I don't got much today ...

Did shoot this yesterday, on my way to another poker game. Had to take a rarely used back road to get an angle with all the hills around me, so it turned into this kinda cool lonely-road-leading-off-to-the-sunset kinda photo:



Tomorrow I'm going out for some golf with a couple of buddies from work, one of whom is my pare'. We're going out to a cheap course that's kind of ragged but still has some nice features.

So I headed to Kmart to stock up on some golf balls and get a couple more golf gloves. While there, I decided to ge a couple of new golf shirts and this snazzy, broad-brimmed, high quality hat. This thing will certainly keep the worst parts of the afternoon Guam sun from burning my pale-skinned head. :)

Random Guam Fact Of The Day:
• The longest double-eagle (3-under par) ever shot was on Guam. Kevin Murray holed out his second shot on the 647 yard, par-5 second hole at the Admiral Nimitz Golf Course in 1982.

What’s in DZER’s truck ...

Regular readers of my blog know of my recent truck travails. Last week, had to replace the starter. This week, had to replace the battery. Between the two, more than $400. Ouch.

But I can't complain too much. The rusty old beast has served me well, and continues to do so. I bought it the day I paid off my last car, a shitty ass 1988 Nissan Sentra. Well, it was shitty by the time I paid it off, and I drove over to the Nissan lot after my trip to the bank, "just to look." My truck, a 1994 Nissan King Cab SE-V6 (sports edition with chrome package) was on clearance for $13,999, to make way for the 1995 models.

I really wasn't planning to buy until the salesman invited me to sit it in and see how it felt. It looked like I was going to have to do a twisting kind of bending move to get in and under the wheel ... until the salesman — Chico — pushed down this lever that made the steering wheel "jump" to an elevated position. Fuck that sold me right there. I even got $1,200 for the shitty Sentra, and it needed a brand-new fusebox (though they didn't know that).

No one but me drove my truck for a full two years, and even then it was because my dad needed to go to the auto parts store for a part for our van and it was early and I was groggy and still in bed. He stuck his head in my bedroom.

Pops: "I'm taking your truck to go get a part."

Me: (sleepily) "OK."

Took me a while to realize I'd agreed to let someone else drive my "baby." LOL

I've had to get repairs and stuff over the years, but never anything too major. And I'm gonna keep riding it till it stops working, or until I leave and need to sell it, whichever comes first.

So here's what is in my truck right now:

• My press passes.

• My sunglasses.

• Jumper cables — how is it that everyone doesn’t carry these in their vehicle?

• A tool set — one of those pretty cheap “all-in-one” packages — all sizes of wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, Allen wrenches, wire cutters, etc.

• Two flashlights — one small, one medium-sized.

• Scissors.

• Two old copies of Time magazine.

• 3/4- ton hydraulic floor jack. The scissor jacks that come with vehicles are total shit. Why squat and rotate a flimsy two-piece metal turning rod when you can slide a jack under, pump it like 5 times and be done?

• Pneumatic wrench that plugs into the cigarette lighter — makes changing tires a breeze! Plus it makes those cool “whirrrr-whirrrr” sounds.

• A 9-by-12 foot tarp. You never know.

• A baseball-style denim jacket.

• Two baseball caps.

• A straw golf hat.

• Proof of insurance and registration (in visor pouch).

• Business cards (in visor pouch).

• Assorted pens (in visor pouch) and two small notebooks — hello, journalist!

• Two bulldog clips (in visor pouch).

• Toothpicks (in visor pouch).

• Some trash (kept neatly in a plastic bag … usually).

• Gas station card — you collect points, cash it in after so many gallons for free gas or store merchandise.

• Laundry detergent — Why bother carrying it downstairs and upstairs over and over again every time I have to go do laundry?

• Some loose change.

• Brake fluid

• A rubber mallet.

• A couple of golf balls.

