home for deer season

Made it home. Choppered off the ship Thursday afternoon in slightly rough weather, but had no troubles. Spent a relaxing night in Cartagena with my good buddy from the ship. We hung out at the pool bar, had a few cold ones and a great meal. Later, a few of the crew showed up to tell of exploits at the festival in town. Most of them were covered in blue paint and foam. Two of them had their wallets stolen. Mine was inside the safe in my room:) Bought my girls some bracelets from a little old lady and sacked out early, but not before I sat on the balcony listening to a hired guitarist lay down both Santana and Satriani. Flying home from Colombia was also pretty decent. Very short connections at every stop was kind of tough, but I pulled it off and arrive on time at about 9:30 last night. PW was kind enough to feed me and I managed to get some sleep. Her and I are heading out in the woods to check my blind, drop off some bait and supplies for the coming week. How awesome is my wife? She put up my blind and laid out bait, yesterday, while I was flying! Yes, that awesome. Words do not do her justice. Nor do I.

and another 20 hours pass in a blur of coffee, smokes, bad food and non-stop oldies from 1972...

Long day of client meetings, report-writing, practical jokes and preparing for crew-x, looming in 4 days.  Busy as a 3-legged cat trying to bury shit on a marble floor.  Yeah.

Tree sap

So, I'm sitting in the sauna last night and I look at the wall next to my head and see a small dribble of sap coming out of on of the wooden slats and my mind wanders back to a few weeks ago when I was out in the middle of a swamp, doing some recon for hunting and while leaning against a tree, notice a small dribble of sap coming out of a crack in the tree.  The sauna, the swamp, the cracks and the sap, back and forth.  I'm the only one that uses the sauna on this ship. 

And I thought about ending up in a sauna, on a ship, off the coast of Colombia, and seeing something familiar from yet another place I hang out that nobody else visits and reflecting on how weird my life is, for the millionth time.  Growing up as middle-class, burnout, punk who didn't finish high school I never expected to end up taking a sauna off the coast of Colombia (unless it was as a drug mule), OR spending endless days in the remote woods and swamps of Upper Michigan and especially being at home and at peace, there.  And as for the sap?  Maybe we always subconsciously look for connections to home, wherever we are, but it was still a strange experience that has been on my mind all day.  That's it.

Meme for lack of better content

Read this meme on on Murder & Mayhem and for lack of anything else worthwhile to say, I decided to do it, myself.  What the hell, its better than a blank space:)

Where is your cell phone? In my closet, back in my cabin.  Left it there 3 weeks ago-I hope its still there...
Your hair? Grey and falling out rapidly, thanks to work.
Your mother? Dead.
Your father? Dead.
Your favorite food? Venison burritos.
Your dream last night? Think "The Stand" by SK.  A blogger and her child appeared in supporting roles, which was REALLY weird.
Your favorite drink? Toss up between Guinness, Grey Goose and a Cabernet I can't afford. I could include the gallon of coffee I drink every day...
Your dream/goal? To live long enough and make enough money to put all my kids through college and see them grown.
What room are you in? Processing Pit.
Your hobby?  Dunno.  My kids, hunting?  I do nothing else.  Oh, reading! (getting old and my memory is slipping)
Your fear? Dying before my kids are grown and able to fend for themselves.
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Still alive.
Where were you last night? In the Processing Pit for 18 hours.
Something that you aren't? Terribly happy.
Muffins? Only in airports
Wish list item? Utility 4-wheeler for plowing and hunting.  Or a new hammer.  Broke the claws off of mine, using it as a pry bar for 20 years.
Where did you grow up? Hitch-hiking across the country, I would have to say.  Born in the Motor City, though.
Last thing you did? Made a mug of instant coffee and smoke a cig w/ my buddy, Rollie.
What are you wearing? Orange work clothes, safety glasses and a boat knife.
Your TV? Here, the biggest, fuck-off wide-screen you have ever seen, but I don't use it.  Ever.  Home-an old piece of shit that squeals and hurts my ears.
Your pets? Idiot black lab who watches over my precious girls and I love him for that.
Friends? Mr. Budd.
Your life? I have two.  One, at home and one at sea and they are very, very different.
Your mood? Usually very dark.
Missing someone? Yes, very much.
Vehicle? 1998 Ford F-150.
Something you're not wearing? Street clothes.
Your favorite store? Freeman's Gun Shop, except they don't have my bullets this year!
Your favorite color? Black
When was the last time you laughed? Last night at #unseenprequals
Last time you cried? Cannot remember, but not too long ago, I'm sure.
Your best friend? Mr Budd.
One place that I go to over and over? The Processing Pit, onboard and my daughter's school, at home.
One person who emails me regularly? My wife, but not regularly enough.  I miss her.
Favorite place to eat? Home.  Cannot beat PW's cooking.  She rules.  Wish I were as good.

