Flying Fish and Green Flash Sunsets

I try to make a point everyday to get 15min of mandatory fresh air and sunshine. Some days it’s harder than others because I’m in a hurry or the weather decks are closed due to flight ops. (No one can go outside except crew while they are flying the helo…it’s a big bummer.) It’s amazing how much you miss just a minute of walking outside and getting real light. Recently it’s been horribly humid and hot so the 15min gets a bit long… so it’s nice when flight ops secures before dinner. It’s usually cool enough as the sun goes down. I’ve been trying to watch for the sunsets and especially on the lookout for the green flash. Look it up J Apparently they are really popular in Guam so while I was there we stayed out and tried to see one, but the clouds got in the way. Tonight I got to see flying fish. They are out of the water for approximately 20-30sec (from the ones I counted). It’s incredible! From the deck they look very small but I was told they are about 18” long.

 

So this past weekend I was in Guam. The first two days were working days (we didn’t get liberty till 1600) and the middle two days I had duty (so I had to stay on the ship 24hrs). The first day after work I had been selected to attend the Guam Chamber of Commerce event welcoming the USNS Mercy to Guam. Requirements were a bubbly personality and to be a young professional on the mission. Glad I could be bubbly enough. It was held at the Outrigger Hotel in downtown, a gorgeous, luscious, tropical and lovely hotel. The food was great! I ate as much sashimi and cheese (they don’t have ANY cheese onboard) as I could. Also enjoyed a delicious prime rib with local island sauce (soy sauce based) and desserts. Meet a few chamber members that were retired military or ones who moved to Guam after a weeklong visit-30 years ago! After the event we walked down to some local bars and played all night! We were out with the Master (MSC CO), Chief Mate (MSC XO), Cargo Mate (also MSC), some nurses, optometrists, PAOs, Band Director, nutritionists, doctors… Quite a mix of people but really a fun time! Back on the ship by midnight and ready for the next working day. For the next two days I had duty (I picked up a duty day so I have off in Singapore). Got to bed early Friday night but had to wake up at 0130 to report for duty at 0230. Lucky for me nothing exciting happened during my 9hr watch (two watches back to back) just before and then after my shifts... I didn’t get off till noon Saturday and at that point decided just to stay awake. Make a food run for lunch and dinner for the crew. Tried watching Crazy Heart but fell asleep early. Woke up early (0530) Sunday to call Aaron and muster…then waited for my friend Jenny to come by and pick me up. Jenny is a nurse here on Guam that I went to ODS with. She’ll be coming to SD in the fall, but not before I come back through Guam one more time! Sunday was so fun and relaxing. We attended a “Floatilla”…you bring your raft or float and just lay out in the bay listening to the music from the bar on the beach. Although the sun wasn’t out as much as it had been the past two days, it was still beautiful. My friends condo is a 4 bedroom overlooking the bay and just steps from the water. In Guam you get OAH for overseas housing and it’s a use or lose type pay. In San Diego my BAH goes into my paycheck so I don’t have to have a house/apt the same cost as the pay…in Guam you do, so you might as well get the best possible. I told her she’ll have to lower her standards quite a bit from the HUGE condo, marble floors and counters, garden bath tubs and balconies…seriously it was gorgeous. Did I mention her and her bf came to pick me up in a jeep? Most amazing thing ever!!how many jeeps there are on the island! I love it.

 

We finally picked up more staff! Right now there are about 25 people on the schedule. Huge difference from our first 5. Most don’t have real “peds” experience…but come from L&D or postpartum. All our NGO (non governmental organizations …ie civilians) have very specific peds experience (ie 6yrs in PICU or 4yrs in NICU/Peds). We also got our docs! KMAC signed on Friday while I was on duty…I was in my whites and he had just gotten a bloody nose. Great to see him, not necessarily safe for a hug. Lol So glad to have a face I know around though… We have a lot of different service members and civilian groups onboard now. Walking down the hall you see Army, Air Force, UK Doc, Australian military, Singapore Docs, Canadian military and different Navy groups too…the Seabees are here, MAs, Line Officers, Staff Officers…….

 

Side note, not too interesting but kind of is to me… I have a tooth bothering me and had it looked at last week. It seemed to be getting better until this AM when it started really hurting. Just while eating though. I had made a point to go to the dentist sometime later today and then a dentist came to me at lunch and said “Heard your tooth has been bothering you a bit”. Kind of weird but at the same time a good example of what happens when you take the work away from providers…they go out looking for some! It’s finally getting exciting knowing we’ll be taking on patients in about a week…definitely more of a buzz around the ship (probably helps there are 500 more people now too).

 

Time for bed… 0515 spin class in AM!