The Wednesday Whine

Do you ever just need to vent?  Really, who doesn't?  Sometimes craptastic things happen, and I need to complain about them.  Having a nervous breakdown is not an option at this point, so I'd rather let it all out than suddenly become catatonic.  Anyhow, I am going to just put this out there...I am not an overly-optimistic person.  My husband says I am a pessimist, and I don't think this is exactly true, either.  I like to say that I am a realist.  I feel as if I need to be prepared for the worst, just in case.  It's not that I'm not a positive person.  Does that make sense?  I can certainly be your biggest cheerleader.  I am definitely not a Pollyanna, though, and sometimes I get annoyed by the people who live in LaLa Land.  I know this is my problem and an internal flaw, but I'm just being truthful here.

Thus, I am initiating a weekly post called The Wednesday Whine.  This is the one day each week when I'll vent about what's bugging me or complain about some silly thing that is out of my control.  If I'm lucky, maybe I'll only post once per month (see, I can be optimistic).  

OK, here goes the rant....Why can't people do their jobs?  Seriously.  Why must they have to be poked and prodded to do what they are being paid to do?  I am completely underwhelmed by the performance of the military moving office (JPPSO in militarese).  First off, I've mentioned before that we lived in a furnished house in Rhode Island for the year we were there.  This is common in the Newport area because many of the homes are vacation homes.  It's sometimes hard to find a house there that isn't furnished.  Anyhow, this meant we had to put the majority of our household goods in storage when we left Florida.  We had no clue we'd be going overseas after the RI stint, and it caused us a major headache in the moving process.  Basically, we had to look at our storage inventory sheets and line-item select each box or piece of furniture we wanted delivered to Guam.  We had 11 inventory sheets, and you military folks know how detailed those sheets are.  Ha!  It was difficult, but we did what we were required to do.  We sent in the paperwork at the beginning of June.  We called and followed up, and we were told it would be shipped at the end of June.  Fast forward to the beginning of August.  Do you think it was shipped?  If you said yes, then you are sadly mistaken.  Our "stuff" was shipped on the initial delivery date...ya know, the date our "stuff" would have arrived had it been shipped in June like it was supposed to have been.

It took my husband many hours of heated discussions in the middle of the night (the time difference causes probs, not to mention the fact that the JPPSO office closes at an unGodly early hour) and a talk with the commander to get anything accomplished.  Somebody dropped the ball, and nobody followed up with our case or took responsibility for it.  Our stuff is now scheduled to arrive at the end of September.  And Lord knows what will actually be dropped on our doorstep.  

What annoys me is that we did what we were required to do, on time and efficiently.  I can live without my stuff a bit longer, that's not really the issue.  We, as military members, have to follow such a strict check-list when moving, especially to an overseas location.  We are expected to adhere to each and every requirement in a timely manner.  Is it too much to ask to expect the same service in return?  Should we have to repeatedly call and poke, poke, poke?  Really, just do your job, be responsible, and quit passing mistakes on to the next person.  And, please, don't lie to me and tell me what I want to hear, just so you won't have to exert yourself and actually deal with my case.  It only makes the situation worse at the end of the day.

And that, my friends, is the whine for this Wednesday, typed with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.  

Keep Pushing Play

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."  ~Albert Einstein

I've been doing P90X off and on now for a few months.  I tried my best to sort of follow the diet, mainly cutting back on carbs.  Whadya know, it works.  I kid you not.  I think of how much better I could look, though,  if I did the "real" exercises, like actual pull-ups instead of using bands or the manly non-on-the-knees version of push ups instead of sissy girly  knee using ones.  There's still no way I can pull or push my cheesy a** up more than a handful of times, much less over and over for an hour.  The bands and knees work just fine, thank you very much.  Also, if I "brought it" like I'm supposed to, could I have Dreya Weber's body?  

Fit as a fiddle

Ya know, the one who is "gorgeous" and "flies through the air with the greatest of ease" (Dreya is a chic on the P90X video that we love to hate, and those are direct quotes from Tony Horton)?  I'm sure it's possible.  The program works.  The only problem is.....I'm starting to get bored with it.  Really bored.  I found the perfect remedy for my situation, though, and it's a lovely little thing called Insanity.  Yep, I ordered the DVDs today.  Am I a masochist for actually being excited about receiving it?  I am seriously giddy about it.  I can't wait to meet Shaun T.!  I must really be losing my mind.  It is called Insanity.  So excited!

Manic Monday

There are so many things I am totally loving right now.  In the day to day grind, I often fail to recognize that there are lots of wonderful things that I enjoy on a regular basis.  It's not that I can't live without these items/people/thoughts.  They just enhance my life and make me happy.  In celebration of my obsessions love affairs, I am going to start each week with a Manic Monday post.  To keep it short and sweet, I'll only list three items.  Hooray for starting off the week on a positive note!  Get ready to be dazzled...HA!

