There is no god but God

You know those times when you think all is lost because you're in a bind that you simply can't get out of and it's so desperate that it appears that it can never ever be solved, and then in a blink of an eye by some miracle you've barely survived. Yeah. That's when you know God is there.

Your situation might still be grim, but it's no longer desperate. Desperate times don't call for desperate measures. Desperate times call for your heart to turn toward Heaven.

It's in those moments that he molds you and reminds you that nothing is in your control - and nothing is out of his control. Because there is no god but God.

Let go of your burdens, your worries, your doubts. It sounds great it sounds easy, but if you've never done it before it may be difficult to do. But if you do, you'll feel more free than you ever have, you'll feel a runner's high without even having to run. Understand that it's out of your control - just give it to God.

He is the great I Am. "God replied to Moses, 'I Am Who I Am'...." (Exodus 3:14)

Fruit Poetry

Atis-kit

Atis-kat

I wish I had a baskit...

Cause then I'd be able to carry a lot more atis!

~~~

Why do we want organic additive free oranges,
But want minerals added to our orange juice?

Do what you love and love what you do.

In my relatively short life I have worked as a:

1. Bottle capper for my dad's home brews
2. I'm not sure what I did, but I worked a little for my uncles' business

Ok, maybe those two jobs don't count. Let's start over...

1. Sales/Customer Service Rep for the 1st Floral Shop
2. Student Assistant for NMC's Student Activities Dept
3. Polynesian Dancer for Holomua
4. I&O Coding Clerk for the 2000 Census
5. Business Services Front Desk Clerk for University Housing Services at CPP
6. Peer Advisor for University Advising Center at CPP
7. James Bell Intern for the Career Center and Div of Student Affairs at CPP
8. Administrative Assistant for Div of Academic Affairs at CPP
9. I don't remember my title, but I worked for one day at the Office of Personnel Management (CNMI)
10. Instructor/Program Coordinator for NMC's Community Development Institute
11. As a side job I occasionally administered the SAT and Praxis exams
12. Now I'm an analyst

I've already shared that I'd like to be a Pastry Chef or a Lounge Singer. But the reality is I don't. I don't think I want to be a pastry chef all day long, every day - I wouldn't mind doing it on the side though. And quite frankly I don't have the voice to be a lounge singer.

But I think I would love to work in employment counseling. But my absolute dream job would be a Corporate Trainer.

How about you? I'd like to read your "Do what you love and love what you do" post. Leave me a comment if you write one.

I stand by my sign (well , I sit by it anyway)

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here's how to play.

Wednesday What Is It? Results

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

A Calculator!

Congratulations to Lex with 5 points on his debut round!
Bruce and AJ get 2 points each.

Good guessing everyone.

I'll try to get the next Wednesday What Is It? posted at lunch time.

Come along!

Let it be known that I have lost another 5 pounds. Booya!

I effectively resisted the Reece's Peanut Butter Cups that my huband brought home last week, but I struggled with Cookies n Cream Dibs over the weekend.

I haven't been as active as I wanted to be, but I haven't been inactive.

I'm taking my time but I'm getting there. Come along on my journey to Skinnyville.

Beauty in the Beast

Do you see the beauty in this shot?

How about this one?

And this?

I see it.

There's beauty in a fight where fighters battle it out blow for blow. It's a humbling thing to watch displays of respect between monsterous opponents. There's grace when men trade shots and transition moves against well matched opponents.

Do you see it? Do you think you could come to see it? There are some people who will only see MMA, boxing, K1, and the like as brutal acitivities. There are some who will enjoy boxing but shun UFC matches because the fighters are in a cage...like animals. That's fine. No matter how much my father enjoyed baseball and how many games he may have taken me to, I just don't enjoy baseball. But I like football - I like watching it from time to time and I like playing it. I think because the sport is alive. Sure there are planned plays, there are game plans, but even the most amazing well planned plays don't garuntee a win. Football takes two teams with active players who can run, move, and pass in ways that will throw their opponents for a loop, that will test the abilities of each player, that will push the teams to the limit. Football is alive.

So is MMA. It is also a relatively new sport. And is still very young in the Marianas - it certainly still has a lot of developing to do out here. I remember when there was nothing. I remember when James and I were talking about moving to Saipan and my sister said our friend Ben had just moved back from Thailand and is all into Muay Thai. Wow! Great! He and James could be training partners. I remember when they would train a little at home, then they met some other guys and did Judo as a group, then they met some other guys and it was Jiu Jitsu and boxing at MHS. It would be nice if more people, regular people, could see it the way I do. Not for the glamour or brutality, but for the beauty in its rawness, for the humility in its vulnerabilities.

I'd like to see better reporting on our MMA events in the Marianas. I'd like to hear about the fights by someone who sees the beauty in every bout. It would be nice for the public to learn about an event or fight from an unbiased viewpoint.

I think it would also be nice to see events created by promoters that are not affiliated with any gyms. It is important that we have a regulating body. Who decides that a fight has been properly matched? Who says no when an over eager inexperienced kid wants to fight? Who regulates our fighters, certifies our judges and our trainers and our refs?

There's beauty in the sport. I'd like to share it with you.

