A bold and dashing adventure is in your future?

Oh? How distant future? because I'm headed back to Fort Lauderdale for what looks like the rest of the season... til March at least. So much for spending the winter in the Caribbean! DAMMIT!

Crusin'

Okay, so I'm perched on the fly bridge (the highest deck on the boat) with the blue-green ocean stretched out in every direction.  It's SO beautiful, I just want to jump in it from here!  Yes, I've seen jellyfish all day, and there are TONS of sharks around this area... but the water is SO pretty!  

The boys (boss and guests) are on the Intrepid (our 33' tow-behind speed boat) getting lunch and bar-hopping and we are going to meet them at Mackinaw Key.  I should be doing laundry and ironing especially, but I just can't pull myself away from the view!  I should get my camera and take some pictures... the first in months.  

I did get a little queasy this morning.  Took some ginger pills and laid down in my cabin for about an hour and I've been fine since.  I'm SO trying to not use the ginger, but I think it's going to be essential until I can get my sea legs back again.  Sometimes, It's SO hard to work while we're underway.  The boat pitches and rolls (not as bad as when we're anchored out, though!) and it's all I can do to keep my balance.  Because I'm trying to keep my balance, I end up breaking into a sweat and getting hot, and the quease sets in.   I've been pretty good up til now, and I had told my captain and mate about my seasickness, so they are understanding.  As much of a pain as it is, I'm kinna glad we are moving so much this week... the sooner my sea legs will grow back!

In other news, as we were shoving off from Miami Beach Marina this morning, I saw SO many jellyfish!  I don't know what it is, but I'm fascinated by them!  The ones at the marina were like the ones I'd seen before -- clearish with a clover patter in the center, and blush-translucent with a red edge.  But when we stopped for a few minutes to pull the intrepid in, we saw this WHACKED out bug-looking jellyfish that was almost black-blue-green, floating on top of the water, with tentacles stretching a good 3-5 feet into the water.  It was CREEPY!  Looked pretty sinister...

Anyway, we've slowed the boat, so I'm gonna go find out what's going on...  AH!  The breeze is FANTASTIC!!  Later...

Invasion of Pirates... the boss and his buddies...

Okay, so I met my boss yesterday, and I must say, he's a pretty cool guy.  This morning, I set up his omlett extravaganza station, he made a helluva mess, and I got stuck cleaning it... oh well.  That's why I'm paid the big bucks, right?  But really, he is very down to earth and approachable.  

He brought 5 of his buddies on board, so I'm the only estrogen on the vessel, and I feel like my yacht has been overrun by pirates... they leave their crap everywhere, shoes kicked off wherever they may be, and clothes all OVER their rooms.  But they are funny and laid back, so I don't mind picking up after them.  

Honestly the past two days have been much easier than I anticipated.  The boys pretty much take care of themselves -- except for cleaning UP after themselves! -- and keep to themselves.  They've gone out both nights so far, and it looks like they like to stay off the boat and in the bars as much as possible.  I say, "GO!"  Tehehe... 

Anyway, we're docked at Miami Beach Marina tonight and we're off to either Marathon Key or Key West tomorrow.  I HOPE it's Key West because I desperately need to go to the grocery store (I'm having withdrawals since I didn't go at ALL today and I went five times this past weekend!), and I was too chicken to get off the boat by myself tonight.  I know, I know... that's something I'm going to HAVE to get over.  Also, I think I'm driving my captain nuts about going to the store because he was like, "Anticipate what we'll need..."  WTF?  When the boss requests something that wasn't on my list AND we go through stuff so quickly, what am I supposed to do?  Bring home the frikkin grocery store?!  There is only SO much room in the fridge.

I'm slowly getting more weighed down that I won't be home for Christmas this year.  I know, it's part of the life I have chosen, but that doesn't make it any easier.  I will definitely miss  the traditions of gorging myself and laying around all day and seeing family and warming myself by the fire... and braving the cold to get more firewood!  But, I am hoping to keep myself busy enough that I won't notice what day it is...  that really does happen after a while.  Every day is the same when the guests are aboard, so there is never a change in routine... every day seems like Tuesday... you just started and the end isn't in sight yet.  

ANyway, I have to get up ridiculously early, so I'm turning in... Just wanted to update you all on the latest excitement!  If I know you then -- Love you, miss you, want hugs from you...  If I don't know you... well, that's just weird.

