I graduated from Navy Boot Camp right around this day.
Jennifer and I both took off work and got married. Mr. Decker was the marriage commissioner. He was ancient but still very serious about his work. We went to Waterside for our deli dinner and photo booth portraits.
People: Jennifer Kane
Today I enlisted in the Navy Reserve. This is the second go-round. I hope it goes better than my first.
Tags: Navy
Stiff back.
Tags: MS
Stiff back.
Tags: MS
Stiff back is recovered but feet feel tingly. The sensation will spread up both legs gradually.
Tags: MS
The tingling in my feet and legs is now accompanied with a feeling of numbness at the muscle level. As well, there's tingling and sensations in my groin and lower belly. When I walk for a while, it feels like I have a tennis ball in my crotch.
Tags: MS
Everyone on the boat makes fun of Southerners when it snows. Whatever. Everyone, everywhere fucks up on the road in snow. But hurricanes? We start drinking.
Dr. Guinand. Spinal MRI that same evening.
What a whirlwind this turned out to be. I thought I was going to find out why my sciatica was acting up worse than normal and after a few minutes with the doctor, I was texting Jen about Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Then it was off to pick up dying tortoises from the vet and off to get an MRI. Neurologist next, followed by more MRI and spinal tap stuff.
Tags: MS
First appointment with Dr. Sheth.
Tags: MS
We went on a date. I learned that Howard Coyer died. He shot himself.
When I was getting ready for my shower I use my right big toe to check the cold water every time I get my big toe in the cold water 3 seconds later a sudden pins and needles feeling with start in the sole of my left foot which was on the bath mat.
Tags: MS
Cranial MRI, Lumbar puncture.
Started 15 day prescription of Prednisone.
Tags: MS
The giant box of sea books in the bedroom has finally been moved to the family room. What a lot of books. And the mermaid that Katie got me for Christmas last year? She's gainfully employed as a bookend for books of her favorite subject.
Tags: house
Left sinus unplugged- maybe a chronic fungal infection cleared by the Prednisone.
Tags: MS
Star died this afternoon, maybe this morning. She was a tortoise, an Ornate Box Turtle. We learned for the second time that there is no reason to buy turtles from online stores.
I really want to write. I can, and am able to, but I need help.
Today, I thought about:
1. Making everything we do our "craft." Learning the theory, history, techniques, and innovations of every job we do, be it our regular jobs or a special task or activity. No one does this and it makes it difficult to develop enthusiasm when the people around us don't understand how others can attack a task at that level.
2. Weight loss and the modern food attitude. "You aren't going to lose weight by eating more of "that kind of food". Food intake never equates to weight loss. Never.
Tags: Writing
Rating: ★★★★★
I buried Star in the roses. Then I taught Nora to cook sloppy Joes.
Flying to Tampa.
5th week of TM symptoms.
Tags: MS
I need to tell Jim about this ms possibility I trust him like I never trusted too many captains before this Justin said it's kind of personal maybe I shouldn't. I think I could tell him and I think if you would work with me on it he's at kind of guy.
I used voice-to-text on this, so that's why my writing looks like it's from an elementary school.
Tags: MS, Mako
It's really nice to have a tankerman that I can hang out with on deck.
Tags: Mako
This is an exercise for working on the manifold. Notice that the reducer has only one valve on it. And that it's pointed downward. There's no way to safely blow that line clean after a transfer.
Unrelated. I just noticed that everyone, to the last man, who lectures me about safe food, clean food, and all the other rot, is fat or struggling with weight issues. Instead of looking for trendy
things to eat, maybe we should think about not eating much.
Tags: Mako, Tankerman
Meatloaf Monday. I made an extra two pounds. Six instead of the usual four pounds. If Tor eats it all like he did the lasagna, I'll lose it.
