Woke up and we’re off the air. Going in early, working late.
Watched the movie, Transporter 2 Last night. Not recommended, too many impossibilities.

Beck commented that it was a weird post yesterday, with the pics and then the death announcement, and I agree. After I posted it I was thinking about making the pics a separate post but didn’t. I was on my way to do the dive when I got the call and the whole dive I was thinking about it. Hoping it was a mistake. Normally when I dive nothing from the surface can intrude on my thoughts. When I got out of the water I had 6 text messages and 3 missed calls, confirming the worst.
We tried to go diving again yesterday, but the current was much stronger. we basically swam out to the main wall, aborted the dive and swam back, a short 30 minute dive. Before I got in a couple came and asked, “Are you Mark?” I said yes, and it turned out to be Jeff and Lisa. Now, I’ve met 3 real people who’ve read my blog. Wonder how they recognized me… 🙂
I went to the beach for a while in the afternoon. Last night, I saw the Hubble Space Telescope go by. It is very bright. How do I know what it was? Check out the Heavens-Above website, you have to open an account but they won’t spam you and it’s free. You enter your location and it gives info for your specific location.
This morning I got up and walked the dawg. Then I got the binoculars and looked at Jupiter. I can easily see the moons. Very cool. Venus is very bright in the morning and it is in the constellation Capricorn. But I can’t see Capricorn yet. It is dim because of light pollution, and it’s still very low in the sky.
Today I have about 3 days worth of work scheduled. Looks like the start of a rough week.

click to enlarge

the eel was hiding in his hole

the Boxfish was hiding behind a piece of coral and I spent 5 minutes playing roun de round with him to get the shot.

and the green and red fish was hiding behind the elephants ear (orange) sponge.

The bad news is that a good friend of mine was killed in a car crash. She is the Carnival girl who was in my November post from Pirates week. Her picture is here. A couple of years ago, she was also the hostess of the talk show I do every Wednesday. I knew her really well and just saw her on Thursday and talked to her for a long time. She was looking for a job and I talked to her about getting one in our sales department. She told me about her boyfriend. It was her boyfriend who was speeding and ran into a parked car. She was one of the most perfect people anyone could ever imagine, only about 17 years old. It is a real tragedy.
Anyway…

Yesterday, we had a meeting with all the engineers from all the radio stations on the island. I felt intimidated, I felt like everyone in the room knew more about radio than me. I feel the same way when I get aroound a lot of scuba divers. A girlfriend once told me that I never needed to be intimidated around scuba divers because I was one of the most qualified, experienced divers anywhere. On one level, I can agree, and realize that she’s right. My feelings of insecurity come from within, and are mostly unfounded. But it is hard to stop feelings from popping up.
Yesterday, everyone except me was a college trained, experienced engineer, bragging “Oh yeah, I designed this station and that station”. I never designed any stations, I never went to college. I got out of school and went to work and have been working ever since. At my prevoius job, I was a “Communications System Technician” and I got promoted to “Engineer” but when I get around other engineers I don’t have the confidence I should have. I’m afraid if I open my mouth I’ll sound stupid. I’m not a real engineer, I’m just wearing his hat.
Anyway, last night and this morning I’m feeling kind of low. I can do my job OK. Most of the guys yesterday were traveling consultants contracted by the other radio stations because of some problems with the stations interfering with each other. My station doesn’t need any taveling consultants because they have me. I am what you call a jack of all trades, master of none. I feel intimidated when I get around a master of a particular trade. I am painfully aware ofthe things I DON’T know.
Life is too short for me to learn everything I want to learn, plus do all the goofing around and playing I want to do.
Yesterday the neighbors dog wrecked my cactus, I’m going out now to repot them. It was cloudy last night. I wanted to go look through my Binocs. Tonight the OI Girl arrives!

Woke up last night and went out to the front porch and was looking through my binoculars. I came back in to go to bed and the alarm was going off. I saw lots of cool stuff near Scorpius and Saggitarius. Nebula and I think galaxies. I’m having a little trouble navigating around on my chart. I look at the sky and pick a star, then look through the binocs and see millions, and can’t pick out the one I was looking for.
Today is day number 3 of taking the dog to work. It’s a little inconvienent today because I have an important meeting to attend away from the station and I am kind of leery about leaving the dog at work without me being there. Soon I will have him trained and HE can go to work and I will stay home.
I still don’t know if I’m working Saturday or not, I’m hoping I don’t but assuming I am.
I’m tired. I will be drinking a lot of coffee today!

I am glad it’s almost the weekend. I was dreading work more than I needed to. I thought the OI Girl was coming Friday, but found out yesterday she’s coming Saturday. I didn’t even protest when my boss asked me to work Saturday night.
I got my new binoculars yesterday! They are fantastic! I was at the beach till late and didn’t get to bed till almost midnight. I was looking mostly at nebula and star clusters. and the moon. I got up this morning and looked at Venus, I could see it fairly well, it’s showing a little more than a quarter right now. I’m going to need a tripod and more books…..
Ditto the dog is coming to work again today, The repairs look almost done to me, but I don’t know diddly squat. I was able to bring the dog home at lunchtime yesterday and that was very convienent. Hopefully I can do the same today.
I guess that’s it for today. I haven’t touched my 365 blog since I went on vacation, I am plagued with guilt.

Today I’m taking my dog to work with me. I haven’t asked my boss or anything, I’m just taking him, and I’ll tie him up to the satellite dish. They’re (who is they? nobody knows!) coming to do some repairs in my apartment, and the dog can’t be here, because he’ll be in his guard dog mode. today is also my split shift day, we’ll see how that goes…. I’ll NEED a beach lunch today, I can just tell.
Surprisingly, work wasn’t too bad yesterday. I spent most of the day at customs, clearing some equipment. One of the newscasters commented that while no one really notices while I am here and things are running smoothly, they notice when I’m gone because things really go to shit. That made me feel pretty good, in a way. But if I was better at my job, things wouldn’t go to shit when I was gone.
My Binoculars left Louiville Kentucky this morning at 3:15 am. I think they go to Miami then here. Maybe today! Probably tomorrow.

Well, the dreaded day is here. Back to work. I have never worked anywhere that it is more difficult to go back after a vacation than here.
I feel pretty negative.
I dislike my boss’s usual snide insinuation that since I’ve been on vacation, I should be supercharged and want to work twice as hard now that I’m back. Like I should actually enjoy it when he screws me over. My life isn’t about work, it’s about my time off. Work is merely what I do for money to spend when I’m not working.
Hopefully, it won’t be as bad as I anticipate.
Ugh!

I’ve been itching for a pair of astronomy binoculars for a long time. Now I think I’ve found a pair.
Nikon Astrolux 10×70’s for $650, regularly $1200. They’re big! 12.0 x 9.3″ (304 x 235mm) WxH
Spending so much money is scary for me! I feel nervous!I can’t stop myself from getting them.