On the Road... AGAIN!

So, I've been packing my stuff into my bag... again... preparing to hit the road... again... and look for a job... again. I'm beginning to think / wonder if I maybe cursed myself by calling myself a gypsy? After all, I live out of my car for the most part, I can't seem to hold down a job, have a special passion for music, and I'm a bit of a rebel... Sounds exciting, eh? Well, it has it's good days. But, usually it's nerve-wracking and frustrating. I'm sure I'll enjoy it more if I just relaxed a little. Maybe some of my friends and family can spare a Xanax or two for the sake of charity?

I was writing in my personal journal (unseen by anyone but me!) about the whole situation and my words soon became a prayer. I started thinking about how Chris had told me back in November that I had the world at my feet, and before I realized it, I shook my head. "No," I wrote. "My world is at God's feet." And even as I wrote it, the most soothing peace washed over me. Like I was being dipped in a tub of warm water. And a voice tugged at my heart asking, "But what do YOU want to do, Laina?" I didn't have to think. I KNEW I wanted to go to Charleston.

So the plan for now is to head north. I'll freeze my butt off, but I hope that my heart is warmed and readied for the days ahead. I'm trusting in God to take care of me -- financially, especially -- as I obviously am incapable of taking care of myself... Who knows what sorts of amazing opportunities I'll come across up there? Of course, there's always the flip side -- who knows what I'll MISS out on down here? But, visiting Charleston is something I've been wanting to do for the better part of a year, and God is blessing me with the chance to do it. For the first time in a LONG time, I have peace as I leave. I don't know how long it's going to be before I get back on a boat, but I KNOW that God is with me wherever I may roam.

So, I am asking that those of you reading will pray for me on the next leg of my journey. Once again, the world has opened up for me, allowing me the chance to pursue music... Charleston also has yachts, so I'll take a trip over there to see what's happening. (The general consensus is that it'll be dead, though.)

Thank you again, and check out what I did yesterday in the post below!

Look what I made!!

Okay, so it's my 100th post! YIPPEE!! Release the balloons! Strike up the band! Toss the confetti! Or just look at these pictures! A fitting illustration of how far I've come in half a year...

Table Settings

I call this one "Jungle Fever"

From Explore. Dream. Discover.

From Explore. Dream. Discover.

This one is "Orchid Dream"

From Explore. Dream. Discover.

Beach Bliss

From Explore. Dream. Discover.

From Explore. Dream. Discover.

Some Towel Art

Ernie the Elephant

From Explore. Dream. Discover.

Monkey Business

From Explore. Dream. Discover.

Turn Downs -- Have to turn down the bed for guests and set out chilled water and a chocolate. AH! To be RICH! This picture is for a kid's turn down, and instead of chocolate, I've set out bubbles and a little water toy. FUN!

From Explore. Dream. Discover.

Fortune Cookie: Your talents will be recognized and suitably rewarded.

Hmmm.... this could mean SO many things... Let's pray it my reward is expedient!

And the Lord sayeth unto me, "Thou shalt NOT be comfortable."

Funny how irony comes to bite you in the ass sometimes. I was just talking this morning (say 9 am) to my mom about my job and how I'm content to stay here for a year just to build up some time on my resume. No matter what the books may say, it does NOT look good to be a boat hopper. So, even though this isn't the kind of boat I want to work on, I was okay with taking the money and doing the job... biding my time, so to speak.

Well, damn if by noon, the captain comes in and says that the boss has decided to not have a stew aboard afterall... since the boat ISN'T moving, there is no sense in having someone dedicated to the interior. I understand where he's coming from, and honestly, I saw it coming... I was just crossing my fingers otherwise. At any rate, I'm to be off the boat on Friday. I don't know where I'm going to go, what I'm going to do, or how this little chapter will end, but I am slowly learning that God has interesting plans for me... and my family. Things have been rather difficult lately -- especially in the past week -- and as that great Amos Lee song goes, "You get right down to the bottom of the barrel and float back on top..." It's rather annoying how those great email catch phrases (When God closes a door, He opens a window; Hang in there; Everything happens for a reason...) have seemed to haunt me these last few hours as I try to plan and plot and figure out what my next step is going to be. Looks like I have some journaling ahead of me tonight.

