GraveYard Shift BS

Thanks for sharing this story. Life by the Drop is still on of my favorite songs. One of my best friends was killed when he was still pretty young and this was a song he listened to constantly back in the day. Your story made me think of him!

 

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who has an interest in reading this type of stuff. It's morbid and I've wondered if it was because of the industry I work or not....

I got some of it tonight. The little girl freaking out and being shot in the head....

 

Come on up!

Usually save the game (caribou and moose) and fish for special days with the kids. It was delicious and I have leftover mooseburger to pack for lunch at least a couple times this week.

Naps are good, and it doesn't take a lot to make a big difference. Enjoy your break Joe.

Yep, you called that one.

Welcome. Sorry for the lose of your friend young, but remembering the good times is how we pay respects.

 

Yea. Pretty bizarre episode.

Guess I'm working till 11am. It's cold, rainy, windy and I just want to go home.
Oh well. Might as well get it over with early in the week.

 

Mondays always kick me in the nuts. Now if I would keep my night shift sleep schedule during the weekends.... But yeah that doesn't happen so I always end up doing Monday morning/Sunday night shift on 2-3 hours of sleep.

My custom blackout curtain should be ready from the tailor on Tuesday though! Had it made so it'll Velcro around the huge sliding glass door/window in my apartment bedroom so no light leaks in around the corners.

 

The food really sounds great!

Rich, do you remember the bison and elk farm not too far from Spencer? I used to buy some meat there every so often to cook really nice cuts of meat, priced pretty reasonable and different for south central Indiana.

Bummer Rich, I was thinking with the 3 hour run times you might be getting a break tonight. Working over on night shift, for me at least, is not the same as any other shift or coming in early. I struggle with it.

Good call. I've done the night thing on and off over half my life and I need real darkness and quiet to get quality sleep. I've done something similar and I wear ear plugs. Works like a champ...most of the time.

 

We do get a little desensitized I think. When I worked Rescue the only ones that really got to me were when kids were involved. I remember tasking a HH-53 out of Kirtland AFB, NM once to get up to a crash site the local Sheriffs were having trouble reaching. Was working with the Command Post controller and the helo was 5 mins from lifting off when report came in that one of the SAR Teams had made it to the site and confirmed all on board were dead. When I called the CP back to cancel the launch and passed on the status, I could hear the sadness in the controller's voice. I thought he was gonna break down on me. Made me realize how working with it day to day had affected me. But the missions we managed to get there in time and save some lives were some of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

EDIT: We didn't routinely task helos out of Kirtland. They were not a dedicated SAR unit, at least not for CONUS peacetime SAR. But the crash site was at such high altitude it required the HH-53's service capability to be able to hover and drop off/pick-up crews and/or survivors that high up.

OT = Suspension Upgrade

Adapt and overcome.

 

The curtain will help. I have movie screen blinds for my windows. I keep it pitch dark in there. The only issue is that now I prefer the darkness on my days off.... Maybe it is just a winter thing

 

I'm sure that's the case. Much of my family works or worked in the medical field and I remember several occasions when a few of my family members would go to work on days / time off to observe surgical procedures not routinely done at their facility. I think given time I could get used to it but it would take time.

Rob I think we discussed my dealing with St. Jude and while rarely a grizzly scene it certainly resets ones way of thinking. We were in-patient for months during the chemo, radiation & bone morrow transplant and I literally lived at the hospital in an adjoining "parent" room. It was very difficult for me even after we were out of the woods. Seeing the other children and parents go through the situation was not something got used to. Of course most people got to know each other so that I'm sure didn't help.

 

Yea Joe. He still has some out there on occasion but not like back in the day when he had hundreds.
Have yourself some good time off!!

 

Yeah man, kids suffering always gets to me. When "evil" attacks innocence you can't help but get emotional. For me it's a blend of sadness, anger, and adrenaline ... It always seems so unfair and my mind wants to know why when there is no understandable reason for it.

If that makes any sense at all.

 

Thanks Rich!

I'm out guys until at least Thursday night. Doesn't mean I won't check it just maybe not on night shift.

Y'all have a great week & be safe.

 

Take care Joe, enjoy your break and we'll catch ya' later.

 

Oh it does Rob...in fact it's well said. I can't count how many times I asked why.

 

Had a productive couple of days.. Got the piping replaced in 304 Stainless, replaced a couple of a antennas, did some painting in the engine room.. Complete tool reorganization, replaced some rigging..

I'm sure you all have had this experience.. One of the people on the boat is so highly intelligent that they're not willing to take suggestions or input on anything.. And their way is the only way that works. Just last trip, I counted 4 bad judgement calls that manifested into bad and or stupid mistakes. With nearly each one, outside input was given that may have resulted in a different outcome - only to be ignored immediately. First big mistake was just stupid; second big mistake resulted in us parting one of our synthetic winch lines, having to replace it - and force us to fish in horrible weather in order to make up for time lost. Spent the day replacing navigational lights and antennas that were all taken out from the shock of the winch line parting..

This person has been acting this way for years; and it's getting to be incredibly frustrating for me to deal with it. Same person can't accept any blame, and attempted regularly implicates other people. It may be wrong, but I can't help but laugh when they literally get bitten in the butt from their own lack of foresight..

The never being wrong thing applies to anything and everything.. Especially things that I know a great deal about, and they know nothing about. I've learned to just nod my head and say "yup", rather than argue my point; it's fruitless.

All in all, I'm getting totally sick of it!

Just heading into the Shelikof Strait for another trip, hoping to be finished by tomorrow evening!

 

Having to put up with that sucks. I guess the only thing you can do is vent, like you're doing here. I sincerely hope one of their "bad judgment calls" doesn't injure or kill anyone. A fishing boat is not the safest place to begin with; a person in charge with that kind of attitude makes it significantly more dangerous.

Try to stay safe Jake.

 

Puttin in another 12 hr day. Yay.

 

You're doing a lot of that lately. Are ya'll behind schedule?

 

I worked nights for 1.5 years, it was OK but I just ended up sleeping less and less and skipped some days completely.
I now have to fly for work, every week...and every 3rd week I fly to Europe for a week. So technically I still work nights every now and then