Day 13

15 September, 2003

You may well wonder about the rest of yesterday. It was just... well, once every year or two, without any warning, my lower back goes to visit a sick relative (or something) for a few days. From that point on, anything on the floor looks better there. I have to make appointments to get up out of bed or chair. I start a half hour ahead of time, here on the ship, taking advantage of the beds natural rolling quality, and maneuver towards an edge from which I can slowly lever my way up progressive amounts. Sure enough, about a half hour later I have my legs under me. The first thing I have to do is to sign an order to give my lower back a raise in pay. It has not been properly appreciated, and apparently no one else’s lower back will do, or I would soon have the scabs in!

A quiet day, watching movies, reading and staying flat in bed (rocked by the decreasing sea). Silver flying fish skitter off, huge piles of clouds advance threatening in lines, only to pass over on their way to Pakistan and India. Had a fire drill, once again it meant little for me accept to be counted present, in full life preserver and hard hat getup, at the appropriate muster station.

For dinner, pork neck and mashed potatoes. The tables are so quiet at meal, it feels like some horrific school. I always try a couple of opening lines and they always raise a ya or no with head shake, and no more. I give up. The ocean outside, is 86 degrees fahrenheit! The Chief Engineer allowed that when we are in cool waters of the north Pacific, he will invite me to tour the engine room. The Chief Officer told me that this area was good to see giant tortoises and whales. Sometime tomorrow, we are going to stop the ship in the middle of the ocean (well, we are getting near the Maldives) for a couple of hours because we are so far ahead and there is rust chipping and painting to do on the big mast (against regulations to do while ship is in motion). It is amazing how much piracy is going on, and how much these ships and crews have to put in to defense. Tonight the clocks go ahead again.

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