2.5 weeks... unleashed.

Wednesday, May 20

Okay, so I’m back in the Bahamas for round 2 of cruising on Pastime. We left Lauderdale around 10:00 Tuesday morning -- after staying up until the wee hours fixing a water leak in the salon. It had been raining for hours and water was leaking out every available hole for about 8 feet over the main salon sofa. By the time we found the leak (or shall I say FLOOD?), one section of the sofa was drenched. At the moment, I have damp rid sachets on top of the worst parts hoping that they will suck out the remaining water before guest arrival on Saturday... It doesn’t help at ALL that the air is already super humid and we’ve been cruising through rainstorms for two days. Oh well...

Iain, the chef, and I couldn’t WAIT to see the crank off the boat. And honestly, our trip has been a BLAST without her. This morning, the captain woke us up with Lynyrd Skynyrd playing in the pilot house, and we rocked out to “Free Bird” as we drove into yet ANOTHER squall. No dramas, no arguments... just laughing and having a good time... if she had been on board, I’d been crammed up her butt the whole time with her ordering me around or talking at me like I was five. FOR ONCE, I’m being taken seriously and treated like a viable crew member!

However, seasickness is threatening to rear its ugly head for me... The past two days I’ve had to go down to my bed to try to sleep off the queasiness and today I thought I was going to lose it. Of course, I haven’t been taking my ginger pills... You know what? I think I’m going to go ahead and make some ginger tea to have for tomorrow... this weather doesn’t show ANY promise of improving, and if I DO have something inner ear going on, then I’ll need all the preventive measures I can take. SO, no drinking tonight, ginger tea and dry toast in the morning.

OH! I got to take the helm a few times today! The captain told me what all the buttons meant, and if I did have any emergencies that I can slow down by pulling back on the throttle. Of course Iain showed up fifteen minutes later, but I got to be captain for a WHOLE FIFTEEN MINUTES!

My line handling skills are improving. Honestly, I was nervous without the crank on board to talk me through everything, and I’m REALLY glad that we have a few days of docking before the guests get on board. Now I’ve gotten some practice. I just pray that the currents behave themselves so we don’t have any mishaps like we almost did last time. THAT could be a problem. But, if we do have anything crazy happen, we’ll handle it with calm and poise.

Okay... tea has been made and is steeping in a plastic jug. I’ve got plenty for the ride tomorrow. It’ll be weaker than usual, but I’ll leave the bags in the water. GOTTA KEEP MY STOMACH!! The last thing I need is for Iain to start teasing me about how Americans have weak stomachs.

Anyway, I’m going to grab my guitar and head outside to thaw out. We got a new air conditioner that I honestly think is a refrigeration system because we’ve had to turn half the units off and are STILL walking around in sweats. Poor Iain, who is accustomed to sweltering Cayman Islands, refuses to take his jacket off! Silly Brit.

More later, I suppose... If you’re good boys and girls.


Thursday, May 21

WHAT A DAY! We left Nassau around 9-ish this morning. I am really pleased with how docking has been going (knock on wood).... I pray that things continue to go smoothly through the entire trip!

The ride today was slow going with rain pouring down and reefs popping up all over the place. At one point, Iain had to go out to the bow and point out the rocks and coral that weren’t coming up on the charts (books, handheld GPS, and the yacht’s on-board navigation system). Poor guy came in soaked to the bone and freezing. Of course it’s 85 degrees outside, but 65 inside. I finally got so tired of being frozen that I just went around turning all the units off. The captain just follows me around turning them back on, but at least I get a temporary relief.

We anchored out off some privately owned island. Yachts and fishing boats are all anchored out here -- about fifteen to twenty in all. Dying to get into the water, I donned my bathing suit after dinner and took a dip. AHH! REFRESHMENT! The water was fairly shallow (about 12 feet deep) and crystal clear. Iain loaned me his mask and snorkel but there wasn’t much to look at, just grass and sand and a beer bottle. Not even any fish! But I still had some fun splashing around... and the boys had fun teasing me about how there were sharks around.

