Stump'n Icon

Iconic Stump

I took the family on a short island cruise 2 Sundays ago and just so happened I had brought the camera along. We were coming up Isa Drive along Capitol Hill when I remembered what I had been wanting to take a photo of. Two curves uphill and to the left side of the road is this tree stump, painted yellow, black and red. From an angle, one would possibly think this tree was carved out just for show but in actuality, it appears to be a bird's head on a long neck-be it the stump. On top of what is painted as the head, grows some new greens to which are kept occasionally trimmed.

I recall also when personnel from Public Works would wack out the weeds, pull unwanted overgrown, trim trees and the likes. Well, this is one of the trees that was cut down to the trunk to about 5 or 6 feet long. Every time new limbs try to grow on the top, it is cut down again and again and again until it was recently thought up by some imaginative mind to spruce it up a bit.

Whoever it is that is keeping this tree trunk alive, you are doing a mighty good deed for everyone to every occasion. I can only say, to present, this one, had something to do with "Independence Day" as it had also represented in the past some other icons like the Leprechaun (sporting a green hat) for the month of March and had also graduated with the many graduates in 2008 as it is displayed with a black cap and a tassel and recently-the good 'ol stars and stripes hat in the photo above.

A,B,C's

Try singing along as you read. This is Devin's style of a,b,c...

A, B, C, D, E, F, E,-H,I,J,K,ELO, MEN, O,P, now I know my a,b,c, next time I want you to sing with me, Q,R,S,-T,U,V,-W,X,-Y and Z, now I know my a,b,c, next time I want you to sing with me. clap-clap.

Monsoon Flowers

Blossoms

Last Friday wasn't much of a Friday like any other as the wind was still blowing from the west and with it came more gray clouds. It started getting boring come 3 p.m. so here I was again. I looked out the backyard and saw this beautiful flower that sprouted from what probably is from the same species as the taro. I grabbed the camera and began taking some pictures. I guess I got a bit carried away from snapping as I went around the house taking pictures of almost every blossom there was to snap at-in a somber way. That's one thing about the monsoon season. It brings with it an array of colors. Beau-tee-ful!

Rising Sun & Sabors

Da Opening & Fury Claw

Lang & Whatevers

Bogie & Da Risen Sun

Purple Cluster & Oranges
Hiding Claws & Hi-B
Fury Lion & Tai-bo

Sin-sir & White cotton

SOME FRUITS & VEGGIES

Boorie & Artist

And some nuts too

Poo & Pools

Kenneth's visit

Junior, our eldest son, visited us Saturday evening with his family (Devin, baby Kenneth and their mom Catherine) just as our binoculars were fixed on the tube watching "3:10 to YUMA". The concentration on the tube broke when we heard Devin's loud voice "hello...Kyler...". I went up the front door and there he was with his mom also carrying baby Kenneth who was all bright eyed and smiling (probably happy to see his old man again).

The Magic

Junior, Catherine and baby Kenneth left around 10 or so and so we went back to watching more DVDs when Devin came up to me and wanted me to "make magic". I use to trick this boy into holding something (be it candy or gum) in my closed palm, stick out the index finger of the same hand and play with his ear while at the same time saying "magic, magic...", open my hand and show whatever it was in my hand to him to his amazement. That is the magic and now, I'm running out of it as I don't have candy or gum for it. One time he came up to me, grabbed my hand, put it to his ears and there he was on his own "magic, magic" and when I opened my empty hand in front of him to find nothing, tried his luck on his other ear hoping the magic would work. Ai adai this boy. Another time he attempted this, all he found was a young betel nut in my hand which he gave up on. No more magic that time but last night, I had to tell him that my magic only works when the sun is up and shining. "Ooooo! When the sun come up" and I just replied "yes" and that was the end of the subject-at least for now.

Devin!-again

Pat and I took him to Sunday service but on our way there to Church, I told him to behave during the service. He said "yes" but wasn't looking at me but facing straight forward as if to say "why bother". "Devin, do you hear me" again "yes" but I guess I don't have to say what happened in church as you would already know.

SPAMALICIOUS

Rolling thunder here and there. It's been like this for 2 days and nights-I think. Right after my honey bun left for work this morning, I decided to cook something for my grumbling stomach. Besides the drizzling rain and occasional thunder rolling and our son Kyler with the television, everything was quiet for me in the kitchen as I went about with my preparation. Guess what it is I'm cooking for breakfast. Yep!!! The same thing Kyler had earlier when I came out to see off honey bun to work.

The peaceful moment vanished when my Par Ton came up the door unexpectedly and attempts to get my attention "oyy-oyy". He really got my attention alright because he frightened me from my concentration as I was dicing the SPAM-Oooops, said it. He giggled and walked out towards the back of the house probably to pick walawal. What else is there to do in the backyard except pick leaf but as the saying goes "do onto others what you want others done to you", it was done. As he came straight by the kitchen window, I yelled out and boy-you should have seen the look on his face. He was more scared than I was as he abruptly turned towards my direction-rounded eyes, puckered lips and a stance as if he was going to do the chacha with his back arched backward just as a scared cat would. I can't help but laugh at his reaction. He continued off walking and mumbled "se-lomw".

That's my Kompairi

Wait a minute!!!!!

Something's very wrong here. This can't be his picture. My kompairi has no teeth-unless of course, he had them fixed. He sent me the wrong picture. I told him to send the one with his best smile and this is what he sent. Dang it par!

U-1-na-b WIL SMITH you.