NOTE: All views expressed in this post are strictly my own and in no way have been influenced by anyone else.

Sponge Bob and Dora

Thank you Brandon and Brian Agulto. Your wish made the wishes of thousands of other kids on Saipan come true. It's not often that kids have the opportunity to see characters perform live on Saipan. And for free! Why, that's just unheard of. When I first heard the commercial, I heard it in the background as I prepared Katelyn's lunch last Saturday. "Blah, blah, Dora...blah blah...Sponge Bob...are coming to Saipan!" I perked up, whaaattt? It couldn't have said Saipan. It did.

Waiting for the show...

We picked up a few more. Did you see Mele on the news?

The crowd at the first showing.

"Oohhh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea...." You could feel the happiness.

"Doo doo doo doo doo Dora...Dora Dora Dora the Explorer, Boots and super cool Explora Dora..." And the kids all screamed.

On makeup and words

You know that dream where you're naked in front of a group of people? I feel like I was in that dream today - I've never had that dream, but I bet that was what it feels like.

I woke up this morning, was a little later than usual but still feeling good, I kissed my husband as he left for work and I finished getting ready. And then I remembered that I left my makeup bag in the Explorer. Doh!

So there I was at work all day feeling naked. It's not just that I wasn't wearing makeup, it's that I wasn't wearing makeup at work! Do you hear what I'm saying to you? I was at work! I might as well have just worn rags today. Well, maybe not, but I feel like I should have been in the yard wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and my carebear zorries.

And now on to more important matters...

Why do people say "acrosst"? As if they can't stop the s's without the 't'. Like a hissing sound would forever spew from their mouths if the 't' weren't there to stop it.

The word is across, not acrosst. A-C-R-O-S-S, across. There is no 't', there isn't even a silent 't'. This is not like the weirdness of people from Kansas saying "pop" instead of soda...this is not like our British friends saying toh-mah-toe instead of tomato, this is not - well it is kinda like the way Angelo says toreist instead of tourist.

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here's how to play.

Wenesday What Is It Results

The results of last week's Wwii...

Baby Powder!

Coming in this week with 5 points - Mona!
Donna, Bev, AJ, Steve and Miwa, and Cinta - 2 points each!

Ode To My Camera

O Camera, my camera! Our picturesque journey is done.
We've taken pictures of so much, from babies to the sun.
Your lens is broke, it is no joke, there's duct tape on your cover.
And every time your shutter clicks, the reset takes forever.
And O Sport! Sport! Sport!
O sport mode you're the best,
Whenever I need a steady shot
You rise above the rest.

O Camera, my camera! Shape up and hang in there.
Shape up - please fix your broken lens - please mend your ware and tear.
I don't want to set the date and time - I did that once before.
I shouldn't have to every time - ignore, ignore, ignore.
Here Camera! Old friend!
This finger on your button.
It has been fun, yes, because of you
I've become a photo glutton

My camera has no power, its batteries have run dry.
My friend does not respond to me, no matter how I try.
Our pictures online safe and sound, I uploaded them to flickr.
From camera's 'click', to paper's print, we made a real cool sticker.
Don't click, my friend, or zoom right in,
Because you are so broken.
But I still care for you my friend,
You're not a worthless token.


Modeled after another awesome poem.

Blog Reactions

I already told you that I'd like to be made into a lounge singer. I could have my big break if I lived on Guam. But I don't want to live on Guam - 2 degrees difference in latitude and more concrete does make a difference.

I look forward to a time when my kids are older and we can go do volunteer work together. Repainting the island's oldest high school sounds like a great reason to volunteer. (Yes, Hopwood is still around, but it's a Jr. High now...MHS is the oldest standing.) You go, Cinta!

Unlike Angelo's nicknames, mine are all derived from one nickname. D.C. You can call me D.C., Deece, D, you can even call me Dice...nah don't call me Dice...that one is used only by my cousin the one and only Glen. Other names I've been known to answer to: Dork, Weirdo, Bulachera, Hey You, and Oi.

Mike takes nice flame tree shots. Here are a couple of mine:

Boquet of Fire

Fire Lost

Where is the love, the love, the love...

I remember a time when passing drivers used to wave at eachother as they drove down our road. I still wave at people from time to time, but my waves are coming fewer and farther between. It gets discouraging when my kindness is not reciprocated.

But lo and behold the other day an exchange was offered up by someone other than me. A young woman acknowledged me by a too-cool-for-school upward nod. So I responded with an I'm-too-sexy one finger wave.

You know what I love about Rota? I love that everyone waves at you on the road. Rota residents know all the other Rota residents therefore they know when someone's not from Rota, especially when you're a white woman driving a rental car. But they still wave at me. Their waves are what keep me going after I've been there for 3 days and am going nuts because 1) the island is only so big with a limited number of things to do, 2) everything is more expensive, and 3) one can only eat at As Paris and the Pizzaria so many times before sampling everything on the menu.

Why can't the people on my road be like the Rotanese. I propose we turn Wireless into a mini Rota just to get waves. I mean, we've got a waterfall out there somewhere, we have huge houses and not-so-huge houses, we've got great views, some chickens, a missionary communue, a hotel, and a cemetery, oh and a doctor and some lawyers. Now all we need is a school and a mini-mart and we could be our own little Wireless Rota.

No?

Ok, we'll just stick with Wireless Road.

What? What do you mean street naming?

Hey, Middle Road is still Middle Road to me.