So, pray for me as I go through these last few days aboard. I'm going to need grace, wisdom, and peace to get me through the days ahead...

Stagnant Waters...

Hello there, my admiring fans...

I do apologize for being so quiet this week... things have been rather rough with my internet connection, my personal life, and well life in general.

My internet connection: We moved the boat into a garage called "The Boat House" down here in Fort Lauderdale. It's a great little idea. The boat stays covered -- clean and out of storms. But, our satellite internet is cut off. My Mac (that I STILL think rocks the cashbox) isn't picking up the Boat House's internet signal, so I've been forced to "steal" internet from the bakery across the street... THAT means that every time I want to get online, I have to step outside the garage, either sitting on the street or using the captain's truck as a desk, and *hope* that my signal will take. This has meant that emails take longer to download and send, IM conversations are touch and go, and webpages take forever to download. Needless to say, I've only been doing the "essentials". Today, however, I decided to give myself and my readers a bit of a treat and "splurge" on some iced tea at the bakery ... thus "stealing" my internet fair and square. :o) A week of internet is surely well worth the price of a drink. (It was damn good iced tea, too!)

My personal life: Heh... lets just say, things aren't working out how I'd hoped, and all I really want are some answers. My heart tells me that the absence of answers my be all I'm going to get, and I'll just have to deal with that. I'm trying to.

Life in general: I'm not where I hoped I would be at this point in my career... Still sitting in the boat yard, not moving, when it seems like everyone else is going and seeing and living the quintessential yachtie life. I don't mean to complain. I have a job and it's paying my bills. Others in the industry would most certainly LOVE to be in my shoes -- even staying still -- but... well, things just haven't worked out the way I had hoped. Funny... things seldom do.

Anyway, I was determined to get off the boat today. Yesterday I spent the day holed up in my cabin reading my buddy Krista's novel. It was WELL WORTH the time, I assure you. I couldn't put it down! She sent me the first few chapters of her first novel, and I can't WAIT to get into this one! The stinky thing about Fort Lauderdale is there isn't much to do around here unless you want to pay an exorbitant amount to park at the beach -- I could always take the bus, I suppose -- or drink yourself into oblivion. I could go to the mall, but what's the sense when I'm not in the mood to shop? I could go for a run, but I hate to run and it's a health hazard with all the crazy drivers around. It's too cold to swim, we don't have our intreped with us so I can't make Victor take me out manatee hunting... Oh well... I should make plans to do something next weekend... maybe visit my uncle Steffan's parents in Melbourne or fly up to Charleston to record some music... I really don't have the money to fly to Chuck-town, but I NEED to get some tracks laid down if I'm going to make some headway into the industry.

Okay, so that's a brief overview of where I am for those of you who love me so much that you keep up with me better than I keep up with myself... I love you SO much! Oh! And remember, when you leave me a message, make sure you leave your name at the end! Sometimes I can't tell who messaged me on here! Thanks!

Before You Said Goodbye...

Okay, so as ALWAYS seems to happen, just when I NEED to sleep, I can't... and my Muse decides to work overtime. So, with two hours left before I am to crank the car and begin a 12-hour journey back to the boat, I am struck with a poem that I must get out because it's too genius NOT to record. Of course, it's also midnight, so I could re-read it tomorrow and realize this is all crap, but for now, I must share my slimy, slithering, bawling new child with the world.

Before you said goodbye we were comfortable...
... like faded blue jeans with holes in the knees and frayed hems
... like a nap in a hammock, swaying with the breeze and snuggled with the sunshine
... like a fire crackling on a misty winter afternoon.

But now, I am tortured...
... like a telephone that refuses to ring, silently screaming my loneliness
... like a dog, dead on the side of the road
... like a chocolate valentine melted and forgotten.


As always, I welcome feedback, even the negative... this kinda came out of something I'm experiencing right now, but I'm not sure if we are quite finished yet. It's complicated. But I do feel tortured and forgotten... whether he means me to or not.

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...