Summer Vacation Report

[Wiregeek]

This summer, for my summer vacation, I...

OK, I haven't _had_ a 'vacation' this summer. I've been working my tuchus off since the snow went away. I'm having a blast, but I'm
ready for winter - I need a break!

So far I've been busy doing-

-acquiring firewood (to the tune of 8 cords approximate)

-learning to drive a boat (14' rubber w/30 horse, 21' aluminum w/115 horse on the ocean)

-learning to drive and back a trailer (see above boats).

-fishing (Willow Creek, Willow, Alaska. Deshka Landing. Burma Landing. Lake Louise. Valdez. Jim Creek. The Eklutna Tailrace. Sarah Lake. The Little Susitna.
Sheep Creek. Finger Lake. Kepler-Bradley Lake.)

-Shooting (Put some rounds through the new (used) .357 Magnum I got my dad for his birthday, .22 revolver, .22 automatic, .380 automatic, .44 magnum, .460,
.308 (AK-47 variant), .30-06, .375 H&H Magnum)

-Driving. I did one weekend at Clear Air Force Station, (488mi round trip)and one weekend in Valdez (550 mi round trip), and I've done the Kenai several
times (Average 450 mi round trip).

-Hunting (gone out for birds a couple times, getting ready for Hunting The Wily Møøse)

-Shopping (I've purchased a 4 wheeler, multiple guns, and quite the pile of boaty bits)

-Mechanical work (the above mentioned 4 wheeler is a 1992 suzuki with 508 original miles on it. It's in damn good shape, but it's not perfect)

-Building (I've spent almost every sunday this summer working on a friend's cabin. We started from trees, the kitchen cabinets should be in by this
sunday)

-Work Work (I've been maintaining a 40 hour work week in all of this)

So, what have you been doing this summer?


"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[Bob Schroeck]

14' rubber w/30 horse

How do you fit all those horses in the boat with you?

Sounds like you've kept yourself busy...

Me? I've, um, mowed the lawn. Three times.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Wiregeek]

Me? I've, um, mowed the lawn. Three times.

I've managed to avoid mowing the lawn at all this summer. I have not, however, managed to avoid maintenancing the lawn mower.

I'm actually kinda jealous, I'd love a nice lazy summer - but you vacated, you went to the beach house! that's easily awesome enough to count.
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[Bob Schroeck]

True, which reminds me... that's showing up soon, chronologically, in VIIOR. Eva goes to the beach... and hides from my in-laws.

At least it's not a Jusenkyo curse...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Foxboy]

Ah! But if there's "mystic trouble" that keeps coming up? Or "Where's that girl you adopted?"
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[robkelk]

So, what have you been doing this summer?

Working. My summer vacation starts on Labour Day...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bluemage]

1.) Looking for work, with no luck so far.

2.) Fighting my computer, which seems to be working fine now.

3.) Playing games (Dissidia, FF9, C&C3, DMC4, half the HM series, Front Mission 3, Perfect Dark, Ogre Battle 64, Sword of the Stars, Soul Nomad and the
World Eaters, Breath of Fire 3, MechCommander 2, Plants vs. Zombies, and Tetris)

4.) Spending a week on the Oregon Coast with family.

5.) Mowing the lawn (~5 times so far, I think).

6.) Taking long walks around the neighborhood (which just saw the local tabletop/dice/card game store go out of business)

7.) Eating pie.

That's my summer vacation.

(Lemon meringue, if you're curious.)

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[HoagieOfDoom]

- Occasional trips down to the shooting range

- Also unsuccessfully looking for work

- Playing games (D&D, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Batman: Arkham Asylum, BlazBlue, Left4Dead, Team Fortress 2)

- Reading (DWII and V, other fanfiction, trying to read Foucault's Pendulum again)

- Experimenting in the kitchen

- Playing guitar and piano, writing some music

- Going to karaoke

[ordnance11]

1. Looking for work.

2. Got sidetracked by my pet project.

3. Got my refresher courses for re-certification.

4. Playtesting scenarios for a Flames of War tounament.

5. Preparing for a Flames of War Tournament in KC end of Sept.

6. Going to the Labor day Con and play till my brains fry.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[Black Aeronaut]

Working my arse off while my ship is in drydock. (x_x)

[ordnance11]

blackaeronaut wrote:

---

Working my arse off while my ship is in drydock. (x_x)

At least you're getting paid to work! *grin*
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[Black Aeronaut]

ordnance11 wrote:

---

blackaeronaut wrote:

---

Working my arse off while my ship is in drydock. (x_x)

At least you're getting paid to work! *grin*

Salaried income, my friend, salaried income. While the compensation is nice, we don't get overtime, no matter what the circumstances. That
means the boss can make you work through the weekend on a whim. Which he did.

[Star Ranger4]

Yeah, isnt that something BA? It seems like you actually work HARDER while your ship is docked than one does at sea. At least thats the way it was for this
Sonar Tech, anyway. Of course, it doesnt help that I was the low guy on the totem pole and therfore the one they LIKED to get rid of by sending to help with
FireWatches, and MessCook, and...
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children

[ordnance11]

blackaeronaut wrote:

---

ordnance11 wrote:

---

blackaeronaut wrote:

---

Working my arse off while my ship is in drydock. (x_x)

At least you're getting paid to work! *grin*

Salaried income, my friend, salaried income. While the compensation is nice, we don't get overtime, no matter what the circumstances. That
means the boss can make you work through the weekend on a whim. Which he did.

