Well it has been awhile since I last posted. I think I just am too day to day to remember to post. Sometimes I will be out doing something and think this would be an interesting thing to talk about but then the moment passes and I forget all about it.
As some of you may know I am homeward bound. yes going west towards the americas, doing a little columbus action without the pillaging of indian villages of course. Its been a long 6 months in my eyes. I always heard how time would fly and that you find a grove and the next thing you know your heading back. I never found that groove I guess. This deployment has been a true struggle for me. I have felt as though I was asked to run when I could not crawl. I have been pounding my way through with mostly pure will and alittle bit of cunning but I can feel I have changed, and I am not sure its for the better.
I can't say though that this has been a terrible experience and what kind of person would I be if I didn't take away lessons and positive things from this deployment. I have seen and done things I never would of dreamed of doing. I have been to djibouti and seen the true picture of the poor and starving. crude huts made from stacks of garbage and whatever they could find. fields of plastic and garbage strewn about a barren land. I have seen the mega rich in monico and been inside the monte carlo, where every fifth car was a porsche, lamborgini, or rolls royce. I have been to the middle east. heard the call to pray while haggling in the golden souq. Been to arguably the holiest place on earth and stood where christ was born, lived and died. I have even been to the remote islands of the country of seychelles and seen the almost jamican atmosphere that they exude.
Its been an adventure for sure. Seeing the world helps me see my world in a different light. Seeing how the people in djibouti live makes me realize how much opportunity I have and how little they have. I am always curious about how they view life. I saw a group of them huddled laughing and joking but if I was stuck in that situation would you or I be able to do the same? Makes me wonder whats truely important and what makes people happy. I had a moment of pity for them and their plight but I am not sure that is what they want, pity gifts and money thrown at them. I think there has to be a better way. A way to bring up the poor and the starving to educate and give them the chance to create their own opportunities. I wish I knew that way but I think later in life I will be able to spend more time working toward that goal. For now I will do my job defending my shipmates and my country which has given me the so many opportunities. And when my time is done, be it in 20 or 6 years from now, I will take the next step in my life with the knowledge and wisdom I have gained here as a heavy influence on the direction I choose.
Less then a month from now I will be back home. Yes home but it is not my house or the comfy comfines of being back in the US that I call home it is my wife that I call home. She has been my support and helped me through all my struggles. I know it has not been easy for her and I appreciate all that she has been for me. she is my house and my home. thank you hun. I will be with you soon :)
to all reading this I hope it finds you in good spirits and good health.
mark
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
seychelles 2
sometimes in life you just have to say........ heck with it. side note, sailors have a more colorful version of the saying but thats besides the point. As some of you may know I have been working on my equipment because it wont. and my plan was to not leave the ship and work day and night to get everything back up and running. currently I am about half way there. Earlier today one of my buddies poked his head into the shop and asked what I was doing today though Everyone knew what I was doing. you see, he has been pestering me to go out and take a break from work and relax. As it just so happened that was exactly what he was doing right then. He told me he needed someone to go to the waterfall with and that his liberty buddy was not planning on coming back but he was. Now first he used the guilt trip thing and second unbeknownst to him I love waterfalls. So I asked how long it would take and he said a couple hours and I reluctently said fine. so off the ship we go.
Now as with most plans in my life lately I quickly found out that these "plans" are little more then vague thought fragments that have not really colested into a true thought non the less a plan. He pulls out a scrap of paper that has directions to this waterfall that mention places we have no idea where they are. first things first, find a taxi. Easy enough, we walk up to one and I ask how far to the waterfall. he says its on the other side of the island and that would be 400 rupies. that was too rich for our blood so we go to a local restaraunt and eat and think about it. I come up with the idea that the bus from the ship drops us off at a hotel on the other side of the island and its free. Thinking that we would be closer it would be cheaper plus that hotel has tortoises, the big old kind. My favorite, not those young crazy tortoises. So we catch the bus check out the old guys and walk up to the taxi and ask how much to the waterfall. This time its 500 rupies. confused we ask where it is. Turns out the island is shaped like a triangle and we have now been to every side but the one the waterfall is on. figuring if 400 is too much 500 is way to much so we decide to chill at the hotel cause its right on the beach and he wanted to swim in the indian ocean.
he swims, I relax, we decide to check out the rest of the beach. As we walk down the beach I bring up the parasailing thing they have here but he thought it would be to expensive. as we walk up on it business is dead and we are greeted quickly in that over vealous used car salesman manner which is very common pretty much anywhere in the middle east and african countries. he says 40 dollars for 10 minutes we walk some more and I tell him if you do it I will pay for the meals because all he had was 40 dollars and that was enough for him to strap up and fly the friendly skies. so he hooks up and sails around the bay high up in the air all the while I am taking pictures and laughing. next thing you know couple more sailors come up seeing mccowan doing it and they give it a try and then another one for a couple hours they were running non stop and mccowan thinks we should get a kick back for all the business we started.
After a few hours roaming the beach we come back to the hotel and find a bunch of our friends swiming in the pool so we chilled by the pool as more people came up. Some of them ended up going to the waterfall and it turns out it was nothing more then a downhill stream and less a waterfall so in the end I think we made out pretty well. didn't pay way to much for a taxi had some good local food, parasailed and walked along a very nice beach and saw alot of beautiful things. talked to a tortoise and got to get off the ship and relax for awhile.
Its funny really. In the end though I ended up spending about 7 hours that I could of been working, McCowan went out of his way to make sure I got off the ship and relaxed. Good people, sometimes they are hard to find but you know them when you see them. After we got back to the ship I thanked him for draggin me along and he said no problem you needed it. So it comes full circle in the end I guess sometimes you do just have to say heck with it and go out and have fun. As with everything, things will work themselves out in the end if you let it.
Time is drawing near and soon the light at the end of the tunnel will start to show. Its been a long haul and more so then I thought it would be. I look forward to see you all soon though its still a ways out :) Take care and be safe.
mark
Now as with most plans in my life lately I quickly found out that these "plans" are little more then vague thought fragments that have not really colested into a true thought non the less a plan. He pulls out a scrap of paper that has directions to this waterfall that mention places we have no idea where they are. first things first, find a taxi. Easy enough, we walk up to one and I ask how far to the waterfall. he says its on the other side of the island and that would be 400 rupies. that was too rich for our blood so we go to a local restaraunt and eat and think about it. I come up with the idea that the bus from the ship drops us off at a hotel on the other side of the island and its free. Thinking that we would be closer it would be cheaper plus that hotel has tortoises, the big old kind. My favorite, not those young crazy tortoises. So we catch the bus check out the old guys and walk up to the taxi and ask how much to the waterfall. This time its 500 rupies. confused we ask where it is. Turns out the island is shaped like a triangle and we have now been to every side but the one the waterfall is on. figuring if 400 is too much 500 is way to much so we decide to chill at the hotel cause its right on the beach and he wanted to swim in the indian ocean.
he swims, I relax, we decide to check out the rest of the beach. As we walk down the beach I bring up the parasailing thing they have here but he thought it would be to expensive. as we walk up on it business is dead and we are greeted quickly in that over vealous used car salesman manner which is very common pretty much anywhere in the middle east and african countries. he says 40 dollars for 10 minutes we walk some more and I tell him if you do it I will pay for the meals because all he had was 40 dollars and that was enough for him to strap up and fly the friendly skies. so he hooks up and sails around the bay high up in the air all the while I am taking pictures and laughing. next thing you know couple more sailors come up seeing mccowan doing it and they give it a try and then another one for a couple hours they were running non stop and mccowan thinks we should get a kick back for all the business we started.
