So the adventure continues....

This Thanksgiving I went to Japan on a whim.  I must say that going to Japan by oneself and not knowing a lick of Japanese wasn’t the smartest thing to do.  The target destination was a place called Fuefuki in Yamanashi prefecture.   A town in the middle to the world renown Japanese grape region.   How did I pick this region??  Friend I met on Guam was working there so figured I’d go visit. 

Grape vineyard in the center of town

Grapes on the vine

OK, some background info on Fuefuki it looks like a nice inland valley that in my opinion could have been a swap at one time (lots of water/storm drains everywhere).   I think in the late sixties bubbling hot water came up thru da ground so now the place is a mecca of Japanese bathhouses along with being the fruit including wine grape region of Japan.  





Well apparently the same weekend as the US Thanksgiving Holiday was some Japanese national holiday..long story short, all of the hotels were booked for the weekend….fuck it I went anyway.  Wine country why not?  It was beautiful the weather was like August at home but dryer.

Getting there was easy.  I had a Delta ticket that was due to expire on the 31^st of Nov.  so I used it.  Business class to Japan, Oh yeah Baby!  The sad part is I don’t/can’t drink like I used to so the few glasses of champagne didn’t make the upgrade worth it.  At the airport, everybody speaks plausible English so finding the right bus line to Fuefuki was easy.   You could also take the train, but the trip has about 4 transfers with a few minutes between to find the right train.  I figured bus - no transfer - straight trip.  So far easy Parcheesi.  I passed thru the Yasmanashi Tunnel about a week before it collapsed whew!

So my friend meets me at the bus station and takes me to this hotel that at least has a room for Thursday and as luck would have it there was a cancellation..wooo hooo.  Lodging was solved for the four days I was there.  The next day I set out to explore.  It was pretty cool though I didn’t do any bathhouses…hello I don’t even enjoy hot tubs and sitting around with a bunch of men in sulfur fumed water just wasn’t interesting.  This place was clean.  Guam is dirty. Why so many Japanese tourist go to Guam is beyond me.

Trip Highlights

1. Went to this family restaurant and ordered from the pictures what I thought was chicken.  What I got was the cartilage tips at the end of chicken breast.  It was weird, they had a sliver of meat and chicken skin.  The order was about ten 1-1/2” pieces.  The place had little inset gas-fired hibachi’s that let you cook the food.  This is easy -  I cooked those bad boys till they were crunchy, then shootz it was all good.

2. Shopping hmmm, well Japan was a little colder than Guam and I needed a jacket/coat.  So I hit the mall and a few clothing stores hoping to find some warmth.  Damn I’m not the biggest dude but the XL, and XXL’s where too small??  I guess I didn’t see the big and tall store.  Neway, I find a vest that is tight but hell, it’s a down vest on sale a size XXL.  A bit later, back at the hotel I notice the snaps and zipper are on the wrong side.  Apparently I have a woman’s XXL (hey it was on the men’s rack, how am I s’posed to know?).  I swear to God I didn’t see any Japanese women that weekend that would even remotely be a XXL.  Thinking about it I’m not sure I have ever seen a size XXL? 

3.       Fuefuki has a bargirl Karaoke district which isn't much different than what is in Guam.  It is funny the places in Asia that I have been, there are always no local women.  I must go to the "non-local" places.  This one  joint had a high yen “bingo” game in the back?  I think the term bingo was lost in translation.   OK so the next night I went looking for a Jazz club and saw this club called “Night and Day” a piano bar.  Can’t go wrong with that, Cole Porter and Frank Sinatra right?   It was cool owned by this older Japanese guy ….that spoke English yea!  Lol he made me sing a karaoke song (nope no jazz slightly misleading) I selected Johnny Cash, but when  Helen Reddy “I Am Woman Hear Me Roar” came up Tak throws me the mic and says sing while he accompanied me on the piano.  Needless to say, I have a new song in my karaoke repertoire.  They were great ppl, warned me to be careful walking home and then sent a bottle of local wine to the Hotel. 

Ok so it is time to leave and catch the bus back to Narita.  That was the most difficult part of the trip.  We go to the train station and ask about bus tickets because it is also a bus stop.  No luck at the train station info booth.  No English but my friend knows Japanese so we get a number to call for the bus line.  He he I call the number later and we communicate only just enough for me to understand that the woman on the other end of the phone cannot speak English. 

OK no problem I got this.  Next step Google translate Bus to Narita and ask the desk clerk to help.  


Done! I have reservations but no ticket.  With a reservation, you have to go to the convenience store with a ticket kiosk.  



I handed the clerk the paper with reservation confirmation number for him to operate the kiosk (which is all in Japanese)  after the BAS vs BUS spelling incident I finally have a ticket.  With ticket in hand the Bus/Plane trip back to Guam was without incident.

Guam Breadfruit

Hey ho

Long time no post, well quick update I'm in Guam. Interesting place lots of ppl in denial...I mean hopeful that U.S relocation from Okinawa will happen. More on that later. Been here for almost three months saw my first tree snake the first month. Ain't seen one since. Well, just up the street is a bread fruit tree. So I had to try cooking one.

