THEY'RE GONE! 20 minutes 'til eleven, and they finally get out of here! Now I can camp out on the couch in a quiet house... AHHHH!

holy cow!  they're STILL HERE!!!  GO PARTY FOR GOD'S SAKE!!  

Halloween 2008

Okay....  so the crew house is hoppin' tonight as everyone (mostly the guys) gets dressed in their costumes...  so far, we have two knights, a Spartan, Superman/Clark Kent, Saturday Night Fever, William Warren, a redneck sheriff, Risky Business, a witch, and a pirate...  What am I going to be?  A COUCH POTATO!  I'm not leaving the house tonight since I'm so strapped for cash...  I did have a couple costume ideas though...  a Greek goddess, a bathing beauty...  a shacker (a girl who goes home with a guy at the end of the night)...

It has been fun coming up with ideas for the guys...  the girls of course already had their costumes.  The boys went shopping for their costumes around 7:30 this evening, and those caught with nothing after Dollar Tree closed we stuck with whatever we had in the house which was *surprisingly* a lot!  Simon provided Charlie with a suit so he could be Superman; Kelly made John's toga so he could be Leonidas; John lent Kelly a white dress shirt so she could be Tom Cruise in Risky Business...  tonight truly was a team effort.

Everyone seems to be leaving -- FINALLY!! -- so I can carry on with my "costume" of the evening... a pathetic couch potato.  I've got some ice cream in the freezer, raid the boys' beer stash (they'll never realize it's gone), watch Ghost Hunters Live -- a Halloween tradition since last year.  Sounds depressing, I know, but it's not too bad.  I don't have the money to blow on cab rides, cover charges, overpriced alcohol, and a 2 am Denny's run.  

I had to call my mom to ask for money today.  I've never done that before.  I've always been the one to send HER money.  It was hard to say the words, and I braced myself for a lecture, but I was surprised that she didn't seem to bat an eye.  I promised her that I'd pay her back as soon as I had a job, and she assured me that it was no big deal.  Still...  I hate asking for help.

Daywork -- WHOOPEE!!!

So, I've finished Day 2 of day work, and I must say... this girl PREFERS living the life of leisure, but enjoys having money to spend... on rent and shampoo...  I'm sure my roommates are thankful that I'm not using their shampoo, too.

We're preparing for the boat show that starts on Thursday...  today things got rather stressed as fixtures continued to be left unfixed, the "to do" list continued to grow, and more things seemed to break.  We leave tomorrow morning for our spot at the boat show, and I imagine it's going to be even MORE stressed as we work until the wee hours of the morning making everything PERFECT...  

At the moment, I'm chilling with Melissa for a RARE evening in front of the television.  It's FREEZING outside... well, 52 degrees.  Weather.com projects that the high tomorrow will be 70 but back in the 80s by Monday...  Whew!  I was worried I might not be able to wear flip-flops.  

In other news, I'm recovering from the strep quite nicely.  I have another three days of meds before I'm DONE, but I don't feel sick at all.  THANK GOD! 

Still on the job hunt...  turns out Sacajawea hired another stew who had been working on the boat for a while.  No problem.  The chief stew said she'd be glad to be a reference for me saying I'm a hard worker and I'm trustworthy to complete tasks well.  I hope everything works out for me...

Until another day...

Starting to feel better...

I don't think I've ever felt THIS much better after taking medicine, but in only a few days, I'm feeling TONS better...  of course, my head still aches a bit and my sore throat comes and goes...

More later.

Learning and living...

My purse looks like I raided a pharmacy, and in a way I did.  Currently, I have sinus meds, cough drops, throat spray, ibuprofen, two kinds of acetaminophen, penicillin, and rolaids.  Yes, folks, you guessed it.  I'm one sick puppy...  Went to the clinic yesterday and for the first time in my 20-something years, I have acquired STREP THROAT!  