After a few hours roaming the beach we come back to the hotel and find a bunch of our friends swiming in the pool so we chilled by the pool as more people came up. Some of them ended up going to the waterfall and it turns out it was nothing more then a downhill stream and less a waterfall so in the end I think we made out pretty well. didn't pay way to much for a taxi had some good local food, parasailed and walked along a very nice beach and saw alot of beautiful things. talked to a tortoise and got to get off the ship and relax for awhile.
Its funny really. In the end though I ended up spending about 7 hours that I could of been working, McCowan went out of his way to make sure I got off the ship and relaxed. Good people, sometimes they are hard to find but you know them when you see them. After we got back to the ship I thanked him for draggin me along and he said no problem you needed it. So it comes full circle in the end I guess sometimes you do just have to say heck with it and go out and have fun. As with everything, things will work themselves out in the end if you let it.
Time is drawing near and soon the light at the end of the tunnel will start to show. Its been a long haul and more so then I thought it would be. I look forward to see you all soon though its still a ways out :) Take care and be safe.
mark
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Oh boy....Hump day.
well it has been awhile since I last posted and really even though I have seen my share of things I guess it just doesnt really come to me to write about it.
So since the last time I posted I have been through the Straits of hormuz twice. Now some of you may be wondering "whats the big deal?" or "did he mean hummus?" or even "does that mean in the navy your called it the SOH?" well if you thought the third one your right because everything in the navy is an acronym. but if your thinking the first one I will answer it for you right after I answer the second....no.... ok back to answer question 1. This is the chokepoint to get into the Gulf and up to Iraq, kuwait, bahrain and several other countries..... all very very hot. At this chokepoint Iran has many many missile sites and patrol craft and so on and so forth, this is where something would happen if it were to happen. So as you can imagine in a the time honored tradition of bad management we had meeting after meeting about it leading up to the much feared day. All our preparations all that I am trained to do was meant for this moment. And.... wait for it...... easy! we went through without a hitch and the transit back was even easier. Now I dont want to make it sound like a walk in the park. at any time a missile could come from pretty much anywhere so it was tense but not overly so and we acting professionally and swiftly through just as we drew it up.
This leads me to why we had to go through the straits or SOH if you read the first paragraph. As most of you may know the USS ANZIO is the flagship for the counter piracy operations in the Gulf of Arden (any guesses on the acronym) and the horn of Africa (that acronym is almost too easy). Since we are a flagship this also means we get to take on staff, usually an admiral and officers. Now up until that point we had a turkish staff on board since this is a multinational operation. I can't tell you how many or who but you can rest assured there are many countries and man ships out here patrolling for pirates. When we pulled into Bahrain we had a change of command from teh turkish staff to the good old american boys. So now its mostly US staff with a few british guys thrown in for fun.
While in bahrain I was able to enjoy to nice relaxing cool 120 degree heat. With a nice stiff breeze of 1 mph it didn't really feel that hot, for an oven. Besides the heat Bahrain is a growing country and many buildings were being erected even with the global economy as it is. The base in Bahrain is very large and offered a large store a mini mall and live acts nightly. Bahrain has become the hub for all naval activity in the region and has been built up to accomadate the occasional few thousand sailors at any one time. One of the days we were able to travel outside the base gates and check out the city. I was able to visit the golden sueq and golden city. you can guess what they sold mostly.
Now this was my first real visit to a country totally differnt in culture then my own. even isreal was rather western and of course europe familiar. but here it was a small bit of a culture shock. the women all were covered and the men mostly wore traditional outfits. The busniess men and the store keepers wore normal cloths though. As you would walk down the street the store keepers would yell to you saying anything they could think of to draw you in. Everything was cheap, knock offs and never ever accept the price they tell you. Its required to haggle here and they will talk to you and do anything they can for a sale. This is very odd for me cause I am used to just asking what the price is and accepting that price. for example at a watch place he showed us a rolex watch, which was no doubt fake, and said 120 dinar which is roughly 300 dollars. we said no and started to walk away he kept lower the price. by the time we finally walked away 30 dinar and he was still willing to go lower but we never wanted to buy it anyways.
There are a million stories like that everywhere we went customer service was over the top. they would follow you with a big smile telling you "you nice man I give you good price" or "this happy place I make price to give you smile" and so on and so forth. One such occasion we walked into a persian rug store and the store keeper I kid you not unroled over 40 rugs showing us all the different types and kept asking him to stop cause I knew he would have to roll them up and I would feel bad but he insisted by the end the stack of rugs had piled up past my knees. I will say this, those rugs were amazing. true persian rugs, very high quality made from silk. Some of them thousands of dollars but if you were to see them you would say it was worth it. I also got a small 4 x 3 for around 300 dollars just because it was so beautiful and I think it would be cool to have but I thought better of it and moved on.
My liberty buddy was thomas and he had been to Bahrain before and he told us of a mall nearby and he said it was walking distance and we didn't want to pay for a taxi anyways...... well if you knew thomas you could figure out where this is going. about 3 hours later and about 4 miles of walking through the non-tourist part of town we came apon the mall. along the way we came apon the local fishermans hub where they stack the ships when they are not out fishing. these boats are little dhows with not much more then wood, duct tape and rope and some nets. all crunched together maybe 400 in about the size of a football field. it was a site to see. As we walked by it was getting close to a couple hours before sunset and the fisherman were just starting to head out for the night catch. it was cool watching the group one by one detach from the mass and turn toward the open water, like the sands going through an hourglass they poured out into the guld.
The mall is very western and accordingly the people and wore more western cloths and the women uncovered their faces though not all of them. its was interesting to see the different attitude and style. the center of the man is like a stage not unlike local malls here and they had a kids group performing traditional acts and musicals. I watched for awhile soaking up the culture. I find it funny I saw more of the traditional culture in the western style mall then I did anywhere else in the city. by the time we had checked out the mall it was time to head back, a good day full of new experiences a hike through some "interesting" areas and I got to say no probably more times then I have ever said in one day before. Not bad if I dont say so myself.
Now I am back out in pirate country patroling the shipping lanes looking for cpt jack sparrow. I can't say its the most exciting thing in the word but then again not every day can be action packed or I think I would get pretty burnt out hehe.
Now if you have already forgotten the subject title of my post I will refresh you now. Hump day is the official day we are half way through deployment and that happened last sunday. To mark the event we had a multitude of events including a talent show, tug-o-war, gallon of milk chug, jello eating contests, egg toss (chief you have stone hands!) and a few more activites to mark the event. A good time was had by all. We have a couple navytimes journalists onboard so look for pics of us at navytimes.com from time to time. So this also means I am now officially on the back 9 of deployment though not heading home people are starting to see a wee light in the distance. The next big milestone will be when we turn two and start heading back home. thats when things will get crazy.
