Salaciously reporting in

Oh, sorry, I don't have anything salacious to report. It's just one of those words I don't use too often, and has a vaguely negative tone it it, like 'moist.'

 I'm back at work, and got here a little late. Rotten weather up and down the entire east coast on my travel day saw my flight get cancelled, which resulted in me having to wait until the next morning to fly out. The flight was... sloppy, let's say. I actually arrived to Newark NJ (I had to get a flight there, although it was somewhat out of my way, or lose another day) and was slightly nauseous. The last 90 minutes of the flight was a shit show, and the very nervous foreign person next to me stank.

 Have you ever gotten a whiff of the fear stink that comes off a dog during a thunderstorm? Imagine that, plus B.O.  

     Unfortunately, Victorr the Carbarian was my driver at the airport.

     The car service we use in the northeast is made up of a bunch of good guys. Victor is an elderly hispanic dude who drives with two lead feet- one on the brake, and one on the gas. He has two speeds: 'Screeching halt' and 'floor it.'   EVERYONE is routinely carsick when Victor lays waste to our middle ear balance with his assault taxi.

 So, as HAWSEPIPER's Afloat Global HQ/Seahabilitation Center was at anchor, I went directly to the grocery store to stock up on grub, and proceeded to shop while nauseous. By the time I was finished, I felt fine, but was at the register with like a potato and 5 liters of Pepto-Bismol, so I backtracked and actually shopped reasonably.

   I had a VERY full time off, and beyond not enjoying the travel, I'm in a good headspace, feeling rested and all, mentally, at least. I didn't sleep much my last day at home, but that's OK.

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       I have a trainee for the first two weeks aboard, a former tugboat deckhand I worked with many times over the past few years, someone I legitimately like and know a bit, so hopefully it won't be too bad.
      I let my port captain know several years ago that I would prefer to be laid off than to have a trainee. I have a little teaching experience as a biologist, and part of being a research scientist is sharing your knowledge so I tried to learn teaching techniques when I was much younger and more motivated. I learned enough to know that outside of the regimented confines of scientific reporting, I do NOT enjoy teaching. I have steadfastly refused to be a Sea Daddy to any ordinary seamen, and with the exception of training my replacement on the ISHMAEL, who is himself a commercial fishing vessel owner and captain today,  I didn't like working with greenhorns as a commercial fisherman, either.

 But I do actually like this guy, and he deserves better than to be dismissed. That, and no one told me he was coming, so I couldn't kick him off without insulting him, and he doesn't deserve that. I'm going to need a new tankerman in the near future, so I might just be training my new right-hand man.  But I'm not too thrilled about it, either. The best part of my job is not having to be nice to anyone when I don't feel like it. Still, I'm sure I'll survive, and perhaps being nice to people won't actually be as bad as it seems.  It's going to make the peace and quiet I crave more difficult to find, through no fault of this guy, and at least he's a good egg.