Well, after looking up how to cut and peel in the internet I fried that puppy up. The long and short of it is breadfruit is pretty bland. Very starchy like plantains, I used butter and had to cook on a low heat, just soaked up the butter. Next time I'll try peanut oil and a higher heat. seasoning is the key, I kept it simple celery salt and pepper but easily could have gone the sugar, cinnamon...sweet route.

There u got it just a quick update on the Guam thing. I need to get more active through, so next on the plan is to find a dive buddy. Got the dive gear here so I gotta use it. I also owe a Guam summary ... s'plain the denial comments

November KAF Update

Ok it is past time for another KAF update. G-Daddy is done with the “Hawaii Project” final close –out has been a bitch and I’m free. Here is the Kick Ass November summary.

11/1 – I left Hawaii for Troy Michigan to visit USNCB Force. Had a great time cept lil’Ricky chewed my glasses. Spent week visiting The Force with 2 of those days in Lansing visiting KC. Highlight was the Motown records museum. OMG The Force dives like crazy in motor city. Egads I washed my cell phone. OMG it is impossible to buy an unlocked cell phone anymore.

11/5-11/6 Hungout with old college friend in Lansing MI. It was great lol we hit a couple of bars downtown. Dude is from Wasilla so we had great fun talkin about Sarah and the state of American politics.

11/8 – Fly to ATL and pick up big sis’s car. Start road trip to Emerald City. Met The Adventure (TA) in Atlanta. The car condition was a questionable 1996 C220 with 256,000+ miles. Lol my brother was posed to meet me but that didn’t happen. I had to pay the 200 bucks to get it out of hawk from big sis’s mechanic….arrgh family. Car condition summary after the mechanic “looked it over”. One trash bag of garbage and misc items for donations, gas gauge doesn’t work, gas leak somewhere, turn signal not working, no licensed plate lights, coolant leak somewhere. The overall male opinion is “sis sell the car”. Neway the GREAT ROAD TRIP had started. Gas gauge solution, use the trip odometer and only drive 300 miles between fill ups. Get this TA had a plane ticket to AZ based on the condition of the car just in case.

11/9 – Start of the GREAT US ROADTRIP Atlanta to Seattle 3700 miles with a side bar to Sierra Vista, AZ. First, leg ALT to HSV and met some friends of TA there. Car did OK so we pushed it to Florence AL. Hmmm weird noise started like sirens couldn’t determine where it was coming from. The take the back roads off the plan and now we need to stay on the interstate total lack of confidence the car will make it.

11/11 – Tried to contain TA’s geocaching addiction but that didn’t happen. Hit Texarkana with a geocaching vengeance, found 4. Met an interesting local(?) that gave us the town summary. The old railroad depot was vacant so of course we had to check it out, alas there was nothing of interest. Did find a house worth painting. Was hoping the travel/any from work would revise the watercolor urge but had/has nothing. Texas is huge took three days to get across that place. Figured out the gas leak/smell, it happens whenever the gas tank is filled too fast. Saw my first wind farm, I want one. Visited friends of AT’s outside of Dallas, she knows ppl everywhere.

11/13 – Get to TA’s place in Sierra Vista on Saturday did laundry and “rested” B4 the second half of the trip. Rested means ripped up living room carpet, mounted flat screen TV on wall, fixed bath lavatory drain, installed wireless router. Man was that rejuvenating.

11/15 - Hit PHX for CO2 capture burner mtg. Been talking with this friend of mine about being a PM for several coal and oil fired power plant burner replacement projects, for like almost 5 years. Come to find out the “investor” is waiting for the Mexican Government to redeem some 1913 Govt. Bonds lol roflmao… OK it may turn out but, I’m a little less confident it will happen. As my friend would say we should know by tomorrow…

I was also to meet a man about a solar panel/farm idea of met. My idea - The solar panel COOP farm, a simple plan. Buy some land, let ppl buy shares in the COOP, share in this case means PV solar panels. It is like this, most ppl don’t want to put panel on their house. Typically, old houses aren’t designed to incorporate several 3’x7’ solar PV panel arrays on the roof. The utility company will only let residential owners use the roof-mounted equipment to offset the utility cost. Hell in Hawaii, the electric company is claiming that to many residential installations will destabilize the grid WFT?? The total “collective” can sell the power generated to the utility company at peak cost and all of the members can benefit (meaning a monthly check) from the sale of power. The PV farm COOP can support a battery storage/inverter station so the grid stabilization think isn’t a factor. lol yeah I’m looking to buy some desert land in AZ near a power transmission lines hopefully for real cheap. Well that is an entire BLOG entry in itself.

11/16 – Well the second half of the trip had to pick-up the speed. So headin north yuk worst hotel of the trip was come rundown casino outside of Las Vegas. Barstow smells and looks really rough, the passenger side turn signal flew out of the car and the lens cover separated and flew over the roof. Amazing enuff it didn’t break or get run over by a semi tractor-trailer. Had some shipping tape in the car and ghetto’d the bad boy right-up. The coolest things on the California portion; 20 mule train BORAX mine (would have asked for the tour but, I just taped the turn signal back on the car), viewing the freight train on the Tehachapi Pass Loop, looking towards Death Valley, the orchards, Corning for olives and virgin oil.

