On The Road Again

Okay, closed up the house, shut off the water at the meter, and headed for Dallas for the night. Chose to drive into Dallas and stay overnight instead of getting up early and driving in for my medical scheduled at 0800am...

Had some people looking at the place yesterday who really seemed interested in it. But one can not really tell what is going to happen, selling it would be very very nice.

Drove the RV to Dallas that way I do not have to go back to the house when done, can just head down the road. Only going about 300 miles tomorrow, and that is if I get out of the Medical early. One never knows how long it will take..

The RV drives really nice and has no problems staying with traffic, I on the other hand kept the speed down to 55/60. Find I no longer like to drive fast.

Now to find something to eat, take a shower, and relax before bed.

Home not so sweet home

Back in texas after traveling for 28 hours from Melbourne Australia. What a home coming, will not go into the fun we had when planes were delayed, just what I found waiting for me..

Good news both RV and van started no problems..

Bad news, water pipes busted and have to get a plumer. Can not take a shower, nothing to drink in the house, nothing to eat in the house, will have to drive tonight to get some things. Have to contact people I brought RV from still no plates, have to make Medical appointment, means I will have to drive into Dallas at least twice in next few days.. Should be lots of fun getting pipes fixed and still go to Dallas..

I left stew in the freezer and was sure some would be left when I got back... But not a thing in the frig I want or like.... So I will end this day dirty, sleepy as hell, and hungry... Heck with that I will take my chances and drive to the store..

Want to sell this dump!!!!!!!!!! It has been nothing but a pain from day one...

Had a few disappointments today. Seems The Queens Market is closed on Wednesday ( today ) also when I went to the Greek restaurant I planed to have lunch at, "nothing was cooked" was going to take 2 hours for what I wanted... So went to a Thia place instead, food was very good but not what I was looking forward to.. So today did not turn out as planed but was still fun. Went to Chinatown and looked around, went in and out of several Arcades ( small malls to U.S.A. folks ) .. Kind of funny in a way because I would go down what looked like an alley and it would be a lot of small shops and coffee bars along the way, or I would enter what looked like a door to a shop and it would be an arcade, sometime three floors worth. Took lots of photos of buildings and balloons sailing overhead in the early morning. Will post a few hear, but once again most will go on Facebook.... Do not think I will be going out again today, except to the bar downstairs later. My feet hurt and I do not have time to do anything else that is still on my list. Figure it would take at least another three day, and a week would be nice.. Overall going on the past two/three days I do believe I could live in Melbourne if I was to end up here somehow.

Melbourne Australia Visit

Today I started the day early, left the hotel at 06:30 AM .. Stopped at picked up Breakfast and ate it along the side of the Yarra River. It was lovely to sit down in the fresh air watching all the people walking past, some on bikes, some walking, and others jogging. I enjoyed taking my time eating and sipping my coffee. No rush to go anyplace, no time table..

Once I was done eating it was a stroll along the Yarra River, Thought about taking a river tour but did not want to pay the price that was being asked for the ticket... So walked and looked at the young folk rowing along up and down the river.

Next was a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens..

This is a truly great place to walk around and see the different plants, birds, and others. Took so many photos I could not pick out what ones to use on the blog so posted all to my

facebook. Half way through the walk I took a coffee break at the visitor center and just listened to the sounds. So much better then the sounds I hear when on the boat, could not stop smiling.

Spent the rest of my time walking up one street and down the next just enjoying all the life of this city. It is full of people yet unlike other large cities I have been in the people are not rude or pushy, just the opposite everyone is polite and friendly at least so far......

Off Off Off The Boat.

Today was crew change day, I done got off the boat.... First was a bus ride of 20 minutes from the dock to the portland "Airport". On arrival everyone had to get all bags weighed to be sure the plane could take them all on board. ( if too heavy bags would go by truck ) Lady luck was with us and it was deaned safe for baggage to go on the plane with us.

We then boarded the dual prop engine plane that had been chartered to get us to Melbourne, this is when I found out the battery in my camera was dead so no photos from here on out for today. The flight itself was smooth and uneventful, took about one hour from take off to landing.

Once in Melbourne I said goodbye to the other crew members and went about finding my way to the hotel I will be staying at until the 24th. The rest of the crew went different ways as well, some to overnight at a hotel close to the airport ( flying out tomorrow) some to the airport to fly out today.