Tags: Mako
I went down to the galley for my feed. There were two shallow square Tupperware containers with the last of Justin's lasagna in them so I pulled one out and made a bowl. As I was eating, I was Tor watching me out of the corner of his eyes and checking the lasagna on the far counter by way of a full head turn. He was concerned and I saw it; someone was eating food that he had slated as his. So. I ate it all. All of it. Both containers. Right in front of him. It hurt me but it nearly killed him to watch this skinny old motherfucker pile in food that he had his heart set on. I won.
He needs to stop eating all the fucking food.
Tags: Mako
Ryan gave us some excitement today. He called me up from the chart room, where I was off watch reading my book, and said he felt dizzy. After some prodding, he let me go get Justin to relieve him. After he had a good shite and then ate something, he felt better. SO now I have to wonder if he's on one of his eating oddities, or if he just didn't eat enough today. He's often explaining to me the complexity of the human diet and reasons why we can't lose weight.
Simple folk. less calories in than calories burned equals weight loss. Eat small amounts, many times a day. Move around. Work. Work hard. Stay fit.
Tags: Mako
Allow me to bitch a minute. Not that I wouldn't if told that I wasn't allowed. Why does the paint locker have to look like a shithole every time they use it? Messed up paint cans with lids that don't seal are a pain in the ass to work with. Those show me that seamen still scrape all the paint off of their brushes after they load up; no one knows how to paint. To add to the mess, they open up the unsealed can to find a fine thick skin on top of the paint within, then break it up and plunge it into the paint. This is to make sure that the next guy to use it has to fight with large chunks of dried paint in his paint job- not that some of them would care about that either. Hell be damned, they just work the chunks right onto the paint job for all they care. And put shit back where you found it. It's a simple rule of thumb that applies to every storage area we work with.
Tags: Mako
7th week of symptoms. They're going away but still pop up at odd times.
Tags: MS
Location: 16.77348, -3.00742
The first entry today is used to complain about this fucking app. Diarium has aligned itself with Microsoft; it uses One Drive to sync all of my entries. Great. That means that it has adopted all of the bullshit same processes that Microsoft uses to annoy the shit out of its customers. Yes, customers. We paid for this app. I guess I should get used to a lifetime of constant reboots and log-ins to keep this running, and the inevitable lass of data that will accompany the inconvenience.
Yes. Data has been lost. This is the second entry of the day. The first is gone, except for its tags., which make no sense on an empty text field. So here I write.
Diarium. I like to pronounce it, Di-uh-REE-um. Like diarrhea. It makes me laugh in a sixth grade kind of way.
There's no love out here. When you leave, or die, we forget about you in a couple of weeks. That's why you have to have a skill and pass it along to one of the youngsters. Then you'll have a legacy and won't be so easily forgotten.
Tags: Mako, tugboats
Finally beginning repairs on the boat shack.
I took Meara to an introduction to fencing.
Drove to Mom's.
I'm glad I brought my tools but I think it's going to be more than a day to fix this rotten old barn.
I found a few things in the loft. Replaced more sheathing than I thought I'd be needing to.
Meara made a cake for Bob's birthday. We had a little party. Later I took Nora and Meara driving. Nora drove on Hungarian Road and didn't scare me to death. Not too bad, anyway.
I put up another rail for Bob and Sue. Bob and I watched the season opener of Vikings.
I noticed while I was working around the barge that I had no symptoms. Then later, around 2pm, I laid down and had some foot tingling.
Tags: MS
Like yesterday, I was virtually symptom free while I was working (grinding steel and crouching a lot) until later when I was ready for my afternoon nap.
Tags: MS
We had tolerable weather all winter in the Gulf. We were lucky, actually. Then today we paid up. 48 knot winds and waves to match. We shut down the barge and hid in the house.
Tags: Mako
The day before I have to fly back to work is always a confusing one. (Add more later.)
Tags: Mako, Tankerman, tugboats
Got the new grill today. We like to grill out. I miss the old one.
Met Diane at the Lidl on Indian River Road. We talked and talked.
