Annual Thanksgiving Update Video!

Sunsets and Oct 31st!

Well, hello again!

I know it's been a while, and my last post was a little down I suppose. I'm fine now, especially since we're having a Halloween party out here! Haha!

Those of you who know me know it's my favorite holiday. I'll share my costume ideas, and y'all can help me decide. I have to order them now or it won't get here on time. Keep in mind...I'm on this island so no REAL costumes, like i love. So these are nice and tame for me. I can wear them all with either jeans or leggings for the dress. ;)

So what else?...OH! my list came out for my next job!! The list was pretty big, and I had to pick my top 20 choices. Most of those ended up being in DC or Massachusetts...but we won't know where I'm off to next for 2 weeks!! It makes me nervous, as usual. I hope I don't get a crappy job (who does I suppose) but you know, I don't want to live in Bahrain or Chicago particularly. Nothing against them, they're just not my kind of places. As soon as I find out what's next I'll certainly let you all know!

Lots of people's time on the island are coming to a close. We've had a few goodbye parties already, a good one last week! I wish my camera was a little more competent, because of course the photos look awful, but I did get that nice sunset at the beginning of this post for you!

Well I think that's all for now, time for some chow!

Seasons come and go...

When I moved out here over 4 months ago everyone told me I'd get island fever within the first month. I have to say I've prided myself on being entirely capable of entertaining myself since I was a child. Well now I'm slowly getting that feeling of restlessness, though I'm selfish to think it's not for the same reasons as everyone else.

I'm an Army Brat. Until high school we moved about every 2 years, so I've become very adaptable. I LOVED my childhood, but it does make life a little unpredictable. However, through it all there was one sure thing...come December we'd pack up and go to FL to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Things always change, but those vacations, spending time with my family have always been very important to me. And, while I always loved that trip during the holidays, my favorite time of the year has always been Fall.

When Fall showed up it was time to start planning the trip, the weather got cooler and windy, leaves changed colors, I got to break out coats, hats and tights from my closet, and when I was little for some reason I always associated our record player with Fall...I'd dance around the living room singing along with Rodgers and Hammerstein records and our one Christmas record that had Feliz Navidad on it, all while the dogs watched me from the couch or in front of the fireplace. For whatever reason, I've always had memories triggered by smells. One Fall I vividly remember standing in front of the brick wall in our kitchen in Memphis, smelling an apple and clove candle. That smell is the essence of the season to me.

Since I've grown I now add group dinners, good wines, boots and hats (not ball caps, real hats...I don't know why) to my list of Fall reminders. I tell you that to tell you this... out here (on what is generally considered the other side of the world from my family and friends) I get The Today Show at 6 o'clock at night. Tonight they had a feature on Fall wines. Such a stupid little thing, but it struck me so suddenly that I wouldn't be somewhere this Fall where I could throw a dinner party for my friends or make mulled wine or even hand out candy on Hallows Eve. It's made me very nostalgic (if you couldn't tell from this post!).

Well now that Fall is approaching I had to think of something to do for my favorite season. I pulled out some apple and clove plug-ins (got to love bath and body works air fresheners!) and did some autumn cleaning...at least now my room smells like the season should, even if it's 89 degrees and sunny outside.

I suppose there isn't much else left to say, I know it doesn't have much to do with the island...but there you go!

Sortie...sort of

Some minor excitement out here...Saturday we had a small accident. One of the small fishing boats we can charter has flipped over outside the lagoon. Four people had been thrown into the water. Our ship got underway to launch our rescue boats to attempt to recover who and what we could. Unfortunately two of the four passed away before they could be rescued. One was a US Navy Chief. The other was a civillian captain of the fishing boat. It was a very sad day out here.

Moving to the new ship! And a lazy weekend...

Green

Hello world!

Well it's been a while! It's been a rainy few weeks here, and I've been a little busy with work, but I have managed to take a few pictures for you. I trekked it out to an old cemetery through the woods and down by the lagoon. It was really beautiful, and if you know me you know I like to photograph textures and natural patterns, so that explains some of the following pics. I took a friend out there as well, he's a much better photographer, and one of these days I'll steal what he took and share with you as well.

This is one of my favorites!

Okay Ladies and Gents! Here are the photos my friend took while he was out here...much better quality than mine!



Underway!

Hello All!

It's been so nice to hear from so many of you! Thank you! Nothing makes me happier than checking the blog and having comments!

This week was fun. We were underway for a few days, and the weather is starting to lean towards rainy! Personally I love the rain (mostly it just means I won't get sunburned!) but the seas get a little rougher when it does. It's nothing rediculous, but compared to the glass we usually sail on out here we were rocking and rolling this week! At one point my trashcan was slowly sliding back and forth across my floor! (I know I should have grabbed my video camera!)