11/17 – Oregon, sis’s lil car on the mountain, it was tough. But it did OK until Portland, it was raining cats and large dogs, the check engine light comes on, the add coolant light comes on. Lost all confidence in the car…call all my friends and family in Seattle and put the warning out that if the car dies in route send help.

11/18 - Lesson learned is dat sis’s little car don’t like to be pushed. After a nights rest, can of oil, and more antifreeze it purred into Seattle just fine. Had enough time for TA to geocach at the old Olympia brewery birthplace of Oly Pop!. Saw Aunt, Uncle, cousins and old college friend. Spent the night at D&S’s place, smile I actually “jammed” with D on guitar and, me on my ukulele lmao. I guess I learned something in Hawaii.

11/19 – Whew! dropped the car off at the shipping place and caught the plane home. Landed in ANC, it was 8 degrees F. Segundo picked me up at the airport. WTF, who leaves Hawaii to go home to ANC in the middle of the winter?

11/26- Took Segundo to Juneau to visit Primo and his GF. Primo cooked dinner at his roommates hse (not GF but, an older woman with young daughter). Great food, he slow roasted the turkey, it was a good time. We geocached the day after it was a good time. Lesson learned quit drinking with children, Primo is an angry drunk. New worries as a parent, oh well it never ends.

Well woo hooo it is good to be home. I have tickets to the AIFF and my birthday is coming up. Lots of house stuff to do. Let the rumpus begin. Christ I need to figure out what is next, again that is another BLOG entry also.

KAF Update

Sorry for the lack of post all. Not that I haven't been having fun but project close-out has been a bitch. So I guess fun has been under achieved. However, I did go to the Big Island on Labor Day. A buddy of mine has taken it upon him self to document the health and location of Wiliwili trees on the island, freelance environmentalism. So we spent the afternoon hiking and locating these trees.

Mature tree, about 100 years old we figured??

Wiliwili tree seeds






Nice grove of trees.

The last groves of trees was a turkey roost, alas no turkey but we did find a turkey feather!
<<-----------

You could see/feel the spirit of this old tree, its is dying, note orange color.
--------->>

Here is all of the pics from that day.

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B6jvDj02rIx0MmY5NTc5M2ItMGU1MS00MWU2LTgyYjEtOWQ3OWVmNjEzZjg4&hl=en

Kick Ass Fun Update

So here is what I have found. I have the best Super Bowl Sundays if I don't watch that goofy football game. So for the last two Sundays in a row I have hit Ward's Rafters. What a funky place. The third story of this woman's house in Kaimuki...who would have known??

http://www.yelp.com/biz/wards-rafters-honolulu

On Superbowl Sunday was, "A Tribute to John Coltrane". Man that was hot.

Here is the play list for you jazz purest.

1st Set
Bessie's Blues
Good Bait - sweet
I Mean You
Lazy Bird - waltz
The River
A Love Supreme - dudes, tore it up way to close a set!!! Satomi was just awesome on piano

2nd Set

Giant Steps
Moment's Notice
Ohm(sp) Original composition I thought is sounded like the funky part of The River
Something about John Coltrane - Flute
Impressionsw/Neil on Sax also for duet/ Neil can blow also....sigh started thinking about work on this tune.

3rd Set

In Walked Bud
Mister Day
The Creator Has a Master Plan - a Pharoah Sanders tune

This Sunday was just as good. Valentines Day, Mom and Pop's anniversary, which leads to an entire separate blog post. In Summary, that was two Sundays in a row of kick ass fun!

Primo and Segundo on da island brah!

CHECK IT OUT!!!

Primo and Segundo were in HI for Christmas.

The highlight was a night at the Dragon Upstairs Lounge in Hono Downtown Chinatown. Another awesome Jazz show, the drummer was choke as they say in the 808


They also got to pound sweet rice to make moshi(sp) for the new year. I guess rice pounding is a Japaneses new years tradition. The neighbor does this every year and he invited the boyz and I over.

Moshed sweet rice...., yup I know that was takin grammatical liberties with conjugation.

The moshi production line.

Three of us at the bar, he he it reminded me of going out with Pops .

Hnloah G-Daddy Exploring The City

What up, Yo

Sorry haven't been posting much. hell it is Sept and I have had only two post this year better step it up. First can you believe it I had the nerve to complain about $3.75/gal gasoline... duh what a bargain that would be now?

No doubt you have seen the Labor Day dive pictures so I'll spare y'all those details. The superferry over to Maui would make a great post in itself. The highlight of the trip was in Lahaina when this guy thought Heavy P and I were a gay couple and tried to sell us sea salt expholiating skin cream and some other great skincare products. I think it went over HP's head. nuff bout Maui.

