The Month of April

Our House 4/20/09

Our house is apparently very nice for government housing, even though neither of us is too sure about that. It is 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with a laundry room and an open plan kitchen/living/dining area. I wish it were not quite so big, because that is just more to clean, but also more room for company! It is currently all white, floor, ceilings, walls, counters, appliances, and doors, seriously all white. But don’t worry I have big plans for a make over. All of the houses come with large lots so you have your “privacy”. There are Coconut palms and breadfruit trees and you can pretty much grow anything here. You just find some plant you like take a clipping, jab it into the ground and it will grow.

Our Puppy 4/20/09

Yes we already have a puppy. Her name is Annie, because she, like the orphan has had a hard knock life. We Palagis (said palongi) or white people, like dogs and take care of them, so some of the Samoans use our neighborhood like a pound for their unwanted puppies. So unfortunately after being here only a few days we saw puppies being kicked out of a truck across the street. We tried to grab them but they were too scared of people so they ran off. Later that night Annie showed up and we decided to keep her. Of course. I think she is a puppy straight from God, he knew we would need her. We had to leave or baby dogs, Layla and Draco behind and we miss them so much and Annie is our little distraction from that. They are in great hands, living in Pensacola with Justin and April and Mica. I know they are being loved and spoiled and will probably have more tricks than we could ever teach them. Justin is great at teaching dog tricks. I can’t wait to see Layla play Dead Bug.

Annie is a mess; literally, she is not what you would call a cute puppy. She is definitely not a Lab or Doberman Puppy but she has her moments. She has white fur with some light brown spots on her ears and face and then these black skin dots which I am wishing would make the transition in to black fur spots. She is like a Dalmatian on her skin but not on the fur. Not a great look. And the poor baby just can’t get fat we have had her about 2 weeks now and she has grow a ton but has not really gotten any meat on her bones yet. We are hoping she will fill in when she gets her puppy shots. She is very playful and loves to bite unfortunately. She also has a thing for dirty clothes; if they are on the floor she grabs them and takes them in the front yard. She does have very cute ears they stick up but one droops a bit like Draco's.

There is a dog problem on the island. There are tons of strays that are definitely not spayed or neutered so they just continue to multiply. Bob Barker should really know about this island. I am looking forward to becoming part of the Humane Society on the island so I can help take care of a little bit of this problem. Our Friend Kelly is the Vice President and helps organize a clinic once a year where Veterinarians come to the island and spay and neuter as many dogs as possible. I hope to be a part of the team this summer.

Our Sweet Layla and Draco

Frustrations 4/21/09

You cannot complete what seems like a simple task unless you first go through about five extra steps. For example: We wanted to get a PO Box, thought you could just go to the post office and fill out a form and then they would give you one. Nope Not so easy.
First visit: We go, stand in line, get to the front, and then are told we need to stand in the other line for that. We get there and the Post Master tells us to come back on Monday.
Second Visit: Ill put your name on a list and I will call you when one is available. Come back on Monday.
Third Visit: I go back on Saturday and they don’t do PO Boxes on Saturday.
Fourth Visit: Oh you have been here several times; I’ll get you one. It is like everything is a test to see if you will actually go through with whatever it may be. And I am seriously not exaggerating everything has steps. Maybe I will learn patience while I am here.