On Monday I enjoyed being in the house. It is my free day with no tutoring. I worked on my blog, sorted photos, and researched critters I couldn't identify. We were going to go the Guam passport place and do what we needed to renew our passport, but we discovered it was Martin Luther King Day and also a government holiday, so that office would be closed. We would have to go tomorrow.
I recently discovered iNaturalist.org and decided I would start posting photos of what I saw. I hope it will contribute to research and also help me learn the identification of things I have never seen before. I'm am already finding the people there to be supportive. A professor from the University of Guam helped me to identify an orange spider I saw as a Dome Spider.
On Tuesday I did my tutoring in the morning, and as soon as I was done at 10:30, we set of for town and the passport office. But Rob had an additional responsibility for us too. The registration on the car we were driving, plus 3 other AWR cars had to be renewed. We stopped at a local tire shop to get a safety inspection for the car. I waited in the car while Rob ran in to make arrangements. A man came out who didn't speak clear English and got in the car. He drove the car a little ways and under a shaded area and I think he told me to go inside and wait in the office. I also think he told me that when a truck was moved, he would drive the car into a stall in the shop. Inside Rob was completing paperwork and paying the required $15. The man at the counter gave him some papers and told us that we could go. I was amazed. I'm not sure when the inspection happened, if it did. But I think that we payed for just a piece of paper and I really don't think the car was inspected, unless driving it to the new spot was all he needed.
Next we went to a copy shop and got passport photos taken for $15 each. Apparently the price had gone up since they first made their website. We were helped immediately there and probably walked out of the building in 10 minutes.
Next my GPS helped us find the Guam Tax and Revenue building. Hundreds of other people had gone in before us. Inside, the large warehouse type building was divided with portible office cubicles. Long lines of people snaked around the room. Apparently all the people who had planned to come yesterday, plus all the people who wanted to be there today all came at once. The line for the passport office wasn't bad. We had completed applications online, printed them, and brought them with us, signed and everything. Somehow we overlooked the tiny print that said the application could only be completed with black ink. The printer printed with black ink, but we ignorantly signed with the only pen I had with us, a blue ink pen. The office lady was concerned and had us sign our name with black ink also. Sure hope that doesn't cause problems with our passports getting back on time.
They would have been fine, but by the time it is time for us to leave Guam, and fly home through Micronesia, there will be slightly less than 6 months left on our passports, and they won't let you go anywhere if there is less than 6 months on it.
Once we had all the paperwork completed, we had to go to a different line and wait to pay a cashier for the documents and express shipping back to Guam.
Car Registration is in the same building. That line was the longest line we had seen in the building. Part way through the line, we discovered that there was a second line for veterans, military, seniors (over 55) and disabled. We moved to that line, since Rob has falls in senior category, only to discover it was barely moving too. There were only two people up at the counter. We stood there for what felt like hours. Finally it was our turn and a woman quickly completed the paperwork for all four vehicles, and then, yes, back to the cashier line. The senior line was very long there too. But the non-senior line was much, much longer. Rob now has all the information needed so they can take care of the yearly registration online. We didn't get out of the building until around 3:30. I think we were in lines over 3 hours. Later friends told us they have been in lines 7 or 8 hours in that building.
On the way home we stopped at the Farmer's Market in Agat and I got a few things from the regular lady that sells produce. She was the one who was there the previous time I was in Guam. On the edge of the market area was a pickup truck where a man was selling long smooth cucumbers. 5 for $1. I called Amy and she wanted some. It was a very good deal. In town they are over $2 per pound, even $2.50 per pound. When I got to the head of the line, I learned he was now selling them 6 for $1. I asked for a second bag so I could get some for my friend. Just as I was searching my purse to find enough change, he walked up and put two my cucumbers in my bag. So now we had 7 for $1. I think he wanted to be done with the market and go home. I'm thankful for the fresh food to eat.
I didn't help Amy with the girl's Bible study. They were headed out to swim when I arrived there, and I really needed to go home and rest after our hours in line.
Wednesday morning I had a hard time getting moving and got out late to walk. Shortly after getting out there, it started to rain. I thought I would have to go in, but discovered it felt really nice and so I stayed out for a full lap, which is 1/2 mile. The rain stopped so I went a second mile. And then a ways more. Somehow walking in the rain refreshed me and I was ready it was time to tutor.
After lunch Amy came over and gave me a massage. She recently renewed her license and can go to homes now and give massages. I'm so thankful for her skillful fingers. She gave me a full massage, but worked extra long on my upper arm and deltoid muscle, which I injured on my last backpacking trip of the fall. I think she made some progress on it and the last two days have been more comfortable. I'm doing some exercises now too and that seems to be increasing my range of motion and decreasing the pain as I reach for things.
After that I met Marseni and took her driving around Agat. I think that she has made some improvement since last week. Some other people have taken her driving too.
Wednesday evening I made rice and apple slices for Kid's Club. There was soup there and chips and salsa for the kids.
On Thursday afternoon I worked on a painting of a Blue-banded King Crow butterfly with its wings wide open. I was pleased with the drawing, but was challenged by the color in the wings. I may consider this version a rough draft, take what I learned and have another go at it. The blue dot didn't pop out from the dark wings. The black section didn't shine. I really want to give it another try.
After work on Friday Rob were headed out to go snorkeling when we discovered that the underwater camera didn't have a charged battery. I thought it was charged, but it appears that the outlet we had the charger plugged in had stopped working. So we delayed our departure while resolving that issue. We decided to go to Tumon Bay to go snorkeling. When we got into the water we found the current was strong, pushing us back toward shore. We could swim close to shore, but the further we got, the more it pushed on us. We really had a ways to go before we could get out to where the undamaged coral and fish were located. We stopped a couple times to rest, but finally gave up. I tried to photograph fish, but we and they were moving so fast that I didn't get more than a dozen photos that were ok.
Back at home I found that Rob wasn't really feeling good, so he was really glad we quit. And I discovered my eyes were dried out, and I had to struggle to get my contacts out of my eyes.
We will go snorkeling again another day when the conditions are more pleasant.
Comments
Post a Comment