My favorite part about anchoring out is sitting on the swim platform and watching the underwater lights that illuminate about about 20-25 yards around the stern of the boat. I love the silence and peacefulness of anchoring out. Even though there are other boats around, the water is still and nobody else is nearby. It’s so romantic and dangerous at the same time. I love it! So, tonight, I was having a peaceful moment just fascinated by the inch-long neon fish swarming around the lights, but growing tired. I was just turning around to go inside when I saw a dark brown figure come creeping out of the starboard shadows. Lo and behold! It was a SHARK!! Adrenaline shot through me. The water is so clear that it looked like it was floating on the surface, even though I know that it was swimming around 10 feet below. My eyes must have been huge as the creature glided across the light beam. Once it left, I waited eagerly hoping that it would come back. I even considered (for a split second) splashing my toe in the water to spark its curiosity. But I didn’t.

Friday night, May 22

I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. We are docked in Georgetown, the capital of the Exuma islands in the Bahamas. There are about ten other boats here and the buildings remind me of Africa. NO REALLY! The roads are roughly paved with sidewalks as an afterthought. The people wear what they have with some styles older than me, and everything is simple and scaled down. It’s quite comforting, I must say. I could see myself settling in a place like this where everyone knows each other and time is just another four-letter word.

The only thing that irks me is that I can’t get the internet here, and I’ve been offline for days. I wouldn’t worry so much about it if I didn’t NEED a job and depend upon my phone and internet connections to get me one! The Captain has been gracious to let me use his iPhone to access my email and voicemail, but I can’t respond properly because I don’t have access to my files on my computer! ARGH! But, the right job will come along I just have to have faith.

So, the captain has created an itinerary for our seven-day trip. We’ll be cruising most of the time, but I think we’ll be stopping to take in some of the local wildlife. No really. Apparently there is a place where sharks hang out and you can feed and swim with them? I’m not SURE about it, but I have a feeling Iain will bully me into going. Of course, it is kinna exhilarating to think I would be with in biting distance of a hundreds of jagged teeth -- whether they are interested in a taste or not. Of course, why would you want to FEED AND SWIM with sharks? I would think you’d want to feed them first, get them full and wait a half an hour before dipping the tosies in... Otherwise they might think you’re an odd tasting desert. I’m sure I’ll figure it all out once the big day arrives. And who knows? I may not even be able to go along on the excursion. Seven guests is a LOT to take care of alone -- with laundry, beds to make, heads to clean, drinks to serve... Once the guests get off board, that’s my chance to catch up on polishing the marble and brass, vacuuming, ironing, and whatever else I can get to without being interrupted.

Whatever I end up doing on this trip, I do hope I lose another five pounds. Of course, that’ll never happen if I don’t stop EATING! I can’t seem to stay full the past few days, and I’m driving Iain nuts with my “I’m hungry”’s. Every time he turns around, I’m sneaking another handful of saltines... I can’t help it! I’m famished! Maybe once the guests arrive, I’ll be so busy that I won’t have time to THINK about food. That’s the way it worked out the last trip.

Oh who knows... I just want to check my email.


Sunday, May 24th

The guests boarded yesterday afternoon, and it’s been a blast ever since. I really enjoy these people -- especially the boss’s wife. She’s so down to earth and easygoing. The boss is a bit over the top at times, but now that I understand that about him, we get along great.

They took us out to lunch today at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club which sounds fancy smancy, but it was really more of a divey bar with name plates from ships that had sunk in the area and flags from yacht clubs all over the world. There was a pool table and a real tiki bar! Lunch was slow but good... and all the while I kept thinking about things I needed to do on the boat--laundry needs to be turned over, gotta get those hats out from under the master bed, what am I going to do about the black lint on our new white towels?--A stew’s job is NEVER done.

Had a fantastic conversation with the boss’s wife today. I was turning over laundry and she was getting “put back together” after her shower. We talked about God and how to know His will and how to tell the difference between difficulties that prepare you for more of God’s will or difficulties that mean you’re NOT in His will. I could tell she wanted to talk more about it, and I do too. It’s so nice to have someone to talk about spiritual things with... Aside from my friends in Charleston and family, I don’t have many other people to get gritty with. I’m still testing the water with Mrs. Boss, but she’s “real people”, so I’m pretty sure she’s safe.