• In glove compartment: napkins, 1994 Nissan Kingcab SE-V6 owner’s manual, golf pencils, red tape and orange tape (from when I had broken tail lights), clear duct tape, two decks of poker cards (you never know).

Random Guam Fact Of The Day:
• This is the current price of gas on Guam.
Shell's regular unleaded is $3.05. 76 is selling regular unleaded for $3.08.

Just a little bit of everything ...

UPDATES:
• We have a new DZERette, folks. Everyone join me in welcoming KJ to the fold. This hottie is a definitely very welcomed addition to the DZERette roster. Make sure you make her welcome with a nice spanking … or a hot lesbianish makeout session. Heh.

• Sidebar has been updated — some new links added to the list, update of what I’ve read and am reading, and what I’ve watched in the fairly recent past. Enjoy the trivial drivel that is my life.

MISCELLANIA:
• Does anyone else think that Melina Kanakaredes is a total hottie?

This “CSI: New York” crime scene investigator is a smoldering Greek goddess who plays the shapely and gorgeous smart chick to utter perfection. I never really watched her when she was in “Providence,” but did notice her beauty even back then. There’s just something about those curls, and she has an amazing face … just sheer beauty. And I would give my left nut (I don’t use that one that much anyway) to be able to kiss and nibble on that neck and collarbone … fuuuuuuuck.

• Golf on Saturday! Yes, yes, yes! We’re playing a cheap course, but it’s a challenging one. Plus, can’t wait to get to use my new, uber-fabulous putter again. The only downside — tee time at 8:30 a.m., which means waking up early. Ugh. Waking up early needs to be banned. LOL

• Yes, I still crave you on every level imaginable. It’s hard not too. Sorry.

• It’s past 3 a.m. and I’m just not tired enough to go to bed yet. Well, I could go to bed, but I’m sure it would be a long time before I would be able to fall asleep. Which sucks because tomorrow will be a very long day — the paper is huge and needs to be done in three runs instead of two, which means I will be working as an active, on-pages copy editor for a good portion of the day on top of my editorial duties, which also include my weekly community meeting, and the day will just stretch on and on, I’m sure.

• Monday was “one of those days” — the kind of day when I really wished I was a smoker again. I could have gone through a whole pack in a few hours at most, I’m sure. Damn nonsmoking thing!

• After having to pop back into the office for a couple hours earlier tonight, I indulged myself. Yes, I went through the Burger King drive-through and brought home a Triple Whopper with cheese. Fuck it was good. Skipped the fries/onion rings though. Aren’t you proud of me?

• I really wish I was at a Major League ballgame right now. I’m watching the Cardinals play the Pirates and the new St. Louis stadium looks amazing. Albert Pujols is SO the man! I’ve only been to one Major League game ever — we never lived, while in the states, in a big-league city, which makes it very hard to catch a pro game of anything. The one time was when I was visiting friends in New Jersey back in the late 1980s for spring break, I got to go to a Phillies game. Nosebleed seats, but it was great just being in the park at taking it all in.

• I just noticed I've gone over the 30,000 visitor mark. Too bad about half of those are me looking at my blog to see if anyone has stopped by to comment, or from viewing after publishing to make sure I didn't fuck something up. LOL ... another major milestone coming soon. I'll blog on that in the next day or so. :)

• For those of you who missed it, the early HNT from Guam is right below this post.

The long-awaited (not) early HNT from Guam ...

I recently bought some-kick ass work gloves for household jobs and other instances when I need to do manual labor — demolishing houses, lugging equipment, chopping down trees for lumber, building skyscrapers, etc.

It's hard to find gloves that I both like and that fit me, so it was a pleasant find. These have little zip lines in the back, at the wrist, that allow you to cinch them up tight, with a clever release so it's not a bitch to undo. Also, if you look closely, you will see little pockets on the back of the middle two fingers. This allows the wearer to easily pull the gloves off by hooking fingers from the other hand into them. Nice, huh?
This is a break from my normal HNT, as some of you may have noticed. Look closely. Look again.