There are a few extracuricular activities coming up this month, a marathon (which I will NOT be participating in...haha crazy people!) and a 1 mile lagoon swim. I'd like to do that lagoon swim, I am usually ok with distance swimming, and the lagoon is very flat with minimal current...but I am a little nervous about sharks. We have a lot of sharks out here actually, it's a blacktip sanctuary, and we catch them while fishing off the stern all the time. Many of you know I dove with great white sharks this last year, and while it was the greatest trip...I like knowing where the sharks are...not swimming above them.
Well we will see what I decide to do. I should just listen to the joke, "You don't have to swim fast to not get eaten by a shark, just faster than the other people in the water!"

At some requests from y'all I took some pictures around the ship this week, I'll leave you with those!

Finally an update of my new room!

Everyone, here's what you've been asking for, another update. Internet's been dodgy out here lately, but I'll try to post more often!

Sunday Dinner in DGar!

Work

So I've been mia for the last week or so, sorry!

The mighty Kocak was underway for a few days, and they were glorious! Haha! I know I'm the only person who likes getting underway, but it really makes everything so much easier! Emails are answered the next day, because everyone is on the other side of the world so...very little stress.

I also loved it because the weather started to act up a little so the seas were rocking slightly, which means I slept like a baby! It also started to rain, really rain, not that wimpy stuff you get in CA. I put on workout clothes and stood by the rails and watched the rain for an hour. It was very relaxing, and gave me some time to meditate on where my life is. Some mornings I wake up and I still can't believe I'm here...sometimes I can't believe I'm in the Navy! It seems very surreal once in a while. I wish I could figure out how to write a book about my adventures...I think it would be really fun! Of course I've been bugging my Mom to write a book about her life too and now I know why she always laughs it off..trying to write a book is hard!

In other news...I'm still waiting for my household goods to arrive here. I sent a few boxes of clothes, shoes, books and hobbies...all of which I wish I had right about now! Haha. Ice Cream is moving back to TX next week...which makes me a little nervous, because I won't have anyone to ask about stuff anymore, but at least the job will really feel like mine and I'll get to move into my real room...which is next to the other officers and has a real closet and a bigger bed and a bigger desk...and a minifridge. I can't wait to get my stuff and put pictures up and feel like it's my room.

I've also been reading like a deamon, as usual, so feel free to send me book ideas!

Another pet and some daily photos

Well I know everyone wanted to know about the Royal Wedding from the island, but unfortunately I have bronchitis...again, (I had it last year pretty badly and lost my voice for a week, this isn't so bad) so I didn't get off the ship for a few days and missed the festivities. I did finally get photos of the wedding though! I loved her dress! I'm still recovering, but it's slowly getting better. Almost everyone else on the ship has the flu too so I'm just trying to make it through without catching that! It's like kindergarten...once one kid gets sick it runs like wildfire! In the mean time I thought I'd share a few shots I've taken around the island and of the ship!

The moon was out the other evening.

This is the street near the paintball field.

Palm trees near the Seaman Service Center, it's a restaurant and has some penny slots I think and karaoke once in a while.

Home sweet home! This is where I live!

I love this painting on the ship, it's getting pretty faded but I like it.

Plantation and settling in

Well since my last post, the ships got underway for a Group Sail...let me tell you, there is NOTHING better than being underway on a Navy vessel and not having a division to worry about or a watch to stand! We treat it like a regular work day, which is fabulous!

It's been really busy here! Not work busy really, I turned over my job today so it's officially mine now. I have a Duty Officer board tomorrow afternoon to qualify me to be the officer on duty. Duty days here aren't bad though, you can leave the ship and stuff, you just need the ship cell phone and radio. Every Friday the Commodore tries to get everyone to play golf with him at 4pm. I went last week, and boy did I suck, but by the last hole I wasn't quite so bad. (Thanks Dad for taking me golfing when I was little!) So I'll probably go to the range and hit balls to practice. The Commodore is going on leave for a while, so maybe I'll be better by the time he gets back. Actually most of the guys suck and they hit the first three holes and just drink their way through the course! It's only 9 holes, and they really aren't too bad...at least there aren't any gators like back home!

Of the guys my age that I work with there are three. If you're new to my blogs, you'll learn that I nickname people, because most of them don't know I'm writing all this and posting it online. One is Ice Cream (who LOVES the stuff!), he leaves in a month, and it's his job I just took. The second is Burn Notice (or BN, because I think he looks like a shorter better built version of the main character in the show Burn Notice) who is the Material Officer for the ships out here, and the third is our Suppo, an Ens, named well...I actually never call him by his name! So we'll just keep calling him Suppo! I like everyone actually, thank GOD!

But the only problem is that they're all guys...so they don't think to mention to me that every time I take a boat launch from the ship (which is anchored in the lagoon) to the shore that I should bring at least one change of clothes! It's so hot here and humid that just being outside for 10 min will drench your shirt clean through! They all just go swimming in their shorts which are made to dry super fast...my clothes...are not. Needless to say I looked very much like a drowned rat those first days. And last week we all went sailing in a race! Ice Cream and BN are good sailors so Suppo and I were the line pullers for each of them. It was really fun actually. Maybe I'll actually learn how to sail while I'm here.