Tomorrow night we are having a mystery dinner party on board! I’m SOOO excited to be able to do this! One of the guests brought it, and I’m ecstatic that everyone is keen on participating! Even the captain and Iain want in on it! HAHA! I get to play the role of the diva movie star. Of course, none of us have proper evening attire, but I think that will make it all the more fun! I have my own idea of what I’d like to wear. I’ll need borrow some things from the boss and another guest, but I think they’ll let me. If not, then I’ll just have to improvise. I’m SURE there will be many pictures...

OH! We can’t seem to get away from the sharks! When we pulled in today, there were about five nurse sharks RIGHT under our boat! There are also rays all over and gorgeous striped fish. The boys are out there right now illegally fishing off the dock... You’re only in trouble if you get caught, right?

The boss and his wife mentioned their son again. It’s funny. The boss was saying how I needed to go along on their next tender excursion -- for “protection” he said. At that, I did my kung fu pose, and Mrs. said, “Aw! Wouldn’t she be so cute with [our son]?” I still have yet to find out ANYTHING about their son. Except that he just graduated from college last week, and apparently he does something with film editing. I’m sure he’s wildly successful just like his father... or will be at least.

Mr.’s brother is on board, too, and HE has allegedly recorded a Christian rock album. Been talking about it the entire trip and has (after IAIN BLABBED and said I play guitar!!) said I have to listen to it. No worries, but I’m just waiting for Iain to *casually mention* that I also sing and for them to request a concert. Of COURSE, I brought my guitar and I would love to play for them, but it’s always a little nerve wracking... you know?

I swear, I could go on and on... but suffice to say that I’m exhausted but happy. There are a few things I’d like to change, but I’m only temporary here... As much as it stinks, that’s the way it is.


May 25, 2009

Good LORD, I’m tired! It’s not even 10 yet, and I feel like I’ve been going for 20 hours... Let’s see, I was wide awake at 5, so... hmmm... 17 hours is pretty darn close. This morning started out great (even though I hate waking up too early). Instead of trying to fight my body and go back to sleep -- which would just leave me ticked off because I’d be MORE tired in the end -- I got up, and Jolene and I had a nice little jam session on the aft deck. We watched the dawn turn to day and started off with a song in my heart. AH! Of course, it was slam-packed from there... beds to make, laundry to turn over, breakfast to serve, linens to iron, dishes to put away, drinks to fix... the list goes on, but that’s a start.

After lunch, we took off to Big Major Cay, home of wild pigs! The welcoming committee met us on the beach but waited patiently for their treats (our leftovers from the day before). They were SO CUTE! I got some cute pictures of this one pig who seemed infatuated with my camera. I wished I had put my bathing suit on because the water was SO warm and the sand was soft like powder. I could have stayed out there for hours -- lobster burn or no. I have to admit, though, I had a minor melt down with the captain and Iain. Just as Mr. Boss was leaving with the first tender-full of guests, he yelled from the boat to whip up a cooler with Caesars, ice, a few beers, and some water. As I ran around getting all this together -- might I mention that I had to dig the cooler out from under a guests bed? -- the two other guests, the captain, and Iain were getting ready for the field trip. As soon as the tender returned, they wanted me to board and be ready. I SO WASN’T! I needed sunscreen, my sunglasses, my camera, flip flops, my bathing suit would have been nice. They kept telling me to hurry, and Iain even came in and said they were waiting on me. I just snapped back to go on without me if they couldn’t wait another minute. Of course, with all the hustle, I forgot the bottle opener, and Mr. Boss had to make a big deal out of it. And nobody even said thank you.

Once we returned from feeding the wild pigs, the guests all went snorkeling. This gave me a chance to sit down and breathe for a second... but not long because they were back within 45 minutes. Oh yeah, did I mention I also was setting up for dinner? Which moved from the aft deck to the fly bridge but ended up moving to the salon because of an attack of flies.

Anyway... I’m whooped. How many days left? 5... sheesh... gotta get my rest.


Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Emotional roller coaster today. Woke up sore but refreshed... Doing my thing--setting up for breakfast, chatting with the guests, turning over laundry, putting away dishes from the night before--when (and I hate to seem so sensitive, but things like this have been building up to my reaction) the captain sits down for breakfast and tells me to get out the butter and syrup for his pancake. The syrup bottle had sticky drips all over it, so I was cleaning it off when the captain says, “Can I have some syrup, Laina?” I gave him an “eat shit” look and slammed it on the table saying, “I was trying to clean it off for you.” Patronizingly he replies, “I know...” Well, if you KNEW, then why were you demanding it? YOU SAW I WAS WORKING ON IT! Asshole...

Anyway, as I was fixing beds and heads, Mrs. Boss popped her head in and said that I was doing a great job and she was jealous of whoever “gets me” because she doesn’t want me to leave! HOW SWEET! Truth be told, I don’t want to leave them either! We had SOOO much fun last night after dinner. Mrs. loves the Mama Mia! soundtrack, and on the last trip, she and all the guests made me dance with them. SO, last night, they put it on again, and we had a little dance party in the main salon. It was HYSTERICAL! Of course, the boss’s brother got the whole thing on film and has *promised* us it would be on Youtube next week. Ooooh Lord. But really, we were just having a good time. I wasn’t doing anything I wouldn’t do any other time, and I think that’s what the boss likes about me. I’m not pretentious or snooty. I stay away when it’s time to, I get my work done, and I still manage to have a good time doing it. Of course, I don’t hang around when nobody is talking to me, and I keep my conversations short. I don’t want to be a bother to them. AND BESIDES! Mrs. Boss wants me to meet her youngest son! She’s mentioned it several times on this trip, and the more I get to know them, the more I want to meet him! But, I know virtually nothing about him... except that he just graduated from college as a film major. And he worked on some movie... and that’s about it. Oh, and he’s 6’2”... haven’t seen a picture or heard anything else.

Wednesday, May 27

Swam with sharks this morning! WAHOO! Actually, I splashed around while they all napped at the bottom of the water. Oh well, I dove down to them and petted some, too. They feel like sandpaper, but there is something strangely inviting about them. Last night, when we were on the dock, we petted more and I think Mrs. Boss and I put one to sleep because he was resting up on the dock and even when we moved away, he was so still and limp looking!

Last night, we also had our mystery dinner party. Everyone did a great job, and we even got a few group shots of everyone in their “party attire”... I borrowed a huge floppy hat from one guest and a pink ascot from Mr. Boss. I looked fabulous, dahling.

My loathing for the captain grows by the day... he’s just gross. And, even though I’ve been invited back for another trip (Mrs. Boss has already said she’s trying to figure out a way to keep me around for good), I’m not sure if I can handle the captain... and if the crank comes along too, UGH! It would be a MISERABLE trip with her yammering on and on non stop about EVERYTHING... and treating me like I’m an idiot. I think Keith would probably LOVE this family, and they would most likely like him... he just has to knock off the fake ass kissing trill in his voice. Then again, Iain has also said that he and I could run the boat no problem. I don’t know about THAT, but...


Thursday, May 28

Okay, so there’s talk of another week of this. The current guests get off in Nassau on Saturday, and last night we found out that another couple may come on board on Sunday and be off again... WHAT a turnover! Because Mr. and Mrs. Boss are still going to be on board so we still have to take care of them, clean the rooms, provision, and make everything perfect for the new arrivals. GREEEAAAAT. Of course, it’s just talk now, but that means I’ll still be sleeping on the crew mess floor for another week... ugh.

It’s kindof starting to bother me that the boss is so open about his Christianity but still doesn’t have consideration for the crew who is working 16 hour days to take care of him. If I were an owner, I would give my crew members one day a week off -- whether I was aboard or not. We would dock at a marina and they would not have to do ANY work -- so no heads and beds, dusting, ironing, setting up for dinner... whatever. I think this would give the crew a TREMENDOUS morale boost while also letting the guests know what crew really does for them. We make it seem so easy, but it’s not... I’m all OVER that damn boat all the time... I work very hard for my money... in FACT, today the guests have all gone ashore for lunch. What did the boys do? Retreat to their cabins for naps. My bed, of course, is neatly packed away so the captain can get to the engine room. While they have been snoozing, I’ve vacuumed the boat, swept the back deck, and set out the cushions out to dry in the sun. I also need to iron and turn over laundry, but we’re working with limited water here on the hook, so I’m only washing the necessities.