I have written a lot and I dont have time to spell check so please pardon the grammar and spelling error I just wanted to update everyone on how I am doing and whats going on. Take care everyone.
mark
So since the last time I posted I have been through the Straits of hormuz twice. Now some of you may be wondering "whats the big deal?" or "did he mean hummus?" or even "does that mean in the navy your called it the SOH?" well if you thought the third one your right because everything in the navy is an acronym. but if your thinking the first one I will answer it for you right after I answer the second....no.... ok back to answer question 1. This is the chokepoint to get into the Gulf and up to Iraq, kuwait, bahrain and several other countries..... all very very hot. At this chokepoint Iran has many many missile sites and patrol craft and so on and so forth, this is where something would happen if it were to happen. So as you can imagine in a the time honored tradition of bad management we had meeting after meeting about it leading up to the much feared day. All our preparations all that I am trained to do was meant for this moment. And.... wait for it...... easy! we went through without a hitch and the transit back was even easier. Now I dont want to make it sound like a walk in the park. at any time a missile could come from pretty much anywhere so it was tense but not overly so and we acting professionally and swiftly through just as we drew it up.
This leads me to why we had to go through the straits or SOH if you read the first paragraph. As most of you may know the USS ANZIO is the flagship for the counter piracy operations in the Gulf of Arden (any guesses on the acronym) and the horn of Africa (that acronym is almost too easy). Since we are a flagship this also means we get to take on staff, usually an admiral and officers. Now up until that point we had a turkish staff on board since this is a multinational operation. I can't tell you how many or who but you can rest assured there are many countries and man ships out here patrolling for pirates. When we pulled into Bahrain we had a change of command from teh turkish staff to the good old american boys. So now its mostly US staff with a few british guys thrown in for fun.
While in bahrain I was able to enjoy to nice relaxing cool 120 degree heat. With a nice stiff breeze of 1 mph it didn't really feel that hot, for an oven. Besides the heat Bahrain is a growing country and many buildings were being erected even with the global economy as it is. The base in Bahrain is very large and offered a large store a mini mall and live acts nightly. Bahrain has become the hub for all naval activity in the region and has been built up to accomadate the occasional few thousand sailors at any one time. One of the days we were able to travel outside the base gates and check out the city. I was able to visit the golden sueq and golden city. you can guess what they sold mostly.
Now this was my first real visit to a country totally differnt in culture then my own. even isreal was rather western and of course europe familiar. but here it was a small bit of a culture shock. the women all were covered and the men mostly wore traditional outfits. The busniess men and the store keepers wore normal cloths though. As you would walk down the street the store keepers would yell to you saying anything they could think of to draw you in. Everything was cheap, knock offs and never ever accept the price they tell you. Its required to haggle here and they will talk to you and do anything they can for a sale. This is very odd for me cause I am used to just asking what the price is and accepting that price. for example at a watch place he showed us a rolex watch, which was no doubt fake, and said 120 dinar which is roughly 300 dollars. we said no and started to walk away he kept lower the price. by the time we finally walked away 30 dinar and he was still willing to go lower but we never wanted to buy it anyways.
There are a million stories like that everywhere we went customer service was over the top. they would follow you with a big smile telling you "you nice man I give you good price" or "this happy place I make price to give you smile" and so on and so forth. One such occasion we walked into a persian rug store and the store keeper I kid you not unroled over 40 rugs showing us all the different types and kept asking him to stop cause I knew he would have to roll them up and I would feel bad but he insisted by the end the stack of rugs had piled up past my knees. I will say this, those rugs were amazing. true persian rugs, very high quality made from silk. Some of them thousands of dollars but if you were to see them you would say it was worth it. I also got a small 4 x 3 for around 300 dollars just because it was so beautiful and I think it would be cool to have but I thought better of it and moved on.
My liberty buddy was thomas and he had been to Bahrain before and he told us of a mall nearby and he said it was walking distance and we didn't want to pay for a taxi anyways...... well if you knew thomas you could figure out where this is going. about 3 hours later and about 4 miles of walking through the non-tourist part of town we came apon the mall. along the way we came apon the local fishermans hub where they stack the ships when they are not out fishing. these boats are little dhows with not much more then wood, duct tape and rope and some nets. all crunched together maybe 400 in about the size of a football field. it was a site to see. As we walked by it was getting close to a couple hours before sunset and the fisherman were just starting to head out for the night catch. it was cool watching the group one by one detach from the mass and turn toward the open water, like the sands going through an hourglass they poured out into the guld.
The mall is very western and accordingly the people and wore more western cloths and the women uncovered their faces though not all of them. its was interesting to see the different attitude and style. the center of the man is like a stage not unlike local malls here and they had a kids group performing traditional acts and musicals. I watched for awhile soaking up the culture. I find it funny I saw more of the traditional culture in the western style mall then I did anywhere else in the city. by the time we had checked out the mall it was time to head back, a good day full of new experiences a hike through some "interesting" areas and I got to say no probably more times then I have ever said in one day before. Not bad if I dont say so myself.
Now I am back out in pirate country patroling the shipping lanes looking for cpt jack sparrow. I can't say its the most exciting thing in the word but then again not every day can be action packed or I think I would get pretty burnt out hehe.
Now if you have already forgotten the subject title of my post I will refresh you now. Hump day is the official day we are half way through deployment and that happened last sunday. To mark the event we had a multitude of events including a talent show, tug-o-war, gallon of milk chug, jello eating contests, egg toss (chief you have stone hands!) and a few more activites to mark the event. A good time was had by all. We have a couple navytimes journalists onboard so look for pics of us at navytimes.com from time to time. So this also means I am now officially on the back 9 of deployment though not heading home people are starting to see a wee light in the distance. The next big milestone will be when we turn two and start heading back home. thats when things will get crazy.
I have written a lot and I dont have time to spell check so please pardon the grammar and spelling error I just wanted to update everyone on how I am doing and whats going on. Take care everyone.
mark
Sunday, July 26, 2009
A funny thing happened on the way.........
ok here is an exhange that went down a few weeks back while we were out to see
TAO: surface, who is track #1234
Surface: tao, track 1234 is uranus
Tao: tao copies uranus
Surace: uranus bears 190 at 10 miles
Tao: tao copies uranus bears 190 at 10 miles, break bridge?
Bridge: bridge copies uranus 190 at 10 miles.
Bridge: tao we have visual on uranus at 190
Tao: copy visual on uranus at 190, break surface
Surface: copies, visual on uranus, break bridge, can you make anything out about uranus?
Bridge: negative nothing special about uranus
surface: surface copies nothing special about uranus.
by now there is alot of laughing going on. Just a little snippet of how life can be underway.
TAO: surface, who is track #1234
Surface: tao, track 1234 is uranus
Tao: tao copies uranus
Surace: uranus bears 190 at 10 miles
Tao: tao copies uranus bears 190 at 10 miles, break bridge?
Bridge: bridge copies uranus 190 at 10 miles.
Bridge: tao we have visual on uranus at 190
Tao: copy visual on uranus at 190, break surface
Surface: copies, visual on uranus, break bridge, can you make anything out about uranus?
Bridge: negative nothing special about uranus
surface: surface copies nothing special about uranus.
by now there is alot of laughing going on. Just a little snippet of how life can be underway.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Island Paradise.