It's too early in the morning to come up with a catchy title...

Okay, so it's Saturday morning, I've been up for over an hour with nothing to do...  We leave in a few minutes for our new "home" at Bahia Mar, an hour's boat ride away.  I finished everything I needed to do yesterday -- stowing the boat... and I'm just waiting to get out of this shipyard so that I can get some serious cleaning done before the boss comes on board tomorrow morning.  

I'm a bit nervous about him coming...  what if I royally screw up?  The captain says the boss is really cool, but likes to be served...  need to have bowls of nuts out, keep drinks in their hands...  other than that, he's a jokester.  Apparently, he's bringing six buddies for a "boys trip", so I figure there's going to be a lot of crude jokes, beer drinking, and crotch scratching.  Whatever...  I'm hoping to score some tips at any rate... wouldn't THAT be sweet?  

I was thinking about how cool it is to be on a yacht...  yeah, I know you guys back home are like, "Aw, shut up, ya braggart!"  But, aside from visiting exotic locales, serving rich (and sometimes famous!) people, and following the sun, the BEST part of it all is that EVERYTHING I need is right here on the boat.  I DON'T HAVE TO PACK!  So, I'm headed to Key West either Sunday or Monday, and then next Saturday, we'll be headed to Nassau.  Guess what?  I don't have to worry about packing the right stuff, will I have enough room in my bag, will it be too heavy for security, will I need to buy more shampoo, or ANYTHING!  IT'S AWESOME! 

In other news, I SO wish I could go back to bed...  I've been up since 6:30... went to bed at 9-ish, and I'm still exhausted.  I don't have anything to do until we get into the marina... the shipyard is dusty and gross, so every time I dust a new layer settles onto the furniture!  ARGH!  Once we get away from the dirt and grime, we'll ALL be happier...  the mate will be able to keep the outside clean for longer than an hour, and I'll be able to dust and enjoy the fruits of my labor.  

Ummmmm...  I don't know... I guess that's it for now...  I just felt the engines rumble, so I guess the boys are crankin' 'er up.  More to come...

Guitar Hero, I am.

Hey there...

Nothing to report on the yacht front... or should I say bow?  But, I did want to let you know that I'm becoming quite the guitar hero...  No, I don't mean the video game with the colored buttons representing chords and notes.  I mean that I am challenging myself with more difficult music... and I'm not ALLOWING myself the luxury of giving up!  I've gotten the chords and tabs to several new songs, and I'm going to learn them in my spare time here on the boat.  Hell, work ends around 5-6:00, and I don't go anywhere (at least not here in Fort Liquordale)... so, I might as well play around with my guitar more... Right?  It beats pining away on Skype or Facebook...  

Still a bit under the weather...  accidentally caught a few swigs from the captain's water (and he's been sick)-- he left it out RIGHT beside mine!! -- and I've been exhausted the past few days.  I'm going to bed early tonight to try to beat this crap before it has a chance to take hold.  Stupid germs... 

don't have much to report...  just the same ole thing...  I'm working hard to get the boat ready for Key West and the Bahamas, unsure of what I'll be facing as far as provisioning goes, especially in the islands...  

We got a delivery of about 40 cases of drinks yesterday.  It was MY job to figure out where I was going to stash it all until we need it...  hehehe...  I crammed them under beds.  

Anyway, that's about all...  as weird as this may sound, I'm really enjoying the quiet of this job.  It's SO different from a 7th grade classroom...  I don't "leave" work with a headache and wondering why in the WORLD I'm doing this...  I enjoy organizing and inventorying and cleaning...  I've been kicking some galley butt cooking for the guys, too!  Tonight we had nachos, but I had to season the meat all by myself because we didn't have any taco seasoning...  turned out pretty damn good!  Last night, I baked pork loin and made a honey balsamic dipping sauce, sauteed fresh green beans, and baked potato chunks.  On Friday night, I made pasta with sundried tomatoes and alfredo sauce...  It all sounds a lot more complicated than it really was, but suffice to say I've been having a BLAST in the galley!  

So, I'll be taking off within the next few weeks... leaving American waters, and heading south for the blue seas of the Bahamas.  I've made Victor promise to take me snorkeling, and maybe I can get my SCUBA certification while I'm down there?  Who knows what will happen... 

