owe you all BIG.  These girls were so good about it and taking care of me.  If it were me in the spot next to me, I would have been throwing up, too.  Thank goodness for good and caring friends.  Needless to say, I came to terms with the fact that: 1) I am WAY too addicted to caffeine.  2) I have to eat brekkie (I already knew this, but it has to be something more substantial than a bar).  3)  I will never eat another Clif Bar.

Once I made it home, I spent the rest of the day in bed, thanks to the help of my husband and friends.  Please let my next boonie stomp be memorable for a reason other than me barfing. 

Hats Off!

As a military family, we've been a lot of places and seen a lot of different things.  We've experienced different cultures and people.  We've been fortunate enough to be assigned to squadrons or schools that are outside of my husband's normal job, so we've mingled with all walks of life and learned about the jobs that make the Air Force work and the planes fly.  I really think it makes you a better military spouse and active duty worker if you can see what other people do in the Air Force/other military branches.  Let's call it perspective.  We are also now being indoctrinated into the Navy.  This initially began in Rhode Island, but we had no idea it would lead to this.

I'm learning a lot about the US Navy, and the people I've met so far have been nothing but spectacular.  They've taken this AF family in and shown us how it's done on Guam.  The USN also has quadruple the amount of acronyms, many of which I don't think I will ever learn.  Anyhow, there is a particular group of people here that I am in awe of.  They are probably one of the most forgotten or overlooked groups in the military.  I know I'm used to being on AF bases, so we don't do ships, but I grew up in a Navy town.  My Dad was in the Navy for a while.  I've always been around the Navy, but it's usually been associated with boats/carriers and flying.  This group I'm referring to are the submariners.

I should say that I haven't met many submariners myself, but I have met their spouses.  These are some of the toughest broads in the history of ever.  The submarines are gone (underway is the correct term).  A lot.  They spend weeks without seeing the light of day.  The spouses of these crews are left to be single parents and wives.  A lot.  And they don't have as many means of communication as the normal land dwellers do.  They are remarkable people, and I am so happy to get the chance to know them and learn about their lives.  We often hear about the Army wives left behind, or the floats the sailors and marines go on for months on end, or the AF being sent somewhere to bomb or fight.  Have you ever heard much, if anything, about the submariners?  I certainly haven't, other than the occasional Hollywood production, which usually focuses on World War II battles, or the infamous Cold War (remember The Hunt for Red October?).  I'm sure that's like saying every fighter pilot is Maverick (Tom Cruise), living out the Top Gun persona.  I know they all wish the job was that glamourous.  We spouses know that it is definitely not.  So, my hat is off to the submarine wives and the men in their lives!  I will be a better person for having known them.

Manic Monday

Yes, yes, it's been a while.  It's not that I haven't been manic about anything.  I am happy to report that I have been muy busy UNPACKING!  Shut the front door, we received our household goods a little over a week ago, so I have been trying to get this house together.  It's coming along, and I have to say that we even have pictures on the walls.  That's a record for me.  OK, let the mania begin.

MY HOUSE

Alright, I mentioned before that our house is pretty awesome for a base house.  It's new and a good size, and it's in a great location.  The layout of the front room is kind of weird, but I will make it work somehow.  Here's the deal.  I've been with the hubs for the past 17 years, and we've lived in a variety of houses.  Some had no closets, some no dishwashers, a few without garbage disposals, one with a 2 burner stove and miniature kitchen sink, 2 with dorm size refrigerators, a few without garages, one with a rather useless power shower (this equals zero water pressure...dribble, dribble), a few with the washer and dryer in the kitchen, no air conditioning, horrible heating...and the list could go on.  This house is normal.  It has a dishwasher, garbage disposal, laundry room, master bath with a double vanity, great water pressure, lots of closets, ceramic tile, a fabulous AC, ceiling fans, an oven that gives you the option to bake with convection, pullouts in the kitchen cabinets, a double car garage with automatic openers, a screened-in porch (I admit that we don't really use this since we back up to a huge hill.  Some people close these off with the built in typhoon shutters and make it part of their living space), built in typhoon shutters, a built in humidifier, built in generator hook-up (cause the power does go out sometimes, and it would really suck during a major typhoon) and neighbors we love.  The only thing that's lacking is a pantry.  Believe it or not, I've always had a pantry, even in Europe.  Oh, wait, I didn't have one in Rhode Island.  Anyhow, it's not my dream home, but it's better than many of the other houses we've lived in.  I am definitely not complaining. 

This doesn't suck, either.

EBAY

I love ebay.  Mainly, I love shopping on ebay.  I've recently re-discovered this little morsel, and I've been able to purchase a shower curtain that Bed, Bath and Beyond would not ship to me (they don't ship to Guam, yet they don't hesitate to send you coupons in the mail) and a dress for the upcoming Navy Ball.  Yes, the dress is used, but it's in perfect condition and less than half the price of a new gown.  Happy!  I buy my girls used GK leotards for gymnastics on ebay, too.  Not all sellers will ship to Guam, but I have gotten lucky.

New shower curtain for girls' bathroom

TENNIS

Another re-discovery for me...the game of tennis.  I took lessons with two very dear friends about 3-4 years ago in Florida.  I hadn't picked up a racquet since then...until last week.  I signed up for lessons, and I had such a fun time (and a very sore forearm for several days).  It helps that I can laugh at myself with a new and super fabulous girlfriend.  Our next lesson is tomorrow, and this time I won't forget the sunscreen.  Remember how I said you can get sunburned walking to the mailbox here?  Well, try 2.5 hours in the sun on the equator without sunscreen.  You have yourself a rock lobstah, AKA me.

It's just like the Wii, right?

Happy Columbus Day, my friends!  My day is almost over, and I just experienced my very first earthquake!  A magnitude of 4.6, about 38 miles south of us.  We were definitely rockin', for a few seconds at least.

It Was Only Just a Dream

I had a dream last night.  Scratch dream.  It was more like a nightmare.  I'm not sure what my conscience was trying to tell me with this one.  In this particular nightmare, we received orders. For you non-military types out there, orders are the documents that state where we're moving, when we have to be there, etc.  I've been in Guam all of 2.5 months, don't have my household goods yet, and I like it here.  Some people I know hate Guam and are ready to leave, but I happen to like it here and would like to be here at least 2 years.  I'm looking to the future...the longer we stay here, the less we have to move.

Anyhow, are you wondering what the destination of these orders was?  This is the strange part....ever heard of Vladivostok, Russia, cause that's where my dream nightmare says we are going?  Why Siberia?  I can sometimes make sense of my dreams, but this one has me baffled.  Where the hell did Vladivostok come from?  I think I remember seeing weather reports for this place on AFN (American Forces Network) when we lived in Germany and England, but does the US even have any type of military presence there?  Maybe I watched too many episodes of Ice Road Truckers a few days ago?  I'm so confused.  And worried.  And downright mad at a stupid dream.  How silly is that?  So, if we get orders to Russia at any point, I will consider myself psychic and start charging for my services.  Until then, please pray that that never happens.

I had a dream.