Roaches!

I have had my share of roach issues in this room over the years.  Nothing...NOTHING...beats the horror film moment a few years where thousands (not exaggerating) started coming up from every hole in this room and in the carport next to it.  There is nothing I can say that can give that moment justice.  And though this moment isn't nearly as bad, I was very happy, all snug in my bed at 12:30am, until I felt something crawl on me....a roach.  URGH.

Like sleep is coming back to me any time soon.

Die roaches. Die.

Garden Getaway-Guam

Another island....another ladies retreat.  There were 15 ladies (including me) that braved the heat.  Ironic that I was looking forward to this Garden Getaway with air con, and then it breaks the night before.  Though a small window unit was in the large room, it wasn't enough to keep up.  On the bright side, there was fresh pineapple and that makes EVERYTHING better!

Full Moon!

I love full moons. If you have had me for 7th grade science, you learn one thing about full moons--I howl at every one of them. :)  My favorite place to experience a full moon is Saipan.  I love driving down the hill into Kagman and seeing the reflection of the moon off of the ocean.  And if I'm ever stuck flying, I prefer a full moon so I can stare out the window and look at it.  My camera can't do it justice, but here are a few air plane pics of the moon...

Band Nerd Stuff

Once a band nerd...always a band nerd...even if 8000 miles from home base.

On Friday night I got to attend the Saipan Southern High School's rehearsal. (To any students reading: you think I'm a band Nazi with after school rehearsals.  They were starting at 7:30pm and going until 10pm.  I'm never THAT bad.  I also learned that food at rehearsals is a universal thing. They had donuts.)








This band was incredible. They have really, really improved over the years.  The band director asked me for some tips and all I could think was..."I wish my band could do dynamics like this band."  I also wish I had their bari-sax, vibes, and a few other instruments.  [Note to band directors: this position will be open in the fall.  Imagine with me...tropical island, beach/spa any time you want, unlimited Thai House trips, smoothies at PIC every night....maybe I should apply!]

Then on Tuesday, I went to Kagman Elementary School to do a woodwind (and also a strings) presentation.  Nothing like playing a little clarinet/violin music to a group of kindergarten students. We learned some chants, and they sang along to my playing.  It was a lot of fun, but I am also reminded when I do not teach kindergarten.  

Garden Getaway

This year, I am getting to do some really neat things I haven't done during my summers on the islands...women's ministry. Today, we had a ladies retreat with 20 women present. This may  not sound like a whole lot, but the pastor's wife had thought 7-8 ladies...10 tops.  I knew God was awesome, so I planned outside the box...for 15. I was in a bit of a panic as I did my best to make the resources stretch for 20! Somehow, it did.

We had a wonderful time.  Everyone left smiling and hugging each other. It was a long day for me. (Note  to self: Don't arrive on Friday morning from a 15 hour time difference and then lead an all day women's retreat the very next day. Poor planning on my part. However, I really never felt tired. God kept me going!)

Friday on the island.....

It is really hard to blog on an iPad. I just spent an hour trying to figure out how to post a pic to my blog. Urgh. That's why the blogs have been slow coming.

On Friday, I got to bed about 5am (see previous post of the nightmare trip). [Even though the trip was long and miserable, I had some great flight crews which doesn't happen these days and I made it safely, so i can't really complain.] I woke up a million times, but got out of bed at 10am. After letting my folks know I was alive, I made it down the mountain to Thai House, my favorite restaurant in the world.  I walk in and hear my name! (This has been happening a lot lately.) My friend Rose was about to sit down and invited me to join her.  Island life is similar to Francis life...except the whole beach thing...you always see someone you know.  Then the waiters had to come by and greet me and ask how long I was staying. (Yes, the waiters do know me by name. I told you I loved the place. And it is a small island too.) After getting my fill of the Friday buffet (which is the best days buffet), it was spa time!

The spa is so gorgeous and so often I sit there in awe that I could be allowed the privilege of something so extravagant. But, my "local" status allows me luxuries I couldn't always have. I enjoyed the pools and a massage. That is the way to end a miserable trip!

That night I got to enjoy smoothies on the beach. Another island luxury.  Somehow, I managed to hang on until 10pm with so little sleep.

I Hate Flying...aaahhhhhh!!!!

I am almost certain they move this side of the world a bit (a lot) further each year. I left for the airport at 5:30am after little sleep.  This can be balanced on the six "Lester"s my grandma yelled, the storms that came through, and the fact I loathe flying. 

I had been telling my mom for a couple of days I didn't think I would make the Houston flight and that I was scared they would lose my luggage, so I knew something was going to be screwy today; I just didn't realize it would add 8...yes EIGHT more hours to my endless journey.

I made it on the flight from Tulsa to Houston. But when I looked out the window to stare at the rare sunshine, I saw them taking our luggage off. Plane is dead, I assumed.  Nope. No one was coming into or out of Houston due to weather for a while.  I knew this would mean when planes did start flying, I would have missed my connecting flight to Honolulu, so straight to the gate agent I went.  He made a few calls and I was running to a new gate while trying to let my family know what was happening. (What I later learned, I would have made that flight in Houston. It didn't leave until 4pm. However, I would have missed the connecting flight and had to spent a night at the airport, adding about 24 hours to the trip.)

As the new gate agent was trying to book me to Saipan, I said as long as the 

Chicago-Narita (Japan) flight isn't a middle seat. "It's a middle seat," she says.  That is the worst. She said I didn't have time to think.  A middle seat all the way to Japan!? But I had to be in Saipan by Saturday morning.  If I got weather delayed again, I would be late.  I figured I had to suck it up and hope there was a mix up on my ticket and I got first class. Well, that didn't happen, but I did get an aisle seat next to some very nice Latin dancers heading for an Asian tour.

So, this brings me to a 6 hour layover in Japan (so I think.) And it also means instead of arriving in Saipan at 8pm with my Thai House street market waiting on me, I arrive arrive at 3am and missed street market. Noooooo! As I was debarking the plane, I heard my name paged. They put me on an earlier flight to Guam because the one they had me on was going to get canceled.  Therefore, I was only in Japan a short time....but I will get to make up for it in the Guam airport. (I would leave, but I arrive at 10:30pm....little late to be asking for rides and hanging out with people.) 

The bright side of my crazy day is I saw Bearded Ben in the Japan airport. He's going to Guam for a week.  Even though I am headed to Saipan, I will still be back to hang out with him for a couple of days. And I was just saying the other day, my Guam trip won't be the same without Ben.

Outside of the flying itself, the worst part of my trip was the 4+ hours in the Guam airport (it was too late to call friends).  THE AIR CONDITIONING WAS OFF! Imagine being in a building of windows in the summer, but you can't open any of the windows so you just melt. It didn't take me long to shed a few layers of clothes. Then, on top of that, there was no water...and I just wanted to brush my teeth.

Perry and I made it a bearable situation by riding the moving walkway around.