It all started on Monday when I woke up with throat and ear pain.  Went to the clinic and the nurse said it was probably sinus-related, to get some meds that would dry out the fluids, and I'd be okay.  Monday night, I started feeling better, went to Chris's house.  Fell asleep over there, and woke up Tuesday morning with body aches and chills so bad that I wanted to die.  I had on sweat pants, long-sleeve shirt, two comforters, and a blanket and I still had chills.  Chris said he could feel the heat off my back through my shirt and without even touching me.  Needless to say, I didn't move from his couch that day, and he stayed home with me that morning...  picked up some juice and medicine for me.  Eventually, my fever broke, but my throat still hurt like hell.

Woke up Wednesday morning and decided that I needed to do something about this, so I went back to the clinic.  The five-minute strep test came back a glaring positive (I was glad that I wouldn't have to wait for some antibiotics!).  So, I've been hanging out in bed all day and all night... bored to tears and itching to do something.  My body is bursting with energy, but my head feels like a 50-pound medicine ball.  I need to walk up to CVS to get myself a new toothbrush... forgot to pick one up yesterday when I was there.  

So, what have I learned from all of this?  First of all, don't get sick.  But in the case of the inevitable, always have someone who will help you when you DO get sick... fortunately, I had Chris.  I'm sure I could have found others who would have helped me, but I always hate to ask.  Third, know where you can go to get help... meaning, I had access to the minute clinic at CVS... didn't need insurance, and it saved me a LOT of money I would have spent on a doctor visit.  I'm sure there are other things I've learned from this experience, but I haven't realized them yet...  I'm just glad I'm on meds.  And I'm thankful that my mom knows so much about stuff like tylenol and advil and how much to take and when...  

In other news, the job leads continue to come at me.  Not complaining, but they all seem SO great!  It's hard to decide which one to pursue.  So far, nothing concrete has really panned out, but I think the job on Sacajawea is pretty promising.  I was supposed to start working on the boat on Monday, and then I came down with THIS, but the chief stew has been wonderful and understanding.  

At any rate, I'm starting to feel like my old self again, except for a throat that feels gravelly and looks like raw ground beef... and a head that pound any time I move too quickly.  I should feel MUCH better tomorrow, and by Monday, I'll be on Sacajawea scoring myself a J-O-B!

Exhausted but Happy

I don't really know how to start this off, but I figured I hadn't written in a few days, so I was due.  This weekend was another great one spent with Chris.  He's still fighting his cold, and I think I'm starting to get it myself... I'm getting a scratchy throat and a cough here and there.  Of course, it could be related to all the smoking I've been around since I've gotten down here...  Yuck.

Anyway, I spent the entire day at the beach yesterday.  Chris and I went to John Lloyd State Park (the same beach we went to last week) with Mark, Boysie, Carrie, and Jane (our friend from New Zealand).  Mark, Chris, and Jane went diving for lobsters while Boysie, Carrie, and I hit the bar and beach...  they dove for around two hours!  And, for their efforts, they brought back one lobster, some great stories, and a bit more knowledge on how best to catch the little buggers.  

This morning, Chris and I had the lobster in an omelet -- YUM!  

I've been doing a little more writing lately...  some poetry and narratives... just some private things that I don't intend to show many if anyone...  I'm glad that the creative juices are flowing again...  Chris and I were talking about it last night, and I thought of a few things I could write about -- silly things like drinking with the guys, time spent with Chris...  

OH!  Friday night, I met up with the boys (Chris, Tim, and Boysie) at The Well.  The boys had been there for a few hours, so they were buzzing pretty well, and Tim pulled me aside and told me that if I didn't try out for American Idol, he'd never talk to me again.  Funny man.  He even offered to pay for voice lessons to improve my vocals!  But he said I didn't need to waste my "talent"...  whatever that may be.  Honestly, I play guitar and sing because I love it...  I love the songs I sing, and that in turn gives me the passion and drive to sing well.  I wonder sometimes if I could sing even if I wasn't "feeling" it... 

Anyway, I'm at Chris's house hiding out in his room...  the guys are watching the Indie car race, the sky is grey and cloudy, and I'm chillin with Blossom Dearie and Lena Horne...  I think I might pick up my guitar and crank out some tunes out by the pool.  Trouble is, I don't have my music with me and I can never remember the chords!  Some rocker I'll be if I have to have a music stand on stage with me!!  Tehehe...  