At any rate, on charters this long, crew needs some down time. With a larger crew, it wouldn’t be so hard because other crew members could fill in and give each other some time to unwind. MY time to unwind is after 10:30 when everyone else has gone to bed. I can’t get my guitar out and play because I can’t let the guests see that side of me... I’m paid to work, not sit around singing and strumming my guitar. How can I unwind when I’m collapsing into bed every night?

Granted, their leaving for hours at at time is nice, but I am still expected to have the boat clean, laundry done, meals set up... everything must be ship-shape, and I could feasibly work at SOMETHING at all times... For the first few days of the trip, I did that and ran myself into the ground almost immediately. Of course, I don’t want to be seen as lazy or dropping the ball on anything. I’m only temporary, but the bosses love me, and I want to keep it that way. BUT, I’ve got to pace myself, and sometimes Mr. Boss wants everything done NOW. He asked me about that earlier in the week, and I said that, yes, this job is a lot of work, but if I pace myself, everything gets done... It may not all get done at once, but everything is taken care of. Basically, for me to keep up with everything, I have to keep working. Even writing this is causing me to get behind, but I need some therapy. Good grief, I could SO take a nap right now (and it’s only 11)... but I REALLY need to iron.

Sunday, May 31

So, new guests have boarded for another week of Bahamian madness... Mr. and Mrs. Boss’s pastor and his wife and their single, twenty-something son. We all went out to dinner last night and had a great time. I have a feeling that this is going to be another great week. The son is sweet and cute in a nerdy sort of way. He’s tall and skinny and had a constant five o’clock shadow... I’ve always thought scruff was hot. Of course, Iain teases me mercilessly about him... I swear, Iain and I have turned into quite the duo. He’s such a kidder and we are constantly messing up each other’s stuff. Today he knocked my towel rolls out of the basket and kicked them all over the salon... I poured out the water his bamboo skewers were soaking in. He and I were calling each other names and making faces and he threw a chocolate and hit me in the eye... I popped him with the towel. Yes, we’re flirting, but I think its because we know that nothing will happen. He’s got a great girlfriend back home, and I’ve already practically been betrothed to Mr. Boss’s son.

Mr. Son... I kept catching him staring at me last night. Of course, I’d hold his gaze and smile for a moment, and look away... but it both thrilled me and weirded me out--

(Okay, I just got back from the galley making margaritas for Mr. Son... He’s SO cute! I admit. I’m getting smitten with him... I wonder what he thinks about me? He probably thinks I’m funny, a bit kooky, maybe too loud. Of course, what’s going to happen at the end of this week? He’s going back to St. Louis (or wherever he lives) and I’m going back to the unemployment line... I can enjoy it while it lasts, but I’m not going to bank on anything more than a week of fluttering stomachs. But, honestly, I’m not nervous around him... even though I know we are both well aware of EVERYONE staring at us every time we talk or laugh at something. And I hope I’m not being any different than I usually am.)

--it’s always kinna cool to be looked at and to have that intruding awareness that someone is checking you out... I know I looked good last night--I always do when I have my make-up on. But honestly, I’ve noticed that I’ve been looking better in general lately. I think I’m slimming down (Mrs. Boss even said that every time she looks at me, I seem to be melting away.) and i’ve got a tan... I FEEL prettier, even though I’m seldom wearing anything that isn’t khaki or logo-ed “Pastime”... and for the first time in a LONG time, I’m happy with my work. Yes, it’s exhausting, but I enjoy serving these people because they are good people.

Anyway, we are headed back to Staniel Cay -- home of the cool tiki bar where we had lunch and I wished we could have played pool... maybe we can this time! I think we are definitely going back to Thunderball Cave. I didn’t get to see it last time, so that’ll be cool. It’s going to be interesting to see what sort of trouble we are going to get into this week. Iain and I have already decided that at some point, we are going to jump off the fly bridge and into the water... but only if it’s pretty deep. That’ll make a cool picture! Of course, we only get one shot. Otherwise we’d have to walk soaking wet through the salon and up into the pilothouse to get to the fly bridge.

