Methods for moving up...

Some friends of mine used to be in a couples cabin, then they had a child (and a cute one that we have babysat a few times for).  After the child was born they stayed for a while longer in the couple's cabin till the time came they could move into another bigger family cabin.

Well, that day has come!

The best way to move from one cabin to another is illustrated below.  You borrow the rolling rack/basket from laundry, ask permission to use the cargo elevator (if the cabin is on a different deck/floor), and then get a babysitter or take your child for a ride!

*  Just in case you didn't quite figure out the other 'methods' of moving up, here it is:  If single you will need to get married (to someone who also fills a position on board preferably) to 'move up' to the next size cabin. if married a baby will allow you to be put on the waiting list to 'move up' to a family cabin.

Disclaimer:  Of course, I don't suggest using these last two methods just to get a bigger cabin.  And I don't work for HR, so don't quote me on these methods.

But aren't the pictures cute?

Dumbwaiter Modifications

Our elevators that run food and dishes between the dining room (one deck below) and the galley was having some major issues.  The main issue being the sliding doors behind the opening door to the dumbwaiters were getting stuck and malfunctioning.

During service (putting the food out for a meal) one of our carts got jammed between the floors in the dumbwaiter.  Below are pictures of the damage...AND a very good reason for people not to play with the equipment.  You know those people who always think it's fun to squeeze into an elevator that's not supposed to carry people, then jump out at the other end and say BOO?

This cart was fairly new, and the elevators seem to go fairly slow (they only travel between two floors) and it seemed to crumple it up pretty bad.  Look especially at the handle.

I used to do this

Sometimes you have to go back to things that work.

In my early (and lighter) years with my current organization I used to 'religiously' get up early every morning and run. Or walk and run. Then it was on to a shower and reading, journaling, meditation, and/or prayer.

A year at home, a year of enjoying being newly married, and now back on the ship again sure tends to shake up ones 'system' of things.

Now pounds heavier and not feeling fully my 'charismatic' self (of course I have always been a big person per se) I have looked back and realized, that worked!

My wife (not then) and other people used to say, 'man I am glad you get up early and use up some of that energy I couldn't handle you full throttle'. I realized thats what made me full throttle. You are alive and awake, blood has been pumping vigorously for 45 minutes or more. Those chemicals in your body kick in and kind of give you what they call a 'runners high'...then after that shower you feel refreshed and new.

Now don't misinterpret this as saying I love running, I don't particularly do. And actually right now I only half run, half walk my exercise time in the morning. I need to lose a little (fat) weight, gain a little muscle, and work the soreness out of the muscles I already have that have gotten lazy on me. Oh man, breathing and sweating...its quite possible I could set a world record for dehydrating the way I sweat while simultaneously sucking down whole squadrons of bugs while trying to breath or catch my breath.

Don't start getting worried about me, I am only trying to put it in a humorous and dramatic portrayal.

Its hard. Plus its the rainy season here in Liberia. So you really have to discipline yourself to get up and do it no matter what. Drenched in rain, or drenched in sweat, whats the difference? Probably a shorted out ipod shuffle (which I couldn't live without) its hard for me to do activities like this without some good motivational music. But I can switch days around. I am committed to at least 4 days a week, but pushing for 5 all the time. So there is a little room to run/walk on dry or less rainy days as compared to downfalls drenching your every move and running with your ipod shuffle in a ziploc sandwich bag.

But I got to tell ya, I feel so much better. And my energy level (and my level of being a more positive person surprisingly) has increased.

Later down the road schedules, jobs, life will change but hopefully I can find and maintain this type of routine again.

No Pasta!

I was reminded today by a question/comment form that was filled out, that it has been a long time since we have had Spaghetti with meat sauce or bolognese.

In an earlier post this year I talked about weevils (here and here) and how they are damaging all our grain products. They were so far advanced in the actual spaghetti noodles that it was creating gray 'dust' where they once fed on the whole pasta.

2 months ago we had select pasta left.

1 month ago we had no pasta left except for Couscous and Rice Noodles.

I wish we would hurry up and get the pasta we ordered. It's coming on a future container. I am ready for some spaghetti as well as all those other pasta shapes and dishes we will be able to once again created weevil free!

Bizarre

Sometimes I have a hard time making myself focus on the sun-shiny, life is wonderful, praise Jesus I am in West Africa parts of ship life. Sometimes I focus on the annoying things about being on the Africa Mercy. Other times like tonight I have been focusing on the bizarreness.

I have to laugh as I write this at 2 am in the ICU. First let me tell you, it is not the nice peaceful environment that ICUs all over the US and other parts of the world aim for. Our harbor generators are on. It is so loud in here that I have a ear protection on the 5 month old baby I am taking care of, whom sounds like a duck each time he breaths in. But at least he is breathing on his own. Baby Greg (yes, that is his name given by his Liberian Mother (who was informed by one of the nurses that Greg is not an African name, like she did not already know that) and Father, whom is also named Greg) has been in our ICU for the past 4 days, due to having a hard time breathing on his own. He has Cystic Hygroma. He was born with tumor on his neck that just continued to grow larger and larger , filling with lymphatic fluid, and causing Greg difficulty breathing.

Back to the bizarre, I am in Africa right? Well, I think it is kind of bizarre that Greg is bundled with a Bob the Builder blanket. Isn't that kind of weird? Come on! It is kind of out of place don't you think? I have seen construction here in Liberia and none of the workers look anything like "Straight from the suburbs, Bob the Builder". Bob is plastered all over this receiving blanket totting his fancy hammer, wrench, nuts and bolts.

On Wednesday I went to my friend Victoria's house that is being rebuilt after being destroyed by a fire. The neighborhood boys are constructing her house, and I can guarantee you that they are not using any fancy tools that Good ole Bob has in his tool belt.

So to see a Liberian baby named Greg, swaddled in a Bob the builder blanket in the ICU with the Harbor generators so loud that I have my i Tunes music all the way up and it is still barely audible, I chuckle at the bizarreness of it all.