Filed under: Life | Tags: Dead Man, Edward Abbey, Jack Kerouac, Neil Young, Stephen Chbosky
On a very very nice Sunday, laying on my bed, sipping a cup of coffee, the fan on, just cool enough to through a blanket over my feet I’m looking ahead. I’m looking past sore muscles, annoyance at being treated… well… like a mudpup, long hot drives to Chino, and an overall irritable/grouchy feeling that Patricia isn’t here with me.
I’m forgetting all that for the morning, a perfect morning. Listening to the “Dead Man” soundtrack done by Neil Young just ties it all in.
As stated before, looking forward. My motorcycle is registered, and no freeway driving or not, I’m driving it into work this week. Less than a month before my 26th birthday, I alway did enjoy getting older, still do. The word that I’m officially headed to dive school in October. A romantic Thanksgiving with Patricia in a foreign land (Florida), and an international adventure after I get out of school to anywhere we want to go.
Despite half of my room being stacked high with 8 or so boxes, it still has the look of “my room”. I love my room, my fortress of solitude as it were. This cool San Diego air just makes it all the more better. In fact I think the only thing better than this would be a deck surrounding a house on a lake in the middle of nowheresville in the Pacific Northwest. A cup of coffee that never cools off, flannel pjs, and a hoodie… just enough to keep the cool out and the warm ideas flowing on paper.
As I unpacked a few things here and there to make a room look more like my room I realized how many books I own. What was upsetting for me was to see that a good amount of them had bookmarks halfway to quarter of the way through them. Books that I have really really enjoyed as far as I’d read them. “Confessions of a Barbarian” by Edward Abbey, “Book of Sketches” by Jack Kerouac, “A Collection of New Voices” by Stephen Chbosky and so on.
I need a trip. I need to get away from buildings and traffic. I need a motorcycle, essentials (which of course are to include food, water, basic motorcycle repair equipment, a .45 1911, some dollars, a flask of vodka, a book, and time on my side.) There in lies the difference between want and need. A need that keeps me level headed and ability to cope in civilization without being intoxicated the majority of my consciousness. Patience I tell myself.
My mind continues to dwell on 2012, the year I could potentially separate from the military. I hate the response from so many people,
“Well how many years will you have in?”
“Ten.”
“That’s halfway to that retirement check, might as well stay in.”
Might as well stay in… to hell with that. To hell with that indifference to your own life, that rational can take a hike. School is no longer calling, it’s yelling at me. The ability to go on a trip to anywhere with nobody’s permission, to be free of so many things. So much thought needs to go into this decision. It’s rare moments like this that spawn writing of ideas and creative thought that make me wish I had them a whole lot more.
I’m happy for the future.
Since I’ve moved into the house here in San Diego, literally every night I’ve had some particularly bizarre dreams. The one I had last night was strangely meaningful, as it had everything to do with what I’ve had to deal with here in San Diego. Yes I realize I’m being vague, and yes I’m of the opinion that says, “Hey! You brought it up, you can’t just let it go!” Suffice to say an old friend in a dream helped me put all the pieces together and has influenced me NOT to make a stupid decision in real life.
This last week of work was extremely long. The “semi-mudpupping” is over, and the full blown beat downs and lessons on dive related subject begins next week bright and early. More and more time spent at the locker the more and more I’m dissatisfied with the minority of people here. The majority being satisfied with their job, hard workers, laid back, and get the work done. The minority do not realize how good of a job they have, are lazy, self serving, and don’t understand that as a new unit, we’re all under a very big microscope. There are things that need fine tuning, the best thing about it? I can be an essential component with my Gunnersmate maintenance experience in getting our units maintenance back on track, and logged properly. This way when an inspection team comes in they will have nothing to say but, “Great job.” The reason I get so spun up about all this is that it’s taken my three years to get into the Coast Guard dive program, and I’d hate to see it ruined by a very simple and realistic progression of events.
- A diver is supposed to do maintenance on his regulator, doesn’t complete it, doesn’t log it. When asked by his superior the diver says that he has completed the maintenance and logged it.
