www.deece.net

I’m not here. I’m at www.deece.net

I thought Brad was driving Luka and the girls, why did I see them on TV pushing the car?

Me: Katelyn, let’s go upstairs and watch Alice in Wonderland.
Katelyn: Oohh, I want to watch Ice in Waterland!

~~~

I purposely did not bring my camera with me this morning thinking that it’d be one extra thing I have to keep an eye on. And then what happened, we turned onto beach road and saw Angelo cleaning one of the islands. If I’da had my camera I’d have taken a picture…oh wait, no I wouldn’t have since it takes forever to turn it on, what with the duct tape on the battery cover and all. I bet that camera that was hanging from Angelo’s neck doesn’t give him any problems.

I’m so glad that Angelo and the rest of the Beautify CNMI! team and their associates are able to go out every weekend make this place better, cleaner, safer, more beautiful! If my kids were older we’d be out there with you. But since we can’t, we will instead do our best to beautify the CNMI by planting trees around our house.

~~~

How much of a dork am I?

I had a dream the other night that would take too long to type out. But there was one part where I was trying to find the administration building on my old college campus and I wound up in a dance performance as a part of a student’s campaign for a seat in the student government. After pulling off my read bandana and finally revealing that I was the only white girl among a very coordinated group of male Latino dancers I thought, “wow, I’ve got blog this”.

Later in the dream I found myself wading through the shallow waters of some humunculous water park on campus. All I wanted to do was find the administration building, but instead I was navigating through a hormone charged sea of campus greeks. And I thought to myself, “I definately have to blog this.”

I woke up, laughed at myself, and went back to bed. Then I dreamt that James took me to RJ’s the Rib Joint in Beverly Hills. And I thought to myself, “I’m going to ask Bev if she’s been here.” And because of the rest of the dream, which I will not post, I later thought, “I have to blog this too.”

Oh.my.gosh. How much of a dork am I?

~~~

Be the first to correctly guess the title of this photo and get 3 Wednesday What Is It? points.

Hint: animaniacs duo

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

Wednesday What Is It?

Wee would like to play.

Shoot, shoot, go for it!

What is it?

Here’s how to play.

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last week’s Wednesday What Is It?

A Speaker!

Good guesses, everyone! That was a little difficult so…

2 points to Angelo for laptop speaker
1 point each to Donna and Steve & Miwa for their guesses of part of a little stereo and CD/Redio player, respectively.

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

Things that make you go hmmm…

I used to dance my heart out to C&C Music Factory alone in my room…in front of the mirror. You know, doing the MC Hammer, Kid ‘N Play, running man, Roger Rabbit and whatnot.

Things that make you go hmmmm…

~~~~~~

At least once a day I hear myself tell my daughter to “watch your face!” Um, how is she supposed to do that?

…and then she picks up a pencil.

“Watch your eyes!”

Hmmm.

~~~~~~

No, Jollibee lady, I do not have 50 cents. If I did, I wouldn’t have handed you a 5 and a 1 for an order that costs $5.50. And what if I did have 50 cents but I was planning to use it at Royal Flush Poker in hopes that I could double down and strike it rich so I could come back to the Jollibee drive thru to order another round of food that takes too long to be called fast food? Would you appreciate it if I told you that I had the 50 cents but I wasn’t going to give it to you?

I thought it was your job to make change, not mine.

Hmmm.

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

All at once.

I recently decided that while on Saipan James and I, at the same time, have nothing and everything.

On the one hand we have nothing. ‘Nuff said.

On the other hand we have everything. We have clean air, a warm ocean, easily accessible family, our kids’ Grandma, jobs, a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and God.

~~~~~~

Earlier this week James and I were invited to dinner by an old friend of my father’s, let’s call him Judge. My dad and Judge’s friendship started back before I was born. I was happy as I listened to his stories, but I was also a bit sad as I wished that I could, as an adult, be a part of dinner conversations with Judge and my dad – to hear them joke and laugh.

My father used to take me to his friends’ houses for dinner or just to get together. Almost every Christmas I’d go with my dad to L.K.’s house and they’d exchange gifts. L.K. would give my dad a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and my dad would give L.K. a bottle of scotch. And I’d sit and listen and occasionally chime in on their conversations.

But I don’t remember any conversations with Judge. There’s a void in both of our hearts because of familial losses and it makes me want to (although it’s most likely that I won’t) spend more time with him to hear more about his life and his conversations with my dad.

~~~~~~

I love to take reflective self-portraits. And not reflective in the search-your-soul sense, but reflective in the sense of

Booya!

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

June Saipan Blogger Meetup

• I didn’t have a carseat so I couldn’t bring Katelyn, Miwa was very dissapointed (I’m sorry!) – strike 1
• I don’t have a laptop so I couldn’t get online – strike 2
• I’m too shy to introduce myself to new people – strike 3

Can one have more than 3 strikes? I can.

• The batteries in my camera died and the spare ones were already dead – strikes 4 and 5
• I’m too shy to walk up and talk to new people – strike 6
• I was a bumbling idiot when I had to introduce myself (next time, next time) – strike 7 (I mean really, what was I supposed to say after Angelo stole the ever funny, ever present “Hi, my name is __ and I’m an alcoholic” line? Because in my case it’s a fairly accurate introduction.)
  
• I left while Walt was talking (sorry! But I am Jacob’s only food source.) – strike 8
• I wasn’t in the group photo because I left early – strike 9 (does this mean I have to sit out for two more turns?)

But it was OK see, because I got back to my wonderful family just in time – my husband who was dog tired, my son whose screaming could only be quelled by the warm embrace of his mother’s arms, and my daughter who so lovingly awaited my arrival so she could share her pizza (tacos) with me.

Steve and Boni competing in a snap off.

Java Joe’s Mango Smoothie

Is it really that different from my own?

Why aren’t people paying me $4 for a cup of my Mango Fandango Smoothie? Oh right, because I don’t have this little thing called CAPITAL. I have a business plan, but no money.

And if you want to exchange links, just leave a comment and add me to your blog. If you friend me I’ll friend you.

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here’s how to play.

Everyone is welcome to play. Join in at any time.

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last week’s Wednesday What Is It?

A Toaster!

Technically, no one got it. But with an answer of toaster switch…
1 point to Steve and Miwa
1 point to Donna

Remember, the Wednesday What Is It? picture is a only a small part of a larger object, you name the object.

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

We’ll be in the poor house by the time I’m 30!

Did I tell you that my son is 15 pounds? Did I tell you that he’s been 15 pounds for several weeks now. Did I tell you that he only turned 2 months old a week ago?

The boy just moved on to size 4 diapers! Whaaat?

