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Well, that went well .... not
Sep. 22nd, 2013 04:34 pmIt's been a crazy couple months here at Arthcwtch ... money is tight, looking for jobs, trying jobs, new toys. I have been remiss in updating, and I know you're all anxious to hear how things went out on the ocean.
But so, here's the tale of the trip ... as much as I can say. It was great, it was a very nice crew, the weather and the seas were relatively calm, despite the fears of the impending tropical storm (and possible hurricane) Gabrielle from Tuesday onward. I learned a LOT, I saw a LOT, it was amazing as in UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL with a SHARK! Yeah. Blue. Shark. 10 ft. 400 lbs. O.M.G. Amazing. I was surprised that a) I did get seasick the first 24 hrs, but one dosage of meds and I was fine the rest of the trip, I was surprised that getting up to my elbows in live slimey fish, and fish poo, and fish guts really didn't bother me, I mean as in bothered me even less than picking up a live lobster for my Christmas dinner did. It was hard work, not unexpected, it was tight living quarters, but less tight than expected, it was physically tough - 24 hr shifts, and hard work, but I really didn't mind it much.
But. I won't be going back. I did enjoy the work, it was interesting - I mean really fascinating, challeneging, physically and mentally, but it was very clear, very quickly that emotionally I'm just not cut out for this work. This came as a HUGE surprise.
You see as much as I liked it, by early Tuesday morning I was fighting back a panic attack, that I had a job to do and NO alternatives made it that I HAD to cope, but it was the NO alternative that started the panic. Very early I felt trapped. I was in a tin can, with NO way out, relying on the expertise and skill of 3 men I didn't know 5 minutes before. I *am* really not good with that. ( Sandy?) You see, yes, they tell you when you go out that you are your own boss - and you are - you don't work FOR the boat, you are working independently, your bosses are back on shore. BUT, the Captain is the boss of his ship, his crew, and he work together - and as lovely and as nice as they are, you're not a part of that crew - you are extraneous to their jobs, and in fact your job can - and does - get in their way. They're used to it and nice about it, but I'm always aware of it. And while they gave me full credit for staying out of their way, that need of mine not to interfere in their work made it harder for me to do my work. I don't like being in the way, that I am less physically graceful than most people and that made my getting about slow and deliberate and lurching pillar to post. The crew being very nice, complimented me on a job well done, but also worried about me, and felt the need to look out for me - and I really am very much one who NEEDS to pull my own weight, that they felt the need to watch out for me only made me feel MORE in the way. Add all that to the fact I am *used* to in aviation, being the boss, the one with the data and the weather tracking and the expertise saying 'we're going here when and how and what we're doing and this is the situation and this is how we'll do it" and here ... all I had was vague rumours of a storm and a job that doesn't really run on a schedule or a system or a routine... some tows are 2 hours, some are 6, some are 10 mins ... you don't know how long you have to eat or sleep or do paperwork. I don't mentally hold up well in situations where I have no control over everything. Honestly, flying, even commercially doesn't bother me because I am the expert, even for other airlines, I know the game the routine, the training, the safety protocols, ....
I don't know how much sense I'm making. I really don't know how to explain it better than that. I really loved it, but from day one all I wanted was to GET the heck out of here! Then about 15 mins from home all of the list of paragraph 1 hit me ... and I wanted to run away again. chagrinned. I still have to debrief on Monday but I really don't think I want to go back again. I'm sorry, I really wanted, heck we NEEDED this to work out, but I really don't feel like I can do it again, still I wouldn't have missed TRYING it for the world.
So back to the job hunt, my resume is still out there (Tourism Job - Project Coordinator/Dockside Observer) and there are other - if not less interesting jobs. And the rest of my life awaits.
It took almost 4 days to get my land legs back.
The Yarmouth Air Show for Pilots N Paws Canada was amazing. We had a blast, met and talked with some really great people and enjoyed a fabulous display. Can't say enough nice things about the good folks of the Yarmouth Airport for inviting us.
Monday night we attended a performance of John Cleese's "Last Chance to See Me Before I Die" tour of Canada at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in the Dalhousie Arts Centre in Halifax.
This was the final of 5 shows in Halifax. It wasn't stand up comedy, just a rather wistful John Cleese with a video projection screen and a laser pointer, reminiscing about his life and friends.