#1:  AVOCADOS

I could seriously eat avocado on just about anything.  Why isn't it a condiment?  That's what it's become to me.  I put it in my egg white omelet for brekkie.  I lather it on my turkey sandwich at lunch, or I may just mix it with a can of tuna and salsa.  Yummo!  I put it in the salad at dinner.  Those are just a few examples of my avocado uses.  If you think you don't like avocado, GIVE IT A CHANCE!  It really is good for you.  Here's some great info on the avocado fruit:

The avocado, popularly called pear, has its roots in Central and South America and Mexico. 

The avocado tree grows generally to twenty meters. The tree can bear hundreds of fruits.

Fruits vary in size and shape, round, oval, pear-shaped and vary in shades of green or purple.

Avocado has a high protein content and is 5 to 25 percent fat.

'Pear season' is normally August to December.

Back in the nineteenth century, avocado was spread on bread in the space of butter; hence it was known as 'Midshipman's Butter' or 'Subaltern's Butter'.

#2  SCHOOL UNIFORMS

Thank you, Lord, for the school uniform.  We are no longer scrounging each morning to find perfect outfits, complete with matching hair accessories, shoes, etc.  Life is made just a tad easier when the only choices are khaki or navy bottoms and a white/navy/black polo shirt.  Here's to making my mornings much less stressful.

#3  SUNNY DAYS

It rains on Guam.  It. Rains. A. Lot.  I don't really mind the rain because it's not freezing cold with pelting ice, but it does make me appreciate the rain-free days when the sun is shining and a cool breeze is blowing.  The kids can play outside, I can go walking or running and the umbrella doesn't have to  make its all-too-regular appearance.  Sunny days make me happy, happy, happy!

Hope your Monday is sunny!  

The Anatomy of a Mess

"If it ain't a mess, it'll do till the mess gets here."--No Country for Old Men

I have a love/hate relationship with moving.  Part of me finds it exciting and fun.  The other part of me thinks it's one of the biggest pains in the a** challenges a person can experience, especially when there are children involved.  Of course, the most difficult challenge is saying goodbye to friends and, sometimes, family.  Moving is never easy, and moving overseas presents its own set of issues.  One of the most ironic conundrums is the anticipation of receiving household goods.  It takes a good 1-3 months for the prized possessions to travel across the ocean, and the excitement begins to build after living in a hotel or a house without furniture for weeks on end.  Then, the magical day arrives!  The crates are lined up on the truck, and the unloading and unpacking commence.

Having your material life stuffed into big wooden boxes is a bit disconcerting.  Un-stuffing those boxes is downright daunting.  Piles everywhere.  Masses of stuff.  Neverending heaps of paper and cardboard.  The excitement quickly dissolves into dread.  I often plunge into the depths of despair, not knowing where to begin and wondering if there will ever be an end.  

May I present to you a glimpse into moving hell.  This particular version of Hades began in Florida, took a brief sabbatical in Rhode Island, and is still in process on its way to Guam.  When we moved to Rhode Island, we put about 80% of our household goods from Florida in storage because we lived in a furnished house in RI.  While we've already received the items we took to RI, we have yet to receive anything from storage, and we probably won't see anything until the end of September.

Dining room in Florida...will I ever see this stuff again?  Do I want to?

Can't wait to get my bed!

Won't be seeing the piano or the desk in Guam  :(

Crates on the way to storage, truck #1

Movers taking a siesta here in Guam, where we received almost none of the stuff shown above.

The disaster in my new kitchen

Now, you've seen just a snippet of how enjoyable moving is.  I feel like I have been moving for the last 2 years, and I still have more unpacking to look forward to.  Dare I even type the words, but I can't wait to be settled for a while.  Eek!

P.S.  The kitchen looks a lot better now, I promise.

Summah-time

Most mothers of school-age children are counting the days until the kids go back to school, or maybe they've already taken the obligatory first-day-of-school pics and sent them on their way.  I, on the other hand, am one of those crazy moms who actually likes summer.  Yes, I am not looking forward to school starting.  Gasp!  Shriek!  Zoiks!  I know, I've lost my mind, right?  Actually, it really boils down to a little thing called laziness.  I like not having to get up in the morning and quickly herd everyone out the door, barely managing to make the bus on time.  I like not having to pack lunches every.single.day.  I like the relaxed schedule, although summer is sometimes as busy as the school year, but not quite.  I hate the impossibility of school year activities.  There's never enough time, with sports, music lessons, school activities, church activities and homework.  Summer is the crack-free, sober version of the school year.