Ok well after a month at sea we hit land.... in a controlled manner of course. Port victoria, Seychelles. First impressions are that it looks like hawaii. Green everywhere. The beaches are so nice and the sunsets amazing. I decided that it was time to relax and I was able to get a hotel. It was nice to sleep in a quiet place with no speakers around and room to roll around freely. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out cold. numerous hours later I awoke to no alarm clock, no guys bustling around, and the sounds of nature outside. Not to shabby.
This is a very interesting place. Technically it is africa but most of the people look indian and every one speaks french. Almost everywhere I went they new english it was impressive. The service was good though I am still getting used to the lassez faire attitude waiters and waitresses have toward getting things for you in any sort of time. it seems almost to the point of wondering if they forgot about us and then right as we are about to ask they bring it. but I have found that is a european thing as well. I guess the catering and service in the US is just different. I know that tipping is a much bigger thing in the US and I think that is why they work harder. here it sometimes seems like we are a hassle.
Let me tell you this place has some great beaches and the sunsets are amazing. Me and my liberty buddy walked most of the sights in about a day. According to the taxi driver the main island is only 27km long. we were going to do a hike up to the top of the mountain but as with most tropical islands it started to rain like a monsoon (go figure it is monsoon season hehe) so that got canceled for now. The two big draws here are the great tropical beaches and the cocoa de mare apparently it only grows in seychelles. its a type of nut that can grow maybe a foot and a half big. you can eat it when it is younger the insides are like a jelly and it is very sweet. so as you can guess not alot going on here. Seychelles gives off this jamaican vibe, the music is very reggae and everyone just kind of chills. no one seems to really worry to much.
All in all I think this has been a nice port. I think we all needed to get away and what better place to get away then a tropical island. I look forward to working with the orphans in a couple days. I think it will feel good to get my hands dirty for something other then the ship. helping out some kids in need should help me put things back in perspective. well I hope so at least. maybe they are spoiled brats hehe
Hope this finds you in good spirits and health. Take care.
This is a very interesting place. Technically it is africa but most of the people look indian and every one speaks french. Almost everywhere I went they new english it was impressive. The service was good though I am still getting used to the lassez faire attitude waiters and waitresses have toward getting things for you in any sort of time. it seems almost to the point of wondering if they forgot about us and then right as we are about to ask they bring it. but I have found that is a european thing as well. I guess the catering and service in the US is just different. I know that tipping is a much bigger thing in the US and I think that is why they work harder. here it sometimes seems like we are a hassle.
Let me tell you this place has some great beaches and the sunsets are amazing. Me and my liberty buddy walked most of the sights in about a day. According to the taxi driver the main island is only 27km long. we were going to do a hike up to the top of the mountain but as with most tropical islands it started to rain like a monsoon (go figure it is monsoon season hehe) so that got canceled for now. The two big draws here are the great tropical beaches and the cocoa de mare apparently it only grows in seychelles. its a type of nut that can grow maybe a foot and a half big. you can eat it when it is younger the insides are like a jelly and it is very sweet. so as you can guess not alot going on here. Seychelles gives off this jamaican vibe, the music is very reggae and everyone just kind of chills. no one seems to really worry to much.
All in all I think this has been a nice port. I think we all needed to get away and what better place to get away then a tropical island. I look forward to working with the orphans in a couple days. I think it will feel good to get my hands dirty for something other then the ship. helping out some kids in need should help me put things back in perspective. well I hope so at least. maybe they are spoiled brats hehe
Hope this finds you in good spirits and health. Take care.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
its about time!
I know what your thinking, "its about time he did a blog!" well your right. Its been a few moons since the last update and sadly there is not a whole lot new to report. Once underway things fall into a routine. Same thing day in and day out. Currently we are patroling around looking for pirates. now I am sure you all can figure out where we are approximately. We have had a few close calls but nothing big or meaningful. To be honest this place is bustling with warships. Its almost like there are more warships then merchant. of course there are a ton of merchant ships and no matter how many warships there are its not that hard for a pirate to climb aboard and take over a ship. so we keep patroling hoping to find them before they strike again.
So far the middle east has not been as hot as I thought but what it has been is very humid and hazy. I am surprised at the hot wet air whenever I step outside (which is not very often) and the visibilty is only 5-6 miles. a thick brown haze covers the horizon at all time.
Now on to some good news (sounds like a news broadcast) the crossing the line ceremony is quickly coming and for those that do not know, the crossing the line ceremony is a big deal and a right of passage for sailors. The line that we are crossing is the equator and until you have crossed it you are a WOG and once you have crossed it you are a shellback. Of course in fine navy fashion in order to be considered a shellback you have to go through a sort of "ceremony" if you will that involves some rather non-ceremony type activities. Since its a bit of a tradition and not supposed to be talked about you can probably look it up online. Every ship does it differently but there is a general theme that it holds true too. All I can say is that I wont be wearing my glasses and anything I am wearing I will probably never wear again when its over.
To all reading this I hope this finds you in good spirits and health. take care
mark
So far the middle east has not been as hot as I thought but what it has been is very humid and hazy. I am surprised at the hot wet air whenever I step outside (which is not very often) and the visibilty is only 5-6 miles. a thick brown haze covers the horizon at all time.
Now on to some good news (sounds like a news broadcast) the crossing the line ceremony is quickly coming and for those that do not know, the crossing the line ceremony is a big deal and a right of passage for sailors. The line that we are crossing is the equator and until you have crossed it you are a WOG and once you have crossed it you are a shellback. Of course in fine navy fashion in order to be considered a shellback you have to go through a sort of "ceremony" if you will that involves some rather non-ceremony type activities. Since its a bit of a tradition and not supposed to be talked about you can probably look it up online. Every ship does it differently but there is a general theme that it holds true too. All I can say is that I wont be wearing my glasses and anything I am wearing I will probably never wear again when its over.
To all reading this I hope this finds you in good spirits and health. take care
mark
Sunday, June 28, 2009
afrika!
well I am now checking off the list of continents I have visited, africa. though I will be honest we can't leave the pier because of the "area" there was a bus to the local store but only officers got to go cause us blue shirts had an all hands working party for 6 straight hours. many of you might wonder how much food do we go through or how they get it on board well let me tell you..... the hard way. we had roughly 50 pallets stacked two high of food and stuff. we form a long line and pass the item from person to person. some of the things will weigh well over 50 pounds and there will be alot of them. frozen meats, vegetables, giant cans of canned fruit and whatnot. due to the massive amount of things bought we ended up working through all the things we were supposed to be able to do. So I apologize that I was not able to get anything from africa this time. I was trying to get something from everywhere I go but oh well.
I am completely and utterly exhausted and with us still on water hours no shower though everyone was streaming in their own sweat. its currently 106 and suprisingly its not a dry heat. its a very wet and humid heat when we started working the heat index was over 130. as far as everything else. we are slowly looking to fall into a pattern. I am learning to live off of roughly 3 hours of sleep and I am trying to pick up how everything works around the ship. I am pushed hard by my chief and I think its cause he knows I will get it done but at the same time I feel like my plate is overflowing and some are starving for jobs... and other just refuse to eat. but I can't say I can complain I believe that deep down I am happiest when I am working. something about digging my teeth into a job and getting things done. its alot harder to feel like I am accomplishing as much but I know what I do is important and I have to push through that. The new watch standers are starting to know that I am trustworthy and when I tell them something they believe me. the combat tactical officer actually argued with the bridge about a ship because I told them it was something and they said it looked like something else. they believed me over what someone actually saw..... I was right in the end hehe but thats my job and I dont get alot of thanks just the satisfaction of stickin it to the bridge every so often. I just realized I am like the catcher, not the flashiest postion but I block the plate when something happens and people only remember when I do something wrong. hehe great analogy, will have to use it when I am a chief someday.
well I am going to go pass out, if I can actually get out of this chair. I will have to say that though this is not the best opener for a first imporession of africa I do wish to comeback someday.
