I haven’t heard from you in a while, is everything OK? I hope so, and I hope
that you and your family are having a wonderful holiday season.
The ship arrived in Sri Lanka at 9AM on the 18th and we were on the dock and
finished with engines at noon> The sludge trucks were waiting, they buy or
waste oil and use it for asphalt or fuel, we pumped 65,000 tons into 9
trucks and were done at 7pm, I would have went ashore, but we found a
problem with the exhaust valve on the number 9 cylinder, so we had to change
it out, an exhaust valve weighs close to two tons, it took the entire gang
until 1AM to complete the job, we got underway at 3AM. we took departure at
5am, I was just getting ready to leave the E/R when a generator shit the
bit, me and the 1st worked until noon fixing that.
Later that day the 2nd wiped the bearings in a fuel oil purifier…
Have I ever mentioned that I much prefer steam plants?
Anyway it’s Thursday morning and we’re steaming through the Indian Ocean,
back into pirate waters of course, so the doors are locked, and we’re
hauling ass, but that’s what you do in pirate waters.
David,
Sorry not to be writing more to you. My life here is really hell now. I have been dealing with something worse than pirates, lawyers! I will write more about that to you when I have time.
As for the “holiday season,” this season is always a bummer for us. Christians … even those that profess not to have a religion … are pretty bad at understanding how their holiday affects those of us who .. to then … are the other. While I feel there should be a way for Jews, Muslims, Buddhists .. etc. ..to enjoy the season, I do not think any of us others can enjoy Xmas in America because it has such an overwhelming Jesus flavor.
I do wonder what Christmas is like in countries with less overwhelming Jesus? I have never been in Europe for the season … given the predominance of atheism there, I winder if “the holiday” is more fun for the rest of us?
My personal situation also affects the season. Our daughter has a birthday on the 24th … sadly we currently do not have a good relationship with her. My birthday is the 1st! We are having some friends over and wish you could join us.
Where will you be?