Is the boss the master and commander of the vessel? If he is, there is no union grievance committee. Besides, I've done it also, so you get no
sympathy from me. That reminds me. It's theoretically possible to not spend a cent while doing your hitch. Happened to a guy I read about. Served a 3 year
hitch in the Army and some glitch in the payroll system didn't pay him for his entire hitch, aside from his basic initial partial pay disbursement. He
didn't need money. He has the barracks and chow hall, didn't go out and when he needed money, asked from his family. They found out what happened
during separation and gave him his 3 years back pay.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

[NifT]

1. Work

2. Work

3. Bowling (I bowl on two leagues during the summer)

4. Video games (Metroid Prime 1-3, LoZ: Twilight Princess, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, GTA San Andreas, Grandia II)

5. Read fanfiction.

6. Went to karaoke ~3 times (as opposed to every weekend like I would like to)

7. Ice skating (yes, you read that right)

And for those wondering why work is there twice - I have two jobs and maintain a 70+ hour work week. And with college starting back up soon...

[Black Aeronaut]

ordnance11 wrote:

---

blackaeronaut wrote:

---

ordnance11 wrote:

---

At least you're getting paid to work! *grin*

Salaried income, my friend, salaried income. While the compensation is nice, we don't get overtime, no matter what the circumstances. That
means the boss can make you work through the weekend on a whim. Which he did.

Is the boss the master and commander of the vessel? If he is, there is no union grievance committee. Besides, I've done it also, so you get
no sympathy from me. That reminds me. It's theoretically possible to not spend a cent while doing your hitch. Happened to a guy I read about. Served a 3
year hitch in the Army and some glitch in the payroll system didn't pay him for his entire hitch, aside from his basic initial partial pay disbursement.
He didn't need money. He has the barracks and chow hall, didn't go out and when he needed money, asked from his family. They found out what happened
during separation and gave him his 3 years back pay.

Oh no, not that Boss. Him, I'd call The Big Cahuna. (Thing is I bet he'd think it's hilarious - our CO's a pretty cool guy.) Nah, The Boss
is my division's Leading Chief Petty Officer (for those who don't know how that translates to other paygrades, that's an E-7). However, where
he's at, he can still ruin your day pretty effectively.

Yeah, I've known about stuff like that. I've also heard about people that take it to the opposite extreme. Friend of mine told me about this one dude
that was with him when he got into the Airforce. Right after Basic, the guy goes and gets himself a Viper. Between the car payments and the insurance, he
literally had enough money left to take the car down to the gas station, put a few gallons in, then go back. Once he made E-2, he was able to take a girl out
to McDonalds every pay day.

Now, since he's down in Florida, it ain't long until Huricane Season rolls around and there's one heading their way. This guy never got a chance
to move his Viper to safety, so after the storm blows over, he comes out to find that the hurricane dropped ratty, old VW Bug on his Viper, totalling it. (To
add insult to injury, the Bug's owner came out with a couple of friends, rolled the Bug off the Viper, and drove off!)

Figuring that someone was sending him a message, he uses the insurance cash-out to close out his payments on the Viper, then uses what's left as a down
payment for a Neon. And then his girlfriend dumps him, citing that she only dates guys with hot cars. Ouch.

[Wiregeek]

3. Bowling (I bowl on two leagues during the summer)

Bowling is sweet! I blew out my bowling arm this summer, until it stops hurting I'm not going to be bowling again 8 (
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies

[Bob Schroeck]

I haven't been able to convince anyone to bowl with me for about 20 years. Ever since Peggy and my best friend John and I went bowling one
night, and I had the single best game of my entire freakin' life -- and they both decided I'd hustled them.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Bluemage]

I don't bowl, but I know how hard it is to find others to game with.

The only person who I've ever really played pool with is my father. Every other person I've asked either doesn't play, or is so hilariously bad at
it that there would be no contest.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Black Aeronaut]

Bob, if I ever happened to live anywhere remotely resembling 'close by' I'd take you up on the offer. I don't bowl a great game, but I have fun
with it anyways.

[Bob Schroeck]

I'm in centralish New Jersey, BA, near New Brunswick and Rutgers. If you ever find yourself deployed in the NYC area, we'll call it a date.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[NifT]

I guess I have the advantage in this. My second job _is_ the bowling alley, so I know a rather large number of bowlers, a few of which I can count on already
being at the alley at almost anytime I care to swing by. Or I could just call up some of my teammates from one of the leagues I'm on.

Hey Bob, do you remember what you scored that so convinced Peggy you were hustling her?

[Black Aeronaut]

My folks live in Laurel, Maryland and I've already promised them as much leave time during holiday stand down as I can get. (Given that I didn't take
any leave during our Dry Dock Availabilty period, and the CO and XO's stance on making sure sailors get time to go home, I'd say I got good odds of
snagging a whole month.) If you'd like to hang out for a weekend or something, then I think I can talk my Mom into letting me go.

[Bob Schroeck]

It might be doable, BA, if I can work around my own mom and her needs.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Black Aeronaut]

Christmas is a ways off yet and my leave and upkeep period extends well past New Years. I'm pretty sure something can be worked out by then.