A few of the advantages of flying alot

When I tell people about my job, a frequent response I get is, "So you travel a lot, how exciting!" Yes, I love being on an eight hour flight, shoe horned between two people who from what I can tell have the manners of homo erectus.

For my flight home last Friday, I had gone online the previous Monday to look at my seat. The airline had set me up in a middle seat of a three seat row. Personally, this is the worst seat on an airplane. Ok the middle seat in a five seat row is worse, but those are only a few airplanes. So, I moved back a couple of rows to get an exit row window seat. Now, I like the window, and in case of an emergency, the exit row window pretty much guarantees my getting out first. Ok, I really wanted the leg room.

Thursday night I went back online to do my check-in and print my boarding pass so I can make sure everything with my flight is set. I have had a few experiences where I thought things were all set and they weren't. Anyway, I find I have been bumped from my exit row seat! I was bumped to first-class. No, I really didn't mind losing the exit row. Apparently my silver status with the airline has taken effect.

This past year, I was able to earn enough miles to earn silver status from the airline. It does provide me with a few benefits, mostly I can check-in at the first-class check-in desk, and I can get the window or other premium seats free of charge. Probably the best benefit though is the complimentary upgrade to first class, if a seat is available.

There are a few advantages to flying this much.

Jon

Nomores

It is very early Saturday morning and since it is Saturday we are officially into Nomores. Today is the last Saturday on board so "no more Saturdays" and it will continue for the rest of the week.

I did get some news today. I won't call it good news or bad it just is news. I am having a scheduling change so I will be coming back to MN on Friday instead of heading to the office like I had planned. I will admit I have my reasons, for this being what I would call really good news, but it is tempered by the fact that in three weeks when I do head into the office, it will be office, boat, office meaning I have an 11 week trip instead of a normal 8 week trip. I don't let realizations like that get me down it just I tend to try to keep things on an even keel, and not have a bunch of emotional mood swings. I am a T after all.

I have thought about switching my schedule to boat, break, office, but I think I will wait until July to make that switch. There is only one reason why I am waiting and that is June 16th. I am going to be running my second marathon on that day in Norway, and by not switching the schedule, I will have been in Norway for two weeks. Plenty of time to get adjusted to the time change, and get used to running at night. Not that it is dark at night in Norway at that time of year.

Anyway, by this time next week I will be home. As Homer would say, "Woo Hoo!!!!" And about the up coming 11 week trip? As Homer would also say, "I said, Woo Hoo."

Jon

It has ended again

I played the Italian tonight. I offered to play Sunday, but he said he was sore from helping with the stores coming on board the day before. The stores were a good thing, the previous captain and steward did not order any food for us so we have had very little on board and the variety at meal time was lacking. The 13 pallets that we received was a little much so I said alright, even though I was fine.

So I said fine and he told me he was ready to play today, and we did. After some good games I lost 3 games to 1. The fourth game ended 5-4, our counter only goes up to five, so I almost sent it to a deciding game.

My goalie got me again, our table doesn't have the ramps in the corners, instead it has a three man back line. Which while it gives you more shooters, with new angles, it also means more things to deflect the ball. My biggest problem is forgetting the man in the corner and using my center goalie playing it to the corner and immediately moving him back to the center of the goal mouth. Well, that means the corner man plays it right back to the center goal keeper. Who proceeds to score an own goal.

Round three also seems to have gotten played tonight. The Iranian born Norwegian beat the Welshman who lives in Thailand, vice the Welshman who doesn't. The Italian beat the Canadian, and the Filipino still has to play the other Norwegian, in what ends up being a rematch from the previous round. I mentioned in a previous post that we had an odd number sign up, this is where the odd number comes in, the "best" loser from the second and third round move on to the next round. "Best" meaning they won more games in their series than any other loser won in theirs. It just so happens that they were at the bottom of the bracket and the winner of their game got the "best" loser.

Otherwise, I found out today I might be coming home a few weeks earlier than expected, but my next trip would be longer, 11 weeks instead of the normal 8. I need to look at some schedules before I make up my mind. I'll let you know.

Jon

It has begun, again

Since it is coming up on the middle of March, I am sure lots of you are thinking about the up coming Annual Hope Spring Retreat, and of course the Foosball Tournament. What, that's not why you go? Anyway, I on board we try to get a tournament together every trip. Not always, but most of the time.

We are through the first round of play, and due to the international flavor of our crew it can take on a little bit of a World Cup real. In the first round I took care of the Egyptian, and next up is the Italian. I haven't seen him play, but everyone says he is pretty good. Part of me wants to ask him if I'm going to have to take one of my men off the bar half way through the game, because he'll have swung to close to one of his. If you didn't watch or hear about the atrocity that they called a World Cup match between the US and Italy last summer, you won't get that.

Even if I lose not all hope is lost the "best loser" from this round goes on to the next round. We had an odd number of people sign-up, so the bracket is a little weird.

I'll keep you informed.

Jon

Shoveling snow

Watching the weather at the end of the week last week, I was experiencing some mixed feelings. At home you are getting buried in what I can gather was easily the worst storm of the year. When I was home last, it had been very cold, but no snow. Then I leave and it snows! I had wanted to get at least one good storm in this winter. Now I don't really miss the cold, I never really had the body fat to keep myself warm, but I do miss the shoveling of the drive way. Having said that I will probably get all sorts of offers to let me do theirs. I don't like shoveling the drive way either, but I do find it therapeutic. I also, find mowing the lawn therapeutic, but were in winter, talking about snow, and that's another post.

Maybe it is just the endorphins talking, but I always really feel good after shoveling a good snow fall. Not one of those little ones where you scrape it of in ten minutes, and the neighbor breaks out his $1500 snow blower because, "I paid for it, I going to use it." But, a good four inches is nice, something where you can get a little workout in.

I also enjoy the uninterrupted chance to think. Even if someone else is helping out they really don't want to be out there either so they aren't going to try and hold a conversation. OK, occasionally a conversation will be held but only on the lighter jobs or when you get to the end of the drive way and your right next to each other.

Enjoy the snow,

Jon
Gulf of Mexico where its 75 degrees, sunny, with the occasional breeze.

Not that I'm rubbing it in.