~~~

Am I a complete idiot or is Flame Tree TV actually airing a commercial that reads:

"Your watching the local channel."

Y-O-U-R Am I the only one that sees this?

Easter is over

Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail. Hippity, hoppity Easter's on it's way...

What? Do you really think I'm going to buy blue towels? Besides, by the time he's old enough to understand he'll have already moved on to regular towels, and we have all the green and blue ones he'll ever need.

He's two and a half months in that picture above, she was 5 days shy of 4 months below. He's going to be a big boy.

Deece's Last 8

A while back Harry, one of my newest blogging friends, tagged me, but I didn't get around to posting my tag until just now because, quite frankly, I wasn't sure what else about myself I could safely list on the internet. But then Boni, in her principal wisdom, came up with a great twist on the meme and listed her "last 7's" (except Harry's tag asks for a list of 8).

Harry, thanks for the tag! Here they are, in random order, Deece's Last 8:

1. Last thing I purchased: Gas for the stove from SIGI. Sigi na!
2. Last time I was on the mainland: August 2003
3. Last vegetable I ate: eggplant, which barely qualifies as a vegetable.
4. Last phone call I received: from my husband, to say things are going great and to keep them in my prayers.
   
5. Last time I got pulled over: when I was 16. My first speeding ticket. I wasn't going to tell my mom about it right away, but my uncle spotted me on middle road with a cop at my window so he called my mom to make sure I was ok. Yeah, I was ok, I was just caught racing with your son, who got off scott free. Racing is bad, kids.
   