This post is about me celebrating Segundo's 21st BD. Since he is back home in Anch I celebrated it without him. I got a ticket off of HPR (Hawaiian Public Radio) to a jazz concert, the ticket was only 20 bucks!!!. man-o-man let me tell you about this show. First in was in dwntwn hono in Kakaako (I think) at the Atherton Studio. The place seats maybe 75 ppl max, last night there was only 35-45 ppl there. The groups is Bop Tribal www.myspace.com/boptribal Yo dudes and dudettes, they tore it up. Do you get the picture? An awesome jazz show, in a small venue, for only 20 bucks??? In Anchorage, you would have never got tickets, this place was smaller than Bernies upstairs.

So here is what I thought of the show. The thinker is the trumpet player, DeShannon Higa, the majority of the tunes where his composition. He let that fact speak for itself and didn't hog the playing time and showcased everyone else. Ho! don't get me wrong dude can blow and jam he just didn't Bogart it on his compositions.

Satomi Yarimizo played the piano. Wow, she also had a couple of compositions both I really dug. It was a pleasure to watch her play, like a willow tree, she swayed and flowed with the energy of each tune. There was nothing slight or demure here. At times sure her play was was gentle but, girly girl could kick it with the boyz no problem. She was on time.

Playing Tenor Sax, Reggie Padilla. Hell i don't know what i liked best either when he and DeShannon played together or when Reggie would hit a groove, then it was just plain intense.

The drummer Von Baron, well I though his performance was crisp, clean and professional. Dude appeared to be a serious percussion technician. These all are meant to be good adjectives. Von Baron got down to business and went to work! I'm no musician but I swear at times his playing would pull that little extra sumpin, sumpin out of Paddila. My only complaint was the sandpaper effect on a couple of pieces but, hey that is just me.

The bassist Jon Hawes had the only amplified instrument, they swore his big upright was on the way. Dude gots to be real good to hang with the rest of these cats but, I wasn't moved greatly by any of his solo's. I think I heard synergy with Satomi lots of times; again, I'm no music anything.

Overall the show was sizzling. Of the first set I particularly liked Tipsy Island, I don't know, it seemed to me to be the first tune where the jitters were gone and I was hearing a tight quintet. My second fav of the first set was, Flowers Smell Better in June, it swung! The second set was just fuckin tight. I LIKED EVERYTHING!. seriously it was all good. They hit the Thelonious Monk tune, Green Chimneys, red hot and smokin no wonder they took a break before that last number. All in all it was a great show!!!

Pacific Dining USAKA Style

Hello all

Just a short note to let you know I’m still alive and kicking in the South Pacific. The most FAQ from my friends, are about island women...NO Comment! The second most FAQ is about the food. So after several attempts to attach the dining hall intranet web site with the Café Pacifica menu, which failed because, is blocked by the local IT folks. Meaning you can only see the menu while at work???. I have decided to write a summary e-mail about the food served in the PDR (local slang for Pacific Dining Room which in the early years was call the Subsistence Building). Honestly, some of the food isn't bad, and you have to give props to the cooks for being creative and adventuresome.

There is a huge variety in the menu.

Sometimes Italian; Ratatouille, Spaghetti w/Bolognese Sauce, Ham Marco Polos, Jardinière (ok so this is French but still most folks wouldn't know it)

or Mexican; Smoked Pork Carnitas. Chorizo Enchiladas, Tex Mex Fresh Veg., Spanish Rice/Tortillas, Beans Supreme??? (Yeah baby!!!, this is culinary vision. Forget taco supreme, burrito supreme, nachos supreme. Just go straight to the supreme beans)

Even Asian; Sweet & Sour Pork, Korean Beef Steak, Thai Veg. Pasta (this was horrible! Imagine fettuccine noodles with some peanut butter mixed in arrrgh), Oriental Fried Rice

OK so it is a menu of mix Asian cultures but hey the dudes be cooking. Sometimes, two or three times a week, there is just weird shit like, collard greens w/carrots? Great fish though, Broiled Mahi Mahi, Pan Seared Ahi.

I have hunch that chicken is the most popular food in the world. Chicken is almost a three time a day stable here and rice is also served at every meal including breakfast (eggs silly). Here are the lunch and dinner chicken selections from the last two weeks.
1. Kwaj Fried Chicken
2. Chicken Peapod Stir Fry,
3. Crispy Baked Chicken
4. Chicken Sukiyaki (yup Tuesday was Asian food night)
5. Breaded Chicken Strips w/ BBQ & Ranch,
6. Lemon Herb Roast Chicken
7. Chicken Fajitas
8. Oven Fried Chicken (really could be Crispy Baked Chicken)
9. Chicken Corn Saute
10. Sweet & Sour Chicken
11. BBQ Chicken
12. Herb Broiled Chicken
13. Roast Cornish Hen w/Fresh Herbs (yes these are chickens, lil bitty chickens but still chickens),
14. Spicy Chicken Curry
15. Louisiana Chicken & Crab Soup,
16. Chicken Veg. Stir Fry
17. Chicken Cordon Bleu
18. Szechuan Chicken
19. Oven Fried Chicken (not Oven Fried Chicken again)
20. Chicken Sukiyaki
21. Herb Roast Chicken (out of lemon again)
22.Spicy Buffalo Wings w/Celery & Bleu Cheese
23.Chicken Fried Chicken (ok this one had me.believe it or not this was served with "natural gravy")

The long and short of it is one must be very selective. Some things are good, other things are horrible. So farI have lost about 5lbs. When in doubt I eat the chicken.