I had the good fortune to go to the spa at Atlantis yesterday, and the lady waxing my eyebrows was SO wonderful. I was telling her about how I was going to meet the boss’s son that evening, and how I wasn’t ready for a relationship and that I’d just had my heart broken pretty badly. The way she talked, I am sure she is a believer, and she was such an encouragement. She told me that everything that has led me to this point is for a reason, and each moment is a miracle and has a purpose. Whether this meeting goes well or not -- ends up in love, friendship, or just a week of fun -- it is all part of the journey. There is nothing to worry about or fret over. Just be who I am and let the chips fall where they may. And she told me that I need to believe that I will find someone who will love me forever. “See what you believe, don’t believe what you see,” she said. It sounds like quite a paradox, but for some reason it makes sense. We are going back to Atlantis at the end of the week, and I’d love to find her and tell her how the week went. Her name was Suzanne, I think.


Later on this evening...

Okay, so I’m SURE there is some interest on Mr. Son’s part... he made bananas foster for everyone tonight, and I suppose there wasn’t enough to fix me a bowl after everyone had had their share (I was doing turndowns while they made the good stuff!), so he shared with me. How SWEET! And then, tonight I was requested to play guitar for everyone in the salon (where Mr. Boss dominated and I think ticked everyone off), and he never left the couch or took his eyes off me. And, honestly, I don’t mind it. But, I do have to admit, I chatted with Mrs. Boss about him (we were at the bar, thus slightly intoxicated and not crew/owner but equals), and I said that I could see what she meant about how similar our personalities are. We get each other’s jokes!! And I told her about the lady at the spa, and she told me that Mr. Son hadn’t dated anyone for a long time because he himself had been in some bad relationships and wasn’t interested in that anymore. And she told me that he would just love to get to know me -- talk to me and just have fun together. No problem. I’d like that, too.


Thursday, June 4th

The trip has been going VERY well... every evening, Iain, Mr. Son, and I get to leave the boat and hang out, and I’m looking forward to it every night. We’ve been snorkeling at Thunderball Cave -- wish I had pictures of it!! It was AMAZING. TONS of fish and gorgeous coral and plant life. This is just more incentive for me to get OUT of debt and purchase a good underwater camera... I’m missing out on SO much!

Anyway, the boss took all of us out to dinner last night at this really beautiful place on Fowl Cay. Part of the way through, I started feeling really queasy, and in the middle of talking to Mr. Boss about my name and heritage, I had to leave the table and ended up puking in the bathroom. After that, I started feeling much better, but within 15 minutes, the stabbing pain was back in my stomach and Iain offered to tender me back to the boat. Thank God, because I got sick again less than 30 minutes after making it back... and the rest of the night, I tossed and turned with a sore stomach that seemed ready to blow at any moment. No more puking, though, but I did wake up this morning feeling like I’d been in a wrestling match all night... my entire body ached. The captain told me to go back to bed and he’d wake me when we docked at Compass Cay. By the time I woke up again, we were docked and everyone had had lunch. Iain told me that every one was freaking out and spraying lysol everywhere, sanitizing every surface they could get their hands on. He told me to stay out of the galley because if they caught me in there, they might make him throw out the food! So, I’m the boat pariah today... trying to emerge from my leper’s cave to get a few things done -- turn over laundry, and tidy up a bit... Mrs. Boss has been a sweetheart, just wanting me to feel better and take it easy today. So, here I am... quarantined to my cabin... at least I get internet here, and there are a few movies on board to watch...

As for Mr. Son, I’m really enjoying getting to know him. Sometimes it feels like everything we do is being watched, so it’s nice to go off the boat for a while and not be “guest/crew” for a few hours. He and I definitely have the same sense of humor, so it’s fun to joke around with him... But, again, the trip is ending in less than two days... what then?


Saturday, June 6

Okay, so the guests have LEFT THE BOAT!!!! We are currently at the fuel dock taking on some diesel so we can actually make it home... It was a fun trip, but I was glad to see them go. I hope they call me back for another trip... maybe.