I could not believe how easy it was to find The Victoria Hotel.. First a bus ride from the airport to downtown, the a shuttle bus directly to the hotel. So easy and only cost $20 USD.. Was check into my room less then three hours from leaving the boat, I am impressed with how smoothly everything went.. Also very happy not to have run into any problems.

Once I check into my room and dropped off my bags I went out exploring, I found the visitor center and got information on the locations of St. Pauls, Queen Victoria Market, and the Royal Botanic Gardens. Plan is to check them out tomorrow after my battery has been recharged, ( both mine and the camera.

Then spent rest of afternoon just walking around and looking and downtown. Could not believe the number of restaurants I saw, it will not be a matter of finding a place to eat, but of choosing the one to eat at..

Now back at hotel and relaxing and planing for tomorrow..

Final day before crew change

Today was/is the last shift I work on the boat before crew change ( if lady luck is on my side ).. It has been a shift to remember. Boat is in 6 meter seas rocking and a rolling, Went down to only one engine for 6 hours, gun deck developed a leak that went into the computer room for instrument room, Steel rods went flying across deck, guns came out of racks, gallery was a mess....

Best part of the day was after we found the leak in the deck .. what to use to patch it that will work in cold sea water??? Only thing we have on the boat that works is a bar of soap that has been softened ... It works just has to be renewed ever few hours...

To say I will be happy to get off tomorrow is not close to how I feel..

Another one down

Made it to Fremantle Australia today 15 Feb 2011... Lots of paper work to clear customs, then we had to take on supplies.

I sometimes get the feeling this boat is cursed... Another member of the crew got sick and had to be sent to the hospital shore-side he will not be back this trip. Five days to go and no end in sight of the 12 hour work days full of work.. This all work no play or relax time is wearing thin.

Thats it.. too exhausted to think clear anymore. Hope the next post will be from Melbourne and I am relaxing seeing the sights..

Will say this is the cleanest port I have ever been to.

Birthday at Sea

Today I turned 57, but it was like any other day at work. Still had to do 12 hours of work, still could not go out after work to have a drink or share a meal with friends. I have come to believe that the most difficult part of this job is not the work, Sweat, or even the bs rules we have to go by. I think it is not being able to walk away from it when you have had a bad day. How do you leave you work at work when you never leave it.. I sleep about 20 feet from were I work, so never far away.

No time off to go visit friends, no time for games, ... So the sun has set on my 57th year on the planet..

Thoughts about life, getting old, and boat life.

Been doing a lot of thinking last few days, the death of one of the crew started it. A few days ago our chief Eng. died of a sudden heart attack just outside the medics room. Started me thinking do I really want to continue working on a boat for another 5 to 8 years??? The other part is the boat and crew itself, I do not feel comfortable on this boat in many ways, but the one that is getting to me the most is I do not have a single person on the boat I can call a friend or even close to one. Then they is the work, I have no respect of any kind on this boat, it took 3 plus years to get it on the Snapper and I just do not think I can do that shit again.. All I do is rebuild guns all shift, any other job that comes up is given to someone else ( even the one who has been on the boat less time then myself )

Off shift I have no place to go except my room to have time alone, no television or computer available to me except for the computer at the work station. Television is only for watching movies and so far when I go in someone has already started one so ..... I would like to be able to watch the news and see what is going on in the world but that is not possible, we do not have the setup needed. So free time is spent reading until I can sleep and sleeping until it is time to go to work.. I think driving a truck was better then this, wish I could go back to the circus but do not know how...

Will turn 57 on Feb 12th, 2011.... Maybe this is just old age coming to the fore...

Boat Life

Been back on the boat for two weeks now, ( seems like two months ) lost track of how much gear has been rebuilt and or replaced in that time. All I know is it is always busy, 12 hours of work each day. Time off for lunch and one or two coffee breaks and bake to work. I turn 57 on Feb 12th and I am feeling every day of it when I am on the boat.

We have been shooting off the coast of Thailand up until two days ago when the job was completed. Now we are on our way to Singapore for a two day port call to get supplies and drop off trash, then to the next job. Next job is in Australia and is scheduled to start just before crew change so that means we will be busy right up to the end ...

Photos on the page show some of the things going on, but only a very small part... You can see how clean of a job I have just by look at me.. LOL.. I look like hell, but then again it is how I feel.

Mostly I am looking forward to getting off and getting in the rv and going down the road and seeing sites new to me, and being able to relax and enjoy them.