Monthly Archives: July 2002

“Baby doll, you don’t have to buy me a birthday present. You are my birthday present.”

I did find him a few things, but that’s between me & my paycheque, after all.

Long day today…

Class at the UW this morning, which I managed to stay awake for on five hours sleep.
Shopped for Mike’s birthday present at Bellvue Square.
Went for sushi with Mike’s friend Jason, who I dragged along on the shopping expedition.
Gingerly entered the EVIL that is the Redmond Towne Centre. Bought books for Mikey.
Came home long enough to catch a phone call from best Texan friend Shelly and get my uniform on for work.
Worked charter on the Kirkland.
Had to actually say NO to going out after work with the gang because, well, I’m tired. And I have homework. And I would fall asleep coming home over the 520 bridge from downtown.

Now I have to go get my uniform washed to do MORE charter fun tomorrow. Seafair week & all. Yee-haw, flipping hydroplanes aplenty!

Mike did. I miss him a lot. It didn’t stop me from snapping at him. Because I was fast asleep, fathoms deep, recovering from yesterday’s 14 hour shift. Friday, I was home at 1:30, somewhat tipsy, after a couple margaritas on an almost-empty stomach with some of my favorite Argonauts, after an evening wedding charter on the Kirkland. One of my colleagues had been talking about needing someone to work his AM shift on the Locks tour. I adore the Locks tour, and yet, I didn’t say anything, I wanted to sleep in…and I felt guilty for not helping him out.

Just as well he called after I got home and asked why I couldn’t take the shift for him. So Saturday, I was at work at 9am. OK, OK, 9:10. I was tired! And I couldn’t get the backup alarm to work, and as a result, I overslept. The Locks tour is two hours each way, and goes from Lake Union to downtown Seattle via…duh! the Locks. Then it picks up a new load of passengers and goes back to the lake dock, where it switches out staff. It’s about a seven hour day if you’re working one shift.

I was already scheduled for the afternoon shift on the boat, so taking the AM shift meant that I would be on the boat from 9am to 11pm. And it turns out that my best Argo-friend James, my “gay boyfriend” (SaTC term) had taken his younger brother’s AM shift, and had already been scheduled on with me for the PM one. And we got the coolest skipper in the fleet as well, one of the younger guys, who lets us go climbing about on the top of the boat to do stupid stunts involving the Fremont Bridge clearance.

By trip #4, I was on top on the boat, lying on top of the wheelhouse after putting the mast down, having taped a figurine made out of plastic cups to the top of the radar to see exactly how much clearance we had, and running my hand along the girders on the underside of the Fremont Bridge as we passed under. It got enough life back in me that I was able to stay awake for the rest of the run. I was so tired at that point that I was staring out the open door at the Sound on the way up from downtown to the Locks, half-dreaming of home, eyes glassed over and feet screaming in pain.

Today, I’m just doing the afternoon Locks run. I swapped out my – this was terrible – 8:15am shift – ANOTHER 14 hour day – for it. Seven hours instead of 14. But the same guy I was covering for yesterday ASKED me to swap so he could work with one of the fleet’s cute girls. Fine by me. Have at. I’m delighted to sleep until noon, and then lie around the house. Speaking of which, time to hit the shower and go get groceries. Work in 90 minutes.

On “Saviour” (track #4) on VNV Nation’s “Empires” CD, the chord pattern sounds familiar.

So familiar that I listened to the track twice trying to place it. I finally did. It’s the exact same pattern, the exact same key sequence, as the Spice Girls’ “Viva Forever”

The things I think about on the bus to school….

That is all.

I wish I could be up there to celebrate it with you…but I’m thinking of you today anyways 🙂

I just got woken up by Mike’s ex-wife calling. And then had to stay on the phone so she could apologize for waking me in broken English.

Then Mike called, because he thought it was 9am here, not 7am. When he realized his hotel room clock was wrong, he went “eep! don’t kill me!”

I. Do. Not. Do. Mornings.

*growl*

I’ve lost my snooze-sleep time.

I don’t have anything to study for, or even anything I could be studying for. New class doesn’t start for ten hours. Mike’s gone to Texas. I might just have to go to sleep.