Take care and be safe.
Mark
I am completely and utterly exhausted and with us still on water hours no shower though everyone was streaming in their own sweat. its currently 106 and suprisingly its not a dry heat. its a very wet and humid heat when we started working the heat index was over 130. as far as everything else. we are slowly looking to fall into a pattern. I am learning to live off of roughly 3 hours of sleep and I am trying to pick up how everything works around the ship. I am pushed hard by my chief and I think its cause he knows I will get it done but at the same time I feel like my plate is overflowing and some are starving for jobs... and other just refuse to eat. but I can't say I can complain I believe that deep down I am happiest when I am working. something about digging my teeth into a job and getting things done. its alot harder to feel like I am accomplishing as much but I know what I do is important and I have to push through that. The new watch standers are starting to know that I am trustworthy and when I tell them something they believe me. the combat tactical officer actually argued with the bridge about a ship because I told them it was something and they said it looked like something else. they believed me over what someone actually saw..... I was right in the end hehe but thats my job and I dont get alot of thanks just the satisfaction of stickin it to the bridge every so often. I just realized I am like the catcher, not the flashiest postion but I block the plate when something happens and people only remember when I do something wrong. hehe great analogy, will have to use it when I am a chief someday.
well I am going to go pass out, if I can actually get out of this chair. I will have to say that though this is not the best opener for a first imporession of africa I do wish to comeback someday.
Take care and be safe.
Mark
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The end of a chapter
well its been a little bit since I last posted and I am up though I should be sleeping I will sread my thought to the masses or at least 6 people whichever is more.
Isreal was cool and though my misadventures with the jordan river is well documented I found the place to be unique and different then pretty much any place I have ever been. that being said with who I am and what I do its always a little bit stressful in that region for military folk. we are easily spotted as military and we are loved by some and hated by others. overall I never really heard of any bad experiences but you always had to be aware of where you were. nature of the beast I guess.
After that we hit up cyprus for a small day stay. luckly I did have about 5 hours off the ship to see the sites. now I dont know if most people know this, though the people that read my blog are rather smart people so I assume most will, but cyprus is actually in a sort of cold civil war. The island is split in half with the top half being turkey's since 67 I believe. so its something we are told not to talk about because it is still a bit of a sore spot. We entered into the port of limasoll and though it doesn't look like a whole lot it seems to be a place of rich folk to vacation because I saw numerous sports cars, lambo, ferrari, porsche, and aston martins to name a few and not just one or two either. So it is rather surprising that there is not more here. the main part of town is a small maybe 1/2 mile long main road where all the shops and restaraunts are and the rest is all residental. I personally found it european but also a bit middle eastern, kind of a shade of both. Some people loved it and others hated it. In all its a good place to see for a day and move on..... which is exactly what we did.
Now here is where things get tricky. the first month and some change has been a port fest with a few excersices here and there but now its go time and we are heading into the heart of our mission into the heat, literally and figuratively of the middle east. Its been a long month and a half because of the port visits and not being able to get into a rythem but now its anchors away and land but a distant memory. Finally doing our real job (hehe can't tell you though, just make up something cool like aliens or something). Time should start to go by more quickly with the day in and day out of our job blending together till finally the day we turn around and head home. Then time drags as the though of home permiates our brains. Some say the most dangerous time is when we are heading home cause everyone is dreaming of home and not focusing at the job on hand. but lets not get too far ahead of ourselves. first the ditch
The suez canal at points is narrow enough that I could throw a rock from the ship and hit land on either side. For the first time we really started to see the true symbol of the middle east... yes you guessed it figs.... no! sand. lots and lots of sand. Of course lets not forget the heat, its really starting to heat up and its going to probably average over 100 degrees from now on out. so those of you that want to send me care packages I would recommend things that do not have a chance of melting hehe I of course recommend care packages but do not be surprised if it takes up to 4 weeks to show up.
finally one last thing that marks the start of the mission, small pox. A long custom of getting shot up with all sorts of diseases. the first being small pox. now I am sure some of you remember the fun known as small pox. As of right now its nothing. I have never had a problem with shots, though I am sure my mom may disagree when I was younger hehe. the shot itself is not the annoying part its the after effects. After about 3 days the shot with start to irritate and then puss up and finally fester and crust and scab over by day 14. Some people get a minor irritation other have full blown quarter sized scars. I am now going on day 3 and so far I am doing well and have yet to turn into a zombie or desire human blood so I think I am good..........so far >.>
Over the next few months it will be a lot of sea time a lot of work and hopefully time will fly by. I do not know how much I will be able to write that is of any interest other then saying the same thing as yesterday. but I will try, maybe I will just make up something..... aliens again anyone?
take care everyone.
Isreal was cool and though my misadventures with the jordan river is well documented I found the place to be unique and different then pretty much any place I have ever been. that being said with who I am and what I do its always a little bit stressful in that region for military folk. we are easily spotted as military and we are loved by some and hated by others. overall I never really heard of any bad experiences but you always had to be aware of where you were. nature of the beast I guess.
After that we hit up cyprus for a small day stay. luckly I did have about 5 hours off the ship to see the sites. now I dont know if most people know this, though the people that read my blog are rather smart people so I assume most will, but cyprus is actually in a sort of cold civil war. The island is split in half with the top half being turkey's since 67 I believe. so its something we are told not to talk about because it is still a bit of a sore spot. We entered into the port of limasoll and though it doesn't look like a whole lot it seems to be a place of rich folk to vacation because I saw numerous sports cars, lambo, ferrari, porsche, and aston martins to name a few and not just one or two either. So it is rather surprising that there is not more here. the main part of town is a small maybe 1/2 mile long main road where all the shops and restaraunts are and the rest is all residental. I personally found it european but also a bit middle eastern, kind of a shade of both. Some people loved it and others hated it. In all its a good place to see for a day and move on..... which is exactly what we did.
