Square Pegs

Spring Has Sprung

After almost 10 months on Guam, it is hard to mark new seasons by weather since it is always hot and humid here, but in spite of constant elevated temperatures and tropical conditions, there seem to be other small signs that signal Spring is in the air!  In the past couple weeks the sounds that greet me when I take the dogs out for their morning potty break are chicks peeping and newly born puppies yapping and grunting. 

 

   

Although the chickens, roosters, and newly hatched chicks always run for their very lives whenever they see me or the dogs, one of the Boonie babies came to pay us a visit today.  She was so cute even though she was completely muddy and had just finished frolicking in some rather large puddles.  Both Gromit and Madu took quite an interest in her but were very gentle since it was clear she was a little unsure what to make of them and all their strange "house" smells.

   

March 13th marked John and my 5 year wedding anniversary, so we enjoyed  it by indulging in some very low key celebrating here at the house.  We've both been on pretty strict diets, so we splurged on all our favorite snacks, foods, adult beverages, and hunkered down with the newly released, Resident Evil 5!  We lounged in our pajamas and took a well deserved hiatus from the gym and just decided to do "exercise" here at the house instead . LOL

 

Another sign of Spring is that I start my Spring session internship for school on Monday at the Guam Hyatt Regency Resort!  I'm so excited not only to enter back into the professional workforce, but also to be getting so close to being done with my bachelor's degree!  This weekend is officially my last weekend as just a student, since from this point forward I hope to be working with Hyatt and transition from intern into full-time employee.  I enjoyed going shopping today and refreshing my wardrobe with new shoes and uniform supplements. 

John has been staying plenty busy at work as he has transitioned to a new position with a larger team to manage.  He's loving it though and starting to feel more and more comfortable as a CPO.  Just about 10 days ago he started the P90X program and has been rockin' and rollin' with that.  In fact I can hear his weights clinking in the background as I type.   Between that and his BJJ classes at Purebred he seeing some great results and improving his strength. 

I can already tell that summer will be upon us before we know it and we'll be marking our 1 year here on Guam! 

On The Go

February is here and passing quickly, and all is well here at the Lykins house!  John and I both made some pretty heavy duty fitness goals for 2009 so the past month has been filled with much activity and and lots of sore muscles and sweat- all in a good way though! 

   

Recently we had the chance to go visit the 'Spanish Steps' at Orote Point for a bit of hiking and snorkeling with friends, and it was a great trip!  I must confess though, the current was pretty strong the day we went, and I'm a wimpy snorkeler, so I had a death grip on John almost the whole time.  What really sent me over the edge was coming nose to nose with a curious barracuda.  Although I'm sure he was just taking a peek at my awkward splashing, the mere sight of him up in my face just about sent me into orbit.  I stuck to the very shallow water after that.  The barracuda of course did not give chase and I'm sure lost interest in me the moment I was out of his eye line, but part of me was certain he was just out there waiting for me, so I spent the next hour or so just sitting in the shallows, looking at all the small fish and sea life that resided directly next to the shoreline.  In spite of the barracuda encounter, the trip was great.  Spanish Steps is a pretty unspoiled spot, so the fish and sea life are prolific!

Neither John nor I are football fans, but luckily there are enough sports nuts in the Navy that John got the day off to watch the game since it was "Superbowl Monday"here due to the time difference.  I volunteered that day for the USO Superbowl party, so John tagged along and played some Nintendo until I finished my shift.  Later that week I went to Zumba certification workshop, which was a blast, and then on Friday John and I ran one of the little 5K fun runs they do monthly on the base.  I was so proud of myself because it was the first 5K I have run straight through without even a short walk break. Now I'm just focusing on shaving some minutes off my time and building up my endurance so that I can start training for a 10K.  I'm going to start with a personal trainer next month, so I can't wait for that!  Although it was kind of a sad moment, John and I both turned off our World of Warcraft accounts, but have since filled up our time with lots of fitness focused activities. 

This weekend is Valentine's Day, but no big plans for us.  We may go for a hike or a beach run, but with the economy in such a horrible state, I have a hard time going out on splurging on frivolous stuff simply in the name of a Hallmark holiday.  Every day is Valentine's Day when you are married to the man you love more than anything, so we'll be happy to let the 14th pass without much fanfare.  We will however, be thinking of our friends and family back home and sending much love their way!!

Is it really almost February?

The holiday season was such a blur of fun, family, and food that I can't believe the first month of 2009 is almost gone!  2009 has gotten off to a pretty fabulous start for us, and both John and I are looking forward to a great year!  We had family here for 2 weeks over the holidays, and it was such a blast!  Definitely some of our best days in Guam to date!  We spent 2 weeks snorkeling, hiking, sight seeing, playing games, watching movies, and eating all of our favorite foods and even trying some new ones!  It was just awesome! 

     

Both John and I were back to work and school, respectively, on January 12th and have been busy with activity since then.  I'm getting ready to start winding down with school in just a matter of months now and ramping up for entering into full-time work again- this time with a bachelor's degree under my belt.  Woohoo!!  I've taken on some special projects at the USO that have also kept me busy, so the time has certainly flown by since my last blog entry!  We have a trip to Saipan planned in February, so I'm really looking forward to that little mini-vacation! 

