Lots still the same- minus one boonie dog.

So many things are still quite the same here.

The girls and I went to our usual "salon" today which is where I get my hair done and they take the chance to get their toenails done. Its a really nice hair place, kinda a break from Guam because it seems so normal in there. My only complaint is that the girl who does my hair seems to like to keep it short...... I was just getting to grow it out and now I am back to square one........she is a little scissor happy.......
Went to the exchange today for some mild shopping- still the same in there. Got all the girls school supplies.....pretty well stocked this year. The only missing item- white erasers..... we'll have to venture out in town for those. A little difficult since the office supply store was burnt down......

Traffic- still the same.

Its quite the hike to get the girls to swim practice everyday.....especially Fridays! If we don't leave a solid 40 min to get there then they are so totally late.

One glaring difference since we have been gone- my missing boonie dog. I think I need to come to terms with the fact that dog-two is gone.

Really, boonie dogs don't make it on the best of days on this island. You see a lot wandering about with mange, dead on the side of the road or foraging in garbages.

Thats why my two boonie dogs have always made me so happy. Both hanging out in the exact same spot- day after day, really seeming to enjoy each others company.

Now there is just one boonie......don't want to imagine what happened to dog-two. Gotta say, I'll miss him.....

Day two....

.....hope you don't mind this file photo......

This picture isn't from today- its from the last time we were lucky enough to hang with the Thornton's ........ today was bowling with the boys. I was too busy chatting with Melda to snap a photo, so try to imagine the above kids with the same smiles except less wet and in bowling shoes......

Still trying to adjust to being here........ sleep-wise and missing home wise..... the sleep is an easy fix, the home-missing I am still working on...... hey its only day two people! I am sure it'll get easier.... right?

A little bit of disturbing news- I don't know if anyone remembers my two boonie dogs who are on the side of the road everyday on our way to swimming? Well, last night I looked for them and saw only one dog..... thought that was odd, but figured maybe dog-two was on a break? Tonight...dog-two was still missing. I will keep you updated on my boonie dog news.... but its not looking good.....

On Guam...... again

Back on Guam after a quick day in Hawaii....... can't say that I am happy to be here, but I'll work on it.

We are focused today on getting the house in order, which Ellie and I always enjoy and Maddy tolerates..... right now Maddy is "organizing" her books. Judging by the amount of silence coming out of her room I am assuming she is reading as part of the process. I guess it helps to re-read the books so they go into the exact right section of her book shelves? I don't know...... I'll try not to judge the method to the madness.....

BTW so funny- flying here yesterday from Hawaii I knew four different people on the plane. We aren't talking a small plane- its one of those two rows of two seats and a row of three....... huge plane, filled up......and I don't know that many people on Guam to begin with! I believe that definitely goes under an "OOG" happening.......

I will be sure to keep the blog up now that we are back. I'll start everyday-ish and let you know when that gets to be too much. I am back to work this coming Monday, so I am guessing it will be right around then.....

We'll be back on Guam in about four days- and back to blogging soon after that! Stay tuned....

One more day...

Leaving to catch up with Sam and the girls in one more day (OK, one and a half days). Can't wait. Work has been all kinds of crazy leading up to the change of command, and one week after the CoC we had the Naval Inspector General on base looking into all our programs. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the next two weeks.

Thanks to Mike Thornton for watching Aggie while I'm gone (don't tell him this, but she shedding REALLLLY bad right now).

-Kevin

Video

I've owed this for a while now. Below is the video of one of the monitor lizards we saw during our hike last weekend. This guy happened to be one of four we saw milling around the campsite a Chamorro family had set up. No one seem bothered by the lizards -- except me!

This was a fairly busy week. It was short, with the 4th of July holiday on Monday, but Tuesday and Wednesday were filled up with preparing for the Change of Command ceremony and continuing to get all the turnover stuff done, Thursday was eaten up by the Change of Command, and Friday was "the new guy's" first day.

Next week will be busy as well. We are setting the CO up with meetings to meet with all his Program Directors (Department Head) and the Navy Inspector General team is here meeting with numerous focus groups on base to ask questions about housing, quality of life, MWR programs, counseling services, etc... Basically, they are asking all the commands on base how much they like Naval Base Guam and everything it provides - - great.

I'll be looking forward to next Saturday, when I leave to visit Samantha, Maddie and Ellie in Canada for two weeks! Can't wait.

Hike to Double Reef Beach

Hello! Mike, three others (Dave, Scott, and Ryan), and myself hiked down to Double Reef Beach today. It was about 2.4 miles one-way. I should have brought more water, but I survived. We must've seen 6 or 7 large monitor lizards along the way. Here's a photo of one of them down near the beach:

This guy was crashing a family's bar-b-que. They came into the beach on a boat, unloaded all their stuff, and had a cookout and swim. Three monitors came in to pick up the scraps. As we were leaving, they were eating meat off the grill (still hot).

As usual, the snorkeling was excellent and I took a couple photos underwater as well. Lot's of fish, and another crown of thorns starfish.

Check back tomorrow and I'll post a video of the monitor lizard that invaded the campsite.

-Kevin