P.S. Get the latest version of GOOGLE EARTH and see where I am

S-PAP

Friends, howdy from Kwaj.

OK I'm sorry it has been a long time since I have posted. However, the good news is I have finalized mylong awaited (S-PAP) South Pacific Action Plan. Yes, in true engineer fashion I couldn't just "Do It". I had to plan it. In addition, since Im saturated in this military world, I gave it a pretty neat acronym. The plan is divided into two parts; personal task and professional task.

Personal task
Marshallese culture emersion. Get boat access and tour the Atoll islands. Learn Marshallese, visit Majuro the capital and hopefully get to other atolls. Basically get to know the Marshallese ppl and escape the USA influence. This place has 2000 Americans and 1500 Marshallese that come over from Ebeye everyday to work. I think, but Im not sure, the wages are substantially lower for them than USA folks, sharecropping comes to mind. I got a Marshallese CD from the liaison officer. This should be good cause, I stink at languages. I'll post for sure the trip(s) to Ebeye separately.

Fishing, deep sea, and saltwater fly fishing. A few Tuna, Ahi, Ono, and Mahi-Mahi. The locals catch some other reef fishes with hand nets. I dont know what those are and some of them have ciguatera toxins. The authorities say dont get reef fish??? Ok so far I have take the two written test to get your B-boat license. They have these really hot 22" Twin-Vees with 115 hp Yamahas for rent 40 buck for four hours plus gas. Get this gas is $1.80/gallon.

I am also on task to shake of my water phobia and perhaps do some snorkeling and/or scuba. I have never been a water person. I think it is the whole fire sign thing, plus always wearing glasses. Not a big priority until I get the underwater vision issue solved. Bi-focal goggles if you please. Being cheap here, insurance covers eye exams, but insurance isnt active until the first of June. Imagine living on an island and you can't see in the water, Christ sakes. So I need to wait, get some prescription goggles, and then attempt snorkel and scuba. Hell that shit is big out here. Sorry, surf-daddy aint happin.

Paint ten 9x12 watercolors and perhaps write some short stories or something. I joined the KAG (Kwajalein Artist Guild) met some cool ppl. This is working on the next career. Whatever moves me in the direction of royalties? This is the last engineering job I hope. Yeah I said that about the last engineering job Christ. This job is heavy suckage personified. I know, I know, I said I wont complain about work arrrgh.

Professional Task
Regain my past AutoCAD proficiency. This is the only real professional goal I can think of. Perhaps get my PMP certificate but hey if Im looking at royalties in the future who needs it. No hot keys, no layer keys, no templates. I have a draftsman that cant do xrefs. ha ha I mentioned Tri-Services layering standards once lol. That gives you a glimpse of the work/job situation. Beyond AutoCAD there is no engineering software here, none of any type period. I mention the lack of load analysis software in a meeting and was told to use a slide rule, they thought it was funny??? Oops was I complaining?

That is all for now G-Daddy Tropicus


P.S. I have a data cable issue to solve. As soon as I fix it hopefully, pictures will follow.

A Small Irony

Hiho all (for some reason I have been thinking of Kermit the Frog)

Anyway how about a Kwajalein update. OK first some parameters. I ain't gonna complain about work. It is a job, it pays, and I'm out here for the adventure. However, excluding job complaints does not let the Company nor location off of the hook. I will often reflect and narrate on those conditions.

Today's topic folks, is irony. It is all over and I'm really trying to keep the sarcasm from bursting out. I have had three different orientation session; EH&S orientation, New employee orientation, and Island orientation, all without a compass or GPS. I'm all orienteered out. Btw my GPS is so old the Marshall Islands don't show up on any view less than 500 miles. Looks like I need a new one lol. OK back to the topic. Bit of history, this was the site of Operation Flintlock, the battle of Kwajalein. Oh about 1945 the US pounded this place with artillery, we're talking mass tonnage of ordinance, soldiers landed and slaughtered the entrenched Japanese. In 1945 this place was leveled and has never recovered. There are big pits in the reef that were blasted out for material used to extend the island. The liberated coral was also used for the concrete aggregate used in almost all of the older buildings.

In addition, this is an active US Army installation, being the army brat; I have been on a few Army Post and AF Bases. The point is military installations are not green environmentally friendly spaces. OK here is the ironic part; they had a big Earth Day Celebration 2006 here. I look around and want to cry, my boyhood visions of Treasure Island have been trashed. I could see, Earth Day awareness, a small wake perhaps? But celebration plleeezzs. I need to get off this island and see some other atolls. The real deal, is most of the US activities are channeled to this, the Kwajalein Atoll. You need permission from the RMI (Republic of Marshall Island) to go anywhere else. Our security is so tight we also need to get passes and permission to leave and go anywhere else.

Here is my partial island adventure plan.

1. Be quiet and not complain about the job. Yes G-Daddy will try to be a complacent worker bee. arrrgh is that bile I taste?
2. Try to learn Marshallese, sigh I am not good at languages.
3. Then hopefully I can go to Ebeye (pronounced E-bye) and make friends with folks from other atolls speaking Marshallese.
4. Get to at least three other atolls.