We hope that everyone is doing well and that 2009 has gotten off to a good start for all of you! 

Christmas Come Early!

Christmas is still 2 weeks away but I feel like jolly old St. Nick has already been to our house!  Although we've now logged 6 months on the island of Guam, our Japanese friends are still sending us fun stuff from our former home and I have been incredibly touched by their thoughtful gifts!  We are so lucky to have made such wonderful friends during our time in Japan!  Thanks to their thoughtful, generous efforts I've even been able to keep up my Kit Kat collection in Guam!

   

John especially loves his new samurai "hat"! 

Christmas prep around the Lykins house continues to go well as we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of my parents on Christmas Eve!  School finals for me start on Saturday, and these will be my last classes of 2008!  I'm really looking forward to holiday break and having some time to catch up to John in the new Lich King expansion for WoW! 

Today I start my official holiday baking and I just can't wait!  The USO is having two big cookie events before Christmas day and so I'll be cooking up a storm to provide base families and service members with tasty baked treats to commemorate the season.  I've always loved holiday baking, so it is a real treat for me to have an outlet for my hobby rather than just increasing the waistlines of my friends and family!

 

Winter Togetherness

I can't believe how time has flown over the past few weeks!  With Christmas now less than a month away I've been busy making holiday cards, Christmas shopping, baking, entertaining off island guests, and attempting to stay on top of housework and homework simultaneously, and still fit in some volunteer days down at the USO.  To be honest, I love all of the activity and the busyness of the season, so the hustle and bustle has been nice.  I was down for about a week with a really nasty cold, but now I'm back on track and really enjoying all the holiday decorations and activities available both on the surrounding bases and out in the local community. 

  

Today John and I were supposed to go horseback riding near Ritidian Point, but there was a miscommunication between the MWR tour office and the ranch, so we ended up with a free day to explore the island.  I already had my camera on hand, so we decided to visit some of the nice north island beaches and view some wildlife.  Boy did we spot some great local critters; crabs, wild pigs, a big fat monitor lizard sunning on the road, skinks, various crabs, and lots of butterflies.

     

It was awesome to have an exploring day together since in Japan most of my exploring was done without John along to enjoy the discovery. We also found some coconut wine that I'm chilling in the fridge at the moment and I can't wait to enjoy that later on this evening.

 

Last night we had a fabulous time out with friends at our favorite local restaurant, Carmen's Cha Cha Cha!, then we viewed local Christmas lights in Skinner Plaza.  I really thought it would be tough to get that Christmas feeling in such a tropical climate, but Christmas is definitely in the air here on Guam!

   

As we have been enjoying all of the amusements, celebrations, and tasty foods of the season, both John and I have noted that what we are relishing most is experiencing it together!  Although life on Guam has not been a cake walk, the fact that we can experience it together has made a world of difference!  Having John home and entertaining our first true visitors in years has been such a refreshing experience for both of us.  We are feeling pretty blessed this holiday season!

Merry Making

I wasn't sure if it was going to happen this year, but I'm glad to say I'm starting to really feel the holiday season approaching.  We had a little bit of an early Christmas last weekend as we continued to prepare the house for holiday visitors.  We got a new TV and John finally got his long awaited X-box 360.

Putting up the Christmas tree last weekend was kind of a monumental occasion for me since it was the first time John had been home in the past 3 years for tree decorating.  In Japan I always put up the tree to help me feel less lonely, but this year it was awesome to look over my shoulder and see John happily playing games on the couch while I put up ornaments and put little decorations around the living room.  The dogs also got their new beds and have been enjoying them a lot already.

We had visitors from Japan a couple days last week, and as I was showing them around I got to soak up some of the island holiday decorations, which really started to get me into the holiday spirit as well!  We are going to a sub club potluck this year for Thanksgiving and I'm going to be making some tasty side dishes and a pumpkin cheesecake to contribute.  It will be nice to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year since last year we were in Kyoto and the year before that in Hong Kong for Thanksgiving.  Both John and I are so excited to have my parents and brother come to stay with us next month!  It will be our first Christmas with family since 2004!   

 

Halloween Hiatus

When taking a look at the Hallmark calendar, Halloween is definitely one of my favorite holidays to celebrate and decorate for.  It is usually my practice to go all out, but for some reason this year I haven't even as much as carved a pumpkin or put up a single decoration.  I'm not really sure why, but I think it may have something to do with it feeling like perpetual summer here and fall just seems like a distant memory rather than an observable season.  I've been enjoying the joys of fall weather vicariously through my blog buddies' postings.

John is underway this week and my big plans for Halloween are a 5K fun run and then hula class afterward.  It should be a busy week though between VIP's at the USO and visiting ships arriving today from Yokosuka, so that means lots of volunteer time for me over the next week.  School is going well and I'm nearing the end of my current classes and will move on to my next set, which will carry me through to Christmas break in December.  I just can't believe the holidays are coming up so fast, but since it means friends and family will be coming to visit, it cheers me up a lot! 