Now here is where things get tricky. the first month and some change has been a port fest with a few excersices here and there but now its go time and we are heading into the heart of our mission into the heat, literally and figuratively of the middle east. Its been a long month and a half because of the port visits and not being able to get into a rythem but now its anchors away and land but a distant memory. Finally doing our real job (hehe can't tell you though, just make up something cool like aliens or something). Time should start to go by more quickly with the day in and day out of our job blending together till finally the day we turn around and head home. Then time drags as the though of home permiates our brains. Some say the most dangerous time is when we are heading home cause everyone is dreaming of home and not focusing at the job on hand. but lets not get too far ahead of ourselves. first the ditch
The suez canal at points is narrow enough that I could throw a rock from the ship and hit land on either side. For the first time we really started to see the true symbol of the middle east... yes you guessed it figs.... no! sand. lots and lots of sand. Of course lets not forget the heat, its really starting to heat up and its going to probably average over 100 degrees from now on out. so those of you that want to send me care packages I would recommend things that do not have a chance of melting hehe I of course recommend care packages but do not be surprised if it takes up to 4 weeks to show up.
finally one last thing that marks the start of the mission, small pox. A long custom of getting shot up with all sorts of diseases. the first being small pox. now I am sure some of you remember the fun known as small pox. As of right now its nothing. I have never had a problem with shots, though I am sure my mom may disagree when I was younger hehe. the shot itself is not the annoying part its the after effects. After about 3 days the shot with start to irritate and then puss up and finally fester and crust and scab over by day 14. Some people get a minor irritation other have full blown quarter sized scars. I am now going on day 3 and so far I am doing well and have yet to turn into a zombie or desire human blood so I think I am good..........so far >.>
Over the next few months it will be a lot of sea time a lot of work and hopefully time will fly by. I do not know how much I will be able to write that is of any interest other then saying the same thing as yesterday. but I will try, maybe I will just make up something..... aliens again anyone?
take care everyone.
Friday, June 12, 2009
good and bad days
well it has been awhile since I last posted and most of it mainly to the severe lack of internet bandwidth, so I apologize for that.
First stop Greece, more specifically souda bay, is beautiful. I was only able to get off the boat for one day due to the mass work load, but for that one day it was a blast. This part of Greece has a military base that the US Navy visits all the time. There is a place called american alley in downtown hania( the main city) where they treat americans really well. Everyone was really nice and the people were all very good looking. It felt like a tropical paradise in a way I am pretty sure I will come back someday on my own accord to check out the rest of the country. I did get a really nice leather backpack for pretty cheap and it looks like something Indiana Jones would wear hehe now to look for a good whip :P
As much as I liked Greece I must say I was looking forward to my next port visit which is Isreal. As we pulled into hiafa ideas of temples and to be honest bombs were in our heads. Me and a couple guys decided to do a small hike around the city of hiafa there are several religious sights that the guys wanted to see and we wanted to break away from the club and drinking scene which I am finding out is the mainstay of the navy. We went to the cave of elijah and climbed to the top of mount carmel (I have scene 5 different spellings for it so you figure it out :P ) it was a great time but one thing you should know about hiafa, its on a hill! a very big and steep hill. by the end of the day the guys were exhausted. Add in the fact that its nearly sweltering in the the shade and you can imagine how we felt.
the next day it was time to do the tours which everyone was so excited about. Bethleham, Nazareth and the Sea of galleli with the end being the river jordan where you can get baptized for an additional fee. The day was great and fun, I took lots of pictures and saw some really cool stuff. The house/grotto of mary and the actual streets of the biblical Nazareth. We went to where peter lived and where Jesus stayed with him. The area where there was the sermon on the mount and where the miracle of feeding off those people with a couple loves of bread and stuff hehe details details details. speaking of details I was the best rock skipper on the sea of galleli out of everyone on the tour. No I didn't not receive a trophy or get sainted or anything which disappointed me. And now for the real disappointment. While at our last stop at the river Jordan I was taking a picture and in the crowd of people wanting to get a good look someone knocked my arm and my camera is now officially baptized as well. Sadly it also does not work either. so I know how the most holy and clean of sin camera in the work that does not take pictures. So it was a good day and a bad day.
The worst part is that tomorrow we go into Jerusalem where the real cool and photo worthy stuff is. Oh well it is what it is. I am surprised at how I am not really that mad, Sad maybe, but not mad. I think I realize that its not really that big a deal in the big scheme of things. I guess maybe I have become more perspective over the years but then again maybe its cause now I get to camera shop for a nice camera hehehe
I apologize once again for not posting in such a long time. The schedule is going to get pretty rough soon and I already do not get as much sleep as I should but I will try and post more often. To all reading I wish you well. take care
First stop Greece, more specifically souda bay, is beautiful. I was only able to get off the boat for one day due to the mass work load, but for that one day it was a blast. This part of Greece has a military base that the US Navy visits all the time. There is a place called american alley in downtown hania( the main city) where they treat americans really well. Everyone was really nice and the people were all very good looking. It felt like a tropical paradise in a way I am pretty sure I will come back someday on my own accord to check out the rest of the country. I did get a really nice leather backpack for pretty cheap and it looks like something Indiana Jones would wear hehe now to look for a good whip :P
As much as I liked Greece I must say I was looking forward to my next port visit which is Isreal. As we pulled into hiafa ideas of temples and to be honest bombs were in our heads. Me and a couple guys decided to do a small hike around the city of hiafa there are several religious sights that the guys wanted to see and we wanted to break away from the club and drinking scene which I am finding out is the mainstay of the navy. We went to the cave of elijah and climbed to the top of mount carmel (I have scene 5 different spellings for it so you figure it out :P ) it was a great time but one thing you should know about hiafa, its on a hill! a very big and steep hill. by the end of the day the guys were exhausted. Add in the fact that its nearly sweltering in the the shade and you can imagine how we felt.
the next day it was time to do the tours which everyone was so excited about. Bethleham, Nazareth and the Sea of galleli with the end being the river jordan where you can get baptized for an additional fee. The day was great and fun, I took lots of pictures and saw some really cool stuff. The house/grotto of mary and the actual streets of the biblical Nazareth. We went to where peter lived and where Jesus stayed with him. The area where there was the sermon on the mount and where the miracle of feeding off those people with a couple loves of bread and stuff hehe details details details. speaking of details I was the best rock skipper on the sea of galleli out of everyone on the tour. No I didn't not receive a trophy or get sainted or anything which disappointed me. And now for the real disappointment. While at our last stop at the river Jordan I was taking a picture and in the crowd of people wanting to get a good look someone knocked my arm and my camera is now officially baptized as well. Sadly it also does not work either. so I know how the most holy and clean of sin camera in the work that does not take pictures. So it was a good day and a bad day.
The worst part is that tomorrow we go into Jerusalem where the real cool and photo worthy stuff is. Oh well it is what it is. I am surprised at how I am not really that mad, Sad maybe, but not mad. I think I realize that its not really that big a deal in the big scheme of things. I guess maybe I have become more perspective over the years but then again maybe its cause now I get to camera shop for a nice camera hehehe
I apologize once again for not posting in such a long time. The schedule is going to get pretty rough soon and I already do not get as much sleep as I should but I will try and post more often. To all reading I wish you well. take care
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Cannes Solo?
well cannes is a nice little town, can't complain. It's so relaxing and everything is done at such a leasiurely rate. There are some mega yachts here and I think most of the people here live pretty good. I had one of the famous smashed sandwiches I had heard so much about. It was good but then again after eating galley food for 3 weeks I would think a mud pie would be a explosion of flavor. I have spent most of my time on the ship though, working and working and working its my lot in life it seems. But I do get to step out on the decks and look out over a foriegn land and thats pretty darn cool if you ask me. We have a couple more cool ports on the books though right now I obviously can't tell you. I am certainly looking forward to them.
As some of you may know I was once in Nice france which is about 20 miles up the road. This place remind me alot of Nice. I have talked with the locals and they have said that as well, oddly enough there is a large group of russians in Nice. They used to come during the winters and when the soviet union fell they came to Nice thinking that the whole thing would blow over quickly and they could move back to the soviet union and yet here they are still there today.