Fort Lauderdale is PARTY TOWN!

Went to the Triton party last night...  It was more like the Triton crowd!  Not only was the saloon jam-packed, but the city block in front of and around the bar swarmed with yachties.  UNREAL!  Despite the masses, I did find some friends -- Molly and Georgia, Danielle, Melissa, Jane, Linda (one of my agents), and a couple guys from my STCW class.  Ended up giving my free drink away to Shelton...  I just can't seem to hold my liquor these days.  BUT, the food was good.  Black beans, plantains, chicken wings...  YE-HAW!  

After about an hour of "networking" (more like standing around trying to look cool while talking to people I already know and see every day), I took a cab back home.  What doesn't make sense to me is how ironic this function was.  The *purpose* of this party was to mix and mingle with others on boats...  to score jobs, right?  Well, what REALLY happened was people getting pissed out of their minds, girls showing up like they were trying to score a roll in the hay... but, maybe that's their idea of a job?  I don't know if I would want to hire someone who showed up to a networking party dressed like a call girl... yes, they want to have fun and show off their bodies, but I would also expect them to bring some respect and propriety to the boat they work on.  

What do you think? 

Giddy-Yap!

I had an interview this morning...  went pretty well.  The chief stew found my resume at Smallwood's and called me yesterday while I was at Chris's house.  Turns out the captain was born in the same hospital I was born in, still lives in Georgia (when he's not on the boat), has friends at my alma mater, knows Sid Brown (my dad's old boss!), and has a nephew in the same school district where I used to teach...  WEIRD!  Or should I say, SMALL WORLD?!  

Anyway, the boat is 132' and is a pretty serious charter machine...  they are booked solid until February, and are hoping to get about ten more charters booked through until May.  The hard work doesn't scare me... and the money I'll be saving is GREAT!  (No, MOM!  Just because I'm not spending the money doesn't mean YOU can!!!!  But I will help you out with those tires on my car anyway...)

I've also been emailing a lady who responded to an ad I placed in the Triton.  She said she may have a lead for me...  turns out she's a travel writer, and she wants to meet me at the Triton networking party tonight.  The theme is "Cowboys and Indians" and a saloon in Ft. Lauderdale is hosting it...  I'll be looking more like a hillbilly than a cowgirl because I'm too cheap to invest in a pair of boots (they're SO not packable!), but maybe the plaid shirt I'm stealing from Chris and my braids and bandana will be convincing enough.  If not, I can always show a little cleavage.  Tehehe... Just KIDDING, DADDY!!

I'm off to Burger King with Trina and Carrie... no, I've already had my salad, so I'm just going for the exercise...  More to come.

there is hope in the universe...

Started off the morning with a bike ride half-way to "marina mile" to do some dock walking with Carrie before I realized that I wouldn't be able to get into the shipyards.  Besides that my tootie was wailing in pain, my bike had no breaks, and the tire was going flat...  So, I turned around.  

On the way back to my crew house, I stopped into the Crew Unlimited office to see about a couple jobs I was interested in.  Got some more information, but nothing super exciting.  Once Carrie came home -- she was following up on a job lead at one of the shipyards -- she said that she stopped by Roscioli to see the Aquasition crew.  Chris was still sick.  She threw together some AWESOME soup -- onions, garlic, thyme, sage, lemon, chicken stock, veggie bullion, and rice noodles -- and we took it over to the sick boy.  I was a little jealous that I couldn't cook like that.  One day, maybe.  

Anyway, we piled in on Chris whether he wanted us to or not.  I think he was happy for the company.  I pestered him to drink lots of fluids, he complied to a certain extent.  We watched Zohan (silly movie...  not one I'd see again) and all crashed for a little while.  By 4:30 the crew tumbled in.  Carrie and I lingered for a while longer, but nothing was happening, so we said our farewells.  

While I was over there, I did get a call about a job on a 130' yacht going to the Caribbean.  The atmosphere sounds great, and I'm looking forward to the interview tomorrow.  If the interview goes well, I'll be asked to work with them getting the boat ready for the boat show and then perhaps to stay on for the charter season!  YES!!

