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7.26.2007

7.15.2007

Little Anglo Lie

So I suppose that I conveniently forgot to mention that I wouldn't be working in NY at all. Flew into Jersey, worked in Bayonne (Jersey) and flew outta Jersey. It was an all Jersey weekend, and it wasn't half bad.

Two By Two

Picture shows two, forty-foot containers up on the pool deck of the Azamara Journey cruise ship. This is one of two ships that Celebrity has acquired from Pullmantur Cruises and this was the first one to be renovated. I get to help renovate the second one in the fall. Azamara is a sub-brand that Celebrity has created to distinguish it's higher class, and more intimate, cruises. These ships only hold about seven-hundred people so the experience is a lot different than one of the larger vessels. I didn't get too much time to look around but it seems like a nice ship.

So the big job that JS and I had to fly up to Jersey for was just to unload a couple hundred new deck chairs onto the pool deck. The job was supposed to be a lot more difficult with old chairs being disposed of and the possibility of the new chairs being so thoroughly wrapped for protection that it might have taken forever to strip each one of it's padding. However, we ended up only disposing of a few dozen old chairs and each new unit was sitting comfortably in a box with very little in the way of additional protection. Ended up being a pretty easy day on Saturday.

Still lost another weekend to my new salaried position.
Shucks.

7.12.2007

I Have No Travel Plans. . .

. . . but the company has plenty.

Really I can't complain. I've only been to Gotham twice and both times I was working as a tour guide. That means that I drove onto The Island once to drop off passengers and then drove to a hotel in New Jersey. And the second time I drove to The Block all I did was pick up new passengers and then I promptly left for Niagara Falls with the new tour group. So going to the Big Apple isn't exactly a punishment. Of course the possibility of having time to actually appreciate Manhattan is highly minimal. Flight gets into NJ tomorrow at Five o'clock in the post meridiem and I'm slated to work at Six o'clock in the ante meridiem on Saturday. Dog only knows how long the work day will be on Saturday and then I fly back out fairly early Sunday morn.

Not exactly conducive to sightseeing.

I hear the ferry to Ellis Island takes longer than ten minutes so I doubt I'll be visiting that great American icon. Interesting note about that. . . is seems that Hornblower Cruises wasn't happy just running the cruises to Alcatraz, now they seem to have acquired the rights to run the boats to Ellis Island. Go JP. The world is yours.

So, gone is my complacency in the office. Off to learn a new port, pier and loading process so that when I have to go in an emergency later on it'll be easy. Haven't mentioned it yet but this trip is a bit of a luxury because I'll be the junior member of a logistics team. That means I won't be there alone. I'm travelling and working with a guy who has been with the company about eighteen years. When he started with Royal Caribbean I believe they had something like six ships. Now Royal has twenty-one and Celebrity has another ten. Times have changed in that man's world and hopefully he will impart some of his wisdom this weekend as we work and 'play.'

Perhaps I can detail the reasons for our trip later on. But I think I'll pass on taking the ol' laptop on this mini endeavor. My group may be getting blackberries soon so I think I'll take this opportunity to travel unplugged. Of course the cell phones don't care where I am. . .

7.11.2007

Booked

I've now had my fingerprints taken and checked with the FBI database two days in a row. . . and yet I'm not in prison. Gotta be a record. No, I haven't been getting into trouble. Yes, I have been jumping my way through more hoops than a more respected man could shake a stick at. Done gone and got myself a corporate credit card (though it's really just a charge card and all the expenses come back to me. you know, in case I get rowdy and head off to Atlantic City or something). And the last two days I've been finding my way through port security regulations at the Port of Miami and Port Everglades.

Getting a port ID for each port is apparently extremely necessary. I haven't needed one yet but everyone assures me that if I don't get it right away I'll be sorry. Well I guess I hate to be sorry so I just finished jumping through those hoops. The process at Port Everglades wasn't too bad but the process at the Port of Miami was like taming a wild tiger with a t-bone tied to your leg. Stoopid.

Next time you are forced to enter one of our lovely DMV offices here in the states take a minute to look around. Now imagine a room the size of one of those cubicles in the middle and place four disgruntled agents and fifteen impatient customers co-existing inside it. That's the ID office at the Port of Miami. At one point the staff started leaving one by one until there was only one agent and eight people waiting in line. The agent looks up and proceeds to go on a tirade about how she was only there today to train another guy, etc, etc, etc.

Suffice to say I probably spent two hours waiting in various lines. Good times.

Wish I had something more interesting to write about but I can only complain about the weather so much.

7.01.2007

Is That You, Hell?

It's Me, Aaron.

No, Southern Florida isn't really That bad. Bit hot though. Not so much of a big deal now that I finally convinced my roommate that I really do weigh one-point-five-times her weight and there's something to be said for a little a/c when you're carryin' around that kinda junk in multiple trunks.
Actually we're still experiencing thunderstorms almost every afternoon and the breeze that blows through our place is, and Bill & Ted would say, "Most Excellent." I believe in fresh air. Hell, I've spent most of my life breathing it so why would I let a little humidity stop me from enjoying it on a daily basis now? But a man's gotta sleep. . . . so they tell me.

Got the a/c on tonight though. Gots-ta. Gets to sit me through a three-hour meeting tomorrow morning. Planning mtg. for the upcoming drydock in Hamburg. Already experienced one last week. Wasn't so bad except for the part where nothing happened concerning my department, which was most of it. No matter, at least I won't be flown thousands of miles to a job I have no scope on ever again. Or will I?

Good night you princes of Oregon, you knights of the round block of Gouda.