Or Not

Sacajawea is out. There is a story behind this but it is best if it is told elsewhere. Tina has heard the story and I'm SURE she won't mind sharing the information... would you Tina? :-) Shanks!

I went out to dinner with Revelation II tonight as it was the 1st mate's birthday. They are crossing on Sunday and as long as they still intend on paying me, so will I!! I'm still leaving the door open for other job possibilites between now and then, however.

Something you should all know about yachting, is that you never know with yachting. One day you may have a job, and the next you're on a flight back to the originating port for one reason or another. Things change overnight. It happens so often that the phrase "That's yachting" is used quite frequently. I'm random enough as it is but that is why I don't post every day to let you all know what's going on.

Working on a yacht is not like any land based job. On land, your home life and work life are kept separate. One can be bad without messing up the other. On boats, however, home is work and work is home. The people with whom you work are the same people you eat with, sleep with and spend all your extra time with. I know it may seem like I am being too picky about choosing a job but it is so important that you know you can live and work with your crew. If not, you're really looking at a very uncomfortable season. A season isn't just a month, either.. it's 4-6 months. Yes, I could take a job like that; where everyone is fighting or just bickering all the time, or I could wait a little bit longer to find the right job where my skills, talents and personality truly do compliment those of the rest of the crew.

That last bit there "...skills...crew." is my objective on my CV. Yeah, I'm in the industry for the money, but more than that I'm here for the experience. All of this explanation is just so that you can better understand my decision process for taking a job. The crew is the most important thing on a boat. You have to have a good crew. I just can't say that enough.

So! Being that I was not feeling a connection with Sacajawea, here I am.. doing the crossing to the Mediterranean on Sunday (weather permitting) or Monday (if not Sunday.) :-) Can't complain too much, can I?

Jody, you're so much fun cause you always go elsewhere to find out a little more about whatever I tell you about. :-) You've always done that. I like it. It means you're thinking of me and that feels really nice.. warm and fuzzy.. like a teddy bear:-)

To all of you, it's amazing to have the support you've given me. To have your support means so much. I don't know how many people read my blog, but it really means a lot to me that you do. I'm all alone down here and though I love it and there's no where else I'd rather be, half of my heart is at home in Alaska, as it will be no matter where I go from here on out. You guys are amazing and I want you to know it. I love you and miss you and will post again soon. Woof you guys,

Jacks

Sacajawea

A new name for you to remember. Well, for now anyways. I'm not working on Revelation II anymore! I know, I'm sad, too. I wish that I was on that crew. I just got to the point where I was able to joke around back to them. I'm really bummed that's there's no position for me, but you know, that's life. Pete's a rat, though! Haha he was kind of upset that I was leaving to go work on another boat. His friend that was going to be going on the crossing as the official "7th Crew"---long story short--- may have turned himself blind by gouging his eye. Strangely enough, I think he's still considering doing the crossing with the crew. I kind of doubt he will. Pete told me yesterday---this is where the rat comes in--- that if his buddy doesn't go then he'll be able to pay me to do the crossing and then buy me a ticket home.

Ugh! My decision was so simple before he said that. I was moving to go and work on Sacajawea as a day worker and then maybe move into the permanent deckhand position for a season in the Bahamas. Even if I didn't have that job though, I knew that I wasn't financially stable enough to live in Antibes with only 1500 Euros if that! I wasn't planning on going as much as I hated that. Now I have so much more to consider.

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You'll have to forgive me, folks. If I talk to you on the phone you will probably hear what I've written in the blog. Perk of being able to type as fast as I think. I get it all out on here but then forget that I already told you cause it hasn't actually come out of my mouth. Not to mention that I don't hardly know who reads my blogs. I mean, I didn't mean for this note to be this long. I think I have a problem. Hmmm.. I hear the first step is admittance.

