Totally Random

1.  Today, it rained.  Really, really hard.  But, I was on a quest for pumpkin and I would not let thunder, lightning or torrents of water from above or rushing through a parking lot deter me.  And I am now the proud new owner of 6 large cans of pumpkin.  And a new pair of jeans.  Because the ones I had on when I went to get the pumpkin got so wet, I couldn't walk around the store without sloshing water everywhere.

2.  I have never lived in a place where people loved to stand on the street and yell about things as much as they do here.  During campaign season, huge gaggles of supporters of various campaigns would line the main roads waving and shouting their support to passersby.  Last week, folks were out in force thanking veterans. Today was my favorite.  Today, I got to drive through the "Save the Shark" roadside rally.  Hundreds (or maybe tens) of people were lining the road drawing awareness to the plight of the shark and their allegedly tasteful fins.  If I were the type of blogger to use this forum as a soap box, this is when I would tell you that CBS says 73 MILLION sharks are killed each year to meet the demand for shark fin soup and that is leading several species of sharks towards extinction.  But since I'm not that type of blogger, I will just move on and tell you that it's when I'm driving down the main drag and see people standing shoulder to shoulder with someone dressed up like a shark and holding up signs that say, "cut class, not fins" are the times I really love this place.

3.  Other times I love this place are the times when I go to The Kmart and on my way out witness a fight breaking out.  Adults getting into a screaming match, while even more adults surround them to witness the action. I'm just not used to seeing fights break out anywhere other than hockey arenas or other sporting venues.

4.  I have FINALLY (at least for the past week) gotten to a good place with keeping peace housekeeping. About 6 months ago, I tried to get on track by following the Fly Lady. All I got out of that was a really clean sink.  But something seems to have clicked with me, and hopefully will stick with me.  I realized that if I stay on top of things, I don't get overwhelmed and it's much easier to spend about an hour everyday doing dishes, tidying up rooms, doing a load or two of laundry and concentrating on cleaning one room than it is to spend multiple hours during the weekend trying to make up for everything I let slip during the week.  I know this is probably pretty elementary to many of you and possibly hive inducing for several of you.  But what a difference a straight house can have on a marriage... if nothing else it (hopefully) eliminates any visions of me sitting at home eating bon-bons from Don's brain.

5.  Isn't he cute?

He's cute about 99% of the time, whether he's using his own vocabulary (Bear Poo= Pooh (as in Winnie the) Bear, Mr. Wheats Cereal= Frosted Mini Wheats, bacoose= caboose, coyboy boots= cowboy boots), crying for five seconds and then stopping to tell me what he's crying about, "cry go playground (even if it's nine o'clock at night and monsooning this kid wants to go to the playground), just playing in his room or saying his nightly prayers, even when God blessing all of his trains takes precedence over blessing any living, breathing member of his family- he's a cute kid.  Except for when he turns into the Poo Poo Picasso (PPP), like he has TWICE this week!!  We've overcome this problem at night by duct taping him into his pajamas, so PPP usually strikes at naptime when we forget to dress him in five layers of clothes.  I am soooo over this stage.  And sick of cleaning up his crap.  

Happy Homecoming

I am happy to be back in Guam.  No, really, I am.  I am just not happy about the fact that it seems like all the boonie bees on the island have taken up residence around my house, which causes me to go on mad bee (don't worry they're really just very aggressive wasps) killing rampages.  For which I am then required to shoot large streams of toxic poison into the environment.  Only after my displays of violence do I get the pleasure of watching them drop dead from the hive, one by one.

I'm also happy to be back because the beach is at my beck and call.  And while I love to be surrounded by water when swimming in the ocean, I don't love it so much when it is dripping out of my cabinets.  I guess I should be (and when I think about it and don't need it as fodder for my blog, I truly am) happy that our typhoon water supply didn't start leaking until some recent day since we returned home.  But it sure was a delight this morning (in the midst of throwing away a freezer full of spoiled food, thanks to the compressor going out of the fridge) to walk into a raining laundry room.

The Culprits

Since this has happened on more than one occasion, I have decided to change our typhoon supply over to the more hardy bottles pictured below.

I wonder if three cases of beer is enough to last the recommended 7 days?

And as happy as I am to have funny stories to tell of all the creepy creatures that inhabit this island, I didn't miss how they just kind of jump out at you from no where.  They really do a good job of scaring the crud out of me.  Today alone, I have startled myself and a little gecko who had taken up residence in my umbrella.  And then there's this little guy,

He thinks it's fun to hop out from just about any place I am about to put my foot down.  Night or day, on the porch or in the yard.  He has given me no less than 4 heart attacks.  Especially last night, when I thought he was going to move into the house.

