Seville...

Got a chance to get out to Seville today and here are some photos...

4th of July

Here are some photos of the 4th of July celebration on the 2nd of July and some beach photos.

Bike Ride

Finally got a day off. To enjoy my day off, I slept in, followed that with a long bike ride, and finished up with studying :\

Here are a few photos I took with my phone. I hope to get some better photos than I did from Djibouti since I brought a better camera.

And here's a couple other random photos...

Katie, does this make you happy?

Long time, no blog...

So, it's been a long time since we've posted anything up here. I guess there's not much to talk about since we're living the normal life in a brick-and-mortar house. Ohhhhh, how I missed the trailer life. Well, I did enjoy making some furniture even though it was cheaply made stuff. And, I definitely enjoyed brewing some beer and consuming said beer with pals.

So, if you find yourself like myself, realizing that you cannot speak, read and definitely not hear/listen to spanish like you could after three years of classes that ended about 15 years ago...I find myself off on another adventure, apart from my family.

I have set off on another deployment. This time to the far away lands of Europe. So far, I must admit that it's quite a bit nicer than Djibouti. But, Djibouti definitely had it's perks and I would trade with some of my fellow shipmates that are stuck down there right now. I hope you guys can enjoy the best Djibouti has to offer, given the current conditions you are going through.

At any rate, I look forward to finishing this deployment and getting a chance to see some of what Spain has to offer. I promise to post at least one more blog entry and maybe even a picture, even though I'm pretty sure that there is no one out there listening to me. And, it's confirmed by the stagnant hits on the blogger statistics.

So...more to come, I'll try to let you know how the time away from family goes. Maybe, I can just get Katie to get into it and start posting a few entries too.

Enjoy!

Do I Miss the Money?

I get quite a few questions about why I left the Submarine community and if I’m happy with my decision, especially based on the fact that I gave up lots of $$$ to switch. There are plenty of days dreaming of a nice boat (or boats), more construction/more land towards our retirement plans, dive vacations, better brewing equipment…the list could go on forever. And, I think of how much of those dreams could come true with that extra $$$. Then I quickly come down to Earth and enjoy time with Katie and the kids (though not right at the moment), and realize that it was worth every penny not earned!

Today, as the clock is ticking past a week deployed, I had one of those moments that reminded me of why I gave up those bonuses. No, it wasn’t because I’ve found a sexier mission, more job satisfaction (last tour absolutely, verdict is still out for this one), or a better way to serve my country; it was a simple microwaved meal.

Why a microwaved meal? Here’s a photo and I’ll explain…

One simple photo that leads to a plethora of reasons I’m glad I gave up a huge amount of salary (really, it’s would almost be like a 50% increase in salary!) One simple photo of an even simpler meal. A salad, frozen burrito, chips and salsa, and a beer.

If you look into the photo, you will see the food elegantly resting on paper plates. Plates and food that, though the burrito was frozen, were freshly purchased. Yes, a week into the deployment and the vegetables show no signs of disappearing in the near future. The lettuce is wilting as expected being about a week old, but the re-supply is stocked and plentiful.

The carrots and beer were purchased today from a store with plentiful fruits and vegetables. I see no signs of the salad bar turning into a pudding bar after a few weeks. No, I see regular walks to the store to refill on perishables that a Submariner dreams of after a month of being underway. And yes, that’s a beer that I am having on deployment. Zack said Rota wasn’t a deployment, well, more colorfully, but that’s the gist. Though I doubt many Airman know what a real deployment is ;-), I have to say I might agree this is not a typical Navy deployment thus far.

So, as I mentioned, lots of walks to the store in the future. Walks on the ground, breathing fresh air rather than recycled flatulence with overtones of lube oil. Walks and bicycle rides that go on for miles with ever changing scenery instead of wire and paint covered metal walls.

