Shutterfly Pictures Posted

I found that shutterfly seems to have a better system for me to post my pictures (although it still takes close to an eternity to get them uploaded out here). So as of right now, I've posted all of my pics from Okinawa up at http://www.nsmith.shutterfly.com.

All of my other pictures from this trip are still up over at Kodak, and you can find the link in this previous post.

4th of July on the USNS Loyal

We didn't do much for the 4th. There was a cookout up top, which I sat out b/c I was asleep. I did make it out to the supposed 'fireworks' later that evening. I sorta got worked up about them, b/c that's one of my favorite parts of the 4th of July. It wasn't 'til later that I found out they were going to be firing off expired flares. Not exactly a Disney extravaganza, but I guess it had to do. I went up and they let us shoot some off if we wanted. I hope I never have to release one to save a life - mine went out more horizontal than vertical. I don't think too many people would see them that way.

This quote by Erma Bombeck sums up how I feel about the 4th:
You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.

Rusted Boat

I mentioned this beached boat in my previous post, but for some reason, I couldn't get the pic to post with that one, so here it is.

Last Month's Activities

Right before we left our op-area, we got to witness a small-boat exchange. One of our sister ships, The Effective, needed a part that we had, so we lowered one of our lifeboats over & sent some folks over to hand over the item. The funny part was what else went over...We had 4 guys onboard as part of a security detachment, supposedly to provide 'protection' if ever we were threatened by the Chinese. They only had a couple of machine guns, so I'm not thinking they could have done much more to stay someone who wanted to board than we could with our firehoses, but no matter. Anyway, these guys had been out here just as long as us and were looking forward to pulling into port, where they'd be getting off to fly back home. Once the big-whigs found out we'd be transferring a part over (coupled with the fact Effective was minus a secdet), the secdet was told they'd be going over as well to ride out the next month or so that Effective would be on-station! Talk about getting screwed!! These guys were so pissed. So now what's even funnier is it's typhoon season, and instead of pulling into port where the guys can get off, the Eff is running from the storms. It would be more sad than funny if the guys hadn't been such jerks.




We FINALLY got to pull into port back on the 25th of June in White Beach, Okinawa. Wow, what a welcomed break that was. We all had a great time just relaxing and getting to put our sea-spent legs on some terra firma. I have been there once before when I was on the R/V Cory Chouest about 2 years ago. I had forgotten how beautiful the area is on base and all around. This time, I dragged some of the guys with me out into town. We didn't see much, other than the Starbucks and a small mall b/c after trying to walk around for about 10 minutes, we gave up and headed back to base. It was just way too hot to be away from the water for any length of time. We did all go eat at Chili's on Kadena Air Force Base, which only sharpened my acute sense of how horrible the food is out on the boat. For the most part, we laid out by the pool, walked along the beach, and explored around the base which was relatively small. I saw the biggest bats I've ever seen with probably close to a 2 foot wingspan, no exaggeration. I was told this was a species of fruit bat (scroll down to the Ryukyu Flying Fox), although I think they were more prone to blood-sucking than fruit eating.




Here's some of the guys I deployed with (I'm the only junior female on this trip - only other military female is the Master Chief). I don't know what the guy on the left is doing; trying to be a thug, I think. And there's a guy hiding in the back, but he's in the next picture pulling a dual-scooter feat.



There were also tons of hermit crabs, which suprisingly freaked me out. I screamed like a little girl when one tried to hitch a ride in my pack after I laid it down on the beach. I grew up always going to the beach and being around the water, but I never did have an affinity for the creatures the ocean harbors. Sorta like I never liked to touch bottom. I tried to be brave on occasion, if I was trying to impress my Dad or something, but still today I don't want to go swimming where I can't see the bottom. Something might get me! Anyway, there were so many of these little guys that we picked up a few of them and lined them up for a race. Needless to say, they didn't comply with the race rules.


We also found a canon, or what appeared to be one, on the beach near the main pier. There's also a wrecked or beached hull of a boat that's quite intriguing. The boat appears to be something from WWII era, which would fit considering this was a strategic area during the war. I'd love to know the story behind both.

Speaking of Okinawa, nearly a third of the island's population was lost in the war.

