Christmas 2010

It is Christmas 2010 in Wills Point Texas. Things I am thankful for this year. First thing that comes to mind is my friends and Family, I may not be as close to my family as I could be but at least I still know someone is they if needed. Next I have to be thankful for still having a job, I may not be as happy with my job this year as I was a few years ago, but have to be thankful for having a job in this current employment. Next is my health I will be 57 in 2011 and I can still do a job that most folks over 40 could not. Not to mention most young folk would not want to do.. LOL....


The last but not least item I say thanks for is the animals in my life, it is great to be loved regardless of what I say or do.. I can be in a bad mood and know I will be forgiven...

Working on RV

Been working on moving things into the RV, and fixing up minor problems. So far this is what the place looks like. Will post a few photos every few days just to show what is going on... Also posting our Xmas photos what we have of them that is... LOL..

RV made it to the farm...

Well picked up the RV, but not before getting lost for an hour or so looking for the place. Been to the place three times already then today could not find the place today... Drove all over town until we lucked out and found the place.


Now we did the walk around of the unit to see if everything was working and how it worked. The man doing the instructions was not letting me skip anything, even when I told him I knew about it or did not care.. Then it was to the office to sign papers and turn over the rest of the money :(.....


It was now time to start the drive home, but first I need to get fuel only 1/4 tank. Lucky for me a gas station was just across the road so it was an easy drive... Unfortunately a problem was found with the gas tank, filled it to about 1/2 and then it started to leak like Niagara Falls. So back to the RV place to see what the heck was going on... Man could not find the leak at the shop, had to go back to the station with one of the men and pump in fuel to show the leak. So back to RV shop again and get a new hose for the fuel tank... Back to gas station for a third attempt at filling the tank... YES!!!!! it held....

Now on the road to get the RV back to the farm.... Rest of the trip went well with the exception of some trim coming off the RV never to be seen again.. LOL...

Stopped at Denny's for dinner and pulled into the farm around 7pm and done for the night..

Looking for an RV

Hi, well I have spent the first five days in Irving Texas looking around for a class C rv to travel in when not working. Found one and hope to pick it up later today, then post some photos of it as it is, and then as I fix it up to suit myself.. This is the first thing I own complete on my own in almost six years, WOW!!!!!

Looking for the rv was an adventure in and of itself, first thought about doing this a year or so ago, started looking online six months ago. Was not until the last break ( two weeks ) that I really started to follow up on what I might want. Sometime I thought a Van ( class b ) would be enough then I thought about how to store things once the farm was sold. Also gave a passing thought to a class a rv but do not like that sometimes it is hard finding a place to park it. So it is a class c , Tioga 27 foot RV that I choose to go with. The finale pick was between the Tioga or a Toyota, The Tioga has less problems and things that I will have to fix ( I hope ) then the Toyota did.. So now we will see what happens once I get it back to the farm and can give it a really good looking over, just hope I do not find too many surprise items to fix.. If it is ready I hope to take it on the road for a test drive between Jan 1st and 8th....

Back From Thailand

Well folks ( whoever reads this ) just back from Thailand and lots of work. This last trip was last min. and atotal messgetting to the boat. The boat was already 2/3 of the way to Australia when the job for Thailand came in. I had my tickets to fly and was called from the office just hours before the flight to standby and not fly until new arrangements, and flights could be done. With my normal luck that meant checking my phone and email every 3 to four hours for three days.

Once the boat was turned around and a port was picked out for crew change we were flown to Singapore and back to the boat. Then it was hanging out at Port Singapore for a few days

waiting for new Visas to go to Thailand. Had to make my own passport photos to send along to

the office to apply for the visa.. Looks more like a prison photo then a passport, but it was good enough to get my visa... LOL...

Once we got to the waters off Thailand it was all work 12 hours a day for three plus w

eeks

. Gear went out slow and had to be recovered many times to fix and correct errors and

problems. Even the gun ropes broke and had to be recovered and new ones made. Then just to top things off it was the rainy season so it was

either hot and humid or hot and raining... Best part of this job so far was when crew change came around and I was able to just relax with the crew for a few hours before heading home..

