Si'-NMI Bingo

Which high profile wife is this?
Lt. Governor Tim Villagomez's wife Margaret!
Great hair!!

Who wore Air Jordans with his suit?
Washington Rep. Pete A.!
Go handsome:)

Match the lei with the senator
Senator Jude, Senator Reyes and Senator Felix M.

Can I stop calling you dad for two years?

Cause you're the Senate President! For one moment during his speech I thought I heard his voice break. I knew what he was thinking when he looked towards the chair my grandma always sat in for inaugurations. I wish nang were there too dad, but I know she was watching from heaven. Congratulations, Senate President Reyes!

I love it when no one knows which camera to look at

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Can you guess which dignitary showed up wearing Air Jordans?

Savannah's lurking, but you don't have to. COMMENT, DE-LURK!

Don't let the comment button hit you on your way out!

Jan. 14-18 marks the first ever Great CNMI De-Lurk! Go ahead, take this banner and put it on your blog. Then, open the floodgates and invite all those lurkers out there to make their voices heard.

I for one would like to know more about the people who visit my blog. Who are you and what are you thinking? Where are you from and where do you think you're headed?



C'mon. I know you wanna say something....say it...hit that enter button and post your comment!

Because sometimes sunsets, mutants and margaritas do go together

Last night was a perfect date night. Perfect if you have four kids and a crazy hectic life. Our date night consisted of:
1. A beautiful sunset dinner at 360. Rick, as always, was a gracious host, but I kinda felt bad for him, it didn't look like he had a break all night. Tami and her family were there too. Like always, I am totally not a social butterfly and all I could manage was a smile and a barely audible, but truly genuine hi. My Mendoza cousins showed up full force for Eileen's birthday (Happy B-Day). It's nice to see everyone gathered like that.


The food was great and the sunset was very pretty. The best part of it was that we got the best seat in the house :) 5:30 is the perfect time to be there, right before the sun goes down in the sky. Get a seat in the back and watch as the day disappears and gives way to the island evening. The service is good, and if you wait long enough, you never have to walk far to get to any place in the restaurant.

We even got a free round from Brady who needs to wake his blog up. Did I mention that I love the margaritas at 360? Now I have:) We had shrimp in butter sauce and spicy tuna for appetizers. Tony had the lamb chops, and I ordered a rib-eye. It was more than enough for both of us, in fact we were happily satisfied.







2. So, after a great dinner Tony convinces me to watch I Am Legend with him, "come on, it'll be fun - we'll be scared together" he says. I give in and spend 1/3 of the movie with my fingers plugging my ears and my eyes closed. It was all worth it to be able to bury my face in my hubby's shoulders and have his arms around me.



3. Porky's for a movie de-briefing and then Tony got lost in the UFC fight on TV while I perused blogs on Bruce's laptop (sorry, my blog froze it up).

4. Last but not least, we made a stop at 99 Cent Supermarket for some Pull-Ups for Sommer. To tell the truth, we had both been thinking of little Sommy, who when we left that evening was standing at the kitchen window looking out. As we drove away she said, "I love you mommy, I love you daddy, hurry up and come back home".

Today is a good morning, the kids have had their pancakes, me my coffee and Tony is out for a morning run. It almost feels like a normal day. You know what? Army stuff aside, it is. Yeah, sometimes, sunsets, mutants, margaritas and Pull-Ups go perfectly together.

Where's all the rum for the tiramisu!

They say it's not wise to do your grocery shopping on an empty stomach. The same concept applies to planning your menu too close to the pantry.
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Sniper Alert!

The most effective way to convince her to brush her teeth is to tell her there are cavity creeps hiding in her mouth. Therefore, each time Sommer picks up a toothbrush, it is a reconnaissance mission.

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No, I didn't forget about de-lurking. No, no one has sent me a banner. Yes, I did make one. Yes, I am stupid, if not persistent. We are de-lurking CNMI (and CNMIers). Come January 14 - 18, please leave a comment on blogs you visit. In Chamorro terms, "don't lurk at me brat!".
What you do: post this banner on your blog and remind everyone to leave a comment before exiting. Have fun de-lurking!

Flashback Tag

I now tag:
1. Deece
2. Ed
3. James
4. Cinta
5. Gus
6. Brady Wake up Brady!
7. Lex
8. Jane

You'll need to list 20 of your fondest memories of the "old Saipan, Tinian or Rota" and post them on your blog. Then you can tag someone else to do the same. It's called a meme. That's a scientific term originally, but in blogspeak it's something that grows exponentially through posting and re-posting. Meme is also Chamorro, it's pronounced meh-meh. It means to pee, or pee. That's very fitting because these memories we've posted on our blogs are just like peeing in your pants.

Everyone can see it, but only you can feel the true warmth.

Chalan Memorias

Tami took me on a trip down Chalan Memorias (or, as Jane courteously translated, Memory Lane) today. All the great and goofy things I remembered as a child were suddenly clear as day, striking a chord deep within that answered Ed's question about why I still live here. Well, it didn't answer the question per se, more than anything it re-connected me with what was once the essence of simple enjoyment of life. Tami tagged me and others with a challenge to list as many things as I can remember (20) of the old Saipan. Boy was this both fun and nostalgic.

