Afishionados,

Happy Gnu Year! I’m still working 3-section duty and I get to work on Gnu Year’s Day! AWESOME!¹ Hope to see all of you much more often sometime around January 8ish. Until then, please drink as much as you can for me.

¹Not.

Afishionados,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you! Thanks for your comments, jabs, jokes, and support over the past year. The Fish wouldn’t be the same without you and I hope you stick around for 2007.

The phrase “I’ve been busy at work” does not even begin to explain how crazy it is right now onboard CVN-72, which is why the Fish has been quiet these many days. I am currently on three section duty, which means every three nights I have to stay the night on the ship and stand watch. Needless to say, I haven’t been home much and when I am home, I’ve been too tired to say much.

Fortunately, strings have been pulled and deals have been made where I am off until December 26th. So, without further delay, onto new business!

I’ve been promoted to Petty Officer Second Class (E-5). After many weeks of rescheduling, the Lincoln’s advancement ceremony finally took place this afternoon. Hopefully I’ll be getting paid for it soon as well, though that’s not the best part about getting promoted. Perhaps the most beneficial element is the fact that I no longer have to ride the theoretical bus from Everett to Bremerton. E-5 and above are authorized to ride the theoretical private ferry that theoretically leaves directly from base and is a straight shot to Bremerton. Whereas traffic through Seattle is bumper to bumper every day, the ferry is on open water and can save anywhere from 20-40+ minutes off my daily commute.

But that’s not my favorite part of making ET2. The absolute best part about the promotion is that I once again outrank my brother in the Marines! (He was all too excited to point out at his wedding in July that he made E-4.)

Unfortunately, for what I believe is the third time, the USMC has decided to keep my brother in Iraq for yet another Christmas, so I won’t be able to share my good fortune with him this holiday season. I doubt very much that I could have made it this far without his support, advice, and “rivalry” ;-).

Drew, I will once again miss you very much this Christmas but I want you to know that I am thinking about you more than you will ever know. Be careful, stay safe, and come home soon you damn jarhead. I love you, buddy.

Click Here to Watch Drew’s Video (Link opens in a new window)

Apple QuickTime required to play video. Free download here.

Afishionados,

It’s been very, very windy here in the Seattle area these past few days. “Wind advisories” have been put into effect almost every day this week. These advisories seem to serve very little purpose other than to let people know that, “Hey, there’s wind today so go on about your business as usual, just be aware that it’s…windy. And although we, the weathermen, have issued these ‘advisories’, please be aware that we have no instructions on how to deal with this ‘wind’. Thank you.”

Unfortunately, the wind was simply too much to deal with for some people this morning. Second Class Petty Officers and above are authorized to ride a hypothetical (musn’t give away information to the terrorists) ferry that travels directly from the base in Everett to the base in Bremerton. That means never having to ride the infamous bus for Third Class Petty Officers and below.

That is, unless someone issues a wind advisory, in which case you get the day off. Yes, that’s right, moments after undocking and venturing forth through the Puget Sound, the ferries had to turn around and call it a day. The seas were too…um…wavy for the United States Navy and their…ferries.

In all fairness, the ferries are civilian owned and operated and are simply contracted out by the Navy. But still, there is something ironic about the wind being too much for the self-proclaimed “world’s most powerful Navy”.

Afishionados,

Christmas is closing in fast and so I bring you part two of O.F.A.L.’s ongoing series: Christmas Gifts You Shouldn’t Buy.

Chia Pets have always been stupid. Cuddly Chia Pets take stupidity to an all new level. Please, please, please don’t buy this stupid shit. Ever.

Afishionados,

This sign is posted above a trough-like urinal onboard one of the ferries here in Washington. I’m just glad that my object is local because I really had to go. Shame for you overseas folks, though. Not sure what you’re supposed to do. Guess you’ll just have to hold it.