week 57 - final phases

(27) Monday

Working on fixing up some PC's in vila this week to give to schools. It's decent work and a free trip to vila is not that terrible.

Check out this tiny house setup on the smallest island I have ever seen here:

(28) Tuesday

Trying to find decent free library software and avoid the fatal error of using a horrible software product like excel... that is never a good excuse to use never. NEVER USE MICROSOFT.

That rant aside I am doing really well all the computers except one are working. They are ancient but they work.

Another photo of Malakula

(29) Wednesday

Well today I am setting up a few computers at schools with libraries... I installed library tracking system, and java, and office 2010 and encarta 2009... french, hope they enjoy it.

After this... I fly back to Santo goodbye Vila... happy to leave you as fast as possible.

Its really funny to see all the white chicks that walk around vila that think they are hot shit, when mostly they not shit. hehe. I love to completely ignore them.

Well here we are kicking ass as always Isabelle with Ratua foundation best thing to ever happen to Vanuatu... nicest more charitable human on the planet that I ever met.

We gave them three reconditioned computers and they LOVED THEM.

(30) Thursday

And I am back to Malo project...

We got tons of lumber to build with and a bit of running around three boat trips and I am figuring out what I will do for tomorrow. Build one big table and a bench with back out of this beautiful rosewood. I wish I was there to pick out the board by hand... because making furniture each piece is important, I am a perfectionist and I like wood that is perfectly straight and with a nice grain and no imperfections. But of well I can use what I have. The table will be huge, 7 feet long and 40 inches wide. Nice! 

The Bench will have two board deep 16 inches and the same for the back rest... 41 inches off the ground... it will rock. Buying power tools was one of the most brilliant purchases ever. Yeah me. well I have to sell it eventually that will likely mean a loss but it was useful... so life goes.

Well time to figure out the evening... steak, potatoes and a nice relaxing evening of life. Things are perfect right now. I have the best supporter on the planet... Isabelle of Rauta. She's aces.

May (01, 02, 03) Fri-Sat

Worked on making a table a amazing table its 7 feet by 3 feet. Stained it and everything... love it.

Then I made a bookshelf with Bryan and after that we painted the mural, mostly done, at ninduatu.

It was extremely productive here is a picture of the mostly finished but not quite painting.

Week 56 - The light at the end of the tunnel

April (20) Monday

Worked at the NDMO and helped my counterpart on a funding item. He wants to try and get another CDC setup. Not sure how this will pan out but worth a shot.

Besides that I worked on my design doc that will never likely get seen or built but oh well keeps me busy.

Then I had a chicken wrap sammy at Attar and took a nap. That and went to semi play ultimate frisbee. I am so nearly done with the short story I was put-zing around with... Kate will look it over tonight.

Photo from last week:

(21) Tuesday

Went into the office again and working on software design. Counterpart is somewhere but not sure where.

At least the internet is working.

Another photo from last week:

(22) Wednesday

Managed to fix a PC for the millionth time. Yeah. One more CPU functioning. Its an ancient beast a IBM Thinkpad from the late 90's can't believe it still runs. I put XP on it. Trying to find serial maker for ancient office 2000 and office 97. Yeah the nintys are back.

Everyone keeps popping into the office looking for my counterpart Kensley... and I keep taking messages. I wonder where he is too.

(23) Thursday

Not a whole lot going on at the moment... that sounds like a saying I have seen on a t-shirt. Hm.

Well... finishing up on a short story and then going to Aqua tonight. Ran into a gaggel of cute baby docs at LCM today... all eating icecream. They are all very attractive but who cares they are all gone in a week or so. Not really worth getting to know too well when they disappear so quickly.

I had a dream that some kind of bug was attacking my neck in my semi lucid waking up stage. I hate these bugs here... they are relentless monsters.

(24) Friday

A boring day... not much going on again. Will try and design and submit an order for making benches at the malo site today. Last big component to make and my work is completing. Not looking forward to it ending because then I will have nearly nothing to do. Oh well.

Tonight will be the aqua thing... was wrong about it yesterday.

That was a total bust... Showed up at aqua and mikey and mark and some other randoms are lounging around the parking lot a truck with a truck bed full of coolers with beer and such waiting for the rare sighting of a pretty girl to show up so they could to whisk them to a private beach... away from all others to enjoy like a cocktail. Pretty gross... so I am glad I did not go, not that they would invite me.

(25) Saturday

not much going on again today... writing, reading talking to family on skype... missing home and friends and things to do with my time beside just sit on my bed doing nothing. You never know what you're missing out on until you have thrown it all away, to do nothing. Can't wait to return to malo and work on the lab/library... being in town is completely pointless.