Now, I'm sitting in the crew house while the guys grill outside, listening to a little Van Morrison, and just hanging with the peeps...  I have an interview tomorrow, DESPERATELY need to do some laundry, and I can't seem to get full... I raided Chris's fridge eating some of Carrie's soup, chips and salsa, a ham sandwich...  then I got home and ate a couple pieces of chocolate, four slices of cheese...  and I'm still hungry.  I need something starchy...  like a doughnut or something.  BUT, if I eat that all the exercise I've been getting biking and walking everywhere will be for NOTHING...  oh, but a hot glazed doughnut would be SO scrumptious right now.

Okay... going to Dunkin' Drug-Laced Doughnuts up the street... I'll take a dozen to Chris... maybe that will make him feel better... I'll stop by the gas station and pick up some orange juice.. and maybe I'll bring my guitar to serenade him with my healing voice.

Crew House Blues

Okay, some call it a case of the Mondays, I call it the crew house blues...  Spent a wonderful weekend with Chris, and now I'm stuck here in the house laying on a squeaky, bowed bed with no job and cramps.  I still have a *little* bit of money, but that's draining fast as I still have to pay for lodging and food (living off salad and yogurt at the moment), and my car payment, and credit card payment...  I know once I get a job -- even a couple days of day work -- things will look better, and I could get something ANY day now...  I've had a couple leads already, but nothing super convincing...  I swear, the suspense is KILLING me.

It seems like most ads are looking for someone "fit" or "athletic"...  hmmm... that doesn't exactly describe me.  (as I reach for another Dove dark chocolate... it's medicine for my cramps, I PROMISE!)  I have been trying to live healthy while I'm back down here... I don't drink NEARLY as much as I used to.  In fact, this weekend, I didn't have ANYTHING to drink until last night.  And even then it was light beer.  And, I've been eating mostly salads and whole foods...  cutting back on the processed and starchy junk foods.  Except for the "groceries" Chris bought at Blockbuster the other night when we rented some movies.  That night, the four food groups became salty, sweet, chocolate, and carbonated.  I would exercise more, but it's SO damn hot.  I AM walking almost everywhere I go...  walked to CVS today...  and I've been swimming a couple times this weekend -- at the crew house pool and at the beach yesterday.  But, like I said, it's SO DAMN hot, and everywhere there is to walk to requires MONEY...  if there was a park or something nearby, I might be more willing to trek to it.  Of course, there is the beach, but it's about 5 miles away, and I'd DIE before I made it there.  Maybe I can score a bike one day and ride there...  and maybe take the bus back?  

Anyway, enough of the blues.   Let's talk about some happy stuff...  This weekend was AWESOME!  Yes, I spent the entire time with Chris, and yes, I think we *are* a thing, even though I don't think he is ready to admit it...  At any rate, we are both having fun with each other, and that's all that matters, right?  Friday night, we went to the Village Well... well, I actually RAN INTO him at the well -- another story full of drama and intrigue... and we hung out with the Aquasition crew.  FUN!  First Mate Mark said we were all going out on the tender to SCUBA dive.  I got ALL excited, but Mark never showed or called, so Chris and I spent the day hanging out on the boat... watching TV.  Nice and low-key.  He wasn't feeling very well, so I made him take some Day-Quil and drink lots of water...  That night we went out for Chinese and he got some Thera-flu.  

Sunday morning, he was feeling MUCH better, but still having never heard from Mark, we went to the beach to dive off the coast.  Well, we EVENTUALLY made it to the beach....  after getting some breakfast, then going to the dive shop for some lobster-catching gear, and then the gas station for a cooler and water.  By 1:30, we made it to the beach.  It then took a good 45 minutes for Chris to get all the gear assembled and ON...  and he didn't even dive for more than 30 minutes.  The surf was SO rough that it kept pushing us back toward shore, and the water was SO murky that we couldn't see much -- let alone catch any lobsters for dinner.  Next time, though. 