That's right ... I'm wearing a shirt!! No topless DZER this week (for which, I'm positive, many of you are uber-thankful). Though I must confess, I'm STILL half-nekkid ... heh ;)

To the right is me in my bandana. I need to wear this, or one similar, when I do physical, exerting work. Why? Because I sweat buckets when undertaking physical activity (as most fat men do LOL). To keep it out of my eyes (which stings, for those who haven't had to ever exert themselves). If I'm working outdoors, it also keeps my skull from getting sunburned. I usually wear one of these under my golf hat for both of those reasons.


To find out more about Half-Nekkid Thursday,
check out the link, baby:

Random Guam Fact Of The Day:
• Guam's villages are "run" by mayors. Currently, 8 villages also have vice-mayors. Until sometime in the late '80s or early '90s, they were called "commissioners." I believe they made the change because commissioners can't travel off-island to attend things like mayor conventions/meetings. Heh.

OK, worryworts ...

... I'm feeling ten times better today, and my truck battery is replaced and all is right with the world ... well, at least it's no more wrong than normal.

There's that sunny optimism in me, yearning to break free... heh

the update ...

• Still not feeling well. Have one of those headaches that persists all day, ebbing then returning. Fucking bleah™.

• Also feeling a trifle nauseated and totally not hungry as a result. In my family, that was the sure sign someone was sick — when they didn't eat.

• I think I just need to sleep for 10 or 20 hours ... for a few days. Not gonna happen though.

• Bright note of the day: Big win at poker earlier. DZER, you say, how can you play poker when you're so broke? It's complicated ... but lucky I did. Now I have plenty to get me through payday Friday, which means restaurant meals! Woohoo!

• Oh ... but my truck didn't start after the game was over. Luckily, another player provided his car so I could jump-start the beast. Starter last week, battery this week. Hopefully it retains enough of a charge to restart in the a.m. ... or I will have to call a friend for a jump. *sigh*

• Ugh. I need to be in bed. Fucking bleah™.

Random Guam Fact Of The Day:
• Guam has some very small deer roaming the jungles, thanks to one of the many Spanish governors, who brought in the initial stock.

the return of the bitching, whiny complaints ...

I feel like shit today.

Not sick, really. I think it's more of a mental funk with psychosomatic repercussions.

Fucking bleah™.

I came home for lunch — need to stretch out the budget till Friday. Again, not broke, just near it. Lucky I don't have credit cards anymore, because I'm sure I would have used them extensively over the weekend and into the week. Hell, I'm surprised I haven't touched the $500 I have in my barely month-old savings account. Feel the discipline, baby!

I have to go back into the office in about 30 minutes ... and I so don't want to. I just want to lay down and sleep for another five to eight hours.

I think I will go lay down. Can't doze, but I can at least rest for the next half hour or so.

fucking finally!!

only took about six hours to finally get blogger to freaking post.

bastard-ass fuckblisters!

*deep breath*

OK ... bed time ... finally

loving the side dishes ...

OK, I kind of mentioned this in an earlier post, but this subject matter definitely deserves further comment ... well, at least I think so.

I LOVE mashed potatoes. It's one of the things I miss most about mom being all the way over in middle America — she made killer whipped potatoes, and with some degree of frequency. With her gone, I've been stuck with some very lame substitutes.

It's never too bad around Thanksgiving — then it's a feast of mashed taters. But the rest of the year is pretty much famine time.

There aren't any moderate restaurants here that make a decent order of mashed potatoes. KFC? Fucking bleah™. The diners here are mostly Guam-food based, so mashed taters aren't frequent, and when they're offered they're not good. It got to the point where I'd have to go to fine dining restaurants to get mashed taters ... and even then they'd be all fancied up with herbs and stuff.

And instant versions are total crap.

