Silver 525i BMW and Sweat Pants

Things onboard have been pretty routine. Marty and I have been playing a dynasty in NCAA Football 2008. We are on season 2012 and Navy was cheated out of the National Championship last year, and put into the Rose Bowl. The Rose Bowl is a good bowl (trust me Mike, I am not diminishing it in any way, one day we will go see the Bears down in Southern Cal), but it is not the deserved number one in the nation.

From the Mart Doggy:

Hello everyone. I continually cross days of with an * on a calendar that Mitch created. I have crossed each day off on that day, for this entire deployment so far. It is like looking back in time when I examine the sheets. I have been through several different colors of marker so far, I tend to lose them. I had a pink one from April 17th to the 19th. Thinking about it, I am actually kind of glad I lost that one.

So, I am still standing that same late watch. I watch vectors on a device called the ARPA. (advanced radar plotting aid). And then I tell a guy (the conning officer) to tell a guy (the helmsman) to turn this ship out of the way of other ships… but they just look like vectors to me. Oh, and I drink two cups of ice tea per night. Plus, sometimes I have sunflower seeds. But, if I drop one little seed on the deck… I really hear about it. I might as well have dropped a bucket of paint considering some of the reactions I get from the Boatswain’s mate!

Things are progressing nicely out here for me. Actually, I am running short on time. My picture frame and plaque are posted in the wardroom for signatures. This is usually a sign that you are leaving soon. It looks like I will leave here on June 24th and I hope to be back in the states a couple of days before July 1. I am suppose to be in my good friend Rick’s wedding on July 4th. But, what I really want to do (later that night) is get out on the boat and watch the fireworks show from San Diego Bay. Oh, and try to get my truck and keys to the new place.

As promised, a picture of me in the tactical gear… pretty tough looking for a guy who used to be a 150 lb South Dakota All-State kicker!
Back to Mitch…
Thanks Marty, I would look a lot tougher, but I didn’t get to go to VBSS school… I am going to try and go when I get back from deployment.

As I have said before, when you stand around for hours at a time, your mind wanders. I have been thinking a lot about different people in my life and I guess when you can’t pick up the phone and call you get more and more curious. For most of you I can email and find out what I want to know, but others of you I don’t have your email, or you don’t respond. So I am going to start my own question bank, ones that are to specific people.

Danny:
Now that flight school is out, what is in?
Are you in San Diego yet? (If not you should be.)
If you got PAO, I hate you? (Not really a question, but I added a question mark.)

Dan:
How is Texas, and are you blowing flight school out of the water? (I think that is a Navy phrase… ew.)
How is the girlie?
Remember when I told you that you didn’t go to Harvard?

Ryan:
Are you a SEAL yet?
How is that one girl that I met while I was in Texas? (I think her name started with a J, the Asian one)

Jon:
Are you on deployment yet?
When are you heading to SWOS?

Jeff:
Are you on deployment yet?
How is your back doing, and can you do everything you have ever dreamed of?
When are you heading to SWOS?

Matt:
How is life treating you not being on deployment?
When are you heading to SWOS?

Mark:
When do you go to advance? (I think that is what you pilots call it)
Are you still super excited about being a pilot?
How is Emily?

Marissa:
How is school, and what new things have you been learning?
What are you going to do for your birthday?
If your birthday already happened, what cool stuff did you get?

Mel:
What law schools did you get into, and it better be near San Diego.
How was Asian part of the world?

You all should answer my questions. I feel like we haven’t talked in at least 2 months and we probably should. At least you Texans and you San Diegans should do something like a group consensus comment, or something along those lines.

A while back the carrier did an air show for some high ranking officials from Jakarta. Here are some pictures. I am sure the rents will love these:
We are pulling into port here shortly. I can’t say where, or at least I am not supposed to, but when the port visit is done, I will post some pictures and that sort of thing (Jon you are going to be jealous.)