Wish I had more photos of Thailand to post but can not take photos from a Chopper , bus or airplane. But this is what I have, including the sunrise and crew photos taken form the boat.

Enjoy... I am now back in Dallas looking at purchasing my first RV....

On my way to Singapore Again.....

Okay folks, after some problems with scheduling flights I am on my way back to Singapore for crew change. Currently in Dallas waiting for my flight to Germany, then I change airlines and head to Singapore... First I was to fly out this morning at 0630 that fell through at 2300 last night and I was rescheduled for 1620 this afternoon.. Just hoping The airport FRT in germany is easy to get around in because I still have to get my boarding pass when I get off for Singapore.. Time will tell.. Now 1415 in Dallas.... Next update when ever...

Been a long time from last post

Since my last post I have traveled in the RV to several places. Started posted more on facebook then here because I got lazy. But if you know my email then you can find me on facebook and see all the photos you have missed.

I have been assigned to the boat Western Patriot after the shutdown of the Snapper. Notice I do not us the word new.... That is because this boat is as old and in about the same shape that the Snapper was, gun deck may be worse.... First time out on it I went to Columbia ( at least that is what my passport tells me ). Got to see airports and a hotel before going out to the boat for five weeks of unbelievable work. Airports and airports on the way home.

Second time out it was to Singapore airport and we sailed to Indonesia for the job. Once again I got to see Airports and a hotel ( sorry two hotels ). First couple of weeks we got the gear ready for the job the sat and waited for a week to get clearance. Once cleared it was off to work not that we did not work in port.. Had to stand Pirate watch, as the photos show we are well trained in this.

Coming home I got to see three airports before landing in Dallas, took 28 hours in the air and 20 hours sitting around to get back... ( easy ) ready to relax for at least three weeks but found out we are scheduled back on the boat on Nov 15th, got off Oct 27th... I do not see how that come to 3 weeks but then I do not work in the office were math can be changed to say anything...

This next trip is to Australia so I will get to see that airport... Travel for work is not a lot of fun.

Wishing I could find a way to travel and still enjoy it, I know I am missing so much..

Good night, I will try to do better in updating my blog in the future.

new Boat at least to me

Just finished a five week trip on the Western Patriot, a streamer boat. This was my first trip ever on a streamer and let me just say if every trip is like the last..... it is a shit lot of work..Not to mention the learning curve I am once again looking at.. Also my first trip outside the USA to join a crew for work.

First had to send in information to get a work visa for Columbia.. Not a country I was hoping to go to. then found out when I get there the visa was not done and I had to turn in my passport just before going to the boat...

I do facebook to update things on a daily or weekly segment. But one thing that did happen worth putting here was at the end of the trip we went through the Panama Canal, the video attached was taken by one on the crew members ... I think it is a good show of what it is like..

Nice Day

Yesterday was a good day. Went to a softball game in the morning to see Kay's Grand daughter play. I think between us, her dad, and other grandparents we may have embarrassed her just a bit. ( nah... can not be done )

Then had a good lunch at a China buffet before doing some shopping for things to repair the RV ( lens cover for a light, new headlight, new vent parts ) then off to get food and drinks resupplied. Found some good salmon for dinner in the near future.. Then back to the Rv and rest before going to dinner at the other grandparents place.

I enjoyed the dinner and visit, could not believe she made Yams just for me because the other night when I requested them at a restaurant I was disappointed when they were out. So had a meat of chicken and Yams, then an after dinner drink as we all sat around the fire talking. All in all a very pleasant day.

End of the road ( for this trip )

Well as the saying goes all things come to an end. So too with this RV trip. We are currently in IONA Idaho, just outside Idaho Falls. I will be flying into Dallas DFW on July the 10th so that I can head down to Columbia South America on the 13th to join with my new boat/crew on the 14th. That will be a whole other story I am sure... For one thing I am going into it with less then a joyful feeling. This post will be of my five favorite photos of the trip that is ending.. Not in any special order.. Hope you find them as interesting as I do.