Rev&Tax / Devin

I'm not much of a person who likes to wait in line-most especially when the line is unusually longer than expected. This one though, took a turn for some laughs as Devin (our grandson) came along with me.

1 Day Ahead
My better half decided to task me with payment at the Revenue and Taxation (known for short, Rev&Tax). This was towards the end of the month and to make matters worst, it was "end of the quarter" when businesses and others scramble to pay up or be in deep shit. I had just taken her (my better half) to Rev&Tax the previous day just to pay for a simple business license. I waited in the car for what I thought was and endless wait before she came back out, hopped on the car and said "man, there's too many..." I just thought "frustrating and plain arrogant people"

The Next Day

Devin and I got there the next day to find the line spreading from east to west, taking up one side of the entire hallway which was lined with portable chairs. I just held onto my grandson's hand and stood at the entrance observing what was going on when a glass door to my right swung open and out came two people. Two individuals in line nearest to us stood up and entered the door where the two others came out from. We gradually walked to the end of the line, seated and timed the process. Every 10 or 15 minutes, we would all get up, moved one or two chair(s) over until one or two finally enters the cashier's booth area to do whatever business they had to do. I was only there to pay for one damn business license but now stuck in line with the rest.

Picking a Fight

Devin was somewhat getting bored and so he got off my lap after several attempts, stood for awhile when a guy came through the main entrance with his radio blurring some transmission. Devin let loose of me, approach the guy and there he was with a very clear "brod, you want fight". Everyone seating in the hallway who had been observing my boy laughed. I called for him but he kept behind the guy with the radio who didn't pay much attention to my boy's comment.

Getting Fresh

Two females sat to my left (one Filipino & the other Chamorro) before this big Caucasian dude with long beard, mustache and long crummy hair. He had on a T-shirt, shorts with slippers (zorrie) not to mention his round belly. This was the same dude who told me "Let him go. He's only a kid. Let him roam around...besides, he's keeping us entertained". I was a bit uncomfortable with my little one mindlessly roaming and entering the office spaces as I would constantly get off my behind and go after him. Another woman employee came out from one of the doors and there goes Devin running after her "Ay girlfriend-you got money". Laughter came from amongst us with the Chamorro commenting "si dad todo fumunagi enao" or something to that effect.

Feed Time

The line was moving slowly as frustration starts to built into everyone of us waiting. Some employees were seen roaming from door to door before this traffic started calming down. Then we saw some exiting the main entrance with their purses or what have they when the female Chamorro said "esta fanan oran lunch-no" (it's probably lunch time). I just thought to myself "11:30 and I'm still here". Now I can really feel the frustration building in me that I had forgotten about my boy who was no where in sight. I got up and looked around when one of the ladies in line before us pointed towards a door as if to tell me "he went in there". Sure enough, I knocked and entered and there he was sitted with 3 women employees who were having lunch-him too. Our sister-in-law Mona was one of them. I just told them how sorry I was and Mona just said it was okay as it was her lunch time. "I'll bring him out to you when he's finish eating".

Escort Service

I went back out and the Chamorro lady asked "monge i lai mu" (where's your kid) I responded comically "machochochu" (his working). The Caucasian dude "where" same respond "his working" he again, jokingly "he probably has more contacts around here than his pops" and everyone tend to agree with a little giggle. These occurrences made time past as we were slowly (but moving) towards the cashier's booth. A few minutes later, Mona came out holding Devin's hand with his other hand holding on to a doughnut. Another comment from the Caucasian dude to my boy "you work here" with a simple "yeah" from Devin who was truly working on the doughnuts.

Santa Clause

I think it was past 2 p.m. already and Devin had found a new playmate, a daughter of another person who came later and sat herself towards the end of the line. They were both running up and down the hallway and I could care less already of what my boy does when he finally approached the Caucasian dude whom he had gained some friendly trust with, stood in front of him and sort of surveyed him from top to bottom as I and others observed. He approached the dude, placed each of his small hands on each of the Caucasians knees and asked "you Santa Clause" the dude replied "that's my brother". Devin asked again "you shower" dude replies "yes I showered" Devin looking down the dudes feet with his hands still on dudes knees "you wass yo feet" dude replied "yes I washed my feet". I knew where the next question was going I just had to stop him from going further. Then came the Chamorro lady "tomtum boy dai enao lai mu".

Although there is no moral to this story, it only shows how much young ones can easily take your mind off from things you constantly are aware of around you. They make you smile, laugh, good ice breakers to avail of conversation to others whom you hardly know and most of all, great entertainers too.

Church Comedian

The Parish Priest, during one of his Sunday homily, stopped and told the congregation "wait, we have a commercial" and that's when Devin went up front, stood and faced the mass attendees-making face. It was a laugh too which brings me to think of placing ankle cuffs on him next time we go to Sunday church.

Our key players

FUTURE MUSICIAN & A STUNT DRIVER

As you can see from this clip how much mom can ignore our boy while not only singing to her but actually playing the uke for her, but mom is too busy working on the computer nay. But look towards the end of the clip as our grandson ends his song and places his music instrument down slowly.

"That's our Devin"

and how about our other grandson who is also coming up after him? He's so handsome that he smiles only when he wants to. His maternal grandfather categorizes him into the "looking committee" because he'll just look at anything of interest to him and I mean "look" as in gaze, eyes fixed and every other word that so much resembles look in da dang dictionary. Now WATCH!!!!

One plays the Uke and the other drives a "baby-walker"