Now, I didn't say that I love how my adorable angels kids fight.  Or hearing "I'm bored!" 20 times/day.  Or feeling like I have to take them somewhere or do something with them, just so the guilt doesn't set in.  Those are summer travesties I can certainly do without.  I love them dearly, but a break from their ever-so-sweet little faces is definitely nice sometimes.  And, with that, we are going to enjoy the rest of what summer has to offer, even if it is a whole lot of nothing.  Remember that laziness thing?

The Good, the Bad and the Newly Learned

Wondering what it's like in on Guam (that's what you say, since it is an island)?  Being that I've only been here a month, I can only really validly give you my first impressions.  While first impressions do count for a lot, I've also learned over time that they aren't always correct.  Let's just hope the good stay good and the bad....well, they can just do what they will with themselves.  Here goes nothing....The good, the bad and the newly learned:

• It certainly isn't big, but it's big enough.
• The people are very friendly.
• You can see water from just about anywhere, and the beaches, tropical jungles and water itself are beautiful.
• It reminds me of Mexico in a lot of ways.
• The people are very proud of their heritage and culture.
• The locals are some of the nicest people I've ever met....I already said that, didn't I?
• Every car on the island must have a ding, scrape, dent or other impairment of some sort.
• Most things are way overpriced, including cars.
• The weather is hot and humid, although I don't find it to be overly hot.
• You can get sunburned walking to your mailbox.
• My hair hates it.
• I've had the pleasure of visiting the biggest KMart in the world, the Micronesian Mall and the Home Depot on island.  All that's left is Ross.  Hey, that's more than we had in Niceville, FL.
• It takes forever to drive anywhere because the top speed limit is 45 mph.
• The sunsets are amazing.
• Snorkeling is fabulous!  The island is surrounded by reefs.
• I think I've seen just about every Nemo character while snorkeling, minus Bruce, although my friend, Nancy, saw a shark while we were snorkeling.  The rest of us missed it.
• Coral reefs do not feel good on the legs or hands.
• Chickens and boonie dogs....might need to learn to love them.
• Brown tree snakes...wasn't sure they really existed until I spotted one in a trap.  Yes, there are traps everywhere.
• Just like Jamestown, we are on island time, and I'm pretty sure it suits me fine (most of the time...at least for now).
• I like it here and think you should come visit.

Ask me again in a few months, and I may have a different story to tell, but I have to say that life is good here so far.   Good night, good morning, farewell, hafa adai wherever you are!

Told ya so!

OK, OK, OK!  It's been quite a while, but nobody can say that I didn't predict that I would fall short on the whole blogging thing.  I think I might have mentioned that in my very first post.  I often have what I think are amazing ideas for blog posts as I'm driving down the road or sitting in a doctor's office, but those ideas never seem to make it to the computer.  Anyhow, here's a quick update on what's been going on lately....

We are Guamanians!  We landed on Guam precisely 1.5 weeks ago, and I have to say that things have been pretty darned good.  As you know, I was very worried about living here.  I suppose I was mostly worried about the logistics of the move and how it was all going to pan out.  We had a few bumps along the way, but we managed to arrive to an island that welcomed us with a tiny bit of a typhoon and some more than wonderful people at the airport.  We are now neighbors with the airport brigade, and we couldn't be happier.  Yes, we have neighbors, which means we are living in a house!  We moved into our military-issued house about a week ago, after staying in a temporary lodging facility for 4 nights.  This was actually an old base house that I think should be condemned.  Why, you might ask?  For the love of God, that amount of mold and mildew is just not healthy for anyone.  I had to douse the shower with Tilex, but there wasn't a thing I could do about the AC vents.  Not the kind of adventure I enjoy.  

I digress...we're not so sure when we'll get our household goods.  Let's just say that this is the fastest we've ever moved into a house, and this is the absolute, hands down nicest base house I've ever seen or lived in (I've only lived in 2, so that's not saying much after all these years, but I've seen quite a few).  We visited the housing office the day after we arrived, they handed us a key and that was that.  I have to note here that I am not bragging...I'm just in shock, that's all.  It's never worked that way for us....ever.  I'm just acknowledging a wink from God.  

Here's what we've accomplished/discovered so far:

Our new home!

The new "Guam Bomb"

Coconuts!

Our first snorkeling adventure:  Gab Gab Beach

Gab Gab

Girls in love with snorkeling

Breaking all kinds of rules picking up that blue starfish  

Sunset view from our front porch...a site I'm sure we won't get tired of seeing.

I have "Tales from the Trip Crypt" to share....coming soon, so stay tuned.