Things In Mason Jars :: Fruit Smoothies At Sea

I have a really nice Cadet - who went ashore when we were in Charleston and bought me a crap ton of fresh fruit.  After 29 days at sea I was jonesing....bad.

(I just realized that I didn't tell you guys that I hit my first US Port and am heading to my next...the one where I get off the ship at!  Yippee!)

Anyways, I was hungry for some fruit in a really big way and my Cadet totally pulled through.

I've been snacking on berries and mangoes.  I have greek yogurt (again, thanks cadet!) and am making Mango Lassi's but most importantly, I've been blending myself smoothies in the mornings.  Delish.

I know what you're thinking....this chick is getting off her ship in a few days and all she can talk about is her garden and her fruit?!

This trip has been good.  I'm not sure I've ever said that before.  Despite the fact that I haven't stepped foot on land in 97 days (unless I've been taking drafts), I don't feel like I'm going crazy.  I don't feel like I need to completely reevaluate my lifes existence - which, let me tell you is quite common for me by the end of my rotation!  Don't get me wrong, I am ready to be on land.....I'm just not wishing I could quit shipping and have quadruplets as soon as possible.

Life is good, folks.  Life is good.

A Nautie Excuse

Nautie Friends, I miss you - I do!  I want to post - really!

I'm suffering from what can best be described as 'end of rotation apathy'.

I'm tying up loose ends at work, I'm planning my next two port stays, I'm organizing my drill and inspection matrix, I'm double checking that all my log entries are made....and then I sleep.

If I'm not working I'm sleeping because sometimes just looking at my shipmates irritates me.

This is what I call, 'squirelly season'.  Everyone onboard is a little squirelly....and it's best to keep my distance.  Everyone feels excatly the same way I do....just looking at me irritates them!  People start picking petty little fights, people start complaining, essentially...people start loosing it.

There you have it - my nautie excuse - it's squirelly season!

I'm arriving on the East Coast tomorrow morning first thing.  I'm excited because today is my 29th straight day at sea and even one day in port sounds freakin' awesome.  I'm super bummed because I don't have my iPhone so I can't call home.....or take photos....or post on the blog on the fly....

Mostly I'm excited because a US port means I'm that much closer to getting off!

Love you guys!

More Like Two Degrees Of Separation

I wrote this blog post eons ago.  Then I had technical difficulties...and then I didn't post it.  The thing is, I thought I better post it because this is super duper important!  When I reference 'yesterday' it was actually weeks ago....just to help clarify things around here.... Yesterday, I cried on the blog....about how I didn't have internet friends.  You heard me, I cried on the blog because I didn't have internet friends!

Immediately afterwards....and I'm talking immediately afterwards....I start up a little twitter conversation with this chick named @calliesmariner.  I had literally just written:  Twitter kills me.  Now, here I was having a mini conversation.  Wow.

This chick has a blog geared torwards Merchant Marine families - and it's cool you should totally check it out.

We start throwing some tweets back and forth (yep, you guessed it...at this moment I'm feeling totally cool...).

*Please note:  Between the paragraph above and the paragraph below I tried really, really, really hard to embed some tweets.  Clearly, I did not succeed.  I just don't know.  My excuse is that I'm not at home and there is something wrong with the computer on the ship.  The thing is, if you want to read the tweets you could just follow @calliesmariner and @nautiemermate on twitter....just sayin'...*

Anyways, I noticed from her blog that she's living somewhere in New England so of course I decide that I MUST e-mail one of my Besties and tell her that I have a new friend for her.  Some of my girlfriends stared a group called The Seacoast Wives - they're Husbands ship out and they themselves are pretty salty.  I'm not technically in the group....cause clearly I'm not a wive but, I knew this Chick needed to be invited to the get togethers.

During this whole exchange @Calliesmariner and my Bestie are at a Maine Maritime Academy Seacoast Alumni Event - and they freakin' meet eachother!!!!!!!

I mean, during this whole exchange as in while we're tweeting.  Too freakin' weird right?!

You know how the world is supposedly connected by six degrees of separation?  Well, clearly the maritime industry is a measly two degrees of separation.

There you have it.  Amazing, right?!

Here's to new blog friends!

Scintilla Day Four :: The Infamous Lifeboat Email

Being trapped in a confined environment can turn an ordinary experience into a powder keg. Write about a thing that happened to you while you were using transportation; anything from your first school bus ride, to a train or plane, to being in the backseat of the car on a family road trip. Having fun a few days ago in the Rescue Boat has had me thinking about Lifeboats.....you know where I'm giong with this right?

