So, apparently there is a navy ship in the harbor. Ok so it not really a harbor, more of a dock inside the atoll, which mostly makes it a harbor in the right winds.
Friday night (last night), they let the crew lose on the island. We didn't really recognize it too much because we played Frisbee at 6 pm. I got off work at 5pm, and went to the store (the PX), or whatever Army name they have for it. There were a lot of strange people in there. Strange meaning...confused looking.....new faces...asking questions about where the chow hall is. We kind of saw them during Frisbee too. People walking along the ocean side road, young people. Then a few golf carts of uniformed people watching the young kids walking. I was told they were "shore patrol".....there to keep the "sailors" out of trouble. Last night was Frisbee as usual. Great games and people are learning to be more sportsmanlike, which I love.
9-19-15 Saturday....
Everyone (on the island) knew by now the Navy ship was dumping a hundred or so young (very young) but apparently legal to drink, kids off for "shore leave". I, and others wanted to go to the Snake Pit (Ocean View) to see new faces. Its kind of strange the need to just see new faces.
I got off work an hour early, did laundry, then headed to the gym with all intentions of playing Frisbee with the fireman until dark. They are all pretty much great guys who play a pretty casual game of Frisbee. They field they use is boxed in by the runway, the firehouse and the Vets Hall. Its kind of strange to be out running around like a maniac, when your co workers and others are out back of the Vets Hall drinking in basically an open-sided shelter house. I guess my coworkers didn't really show up until after dark, which means they didn't really see me out there.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Friday, September 11, 2015
September 11, 2015
Friday. I made some headway into feeling better. I called this morning to the hospital to make an appointment to see a doctor, because the every 3 minute cough I had was hanging around too long. I let my roommate convince me that I would have walking pneumonia if I didn't get things looked at. I figured they would just give me some antibiotics and send me on my way. Our safety guy, Dave, was there about the time I had made the appointment so I asked him for a ride. We only made it about a quarter a mile before we had the whole deal all discussed out. He said he had the same symptoms and went to the hospital and they gave him antibiotics just like I figured they might do. He said it didn't help, and the cough went away kind of on its own about two weeks after the antibiotics. I told him to turn around.
I went to Frisbee tonight, and Cory, the SeaBees sergeant was there a bit early and asked how I was feeling. I told him that I wasn't quite right, and had this cough that was hanging around. He said "its because you don't stop". He was wrong, for me, I did stop. I even took half a day off work, and even skipped Frisbee one night kinda.
Any how, tonight beer tasted good, as opposed to tasting like soda water.
I went to Frisbee tonight, and Cory, the SeaBees sergeant was there a bit early and asked how I was feeling. I told him that I wasn't quite right, and had this cough that was hanging around. He said "its because you don't stop". He was wrong, for me, I did stop. I even took half a day off work, and even skipped Frisbee one night kinda.
Any how, tonight beer tasted good, as opposed to tasting like soda water.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Sept 6, 2015
Its Sat night, around 2am. My sleep schedule has been fairly messed up due to being sick. I lost 11 lbs in four days from just not eating. I had no appetite. The fever was up to 103 on Tuesday, but slowly got better as the week went on. My appetite really has not recovered yet, although I'm forcing myself to eat. Nothing really tastes good, and things that should, don't. I've never thought I'd be cold on this island, but wearing a long sleeve tshirt all week in 90 degree sun with nearly as high humidity still didn't quite have me warm enough. I guess that part is nice. I've never actually left work because I was feeling bad, but did twice this week, of course I went in to take care of important things before I left, but still. I used to say that I liked getting sick. It makes you slow down, it makes you rest.....the perfect excuse to let all the fun go by and just chill. I'm reconsidering that thought, at least for that little bit of sickness.
Its Labor Day weekend. The small boat marina closed due to the impending NW winds coming. The marina is located at the SE side of the lagoon and the northwest winds kind of reek havoc on the docks and the boats so they yanked them all out of the water yesterday....boats and docks.