In the relatively small 1000 seat auditorium in the Dalhousie University complex, it felt like a lecture on British comedy of the 60s and 70s, with particular emphasis on the teams behind "The Frost Report" and "Monty Python", delivered by a very talented presenter and expert on the subject. It was a wonderful show.
The show was 100% scripted, with 2 large flat panel TVs at the back of the auditorium used as autocues.
I will add, it was a wonderful evening, it was warm and cozy and gently wistful and lovely and hilarious and not a dry seat in the house ... and we came away from it feeling a wee bit wistful and nostalgic and reminiscing ourselves... the 3 hour drive home was almost as lovely as the almost 2 hour performance.
Cleese did seem a tad tired, but then that's hardly surprising considering he'll be 74 next month, but that fit with the theme of the show, as did the cool dreary early fall rain that was pretty constant last night, and the nice red wine from the theatre bar before the show and during intermission. Unfortunately he didn't do the question and answer afterwards.
Looking at the line up for the Dalhousie Art Centre for the coming months we've concluded it's a very good thing we don't live in Halifax, or our annual entertainment budget ..... well we'd have to HAVE an annual entertainment budget.
James's 3D Printer from Form Labs finally arrived - he's been anxiously awaiting this for MONTHS! It's pretty, it's cute, it's technical, it's geeky, and it prints in 3D .... how amazing is that? He's just starting to run some tests with it, but so far he's really really excited and pleased with it's performance and detail.
So now what? Well boring stuff like cleaning up the gardens and getting a few fall plantings in. My Ruby Slippers Hydrangeas have arrived. The fireplace still needs to be installed before the cold weather comes. Much cleaning and sorting and creating of work spaces. We still need to find jobs. James has got a line on an interesting gig teaching / demonstrating astronomy at a local Eco-Resort, and I've got my resume floating out there for a number of jobs. One a project planning position with the local tourism board sounds right up my alley, but that closed on Monday and I've not heard anything... so we'll see what happens. We have tickets to see Roger Hodgson in Moncton in October - we bought those back in January.... all we need is gas money.
I'll get one cheque from the boat people, and that's not gonna be shabby (they already sent the pay stub), but its not going to go far, and things are really tight - especially with still having to pay for the fireplace install (we've paid for the stove already thankfully). I hate to say it, I hate to even think it, but we're not that far away from having to apply for income assistance. Still one way or another even if it dings the dignity a little - we'll get by.
Originally posted to: The Plan® comment there or here
But so, here's the tale of the trip ... as much as I can say. It was great, it was a very nice crew, the weather and the seas were relatively calm, despite the fears of the impending tropical storm (and possible hurricane) Gabrielle from Tuesday onward. I learned a LOT, I saw a LOT, it was amazing as in UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL with a SHARK! Yeah. Blue. Shark. 10 ft. 400 lbs. O.M.G. Amazing. I was surprised that a) I did get seasick the first 24 hrs, but one dosage of meds and I was fine the rest of the trip, I was surprised that getting up to my elbows in live slimey fish, and fish poo, and fish guts really didn't bother me, I mean as in bothered me even less than picking up a live lobster for my Christmas dinner did. It was hard work, not unexpected, it was tight living quarters, but less tight than expected, it was physically tough - 24 hr shifts, and hard work, but I really didn't mind it much.
But. I won't be going back. I did enjoy the work, it was interesting - I mean really fascinating, challeneging, physically and mentally, but it was very clear, very quickly that emotionally I'm just not cut out for this work. This came as a HUGE surprise.
You see as much as I liked it, by early Tuesday morning I was fighting back a panic attack, that I had a job to do and NO alternatives made it that I HAD to cope, but it was the NO alternative that started the panic. Very early I felt trapped. I was in a tin can, with NO way out, relying on the expertise and skill of 3 men I didn't know 5 minutes before. I *am* really not good with that. ( Sandy?) You see, yes, they tell you when you go out that you are your own boss - and you are - you don't work FOR the boat, you are working independently, your bosses are back on shore. BUT, the Captain is the boss of his ship, his crew, and he work together - and as lovely and as nice as they are, you're not a part of that crew - you are extraneous to their jobs, and in fact your job can - and does - get in their way. They're used to it and nice about it, but I'm always aware of it. And while they gave me full credit for staying out of their way, that need of mine not to interfere in their work made it harder for me to do my work. I don't like being in the way, that I am less physically graceful than most people and that made my getting about slow and deliberate and lurching pillar to post. The crew being very nice, complimented me on a job well done, but also worried about me, and felt the need to look out for me - and I really am very much one who NEEDS to pull my own weight, that they felt the need to watch out for me only made me feel MORE in the way. Add all that to the fact I am *used* to in aviation, being the boss, the one with the data and the weather tracking and the expertise saying 'we're going here when and how and what we're doing and this is the situation and this is how we'll do it" and here ... all I had was vague rumours of a storm and a job that doesn't really run on a schedule or a system or a routine... some tows are 2 hours, some are 6, some are 10 mins ... you don't know how long you have to eat or sleep or do paperwork. I don't mentally hold up well in situations where I have no control over everything. Honestly, flying, even commercially doesn't bother me because I am the expert, even for other airlines, I know the game the routine, the training, the safety protocols, ....