and I'll add:
Favorite place?  Here-the sauna.  Home-the woods.
Favorite musical artist?  The Satch, Joe Satriani.

Peace

What to do?

I'm not sure exactly what's going on, to be perfectly honest. I've kept this blog going with more or less daily posts, for something like 3 years, with a year or so prior of my previous blog, which I had to shut down d/t work issues.  Lately?  I'm just not posting.  Part of it has been work-related, in that onboard I have been working hellish hours, under a lot of stress and when I get off, I also have a lot of things to do and simply want to spend time with my wife, children and friends.  Whatever the case, this blog has suffered greatly in the past several months and I find myself questioning the validity of keeping it open.

I think about the fact that over the years it has served several purposes, more than admirably. I've had a place ot keep my family and friends up to date with my worldly wanderings.  I've had a place to vent, a place to be creative.  I've met some WONDERFUL people as a direct result of this blog. One of them, LL, has become part of my extended family.  We LOVE her and our vacations together have been a huge treat.  Man, can she cook the vittles, too:)  I've received, advise, gifts, cool links, GREAT reading recommendations, a chance to write and coorespond with the wonderful and creative folks at FTTW (we still email and they are still, all, drop-dead funny), and the chance to explore other people's writing and lives-something I will always cherish, no matter if I keep writing, or not.  Even as a non-blogger, I will always read, especially those on my blogroll, that I've been reading for years, now. 

So, I know blogs come and blogs go.  I don't know if mine will go, yet.

AND, in a pathetic attempt to update anyone who reads here, but doesn't follow me on Twitter -I'm in Colombia, not far offshore from Cartagena, or Baranquilla, take your pick.  I'm working my ass off, it's hot, humid, sunny and mostly very rough.  I've still got ten fingers, ten toes and my sense of humor (which really was never any good, but it's still here).

Who needs a spoonful of sugar?

We're finally back in operation as of last night. Worked a LONG, 17-hr shift then was woken up early this morning after a crappy, four hour nap to deal with all sorts of shit-problems everyone else is having, that I HAVE TO SOLVE, RIGHT NOW.  I am not a happy camper.  Maybe before half the day is gone, I MIGHT get to work on my own issues.  Gee, it's good to be back at work. 

In other news, I ate a tablespoon of instant coffee this morning, just to wake up enough to be able to think straight.  It actually tasted good.  Is that a bad sign?

Back in the saddle, again

I'm fully immersed in the work now.  The operation isn't actually up and running, which is a blessing as I have a rather complicated workflow to set up and prosecute.  After nearly 2 full days onboard, I'm still reading emails and handover notes, trying to get a handle on what is supposed to be done for this project.  Damn.

Yesterday, after just getting here, I get an email requesting I choose flights home.  Going to be a very short and fast trip.

I'm suddenly getting solicited to review products on my blog, offers for free shit and whatnot.  I've got mixed feelings on this.  Any comments?  I started my (largely ignored, lately) review blog to let people know when I come across a product I feel strongly about, not to get free shit and promote (or trash-talk) just anything.  Let me amend that statement.  I haven't ignored the review blog, I just haven't come across anything l feel strongly about, lately.  Well, I did manage to drink a little good beer over the break and have been kicking around the idea of reviewing my favorite brew pub and their yummy beers...KBC, KBC, KBC....

Heard on Twitter (from Tony Robbins) that Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is going to begin offering tickets for commercial space flight next year.  I think I have finally found a reason to be very wealthy.  Tickets to space would fall somewhere between a new deer rifle and a new fishing pole.

Finally, as nice as it is to be working back in my home quadrant of the globe, it looks to get even better-there is a good chance I'll be starting up a multi-ship operation back in US waters at the end of the year, or early next year :)