This afternoon I go to the Brac. The weather is not good for flying in the little plane. It’s sure to be a bumpy ride. I decided to just take open circuit scuba gear, not my rebreather on the trip.
I had my raincoat with me yesterday, so this weather is not my fault. It never rains when I have my raincoat. I was commenting about this to one of my co-workers and she confessed, it was her fault. She left her raincoat at home. It’s ok, I like it when I get to wear my raincoat every once in a while!
I’m off work today but I have to get ready for the trip. Plus it’s too nasty to go to the beach or anything.

Today is September 30th, the year is exactly three quarters gone. Every quarter, I like to reflect on the year and see how I’m doing. Did you make any new years resolutions? How are you doing on them? I made a couple, and I must confess, I’m not doing too well on mine. Mine were:

1) Always chew my food with my mouth open, as noisily as possible.
2) End each and every sentence that comes out of my mouth with the word “shithead”.

It’s frustrating when we don’t do as well and we intended on our resolutions, but we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves over them. We can only resolve to do better next year!

What were your new years resolutions? How are you doing on them?

It’s Thursday, I anticipate a relatively easy day today… (Famous last words!) And I’ll take my raincoat with me, guaranteeing a cloudless, sunny day! I went for a run and a swim this morning and hopefully it can be a beach lunch today too.
I’m drinking my first cup of coffee, and I slept relatively good and things seem OK right now.

I still have problems, I still have those little things nagging my mind and problems going on. (and Things I wish I could change…..!) I have a full set of problems right now.
But six months ago I had a full set, six months from now I am sure I will still have a full set of problems.
I always have a full set.
But do you know what? Right now, I can’t remember what my full set of problems was six months ago. I don’t remember anything too awfully important. I’m sure my problems seemed huge, just like the huge problems in my full set today! But I can’t remember any of them now. Can you? To me, that means that six months from now I probably won’t remember what my problems are today. So they must not be that important, irregardless of what I feel about them today.
I don’t think life is about trying to solving all our problems at once, so that then we can be finally be happy for a minute, till the next problem arises. Life is about being happy NOW, even with unresolved problems. I’ve learned that I’m always going to have problems. I think that on a good day, maybe I’ll get 3 new problems, and fix 5. And on a bad day, maybe I’ll get 5 new ones and only fix 3. But they’re always going to be there, and they will always fill my mind – If I let them.
But the purpose of life is to be happy, even thought the problems will still be there.
It seems, that even when I have minor problems, my mind magnifies them to make them more serious. I was telling a friend about how I was going somewhere and wanted to stop off somewhere else on the way and somehow ended up on a parallel street and was angry that I’d have to stop on the way back instead of on the way there. I was mad at myself! Huge problem! How could I be so stupid! He then told me about how he was drunk and mashed a beer bottle on someone’s head and had to go to court for attempted murder. That gave me a lesson on perspective real quick! In my mind, my problem was huge, but in reality, it was minor. I learned it’s all about perspective. To me, my problems are always huge, but really they’re not. So I wish I could stop taking everything so seriously!
This is a huge problem dammit!
Just kidding
It’s easy to say this stuff when I feel good, but hard when I feel like el crapo. But right now I feel pretty good. That’ll probably change in an hour when I go to work.
Until then, and Beyond,
Have a good day!

I just got home from work, I was in the worst traffic I ever was in here on this island. I left work at about 10 after 5 this afternoon and just got home about 6:45. It is raining really hard and traffic was packed. It’s 8 miles home from work.
This morning when I was leaving I saw my raincoat sitting by the door and thought “nah! won’t need it!” Wrong answer!
Let me tell you, it’s raining hard.
When I was ready to head home, I tried to get our receptionist to run out in the parking lot and bring my car around but she wouldn’t do it. Then this guy on crutches (jokingly) started giving me a hard time, saying my car was only 30 feet from the door, just run for it. I dared him to go pull my car up to the door, heck, with those crutches, he wouldn’t even have to get his feet wet. Then he hobbled out to his car and I saw that his car was only 20 feet from the door! It was the only car closer than mine! Jeeez! After the grief he gave me I at least expected to be parked half way across the parking lot! Tomorrow he’s going to get some grief back from me!
So finally I ran out and jumped in my car. I got soaked. Not too bad, I still had a couple dry spots. Then sat in traffic for more than an hour. My big toe was hurting from pressing the brake. I’m telling your, it was brutal.
So now I’m home, glad to be here. tomorrow is my last day at the station for a while, friday I’m off, Saturday I’m working on the Brac. Looking forward to the trip! I’m taking my rebreather and staying a few days too!
ciao!