Being sick really sucks...

okay, so I'm coming back down with something that seems suspiciously like the strep I had back in October.  NOT COOL!!!  my throat has been getting progressively worse the past four days, i've had a steady headache for two days, and all I want to do is sleep... which i've done all weekend.  i've only been upstairs a couple times -- long enough to get some food and make a mug of tea.  the boss comes on in a week, and i still have a TON of stuff to do to get ready for my first trip on the boat.  I guess tomorrow morning I'll be going to the clinic again to get a strep test and some antibiotics.  fun.

in other news, chris, who came back from the bahamas this past week, left again on saturday.  it killed me to have to say goodbye to him again...  but, such is the life we have chosen for ourselves, right?  the trouble is that there is so much left unknown... about when we'll see each other again, what the next several months have in store for us...  and if our feelings for each other can withstand space and time.  I was thinking about all that in one of my sleepy stupors this weekend... and it kinna reminded me of those old war stories where the star-crossed lovers must say good-bye for no telling how long...  it takes a LOT of faith to hang on to something like that.  People change.  Time diminishes one's love for another...  we conjure up a fantasy about what the relationship "was"...  and then reality sets in.  

the new job...!!

okay, so i'm sitting on my new bunk, in my new closet... er... cabin... on my new boat.  Honestly, I wasn't very thrilled about this gig because the itinerary seems pretty boring -- Caribbean in the winter and Milwaukie in the summer.  What in the WORLD is there to do in MILWAUKIE?!  But, since i've been on the boat for a few days, i'm beginning to like this place.  I'm the only stew on board, so i get to make things the way I want them!  YES!!!  

Today, I started off with a full overview of the boat--looking in all the nooks and crannies, opening cabinets and drawers, and making a list of everything I could think of that needed to be done.  The problem with jobs like this is that once ONE job is complete, TEN MORE add to the list.  By the end of the day, I had done a linen inventory, liquor inventory, table decoration inventory, candle and glass decor inventory, cleaning supply inventory, and guest toiletries inventory.  Doesn't that sound EXCITING?!

Tomorrow, i'll be tackling the VIP stateroom -- cleaning, organizing, pressing all the linens, and figuring out what all is stored under that bed.  I imagine i'll also spend some time talking to the captain about my job, expectations, and those other details.  Eventually, I'll be detailing each of the rooms, bringing them all to my standards, and buying a TON of supplies.  

Current itinerary is this:  Leave on Dec. 14th for an owner trip to Key West.  From there, leave on Dec 20th for Bahamas and stay in the Caribbean for two months.  WAHOO!!!  We'll see what happens though...  

Spent last week on the island paradise of Cumberland Island with the fam and my second family -- the Rusch's...  it was pretty much AWESOME...  my legs are eaten up with sand flea bites, my nose is crusty because it ran like a faucet all week, and I still have a smoke-inhalation cough that won't give, but I would give anything to be back there again with everyone--even my complaining sister...  LOVE YOU, HL!!  

Sorry to cut this short...  it's getting late, and I need sleep to get me through the busy day tomorrow.  A woman's work is NEVER done!!

My red high heels...

Okay, so the past 48 hours have been somewhat hectic.  I flew back to Atlanta yesterday, Daddy picked me up, and dropped me off with Mommy in Woodstock.  I had been on the phone with the other captain from the boat in New York...  Mommy and I had a marathon shopping spree at two thrift stores and Ross to get some decent clothes for my interviews up here.  So, in short, I was up at 7 a.m. and didn't get home until after 9:30 p.m..  But, my night was nowhere NEAR over.  After I brought all my purchases and luggage inside, I had a TON of laundry, packing, outfits to put together...  I didn't stop moving... RUNNING... until almost 3 a.m.  My flight left at 8, so I had to be up and out by 5.  

My flight was smooth sailing... the plane was almost empty, so I was able to stretch out across my own row.  I couldn't sleep because I was jazzed out on coffee.  Once we landed, I ducked into the bathroom to put on my tights (which are the DEVIL!), saucy red heels, and make-up.  Blair, the mate, and Bobby, the engineer, picked me up at 11 and we drove the 20 minutes to the boat.  the BEAUTIFUL boat.  IT's only a year old, so it hasn't had time to get dirty.  I hung out with the guys until 12:30 and we went to get lunch with Jon, the captain.  I liked the boys immediately.  We have similar senses of humor and I felt comfortable joking with them.  Lunch was at a busy diner in Jersey City.  The boss arrived on the boat at 3 to interview me, and we talked for at least an hour and a half before he and the captain took a "break" to talk about moving the boat.  I met up with the boys in the galley where they told me I was doing great and that I had talked to Mr. longer today than they ever had.  