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I worked on Sacajawea today for the first time. I cleaned a tender all day. There's no feedback so I don't know how I did. There was another day worker there. I knew more.. Yes! I was happy because I was able to tell him which products to use and what are some of the absolute no-no's on the deck. I have a tendency to work a little slower than I'm supposed to, I think. I'm so focused on making it look brand spankin' new. I dunno though. I always forget to ask them how thorough they want me to be. I think I did a nice job on the tender. It has two outboard 250 HP Yamaha engines. Isn't that NUTS?! Like I know right? Haha... and if I get the job (Shhhhhhhhh) I get to drive it! (hehehehehe) Ooo the fun we'll have have!

I have not been offered the job yet, and I won't say that I'm expecting to be offered the job but it is a possibility. I will not accept the job, however until I meet the 1st mate. He hasn't arrived yet. If I'm going to be working with this guy for 4-6 months, I need to know that we can work together. I know this one 1st mate... if I were to work with him for an extended amount of time, I would go insane... the high school foot ball player that never grew up.. arrogant and cocky.. whiny.. drive me batty! Ooophta, nuh uh. So! We'll see. And besides, I haven't even been offered the job yet. By the by, cause I know someone will ask:-) if I get the job it'll be a season in the Bahamas. So yes... we'll see.

Alrighty folks. I'm off to bed now. Goodness I'm an early-to-bedder now! It's only 10:15! and I don't get picked up until 8. I will get at least 8 1/2 - 9 hours of sleep. And yet, I will still be so tired tomorrow. Well okey-dokey. I love you guys. I miss you. I wish I were going to be home this summer. Hearing that Cam, Beau, Ben, Jed and Rick were going to Bishop Creek to set up a volleyball really made me sad because this is the best time to be home. Here, in the summer it just gets miserably hot and uncomfortable. I dunno.. There's just something different about being in Alaska in the summer. It's so... homey. It's a comfortable feeling. Nothing can ever take that feeling away. I can't wait to experience it again. I miss home! (but I'm not near ready to jump on the next flight home.. nuh uhh no way) LOVE YOU I HAVE TO GO! The all-caps was for me, haha. GOOD NIGHT! Woof,

Jacks

Open Water Diving

I am officially an Open Water Diver! Today I went to a wreck and then to a reef. I was 10 feet away from a Nerf Shark but didn't see it cause some other divers got too curious and too close and it swam deeper under the rock before I got there. It was so much fun. I had a little bit of trouble when I was at the surface. I freaked myself out just because everyone knows that I'm kind of afraid of the water and with the salt, the water hitting my face and the very slight current, I really had to work at keeping myself calm. I had to remember that I did have my mask on and my regulator in my mouth and that wonderful blue button that blows up my BCD. It was alright though:) My right ear had a little trouble equalizing on the way down for the first dive. I'm a really good breather (I use very little air) but on my first dive today I used so much more air than usual just cause I was in a mild way hyperventilating. I had to grab the descent line and just focus for a second to calm myself and then clear my ear and slowly work my way down. Once I got to the bottom and we did our two skills, we had the other 20 minutes just to search the bottom. Saw lots of pretty fish. There was one that would've been an excellent best-friend-Amber theme: brown, green and a two shades of blue.. gorgeous. My buddy and I saw a couple of blow fish which are really super camouflaged so that was neat too. Now I have to go through my clothes to get rid of some so that I can fit my fins, booties, and mask in my bag without it squishing too much. Sorry for no paragraphs. I'm not thinking about it at all. I'm just typing what I think, as I think. I'm watching the Country Music Awards. Nobody listens to country here but one of my roommates does so with two of us wanting to watch it, haha, we cleared the living room! Haha, I don't know why people don't like country! Ridiculous! It's only the best! Well folks, I have to work in the morning so I will chat later. Love you all! Woof,

Jacks

A New Home

I know what you're thinking: Jackie got a job! Not yet folks. I switched locations. I am now living at Neptune Crew House. They're $20 cheaper each week and in my opinion, already easier to deal with. I spent FIVE HOURS at the diving school today. We started at six and only just finished at eleven. It was bad news bear. It's not so bad though cause I'm really looking forward to our dives on Saturday and Sunday. Sat we're going to a lake and Sunday to the big 'ol blue.

