Just Another Day in Paradise!
(or) What a Teacher Does at Sea on a Typical Day on the Indian Ocean
Posted by: Rory Wilson
Thursday, July 26, 2007
5:00 AM Indian Ocean
OK, I will try this, just for one day (Wednesday, July 25, 2007):
3:15AM Hhmmmm. Laying in the upper bunk, awake, kind of, and can feel that the motion has changed again.. smoother now. Not rolling around as much. Actually slept! Waves not as loud on the steel hull only a few feet from this room. Something's changed.
3:30AM Yep, stuff going on in the geophysics room. I'll go up, they are probably getting ready to dredge, have time still but want to help with this one. Want to see how much the swell has come up. Ahh, oops, need to do laundry. Will check.. gather clothes and go down to the lowest deck. NO, both washers have stuff in them. Oh, well. back up.
3:45 AM Geophysics room, Chris and Masako there, others gone.. Huh? look, all on deck. Wire is already out! Just missed putting in the dredge. So now have time for other things.
COFFEE
Back on the computer to do a powerpoint for the conference we want to do on video for Saturday midnight with the school in Texas.
430AM Remember want to do laundry! Back down, start washer, back up, another cup of coffee and on the computer again.
500AM Time going too fast! OH, need to move clothes to the dryer, check email and have a great note from a 10 year old girl in Hawaii about the rainbow. Perfect way to add a close to the presentation!
545AM Clothes back and folded, getting ready to transfer the file to DC and to Texas. Get the size under 10mb so it can fit in email. Send, takes 20 minutes, but SUCCESS! Talk to the "dredgers", and about the polywog plan for our equator crossing. Malcolm is great.
6:00AM Just have time for the stepper workout. Need to do now or will hit Manny's timing and want to be done.
Clean up, actually shave and pack up to take the Mac up to my "locker" work room.
7:00AM geophysics, start to see sunrise, Sarah comes in looking half-asleep, too many hours on rocks, (and Harry Potter) Chris ready to go off 12 hour watch.. I check out the port, see calm seas, say, "YES. just another beautiful day in paradise!" Chris looks over, gives me the look, "don't even start that..." By the way, we share a room and actually almost never see each other. We either work, or sleep.
7:30AM Finally have time with Lara. I have my notes on PERL programming and she patiently explains, while recording multi-beam data, about software models for geology. Awesome programmer! Really helpful, and at the top of a field of, ohhh, maybe 20 people world-wide who can actually do work at this level of software modeling!! All that and a very nice person too.
8:00AM Run up and grab two rasberry fresh baked muffins from Walt. Say good morning.. back on my computer.
900AM James, one of the engineers, stops by, talks about the profiles.
1000AM Dredge coming back up. On the back deck to check out.. enough help, so just have some time off from the computer. Sunny day
Jim yells whale! Maybe I don't really believe for a second till see the large swirling water RIGHT NEXT TO THE SHIP. Five seconds later, this whale is up full out of the water breaching 50 feet away. Everyone in shock at the good luck of seeing this! incredible. I run up ladders to get Howie, be sure he sees (Marine Mammal Observer) He already has his camera and has frames. YES. Breaching again, up several times, heading away.. Whew, that was great. Start to head in, see Laura, the other observer and tell her, she starts running to get out to find Howie.
AHHhh. have to get back to work. have lots more to load to the web site today.
1040AM Run up to the bridge. Heather had a great view of whale, she saw first, right beside the bow! Need some more bridge pictures. YES.
1040AM Back to the computer, load pictures, edit profiles ,almost caught up.
1200 noon. Missed main lunch, grab another muffin, back to the computer, network down but loading profiles with the pictures on the Mac for now, so no problem.
115PM Call Malcolm so we can go cut rocks. He was dredging most of the night, so he took a nap. Awake. So, I go to the back and prep the saws on the back deck. Finish, good sun but cool breeze. Great day. See Laura, we talk about whales and are just taking a break. She sees blow at 100 meters from the ship. More whales. Yells, BLOW! Laura runs for the observers' camera and telephoto, whale hot spot! I run in to tell people, Awesome. Laura says to get Leslie! Everyone on deck for the show.
200PM Now waiting again back by the rock saw, Quiet again. Fred and I talk awhile, no Malcolm yet. Great sun, and if not in breeze, is perfect. Long slow swells. Some far off storm. Not here.
300PM Back in for an hour on the computer, then Macolm comes in, Evy here, we talk about group work and the expedition, then, aaahhhh, need to get out to help Malcolm.
400PM Work helping on the rock sectioning with Malcolm, good session to 500. Then done until later, is time for dinner, but...
500PM, they are putting out seismics and this may be it on seismics, so Amy asks if I am taking pictures.. of course.. lots, load up the card, download. actually do over 200 frames. think have some really good ones. light is good.
600PM secret polywog meeting, plan for our equator crossing initiation. can not discuss. later.
645PM See sunset through port, absolutely beautiful. People getting cameras to go on deck. I go get Rao, need his picture for his profile, perfect chance! On deck, light almost gone. Think I ahve some, and actually try for some others. Will see. Light is very low..
715PM Up by galley for snack since missed dinner. talking to people, have some peanut butter. lightening up, get ready for shore running. Aaahhh, remember video meeting for tomorrow morning with Texas students/summer school.
800PM To the room, check and send some emails.. read clips from Harry Potter, can't keep my eyes open. later...
JULY
7/30 - Final day at sea: on the way into Singapore
7/26 - A Day in the Life of a Teacher at Sea
7/18 - Checking our Position (Latitude) with a Sextant
7/16 - Monsoon Blues in the Indian Ocean
7/15 - WAVES, Rough Weather, but an exciting day... WHALES
7/11 - Not the Best Day for Science at Sea
7/9 - Discoveries on the 90 East Ridge
7/5 - Closer to Home, Life Here Onboard
7/2 - Ocean Careers: Texas to Russia
JUNE
6/30 - Easy Cruising Day: Now in the Southeast Trade Winds
6/27 - We Crossed the Equator Today, Heading South.
6/21 - Night Time Fun in the Indian Ocean
6/20 - Transit Gale in the Indian Ocean
6/17 - Arrived in Phuket, Thailand (finally)
