This is mostly just so I can post some photos of me and my guys on the ship, but there is a story behind the photos. I will talk a little about that. For you non-military types, well, a ship is broken down into department that work (hopefully) like a well-oiled machine. There is Operations, Deck, Air, Engineering, Navigation, a few others... and then there is Supply. I seriously think they took everything else they couldn't find a normal department to run and made it supply. Food, mail, repair parts, consumable materials, ship's store, laundry. You name it, Supply takes care [View Full Entry]

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Who has heard of the Marshall Islands? You? Really?!? I had no idea about them, but apparently one of the islands has an Army base on it. It's called Kwajalein. So, this blog happens to say Majuro, Kwaj (as we called it) isn't listed. Jay had been there many times and was able to tell me about the great diving they have there. There is a large stray population and he occasionally goes out to make a difference. Oh, and there are also some military families and contractors with animals that he can see as well. I must say, it was [View Full Entry]

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The only way I've heard of any part of Kiribati is that the Navy has an amphibious assault ship called the Tarawa. My grandfather was on one of the Tarawa ships, I think it was a destroyer at that time though. Kiribati (pronounced Kee-ree-bahs) is an island group in Micronesia straddling the equator and, until 1995, the International Date Line. It is located in the Pacific Ocean along the edges of the Equator and includes the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line island groups. Most are uninhabited and are the protruding tips of undersea volcanoes, extending only a few feet above sea level. [View Full Entry]

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Again? Couldn't we have stayed in Malaita? No? Well, okay... as long as I get to learn some more tech stuff and have fun afterwards. Let's do it! In the military, days seem to begin earlier and earlier, and I find myself unable to sleep past 6:45 or 7:00 am. I think, again, back to my Papa and how he could never sleep past about 5:30 or 6:00. Am I doomed to repeat that? Is it from being in the Navy? My poor husband is in for some early mornings, though he can sleep anywhere, anytime. I definitely envy him that. [View Full Entry]

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Vet Techin’: To Faint or Not to Faint, That is the Question Shifting from Guadalcanal to Malaita (those are two of the different islands included in the mission) was truly uneventful... unless you can appreciate beautiful clouds, a lazy but colorful sunset and rays of sunshine pouring like molasses through the clouds. Okay, yeah, I loved it. As soon as I heard Spike (the Chief Mate) say that “that would make a pretty picture”, I ran down to grab my camera (thanks for my bday present Jer!) and started snapping. I think I did rather well, considering one of the photos [View Full Entry]

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So what is Guadalcanal like? Well, it's a bit difficult to explain, but I began to have some appreciation for it. Anchoring out, I stayed on the ship for the first couple of days, but after meeting some people and getting out of the main area, it was actually pretty nice. There's loads of history and even if the locals don't give a super warm greeting at first, it got much nicer as the days passed and meeting the RAMSI folks certainly was worthwhile. I really enjoyed their company and their graciousness as they took us around to some interesting spots. [View Full Entry]

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The Solomon Islands have a very rich history that has intertwined with the United States and many other westernized countries. From its beginnings (again, from a Western viewpoint) as a land full of savages and cannibals, to headhunters, to holding the legend of King Solomon’s mines. Some people here still believe that the sharks are their ancestors! I read my Lonely Planet guide and was shocked at how many things could happen in these little islands. Thinking of Guadalcanal Day and actually being here for the day itself, it makes me think about my grandfather and his days in t [View Full Entry]

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Oui... un petit peu (yes... a little bit). Thank goodness! 31 JUL - Lagoon Safaris Sounds Like a Jungle Adventure During our transit to NewCal (as I lovingly refer to it), I did a lot of research for myself and my guys on things to do and places to see. Not that any of them took advantage of it, but it was super helpful for me, since I stumbled across the 5 star PADI resort (Kuendu) and Lagoon Safaris (the dive shop at the resort). I began communicating with Annabella, the Australian shop owner about getting a group from the ship [View Full Entry]

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I thought people airbrushed photos of these... it's a shame I was alone. Over the water bungalows is where it’s at! As we neared New Caledonia the weather began to shift to the cooler, rainier side. I was a little worried that our strictly liberty port was going to be ruined by the weather in fact. Many started to complain about the cool weather, but I kept my attitude optimistic, thinking of the over the water bungalow I had secured for all 3 nights. As we pulled into the lagoon, by the way, it’s the largest lagoon in the world, there [View Full Entry]

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Well, it's not the Cat Knapp... let me assure you that it was totally worth my while. I didn’t think that I was going to be able to dive again in Tonga but timing worked out perfectly for a small group to go out with Brian and Sabine’s dive shop, Fins -N- Flukes. Sabine is originally from Germany and Brian from Ireland, how the two of them ended up in Pangai is beyond me, but I met them earlier at Mariner’s Cafe. They have the cutest little puppy and great attitudes, just good people to hang around. Jay and Thomae had [View Full Entry]

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