July 19 was the Rotary Las Vegas Night fundraiser. Most of the Rotarians show up for this event and work doing a variety of jobs from registration to dealing Black Jack. The funds are used for the Rotary Club's many community projects. Since Harry is a Rotary Club member and past president, I also go along to work at the event. I used to help Harry as his cashier for the Black Jack table, but lately I've been at the card shuffling - errand running table. 
Hear is one of the Black Jack tables, with Rotarian Angelo as the dealer, and Jim as his cashier. 
Here is Harry's Black Jack table with Sarah as his cashier. 
Dave and Donika are working hard at the card shuffling table. 
Here is Rotarian Laurie and Brad, who served as our MC for the night. 
Harry was looking like a pirate that night, due to his frequent eye problems. He was feeling sick that night, but managed to stay dealing his table the whole time. Sarah and Jim were cashiers all evening. 
Sarah looks great, as usual. She helped dress me up for the night, too. It's a long night (7:00 to midnight) for all the workers, especially those of us who aren't used to staying up that late. But it's a very worthy cause. The fund raising went well this year, so I'm sure many projects will benefit from the evening. 
I was inspired by Saipan Blogger's post of old photos. I finally managed to get my pictures to a scanner, and made some random choices for this post. It was fun browsing through the old pictures - a real trip down memory lane. I hope you enjoy my choices for this post. Feel free to share in the inspiration and post your own old photos. It's fun. The picture below is Josh when he was about 13 or 14 years old, with Jax our all time favorite family dog. May he run and play in doggy heaven. We miss him. 
In this photo, my sister is visiting from the states (1997, I think). We took her to a dinner put on for us by some Bangladeshi friends. The guys cooked for us and made this awesome buffet. 
This picture was taken sometime in 1995, I think. Yes, you see the twin towers in the background. Life has changed so much since then. 
This is how our family looked just before leaving the states to go live in Saipan, May 1996. Yes, Harry still has all that thick black hair, but shaves it off so it doesn't blow in the Saipan wind or get messed up while diving. 
This is us in front of Bird Island about 2 1/2 years later. 
Back in time a bit further, this a birthday party my Mom put together for Josh. I think he was 7 or 8 years old in this photo, so Sarah was 4 or 5 years old. My Mom died 4 years after this photo was taken. I still miss her very much. 
Ok, this is Harry and I in our surfing days. Bet you didn't know we were once buff surfers. This photo was taken in the Florida Keys, probably in 1994. I hope this post made you smile. Come on fellow bloggers, let's see some of those old pictures. You've been tagged. 
Since I couldn't go diving the last day we were at Wing Beach, I took some pictures on land, some in the shallows (low tide), some at our makeshift campsite and some snorkeling. 
I didn't get to go diving again this weekend. So I decided to browse past pictures and relive the old dives. I found a few pictures that Harry took of me and Erin that I didn't really notice before, so I decided to post some of those. I did manage to have fun this past weekend, though. Sarah and I went to Marianas Resort Sunday afternoon. We had a really nice, relaxing day of girl talk and soaking in the pools. I worked my knee for a while in the big pool. My knee is doing much better, as I can walk well now. I have resumed most of my normal household duties, but I think I still do not have enough strength in the knee for some activities. So here's a few pictures from life lately, some the day I hit my knee, some afterwards. The picture below is me picking ticks off Emma. Yep, it's been raining, so it's tick season again. This isn't Emma's favorite pastime, but she's fairly cooperative for most of it. 
Here I am waiting on the bench while Erin and Harry went down to take pictures of Bird Island. My knee was starting to hurt quite a bit at this point, as it was just after our Grotto dive. 
Here I am at Suicide Cliff. Isn't the ocean a gorgeous color of blue that day? From here you are looking down on Bonzai Cliff. 
Here is Erin and I enjoying the beautiful flame trees on Suicide Cliff. 
