Sailing Again

I know I haven't exactly been diligent on blogging but really not a whole lot has happened in the last year that is worth blogging about. The house doesn't look like it did in the last set of pics but renos have come to a grinding halt do to a severe lack of funds. Renovating and decorating an entire house is expensive, go figure. Once more money is available and things start to change around here again I'll post pics.

On the work front... Athabaskan is finally out of refit and we made our fist jaunt to sea last week. We did engineering trials and Reduced Readiness Inspections (RRI's). That means we did a week of training and lectures alongside and then we sailed with Sea Training onboard and they made our lives miserable and sleep deprived for two days. They do this by directing different exercises such as man overboard, fire, and flood.

The engineering trials went okay but there were a few hitches; like the boiler dieing and we had no hot water or heat for about 3 days. It was REALLY cold in the mess.












On a positive note, Athabaskan got her first port in almost 2 years when we pulled into Boston for the weekend.
Let me tell you, Canadians could learn a thing or two about appreciating their military from the Americans. I was in a bar my first night in Boston and I only spent $20 because the other customers found out I was in the Canadian Navy and I didn't have to pay for a beer the rest of the night. And on the Saturday I was on my way to the aquarium and I started chatting with a guy that had his three daughters with him and when I mentioned I was in on the Canadian destroyer he payed my way into the aquarium shook my hand and said thank you for what you are doing.

Every time I mention the fact that I'm in the navy to a Canadian (outside of my friends and family or the Maritimes) I get a lecture on how we shouldn't be in the gulf or Afghanistan and international politics. Its not only me that deals with that kind of crap its my family as well. Its very frustrating knowing that what I do is absolutely, unquestionably necessary and the fact that myself and all the other members of the forces sacrifice so much and the people who we are working to protect at home in Canada either don't know or care about what we do. Or worst yet tell us we are doing something bad or evil. Everybody should check out this story on CBC.ca and I"ll let it go at that. http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/2008/04/041308_1.html

Anyway we are starting to sail again and things will be picking up around here I hope. Keep an eye out for my new adventures.