There's not too much different going on besides the diving and the change of location. Still waiting on the owner of the boat to make up his full mind on Laz's boat and then I have to decide if I want to go do the crossing with Revelation II by Wednesday/maybe Tuesday. I just might do it. I feel differently about it each day depending on my mood I guess.

I really wish I hadn't come back to the house this late because I have no idea who is staying in my room with me.. no clue where the washer and dryer are, which I need desperately, or what the morning routine is like here. I think we only have one bathroom. As far as I can see it's a co-ed house. The guys live in one room and the girls in another. It's perfectly doable. I already miss one or two of the guys at Mary's.. no, I take that back.. just one.. The other fun ones left either for the Med or to California. So now there's just one super cool guy.

I'm not a huge fan of abrupt change I've realized. Just like I need a 3-minute warning before we're going to hang up the phone, I need/want time to adjust to the idea of something new happening. I just decided I was moving here today, had to rush home from work (walking took an hour : S ) and just threw all of my dirty clothes into my duffle and came here, had to immediately call a cab to take me to the class cause I only had 8 minutes to get there to be on time.. I got there right at 6. It was just too much happening all at once. I calmed down once I sat for a minute but now I want to go back to Mary's and say bye to people cause I had absolutely no time to do it! I'll go see them tomorrow I s'pose. Being that it's the weekend and I can breathe! Ooophta!

I wrote a blog the other day.. Tuesday I think, but when I previewed it and pressed back, it all went away. It was long and in great detail as to what job opportunities were looking like so when it deleted, there was no way I was writing it all again. Now I can't even remember what details I wrote.

I cleaned an oil tank today!! I got so dirty! It was AWEsome! I had oil smeared on my legs, my arms, my clothes, some under my chin and my nose!! It was so cool.

Anyways folks.. I will now have to venture into my room where I will climb into bed not knowing who I will see or what I will face in the morning. Good day to you all. I will update soon, I promise. Love you soooooo much. Woof,

Jacks

Basically, I have no idea what's going on

To put it simply, well, I just did. I've got no clue as to what the scoop is. I'm taking everything day by day which is the only way to do things in the yachting world... or so I hear, but am starting to take it as a matter of fact. I don't very often have a lot to say so to keep you all on your toes I'll probably start posting only once a week unless something crazy exciting happens. I have a few possibilities coming up but don't know how they all rate in comparison to each other so we'll see how things go. I'm not stressed at all. I'm at ease with the whole situation. Day-work covers rent easily and the rest is going into the bank for the time being for a just in case situation (France or.. need to get out of France, haha) I am confident without a doubt that I will get a job. I just don't know when or where yet. Right now I want to go anywhere and everywhere but the east coast. Don't ask me why, it's just a gut thing. That's not where I want to be at this moment in time. I'm feeling the Med. It's just a matter of.. well, a lot of things. We'll see! It is very late so no paragraph forming for me. My CV looks great but it changes weekly if not daily. I'm fortunate to be working on a boat that is constantly giving me tips on how to enhance my CV or questions to ask in an interview. I could not be happier than I am while working with Revelation II and it will be hard to see them leave on the 13th if I don't go with them. All is well here. I'm starting to feel more and more how strange it will be not being home for fishing this summer and parts of me want to fish for the heck of it and just do the winter seasons, but I'm thinking that I'll do a couple full years until my feet are thoroughly soaked with sea water before I take a breather (haha, fishing is all of a sudden a breather? Shocker!) Ok, well I'm off to bed, but I'm healthy, happy and loving Florida. Love you guys. Woof,

Jacks