Just before I got sick, I bought a "bag of roaches" at the PX (the store). I don't really know what PX means, but that's what everyone calls the store. So, I've been too sick to even bother with messing with anyone with the rubber, very lifelike roaches. There are some I will have to completely avoid with them, one guy, quite the primadonna, would freak out too much, and some of the women I'm afraid my hurt themselves trying to get away from a roach. I guess I did put one on Sandra's porch when I was talking to her Monday, along with Sheila (who I let in on the roach deal before I put it in front of Sandra). Sandra is a big, always happy lady from Alaska that is a lot of fun to have as a neighbor. I kind of had to point it out to Sandra, after loosing patience with her not seeing the two inch lifelike roach. I said "Is that a praying mantis?" as I pointed at it. She lept up and ran to her door and opened it, saying "That's a roach Ben, get it". What I wished I had done was grabbed it and thrown it in my mouth and started chewing. That would have been so much better than just explaining it was a fake roach. I blew it though.....maybe next victim.
Its Labor Day weekend. The small boat marina closed due to the impending NW winds coming. The marina is located at the SE side of the lagoon and the northwest winds kind of reek havoc on the docks and the boats so they yanked them all out of the water yesterday....boats and docks.
Just before I got sick, I bought a "bag of roaches" at the PX (the store). I don't really know what PX means, but that's what everyone calls the store. So, I've been too sick to even bother with messing with anyone with the rubber, very lifelike roaches. There are some I will have to completely avoid with them, one guy, quite the primadonna, would freak out too much, and some of the women I'm afraid my hurt themselves trying to get away from a roach. I guess I did put one on Sandra's porch when I was talking to her Monday, along with Sheila (who I let in on the roach deal before I put it in front of Sandra). Sandra is a big, always happy lady from Alaska that is a lot of fun to have as a neighbor. I kind of had to point it out to Sandra, after loosing patience with her not seeing the two inch lifelike roach. I said "Is that a praying mantis?" as I pointed at it. She lept up and ran to her door and opened it, saying "That's a roach Ben, get it". What I wished I had done was grabbed it and thrown it in my mouth and started chewing. That would have been so much better than just explaining it was a fake roach. I blew it though.....maybe next victim.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
August 26, 2015
Wednesday...Aug 26th...
Steve Davis, a much younger guy who grew up out here and I met surfing, recently posted this video on FB.
https://youtu.be/wHcFkCjfJvc
Steve has a sister out here who is married to one of the guys who own the big trimaran out in the harbor that I was lucky enough to go sailing on last month, along with 33 others. He plays Frisbee with us, and is generally a great kid. Quiet, intense, polite, athletic, and always happy.
Sunday, August 31?
Well, I missed my first wedding of the nephews and nieces. My sister and her husband Matt have raised some really good kids. Luke, Brett, Zeb and Abe. The first two are married, the third just got married. They will make another great couple. It looks like it was another complete success, according to the pics I saw on facebook.
Steve Davis, a much younger guy who grew up out here and I met surfing, recently posted this video on FB.
https://youtu.be/wHcFkCjfJvc
Steve has a sister out here who is married to one of the guys who own the big trimaran out in the harbor that I was lucky enough to go sailing on last month, along with 33 others. He plays Frisbee with us, and is generally a great kid. Quiet, intense, polite, athletic, and always happy.
Sunday, August 31?
Well, I missed my first wedding of the nephews and nieces. My sister and her husband Matt have raised some really good kids. Luke, Brett, Zeb and Abe. The first two are married, the third just got married. They will make another great couple. It looks like it was another complete success, according to the pics I saw on facebook.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
July 18, 2015.............