Here is a final don't do if any of y'all get a job out here. Do not ask about radiation in the EH&S (environmental heath and safety) orientation. We are not suppose to mention that however, there are some RF hazards I have actually gotten a Marshall Island history white paper, from one of those orientations, that does not even mention that the USA set off 67 atomic weapons out here. The atolls of Bikini and Enewetak where evacuated. Five islands in Enewetak Atoll were literally vaporized. OK next time more on the Island Adventure Plan

I'm here, I'm here, I'm here, I'm here

Hey folks Im in

The good parts.

The weather has been spectacular. 82-84 F. in the day, sunny or partly cloudy. Everybody rides bikes no POVs. It was part of my job to ride around the airport today and look at a project site. Man that was tough!! My room window looks east so I get the sun and moon rise over the ocean. The ocean view is spectacular, so far there has been steady trade winds and everyday I can watch these 3-4 foot breakers. Yes, folks I have an ocean front room, cross the road and add about 75 ft of land and Im at the beach. I have seen a total of 5-6 ppl on the beach it is all around so I guess the locals think no big deal. I walk to work and take the beach road so I get this view for about half of the walk. I guess I could ride a bike but hey it is only a 5 minute walk to the office.

I could give yall some of the bad parts but hey, I think Im gonna walk the beach. The sun has set and it has cooled off. Plus I got this new LED headlamp that really needs to be broken in before the moon rises. I must proudly add that the LED headlamp purchase was a result of GHOOM. I miss and want my rollerblades. This place is virtually flat. However the blades are in the mail, woo hoo GHOOM optimization again. Also want my bowling ball. This place has a 7 lane alley that is empty. Get this you still keep score by hand!!! The lack of bowling ball and fishing gear was also a result of the aforementioned GHOOM. Unpleasant result? Yes, but analyzed and fully evaluated.

Final note: for some reason we get Sunday and Monday off? Im sure there is a justifiable reason if you think about it? Regardless on Monday while ur going to work, Ill be .. hmmm hangin in paradise.

Kwajalein

OK, arrrgh yes I have to go back to work.

Translation: I'm almost out of money. I know, I know.. I made a vow not to go back to engineering but, alas U R what U know. He he ha ha so I modified the vow! Anyway, the modified vow is if I have to go back to engineering, then it better be an easy, fun/exotic job and location. A true life (if, then) logic statement. Pretty tuff vow if you consider, growing up in Alaska plus 25 years of engineering up here. Note the amount of money isn't the first criteria. Shucks and darn the first job I apply for sends me an offer. The job is located in the Marshall Islands. Of course I said yes. I think of it as trading seeing fur seals in the Pribilof Islands (been there, done that) to sea turtles in the Marshall Islands. Yeah, I've seen the bears at Brooks camp too. Been snowed in in Glacier Bay NPS, that was a blast. Alaska been very very good to me (old SNL Garret Morris line).

So far so good. I sent back the first bundle of paperwork last week. I had the pre-employment "physical" today; basically they just drew a ton blood and other fluids, data collection of materials to be sent "back east" for further analysis. Yeah my blood pressure was OK and so was the uh prostate, being over 40 is a bitch. Remember when the hernia check as a big deal??Barring some weird unknown illness and the security clearance I think I'm in. (Fingers crossed, knock on wood).

GHOOM (geek high organization/optimization mode) is setting in. OMG, first a Gantt chart to organize all of the crap I need to get done b4 I go. Need to list everything I'm taking; which puter, camping gear, prescription goggles (holy shit I need an eye exam, extra glasses) fishing stuff (hmmm poles are in Soldotna @ mom and dads). Arrrgh Banking - I hate automatic EFT's but should get that set-up for all of the house bills. Yikes 20 and 18 yo sons with the run of the house, holy fuck that is "risky business". FYI Tom Cruise is a punk. Bike!! Can't drive on the island. Throw away bike?? Everything rusts out. Need to evaluate the proper bicycle for the tropics. The party!! need to have a party b4 I go!!!Warning Warning Danger Will Robinson. Sigh this is sooo much fun. More fun than humans should be allowed to have. wooo hooo

Amtrak - The Neglected Sunset Limited

Howdy sports fans,

G-daddy is back home, but I need to catch y'all up on the last 2/3 of the "desert trip 2006". First, the Amtrak Sunset Limited. OMG it fucking sucked @#!$ Here is a bit of an history lesson; Amtrak owns no rails therefore, every Union Pacific freight train and its Burlington Northern freight hauling cousin has the right of way on the rails. I have never seen sooo many freight trains in my life. I bet we were passed by four or five consecutive freight trains. All of Arizona and New Mexico was passing or getting passed by freight trains. In the middle of nowhere, the tracks are three wide with a pull over section. I swear it took 10 hours to go from Tucson to Demming AZ just a small piece down the rail. Then because of the delays, we were late getting into El Paso. The engineer just stops the train. RR engineers can only work continuous 12 hours max. I think airline pilots and truckers have this same restriction too. So, the dude stops the train in Willcox AZ and we have to wait till an new engineer is driven out from El Paso. Arrrgh.

