100 Upvotes and Happy Veterans Day! · 6:32pm Nov 11th, 2014
I will begin on a very serious note.
November 11 goes by many names in many nations, including Veterans Day, Remembrance Day, and Armistice Day. It's a time to remember those that gave their lives so that we could live in a better world. I have relatively easy duties in this assignment. I get to go home to my family each night. I have plenty to eat. I sleep in a warm bed, and there's little risk to life, limb, or equipment. There are many others serving right now who lack those basic comforts. But, most of all, today we thank and remember those that did not get a chance to come home. Thank you, more than I can adequately express.
This is what you call a segue...
On a much more personal note, an enthusiastic ConningOfficer THANK YOU to all those who helped Sunset Shimmer: Element Bearer pass the 100 "upvote" mark this week! Don't fret, new chapters are forthcoming in the very near future. As a matter of fact, Chapter Six became so large that it will be split into two smaller chapters. IsabellaAmoreSirenix has been a wonderful confidant, prereader, and proofreader - and wisely told me that 8,700 words is way too much for a single chapter.
The story has taken a life of its own at this point - and threatens to take over the hours I normally use for sleep. But, I'll live. That's why there's coffee. I am so incredibly grateful for your support and the friends that I'm making as part of this endeavor. Please accept my heartfelt thanks once again. Keep encouraging me and telling me what you think!
Semper paratus! I had quite a few dealing with the Coasties when I was in the Merchant Marine, and I was always impressed by them. The San Francisco SAR unit once took an injured crew member off our ship in truly appalling conditions and made it look dead easy!
2588451 Thank you! I'm glad that my shipmates in the Bay Area were able to help your crew member. What? You get bad weather in the Pacific Ocean? Going to sea isn't a Carnival Cruise?
I'm in awe of those guys, too - whether in the motor lifeboats or in the helicopters. My time afloat (four ships) was mostly in buoy tenders and icebreakers. Stubbornness and brute force, not speed or agility characterized those platforms. What types of ships did you sail? Were you coastal or trans-Pacific?
I miss going to sea on nice days, but when it's snowing sideways and blowing 45 knots, it's a lot easier to grab a cup of coffee and hope I've trained people correctly. Well, and my liver can't handle those port calls as well as I once could.
I hear that buoy tenders are a really rough assignment, and good markings have probably saved a lot of lives!
I was in the Merch' Marines for a couple years after high school. All the jobs I had were long-haul cargo runs. My first ship was Meredith Victory and we ran supplies from the West Coast to Vietnam at the tail end of the war. (Yeah, I'm a graybeard.) My other ship was Rice Queen, (an old C4 tanker, converted to carry bulk cargo) running from the Bay Area through the canal to the Carolina's and back. I was in the IBU as well as the SUP, but I never worked on ferries or barges. I would have loved to, but I never had enough seniority to nab one of those jobs.
I still love the sea and sail lakes and the bay whenever I can, but I'm thankful I don't have to go through the really bad weather any more.
2589011 By the way, Chapters Six and Seven are up. You can check them out here.
I'm glad to find another writer over a certain age number here.
Your two masterpieces were obviously well-planned, well-written, and had an element of grandiose maturity that I'm trying to duplicate. All that stuff about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery certainly applies.
Are you still out west? I sailed on two buoy tenders, one polar icebreaker, and was the Captain of a small Great Lakes icebreaker (which means I'm no better - and probably worse - than a 2nd Mate in your old world). So, I'm curious which bays and lakes you're referencing.
Have a good night!
2589140 Yup, I downloaded six and seven and put them on my kindle. I'm liking the story a lot so far, but haven't come up with any really intelligent comments to make. Thanks for the kind words about my own work!
I'm still in California, but up in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Oddly enough there are some great sailing lakes nearby. (Or were before the drought.) I haul my skiff down to the San Francisco Bay and delta when I get the urge to go gunk-holing. Before I became a hillbilly, I volunteered at the Hyde Street pier in SF at the small boat shop, restoring the old craft. My current boat is a replica of a sailing/rowing scow skiff that was very common on the bay in the late 1800s/early 1900s.
Ice-breaking must be interesting during storms! Is there much swell? Or does that depend on how thick the ice is?