Even though I didn't see much wildlife underwater, I did see some above water.  As I crossed the footbridge from the beach on a trip back to Chris's truck, I came upon a raccoon crossing the bridge himself.  Once he saw me, he felt trapped, unsure of which way to go.  So, he climbed upon the ledge, latched onto a post, and kept his wide-eyed gaze on me until I was out of sight.  He was SOOO cute!  I wished I had a camera to capture such a precious picture!  

Last night, after we were fully toasted from the sun (actually, I was more toasted than Chris, who is part Native American and can handle the sun better than my Anglo-German heritage), we went back to his crew house and grilled hot dogs.  I swam a bit and allowed the cool pool water to cool my toasty chest and back...  what kills me is that my arms got quite a bit of sun yesterday, but it seems the sun refused to touch my hands.  It looks like I was wearing gloves!  Weird.

I raided Chris's CD collection and uploaded a bit of music onto my computer... some Blossom Dearie, Ben Harper, Iron and Wine, and Lena Horne...  Oh, and I saw some GREAT movies this weekend...  if you're in the mood for some uncouth comedy, check out Daniel Tosh's Completely Serious...  it's raucous and oh so wrong...  for some historical drama, see The Other Boleyn Girl.  Both Natalie Portman and Scarlet Johannsen do a FANTASTIC job in the film and it gives some interesting perspective on that time in history.  For a comedy-drama, I recommend The Love Song for Bobby Long.  It features John Travolta and Scarlet Johannsen...  (must have been a Scarlet weekend)...  I'd never heard of it until Chris told me about it, but it's become one of my faves.  It's a quiet film highlighting the romance of the South -- even today -- and finding family in the most unexpected places.  It's funny, poignant, and wise...  

Okay, so my chocolate meds haven't begun to kick in, and I have nothing to do, so I'm going to lay down for a few minutes...  I hope to have something exciting to report VERY soon...  Say a prayer for me.

Back on the Job Hunt...

Spent the day pounding the pavement with Carrie.  We visited all the crew agencies -- Crew Network, Crew Unlimited, IYT, Luxury Yacht Group -- and sweated like whores in church...  But it felt like a productive day.  By noon, we were drenched and ready for something cool, so we ate a quick bite and went to the Aquasition crew house's pool!

That was exactly what we needed, so after about an hour and a half there, we trekked the three blocks back to our house and showered off.  I've been perched on my bed ever since -- updating my CV, re-checking agency sites, reading all the yachtie magazines I picked up this morning.  

Carrie is at a Bar-B-Q at a friend's house, Chris is out drinking with Aquasition crew, and I'm here at the crewhouse listening to the nine boys I live with ramble around in the kitchen...  Yes, you read that correctly... I live with NINE guys and three girls... so in TOTAL, there are 13 people living in the house.  Life around here is rocking, to say the least.  I just hope I rock some work pretty soon...  I hate not really having much to do.

So, Carrie and I had talked about going to the beach tomorrow.  We'll probably make Chris drive us since he has a truck...  more than I can say for either Carrie or myself.  Of course, it would probably be better FOR us to ride bikes there, but it would also be MUCH MORE DANGEROUS!  

Ugh...  so I want to go out and be social, but I'm kinna feeling blah and nobody is around.  I guess I'll take a nap.

Flying South for the Winter...

Well, I arrived yesterday, and honestly it was a comfort to be back in Fort Lauderdale.  I'm currently sitting in the crew house with bad rap blaring out of the stereo, some cheesy game show on TV and people EVERYWHERE.  Yep, I HAVE ARRIVED!  

Once we got in, Chris and I met up with Mark, Boysie, and Tim at the Well.  We had some drinks and caught up.  I didn't realize how much I MISSED those boys!  It's too bad I won't be joining them on charter this season.  I'll be sad when we have to part.

Chris simply didn't want to go back to work yet, so we hung out at the beach today -- despite the fact that it was cloudy and rather gloomy.  As a result, the beach was relatively deserted and calm...  Niiiiice!  

We ate lunch at Bubba Gump and talked a lot about education -- a topic that I'm rather passionate about given my previous vocation.  I worried that I would bore Chris to death with my ranting, but he kept up nicely.  Not that I didn't think he COULD... it's just that sometimes what I'm passionate about seems to be rather boring to others.  Apparently not so with Chris.  Good.