Thankfully, the good and great people at Country Crock somehow tapped into the gap. They offer several in a line of "side dishes" that help make your dining experience easy and tasty. The only ones I've seen on Guam are the mashed taters, the garlic mashed taters, and the macaroni and cheese. I've tried all three. In fact, I had this roast beef in gravy (from a can from Argentina but GOOD!) and the classic mashed potatoes. Fucking heaven!

This stuff is NOT crap. It microwaves up and yet it looks, feels and tastes like homemade mashed taters! A-fucking-mazing!

And the mac and cheese if fucking brilliant too. It's so thick and hearty and super cheesy. And not that fake cheesy, like the Kraft box stuff. It is the closest to homemade that I've ever had. It's like 100 times better than KFC's bowl of mac-cheesy crap.

Damn ... I'm getting hungry again just typing this up! LOL

So, if you're pressed for time — or just lazy — I'd recomment stocking up on these super-tasty side dishes. They are simple to prepare — about 5 minutes in a microwave — and taste great as well. Hard to beat that!!

Random Guam Fact Of The Day:
• In the 1970s, voters on Guam rejected an initiative to recombine, politically, with the Northern Marianas.

feeling totally crabby ...

Stunningly, I actually got out of my apartment on this lazy Sunday. Yes, I woke up late. Yes, I lazed about the house for a good part of the day.

But I also managed to get out. I went to the bookstore and browsed for a while ... the bookstores here really suck. They're way behind, not very big or comprehensive and missing a lot of what you'd expect from a mainland bookstore, but at least it's a bookstore. Didn't find anything I liked, except a couple cards (Mother's Day is coming up!!)

It was early evening as I headed home, so I drove a little further down to Adelup, a combination park and the main office of the governor — it used to be a school, way back when. Anyway, I parked and got out of my truck (see, Chrissie and grainne ... sometimes I get out of my truck! LOL) and actually walked around along the beach a bit.

*pauses here for stunned silence and jaws hitting the ground*

The sunset was gorgeous. I'll try to get some of the pics up on DZER's Guam Pics in the next day or so.

This is a hermit crab I found crawling around the beach. Ain't he a tiny cutie? Click on the pic to see it bigger and in more detail.

This one's a little sandcrab. Can you see it? It was harder to pick out against the sand originally — I upped the contrast a bit so it's a little more clear. Found it yet? Heh.

Random Guam Fact Of The Day:
• The Chamorro word for hermit crab is "dukduk" (rhymes with hook-hook). The name comes from the sound you make to encourage the crab to come out of its shell ... dukduk .. dukduk ... dukduk

one dozing DZER ...

I really like to sleep. I enjoy dozing away the day. I can do it for hours and hours and hours on end. It's one of my all-time favorite things to do, and the weekends are usually perfect for it.

Let's take my Saturday. I went to sleep around 4 a.m. The alarm was set for 11 a.m. I woke up and decided I was going to sleep in. So did I hit "snooze?" Fuck that. I adjusted the alarm forward an hour and went back to serious sleeping.

Noon comes. I wake up. I do the same thing again. Finally, at 1 p.m., I know I have to get out of bed and get some things done before heading into the office for a little bit, though truthfully it would have been lovely to sleep for another hour or three.

So I go through my day and do the office thing and drive around and get a few groceries for the house and all and finally come home. I fuck around on the computer for awhile, watch some TV ... at at 9ish decide it's time for a bit of a nap.

So I sleep until around 11 p.m. — the only reason I get out of bed is that I know if I don't, I'll be awake in the middle of the night. Though now I'm thinking that it wouldn't have been a bad idea to just say "fuck it" and sleep all the way into the middle of Sunday. LOL ... which I will probably do once I go to sleep in a few hours.

Chrissie: sorry if this seems like I'm bragging about all the sleep I get ... because I am! LOL

Random Guam Fact Of The Day:
• "Maffong" in Chamorro means "sleeping soundly" ... which is what I usually am doing whilst sleeping.