~~~~~

This is why Boni is awesome!

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

Food Stuffs

Katelyn the Carnivore

From this…

to this…

to this.

Yum!

(I edited Friday’s post to explain the mystery photo.)

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

"Don’t blame it on the cha cha cha…"

I don’t like pushy people. Pushy as in always telling you what to do, pushy as in they actually push you, and pushy as in they stand too close to you in line at the bank.

But I do miss the push of my dance partner’s hand as we’d do the Lindy Hop every Thursday night at Java the Hut. The Chamorro cha-cha just doesn’t cut it.

Hey Ko, “they made up their minds, and they started packing, they left before the sun came up that day, an exit to eternal summer slacking…but where were they going without ever knowing the way?”

By the way, I heard the Saipan anthem in the background on the news this evening, “triste yu (triiistteee yuuu), ya puti i korason-hu, hagu i guinaiyaku todu i tiempo…” I haven’t heard that one in a while.

“The attacker hit him with a flashlight and ran back into the boonies.” Gotta love Saipan news.

~~~~~

Q: What do these photos have in common?

A: They’re all reflections in my house.

Guess what the last shot is a picture of?

Good guess, Mona. When the house was built, one of my uncle’s old campain boards was used as a support for the 1st floor ceiling. If you sit in the right place you can make out “re-elect”, “Rogolifoi”, and “Delen Guerrero”. I outlined its placement on our ceiling in yellow. It’s right next to the perpetual shark chase.Yes, that is a wooden shark with real shark’s teeth. It is forever chasing the hook on the traditional fishing rod given to my late father from the master navigator Mau Pialug, I believe that he gave that to my dad and my dad gave him a homemade spear gun. Would you believe that with a SCUBA diving, spear fishing father I’m deathly afraid of the ocean?

**Play the Wednesday What Is It**

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

My blog, my voice.

Jeff, Angelo, and Boni, you did a great job on the radio this morning! Thanks for the promotions and letting the rest of the island know about and feel comfortable in joining in our dorkiness.

I would have loved to be there with you. While some people may not believe that I’d be good on the radio because of my social ineptness and my first (and second) impression awkwardness, I’m actually pretty good on the radio and not too shabby giving presentations. I’m not a bad teacher either, would you believe? Just ask any of the 50 or so PSS counselors and teachers that I taught Microsoft Access to back in 2004 – Claudine, are you reading this? Give me a plug.

While Angelo might have the most frequented Saipan blog, I think we should all remember that Mona was the original Saipan Blogger. She’s been doing this since….since…since ever since!

And while I’m on it, really, Angelo’s SAIPAN blog (as opposed to his Japan and Orlando based blogs) started after my Saipan blog started. So, um, hello? What am I, chopped liver? *imagine my bright eyes and wide smile now*

To some extent we are all people watchers. When we’re out in a restaurant or sitting on a park bench we get some enjoyment out of taking an interest in the people around us. And I think it’s safe to say that everyone enjoys receiving attention. Blogging allows us to satisfy both desires, with or without fully disclosing our identities. It allows us to teach and learn from complete strangers who would otherwise remain inaccessible. It can create new friendships and revive old ones. (I hadn’t thought about Mona in years, but now I wish we were neighbors.) And it lets us know that we aren’t so far away from everyone else in this world and we aren’t that different either.

~~~~~

I’ve been in a professional development accounting course all week. Note to self: keep shoes on when taking pictures of own workstation. In addition to being a dork because of my affinity toward blogging, am I now a nerd because of my new found affection toward accounting? Seriously, I want to become a CPA and because of this course, I wish I could go back and change majors…again.

I wonder what the other women in the class think when they walk into the bathroom and hear the whirring of my breast pump wheeeee rrrrrr, wheeeee rrrrrr as I work to keep my supply up and continue to add to my ridiculously huge stash. I wonder if they even notice. I sure as heck notice when Ms. Doesn’tKnowHowToWashHerHands uses the restroom. I keep hoping that next time she’ll use the stall next to me so I can peek at her shoes and make sure to beat her to the snack table. Until then, I’m very grateful for individually wrapped brownies ricecakes.

**Play the Wednesday What Is It?**

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here’s how to play.

I’m sorry it came so late. Your Wednesday What Is It? almost turned into a Thursday Think About It. Think about it!

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com

Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last week’s Wednesday What Is It?

An Umbrella!

5 points to Mona
2 points to Bev, Steve and Miwa, and Donna

**The Sunday Sample has been cancelled**
I know you’re all just so disappointed.

~Deece
www.chamolinaole.blogspot.com