1. Public Health and the Dental Clinic were right next to the post office. My grandfather worked there as a dentist. He did my teeth the old fashioned way - with only topical anesthesia and a big metal plyer! "Did I spank you? Why are you crying Yvonne? Keep still and stop crying"
2. The road that hugs the Lao Lao Bay Golf Resort used to be the place where we congregated for illegal drag racing in high school. I had a CB Radio and my handle was Bon Bon. "Break, break, what's your 10-40?"
3. When I was little, my grandma used to send me and a few of my cousins across the street from Hakubotan to dig up clams and put them in a bucket. We'd take the bucket home and have the most delicious soup for dinner.
4. Descanso Night Club used to have Friday night teen nights. Parents would drop off wiley kids for an evening of semi-controlled rock and roll revelry.
5. China House Restaurant used to be in Chalan Kanoa, right at the corner of Tun Segundo Road. There was a tree beside the entrance with sour fruit that was always bearing those green elongated hairy things.
6. Speaking of restaurants, the Diaz Family had a soba house (Reiko's) in Chalan Kanoa. There was a monkey in a cage from Okinawa in the back of the restaurant. We used to go out there and try to feed it our leftovers. It had the shortest temper and would try to grab you from inside the cage.
7. Peter Fonda came to Saipan in the early 80's t0 make a low budget film at the Marpi area. It was something about killer tomatoes and it had mostly a Japanese cast, I think.
8. Another cool teenage dance hangout was The House of Taga. You can still see the building if you drive up Dan Dan Road, right up the hill from the Iglesia Ni Cristo church.
9. I remember when my dad and his friends used to sit outside the garage drinking Schlitz.
10. And, most of them drove Datsuns.
11. There was a small arcade inside the Jay's Restaurant and Bowling Alley. We always begged to go there just to play Pac Man and Space Invaders. You knew you were popular if you found your name in the bathroom stall. You knew you weren't if you got beat up when you walked through the parking lot.
12. The cleared area at the American Memorial Park, where the big water tank is driving into the Navy Hill Road was called "The Pines". We used to spot there. Everytime I drive past that place I can still "see" the trucks lined up against the wall of trees and everyone standing there laughing and drinking. Drinking Sprite and Coke, ahem.
13. I remember when getting some medicine used to mean you had to swallow your grandma's homemade concoction of bitter herbs. That, or getting a tablespoon of Vick's slathered on you.
14. The airport used to have a big restaurant in it on the second floor and a garden in the back where you could hang out before waiting for a flight. I used to play in the garden all the time while everyone waited and talked. It was the most beautiful place to me.
15. Yes, Matsumoto Theatre where Kevin's is now had the best slush. My favorite was the blue (raspberry). There was never enough ice in it, but it was good.
16. Diego's Mart was near the Shirley's across from Mt. Carmel. My friends and I used to meet at the laundromat there and hide from Sr. Mary Louise in the dryers.
17. I worked at the Saipan Farmer's Market when I was 14. It's now an auto part store in Chalan Kanoa. I had to wash down all the veggies in the mornings and discard the worms that were buried in heaps.
18. I went to the first grade at Garapan School. It was the only time I didn't go to Mt. Carmel. Hot Diggity Dog was across the street where Winchells is now. I remember it because of the song, "hot diggity, dog diggity, um whatcha do to me...Oscar Meyer's is hot dog diggity!"
19. My aunt gave birth to my God son at Dr. Torres hospital during the time when there were still such things as delivery rooms.
20. I remember flying to Guam on Continental Airlines. My uncles sat in the back of the plane, the smoking section.

I did notice that there were many places tied to eating establishments, but I'm guessing that's because there was so little to do and adults just sat and fellowshipped longer while kids like me found their way into monkey's cages and gardens. Thank you Tami, for the opportunity to look back. This was so good for me that I may expand it each time something pops up in my head.

Don't ever forget

There is another end of waiting to this war.
See The Thunder Run for more on fallen soldier/blogger.

Alex, do like this!

Bruce says Sommer could maybe teach Alex some manners, to which I try as hard as possible to contain my guffaw.  Although we have managed to get her to say please and thank you on occasion, Sommer is no Miss Manners.  Lovely and sweet, with a ready kiss for everyone and very sticky-warm-yummy hugs, Sommer is also a force to be reckoned with.  

The guests at our new year's party got a taste of Sommer's great stubborness last week.  It took several tries and a few clumps of food spit onto the patio floor before she conceded to eat (which means chew and swallow) a few bites of food that night.  I want dessert!  I hate rice!  I was exhausted, but did not give way, even when she announced in front of family and friends, Aw mom, I don't love you!  So Bruce, it will be an interesting play date.  If Alex is anything like Sommer, they'll be scoping one another out like The Matrix for a few minutes and then we'll see. 

It seemed cool at the time

You don't have to pull my leg to get a Grease tune out of me. I'm hardly embarrassed to admit that I know all the lyrics to Grease and Grease 2 by heart. Yes, they are swimming in my head, always waiting for the perfect opportunity to belt out an appropriate chorus. Or two. I own a pink ladies jacket ya know?


I assumed foolishly that they would forever remain the epitome of cool musicals. Alas, High School Musical now threatens to shove my beloved Stephanie and Michael off their musical thrones. I suppose all things come full circle.

One thing. I don't ever remember Steph and Michael being as corny as Gabriella and Troy. Oh, come on! Dancing around a piano doesn't hold a candle to watching uber-nerd come flying through the bowling alley in his souped up motorcycle. "Whoo, oooh, who's that guy?"


Don't forget to de-lurk!