After I've installed Diarium today, I will make a diary entry every day from now on. In case I forget to make an entry, the app will remind me with a notification in the evening. Besides pictures, videos, audio recordings or other files, I can add a location, tags or persons to my diary entries.
Because the app is available for Windows, Android & iOS, I can use it on all my devices and synchronize the journal with the sync button on the main page. I am already looking forward to retrospect all those memories in a few months or years.
Tags: Writing
Rating: ★★★★★
This is another one of those"first days back from work." Not much happens on these days. I pay bills, sort mail, wander around the house drinking coffee, and I stress about who I should tell about my arrival back in town. Specifically the Navy. Now I have two units that want to hear from me.
Tags: Navy, Work
Another flawless stereo installation thanks to Crutchfield. The Red Highlander has a podcast machine now.
Oh yeah. It's Meatloaf.........Tuesday? Doesn't work as well as Monday but it's still a taste treat.
Today the family road-tripped up to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Weekend traffic can suck around here but it was an adventure.
People: Jennifer Kane, Nora
Weather: 29°C, Humid and mostly cloudy throughout the day.
Location: 37.556328, -77.475754
It was the first day of school for the girls. Nora went off with Jen to the doctors and after Meara came home from school, I took her to Target for school supplies. Afterward, we went to a Thai place for dinner. She makes her version of Thai noodles at home and I thought that a new quisine might be right up her alley. It was. She tried the dumplings with no reservations and even used some of the hot soy sauce. This was my Pad Thai Chicken.
First day back to work. At least we're paid coming in.
I had to drive myself to the airport. I miss Charlie.
One fish. Two fish. No more fish. Certainly no blue fish. These are more things that I find on deck.
Tags: Tankerman
We're steaming a weather track off the west end of Cuba. Dorian is crushing the Bahamas. When he turns North, we'll head up again and follow behind. This has added 2 days to an already 8 day trip to Philly from NOLA.
Oh yeah. It's Meatloaf Monday, motherfuckers.
Tags: Mako
Mitch and I hung the cargo hoses. It was a good day to be a Tankerman. For him, it was a good day to be a Mate. We were rigging big objects to the cranes, solving problems, and getting it done.
We are somewhere near the west end of Cuba killing time until Dorian starts its move northward.
I hope he doesn't pass over my house.
Tags: Mako, Tankerman, Work
The laptop in the barge office isn't happy. A pop-up message is continually announcing that "You may be a victim of software counterfeiting." This message will continue to pop up until we go online and register our Windows product. That isn't likely to happen anytime soon.
But who is the victim? Aside from the pop-up messages, I'm using the product as usual. If this version of windows wasn't properly paid for, then I seem to be the beneficiary of free software. It's Microsoft. Microsoft is the victim here.
And if any of you tell me that the prices of these products will go up, victimizing me at a later date, I will remind you that I seem to have access to free software. So the price isn't even a piece of this.
Think about that.
Tags: Wisdom
This is the dredge ship that was working off Nags Head this past July. We were all watching it night after night from the decks of the beach houses.
People: Jennifer Kane, Nora
Weather: 27°C, Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day.
Location: 35.133318, -75.34783
This little crab carcass has been stuck to the deck for a couple of days now.
Tags: Mako
So Rico sent me a text that indicated to me that he thinks he gets bitched out. I do bitch at him; he still can't do this job. But he did tell me to keep on him. A while back I had pointed out to him that I can't keep riding him and that he can't possibly contnue getting lectured every day. He said to keep going, that he was going to use that to motivate him to success.
Not so much.
I'm going to make a real effort to stop getting involved with his training and day to day activities.
And he was really upset that I would consider leaving him alone. ALmost in tears upset.
Tags: Tankerman
general - adj. 1: involving or applicable to the whole. 2: involving, relatable, or applicable to every member of a class, kind, or group. 3: applicable to the majority of individuals involved.
welfare - n. 1: the state of doing well esp. in respect to good fortune, happiness, well-being, or prosperity.
Both from Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary.