- A week later the diver conducts a pier sweep, his regulator malfunctions filling his buoyancy compensator, shooting him to the surface. The diver AGEs right then and there and dies on scene.
- The Coast Guard (still remembering the screw up of the two divers on the Healy) start the investigation upon how this happens.
- One of the first things they are going to ask for is, where is you maintenance being logged, when was it done, and who completed it?
- If nobody can find it in writing that the proper maintenance was done on that diver’s equipment I’d being willing to be my right testicle that the dive lockers will be shut down.
I just want to see this program succeed, be full of professionals who work hard, realize what a great job this is, realize the danger of the job, and give a good impression on our highers so as not to have a target on our head.
Nothing much else to report. I need to find the San Diego DMV tomorrow and register my motorcycle. I’ve been so tired during the week that all I really want to do on the weekend is relax. Strangely I feel a bit disconnected here in San Diego at the moment, and for the first time in a long time it’s not really my own doing. It’s not quite the same having friends like David, Chrisx2, Genevieve etc to spend time with on the weekend. Well, maybe I should fix that by making a call or two to some friends out here, but something just doesn’t feel… complete with just them. I must mull this subject over mentally, it’s a bizarre feeling.
I’m really enjoying the MGMT (yeah yeah I know you were right Ashley). I remember hearing the ‘kids’ track in Bahrain and really really liking it, but I wasn’t equipped with an iPhone with the Shazam application at the time. Still need more new music though, and for my sake John and Ashley… please to not dump 20 of your favorite indie bands on me, I can only do music like this band at a time.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2c, 2nd class diver, Coast Guard, Dive Locker West, Dive school, MSST, San Diego
This second week of being at the dive locker is exposing a few things, both good and bad. The few bad things are quite simple, being a fledgling unit attached to the MSST (Maritime Safety and Security Team) in San Diego, dealing with inefficiency of our superiors who fail to realize that we can run ourselves. Unfortunately I avoid saying what I REALLY mean due to the fact that anyone would be able to read this, but more importantly, someone from the actual unit. The good things are that I’m semi “mudpupping” with the divers. Mudpupping is a right a passage if you will for non-divers who aspire to be… well take a guess. I’ve certainly done my fair share of mudpupping in Seattle, and due to that, and having a few of my friends at the locker I get treated with minimal abuse at least for now (hence semi mudpupping). The only real thing that has been not so strictly set forth for me to do is two-a-day workouts (which I gladly do since I’m my worst critic on my physique) and checking in with the command. I’ve all but abandoned the latter, tired of hearing, “Come back in 20 minutes.” So screw that, I PT in the morning, shower up, get coffee, find a relatively quiet place, and with the aide of earplugs and the coffee I study the dive manual. Matt has assigned me to read the laundry list of ailments and physical travesties that can occur whilst diving. If anything respect for the job and well… fear has kept me not only attentive, but asking questions to ensure comprehension, a task difficult for a visual learner who only has a manual.
I got off work today after a near 3 mile run jam packed with pull up, abdominal destruction, and other exercises with Vic. All these activities which of course left me all the more sore from the morning workout, ever stronger callouses on my hands, and of course a smile. I decided on a half-assed “me” day and went out to buy some stuff for the house, and a cheapy plastic cabinet to put in my locker at work. I failed to find the Vans store with the help of my iPhone, but didn’t really need to be spending money anyway, but I did go out and have cheaply priced delicious sushi.
Another slow day with minimal responsibility, eager to obtain the elusive (at least for me) 2nd class diver qualification so I can actually get to work. I thought about going to see new Johnny Depp gangster movie, but the name escapes me, and I feel that my job during the week is reading the dive manual. Too “hooyah” for my own good I know…
Time for play this weekend, I need to do some beach visiting, and some other constructive activities located in the wonderful city of San Diego.