We must have passed all of the cool desert scenery at night, cause I didn't see any during the day. The water color inspirations for G-daddy the artist, were limited at best. But if anyone ever gets to Willcox there is a very cute run down white house with a backdrop of the biggest, fullest, dark rich, evergreen trees. It is located across the tracks from the train stop (no station in Willcox). The "stop" is literally the section of track between the Dairy Queen and the Circle K store. The house has a corrugated roof with a wide rust streak, cause by the flue stack. The paint is faded and peeling with an almost light baby bluish teal trim. I think I'll try this one, on acrylic and larger than my normal post card fair. If that isn't lemonade I don't know what is?

The moral here is: If u wants to take the train; get a connex, pimp it out and make it comfy, then ship yourself as freight. You'll get there on time as freight, cause if you take Amtrak you'll be late. The train was twelve hours late. It was scheduled to arrive at San Antonio at 10pm and it arrived at 10am the next day. Pretty sad when the French, Germans and Japanese all have 100 mph screamers and we have Amtrak. Needless to say, I did experience the dining and lounge cars to the fullest extent. The dining car food was a plus.

Puter update, the trusty laptop is still suffering. I am waiting for an elegant solution via divine inspiration (perhaps a lightening bolt). However, I think I'm in love with Linux. The relationship is still young so I don't want to jinx it. Tomorrow's episode is San Antonio

San Diego headin East

OK all here is an update to the travels of G-Daddy

After a fun filled week with my college buddy JP in San Diego. (did I ever tell U bout da time we ran for student body President and VP at UAF?) NOTE - Lesson learned, don't fuck with ur computer and drink an entire bottle of scotch with ole college buddy. Oban, 14 yo, west highland, for those interested. The laptop is basically a travel weight at this point in time because, I optimized some stuff while really blind eyed drunk. Funny thing is I knew that drinking lesson (scotch and puters just say no) from past experiences but alas some lessons need to be revisited. Yes, it wasa long way to say it, I'm out of e-mail range for a while. Anyway the drinking was boss. We caught a rock show at the CASBAH in downtown SD, Saturday night, 4 bands for 8 bucks.

Now it is time to head east. sooo tomorrow I take the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner to LA then the Sunset Limited to San Antonio. The Sunset "limited"is just an econo class section of the Texas Eagle, For some reason they just can't call it an Eagle with cheap seats??^$$. The plan is to see Christy and her girls, old man Al is back on the slope, then go camping with Sue Grooms and Nicole. Yes, I have been inspired again and have one painting almost done. Hope fully the dessert ;-) train ride will give me another moment or two of inspiration.

Oh yah, the biodiesel conference, it was kewl. It was geared toward 20 million gallon a year plants and other producers, growers and f fleet managers operating in that order of magnitude. Nobody was talkin WVO, these dudes were talking soy beans to diesel fuel with no cooking in between. At this point in time, I would like to bestow some conference wisdom on those interested. Next time U plan to attend a conference with an exhibit floor - just pay for an exhibit pass, once U get a pass just go to any conference session you want....nobody ever checks. pls the Biofuel Conference exhibit pass still cost $275.00 plus I bought a $100 text book (geek).

Folks our next episode finds our super hero pondering, either buy a diesel car, get a job or, hangout for another 3 months. See y'all next week for our show titled, " Boy, I look like Samuel L Jackson in this car" OR " It is 82 Degrees F again, u gotta love workin in the South Pacific"

TTFN

USVI

My second night in the USVI, I am sitting in the living room with Eric. Sara Jane is at work. Eric says, “Greg did you see that spider? Help me catch it.” I look to my left and get a glimpse of a huge spider, at eye level, less than 24” away, and racing across the wall. It darts into the corner behind the TV stand. OK, huge is an understatement. The body is a bit larger than the size of a Susan B Anthony and the legs are about twice as long as the body’s diameter. Yes folks, that is correct, it has about a 4 inch wingspan. So, as I’m processing the size and speed of this devil Eric offers, “Be careful cause these guys can really jump? I don’t know how they get in. It must be through the windows”

In order to have the full picture you need to know that both Sara Jane and Eric are vegan/PETA folks. I’m thinking I need to arm myself with a shoe, newspaper, handgun, or whatever. I NEED A WEAPON. Eric on the other hand plans to do battle with a mere plastic Tupperware bowl and matching lid. He is entering this fatal confrontation with the prevailing thought, THE SPIDER SHALL NOT BE HARMED.

OK, back to the action. The TV stand is in the corner with the killer spider ready to attack behind it. I’m on the right of the stand, Eric is on the left. He is armed (relatively speaking). I’m the weaponless military adviser if you will. The spider makes the first move and dashes across the wall, towards me!! I make a strategic fall back yelling, “There it is!” thus fulfilling my observer roll. Then the beast jumps at least three feet directly towards me and lands on one of Erik’s large house plants. Note, Eric is Mr. green thumb with plants all over the place inside and out. Dude is amazing, he deftly sandwiches the killer inside the plastic bowl and lid. We apply duct tape as a security precaution just in case, hop in the truck, and release the POW about a ½ mile from the house.