After the Mr. came back from talking to Jon, we started the "real interview"...  He asked me about my music, and he wanted to see my myspace page.  The boys hooked the computer up to the television and we all listened to my music while I blushed.  They seemed impressed.  Mr. was a bit stand-offish.  Later, I turned down the bed, looked at vinyl samples for new pillows on the sun deck.  Jon wanted me to help them pick out the colors.  He then asked me to look through the galley and assess what I would move around and change if I worked in there.  I looked around, but honestly I was so wiped out that I couldn't think straight.  Eventually, Mr. ordered dinner and Jon went to pick it up.  Meanwhile, Mr. requested that I make him a "Manhattan Vivere", but there is no ice on the boat because the refrigeration is not working properly.  Jon brought ice with the pizzas... yes, the first meal I served my potential boss was pizza.  He requested that we heat the pizzas in a skillet with olive oil to make the crust crispy.  My Manhattan Vivere needed more Vermouth, but Mr. was happy that it was well-chilled.  He turned in by 9, and now I'm in the crew mess watching TV with Blair and Bobby.  Jon lives in the city with his wife and 6 month old son, Sacha.  

I'm WIPED out right now...  Not sure what to expect for tomorrow, but I'll be up around 7 to get ready for the Mr. to wake up around 8.  I won't be cooking breakfast, but I do need to have his cappuccino ready for him.  My flight leaves for Atlanta at 1, so I'll have to be at the airport by noon.  I imagine I'll have an opportunity to sit down with Jon and talk to him about the job.  

Right now, I REALLY like the boat.  The crew--the guys--rock.  I would be organizing the boat how I like it, learning as I go, and getting some GREAT experience as a solo stew.  I'll need to beef up my knowledge of table settings.  I'd also like to contact my chief stew friends to get some info from them.  These boys definitely need a woman's touch here.  Apparently, the boat has only had temporary stews, so things have remained a bit touch and go.  Their decor is basically knick-knacks that the owners have brought on board, and it doesn't really match.  But that's cool.  I'm all about surrounding myself with things I love, so whatever makes them happy.  Blair says that the Mr. loves to spend money, so this is a good sign.

What I loved EVEN more was that they guys REALLY DID help me out.  Blair helped with serving the Mr. by getting out the flatware and placemat, heating the pizza, and helping with dishes.  Jon walked me through the turn down and gave me pointers on how to make the Mr.'s drink.  In short, this team REALLY DOES work together.

So, I'm waiting for the official invite.  then it's decision time...  New Moon or Vivere?  

Jobs Jobs JOBS!!

Okay, 

So I'm sitting in the airport after an interview with the captain of New Moon.  He gave me a tour of the boat and a run down of what they do on board.  Basically, I would be cooking for the crew as the boss's wife prefers to cook when they are on board.  (Unless they go out, of course!)  Summers would be spent on the Great Lakes and winters spent between Fort Lauderdale and Bahamas.  The itinerary seems rather boring, but one never knows.  He would like a year commitment, but that is always subject to a 2-month trial period.  They would provide full medical benefits, 401k matching...  I would be one of usually three on board, but with a charter happening, there could be as many as five crew.  Before I left, the captain offered me the job...

In addition to THAT, the captain of the 116' Azimut wants to fly me up to NYC tomorrow for a face-to-face interview.  From the job description, it sounds like it might be more than I can handle, but the pay is MUCH better than New Moon.  (I don't know about benefits, taxes, or anything like that, though...)  I'm thinking about going for it anyway, getting a feel for the boat and then seeing how I feel tomorrow evening.  I just don't want to miss out on Cumberland...  I know a job is top priority, but I'm SOOO close to the trip, and I hate to have my big plans screwed up at the last minute.  

SOOO, I have big decisions to make in the next few days, I just know it.  Such is the life of a yachtie, and part of me just wishes I had ONE job possibility so that I couldn't look at the greener grass on the other side of the fence...  Welcome to LIFE!