I have yet to find a internet cafe so I cannot upload pictures like I would like too. though I find myself less taking pictures and more just walking around admiring the sights and sounds.
As always my thoughts go out to all of you and I hope you all are doing well. take care
Mark
As some of you may know I was once in Nice france which is about 20 miles up the road. This place remind me alot of Nice. I have talked with the locals and they have said that as well, oddly enough there is a large group of russians in Nice. They used to come during the winters and when the soviet union fell they came to Nice thinking that the whole thing would blow over quickly and they could move back to the soviet union and yet here they are still there today.
I have yet to find a internet cafe so I cannot upload pictures like I would like too. though I find myself less taking pictures and more just walking around admiring the sights and sounds.
As always my thoughts go out to all of you and I hope you all are doing well. take care
Mark
Monday, May 25, 2009
about time......
Well finally it has happened. Land has been seen, foreign land. Land of a continent I have never been too. I finally got to do what I joined up to do, see the world, sure it only took 3 years to look at a scrappy piece of land but hey I did it. I can smile for the first time with a little sense of accomplishment. one of those days where you can check something off that list of things you wanted to do in life. Though as many know I am not one to sit on my accomplishments(how would anyone see them if i did?) Now I look forward to my next adventure, the next country or even continent.
Though there is a bitter sweet ring to these bell's triumphant ring. I am not whole out here on the sea and though I love the adventure I will always have a little bit of me home with my love. I only wish that she could see the cool things and not see the tough times, which as of late have been often, but I will be strong as I know she has to be strong. Sacrifice is really what the military is about, for both you and your family. I worry about the years ahead missing my kids growing up, missing birthdays, and missing all those wonderful moments with my wife. I can only take comfort in that what I do in some way helps keep everyone safe even if its really a small amount.
well hopefully soon I will be able to post some pics. take care and be safe.
Though there is a bitter sweet ring to these bell's triumphant ring. I am not whole out here on the sea and though I love the adventure I will always have a little bit of me home with my love. I only wish that she could see the cool things and not see the tough times, which as of late have been often, but I will be strong as I know she has to be strong. Sacrifice is really what the military is about, for both you and your family. I worry about the years ahead missing my kids growing up, missing birthdays, and missing all those wonderful moments with my wife. I can only take comfort in that what I do in some way helps keep everyone safe even if its really a small amount.
well hopefully soon I will be able to post some pics. take care and be safe.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
the long awaited deployment post
well for those that dont know, and if you didn't I doubt your reading this anyways, I am now on deployment. many moons away from home, out on the open sea. Its been a tough haul so far. I have come down with a pretty bad cold but as you figured there are no days off so you just struggle through it. The seas have been pretty nice and now I can see forever in every direction and only see water, and have for days now.
not much to report otherwise, we have started to think about our first port visit and all the cool things to see and do though I think we all are looking forward to some non galley food hehe I know I am looking forward to some good breads and cheeses and a smashed sandwich which I hear are very good. and of course take lots of pics.
I am on the cruise book commitee so I will be helping make the cruise book which should be a fun experience. we are going to try and keep the price under 50 bucks and its basically like a high school yearbook. if you want to buy one to see what I did and where I went just let me know near the end of the cruise and I will have a better idea of the exact price.
ok well back to work. sorry for the delay in posting. the internet is really slow and I have been really busy as I am sure most of you know I am a bit of a workaholic. too all reading this take care and I hope to see you soon.
not much to report otherwise, we have started to think about our first port visit and all the cool things to see and do though I think we all are looking forward to some non galley food hehe I know I am looking forward to some good breads and cheeses and a smashed sandwich which I hear are very good. and of course take lots of pics.
I am on the cruise book commitee so I will be helping make the cruise book which should be a fun experience. we are going to try and keep the price under 50 bucks and its basically like a high school yearbook. if you want to buy one to see what I did and where I went just let me know near the end of the cruise and I will have a better idea of the exact price.
ok well back to work. sorry for the delay in posting. the internet is really slow and I have been really busy as I am sure most of you know I am a bit of a workaholic. too all reading this take care and I hope to see you soon.
Friday, May 1, 2009
For those who don't know.
As the title says, for those who dont know I am in the navy and soon I will be going on deployment. Where? well somewhere hot and sandy and then to someplace hotter and more sandy. well honestly its never really planned and we go where we are told. but we are looking forward to chasing some Cpt. jack sparrows around and maybe getting ours hands on one of the 9 pieces of 8.
I had someone ask me the other day what did I think of the military. Now I am not sure if it was a conversation starter of if they were thinking about joining but it got me thinking. I guess I would have to say its an excercise in restraint. If you have the patience to put up with alot of dumb, stupid, and pointless things, in reward you get to see and do some cool stuff. for whats its worth I miss my family, my friends, normal life, and the pacific northwest. But I have always wondered whats out there and so far under the navy I have been to rhode island, boston(during a home redsox game) , the carribean, pensacola Fl, virginia, D.C., watched a orioles game in baltimore and watched a night shuttle launch from the ocean, baton rouge, New Orleans and bunch of other cool things that I am not sure I would have ever done otherwise. I guess I equate it to a really rusty hard to turn door. You really have to struggle to get it open but for far I have liked what I have seen on the other side of that door. Some of my friends find this life not for them and often times I feel the same but in the end it has provided me with a steady income, the ability to travel and see new things and I can't complain too much. lets see what I say when I come back hehe
I had someone ask me the other day what did I think of the military. Now I am not sure if it was a conversation starter of if they were thinking about joining but it got me thinking. I guess I would have to say its an excercise in restraint. If you have the patience to put up with alot of dumb, stupid, and pointless things, in reward you get to see and do some cool stuff. for whats its worth I miss my family, my friends, normal life, and the pacific northwest. But I have always wondered whats out there and so far under the navy I have been to rhode island, boston(during a home redsox game) , the carribean, pensacola Fl, virginia, D.C., watched a orioles game in baltimore and watched a night shuttle launch from the ocean, baton rouge, New Orleans and bunch of other cool things that I am not sure I would have ever done otherwise. I guess I equate it to a really rusty hard to turn door. You really have to struggle to get it open but for far I have liked what I have seen on the other side of that door. Some of my friends find this life not for them and often times I feel the same but in the end it has provided me with a steady income, the ability to travel and see new things and I can't complain too much. lets see what I say when I come back hehe
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
the subject title is just a false idol to the true body of the matter
I am still trying to figure out the subject line myself. but while you think it over here is a picture of our nice scroll that I got from me dear mum. no I have not taken on a british accent though with the amount of work I have been doing I might be and not even notice it.
well houses are work and we had our first "incident" a couple nights ago we went upstairs to go to bed only to find a dripping coming from the ceiling. I know what your thinking, not good. well it turns out that the pan underneath the AC was not supported and it kinked in the middle due to the water weight and it all spilled over the sides onto our nice ceiling. No worries thanks to our home warranty it was fixed up and good to go till the next haphazardly, "handyman" construction that this whole house seems to be filled with breaks.
the days are going quickly and soon I will be underway to new lands. I hope to update with pictures and stories as I see them. hopefully I will come back to everyone still happy and healthy..... or else!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
bleh
I just had one heck of a day and am just barely able to type this.... ugh. too much stuff to do and not enough time. I am looking forward to deployment but not all the lack of sleep and overwork. but sometimes you have to go through the muck to find something nice.
zzzzzz.......
zzzzzz.......
