no snorkeling: the irony

EXCERPTS FROM A LETTER TO KADY ON 12/12/04:

We lost another hour last night. So, I've set my clock back two hours in the last four days. Wonderful.

Please don't call me a sailor.

We had part of our liberty brief last night too. One of the things we absolutely cannot do under any circumstances due to the inherent danger is scuba dive or snorkel. They put that on the same list as bungee jumping and I forget what all else. Ridiculous when you consider that they are allowing us to rent cars…and then prohibit us from doing much besides drinking. Oh, did I mention we're on a boat to go to Iraq to fight a horribly stupid war? Wouldn't that be considered slightly more dangerous than bungee jumping?

Hopefully there is a Sprint network on the island of Ohau. I don't give a damn about the roaming charges, but if my phone has to use an analog network the battery lasts about half as long. We're only staying there for two nights. I have no idea what I'm going to do. I really wanted to go snorkeling at least. I'm debating if I should rent a car so I can see more of the island. I would get a car and a hotel if I could be guaranteed time off. If I end up with duty, then it would be a total waste. However if I don't have a hotel confermation number, I have to check back in at 3a.m. and wait in line to check out the next day. Without the car I'll be limited to the public transit and taxis. I know the island's not that big, but I would like to get as far from the boat as possible when I have the chance.

Remember how in our boot-camp letters we said it felt like I was in prison? This is like that tenfold. I, for one, really feel like I'm in prison. Seperated from my life, wife, friends, family….the real world. When you're a thousand miles out to sea, the boat makes the perfect inescapable cell block. Sharks patrol these waters.

It's a crazy sad foul world where Paris Hilton is one of Barbara Walters Top Ten Most Fascinating People.

You can't believe Christmas is two weeks away? I tell you what, it feels so little like Christmas around here I'll probably totally forget about Christmas day.

saw one of those drop-to-your-knees-and-praise-your-maker sunrises this morning which devolved into heaven-colored fluffy little clouds an hour or so later. I wish I'd had my camera, on the other hand photos never do nature justice.

Wow, why is it so ~c-c-c-c-old~ in here?

I wanted to do a post today…I mean a real post, not just an update. I want to try the whole "feelings" thing out for a change. Well…I wanted to talk about who I was, who I am, and how that happened. That's going to have to wait because I am so very tired. If I sleep eight hours now, I'll be late for the duty section meeting or I'll miss chow. One or the other. I hate the boat.

I really have to go. I'm very sleepy, and now I'm freezing cold and starving on top of that. Time for bed.