fixed cargoes stack up

We've certainly seen a spike in activity this weekend! I've got back-to-back jobs running the next 4 days- guess the spate of rotten weather (and the threat of more to come mid-week!) is getting shipholders nervous about their fuel reserves.

As I write, we're alongside an absolutely beautiful orange juice tanker.

Yeah, that's how OJ is transported! Some is concentrated, and some 'fresh.' Either way, OJ is a nasty substance to transport. Biodegradable, yet incredibly caustic. The chief ingredient is, of course, ascorbic acid, and lord knows acids are fun to transport.

Anyhow, yeah, pretty tanker, and, of course, it's squeaky clean, which appeals to my sense of order.

I've also been offered an advance copy of Max Hardberger's latest book "Seized"

Capt. Hardberger is a modern adventurer- a ship's captain/admiralty lawyer/repo man. His books are excellent and document all kinds of insane and hazardous adventures between running a tramp freighter, buying and owning one, and boarding and sailing illegally seized ships out of hostile foreign ports. I'll let you know about Seized when I get a hold of my copy.

One of the largest surprises for me this weekend was in reconnecting with a former lady-friend via facebook. Like many of my friends from my days as a nascent biologist, she's a Ph.D now, of course. Without getting bogged down in details, it was nice to reminisce about our internship in the Marine Biological Laboratory down in Woods Hole, MA. Good times.

Just every now and again, I get a little annoyed with myself that I didn't see my way through to get a doctorate like so many classmates, but, if I had, I wouldn't be here, and here is pretty good.