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
who likes center pieces? well too bad!
we have found a nice runner and center piece for out new table and here it is.
and here is a pic of sarah and the dog enjoying the comforts of the new house. Notice how the dog is still watching me. I think he is plotting something, I dont know what but I will find out sooner or later.
Friday, April 17, 2009
new shiny furniture
just a couple pics to prove that I can now eat at a dinner table of sit on a sofa instead of the popular impression of sitting on milk crates and eating from a garbage can lid. as you can see Cody has already found this table appealing towards his list of things to get yelled at for. and the dog already has taken to the sofa like a duck to water.
So it seems everything is falling in place with the house just in time for me to leave it for 8 months. figures.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
THIS SHALL NOT REMAIN EMPTY!!!!
Today we took one of the last few steps to making this house a home. Yes, we finally bought a snuggy, NO! a dinner table. And since we have no concept of money decided that it is right time to get a couch as well. All you people that want to visit and get a marginal night of sleep your in luck. This couch is a sleeper. Surprisingly, sleeper technology has not changed much over the years since it looked exactly the same as when I was a kid and no doubt probably provides the same wonderful support I grew up to, well, tolerated at best. The couch and table will arrive friday afternoon and I might even cook a real dinner for such an occasion. hmmm who likes mac and cheese?
Spring is in the air and the flowers have come around to show off their wears. This year is a building year and seeing what works well. Next year when I have a summer in town I look forward to getting it filled in and making the neighbors jealous. Cardinals and blue jays visit our house on occasion but mostly it a gang of robins shaking down the locals but thankfully we have put out our daily offering of bird food and have been spared their wrath.
As always more silly pictures for you to oogle at.
Spring is in the air and the flowers have come around to show off their wears. This year is a building year and seeing what works well. Next year when I have a summer in town I look forward to getting it filled in and making the neighbors jealous. Cardinals and blue jays visit our house on occasion but mostly it a gang of robins shaking down the locals but thankfully we have put out our daily offering of bird food and have been spared their wrath.
As always more silly pictures for you to oogle at.
Monday, April 13, 2009
who wants a mud pie?
well as promised the front yard got a little love this morning. We are still new to the whole planning out a yard thing so we are starting slow and seeing how it goes. I think one more row of cover flowers will just about do it and then we let it grow it. should be pretty when it filles in. Not much else to say so just look and the pictures and enjoy the purty flowers.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
green with........envy?
today was a busy day, painting, yard work, ummm... eating? we put up the athenian green on the hallway walls and all thats left is to do the trim work. then we dug up a bunch of useless bushes to make room for some pretty flowers. I will take some pics of the yard tommorrow. the poor animals were locked in the bedroom for much of the day so as to not get paint all over them. One cat in particular also know as the cody would probably jump in it then run around the house while we chase it "painting" everything in his path.
the days are closing in till the end of leave and yet there is still so much to do. well I guess when I get back from deployment it will be winter and I can do alot of inside work. then when spring hits...... gardening bonanza.
here are a couple pics of how the green room looks now.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
hey you want to get high? help me paint.
so far we are half way through the hallway painting project. I think I am going to request a TARP funding cause there are so many projects!! anyways we put up some primer and tommorrow are heading onward toward athenian green hallway. Not much else to report, kind of a lazy day besides the painting. I think I am going to start to go a little stir crazy soon. only so long of sitting in the house before I start getting that wierd twitch to start working.
pictures show the before, 1st coat of primer, and 2nd coat then the final inspection by the boss man himself Mick the dog. My only hope is that when we get the green up Mick doesn't get it confused with grass...... think about it.
Friday, April 10, 2009
walkway done, next up painting!
Yes, after much dirt in my fingernails, my pants, hair, insert random object, the walkway is done. Que the trumpets! I am starting to think I might have a pretty nice lawn by the time the cows come home or pigs fly whichever comes first. If you have not noticed so far all the flowers have been purple or gold. It is purely coincidence that it also happens to be my beloved Huskies colors and it will also be a total coincidence that I will mow a big U of W in the lawn........ but I digress
next on the list is some painting cause that way I can get my wife to work as well. though I assume this will end up like in turner and hooch where I am clean with alittle paint and she will be covered in it. when we finish painting we will finally rid ourselves of the woodpaneling that was once abundant about the house. for those of those asking "wasn't woodpaneling outlawed?" yes it was, but this was before the prohibition and therefore is grandfathered in.
pics are of course the product of hours apon hours of thinking about doing it and about 3 hours of actual work. I think it will look good when they bloom. Now I can sit on my porch and, with pride, yell at the kids as they roll by to get off the lawn.
next on the list is some painting cause that way I can get my wife to work as well. though I assume this will end up like in turner and hooch where I am clean with alittle paint and she will be covered in it. when we finish painting we will finally rid ourselves of the woodpaneling that was once abundant about the house. for those of those asking "wasn't woodpaneling outlawed?" yes it was, but this was before the prohibition and therefore is grandfathered in.
pics are of course the product of hours apon hours of thinking about doing it and about 3 hours of actual work. I think it will look good when they bloom. Now I can sit on my porch and, with pride, yell at the kids as they roll by to get off the lawn.
oh what to do on vacation..... work of course!
Well as some of you may know I am about to leave for deployment soon and as is custom in the navy you take some leave(vacation) before you go and when you come back. I like doing nothing as much as the next guy but after awhile I get restless so I planned a few projects for our new house. the current project is the front yard. so far I have planted a few border plants and made a nice little border as well as put up a bird feeder but now I am busting out the shovel and getting dirty. The plan is to dig up the grass by the side walk and line the walkway to the house with some flowers. Sarah liked marigolds. once it is finished I think I will call it the yellow brick road. dont worry I will not hire any winged flying monkeys to harrass people traveling down it. maybe a talking scare crow but do to poaching laws in viriginia no cowardly lions *shake fist* damn you and your common laws!!
above are a couple pics it is still a work in progress....
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Tada
well I figured I should probably post something since it is a blog and all. not much new, life in the navy is pretty standard stuff and routine is the name of the game. On the home front though I am looking forward to getting my hands dirty with the front yard. during my vacation time I will be doing some planting and weeding. Mom would be so proud, I have managed to keep a plant alive for a whole 2 weeks now! sorry no photos of the plant you will just have to take my word for it.
I will post some before and after pics of the garden adventure. but in the mean time here are a couple pet pics, the ones of the cats sarah took this morning.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
FIRST!!!
ok so I am the only one that can post so the fact I am first is trivial but there are other firsts to be spoken of. Our first dog! I am happy to say we have a nice mutt from the pound we have named Mic. he is a very mello dog that is recovering from the mange and was destined for the big playground in the sky. We snatched him from the clutches of the grim reaper and have now placed him in the loving home of the parlin family.
as far as we can tell he is a mello guy that just wants to some loves and has been our shadow since we brought him home. there is some concern he will get destructive when we leave for awhile but there is only way to find out.
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