The highest point of the base provided a lookout over a cliff, with a large 'Ro-Ro' floating in the distance. These are 'Roll-On, Roll-Off's,' named for their function in delivering armored vehicles for the Marines. They have such a big draft that they can't dock pierside b/c the water is too shallow.

I'm currently posting pics to shutterfly. I'll put the link up when it's all finished.

If You Are What You Eat...

Then I guess I'd be a strawberry Nutri-grain bar. I definitely would say my middle is just about as mushy. I don't think I've ever eaten as many in my life as I have out here. The quality of the food is sub-par, so I kind of rely on pre-packaged foods. I'll give you a better idea of how it is in the galley. First of all, our chief steward must have gone to culinary school at the Easy-Bake Oven school for retards. Every pastry is about the size of a thimble, which is great for say your waistline, but not very appetizing. And it's not like we're out on a DDG, okay, so why do all the baked goods come out looking like he juggled them before they were through?! To top it off, let me see a show of hands of how many people out there in the FREAKING WORLD who eat raisins in their cupcakes, cakes, pies, etc?? NOONE, that's right. Yet, this guy manages to inject those suckers into every bite. It's not like you can pick them out, either. Who ever heard of strawberry cake -- with raisins!? Well, he did by God. He learned that in the online correspondence course. So today, I did what we've come to know out here as 'being brave.' Yup, I saw the 'appetizing' cupcakes sitting there, and said, "Why not." Yes, folks, I threw caution to the wind, and grabbed not just one, but two. Two! Yes, two bites of cupcakes, they would be. Of course, coming from the Easy-Bake oven, it must have taken him forever, so I guess that's why he slaps the icing on unevenly at the end. He's tired of waiting for the whole process. It takes awhile when you have to wait for a heating lamp to cook your food. Anyway, I peeled away the cupcake-holder-thingie, and didn't spy any brownness, so I thought it was safe. WRONG! After spitting out the 4 raisins I managed to bite into in one little nibble, I sat there and broke apart the cupcake just to see how many were hidden. I stopped counting at 15. Ridiculous.

This guy is the same person who writes out our menus everyday. They are typed up and then posted 'round the ship. Let me give you a 'taste' of his literary talents (which match his culinary skills)...
hmm...tonight I see we are having: CAJUN STYLE JUMELYA
the other day we had: ENCHANADAS (Mexican style, of course)
Oh wow! I'm looking a few days ahead and it looks like we're actually going to have HAMBURGERS (as opposed to what we usually have: HAMBUERS)
Here's another: BEEF RAVOLI
(It's an Italian dish I've never tried before! Sounds scrumptious!)
He likes to describe things as being 'SAVOY.' Makes ME want to try it...
Just a sampling there. It's usually worse.

So even though I've been working out like crazy, lost nearly 10 pounds, and have put on quite a bit of muscle, I still feel unhealthy b/c of my eating habits. It's hard to eat good when there's nothing appetizing. I'm ready for some real food. You know, like microwave dinners.

We're almost to Hawaii now -- just have a few more days 'til we pull into port. I'm probably going to get a rental car to get around Oahu while we're there. The main thing I want to see is the Arizona memorial, but other things such as seeing the 'North Shore' sound fun too. We'll have about 4 days in port before we'll push back out to participate in RIMPAC, which is already underway.

In regards to RIMPAC, there was quite a stir raised by environmentalists this year because of the medium-frequency sonar the Navy wanted to use. The concern that this damages marine mammals was brought up in the form of a suit against the Navy to halt the sonar. As the case progressed, there was a temporary injunction against the sonar's use until the case was settled. The latest word is there was a compromise in which the Navy can use the sonar responsibily (e.g., with restrictions based upon large marine mammal's prescence in the area). Okay, not to be a bummer here, but does anyone think the Navy is really going to put a whale's well-being over what they call 'operational readiness?' Get out of here. It's lip-service, in my opinion. All the participants in the exercise have been instructed to halt use of the active sonar immediately if there is an indication a whale has entered within certain parameters. Oh, and how is the Navy supposed to provide extra measures to watch out for the whales? By putting watch-standers out on the decks of the ships to be a look-out for them, that's how! Oh, ok. That's really gonna work. Besides, that sonar is so powerful, and hence destructive, that there's no way they can halt it in time to keep a whale from being harmed. Despite the fact that we don't even know the complete repercussions of this sonar, anyway.
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