Ok, I'm off.....this time I mean it

Time is nearing, I'm finally out of here for my first ship assignment with MSC that is, not counting the years i've already spent on the water.

I was hoping I'd have a chance to lay over in Amsterdam, but I'll have just enough time to get off one plane and get on another. Here's where I'm heading for at least the next 4 months, the USNS Supply maybe longer if I like the boat/route/crew.

Feeling a little bit paranoid at the moment, I was required to get a small pox immunization before I could leave. It's a live virus, albiet less hazardous one then the real small pox so I have to under quite a few precautions not to let anyone else come into any contact with the discharge from the shot site, the bandages covering it or the scab that is suppose to form on it. So my skin's been just itching since I was told not to scratch the site, could feel little tingling in my lympth glands under my arm.

I'm actually curious how long it will take to run it's course in me, I have a history of being a fast healer, though it has shown signs of slowing down with age. Wonder if there is any way to test exactly what your immune system is boltered against, I'm sure mine would probably raise some eye brows.

well, nothing on the idiot box and just finished another book. Might just call it a night, had a hard time getting up this morning, think it has to do with it getting colder at night, i sleep better in the cold.

Vehicle Options

Ok, I just have to ask the question, where do people buy the vehicles with the optional turn signals?

Been on a drivers' critique for a while now, seems no matter where I go, no one seems to be able to drive, at least polietely.

Next time you have a moment, take a look at the hand positions of the "stare" drivers, they are usually at least the traditional 10-2 position. I, myself only use one hand and it's either a 4 or 8 position. Hand over hand turning for small turning of the wheel but if I must turn hard and fast I palm the wheel since "suicide balls" are illegal. With the proliferation of airbags, I'm surprised more haven't switched to a 4-8 or at least a 3-9.

I still haven't figured out the purpose of driving with your left arm shifted to hold the 2 o'clock position on the wheel.

Why are people afraid to use the gas pedal in leaving a stop light but have no problem bllowing through parking lots?

I do wish driver's liceneses were as tough to get here as they are in europe, lots of drivers training and you'll end up spending around $3k, so to put it in jeopardy is idiocy. Don't know why states don't jack the prices up, of course then we wouldn't have all these poor drivers on the roads jacking up the price of insurance and contributing to the enconomy getting the vehicles repaired/replaced.

What ever happened to the trend of putting spacers on the wheels so they were no longer underneath the wheel hubs? Cracks me up seeing all these truely impractical equipment in vehicles, guess I'm biased towards trucks.

Ok, I should get to bed if it weren't for this late night mt dew i just drank, might as well get started on the next book, starting to slow down from one novel a day to one every other day.

still no word on when I'll be leaving, but I don't mind, can't rush what is beyond my control.

Things happen fast when you're an AB

Now to see how quickly I'll be shipping out since I'll be going as an Able Seaman instead of the entry level Ordinary Seaman. I've been doing what I can to get moved under this detailer, he moves fast and doesn't play around, guess it helps he's a 2nd Mate so he knows the sailing aspect of our work. I've also heard that pay is also retro active to the issue date on the Coast Guard documentation, so all of this month should be at the base AB rate (which is 50% more then the base OS pay).

If I had to venture a guess, I'll be probably working out of the Persian Gulf region for a while. Once I become a permanate employee (beyond my 1 year probationary period) I'll see about pushing through my coastal transfer to the West Coast operations.

I could be seeing orders for leaving as soon as this friday but more then likely no later then next friday. Guess it's time to get my laundry done and mostly repacked since they're only required to give us a minimum of 4 hours notification before heading for a ship.

Off to the post office, wonder how many more times this box can hold up being shipped back and forth to my friend in south carolina. If I don't head out until next week, will be another small box of books I'll be sending him, he's on a reading kick as well. Oh, forgot to mention that, for the last two weeks I've been reading at least one novel a day and the local borders book store doesn't have the first in a handful series of books I've been recommended that I might enjoy.

incomplete thoughts and other stuff

My college creative writing proessor use to get on my case that my approach was unique, but I just seemed to lack a follow through or a choesiveness to my thoughts. I've been going back through my old posts, partly because I came across some old Wordperfect files from my writing in high school and college. I have a lot of intresting ideas, partly from how I view the world, but most of my writing for the last 16 or so odd years has been pretty much the same, I don't stay on any one topic for too long and most of my thoughts seem incomplete.