Last night, the boys and I met up with Iain’s mate Nick. We had a few rounds of cocktails at the casino bar and moved on to the night club. We had a good time, but the boys really hurt my feelings with how they went after other girls as though I was chopped liver. And the other girls weren’t even CUTE! What is that about?! I guess I AM chopped liver... I mean because clearly the girl they were with isn’t interesting enough to hang out with. Assholes.

Anyway, the boss’ son was asked to leave--not really sure why because he seemed to be fine to us (unless he was doing something we didn’t know about)--so we all took that as our cue to go too. I was actually ready to leave at that point... Mr. Son and I had a few rounds on the dance floor, I’d drank more than I EVER wanted to, and it was already 2 am and I had to be on deck at 7.

Once we made it back to the boat, Mr. Son, the night owl, insisted that I watch Natural Born Killers with him. In an attempt to keep the noise level down (he loves his movies LOUD!), I suggested we watch it on my computer in my cabin... that way if I did fall asleep, I wouldn’t have to move! (P.S. The movie was R-rated, but our behavior was completely family friendly... Rated G ALL THE WAY!) At first, I couldn’t tell if I was delirious because of alcohol or exhaustion, but about 15 minutes into the movie, I realized I would have felt the same if I was completely sober and wide-awake. THAT FILM IS WEIRD!!!! I only made it about 20 minutes into the acid-trip blood spilling spree before I nodded off and Mr. Son popped up and said he was about to fall asleep so he was off to bed... mmmm... okay. G’night.

Anyway, the captain and I are taking the boat back alone--18 hours of nuthin’ but him... UGH. Hopefully once we get underway, I’ll go down for a sleep and relieve him once we get into the open water. The forecast is supposed to be pretty smooth -- 2-3 foot seas, SE wind at 10-15 knots... I have about 20 loads of laundry to do... and I can possibly get some cleaning done. But, if I drag this out two more days, I’ll have more money... longer than two days, and it’s my own time. Hehehe... This captain has tried to swindle me out of money before, so I don’t trust him. He’s probably going to expect me to work like a dog on the crossing AND keep watch while he just sits on his fat arse on watch and sleeps on his time off. No way, Jose... A crossing is a crossing... you take it easy because energy is spent on watch. I don’t mind getting a head start, but don’t expect me to do three days of work just so you can save a few hundred dollars.

AAAAAAND WE’RE OFF! I am not really looking forward to going back to Lauderdale... mainly because I am essentially unemployed again, I have to go back to a crew house because I am not able to stay with the captain and the crank anymore... oh well. Won’t really miss them anyway. BUT, there are some good things going my way. I’ll have money for a while. Of course, I’ll be a miser until I can score more work -- which, by the way, the hiring frenzy is now over, so who KNOWS what will happen at this point... Maybe this is to my advantage because much of the competition has been hired? Also, I KNOW I lost some more weight on this trip because I need another notch made in my belt. YES! Granted, I’m not a size 0 quite yet, but maybe in a few hundred years I’ll make it.

The thing is I CAN NOT allow myself to become depressed. I have to keep busy and away from bars... walk to Smallwoods and the beach every day if I have to. Maybe I’ll nick a beach towel from the boat and have something decent to sit on at the beach... Maybe I’ll take to carrying my guitar around and pick up a few bucks busking. OR MAYBE JUST MAYBE I’ll have a job waiting on me when I get home. Yes, that’s what I’m going to believe. I have a job waiting on me. OR EVEN BETTER, Blue Moon has realized the error of their ways and they want to hire me. THAT would be freaking amazing. But first, I must update my CV to have it ready for my new employer! Ciao!

LATER...
It’s ten after 8, and I’ve been on watch for two hours... Yes, the captain trusted ME at the helm for two whole hours! WAHOO! Where shall we go? Italy? Alaska? Ha... how about home? That sounds good... We’re about 12 miles away from the nearest land and there’s no boats around... I’m jamming out on my iPod, keeping an eye on the radar, GPS, speed, engine temperature... but it’s much less complicated than it sounds. Besides, the captain comes to check on me every 45 minutes or so. I think he’s fallen asleep now, but he better not get too comfortable because my watch ends at nine, and my pillows are callin’ my name again! Still, this is SUCH great experience for me... The next thing I want to learn is how to drive the tender. TONS of boats want stews who can drive tenders or their tow-behind intrepids or whatever... And THEN, I want to become PADI certified. The more I know, the more marketable I am.

