National Novel Writing Month Just Days Away!

Well, I've committed to joining the NaNoWriMo contest once again. The last time I entered was 2003 and I didn't come close to achieving 50,000 words---I accumulated only a meager 7238 words. I consoled myself that I was doing the single parenting thing (Gregg was TAD for the entire month), I had two small children under the age of 5, and I was working full-time. But. Those are just excuses.

If you're seriously considering the NaNoWriMo, read How Not To Write's post on NaNoWriMo. He gives very good advice and, as a nurse, I must endorse his use of the 12-step plan.

Now all I have to do is find some good Chamorro buddies to keep me honest! Oh, if you can't write or can't commit, consider donating. Literacy is so important---for your health, for your career, for your spirit. Now, go get your word on!

Crackberry on Guam!

I am now more technologically advanced than Gregg!

My Motorola cell phone died. I could receive calls and listeners could hear me, but I couldn't hear them. I guess the amplifier must have just given up the ghost. What to do, what to do...On the advice of one of my corpsmen, I searched Ebay and my phone was so old, I couldn't even find a phone that looked like it.

My Blackberry 7290 arrived in the mail today (yay!). I took the HafaTel sim card from the Motorola, inserted into the Blackberry and voila! the friendly woman's voice came on, saying, "You have no minutes left" because my pre-paid phone card expired back on the 9th.

Mission for tomorrow: Buy a new pre-paid card from Guam Cell (which took over HafaTel). I buy $10 cards which expire 30 days from activation. The cell company makes money off me because I never use up the time and they just pocket the difference. My phone is used strictly for 2-3 minute conversations. The benefit is I probably won't get brain cancer.

For those transferring to Guam, this is one way to use a cell phone you're bringing from the mainland. Typically, a sim card package costs $39.95 and includes the sim card and $20 in pre-paid calls.