So, I'm staying in tonight...  I'm rather tired after all the excitement of the past few days.  Tomorrow starts the job search - HOT N' HEAVY, BABY!  I'll be making my rounds to the crew agencies, putting my face in their heads, lobbying for a J-O-B!  It seems that most of the people in this house have jobs or are finding some day work.  Maybe I'll get lucky.

Another important issue on my to-do list is finding a costume for Halloween.  Yes, it's 3 weeks away, but STILL!  The past two years I've been the same thing, a gypsy, and I pull it off well.  But, this year I'm thinking of something a little different...  I'd like to utilize my hair maybe be an 80s rocker or something?  Of course, the guys' eyes perked up when I tried on Boysie's glasses last night.  Tehehe.  Maybe I'll be a librarian or teacher or something?  I'll make my decision once I get to a thrift store and see what's available. 

I think I'm gonna take a bit of a nap before things crank up tonight... of course, most people may not get crazy tonight since they have to work tomorrow...  That's fine.  I'm not really in the mood to party.  

Back to reality...

Hello there, Faithful Readers!

I'm BAAAAACK!  So sorry I left you for several weeks, but my journey brought me to the doldrums of yachting -- vacation -- and there simply wasn't much to report.  But, I'm afraid that I had to return to reality and work, so I'm back to reporting my daily grind.

Truthfully, I have not formally returned to Ft. Liquordale (as yachties so lovingly refer to it), but I will be come Tuesday.  I was able to extend my stay a full two weeks longer than expected, and whether or not that was a smart career move on my part, it definitely brought with it a number of wonderful opportunities.

To start, this weekend my sister came home from UGA and I REALLY got a chance to spend some time with her -- more than when I visited her on campus and when she came home two weekends ago.  We went to the football game Friday night, a dog show with Mommy on Saturday, and the mall today.  We pieced together her Halloween costume that is top secret, but is REALLY cute and had some great laughs.  Our honorary sister, our cousin Brooke, spent the night with us last night and we sat on the bed together IM-ing each other silly movie quotes and yearbooking ourselves.  We're nerds, I know, but I SO miss those days of being silly with my girls.  We reminisced about the past, talked about what life was like now, and looked forward to the day we could all be together again.  I'm going to miss them so much in the coming months... but, if you think about it, April isn't THAT far away...  six months?  Twenty-four weeks?  168 days?  BAH!  Pocket change in the grand scheme of things....  Sheah...  I'll keep telling myself that.

Staying longer also enabled me to meet up with Chris, so we could take that fly-fishing trip that he promised.  He picked me up on his way to his granny's house last Thursday and brought me back, albeit reluctantly, on Sunday night.  It was probably the BEST weekend I'd had in a LONG time, and I wish days like those weren't so far apart.  Even BETTER, I caught a wild trout.  It was less than half a pound and was shorter than some sardines I've seen, but nevertheless, I CAUGHT IT!  Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure...  

My Big Catch!

From Explore. Dream. Discover.

Casting the Fly...  And Hoping I Didn't Pierce my Lip in the Process!

whattya think about my outfit?  Pretty FLY, huh?  (Pun intended...)

From Explore. Dream. Discover.

Me and my Instructor...  He's such a great teacher!

From Explore. Dream. Discover.

So I leave for Florida with Chris on Tuesday morning with mixed emotions.  Again, I have to leave my family and friends and PERCY!  But, I'm ready to get back to work making money and stashing it away.  I'm eager to see what the next leg of my journey has in store for me... the Caribbean?  or some place more distant and exotic?  Wherever I go, you have my WORD that I will keep you all informed.  So many of you have told me what fun you've had living vicariously through my adventures.  I truly wish you could all be along for the ride -- the glamourous and not-so-glamourous parts -- because I'm sure we'd have PLENTY to talk about.  But, I am so grateful to have such supportive family and friends who pester me to death about keeping them informed.  :-)  You are wonderful and I would feel so unloved without you.