I think I'm gonna throw up.

Um... this is too perfect...

Okay, so I'm on the way from Savannah to Miami with the crew of Blue Moon. I arrived onboard Wednesday night, started work on Thursday, and have positively fallen in love with the crew. When I arrived, the two stews I'm working with had stayed up to welcome me! How sweet!

Thursday, I woke up to a beautiful morning with the crew mess bustling with people... around twelve or thirteen crew members scrambling to get breakfast. I had seen pictures of everyone, but that doesn't compare to seeing them in reality. It was quite overwhelming to meet them all, but quickly, I got comfortable. Of course, it helped that the bosun joked around with me -- telling me that I should deliver his coffee around seven thirty every morning, and that I didn't get breaks. That morning, one stew and I polished every mirror on board. But, we didn't flip on every light and spray the Windex. Oh no! Quite the opposite... we worked in the dark with flashlights ("torches" she called them) and dry, lint free rags. Let me tell you! It's amazing what you can find in the dark! We must have worked for a good two hours. Of course, mirrors on board aren't just limited to the bathrooms. There were mirrors on the ceilings, walls, and doors. They are just as much for decoration as function. That afternoon, we finished laundry and vacuumed. FUN! Really, the first day is quite a blur. I just remember it was a good one.

Friday morning, we polished MORE. Gold this time. I know you're thinking, "Surely that didn't take a long time." Heh. Think again. I didn't realize that just about EVERYTHING metal on this boat is plated in gold--outlet covers, door hinges, door knobs, faucets... My question is this: why in the WORLD would anyone want to put a metal that tarnishes on something that gets touched ALL the time?? Hence the need to polish it all the time. Friday afternoon, the three of us drove over to the crew house to finish cleaning it before the crew moves in once we return from Miami. The kitchen was DIS-GUS-TING!!! It looked like the previous tenants had a molasses fight or something because brown gunk was dried all over the place. I did my best to get it off, but we only had so much time. Ugh.

Friday night the crew threw a braai (South African bar-b-que). It was SO much fun! The food was great, and the crew is fantastic, so we had a blast! I drank too much wine and had a slight headache the next morning, but I laughed more than I have in a long time...

Saturday I laid low -- slept late, read a bit of my novel, and hung out in my cabin most of the day. NIIICE!

Sunday, we took off for Miami, 30 hours underway. The girls had 4-hour watches inside, while the guys had navigational watches in the bridge. Basically, the boat turned into a ghost ship. Everyone not on watch tends to gravitate toward their cabins. I tried to help the girls, but they wouldn't help me, so I just got out of the way and hung out in my cabin for the day. I have two portholes beside my bed, so I watched the water go by for a while, until I got queasy, and then I turned on my iPod and listened to Ender's Game, one of my all-time favorite novels.

This morning, I slept late but made my way up to the bridge for a breath of fresh air. I was able to talk to the captain for a few minutes -- his way of interviewing me, I suppose. We talked about how I got into yachting, what I did before, why I left teaching... and he told me that they were interviewing two other girls for my position, and they would let me know if they wanted to hire me or not in a few weeks. I wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not, and I really wish that the chief stew had told me that I was only riding with them to Lauderdale. But, oh well. I'm sure all will work out as it should. I just wish I hadn't left my guitar in Charleston. Cest la vie.

Anyway, the plan for the week is to work like crazy getting the boat ready for the party on Wednesday evening, then I need to be off the boat by Weds night so that they can leave early Thursday morning. They welcomed me to stay aboard with them back to Savannah, but I meant to come back down here. But, you have NO idea how devastating this is for me. I don't WANT to stay in Lauderdale! I don't WANT to come back to this hell-town only to not be sure if I am going to get a job or not... I WANT THIS JOB!! I WANT TO STAY HERE!

My head is SPINNING!!!

Okay, so this morning EVERYTHING changed.

Last night, I was planning on flying into Fort Lauderdale on April 15th, meeting with the boat I heard from, and deciding from there whether I wanted to join them or not. Last night, I thought I had plenty of time to prepare, catch up with friends and family, and pack. Last night, I figured I'd still be broke for another few weeks.

But, this morning, I opened my email to find a note from the chief stew requesting that I meet them in Savannah, work with them for the rest of the week, ride down to Miami, serve at the party they are hosting, and decide if I want to stay with them. Of course, I'll be paid like a day worker, so I won't be just VOLUNTEERING my time. What a PERFECT idea, I thought... except that I am flying Air Tran, and they don't serve Savannah. SO, I am flying into Charleston and taking a train to Savannah. CHARLESTON?? SO, I get to hang out with my girls for another night! YES!

Of course, I am sacrificing some things to leave early... Christy and I were supposed to go to a concert this Friday and to church on Sunday. I was supposed to paint more of my parents' house to earn money. I was *hoping* to sell my car! But, all those things have changed... as always seems to happen in yachting.

Anyway, there is SO much more I wanted to write, but I can't remember it right now. Plus, it's late and I REALLY need to get some sleep before my looooong day of travel tomorrow... um, today. Ooooh boy. Let the fun begin...

The Next Step... for now.

What a wild ride my life has been these past few months! And, it only continues to get more wild! I went to the doctor on Thursday, sat through a few hours of an IVP and the mortifying two minutes of a cystoscope only to be told that my renal function looked perfect and there was nothing the doc could do for me. Unsure of whether to be elated or concerned, I drove home believing I have experienced a miracle. I'm healed, I suppose? I've decided to not do anything unless I have more problems. So there.

But, my finances have continued to hound me. I have REALLY gotten myself into a world of hurt, and if I don't find a job QUICKLY, there's no TELLING what is going to happen to me. My parents have been wonderful, especially my mom. She's agreed to pay for my health insurance, car insurance, and car payment until I can get money to pay her back. Of course, I'm mortified and ashamed of myself for being almost 30 and still dependent upon my PARENTS for support. As a result, I've not said much of anything for the past several weeks. The tension in our house has been pretty palpable as I creep around just trying to stay below the radar. The other day, my mom and I had an argument that turned into a heart-to-heart... complete with weeping and confessions and hugs and "i love yous". We unloaded all we'd been holding in for the past few weeks -- she asked me if I was angry with her, and I confessed that I was ashamed of myself. I told her how she'd hurt me with some of the things she said, and she apologized for her poor communication. It was healing to talk to her again, like friends again.

I got an email yesterday about a 198' boat looking for a stew/cook. It's a beautiful boat with 16 crew members from England, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Peru, and the US. It sounded great, and I hope it works out!! Finally, I think my fortune is turning around! YES!