I don't know how much sense I'm making. I really don't know how to explain it better than that. I really loved it, but from day one all I wanted was to GET the heck out of here! Then about 15 mins from home all of the list of paragraph 1 hit me ... and I wanted to run away again. chagrinned. I still have to debrief on Monday but I really don't think I want to go back again. I'm sorry, I really wanted, heck we NEEDED this to work out, but I really don't feel like I can do it again, still I wouldn't have missed TRYING it for the world.
So back to the job hunt, my resume is still out there (Tourism Job - Project Coordinator/Dockside Observer) and there are other - if not less interesting jobs. And the rest of my life awaits.
It took almost 4 days to get my land legs back.
The Yarmouth Air Show for Pilots N Paws Canada was amazing. We had a blast, met and talked with some really great people and enjoyed a fabulous display. Can't say enough nice things about the good folks of the Yarmouth Airport for inviting us.
Monday night we attended a performance of John Cleese's "Last Chance to See Me Before I Die" tour of Canada at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in the Dalhousie Arts Centre in Halifax.
This was the final of 5 shows in Halifax. It wasn't stand up comedy, just a rather wistful John Cleese with a video projection screen and a laser pointer, reminiscing about his life and friends.
In the relatively small 1000 seat auditorium in the Dalhousie University complex, it felt like a lecture on British comedy of the 60s and 70s, with particular emphasis on the teams behind "The Frost Report" and "Monty Python", delivered by a very talented presenter and expert on the subject. It was a wonderful show.
The show was 100% scripted, with 2 large flat panel TVs at the back of the auditorium used as autocues.
I will add, it was a wonderful evening, it was warm and cozy and gently wistful and lovely and hilarious and not a dry seat in the house ... and we came away from it feeling a wee bit wistful and nostalgic and reminiscing ourselves... the 3 hour drive home was almost as lovely as the almost 2 hour performance.
Cleese did seem a tad tired, but then that's hardly surprising considering he'll be 74 next month, but that fit with the theme of the show, as did the cool dreary early fall rain that was pretty constant last night, and the nice red wine from the theatre bar before the show and during intermission. Unfortunately he didn't do the question and answer afterwards.
Looking at the line up for the Dalhousie Art Centre for the coming months we've concluded it's a very good thing we don't live in Halifax, or our annual entertainment budget ..... well we'd have to HAVE an annual entertainment budget.
James's 3D Printer from Form Labs finally arrived - he's been anxiously awaiting this for MONTHS! It's pretty, it's cute, it's technical, it's geeky, and it prints in 3D .... how amazing is that? He's just starting to run some tests with it, but so far he's really really excited and pleased with it's performance and detail.
So now what? Well boring stuff like cleaning up the gardens and getting a few fall plantings in. My Ruby Slippers Hydrangeas have arrived. The fireplace still needs to be installed before the cold weather comes. Much cleaning and sorting and creating of work spaces. We still need to find jobs. James has got a line on an interesting gig teaching / demonstrating astronomy at a local Eco-Resort, and I've got my resume floating out there for a number of jobs. One a project planning position with the local tourism board sounds right up my alley, but that closed on Monday and I've not heard anything... so we'll see what happens. We have tickets to see Roger Hodgson in Moncton in October - we bought those back in January.... all we need is gas money.
I'll get one cheque from the boat people, and that's not gonna be shabby (they already sent the pay stub), but its not going to go far, and things are really tight - especially with still having to pay for the fireplace install (we've paid for the stove already thankfully). I hate to say it, I hate to even think it, but we're not that far away from having to apply for income assistance. Still one way or another even if it dings the dignity a little - we'll get by.
Originally posted to: The Plan® comment there or here