Filed under: Life | Tags: 2C dive school, 650L, Bahrain, Burning Angel, Chino, Coast Guard, Dive Locker, dive manual, Dive school, Diving, Escondido, Honda, NDSTC, OTS, San Diego, Stone Brewery, Transformers 2, XR
Things are pretty damn good folks. Life in San Diego is sublime. The weather rarely tips into the mid 80’s, the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing more often than not, and my roommates are great. I spent my first work week at Regional Dive Locker West and my responsibilities are laughable. I wake up around 5:30 and carpool into work with Matt (the same friend in my blog roll) in his Jeep with the top off and doors removed and hoodies on. We work out together for and hour to hour and a half, shower, and “get to work.” Getting to work usually entailing hanging out unless there is a dive going on, or gear to by maintained. I basically ran around the main office checking in with all the Chiefs and Officers all week long… my sole responsibility. In the mean time my primary duties include all of about three things:
1. Study the United States Navy Dive Manual
2. PT (physical training) like a beast
3. Assist the dive team as necessary
So as you can see my life isn’t all that demanding, especially since we get off around 1:30 to 2:30pm every damn day. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!? Admittedly I like being busy, a lot, one might say I thrive on chaos, but for now my biggest problem is not falling asleep reading the dive manual and getting used to waking up early again.
Living with Matt and Anne is going great, and I certainly don’t for see any problems with those two at all being a married couple, and drama free. We spent most of our time organizing what stuff we had in our vehicles attempting to make the house a home, lounging on the back deck by the pool, grilling burgers, trips to Home Depot, and slapping stickers on the new “beer fridge” which Matt bought specifically for the garage/parties/bbqs. So come on over, have a burger, grab a beer out of our fridge with stickers from Burning Angel to OTS diver communication equipment… awesome I know.
I found out that my diver friend Vic is attending a motorcycle safety course at the end of the month which takes place of the standard California drivers test. I jumped on that pretty quickly as I’m only a novice rider on pavement, it’s been a year or two since I’ve been riding in dirt, and frankly I want to learn the ways of riding street, of course on my Honda XR 650L not some ridiculous crotch rocket.
I believe I may have neglected to mention that the house in San Diego has an avocado and orange tree…. HAHAHA!
Transformers 2 was better than expected. I went in there with pretty low expectations, but the action scenes were great, and a lot easier to comprehend through the eyes than the first one. A few notes:
Bumblebee busted up some Deceptacons!
The old senile Deceptacon blackbird with the axe as a weapon was beyond funny. It was awesome to see him mess up a few bots before he croaked.
Why the hell would Optimus shed the guys armor and parts after he meeeeeeeeessed up Megatron and the main bad guy?
Did “the twins” and “ironhide” survive?
Why would any human join the N.E.S.T.? Seriously, did you see how man of those dudes died?!
Megan Fox is a cheap white trash slutmonger who has an ex-boyfriend’s name tattooed on her hip… what’s with the hype? I thought the Aussie girl from the first one was way better.
I wish Starscream (my favorite Transformer) wasn’t as much of a lame-O and had his original voice from the cartoon.
The parents of Sam continue to crack me up.
In other news Patricia, a lovely Navy woman I met in Bahrain during my tour in the Middle East got orders to San Diego, and will be back in the States in November. I’m tremendously excited, as we… well… whatever the “one up” is for hitting it off, that’s what we had. The only bad thing is that by the time she arrives, I’ll be finnin’, pushin’, and runnin’ at Second Class Diver school in Panama City, Florida at U.S. Navy Diving Salvage Training Center. Of course being the proactive strategist that I am, we’ve already mentioned going halfsies on her ticket out to Florida, seeing as I have the weekends off, not to mention the holidays. I can’t even begin to tell you how refreshing it is to be hung up on a woman who understands deployments, military life, that guys are guys around guys, good music, political alignment, and all that. She’s wonderful… and probably blushing as she reads this.
For now I’m sitting at home enjoying an ‘Arrogant Bastard’ ale from Stone Brewing company in Escondido, CA at home in Chino. I actually visited said brewery this last week and it will blow your mind… GO! Anyway I drove up North for Darren’s birthday tomorrow, mmmhmm born on the Fourth of Juuuuly. Tomorrow will hopefully have a good turn out, good burgers (preferably managed by me), good tunes, and good times.
As much as I think that outdoorsie company ‘Life is Good’ is totally lame and has girlish stickers that are super cheesy… life is pretty freakin’ good right now.
