So about 10 days have passed since my last post

I realize this, part of it is my fault, but much of the blame rest on google.

   So shortly after my last post we were pierside in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Just for a day, but being as it was my first time there, and my first chance to get off the boat I was fairly excited. Unfortunately, I had to wait about 4 hours for my friend Chase to get off work before we could go out. Not a big deal.
   We ended up renting a car, which was actually pretty reasonable. Only problem was that it was one of the ugliest colors I think I have ever seen. Something along the lines of a lighter split pea soup, but uglier.
   Well Chase and I ventured off in our rental focus.
   We headed out to the USS Missouri and USS Arizona Memorial/museum, only to find it had closed about an hour before. Damn you island time. Oh well. We will be there again sometime.
I then instructed Chase to shut off his phone/gps and drove off in whatever direction struck me. We ended up driving down the H-3, which is an amazing road. Flanked on either side by cliffs that are just consumed by plant life in more shades of green than I can recall seeing in recent memory. The road follows the terrain and goes up and down smaller hills, follows the edges of the larger ones and bridges and tunnels thrown in just for fun, and well probably to make sense, you know, driveability wise.
Got some pictures, going to try and upload them soon. Mostly shots from a moving car, but a few stationary as well. There's quite a few of us entering and leaving port also.

Since Hawaii, it's been business as usual. Wake up, eat, stand watch, fix stuff, get off watch, eat, play some bass, sleep; repeat until next port visit.



That port visit is coming up fairly soon, so more updates to come.

It's like youtube.. but with words

Everybody hates each other.

Yeah, you read that right. They all hate each other.

I'm kind of in shock about the whole thing, I mean, everyone knows it's going to happen. Usually after a few months, when its been a while since we've hit a port. But for God's sake we've been gone for 6 days! I haven't even done laundry yet! People fight like children. I would know, I have several. It's a shame that you can't just send them to time out, take away their favorite toy for a while and then they'll be friends again.

Oh well. We have a port visit coming up shortly and due to rules and such, I can't divulge exactly where that is but i can say that I haven't been there before and I am looking forward to it. Made some plans with friends, we'll see if it happens, since everyone has to do some random bullshit before they can leave.

In other news, the stinky guy who sleeps near me doesn't stink! Yet. Give it time, cigarettes and body odor have a way of building up after time, although he assured me that it won't happen again. Could be the massive air freshener I keep in my rack. Makes my area smell nice.

Also in other slightly more belated news, we did an unrep the other day, and I took some pictures. If you don't know what that is then google it. I'm gonna try to upload the pictures when we get to where we're going.

Fresh water wash down today, think of it as a ship-wash, but without soap. It's really just to wash the salt off, but its actually pretty entertaining. You get to run around spraying stuff with a fire hose while they play music over the loudspeakers. My division did a very touching rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. I would take pictures of that, but we're using a fire hose and that wouldn't be very damn smart would it.

I as usual have been keeping upbeat and making fun of everyone and everything (myself included) to keep myself and others sane. I walked around the ship today and I could not believe the amount of people that were pissed off. We're a short time away from a port call, and the weather's awesome. I fully intend on enjoying this deployment for what it's worth. If not the "adventure" that the commercials promised me, then the experience of doing something outside of most peoples comfort zones. It's something that will (hopefully) give me some stories like the ones my Grandpa used to tell me. That's what it's all about i suppose. Well, that and the meager pittance the gov't sees fit to (maybe) pay me.

Today I learned I can cry and still look manly

Today sucks. There's no other way to put it. Waking up in the morning and knowing you won't see that bed, those people, hell.. even the dogs, is just awful. I will admit I held it together for a while. Until the boat started moving at least. Like a damn kid who just got his favorite toy taken from him... Then punched in the crotch... Then his dog got run over. Pretty much all of those things.
I don't think the gravity of the situation has set in yet.

Thoughts on a rapidly approaching deployment.

Well I've managed to be lucky for a long time... almost 5 years in the navy and only one deployment. Till now. Thanks to the USS Howard, I will be gone for the next 6 months. Leaving my girls, my dogs, and essentially my entire life on land, while I go out to "fight for freedom" or whatever group of buzzwords the navy is associating with their 6 month cruises of inconvenience these days.

My kids don't get it. They're used to daddy leaving for a while, but never this long. Ally was around in 2008 but that ended up being just over 3 months and she was little. It's gonna be rough on them.. and in turn it's gonna be rough on Jess.

I am fairly sure I've forgotten something. It's not just possible it's probable. For those who don't know, you have to pack enough everything for 6 months, you never know when or if you will see another store. That means 6 months of laundry detergent, shampoo, toothpaste, enough clothes to last 2 weeks or more without washing. It sucks. All that and pretty much as much storage space as.. oh lets say 3 large couch cushions, 2 lying flat and one on its end. It's not pretty. Then let's talk sleeping arrangements.  Imagine if you will for a moment, a crib mattress. Now, imagine that crib mattress is 6 and a half feet long. Ok, got the picture in your head? Well that's pretty much it. Now take that long crib mattress and put it in a cube.. one thats only about a foot and a half tall, just tall enough to roll over if you tuck your shoulders in. Also your bed is only one of 80 and some guys really don't like to shower. Seriously. Grown ass men, not showering. It smells bad. Probably worse than you're imagining.

I'm hoping to update this as I can, which should be  pretty regularly. I do have a decent camera and will be taking plenty of pictures along the way.