And finally, while I was completely overwhelmed by all of the grocery selections that I had back in the states, I didn't miss having to go all Laura Ingalls Wilder living in a Little House on the Prairie (or in my case a little cinder block box on an island) and feeling the need to buy a 25 pound sack of flour (even though I have no where to store it). I have lots of baking to do over the next month and a half and the commissary ran out of flour last year.  That may also explain the 6 boxes of butter in my refrigerator (according to Don, safe from having to be thrown out with the spoiled milk and eggs) and my never-ending quest to find some pumpkin.

Mommy flour and her baby

 But really, I am happy to be home.  We've returned in time to be greeted by pleasant trade winds, beautiful rainbows and a full calendar.  I've actually made some MAJOR progress on one of my goals, I'll share that with you soon.  But now, because all unexpected messes come in threes I have to go clean up after the Poo Poo Picasso (something else that I didn't miss while I was away, I guess it's back to duct taping).

More To Come

Hi!  We're back in Guam.  We've been back for a week now.  I finally made it to the beach today.  Jet lag seems to be gone, procrastination has taken its place.  I've promised myself that with the new month (that is now on it's 8th day) I will be: better about blogging, better about staying healthy, better at keeping the house clean and straight.  So far, I am 0 for 3.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi, let you know I'm still here..  If nothing else, Price has started saying all kinds of funny things, and don't think I'm above being one of those moms that doesn't feel the need to share.

Later!

There's a Recipe In Here Somewhere

I should totally be packing right now, taking advantage of a sleeping child so I can throw some stuff in a suitcase before we head out for a weekend excursion.  Of course, I hate packing and will do pretty much anything to avoid it, so instead I'm blogging.  Hoping that all of our stuff will Mary Poppins itself right into the appropriate bag at the appropriate time...  a girl can dream can't she?

We have really been having a good time here.  It's funny how being in Guam for only a year  (it seems like such a short time right now, but when I'm "in it" seems like forever), has already changed me.  I unknowingly have really adapted to the slow, less is mostly enough except when I want something and can't find it immediately lifestyle we are experiencing over there.  I am constantly amazed at how much stuff there is here.  And I wonder, after living in Guam, is it really ALL necessary?  Don't get me wrong, I won't ever NOT love Target, but it's interesting how much you take for granted when you are surrounded by everything you could possibly need and want 24/7 and not have to go too much out of your way to get it.  I'm sure when I get back to Guam, I'll be longing for these days, pinching myself for not buying something so trivial I couldn't imagine flying it back, only to "desperately" need it and not able to find it on the island.

In our almost two weeks of being here, Price has learned to say, "Target. Yay!," "cowboy boots," "doggie door," and a whole bunch of other terms.  He is having the best time being spoiled by grandparents, escaping from the house through the doggie door, going to the Children's Museum, playing on the farm, eating more hot dogs than a person could ever want, just being an active two year old.

Mom wanted to show him off to all of her neighbors who have to hear about us all of the time, so she came to me last Friday and said, "Terrell, I would like to throw an impromptu brunch TOMORROW for a few friends."  I kindly replied, "Ok Mom, whatever you'd like to do is fine.  Let me know what you need me to do."

It was then that I realized a few friends was about 50 people she's ever spoken to about Price of her closest neighbors, and by "throw a brunch" she meant, "I'm going to do all the inviting and you're going to do all the cooking."  Ahhh, mothers, you gotta love them.  Anyway, I really didn't mind cooking, especially since I made my favorite breakfast casserole and I've been wanting to share the recipe with you.

I have been making this super simple, make ahead casserole for about 10 years.  It is one of my favorites, every time I make it, people ask for the recipe.  It's perfect for Christmas morning, or any other occasion when you want something hearty and filling that doesn't require any effort on the day of serving.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, The Southern Living Breakfast Casserole.

For this recipe you will need:

1 lb ground pork sausage, browned and drained (I always use a combo of half regular, half spicy sausage.)

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups milk (or if you're feeling a little frisky or like you need to up your fat intake, take a walk on the wild side and do a cup of milk and a cup of cream)

6 eggs, lightly beaten

10 slices of the least expensive white bread you can buy

Plus salt, pepper, 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. dry ground mustard.

Brown and drain sausage.  While cooking sausage, lightly grease a 9x13 pan.  Cube (by cube, I mean tear into quarters, it doesn't need to be pretty) 10 pieces of bread and line bottom of pan.

Layer with cheese, then cooked sausage.  Be sure to cover bread evenly.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs, add milk,  mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, stir until combined.  Pour over sausage.  Be sure to coat evenly. Cover and store in refrigerator overnight.

Take out of refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until eggs are set.

