October 7, 2009 - Another late night of writing and answering e-mails. I do not get the volume but the contents require attention. As for pictures, I did not go out and do anything until it was quitting time. It was a trip to the gym then and saw in the bulletin board that the T-shirt shop was going to be open. Doc and I went there and most of the crew were already there. I was fearful of what I wanted was gone. I did get my supply of T-shirts and hats as I brought the right amount of cash to pay it off. We stopped off at the small store in what was once a Navy Exchange quick mart. We wanted to buy one can of soda each but not allowed to. You could buy it only in six packs. The stock was barren and selection of DVDs you could probably see the entire catalog during six-month rotation here. It is all part of isolated duty.
We had solar storms for the past four days that affected our Internet reception. It occurs around the same time each day. Most people do not believe it so I let it be if they do not.
It did not happen on Sunday though. The timing is a bit strange that it would occur at 24 hours plus or minus a few minutes.
Tomorrow is safety stand down and we leave here Friday morning. I like this idea of having ops from the boat as the ship tied to the dock. It would be nice if every operation were like this but after Friday it will be back to normal and on station at sea.
There is not much to write as today was like yesterday, involved computer work and the gyro is giving me problems again. There was message traffic talking about another earthquake near Vanuatu and that Samoa was on the tsunami advisory list. I called my sister-in-law but I could tell she had difficulty comprehending what I was saying. I called my wife who in turn had called her back. The tsunami watch canceled a few hours later but I was thinking that this watch message was taken seriously since the tragedy of last week. In talking to my sister-in-law, there is a problem with food. Countries are rushing aid but the distribution seems to be the problem. She was saying that trucks loaded with food were heading to villages to the east that received the most press coverage. They have been eating small portions of rice since the tsunami struck. This is one of those situations where money is useless, if there is not an ample supply of food.
It was windy on Midway today and the waters in the atoll were quite choppy. It has cooled down and does not feel tropical. Time to hit the rack as I am tired and may not get this published tonight.
October 8, 2009 – Today was a normal work schedule and safety stand down. The ship was rocking a little and odd since we were tied up. I found more computers and servers that needed backups. When you have a one-man operations like the ET shop, it is easily overlooked as the process is supposed to be “automated,” and the cruelty of it is you realize it, when you need it the most. I am a heavy believer in Murphy’s Law and I want insurance that if it does happen, I can rely on backups to help rebuild.
We had our safety stand down and covered topics relating to firefighting and rescue. I always pay attention to these and not skylark during lectures. You can never tell when you may use it and the people assigned to do those chores may be disable or killed. During our transit back to Honolulu in a week or two, I will likely train people in using emergency transponders and radios.
Doc and I again went out to “town” to contribute to the library, scavenge around an old warehouse, and drop some volunteers off to cut down weeds at the end of a runway using the golf cart where we ran out of juice last week. It was the same one where we looked like Fred and Barney as we pedaled it across the runway. After dropping off the volunteers and refusing to cut weeds, we drove side of the active runway towards what was once a large air terminal. Seeing that air terminal took me back to my GI Brat days of waiting for MAC flights from overseas to take us to our new duty station. It was sad to see it abandoned and used occasionally for puddle jumper flights between the islands. My mind took me back to the days when the terminal was full of people in transit or eagerly waiting to go home. I have been inside the building before which is used for storage. There are still signs for the air terminal ticket counter and gift shop.
After looking around the air terminal we looked at what appears to be wartime command post off to its east side. Afterwards, we found our way to the library, parked the golf cart, and looked at books. We sat in the cool room and just passed the time away conversing. We must have been in deep thoughts because when we walked out of the library, the golf cart was missing. Parked at the corner of the building were two bicycles marked that they were on loan to the ship. We knew who the culprits were. Rather than use the bikes and ride it back to the ship, we walked over the Fish and Wildlife office to finish errands and along the way met one of the suspects. We asked where he got the golf cart and replied “from the ship.” What really blew the case open is when he asked us if there were any “bikes” and offered us a ride. We declined and said we would walk, as it is good exercise. We finished our errand at the office and as we walked back to the ship, we saw the same person walking in the opposite direction. We knew what he was going to do. He was going to retrieve the bikes because that would leave two short at the pier. We chuckled and agreed that the guilty dog always barks first. As we passed, we asked him where he was going and replied, “To get the bikes.” I guess what he and his cohort perceived as something “cute” backfired. Yes, youth shall be served, but it seems the old geezers always serve them on a platter.
We are leaving Midway tomorrow morning. There is a big party with a bonfire at the end of the pier. I did not go, as I am not the party type I used to be. The only two places I like to sit and have a drink, the Taki Tiki Bar and Grille in downtown Edmonds with its cheesy Hawaiian décor and the sailor atmosphere. However, I think I am the only professional sailor who patronizes the place. I am looking forward to be back and sitting at my watering hole enjoying happy hour. The summer I spent there is gone and hard to believe how quickly it went by. When I return it will be cold and raining. The other place I like to sit and have a drink is Arnold’s in Waikiki. It is hidden behind small shops across the street from the post office. It is a local pub and very few tourists stopping by to have a drink. In addition, it looks like a real tiki bar too!
Five AM comes early and I need to start for my pre-deployment checks and sign offs. It will be a ten-hour day as I work that many hours or departure and arrival days. I bid you goodnight from historic Midway Atoll.
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