6. Last drink: January 2001 -I think. Just before I met James. (of alcohol, smarty pants!)
   
7. Last visit to the dentist - 2005, for the three cavities that my first pregnancy caused. Don't judge me.
8. Last haircut: February - I said.dont.judge.me

I tag Angelo, Missy, any 2 members of Shazam, David - ahem Dr. David, Bev, and Lex - whom I don't know, but I'm reaching out to cause just relax is a common mantra of mine. I'll get around to leaving comments on your blogs later, but if you read this, know that you are tagged and it's now your turn to post your "Last 8".

That is all.

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here's how to play.

(Hey, 11:16 at night is still Wednesday. Sorry, I was too busy taking care of my kids and missing my husband who's on Guam. Please keep him, Luka, Stan, and Roy in your prayers that they'll be safe and victorious this weekend.)

Wednesday What Is It? Results

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

A Cooler (aka Ice Chest)!

And the winner is...Donna! Donna is now in the lead with 18 points.

Steve! You had it man, follow your gut next time. :-)

Keep up the good guessing, everyone!

So Long!

Roasted Chicken from Joeten Hafa Adai.............$8.49

Fresh Avocados straight from the tree...............$0.00

Mini Penne Pasta....................................................$2.39

Watching new friends smile and enjoy your avocado chicken salad.......Priceless

I just wish I had gone back for a taste of that Chicken Kelaguin Cinta brought. And I'd have liked to spend more time with her too. But I was busy making sure that Katelyn wasn't forgotten. Poor girl, we took her to the beach and we didn't even bring her pail and shovels. Nor did we bring an extra change of clothes, yeah, that was smart.

I'm just glad that she was creataive enough to make herself a pair of sand shoes since somehow she was shoeless at the beach - what kind of parents are we? As you can see, James had his zorries.

Oh, did I mention that these pictures are from a farewell party for our friends Steve and Miwa? The pictures that I took of them didn't turn out well, so I borrowed this one from Angelo. BTW Angelo, do you mind if I borrow a picture from your blog? Steve and Miwa are the ones wearing leis.

It was nice. I think it was the first time that EJ and I have exchanged words. Mrs. Boss was there with her two youngest sons - who at times seemed to be in their own world off to the side, but boy, what a crazy fun world to be in.

It was nice to see Bev again. Bev, I know your nickname Bubbles is more of a diving thing, but you are such a nice bubbly person that I think it should apply all the time.
It's like second nature. He seems so relaxed and comfotable holding a baby.

Oh, and I forgot to tell you, Angelo. I was watching when Katelyn threw sand at you. I think it was an accident; but sorry, none the less. Seriously, we don't teach our daughter to throw sand...unless she's being ignored.

One is up and coming. The other is coming up.

Go Luka! Kick some butt on Guam this weekend!

Steve and Miwa, we'll miss you. I didn't see you often but I enjoyed it when I did. And I enjoyed hearing James talk about you two as ideal for the gym. Take care and God bless you!

A Lucky Day for a Little Pineapple

A little girl went to the Sabalu Market on the luckiest day on earth and her Uncle Kuri gave her her a tiny pineapple. So the little girl brought the tiny pineapple home.

"We're here, tiny pineapple. Welcome to your new home!"

The tiny pineapple set off to explore his new home.

He ran up the stairs. He ran down the stairs. He stopped at the window and admired the scenery. But when the tiny pineapple turned around to tell the little girl how happy he was at his new home, he saw that she wasn't there. The tiny pineapple was frightened; he felt so alone in his new big home. So the tiny pineapple mustered up his courage and walked through the house looking for his friend the little girl.

"Are you the little girl?" The tiny pineapple asked.

"No, I'm Princess Dora" said the toy. "Can you make my hair grow longer?" She asked.

The tiny pineapple pressed a jewel on Princess Dora's crown to make her hair longer. "Thank you." Princess Dora said. "The little girl likes to eat, she might be in the kitchen."

The tiny pineapple came across two mangoes. "Can you help me find my friend, the little girl?" he asked. But the mangoes were too busy dancing the cha-cha to help. "We'd like to help" they said, "but we're practicing for tonight's show Dance of the Forbidden Fruit".