I've also, knock on wood, not really gotten burned here! I got a little from sailing, but considering how long I'm outside in this heat (my god this heat) it's amazing. Those UV Sun Sense bracelets that I bought are the greatest invention! I'm super aware of putting on sunscreen so, so far so good!

I also have a Chief who works for me, GMC / Twitch. He's a twitchy wiry hyperactive guy. A little strange, but so far so good (and aren't we all anyways?). We ran the gun range yesterday...Oh boy! It's a 30min drive to the range, it's in the middle of nowhere near the end of the island. There were no benches, tables, cover at all! Our Doc ( a civilian contracted medical officer) and I made a tent out of ponchos string and the two vans we brought with us. We went out there at 8am and I didn't get back on the ship until 10pm! We brought coolers of water, but we all still got pretty dehydrated.

 Ice Cream and BN came out halfway through the day and we took an hour around lunch and drove farther into the woods to the Plantation. There used to be a coconut plantation here a long time ago and now it's sort of like Spanish Point just not really restored. The photo to the left is me at the far right during Heritage Holidays at Spanish Point in middle school!

The plantation is very creepy but cool to see all the houses and buildings and the stove falling apart in the kitchen! There are lots of rats though. (Actually rats are the biggest wildlife problem on the island. They ask everyone to try and run them over and kill them if we can...creepy. They are NOT nice rats.) We walked around a little while and then went back to the gun shoot. This is a website that talks about the plantation...it's very interesting and has some good photos! http://www.zianet.com/tedmorris/dg/tara.html You still technically have to get permission to go to the plantation, but we snuck back there, the BIOT (British Indian Ocean Territory) Police never come back there.

 I sucked at my 9mm qual...really badly, I'm super embarrassed, but GMC just says that means he'll give me a 9mm and a box of ammo every time we go out there so I can get better! Ironically, near the end of the day when I was at my worst and shaking like mad I nearly shot Expert with the M16! It made up for doing so badly earlier. We put everything away by 9 and the other Jo's and GMC went with me and we got some pizza, we were falling asleep in the chairs! (at least I was)Haha. I got back, showered, and passed out! Thank goodness work doesn't really start until 8am, so I got some great sleep. And after the whole day out there I have no sunburn!!

Today I'm studying for my board and going to the bank to be approved as a signer as the recreational funds custodian. What a joke, we only have a few hundred dollars! Haha, actually, everything on the island is ridiculously cheap! I had a BLT, fries and an iced tea at a restaurant on base last week, my bill was $3! The food here isn't bad actually, there are 4 or 5 places to go and eat plus I can eat on the ship, which isn' bad at all either! Although today I had soup...and I spilled it on my hand and now have some very minor 2nd degree burns on my pinkie and ring finger...ouch.

Friday should be interesting! The Royal Wedding is a national holiday for the Brits on the Island so they're having a big outdoor party and festival! I hope I get to see it! I remember when Princess Dianna got divorced I think, and they played the wedding on tv and my Mom made me stay up for a little while to see her wedding dress! It's random the things I remember!

Well that's all for now! I'll keep updating, I love hearing from all of you!
I'll leave you with a picture of one of the hundreds of totally secluded beaches out here! It's like a movie!

Welcome to the island

Well last night was pretty fun. We grilled some fish a few of the guys I work with caught (tuna and wahoo) and had some beers. It was actually really good! Today a few of them are running a 5K and I...am not. Haha! Maybe after I get used to the sun and can work up to running a distance I'll do one. They have a 5K almost every weekend here! I did go to the gym and swam the length of the PRT yesterday. I did pretty well, so I 'm not worried. The PRT is in June. I did get a little sunburned, but not too badly and I'm wearing my sun bracelets so it's better. Then last night we went to Jakes Place, a bar, and had a few drinks and listened to a GREAT Philipino cover band. I have to say hearing Taylor Swift songs with a philipino accent is a trip!

Also I just went to the store to buy ice for a cookout tonight and the lady at the check out said I was beautiful and had beautiful eyes. This island could be really good for my ego! Haha.

Moving part 2, Singapore and DGar!

Well this is the rest of the moving footage!
I'm settling in Garcia pretty well, I have a temporary room until my relief moves ou...then I get the good room, but it's such a change from the regular Surface Warfare Navy! Polo shirt and kacki shorts for a "uniform" a view of a lagoon and palm trees from my stateroom window, and very friendly people. The Commodore seems very nice so far, I have a meeting with him tomorrow to check in.
The island surprisingly reminds me of the town where I went to high school! It's small and kind of overgrown with old military buildings. The weather right now is perfect too, it's sunny very few clouds in the sky but breezy. The ship is steam powered so it's a little hot but I'm getting a fan at some point to help with that.

Moving...part one

Here we go, the first installment of the journey that is my move from San Diego to Diego Garcia!

Last Day

Today is my last day in the United States!
I'm nervous and a little sad but this'll be a great adventure!
It'll take me 3 days to get to the island. I stop in Los Angelas, Tokyo, Singapore and then the island...here we go!

So close

It's almost time...I'm packing the movers show up tomorrow...it's all very sad. I never LOVED San Diego like most people, but it is strange to be leaving.