Mingling with the stars

100326-N-1926C-034 NAVAL BASE CORONADO, Calif. (March 26, 2010) The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) arrives at Naval Air Station North Island. Nimitz and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 returned to its homeport of San Diego after completing an eight-month deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handler) 3rd Class Amanda Cabasos/Released)

Another beautiful day in San Diego, and one day closer to our INSURV inspection!  I pulled this shot off of navy.mil to give you guys a better view of where I currently work.  I'm about to get kicked out of Panera Bread so this has to be really short. 

My blog posts may be sporadic and with even less storytelling logic than in the past.  At this point, I'm just taking random photos and writing about what I think would be interesting/helpful.

This is MC3 Adam Wolfe.  Who's Adam Wolfe you say??? Shame on you.  He's the original Fort Meade 'A' blogger.  He was the source of information and inspiration for me and my blog, and we're stationed on the same ship!  I gave him a shout-out on the first page of my blog.  Check out his blog here.

Things got...awkward...when I asked for an autograph.

SURVIVAL TIP

Be ready to be around not-so-bubbly Sailors when you report to a ship.  You will have conversations with people that, for whatever reasons, just aren't happy.  I get the feeling my own considerable determination and good attitude will be put to the test here.  Remember why you joined, and be prepared to hold on to it with all you're worth.

CLARIFICATION:  For everyone writing me about this...  1.  Wolfe is great, and is a very happy guy.  2.  The photos are faked.  3.  The survival tip isn't related to the photos, it was just what was on my mind that day.  4.  I cannot confirm or deny rumors that MC3 Wolfe will return in glorious fashion to the world of blogging.

What lies beneath

Training for an emergency!  I'm happier than I look.

Okay I have to hurry up and post this because the internet is really unruly here.  I'm sitting at a recreation center on Naval Base San Diego.  There's 50 others here with the same idea as me...

I'm continuing to learn my way around and things are getting a little easier.  I've successfully memorized the location of THREE heads (bathrooms) on the ship!

 

They had grapes AND pineapples today!  There's only iceberg lettuce at the salad bar, though. No nutritional value...

The Nimitz is like a giant anthill, with blue ants scrambling back and forth along its tunnels.  Seriously, it's like a highway in there, and people move fast.  You have to step out of your berthing hatch (bedroom door), merge with the other ants, and turn on the gas.

If I don't know where I'm going, I just pretend by walking real fast and purposefully.

The guys in my shop do pushups, pullups, and situps at random times throughout the day.  I cannot stress enough how much I love that.  Being able to work out in the middle of the work day adds energy and saves time.

The tour group on the Nimitz flight deck.  The USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vincent are in the background.

I've been carrying trash, hauling cargo, and crawling around in dumpsters since I got here.  The ship is undergoing INSURV right now.  It happens every five years and ensures a ship is ready for war.

I was beginning to wonder if I should keep polishing my boots everyday when suddenly I was called to help escort a tour group through the ship.  It immediately became clear why we're trained to look good.  For one hour, I was a representative of the Navy for 12 civilians. 

Dinner at Outback with some of the MCs.

SURVIVAL TIP

Get out of the ship when you get the chance!  Sunshine and relaxation are key when you live in such cramped conditions. 

The belly of the beast

The Top Gun theme played in my head as the Nimitz arrived.

My home is now the USS Nimitz!  I recently watched in awe as the massive carrier pulled into port.  After a considerable wait, all the new Sailors were taken aboard to get situated.

It's a whole new game now.

Wray in the tv studio's control room.

Wray is my assigned "sponsor", and is my guide while I get acclimatized to ship life.  Over the weekend he showed me the places where I'll be spending the most time, such as the media center (where we edit footage) and the tv studio (where we broadcast the news). 

This is my unhappy face.

It's going to take some time to used to my new life.  I was not prepared for the living quarters.  They were much more cramped than I was expecting.  To my right there's another stack of three bunks.  I have no idea how people operate in such a small space.

I woke up in my rack last night needing to go to the bathroom.  I realized immediately that I had no idea how to find it.  I've been there twice but will need a few more trips to seal it to memory.

The view of San Diego from the Coronado bridge is a nice morale booster.

I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed by everything right now.  I expect it'll take weeks to get my bearings.  I think getting the first work week under my belt will ease the stress a bit.

It helps that Naval Base Coronado is in such a cool location.  There's some great motorcycle rides here and the weather is perfect every day.

I'm not sure what I'm allowed to take photos of, but will post more soon.  Wish me luck people!

SURVIVAL TIP:

Get into contact with your sponsor as soon as you know what ship you're assigned to.  If he/she doesn't call you, take the initiative and establish communication.  (you can probably find a number online)  The Sailors without sponsors had a tough time initially because no one was waiting to escort them onto the ship. 

I am complete

 Metal love.

Break out the champagne, Siren made it!  Yesterday my motorcycle was delivered safe and sound to my waiting arms.  I immediately went for a ride, and everything was gravy.

If you ride...you know what I'm talking about.

The guys that brought Siren made sure the bike had enough gas and started ok before leaving.

The process was pretty painless and I'd definitely recommend Allied to ship your bike.  But use uShip first to see what kind of bids you can get.  (see earlier post about Uship)  Just be ready to talk to a lot of people throughout the transaction.  (corporate schedulers, dispatchers, individual drivers)