At work all systems are go. Everything major is working properly. Right now.
I didn’t go out with P last night. I was going to meet her then work called me in. I called her and cancelled. Then work called immediately back and said nevermind. I didn’t un-cancel. I took it as a sign. I feel too guilty with the Other Island Girl and the Fundgirl to add another element.
I kept hitting the snooze this morning and got up almost an hour late. I have a fuller than normal day scheduled, but it should be less full than my days have been with the equipment problems I have been having.
I woke up exhaustificated but the coffee is seeping its way into my bloodstream.
I’ll make it.
All things good.
rodger dodger
over and out.

Last week I went to Wendys Hamburgers. The cashier told me to put my name and number on my reciept and put it in the box for a contest. So I did. Yesterday, I got a call from someone at Wendys, she said I won a bank and could I come and claim my prize. I said “Cool, I’ll be there at lundhtime”
So I went at lunchtime, I wondered a little how a bank would fit in my car, but I figured that we’d just sign the ownership documentation over to me and I’d be taking home just a small stack of documents. I also reflected about my new life as a bank president. Lear jets, little sports cars…you know. Also I was wondering which bank, United Bank of Switzerland, Bank Of Butterfield, Fidelity, any one would be fine with me.
So I parked in the parking lot of Wendys and went inside, I asked for the lady who called and she came out and said congratulations! You won the bike! Take your pick, they’re both the same!
I looked and there were two cute little 24 inch mountain bikes.
I had won a bike, not a bank!
I gave it to a co-worker.
Guess I’ll have to wait a little longer for the Lear Jets and stuff.
I gotta go get ready for work…..

Christa asked me these questions. Read the rules at the end if you want to play!

1. If you could choose one of the ladies you have been posting about recently to become “the one” which one would she be?
I would pick the Other Island Girl because she’s the one I’d most want to have babies with. Also my impression of her is emotionally stable, level-headed and sane.

2. What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen while diving?
The coolest thing would have to be – a submarine. we were heading out to do a deep dive (before my rebreather days) and there it was, the tourist submarine. It was so cool, we swam as fast as we could and caught up and they were taking our pictures and I was laughing and clapping my hands and it was so great. All of us divers looked really cool too, with double tanks and sidemounts, lots of gear, all streamlined. I had always wanted to see the sub, you can hear it if it’s in the water, but that was the first time I had actually seen it. I was with my friends from Virginia, USA who were visiting.

3. If you were forced to leave the Cayman Islands tomorrow and never return, where would you move to next?
I’d move back to Hawaii but I probably wouldn’t stay there for long. I’d already planned that when I was considering the possibilitues of my contract renewal.

4. If you could have dinner with anyone alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Without hesitation I pick Lt. Col. Eileen M. Collins, I think that Space Shuttle Commander is the coolest job and she’s the person I most want to meet on this earth.

5. Shag, marry, push off a cliff: Diane Sawyer, Barbara Walters, Katie Couric.
Diane Sawyer, shag
Barbara Walters, shag
Katie Couric, shag
I wouldn’t marry anyone I didn’t know!

Want to play?