How about we take time to reflect on My Worst Day At Sea Ever.  The one where I puked uncontrollably for hours in a lifeboat that must have been 130 degrees.  The one where the lifeboat broke down and we had to get rescued by an Arab Fishing Boat....and then hauled on board by the Coast Guard.  The one where I ended up totally delirious and wanted to take my clothes off?  Riiiight.  This was majorly pre-blogging days BUT I did send an email home that has been immortalized forever as The Infamous Lifeboat E-Mail.

If a Lifeboat doesn't count as a confined environment I seriously don't know what does!

I'm participating in The Scintilla Project.  Yay!  So far it's been a lot of fun - join in!  (Also, here is the disclaimer that I skipped Day 3....and that I'm linking to an old blog post....apparently this is allowed....)

Scintilla Day Two :: Like A Champ

Day Two.  Tell the story about something interesting (anything!) that happened to you, but tell it in the form of an instruction manual (Step 1, Step 2, Step 3….)

1.  Consult your annual inspection / drill matrix.  Confirm that a quarterly launching of the lifeboat and rescue boat are indeed required - and plan on conducting launch while at anchor.

2.  Have all essential personnel standing by ready to assist in launching immediately following anchoring of the vessel.

3.  Load the Rescue Boat with the Third Mate, Third Assistant, Cadet and Yourself.

4.  Lower the Boat into the water.

5.  Release the Boat.

6.  Motor the Boat around the vessel to exercise the engine.

7.  Listen to the boat motor putter out and die.  Turn to the Third Mate and say, 'Oh.My.GOD.'.

8.  Get out the oars and begin paddling!

9.  Quickly assess whether you are getting any closer to the ship.

10.  Switch places with the Third Assistant Engineer who is not having any luck restarting the engine.  (He's bigger anyways and maybe he can paddle harder....not...)

11.  Watch the Third Assistant fruitlessly paddle away.

12.  Determine that the priming bulb is rock hard.

13.  Unplug the fuel line.

14.  Shove your knife into the plug and drain all the gas in the line into the Rescue Boat.

15.  Plug the fuel line back in.

16.  Start the Rescue Boat like a fucking champ and motor back to the ship (that is now a mile away).

I'm participating in The Scintilla Project - and you should too!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5594013/?claim=n5d2rk9x3fk">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Scintilla Day One :: Drinking Diaries

Day One.  Tell a story about a time you got drunk before you were legally old enough to do so. Kokanee Beer.  Giggling uncontrollably in my Aunt and Uncles basement.  My cousins were freaking out because they got the girl cousin drunk.  So they fed me a banana and checked on me all night long to make sure I didn't die in my sleep.

Kahlua, Vodka and Milk.  I hid in the closet when the police came.  The crowds started to disperse and someone came looking for me.  When they found me I whispered, 'Tell the Cops my name is Ally McBeal!'.

Boones Farm.  We shared a bottle or two around a bon fire at Honoli'i.  Nothing better than drinking at the beach.

Sangria.  Girls of Summer Mugs - fluorescent hot pink, orange and yellow.  One for each of us.  Homemade sangria that was oh so delicious.  These mugs were huge and we used them allll summer long.  Best ever?  Rocking out to Vanessa Carlton in Babs The Little Blue Car.

Woodchucks.  A six pack of woodchucks at the Back Shore in Castine.  We are sitting in Marquis Mark (the big pimp ass car) listening to The Toadies and yelling along with the lyrics.  Therapy.

Crown Royal and Ginger Ale.  Making snow angels without my coat on.  My Bestie is visiting from her college in California.  She has stopped drinking because she's 'done'.  I yell at her as loudly as possible, 'PUKE AND RALLY!'....while we make snow angels without our coats on.

Cape Cods.  A Gremlin full of Midshipmen.  Drive up an un-plowed dirt road until it gets stuck.  Drink for awhile and push it out.  Repeat.  (On the way home pick up the Commandants dog and squeeze it into the car.  Go to the empty parking log and do donuts.  Then let the dog out and actually go home.)

I'm participating in The Scintilla Project.  Mostly because a few years ago I participated in Reverb10 and loved it.  I'm also participating because I'm enjoying making internet friends!  Also, I apologize but I'm already two days behind!