My approach to writing is heavily influenced by my native upbringing, in our fashion our history is passed down orally, so much of my writing reads as if I'm sitting down and having a conversation with the reader (albiet a one sided). While this is a source of much ease of writing, it is also a cause of my incomplete thoughts, by the time I finish holding the conversation with myself in my head, no matter how fast I type (believe me I'm fast) I can never record my thought process fast enough.

The hardest thing I've had to do in the process of writing is to edit my own work. I'm great about reading other people's work and able to discuess with them on how to fully bring out/develop their thoughts. Heck, given enough time and examples of writing I can mimic a lot of peoples' writing styles (how I use to earn a little extra cash in high school doing book reports for others in their own tone of voice) but when I see my own work, the issue is already resolved in my head and that's all that matters to me.

Gah, I'm way beyond ready to head back to sea. My updated/upgraded paperwork is back from the USCG and is inputed into the computer system, just waiting for the promotion to be pushed through. Means I'll fall under a different detailer for ship assignments, and unlike the others this fella's a 2nd Mate, so he knows what it's like to live/work at sea.

Speaking of the USCG, went to see The Guardian when it first came out. Definately enjoyed it except for two obvious and glaring errors that only someone from Alaska could notice. Both times they rescued people from Alaskan waters, they weren't dressed in imersion suites. If you work in the frigid waters, you just think real hard about having to abandon ship and those suites are on in less then a minute. That is one drill that is drummed into everyone who sets sail and that is how to don an imersion (survival) suite pretty darn quick and even how to do so while floating in the water. All in all though, glad there's some recognition for the one branch of the USCG that is tolerated even respected by those who ply the waters.

To tango

Last week, when I was planning on writing and got interrupted was a bit of role reversal for this friend of mine and myself. Usually it's me messaging her asking what a woman's point of view on one subject or another. This time she was asking me asking me what a guy would look for in women in general, out at the clubs, how to dress, what kind of perfume etc. All the questions got me thinking, which isn't always the best of things for me to doing.

First topic was clothing, how a woman dresses that will catch my eye in general and when going out. I guess I'll always look no matter what so as long as she looks comfortable, it's all good. As for going to clubs, not something I'm too keen on (most tend to over load my senses), while I appreciate all the effort most women go through to look good, what turns me off is when women cross the line between sexy and sleazy. Guess I'm a bit old fashion but there are something that should be worth waiting for and/or left to some imagination.

On to perfume, I'm not real picky about it, the "clean" smell is probably best, what I absolutely loath is when a woman smells like she took a bath in it, begs the question what she's trying to hide. I don't like a lot of harsh/sharp smelling perfume, if it smells like it could be found in nature I'm all for it. As for myself, I'm not too keen on colonge, I shower in the mornings, put on some deodorant, after shave if I use it is scentless. One that I will never tire of is brute', it reminds me of my father, even then, one would have to get pretty up close to notice I have it on, I wash off the majority just after I put it on.

Then the topic of questions shifted to what type of women I look for, and the inevitable "men like blondes" came up. Women are women is what I say, if all you see is the hair color, you're missing out on a lot more. On came the laundry list of female celebrities that are in the news now:

Angelina Jolie, while hot, sexy and sensual, things would probably be a flash in the pan and be over just as fast.

Lindsey Lohan, while she may be cute and a star, to think of her gives me an erie pedophilie feel. My impression is she's lost, doesn't know who she really is yet, and trying to hard to fit in.

Pamela Anderson, *shudder* she reminds me of what one wakes up with after a night of hard drinking and saying "damn, what the hell did I do last night." I can't help but feel she isn't secure with herself as would be my feelings towards anyone who gets plastic surgery for vanity then necessity.

Paris Hilton....Don't know what to say to this one, just a girl that has more dollars then sense.

Then it came down to what I liked, the more girl next door type, could hang with the guys wearing jeans and a t-shirt and be totally at easy, then turn around get dressed up and look totally sexy. For celebrities, I'd have to say women like Sandra bullock, Ashley Judd, Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, Julia styles to name a few, women that are smart, intelligent....classy.

A few nights ago I rented Take the Lead, staring Antonio Banderas and my desire to learn ballroom dancing has be rekindled. Also got me to thinking, for much the same reasons I don't care for the "bump and grind" as I would for a tango. The difference between over the top sexy/sleazy and sensuality/leaving something for the imagination.

Guess this all falls back on the "me" generation and anything to get attention. Alas that's a topic for another day and another post.