(26) Sunday

So most all newbies are at site now. Let their adventure begin. I get to work in Vila next week fixing up old PC's and sending them out to a school so many have had all their stuff destroyed that these old machines will be a good addition. I am not so sure learning windows xp and office 2000 will help a ton but oh well better than nothing.

week 55 - faster and faster

(13) Monday 

Back in santo, and going to NDMO. Last round of Malo project went really well. I made huge progress. The weather is nice temps are down and my oven house is not filled with cockroaches or bugs even. That is a nice way to return home to insert free-ish house. I should finish my santo murder mystery this week so I can get it into the Van AM.

(14) Tuesday

Nothing to report. Very boring day.

Highlight was showing Bryan Mad Max 2. And then making some awesome mashed potatoes and tenderloin steak quite amazing. Tons of butter and a bit of milk. Ask g27 Aaron how he liked this dish I made him once... if you need validation. Potatoes is my irish laplap.  

(15) Wednesday

Another ho hum day... went to work not much to do, tried to help fix Kensley's PC but its locked from the Gov login. so its not something I can fix. The VSA guy installed ubuntu not sure if he completed it. Again not my doing so I was not willing to get involved in that mess.

All day nonstop rain.

After that I helped at my old college fixing an internet problem, then getting materials ready for Malo project. Ready to do some work on the library and lab. Thank god I have this secondary project or there would be nothing to do. 

And again thankfully I have a nice BIG speaker system so I can drown out the crappy music they are playing at the nokemal. Who wants to listen to that crap. Well enjoy my music cuz its going to blast all night long until sunrise.

(16) Thursday

Malo returns... the work is getting done faster and faster. I can't wait until its completed.

Drilled a bunch of holes in the wall, painted the area for the picture. Got a lot done. Have so much yet to do.

Basically after I got back to the room I just slept all night. I did not have a towel to shower or soap for that matter so I fell asleep stinking and no blanket so I used my rain jacket as a blanket. It was a rough night's sleep. Hopefully it is better tomorrow. There seems to be some kind of water shortage. Not sure what the deal on that is.

(17) Friday

Man I am sore from yesterday. Body hurts all over... pushed it hard i guess.

(18) Saturday

Lots of things were being done at the lab/library site here are some photos:

(19) Sunday

Few more photos from Sunday

week 54 - back to kicking ass again

(06) Monday

Easter holiday... no work. Most of the stores will be closed. And thank god my loud ass speakers can drown out all the annoying neighbors I hope they enjoy not annoying me and listening to my music.

Back writing again have to hurry up and finish my santo twin peaks story. It is pretty goofy not many are going to understand what the hell i wrote in the van am... oh well I enjoy it.

Because photos are fun I will post one.

G27 is way way more fun than g26 ever was. I am lucky they are visiting Santo all at once. Wish I could be part of that group.

(07) Tuesday

It has been a weird day so far... I get to the office I am told Kensley is going to a dead but that is untrue because two hours later he was in the office. But then he left again. Then a guy that owns Champagne beach shows up and wants a report from him and I am not sure what to do. Interesting day. It is a miracle we have internet because it has not been working for several days.

Well time to go into town and eat some breakfast.

Showed Aaron some of my movie time fun and made some steak and potatoes... Twin peaks addiction has begun for g27.

Great night.

(08) Wednesday


Back at the NDMO today but not much is going on. Back to designing software that might never get used but it is a nice design.

Internet at my house is dead. So frustrating what I am paying for no service?

Taco night was fun. Last time I see the g27er's in mass. See you guys.

(09) Thursday

Back to work on Malo. Isabelle returns on Friday. I made some purchases the other day at Santo Hardware and Wilco to finish some work from last week looking forward to making some progress.

Goals are to complete the undercoat painting in the big room and smooth the walls where the holes were.

After that Isabelle can select the paint we will use for the top coat and I can start sinking in the bolts for the book shelves. Next we can figure out the wood we will use for building the furniture. I want to use rose wood its is beautiful and long lasting. It also not too expensive at least that one thing that is reasonably price in this country: cheap lumber... and steak.

(10) Friday

7:20am
Back to building today... painting the lab moving the desk finishing patch the walls should be a full day. Made myself an omelette david style... Oh yeah.. ready to work.

(11) Saturday

Work work and more work. Should have blogged more but was too busy working.

(12) Sunday

Drilled holes in the wall of the library and painted the top parts... climbing a ladder and painting felt good. Achieved much. Looking forward to the next round.