It's just like any other day with better food. Seriously. I woke up at 2320 (1120 pm) to start my morning - even though it's still secretly the previous day. I actually set my alarm for 2300 but I get my wake up call at 2320 and this is when I get out of my rack.

When I opened my door there were a package of socks, a can of dust sprayer, a polo shirt and a memo pad tied to the handle - with a post it note that said, 'Merry Christmas'! Thanks Santa!

I meandered up to the bridge....I said, 'Merry Christmas' in a slightly sleep deprived voice. Everyone said, 'Merry Christmas' back to me in slightly sleep deprived voices.

The watch changed out and I said, 'Alright boys, guess what, we're going to listen to Christmas Carols alll freakin' morning long!!!!'. Then I proceeded to play both Glee Christmas albums. They loved this I'm sure. We listened to everything in my arsenal. Glee, Bing Crosby, The Elf Soundtrack, The Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Soundtrack, Pink Martini, Mariah Carey.....it never stopped.

I was relieved at 0600 and I said, 'Merry Christmas! There is Christmas music playing! Oh yeah, there is also an assload of traffic out there....have fun!'. Then I went down to my room and climbed back in my rack.

I woke up from my nap at 0720 and went down for breakfast. I ate pancakes, french toast, sausage and had TWO cinnamon roles. I figured because it was Christmas I was allowed to stuff my gullet!

I went back up to the bridge and watched the sunrise around 0830 - seriously, that is how late it gets light in the Mediterranean these days. You're killing me December! I of course took a bunch of pictures of the sunrise....I had to document a Christmas sunrise! I made my new watch partners listen to my entire Christmas Song arsenal all over again....it was glorious.

At 0900 the Captain came up to the bridge and I showed him how the radar was acting funny. Then he asked to see the service requisition from its last servicing....I couldn't find it in the bridge equipment binder (I swear I wasn't onboard for the servicing) - then I got scolded. Then he looked in the garbage log - and I got scolded again (I swear I wasn't onboard when the entries were missed). Then he looked at the Navtex Binder - and I got scolded again (I swear I wasn't onboard when the messages were annotated incorrectly). The scolding just continued until I got off watch. It went something like this, 'Megan the Nautiemermate, this is your forte! I'm surprised the binders slipped like this....we really need to plus up.'

At 1000 I got off watch and I proceeded down to the Cargo Control Room....really I was just looking for someone who wasn't going to scold me. I basically just killed time until the next meal hour....it's Christmas after all!

Lunch was exciting...there were tablecloths made out of real cloth on the tables! We normally have plastic picnic style table coverings....because we're sailors and that means we're slobs. Lunch was amazing. Roasted tom turkey, ham, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, homemade bread. There was shrimp cocktail, salmon with capers and TONS of deserts - pies, cookies, fruitcake, candies.

When I got done eating I proceeded back up to my State Room where I posted my Feliz Navidad photos.

At 1300 I showered and put on my Pajamas. I crawled into my rack with a snack and a book. I fell asleep by 1500.

Ta Da! Christmas Day at sea!

(Not to be a cry baby BUT, this was the only day this week where I worked twelve hours or less and got 8 hours of sleep....I'm currently standing 6 hours on and 6 hours off and I've had two 18 hour days and two 15 hour days.....I can't describe the luxury of being asleep by 1500....that in itself was the best Christmas present I could have asked for!)