i don't usually rant about how guam's great inefficiency system works, because really, it's unproductive as i can't back up the rant with any real solution, nor can i offer any service or skill to help change the situation. however, today's front page story in the PDN chronicling the damage that tropical storm tingting wreaked, clearly shows how poor roadway and other public land planning and construction has led to more harm than saving some money and cutting a few corners is worth.


masako watanabe/pacific daily news

certainly 16 inches of rain in one day is unexpected, but unfortunately, in the age of rapid global warming, it is not an anomaly, and only a frightening portend of things--namely typhoons, tropical storms, spells and hexes--to come. i know jack about construction, but i know when something doesn't work properly immediately after building it, then something's wrong. i know pouring a concrete foundation in the rain is a bad idea. i know starting a major project in guam's rainiest months is probably going to bite you in the ass somewhere down the line. i know that after marine drive was reworked the first time, flooding for surrounding properties got worse, and didn't get better the second time it was reworked. i know that RECONSTRUCTING A ROAD IMMEDIATELY AFTER (RE)CONSTRUCTING IT THE FIRST TIME IS USUALLY A REALLY STUPID, REALLY BAD THING--ESPECIALLY IF IT DOESN'T FIX ANY OF THE PROBLEMS!!!!

*phew*. okay, got that off my chest. hey, i used anomaly and portend in the same sentence!

tingting does her thingthing

just a few photos from today. not bad for me. just a lot of anxiety and just v. wet.


normal

not so normal.

parking lot turned lake.

little river road

rain, rain, bloody effing GO AWAY ALREADY!!!!

sydney swans all but end the magpies bid to make the finals. oh, and the airlines lost their luggage on the way to tonight's match.

i don't know which information upsets me more.

a nice tip for anyone on the island going to hawaii: aston hotels consider guam and saipan residents as "locals" so you can get the kama'aina rate (my cousin michael thinks anyone who can properly pronounce kama'aina should be able to be one). i stayed at the aston at the executive centre hotel, and received an almost 50% discount off the published rate (not including taxes, parking, phone calls, yadda yadda).

if you want to stay out of the fray of waikiki, this is a pretty nice choice. chinatown's nearby, and the aloha tower is just a block away. if you want a little bargain shopping, there's a long's drugs and a ross dress for less at street level. if you are driving, there's always parking available, and ala moana blvd, and the H-1 are close at hand. navigating the one way streets in downtown can drive you crazy, though, as you try to figure out how to get to the correct configuration of the corner the hotel's on! for a minute, i felt like i was playing a chess game--queen to king to bishop....

the rooms are quite spacious--from 500 to 750 square feet--with a separate lounging area or dining area, a mini-kitchenette (no microwaves but you can rent one), central air (an odd rarity in honolulu hotels), and a jacuzzi tub. i would guess the rooms were last renovated in the early nineties, but they are fairly well kept. we first had a room with a single queen sized bed while we waited for a double to open up, and the second room was definitely in better shape than the first. a lot of the units in the building are also condominiums and offices, so you don't really feel all that touristy. which, if you are from guam, are probably not.

but to satisfy the little bit of tourist in you, there are floor to ceiling windows with amazing views (especially from the 37th floor!):

more rainbows from yesterday, all at the same time. nearly crashed because the inner rainbow of the double rainbow in the second photo was so bright it was unnatural and completely, in the inspirational way, awesome.

i was told it had been raining steadily on island whilst i was in honolulu. yesterday was the first day that the sun broke through (albeit a bit weakly). still, there managed to be an actual sunset:



so i took advantage of the relative dryness and took doggy on her first walkabout in days:




of course, the great advantages to days of rain are the breeze it brings in just afterwards, the cleanliness, and lots and lots of rainbows:

hanging out in pearl city, leeward side oahu. eating lots.
be back soon.

remember that pesky volcano to the north? it's got a friend!

yeah, i knit. yeah, i cross stitch. gotta problem with that?

here's my latest project:



cute, huh? you can order kits and patterns from subversive cross stitch.

GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENT OF GUAM STUDENT QUESTIONED

like, omigod, I QUIT!

Dear Cuz Governor,

It was totally AWESOME that you gave me that job working with those totally messed up kids at DYA (although I swear one of them keyed my car!!)!!

Anyway, I'm totally bummed that people HATE me. I HATE it when people HATE me, cuz that would make me sad :-( . So, like, I'm gonna have to say no to the job, even though I could totally use that money. I'm gonna need like a totally new paintjob on the Acura.

Anyway, you would think that like, people could totally see my ENTHUSIASM and POSITIVE ATTITUDE and see that I would be PERFECT for the job! I'm a totally hard worker, right? I mean, just because I'm totally young and I've only worked at the mall, doesn't mean that I'm not PERFECT for the job as deputy director! Young people RELATE to me! I'm young too!

So, like, don't be sad cuz just because this didn't work out, it just means it wasn't meant to happen, right? THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH, YOUR SOOOOOOO AWESOME, THE COOLEST GUV EVER!!!!!!!!

luv xox f4evah LizaMarie PEACE OUT

the reason i'ven't been posting much is because i'm too busy posting here. all about the food, baby, all about the food.

i'm not getting any sleep. it's hot. like borrego springs hot. my sinuses are acting up. i'm itchy. and cranky. welcome, summer! >yawn< scritch-scritch-scritch

mr. treacher, whilst being a teensy bit creepier, is also far more entertaining than me. here, read about his top ten moments in the angel finale.