The tide was supposed to be high around 6ish tonight. My surfboard has now been relocated to my lab (yes, how cool is that) because for some reason that I have not completely figured out, the surf shack, where we stored our boards has been dismantled. I even helped tear it down. I walked out to the spot tonight, carrying my board wearing the shorts that I changed into. My inner surf coach told me it was too big for me, just from listening to the waves break on the reef beyond the scrubby trees. It was way too big for me, however I saw a couple of smaller sets come in and went for it. I got on my 9 ft board and started paddling out there. The further out I got (it takes about 20 mins sometimes to get out, especially when its big) it became a "well I'll get some exercise paddling because surfing is not going to happen" deal. Sometimes I have really bad ideas, especially when I don't listen to my first instinct.
I am so so happy I made it back to shore without getting the hell beat out of me. It was as big as I've ever seen it. I can't describe the feelings I was having out there. Halfway out, I thought ..no way...I'll just stay inside the breakers and ride the foam for a while. Riding the foam just means you stay well inside the breaking waves and wait for the boiling incredibly fast water to come take you. Usually, its coming so fast it's hard to get up on the board all balanced. If you fall though, it doesn't slam you into the reef.
It calmed for a bit and I got it in my head that I needed to be out there. Out there, meaning past the breaking waves. I made it. I made it free and clear. Its usually not "free and clear" when its big like that. Waves are scary. I might have made it out all nice and shiny, but after getting out there, the bigger sets started coming in. The guy I bought my board from, John, was out there. I was out past him. That usually makes me feel safe, being out a hundred feet or so past a really experienced surfer because he wants to time it so the wave is breaking just as he has enough speed to stand up. It didn't make me feel so safe. The massive 15 ft walls of water rolling towards me, scared the crap out of me. Even though John is way past me, where the wave is going to break after him, I still paddled like a devil out to the open ocean to avoid that massive wall of water breaking on me.
I did finally pick a good moment to paddle back in. It's kind of similar to running through the black forest at night sensing that something is chasing you. In fact, you know its chasing you, you just can't see it so easy. Of course you're running with your arms instead your much stronger and faster legs, and the "something" chasing you is really fast and definitely can appear out of no where. The last time I had this feeling was in my early twenties when still living at my parents house mostly in the country. I would come home at night from school at 10pm or so and get on my bike and ride 30 miles in a very rural area. I could hear the dogs coming, they barked when I approached, they barked closer as I entered their territory. I knew they were coming. I didn't know how many, how big, how determined they were....I just peddled my ass off. Very similar.
I am so so happy I made it back to shore without getting the hell beat out of me. It was as big as I've ever seen it. I can't describe the feelings I was having out there. Halfway out, I thought ..no way...I'll just stay inside the breakers and ride the foam for a while. Riding the foam just means you stay well inside the breaking waves and wait for the boiling incredibly fast water to come take you. Usually, its coming so fast it's hard to get up on the board all balanced. If you fall though, it doesn't slam you into the reef.
It calmed for a bit and I got it in my head that I needed to be out there. Out there, meaning past the breaking waves. I made it. I made it free and clear. Its usually not "free and clear" when its big like that. Waves are scary. I might have made it out all nice and shiny, but after getting out there, the bigger sets started coming in. The guy I bought my board from, John, was out there. I was out past him. That usually makes me feel safe, being out a hundred feet or so past a really experienced surfer because he wants to time it so the wave is breaking just as he has enough speed to stand up. It didn't make me feel so safe. The massive 15 ft walls of water rolling towards me, scared the crap out of me. Even though John is way past me, where the wave is going to break after him, I still paddled like a devil out to the open ocean to avoid that massive wall of water breaking on me.
I did finally pick a good moment to paddle back in. It's kind of similar to running through the black forest at night sensing that something is chasing you. In fact, you know its chasing you, you just can't see it so easy. Of course you're running with your arms instead your much stronger and faster legs, and the "something" chasing you is really fast and definitely can appear out of no where. The last time I had this feeling was in my early twenties when still living at my parents house mostly in the country. I would come home at night from school at 10pm or so and get on my bike and ride 30 miles in a very rural area. I could hear the dogs coming, they barked when I approached, they barked closer as I entered their territory. I knew they were coming. I didn't know how many, how big, how determined they were....I just peddled my ass off. Very similar.