The Official Interview Games Rules:
1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying, “interview me”.
2. I will respond by asking you five questions – each persons will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Well, it’s me again, waiting to go to work again, thinking of something to post again.
I feel pretty good. I expect success with that same ‘ol computer at work today. It was copying files when I left it last night.
Friday I go on vacation. I mistakenly put in for vacation a month early, because I thought my UK dive buddy was coming this month but it’s next month, I considered rescheduling when I realized the mistake, but….NAH! I’ll take off now AND then, I have the time!
Last night I was supposed to go night beach walking with the Fundraiser Girl, but she cancelled. If she hadn’t cancelled, I would have. I know she is too busy and is making time for me. I doubt anything is going to happen beween us. I still haven’t even kissed her. We are opposites. She hates coffee, doesn’t dive, afraid of the water, popular, very good looking. Someone I trust completely told me that having a lot in common isn’t too important, so I will keep going and see what comes of it.
On my brain is the girl from the other island. She’s who I think about. I’m trying not to get emotionally attached but I think I already am. I’m going to see her when I take the abovementioned vacation. Her downside is, living too far away, and has plans to leave next year.
Another heretofore unmentioned devolopment is P. I met her at the grocery store one morning last week. I’ve known her for years, but never really talked to her much or spent time with her. She has never been single, I am sure she is single now. I talked to her yesterday on the phone when I was heading out to work. I think she is definitely a long term relationship kind of girl. She is a scuba instructor working in the dive industry here. I will call her tonight.
I hope reading this doesn’t come across like I’m boasting or anything like that. I hate this. I feel guilty even talking to more than one girl at once. I wish I could just meet the right girl first and meet only the right girl. I want to BE in a relationship, I just don’t want to go through the process of getting into one.
And I don’t want to get in the wrong one again either, especially not!

I’m at work, right now I am copying files from one drive to the other, so I thought I’d post a quick post.
I went diving as planned, but this time I really have to retire my old wetsuit, I was putting it on and it ripped. Here’s a pic of the rip in the side. When I was taking it off, it ripped even worse. I bought that wetsuit in 1985 when I was visiting my parents to wear in Hawaii. I never made it back to Hawaii, I accidentally ended up on the East Coast of the US for 11 years before I came here. It was a good wetsuit. If anybody finds a 3mm farmer john wetsuit with the zipper in the front, let me know! I want another!
The dive today was good, I was crinkling the bottle, my buddy said he saw a shark but I didn’t see it. The visibility wasn’t very good, and the current was going down! It was warmer deep than shallow. When we got near the surface, we could look up and see it was raining really hard. In this underwater pic of my dive buddy swimming up to the boat, maybe you can tell it’s raining. There’s another boat tied up behind ours, you can barely see it. It’s my buddys friends boat.
Here’s the same boat, following us back, you can tell it’s raining in this one.

I am all set to go diving. My rebreather is sitting by the door, undergoing the negative pressure test. This is my first time (diving) in a long time. I can’t wait. I am very eager to go.
I have another stupid theory to bounce off-a-ya. My theory is that diving makes me sane, the longer I go without diving, the more insane I become. Actually I don’t think it’s the diving, but an element of the diving. I think something in diving cleanses the mind.
Last week at work I was stressing real bad and I thought, “gee, it would be nice if I was married, because sex would be a perfect way to use this stress, and If I was married, (or had a steady girlfriend) then I could go home and have sex.” then I started thinking about how I might actually start to WANT to have bad days, then I could go home after work-

me: “Honey! I’m home! I had a REAL BAD day at work!”
her: “Oh goody! I’m glad! I’m right here! in the bedroom! I can make it alllll better!”

This probably happens for everybody all the time but me. You’re probably thinking “he doesn’t already know this??! Uh- no, I just thunk of it!

Anyway, after diving, I’m going back to work, I worked yesterday, took that new board that failed back and traded it in for another new one, and I am re-configuring the computer again. It’s not so bad this time as I’ve done it before and can move along fairly smoothly. (This time I lost my drive partition and all my data. bummer. You know me though- rebreather diver=backup.)
Got it covered

What a day! Work wise, not the greatest… I feel like I keep saying that!
My repaired computer died. Died hard. It cut off after a commercial. Blank screen. Shut down, won’t boot, dead. This was when I was ready to walk out the door at the end of the day. Before that, two link receivers died at the main transmitter site.
Now I bet you are thinking that I must have some kind of black cloud hanging over my head, and lately it seems I do, but not usually. It just had been recently. And it really isn’t my fault, just bad luck I rekkon.
As a typical example of what kind of weird things have been happening to me lately, I took this picture of my phone just a few minutes ago after I was playing cards and came up with an incomplete deck. If I had a nine, I would win. It should be there, there’s no cards hidden! Where’s the nine? Whoever heard of an incomplete deck on an electronic game with electronic cards? Sometimes you just have to laugh!
This doesn’t happen to normal people!!!