Posted by John Sabatini on July 29, 1999 at 17:29:32:
Well, after 14 years, I finally had to call it quits. With a Deployment Schedule from hell,
and two kids, (6yrs and 1.5yrs) I just couldn't hang with the OPSCHED. I'd like to see them
grow up, if you know what I mean. Thanks to all of you guys who got with me BEFORE I made this
decision... and to hell with those folks (NONE of which are from the "B", by the way...) who told
me I'd be living in a refrigerator box within the year. I'm doing great, but miss it for some
strange reason or another... tell me if I'm wrong, but no matter how much you may want to FTN,
you miss certain things:
- Having a smoke after watch on the fantail at Sunset, somewhere in the Mid-Pacific.
- Crystal clear water without a ripple on it except the wake on a starlit night in the IO.
- ASROC Shots and Gun Shoots (unless you just had the Mid...)
- Seeing the sunrise after a particularily hairy Midwatch.
- Counting the days (plus a wake-up) to getting home.
- Channel Fever Night
- Wog Day
- Wog's Revenge Night
- P.I.!!!!!! - (enough said.)
- FINALLY getting that middle rack.
- Ironing your First Class crow on for the first time with the instructions for
doing so are clearly transferred just below it to your new shirt.
- Waking up the CIC Watch Officer by yelling "Hydrophone Effects!" at 0300
in the South China Sea.
- Raiding the Wardroom Fridge.
- Showing up drunk for Quarters.
- Renting a Moped in Karachi, Pakistan. (People pay $30 at Disneyland
for that kind of ride!)
OK, so as you've noticed, this is not a complete list... please feel free to
contribute to it, as I really need to find more things that I miss... and
seeing that I'm out, feel free to be as sarcastic as you wish, such as:
- GQ
- Fast Cruises
- 24 foot seas
- (as an OS2) cleaning bilges for OPPE.
You get the point.
...and we Thank You for 'yer support.
Sab :)