12/31/03

You would think that all I do is write in this thing when I have duty…but when there is duty every three days, it’s like, “I’m always here…!”  When I am in my apartment I am not really worried about writting in here.  Once we go back into six sections though I am sure I will take more time to write in here when I am not on the ship so much…but we’ll see.  There is going to be days though when we are in six sections that I am not doing anything at all, and could find myself in front of a computer for a while…should that happen, yeah I could hack something out…all the computers are here on the barge now, and there is even less “privacy” then ever, so I really wouln’t be able to write anything about work.  Not that I would…we are back in port, there isn’t anything to really talk about when it comes to work.  The ship is torn apart, there is scaffoling all over the place, the decks are covered with matting, and well we all are going around with hard hats and eye protection on.  Being in the ship yards isn’t always a fun thing, but there is lots of time off…!  And well since I have so much going on, I won’t be here much.  I did find one thing out today…and I’m not happy about it, but I won’t be taking that E-7 test this year.  I thought I was going to be able to, but I haven’t been a first for three years yet.  I could have sworn I got advanced back in 2000, but looking in my record I was advaced in 2001.  That is only 2 years, not three…but hey it’s not that big of a deal…I have enough going on that I don’t need to worry about some test right now. 

As you can tell, since I haven’t talked about it, I did not get to see my kids…not before Christmas, and well since this is new years’ eve day…I sure didn’t get to see them before the new year.  The theropist that Brooke is seeing is on vacation, and will be off until Monday the 5th.  Then on Tuesday the 6th, I start my parenting class…class one of four…and Brooke goes to see her theropist on Tuesdays’…but it’s not really likely that I will get to see the kids the same week the theropist gets back from vacation.  So it will be yet another week of waiting…and seeing what lines the case worker gives me.  I have already talked to Dale, the public defender working with me, and he said that if things keep going this way, we will get another speical hearing set up, and make the visits happen…!  I don’t want to seem like I am an ass during all of this, but holy heck, how long is it going to take before I get to see my kids…?  That’s all I want…I just want to see them, to sit and talk with them, and hug them.  I guess that is far to much to ask for…

The DV class last night was short…but that was a good thing.  The guy that “watches” us wasn’t feeling good, a lot of us were tired, so it was called short.  I got home and watched some tv and then went to sleep…did not want to wake up this morning.  I am going to go lay down here in a while and get a nap in.  Not that I really need it, but heck there isn’t anything going on.  I now have the 10-02 watch on the ship.  I get to sit down though, so that is a good thing.  I’ll bring my lap top with me, and watch a movie, or play my Star Craft game for the four hours I am on watch…a real hard watch, let me tell you….!  The section leader thought I was on leave, so I didn’t have a watch again this morning, but when I was talking to him about the 6th of January, (we have duty that day too…) and that I have my parenting class, and then my DV class during the evening, he was like…well your not going to be of any use that day huh…?  I was like, nope…!  But before then, he changed the watch bill, took himself off the watch that I now have.  I’m not going to complain…having that 10-02 watch inside the ship isn’t that bad.  It’s not even “cold” in the space I will be  in…so I can deal with it.  And the guy that is going to be doing the 02-07 is early…so it will be all good.  I like being early to take over the watch too…just would be nice to have a computer that is set up for the inter-net while on watch.  There is no more computers that are set up for the “lan” system on the ship.  It is getting removed, and replaced with a bigger, better, faster system…!  Yeah for us…now we will be able to have inter-net under way, and not have to worry about the band width coming via the sattalites over head…! 

Anyway, I’ll come back and write more again soon…maybe even today.  We shall see…

Laters everyone…