The bread soaks up all the milk and eggs to form a custard, it's like a savory bread pudding.  You can thank me now, your taste buds will thank you later!

Blame It All On the Boots

It took almost a week, but we finally overcame our jet lag!  I have decided it's my personal mission to eat my way across the Lonestar State and to turn Price into a bonafide Texan.  I am succeeding in both areas...

A little boy in the back of a truck, could it possibly be better?

Well, maybe if you put him in a field of cows,

Maybe it wasn't a huge herd, and possibly only 6 head, and they weren't all cows, there were some bulls.  But, my little boot wearing one (oh yes, boots were bought for the occasion) realized he could  "mooooooo" with the best of them and spent a lovely few hours moooing and tossing cow treats into the pasture to feed the cows.  And he was quite content with that until he spotted the tractor.  And any thought that ever crossed my mind that he isn't 100% pure boy was quickly vanished as a chorus of, "tactor, tactor, red tactor, mommy tactor, tactor mommy" began to endlessly repeat itself ring across the wide open spaces.  And there was nothing left to do, but to let him drive the tractor.

So that is what I did, and that is how I ended up with the happiest, hungriest, dirtiest little Texan in the making.

Howdy!

I am not sure that I'm cut out for world traveling.  I think that as long as I have a two year old, I will stick to visiting locations that do not require me to be on a plane for 16 hours or cross 22 million time zones or the international date line.  I am exhausted, but unable to sleep.  I'm happy to be back in the land of plenty, but overwhelmed by how much of everything there is.  I haven't even ventured into Target yet, for fear of not enjoying it.  We haven't been able to get back onto any kind of routine or schedule, unless you consider waking up daily at 4 am a routine and passing out before 9 at night a schedule.  Or maybe Price's new fondness for a 45 minute screamfest each night in bed, one that can only be ended by me sitting in his room and singing any song I can think of over and over again, until I he passes out is our new routine.  I miss my happy to go to bed baby, and hope we get it together soon!!!  I'm still completely discombobulated and couldn't tell you what time or day it is, just that I'm in Texas, and that the math to figure out what time it is in Guam seems harder in this direction.

Other than feeling upside down and somewhat untethered, things are good.  It's great sharing Price with his grandparents and other family members.  And he really is, despite feeling as upside down, untethered and exhausted as I am, really well behaved and having a good time (until bed time rolls around).  And I LOVE that his granpeeeps like taking him places without me so I can stay home and actually take a bath instead of a five minute shower and even use the bathroom all by myself.

Each day gets a little bit easier, I am not as cranky as I was the first couple of days and haven't fallen into a midday coma on the couch since, well I can't remember what today is, but it's been a few days...  We are staying busy and having a good time.

Well, it's 5 a,m,, I;ve been up for an hour.  Guess it's time for me to stay on routine and try to go back to sleep for a bit.

Incoherently yours,
T

"Guamania... Sounds Like a Mental Condition"

Sorry I haven't been around in a while.  I've been enjoying the last few weeks of summer- participating in rainy 5ks, making marshmallows (yes, actual marshmallows, not s'mores, although I did use the marshmallows to make s'mores and well, who knew that snack could actually be improved upon?), taking advantage of having babysitters at my disposal, dealing with the ongoing saga of the Poo Poo Picasso, dodging lots of raindrops and puddles (the rainy season is definitely, for sure, back in full swing), and celebrating surviving one whole year in Guam!  Even though it always feels like summer here and I don't have a kid who goes to school, I had to soak up every ounce of summer vacation that was left, and I just didn't feel like spending that time on the computer.

I should be back to posting on a more regular schedule now that my mom and a few other folks have complained enough to shame me I've gotten the summer lazies pretty much out of my system.

The big news on Guam right now, other than there are only two working ambulances on the entire island (ok, this is not completely true, the military ambulances aren't included in this count), is that there is a BIG election coming up in November and the primaries are this weekend.  Signs are up everywhere for the candidates, and pretty much any time I go off base, I'm sure to pass a huge group of people standing on the side of the road waving a chanting for their candidate.  One of the people who is up for re-election is our Congressional Rep.  I don't know if anyone is even running against her, I do know that she wears suits all the time.  Even to the Liberation Day Parade, where it was approximately 400 million degrees and she had a suit and SCARF on and looked impeccable.  I on the other hand, had on as few clothes as possible, could have used a scarf to mop the buckets of sweat escaping from my body and any trace of makeup, deodorant, or impeccability I may or may not have had, vanished within five seconds of stepping outside.   Anyway, Stephen Colbert recently interviewed our Rep, Madeleine Bordallo.  And just like at the Liberation Day Parade, you never see her sweat!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Madeleine Bordallo
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News