Back to the photo. You’ll notice the table is a picnic table. I am able to eat outside rather than in the same metallic tomb I have previously mentioned. Tonight there were birds chirping, stray cats were killing chirping birds, clouds were rolling, and sounds of basketball were heard in the distance. All things foreign to a Submariner.

You’ll see a window in the background. I can look out a window anytime and see the sky, the clouds, the trees, the ground and other people. Or, I can draw the curtains and enjoy some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, many here do not know how nice it is for this ‘deployment’ and have never experienced 9 people crammed into 60 square feet of living space. Thus, I hear complaints of how bad the conditions are because it takes a few days to get internet set up, TVs do not work and the gym hours suck...Gym...Ha! 

Internet. Even as I type this, I remain connected to the world through wires and radio waves. Internet was a rarity onboard the boat that was used for mission purposes and checking to see how you were screwed by the detailer when you finally got orders. Here, internet's expected to be everywhere on deployment and you can hardly turn a corner without finding a hotspot. Internet is even available in your room for a fee!

So. For those that ask why I would want to leave, take this one simple meal and expand it infinitely into each day, and I think you can get a taste of why I’m happy I have given up so much $$$. Submariner’s give up more than most can imagine, and for those still doing it…I drank a beer for you tonight before 2200…and I just might do the same tomorrow…and maybe the day after!

Now, I’m off to call Katie and the kids to tell them good night and I’ll sleep well knowing that in the morning, the sun will rise and I’ll be able to step outside and I will see if it peaks out from the clouds without bruising my eye on a scope. And, I'll just listen for the phone (which I hope doesn't ring) instead of waking to the messenger's repetitive whisper of my name. Tomorrow...I will worry about tan lines instead of a nuclear tan.

Cheers to all those who are serving, especially the Submariners...I miss you all, but I'm glad I'm not there.

Good night!

Freezing at Table Rock, SC

From back in Novemberish...this didn't publish for some reason, maybe it's not finished...

This past weekend was spent camping at Table Rock State Park, SC.

It's starting to get cold and the big Coleman 8-man tent is a little big for cold weather as well as the car. The solution was to get a 4 or 5 man tent. Unfortunately, Walmart failed to have the same tent that I used in college years. It was a great tent, a Coleman 4-man simple dome tent. Window in the back and small vents at the top.

I found one, but I couldn't get it shipped in time so the dilemma of what tent set in. I ended up picking out the Eureka! Apollo 9, 5-man tent. It is a '3-season' tent that should work great. When I put it up in the dark at 10 pm, it was not as easy as the Coleman. But, the quality of the tent material was great. It had great features. However, at 3 in the morning, it was FREEZING! Apparently, the giant vented walls turned into the best natural circulation freezer-tent ever. We had a heater and freezing cold air was pouring in the four corners where the tent poles pulled the rain fly away from the tent walls.

We found that it was much better if the poles for the rain fly were removed to allow it to drape over the open top vents. That works well, but wouldn't work if it were windy. We decided it will make a great summer tent and we'll keep it rather than send it back. We'll have to get a Coleman for the next winter trip though.

Aside from freezing, we spent a good amount of time hiking. We conducted a test run late Saturday and made it about 3/4 miles up the trail. Sunday, the goal was the full 7+ mile hike with a 4 and 6 year-old, a 75 and 100 lb dog, and two parents that were betting on not how long to finish, but how far we could make it before turning around.

We set off Sunday for our ascent. The first mile, everyone was happy. As the miles tracked by and elevation climbed, the kids seemed to have more to complain about. Surprisingly enough, they made the entire trip. The views were amazing and the kids were excited to claim victory. The descent wasn't too bad either. And of course, the kids still wanted to play at the playground at the bottom.

After playing at the playground and some stretching,we headed to camp. We managed to keep Steven awake long enough to get a few bites of food in him. Wanda immediately went into the tent. Everyone slept great that night even in the cold tent. We still will replace this tent and let it be the summer tent.