Thursday, July 23, 2015
July 23rd, 2015
I'm not sure how to explain this. Everyone should go to an island. Its doesn't have to be an actual island. Find a way to hide from the world. I don't mean your neighbors or your coworkers or your families, but from the corporate media, from any TV, especially the news. Hide from technology a bit. It might not be as beautiful an island as this place but it will still be a great place. The world "we" created sucks. News reports suck.
The people around you don't suck. The people you bother to keep company with are great, interesting people, that easily get lost in the drama created by their televisions, and by most other media they pay attention to.
Of course this stems from being so isolated out here. We were given TV's out here connected to AFN, or the Armed Forces Network. I think there are 5 channels maybe. FOX news is one of them. There is a "movie" type channel that has "commercials" for servicemen. The commercials are mainly about the heroic actions of soldiers in past wars, but sometimes are behavioral ads for enlisted men and women on proper conduct.
Our cafeteria, was for a month TV free. It was soo perfectly quiet. We all talked to each other, and could hear each other. Then Eric, the guy "running" the shire (man camp) installed TV's on the walls in two places. I get there at 5:30, and my breakfast mate Sherri, shortly after. We talk for a bit, in the quiet. Eric comes in, randomly later, and has to...HAS to turn on the tv. He has to turn on the (FOX, CNN or whatever it is) news. The voices of those people. They have to hire newscasters with annoying voices to get your attention. Even the voices from the annoying nasal sounding voices back in the 60's and 70's had to be intentionally ugly to the ears. The voices are one thing, the content is a whole new level of annoying. Its intended for only the most complete idiots in the idiocracy. Shark attacks, ISIS, AlqIda, terrorist this or terrorist that, this republican said this, or this democrat said that. SHAKE and REPEAT, then throw in some idiotic racial disparities every other day and there you have it......THE NEWS.
Get away....go to an island....just a place free from the world and full of nice people...who happen to be around you everday.
A good guy I met down here recently posted this video on you tube
http://youtu.be/oVig6sXS1G8
I'm not sure how to explain this. Everyone should go to an island. Its doesn't have to be an actual island. Find a way to hide from the world. I don't mean your neighbors or your coworkers or your families, but from the corporate media, from any TV, especially the news. Hide from technology a bit. It might not be as beautiful an island as this place but it will still be a great place. The world "we" created sucks. News reports suck.
The people around you don't suck. The people you bother to keep company with are great, interesting people, that easily get lost in the drama created by their televisions, and by most other media they pay attention to.
Of course this stems from being so isolated out here. We were given TV's out here connected to AFN, or the Armed Forces Network. I think there are 5 channels maybe. FOX news is one of them. There is a "movie" type channel that has "commercials" for servicemen. The commercials are mainly about the heroic actions of soldiers in past wars, but sometimes are behavioral ads for enlisted men and women on proper conduct.
Our cafeteria, was for a month TV free. It was soo perfectly quiet. We all talked to each other, and could hear each other. Then Eric, the guy "running" the shire (man camp) installed TV's on the walls in two places. I get there at 5:30, and my breakfast mate Sherri, shortly after. We talk for a bit, in the quiet. Eric comes in, randomly later, and has to...HAS to turn on the tv. He has to turn on the (FOX, CNN or whatever it is) news. The voices of those people. They have to hire newscasters with annoying voices to get your attention. Even the voices from the annoying nasal sounding voices back in the 60's and 70's had to be intentionally ugly to the ears. The voices are one thing, the content is a whole new level of annoying. Its intended for only the most complete idiots in the idiocracy. Shark attacks, ISIS, AlqIda, terrorist this or terrorist that, this republican said this, or this democrat said that. SHAKE and REPEAT, then throw in some idiotic racial disparities every other day and there you have it......THE NEWS.
Get away....go to an island....just a place free from the world and full of nice people...who happen to be around you everday.
A good guy I met down here recently posted this video on you tube
http://youtu.be/oVig6sXS1G8
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
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