Slowly But Surely

It's hard to believe fall is almost here and that the holidays are approaching as I peek out my window and see blazing sun and a thermometer that reads 91 degrees.   John and I are quickly approaching our 5 "month-a-versary" here in Guam and I feel like we are starting to finally find something of a groove since our June 1st arrival. 

When we first arrived in Japan, it only took about 48 hours for me to realize I had a major crush on Japanese culture and the local people.  It was a crush that turned into a love affair during our 3 year stay, and one that I think will stay with me my whole life.  With Guam, it has been a really different story.  We had some pretty unsettling first impressions and have struggled with understanding many aspects of the culture, political structure, and social behaviors here.  To be honest, we both still are, but at least are able to limp along well enough to stop sticking out like big "off island" sore thumbs.

On September 16th, John was finally pinned as a CPO and the intitiation process came to a much anticipated end.  He was underway during the pinning ceremony, but when he returned I almost didn't recognize him walking down the pier in his khakis!   Just a couple days after he arrived home it was off to the Khaki Ball at Pacific Islands Club.  It was a really great event and the guest speaker was the MCPON (Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy), who at one point was actually stationed on the Frank Cable.  Although I tease John about being a professional, adult babysitter now, he really is enjoying being a CPO and is worlds happier than he was on the Stethem. 

School has been keeping me pretty busy, and I'm about half way through my first session of fall courses.  I'm taking an American Lit. class so I've been spending lots of time reading of late.  I've also started hula lessons every Friday, and began volunteering at the local USO just this month.  In late September I went on an island tour and also volunteered for a couple beach clean-ups, so I've been getting out and seeing more of the local sights and wildlife- including my first, real live brown tree snake! 

I've also been attempting to get out and try a few new local restaurants as well, but after a few rounds of food poisoning, I've been cautious.  My favorite place these days is Jamaican Grill in Chamorro Village.  I just love their grilled fish and Jamaican ginger beer!   John and I also tried Lonestar Steakhouse and give it the thumbs up.  Their bourbon mahi mahi is really tasty!

With friends and family coming to visit over the next couple months, I've been doing my best to scope out the best of the best and steer clear of the questionable!

This past week the "Echos of Doom" patch came out in anticipation of Wrath of the Lich King's release next month, so John and I have both been enjoying the new 51 point talents and trying to earn lots of new achievements with our WoW toons. 

I know I've been lacking in the blogging department lately, but I'm going to make an effort to put up more posts in the coming months!

If it is not one thing, then it's another....

The past couple weeks have been really busy and full of surprises.  First off, Gromit had surgery yesterday to biopsy two lumps on his back and I'm glad to report he is on the road to recovery and it seems the lumps were nothing serious.  Although still groggy from the anesthesia, he's doing well.  The incisions are a lot bigger than I thought though and I'm keeping a close eye on him while he recovers since he can be something of a difficult patient...as I quickly learned from his previous 3 surgeries and countless trips to the vet.

He's already enjoying all the time up on the bed though and Madu is keeping him good company during is convalescence.  She doesn't seem interested in getting too close to him, but she stands watch while he's sleeping and makes sure to alert me to even the slightest commotion or noise outside.  She is such a good little pack member!

John was supposed to have gotten underway a couple days ago, but it seems like the there have been so many set-backs since trying to get things rolling with the ship during the past week that it has really thrown a monkey wrench into his chief's pinning ceremony, which it now looks like I'll have to miss.    I've also had to cancel my trip to Japan for various reasons and I'm just going a little crazy with all the last minute stuff popping up!  The one good thing about malfunctions with the ship is that John is still home rather than out at sea, but each morning we have to say goodbye not knowing if he's actually able to leave or not- it has been a little emotionally jarring to say the least!  Just one day at a time I guess!! LOL

Sigh of Relief

My grades from last session finally came in and all of the worry and anxiety is over- thank goodness!  My schoolwork load has been significantly less this past week and so I found myself with some free time this morning and I almost didn't know what to do with myself!  I decided to pack a nice big iced coffee and motor around for a while with my camera.  I found several of the caraboa statues, which I will add my my "Around Guam" photo album.

John finally seems to be 'over the hump' with the worst of his Chief's initiation.  He's still working 7 days a week and continues to get up early and come home late, but at least he's adjusting a little and starting to just filter out all of the manure involved in the process.  He was fitted for all his new uniforms last week and came home the other day with his new coveralls; which are sporting very stylish gold anchors! :-)  We purged the closet of all his old uniforms, and replaced them will all his new khaki trappings.  I can't wait to see him in his new uniforms on the 16th!  What a change it will be, and best of all it will mean this whole initiation process is over and he can start doing his actual job!  lol 

We did have some fun Saturday evening when John came home from work because I had to do a couple sensory evaluations from my wine class and he got to be my guinea pig.  I think his favorite was the chocolate evaluation!

It's hard to believe September is almost here, but August was kind of a challenging month for us, so it is a sigh of relief it is drawing to a close.