Some final comments:

• The three weeks I’ve been here and I have helped Eric catch and release two rats in this same fashion. We had to up size our weaponry to a large box but the strategy was the same. Rats were easy, the spider showed no fear.
• The dog has been no help on any of these spider/rat campaigns.
• I need to do laundry but, there is a big ass scorpion hanging out in the dirty closes pile. hmmm these shorts are good for another day.

USVI

Monday night was beautiful.

I’m a night person and it just worked for me. The place I’m staying at is on a hill side about 810 feet above seawater. The house elevation is high enough to enjoy a stiff trade wind breeze from the east most times. The upper level deck presents an awesome panoramic view that faces south. Havensight (the cruise ship pier), Charlotte Amalie (town) and Frenchtown, are to the left. Submarine Bay, the airport and the St. Thomas campus of the VI University are to the right. The house is pretty much directly above the freighter/container ship docks, looking directly toward the east end of Water Island.

Monday night the moon was full and the view was a mosaic of white, black and grey hues. The sky was punctuated with scattered saturated puffy cumulous and cumulonimbus clouds. The silvery moonlight was shooting the gaps into the ocean giving the water surface a mercury like appearance. Off to the south I witnessed a huge thunderhead swelling and billowing just like the ones I saw when I was a kid living in Kansas. There were thunderheads to the south, east an d west with each storm contributing awesome, periodic, lighting flashes to the night sky. Each flash was like a directional color amplifier shifting the grey tones, in the effected area, up an entire octave or two. You have to imagine the massive dark grey ghostly shadows that the clouds cast on the moonlit water. Funny thing, the extremes, the black of the land and the white of the moon held fast.

The final part of this picture was the manmade white and orange tinged glows from the sodium vapor and metal halide lights. The lights dot the land and the sea marking buildings, roads, docks and boats. Just like dots on a map that mark cities and townships of the US eastern seaboard. The lights paralleled the shoreline with densities that varied with the pockets of commerce. Off in the distance there was a cruise ship lit up just like a section of town or one of the large hotels on shore.

Again it was a truly beautiful night

USVI

Well I’ve done it.

Achieved slugdom, reached the lethargic pinnacle of my slacker existence on St Thomas. This morning I was up at 7:30 but the sun came out and I needed to go back and nap. That made the final real up and start time the day more like 10:30. I have been “trying” to accomplish ONE thing a day. I guess this has given me time to reflex on a few things. First, St Thomas and the Caribbean in general….. Oh sure the weather is tropical but the history just ruins the vibes here for me. For locals, you have continentals “whites” and west indies “blacks”. Pigment social separation is still strong here. Then you have tourist. The economy is 100% tourism, on St Thomas. In my mind the island is a North American play ground. See Bahamas. In fact those are my entire Caribbean thoughts as well and you can include the Dutch, British and French as well. No slavery, plantations, however there is no work except the service of the tourist. Oh yeah there is also self governance. That is full of corruption and nepotism so I hear. Sure other Islands have oil and big industry (Trinadad) and some still grow sugars cane and make rum. Note in Trinidad sugar cane is heavily subsidized to give the locals employment. All of the things to do that you can read about are for the continentals and the tourist. You would think being from Alaska, I would be used to high tourist density. Honestly at home we avoid the tourist places.

USVI

Hey all

Finally got to a puter. At some lame ass tourist e-mail/trap. anyway. The weather has been great. I have painted a few post cards. I have had time to read a couple of books. Some Herman Wouk book about the VI and can you believe it "Lost Horizons"Place is great. I have a couple of post on my laptop that I'll transfer in time. My friends Sara and Eric don't have a puter? imagine that???

USVI

No internet at Eric and Sara Jane’s so I’ll date when these are written not when they are posted.

Stardate Saturday: 10082005 ha ha what a geek (I crack myself up)

Well folks I can safely say the VI is pretty much still United States, but different. Must also say being from Alaska the weather is awesome, bummer didn’t get the snow tires mounted before I left. Sara and Eric rent a nice three bedroom place on the hills above town. The joint is high enough to get the “trades” they blow though the house and keep the place pretty comfortable. From their place you have a great view of the harbor; tour ship dock, all of the sailboats and the airport. I love a view with motion. Just add rum and your in the Caribbean. They swear it was miserable in Sept but I have yet to see any days w/o wind. Honestly, I’m not the beach/snorkel person and hanging at the house with the fragrant breeze is nuff fo me. I actually read a book here!… hell it has been a awhile for that one. Really there is no reason to head downtown if your up on the hill, the breeze is way better than at a sunny beach (tan is one thing I don’t need). So, I’ve had a little bit of time to think also, but honestly I have gotten to any conclusion with respect to what I’m doing next. I’m a little tempted to look around the island for engineering work but that is a long shot, not a lot of need for heating system designers. I found five engineering firms in the phone book and my stomach started to cringe. I’m not going back, no ain’t no turning back. I just don’t think this a place I could work a regular job. There is really only one industry here, Tourism. Well I did paint Segundo a post card. I hope to get a feel for the local ppl next.

TTFN from the VI