So the tiny pineapple kept wandering through his new home. He met a pink piggy bank.

The tiny pineapple asked the pink piggy bank if she could help him find his friend the little girl. But the pink piggy could only laugh and sing, "the coins go in the top, can you hear them drop; come on and open up the door so we can play some more." The tiny pineapple liked the pink piggy bank's song so he danced while she sang some more. But then it was time for the pineapple to continue on looking for his friend the little girl.

The tiny pineapple climbed up a tall white cabinet. He followed the smell of something delicious until he found two wee fruit next to a big red and white bucket.

The tiny pineapple walked up to the wee and asked, "can you help me find my friend, the little girl?" The wee moved closer to the tiny pineapple. "She's my only friend, I miss her so much." Said the tiny pineapple.

The wee just smiled and replied, "wee don't know where she is, but she sure is nice, won't you join us for some chicken and rice?"

So the pineapple sat down and shared a meal with the wee. When his belly was full the tiny pineapple thanked the wee for the delicious meal and continued on searching for his friend the little girl.


The tiny pineapple wandered into a room full of books and toys. "Welcome to the playroom, my name is Tigger and that's my friend Elmo" said a happy toy.

"Do you know where my friend the little girl is?" Asked the tiny pineapple?

"No, but we know how to tumble and jump." Said Elmo. "Would you like to learn how?" The tiny pineapple always wanted to learn how to tumble and jump.

After his tumble lesson, the tiny pineapple headed across the playroom and ran into Dee Ann the elephant.

"Do you know where I can find my friend the little girl?" Asked the tiny pineapple.

"She likes to play in the living room." Answered the elepant. "Just go out of the playroom and turn left, I'd take you, but I'm in the middle of my bath."

So the tiny pineapple walked out of the playroom and turned left.

When he got to the living room the tiny pineapple met a duck, some bananas, and a busy bee.

They were not able to help the tiny pineapple. They had already promised Farmer Jed that they'd help him water the mint and the basil. But they told the pineapple that the little girl likes to play with Farmer Jed and Baby Born in the afternoons. The tiny pineapple could find them near the living room windows.

So the tiny pineapple went over to the living room windows and found Farmer Jed on the couch and Baby Born in the rocking chair.

"Hi, Farmer Jed." Said the tiny pineapple. "Hi Baby Born, can you two help me find my friend the little girl?" He asked. Farmer Jed and Baby Born had just finished playing with the little girl. They told the tiny pineapple to look for her in her room upstairs. So the tiny pineapple gathered his strength and started climbing the stairs one more time.

On his way up the stairs the tiny pineapple was stopped by Braveheart Lion. "Where are you going?" Asked Braveheart.

"I'm going upstairs to find my friend the little girl." Said the tiny pineapple. "Do you know her?" He asked.

"I am going upstairs to play with my cousin Good Luck Bear." Said Braveheart. "We can walk upstairs together."

So the tiny pineapple walked with Braveheart Lion all the way to the top of the stairs. "Just turn right." Braveheart told the tiny pineapple. "She's right inside of the first room, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

So the tiny pineapple walked into the first room on the right. "Little girl, my friend!" He shouted. "I'm so happy to see you; it's lonely without a friend."

"But tiny pineapple, you have lots of friends." Said the little girl. The tiny pineapple was confused. "You've made friends with the mangoes, Princess Dora, the wee, the pink piggy bank, Tigger, Elmo, Dee Ann the elephant, a busy bee, a duck, the bananas, Farmer Jed, Baby Born, and Braveheart Lion." The little girl reminded the tiny pineapple of how they all helped him and welcomed him into his new home.

"You're right!" Said the tiny pineapple. "I have lots of friends. I have friends who I can share food with, friends I can dance with, friends I can laugh with, and friends I can walk and talk with." The tiny pineapple was happy to be home.

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 red 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

Wednesday What Is It?

Wee would like to play.

Shoot, shoot, go for it!

What is it?

Here's how to play.

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.

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.