Anyway, I don’t know... I’m excited/nervous about going back to Lauderdale. I SO want a job... one with Christians who LIVE what they believe... and one in or around or based out of Charleston so I can be with my peeps back there... I miss them so much. Camp starts tomorrow. I hate that I’ll have to miss it. BUT, I am currently chained to the world and I have to work... but, God willing, I’ll get OUT of debt and be banking money by fall. I believe it. Mrs. Boss and I never finished our conversation about knowing the difference between trials that prepare and trials that warn... It’s something to think about, but I would have loved to get her opinion on the matter. I’ll probably be writing about it again...

Mr. Son... hmmm... now there’s a mystery. He’s back in St. Louis and probably hanging out with his friends with this past week the furthest thing from his memory. He’s a conundrum... and now that we are a thousand miles apart, I feel I can bare my soul a little more. At first he was sweet and charming (bringing me water and checking on me when I was sick)... then he turned flirty (commenting on my “cute” pink shorts when I was sick, telling me he wanted to hang out with me at the karaoke bar...)... and then last night at the club, he... well, he was a lot of the same. He danced with me and we laughed and had a blast and yet he still randomly hit on ugly gross girls. WTF? Men truly are from Mars, I suppose... I really need to re-read that book. Stupid boys. Of course, what was I expecting? He’s just graduated from college (what took so long?), he’s still in that party-boy mode, and sweet girls like me are just another chick to have fun with. He was never inappropriate or crude, and we did have some laughs... SO, if I made a new friend and nothing more, cool. He’s in the film industry, you know. Hehehe.

Okay, so my 6-9 pm watch is coming to a close, and I’ll have a three-hour break before I have to be back at midnight til 3 am... FUN FUN! I suppose I’ll be chugging the coffee... well, not too much because I have to get some sleep come 3 am! Because I’m back on at 6... and our ETA in Lauderdale is between 8-9 am.

The captain has said I can take Sunday off to rest, find a place to live, and go to customs... I need to get a boater’s option card which will allow me to check into U.S. customs via phone call... And then Monday and Tuesday I can finish boat recovery.

Okay, the sun has completely set, and all the windows are completely BLACK... It’s a good thing we have radars because I’m floatin’ blind. Radar says nobody’s out there... groovy.

2:20 am... Same day... well, sort of.

On watch again, and at this point, it’s a battle of wills... which will I give in to? What my body wants or what my mind HAS to do? At the moment, I’m sitting in a dark pilot house (except for dim lights from navigational equipment) gliding over a gently rocking ocean... I’m in this for another two hours at least, so I need to be marginally comfortable without snuggly comfy. SO, I am drinking a diet coke, my feet are cold, and I’m rocking out to Boston on my iPod. Oh, and eating sorbet leftover from the trip. And as much as I would love a pillow to lean against, I’m resisting the urge to grab one out of the salon. Writing is helping so, prepare yourself for a long entry. (By the way, all the blogs I’ve written of the trip thus far add up to 13 pages. If you read all the way down to this entry, I love you! You REALLY are a trooper!

The captain was 45 minutes late for his last watch, so that made me due back at 12:45. For some reason my alarm didn’t go off, but he woke me up at 1 am anyway. He didn’t go down until 1:30... so my question is when would my watch begin? When I came up or when he went down? He stayed up to radio another vessel about passing on their left rather than their right... Not really necessary, I think, since I could have passed them myself. Whatever. I guess I’ll go back down when he relieves me.

He just popped up to check on me. Nothing to report except that all of a sudden we have a bit of traffic around us. By around us, I mean three boats in a 6 mile radius. Not exactly going to collide with them any time soon.

Um... okay... So I don’t know what to write about now... But I’m awake, so that’s all that really matters. Anyway, I’m sure whatever comes out of my hazy brain wouldn’t make sense anyway. I wish I could write songs. I’m listening to Joe Purdy right now, and I LOVE his music... unfortunately my lyrics are rather stupid. Oh well.