Tags: Philosophy
Tonight's dream was about the great outdoors. Jennifer and I were in some park with a bog and marsh around it. The animals were really numerous and aggressive. Gizmo stole something from one of the people around us and when I went to chase hi, I got my phone wet and ruined it.
Tags: Dreams
We're anchored in Newport news so I get to watch my favorite morning show. The bald guy and the black lady. The traffic girl was some dude. The regular weather weenie was there and the cute serious girl had some news to share.
Tags: Mako
A sales person presentation. Her onstage exhibitionism.
Tags: Dreams
People: Krista Shanafelt
On a plane placing my hand under a blanket.
Tags: Dreams
People: FC3 NICOLE K NAGY
We are stuck in the boat for weather. I started scrubbing the galley deck to keep busy. Tor isn't happy with me.
Tags: Mako
I was looking around our new (3 years) family room at the items that came from my maternal grandfather: Stool that needed to be fixed. Pictures and such. And I thought, "Gee, there's nothing here from my Dad's dad. But hell. The whole room came from him. The incredible amount of work that it took to build the room was powered by him- I am his grandson and he was the hardest working man in our family.FamilF
Shopped for Focus parts. I can fix Nora's car myself this time. She's hard on that car I think.
Cleaned the turtle filter and fed the poor starving things.
Went to town for tires and an Arby's fish sammich. I didn't read the bill close enough and paid for rod hazards and lifetime balancing. Ugh. I hate that.
I paid all of the bills for March. All the car repairs have been paid down and I have a credit with the AA card. Maybe I shouldn't have told Jen. We still need to keep the gas use down. I'm going to get my ass to Odom's for an estimate and get my car's body work done.
Got all the way down there and the place was locked tight. It doesn't look like a whole lot has been going on. Looks like Graham's gets the work.
The liquor store lady hates the idea of privatized liquor stores.
Tags: Diarium, diary
Rating: ★★★★★
David and I had a rare opportunity to grab a drink before our flights. I bought his; he's such a HUGE help to me on that barge.
Weather: 82°F, Partly cloudy throughout the day.
Location: 28.435375, -81.301429
I've up and down the Mississippi River hundreds of times and never noticed this statue on the New Orleans waterfront. There's not much information on it yet.
Tags: On the water.
Weather: 84°F, Clear throughout the day.
Location: 29.936625, -90.05996
I walked away from the boat today for the last time. It's a long story about me needing off today for Meara's graduation, the banter with HR about the possibility of a relief, and the subsequent allowing me to leave without a relief. What bullshit. They don't give a.....they don't care if I stay or go is the truth of it. Well that's cool too. Makes my difficult decision to walk away a little bit easier.
Jen and I went to picnic luncheon for all the KIES staff. That is teachers, assistants, substitutes, volunteers and such. I thought I wasn't going to like it much but I had a good time. I'll be headed that direction soon.
We talked about the new routine of a retiree. There is no more hiding from the things that piled more "to-do's" onto my time off. Some of those things I kept around, because not I can do those at my leisure and generosity with my new-found time. Others, I got rid of. Retired from that rat race too.
Tags: Diarium, diary
Rating: ★★★★★
Rating: ★★★☆☆
We had our last rehearsal at First Pres. I met Benjamin, the organist.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Today is a day of work. I have a job hanging lights for Ed Y.
I mailed Meara's birthday shrimp.
Jen called to say that Bob needs home access work. We'll have to get right on that.
The Beasley's are mowing their fucking lawn again. And again. And again And...
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Had a good day at the senior center, followed by some Bob chat and errands. Credit Union notaries, shipping unused valances, groceries, and such.
While I was at Creeds Lumber, there was a moment of joking around with some dude by the pipe rack. But then there was a moment of staring where we knew that we knew each other but couldn't place the faces. Then it all dawned on use.
Johnny was one of the owners of Bay Towing, now known as Robbins Marine. He's still in the business, and I detected that he's still up to his old stuff. Hustling those boats as hard as he can.