It is day five at sea, another buoy operation that went into the night as I worked on computers all day. First weekend afloat and like any other weekend afloat, a normal workday. We were hit by a large rain squall during buoy deployment and I was glad not to be working outside. For a little while it looked like Seattle minus the cold temperatures and Starbucks coffee house on every corner. I didn’t take any photos as the scenery today was like yesterday. Because of its isolated routes, everyday is “Groundhog Day” on the Ka’imimoana. So I am leaving the photos up from yesterday.
I spend my spare time talking to the wife, writing the blog and reading books to make time go quicker. For some unknown reason the stateroom is hot tonight with the A/C being ineffective. I keep turning the thermostat down and unless I put it in the Arctic temperature range, it does nothing. The room is just as hot as the temperature outside. Most of you who are experiencing temperatures in the teens will be glad to trade places with me.
Last week the “I”, “L” and me went to the Seahawks game and watch them lose their fourth straight game. Ended was another dreadful season at 5 wins and 11 losses that cost Jim Mora his job. Tonight I read the Seattle Times on line and they are getting ready to hire Pete Carroll, head coach at USC and former head coach at New England. It is starting to look like more dry years ahead for Seattle in the NFL. It reminds me of following the Chargers in the mid-80’s when Air Coryell was losing steam after the glory years of the late 70’s and early 80’s. I will still go to Seahawks games and a silver lining is that tickets will be available because the fair weathered fan will jump the bandwagon.
I called home and the wife was not feeling good. She says she has headaches and fear that she may be catching a cold. We didn’t talk long tonight as we both need sleep. She tells me that the room back home is too cold (anything below 70degrees is cold to her) as the room on the ship is too hot (anything above 80 degrees is hot to me). Ironically I am sweating as I type this blog as I envision “L” huddled in a sleeping bag with a blanket on top of her.
I see the move to Newport has hit the New York Times. I guess we are in the big leagues now if we can make news there. Unfortunately, the article parroted what Newport officials have been saying all along. The flood plains issue that GAO suggested NOAA consider alternate sites is just a “technicality.” The Port of Newport keeps harping on the signed lease and says it is a done deal. It all boils down to money and Newport will profit handsomely, though not majority of its citizens, while NOAA can grandstand about saving taxpayers money. If the move is not overturned, the honeymoon between NOAA and majority of Newport’s citizens will end quickly and the cost savings was never there to begin with. Newport is the type of place you go for a long weekend in the spring or the summer. To me, it isn’t the type of place where I would want to live.
Initially I felt indifferent to the move. My opposition came when I was no longer classified as an employee but was represented only as a dollar sign to the press by NOAA. If the opposing side loses, I go where the job goes but believe me as soon as I am eligible for any kind of retirement, I will move so fast out of Newport that I will not even bother to look out of the rear view mirror for a last glance.
Oh well we are south of 5 North and still steaming southward on the 155 West. Morning comes early and I bid you goodnight from Equatorial Pacific.
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