A Day Off
[from the stabenow.com vaults, 2007]
April 1
A real day off – the first since the ship left San Francisco 20 days ago. No drills, no go fast alerts, no fishing vessels who might be smuggling migrants, no haring off after ghost radar contacts. Palm Sunday services were the only organized event. Sun and seas with barely a breeze to ripple a cerulean blue surface that can hardly be bothered by the slightest possible swell. I suppose I could get bored looking at this after three months. Maybe. Possibly.
PO Dea Lang, inspired by events on the fantail, drew a gorgeous picture of a sailfish. She says it needs work. I beg to differ. See for yourself.
Some people are working, as in on watch up on the bridge, where we find Helmsman SN Jonathan Hannons, break-in helmsman SN Nathan Cramer, Quartermasters of the Watch BM2 Tim Myers and break-in BM3 Michael Boltze, Bosun’s Mate of the Watch BM2 Matt Hendricks and OOD LTJG Morgan Barbieri.
We’re doing box ops, and the OOD is messing with the off duty folks on the flight deck who are trying to work on their tans. Whenever they get comfortable on their towels or in their deck chairs, she maneuvers the ship so that shade from the helo’s rotors will fall on them, forcing them to move. In the meantime Matt and Tim are grilling Nathan on man overboard procedures. Poor Matt and Tim. Any day they don’t get their hands on a small boat is a day wasted for them.
On the fantail the Captain continues to show mercy to the icthyologian world by not catching any fish (he finally got mad and went off to work on his cross stitch). CWO Jimmy Olson caught his this morning (an eight-foot sailfish) and is cooling off in the wardroom in front of a movie. The ships’ laundry has a wait list, the gym is crowded, and the berthing areas are kept quiet and dark. On the mess deck people are studying and watching basketball on satellite television, while PO Tracy Mellot is refilling the condiments and not letting me take her picture. “Wait until I’m at my GQ station, my sister has no idea what I do, she will love it.” Okay.
It’s a welcome, if deceptive peace.
We’re still 911 for our duty station.
We’re still the cop on our beat, on call 24/7.
I hope this crew gets to sleep through this one night, though. Be a nice ending to the day.
And you should see the Plan of the Day for tomorrow.
Click here to order a copy.
Happy Palm Sunday and blessings to all of you! Thank you, thank you comes from the Atlantic Ocean in NH for all the detailed information about your adventures!! You are amazing and adventurous and a credit to all women and you write so well to boot!! Loved Kate-15 and am very excited to hear about 16!
Am coming to visit Alaska for the month of June to help my teaching daughter and husband to build their ‘cabin in the wood’s’. Any chance that you will be at a book signing in Anchorage? I’ve read everything and am starting on your recommendations…I’m hooked! Thank you!!
No book signings in June, sorry, but if you stop by Twice Told Tales (on Northern Lights Blvd. across from REI), Rachel keeps all my books in stock and all of them are signed. (Her email address is tttales@alaskalife.net if you want to order one by mail.) And thanks backatcha!
This has been so great to read, and keep up to date. Love the detail, and meeting all the crew. Also loving the photos (and hoping someone took some of YOU for future use) (hint, hint).
Very sneaky, Kelley. Everyone, meet my editor.
(She’s just checking in to make sure I’m actually working.)
Hello the Munro and Dana, I loved the picture my husband DC2 Green sent of the two of you together, except I miss his hair. It must be really hot out there, I don’t envy you that. After our last tour in Alaska, I haven’t been able to acclimatize to the heat as well. Thanks so much for signing my books that I sent with him for me. I am SO HAPPY to hear about Powers Of Detection 2. POD 1 is the first book I ever read by you and then went crazy at the Petersburg Public Library finding all your books (the svensdotter ones came by ILL). It also introduced me to L. A. Gilman and S. Shinn, and turned me into a rabid fan of theirs too. I always jot down titles of books that you mention Kate reading, especially when Kate went through Paula’s house in The Singing of the Dead and was very mad because someone had killed a fellow avid reader. I left lots of little pieces of paper in that book to mark books mentioned that I hadn’t yet read. I tried to join the Danamaniacs and never heard anything back, any tips? Thanks and keep those Kate books coming. Syntha
Syntha, the managers of the Danamaniacs must have just missed your message somehow. I think they are reading these blogs as time permits and I’m sure they will see your message. I’ll send them an email anyway. We always welcome new members and love to share are thoughts about Dana and her books.
Syntha,
I’m one of the managers of Danamaniacs and am sorry you didn’t get a response back from us regarding joining. I don’t recall seeing a request for membership from you but unless you specifically commented about being a fan of Dana’s the membership request may have been overlooked. We’d love to have you, truly. Why don’t you email me directly at shugak@hotmail.com and let me work with you to get you signed on.
Dana, thanks for the Roadhouse Report. I’m looking forward to seeing you in May.
Cathy
Hi Dana and all, I’m loving the blog entries, feel as if I’m at sea….best to all of the crew and you…Nance
4/4/07
Hello Dana,
I have been following your journey and enjoy all the pics. I saw a couple of pics of my son, Dominic Cortese, in your slide show. Dominic has relatives thru out the U.S. & we are all reading your diary and of course are now starting our own book club featuring your novels of course. Happy Easter to you and the proud crew of the Munro. Susan Cortese of Port Hueneme, Ca.
Great to hear from you, Susan, and delighted you’re enjoying the blog. I see Dominic on the bridge a lot.