Roommates

In my travels I have had my share of roommates. From choir billet buddies to exchanges I'd seen my share. Sometimes they're awsome. You get along great, watch movies together, laugh, cry, break things, set off alarms ect. Then there's the whiney ones that complain about everything under the sun. The ones that snore in 2 tones at the same time. I've stayed with the famous ones like the king of fun but mostly ordinary people. There's the flagulent ones, the quiet ones that let you do all the talking. The talkitive ones that take over. Ones that talk in English and French and some that spoke French but oh so wanted to speak English but were held by contract. Here I even have a roommate that I've never met who managed to get me in shit because she neglected to tell us that she had an inspection.

Thanks to all my former and current roommates out there for the great memories and the good times.

Fun Day in the Sewage Treatment Plant

So I've finally learned the worst part of my job, I think. I mean, I haven't actually sailed or done anything but draw out systems since I got here but I can just guess. Today's system of choice was the black water system AKA the Sewage Treatment Plant. It's down in the bottom of the boat, a most unpleasant space. It has the clean smell of chlorine and the not so clean yellow tinged walls.

Anyways, when you trace out a system you go around and follow the pipes, the valves, the tanks, ect so you know how it works. So today was spent crawling around this space figuring out where the crew's waste goes. How great is that!

I do get to work on a ship though and it's fun learning how stuff works. The best part is that as an engineer there's not many places you can't go. I get to go into all the "employee only" spaces that I never get to go in. And one day I'll get to do stuff like turn on Diesels and check the lube oil pressure.

One drawback is that I think I'm more bruised than when I played paintball. Crawling around pipes and under deck plates and down ladders gives for many opportunities to smash your head or bonk you knee.

The stupidest invention ever

If someone were to ever be proud of something that they made it I would hope that person didn't invent the plastic containers that electronics come in. Who came up with the idea to encase our purchases in hard, inpenitrable plastic. This things are impossible to open with human hands so you're lucky if you hand/purchase survives without any cuts in them.

I have some advise too. Never open valves that you don't know where they go. It may look awfully tempting especially when you're in a room surrounded with them. Sometimes you can get away with it. Other times the diesel fuel all over yourself gives it away.

I saw a real live submarine. The NAVY's pride! It doesn't look very big. Mind you, the Canadian NAVY would not have enough personnel to man an American Aircraft carrier so I guess it's not fair to compare.

Phone

For all those who care I have a phone now. Phone your nearest Klein for the number and give them a quarter for their time. Or email me which might be easier and more cost effective.

Fun in BC

My adventures in Québec are over. I miss it already. You all my not believe it but living with four other awsome people is not something you let go of too quickly (And if you four are reading this, I got 2 pairs of seaboots and they are like walking on air Yes Bye!) And if you're looking for some really terrible techno music to dance to, Quebec is your city. I did have an incident with a hill though. Just for reference sake, don't try rolling down steep hills when it's raining out or laugh when you've just drinken a lot of milk.

Four planes, 2 taxis, my car, and a shuttle bus later I have made it to the wonderful world of Esquimalt (right by Victoria). It's taken about 2 days to figure out what I'm doing and that will only last for a while. Right now I'm on the HMCS Edmonton. Yes, it is a real, live ship not like Nonsuch but it is alongside so don't freight, it's not going anywhere.

Plans from there, I'm supposed to be taking a course called NETP (Naval Enviroment Training Something) But who knows. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing tomorrow.

My real live ship is so cool. It's squatty (this is a newfoundland word that I learned recently. I means cramped) but it's got everything on it, even a bathroom. It's probably nicer than my room at Nelle's block (thats's where I'm staying).

Haven't met any Dave's out here yet. I'm sure there's got to be a few though.

I'll be in Esquimalt if anyone's looking for me.

So far so good