When we climbed into the Grotto for a dive on Father's Day, the place was completely empty. We were the only divers heading in. Erin was a bit concerned that we led her astray about it being a good diving day. But this is what the rock looked like when we got out. I was trying to limp and get me and my gear around all these people and back onto the stairs. 
Here is Erin and I looking down on the crowd on the rock, and posing for Harry to take our picture. 
Here we are - Me, Harry, and Erin after our Grotto dive. We wanted to call this a girl's dive, but Harry wouldn't let us. I see him as the dive guide really, and we are the divers. But he didn't see it that way. 
Erin and I are checking out Bonzai Cliff here. We saw some turtles on the surface that day. 
Green sea turtle. So we got to see turtles on the surface at Bonzai and two turtles underwater at the Grotto that day. 
I really enjoyed having a long weekend to celebrate Independence Day and just rest and relax with my family. Friday afternoon there was an ultra low tide at Wing Beach. Harry and Chris went for a dive. While they were gone, Sarah fell asleep in the hammock and I went snorkeling in the shallows. 
After Chris returned from the dive, he went snorkeling with me over the reef and down the crevasse a bit. When Harry came in from the dive, he looked up to see me snorkeling overhead. The 30 minutes in salt water felt really good on my recuperating knee. I got a few nice pictures snorkeling. I'll have to get Harry to load them onto smugmug for me. 
The reef at Wing Beach. 
Later in the day we went to the 360 restaurant for dinner and to watch the 4th of July fireworks. Barry, Maggie, friends and family were there also. Jackie is sitting on the end, with the big smile. She was the CNMI's only gold metalist in the recent Oceania track competition on island. Congrats, Jackie!!
Chris and Sarah looking mellow after a day in the sun. Well, for Sarah it was a day in the hammock, ha. 
Me sampling a piece of barbecue chicken. Yep, I actually got a whole bite down without the urge to hurl. It tasted like the many 4th of July barbecues of the past - good memories. But I think that's about all the chicken I need for a few years. 
Harry and I - Harry looking very sleepy after a long day in the sun and sea. The fourth of July was a good day for everyone. Happy Independence Day, America! 
Harry received some photos from Axe Murderer Tour victims, Erin and Dan Reed. Here are a few shots from their camera. We really enjoyed meeting them, and serving as Saipan tour guides for the week. In the picture below, me, Maricar and Harry are getting the gear set up for our Obyan dive. 
Here are the four girls emerging from our Obyan dive. Harry said it was the first time he was outnumbered most of the weekend with all girl divers. L to R Maricar, Erin, Kelli, Rae. (tanks still on our backs)
Dan, Kelli, Grace, Erin and Harry enjoying a relaxing between-dives moment at Oleai. 
We really enjoyed having the Reed family visit Saipan. Hopefully, I'll be back in the water soon enjoying more diving adventures.
I got good news from the orthopedic surgeon last night. The ligaments in my knee are not torn and my kneecap is secure and healing nicely. He told me to begin therapy exercises, but to take it easy. I'm doing that. I did make myself walk normally today, though. It hurts but will improve with time, I'm sure. I am so thankful that everything is good! So thankful! Oh and I can go diving again in 4 weeks. Yay!
Hear is one of the Black Jack tables, with Rotarian Angelo as the dealer, and Jim as his cashier. 
Here is Harry's Black Jack table with Sarah as his cashier. 
Dave and Donika are working hard at the card shuffling table. 
Here is Rotarian Laurie and Brad, who served as our MC for the night. 
Harry was looking like a pirate that night, due to his frequent eye problems. He was feeling sick that night, but managed to stay dealing his table the whole time. Sarah and Jim were cashiers all evening. 
Sarah looks great, as usual. She helped dress me up for the night, too. It's a long night (7:00 to midnight) for all the workers, especially those of us who aren't used to staying up that late. But it's a very worthy cause. The fund raising went well this year, so I'm sure many projects will benefit from the evening. 
