Rolling Seas

[Editor's Note:  For those readers wishing to see photographs and other media, these will be posted at port. Unfortunately, the email system does not allow for photo attachments due to file size.]

Dear Readers:

Even though we've had some nice, rolling seas over the past few days, students have been doing their best to fight off motion sickness come hill or high water (pun intended).  Between anti-seasickness patches, pills, bands, and good old fashion denial, students are slowly getting their sea legs just in time for more classes, and cleaning stations.  

When cadets aren't on watch, in class, or studying, they can be found from the early hours of the morning scraping, cleaning, painting, mopping, and waxing the ship until it nearly sparkles.  These duties are particularly important at sea to prevent rust – a major cause of deterioration of metal on ship.  The cadets have my personal gratitude for helping to keep our home for the next 42 days spotless!

As for the library, the rolls must have hit a bit harder last night, since I arrived in the library to (luckily!) just one shelf of books displaced during the night.  I've added another bungee as a precaution, but besides that (*knock on wood*)   we’re running a tight ship in the library.  I think one set of exams is over and now they can relax a little bit.   Some professors are still finishing their lesson plans and come into the library for support materials in ship’s business and security. There are about 80 Texas cadets here, and their officers have been coming by looking for academic materials.  Talk about inter-academy collaboration!

Word is we’re making good time towards the Azores, even with the rolling. Everyone else is more or less over their seasickness and getting their sea legs acclimated.  I’m doing well – I've been medicating since the beginning and again, knock on wood, I have had zero days seasick.

During the off-time, we’re all enjoying the delicious treats the Mess Deck has to offer.  At night, just around the time we show a movie for cadets, the Mess Deck opens a “snack bar” full of popcorn, nachos, and desserts, which can serve as a reward for some after a hard day’s work. Tonight there were chocolate chip cookies – an all-around favorite!

One last shout out this evening from engineering 3/C Cadet Thomas Maloney, who’s been reading the “First Responder” newspaper in the library, and says hi to all of his family ashore.  To Mr. and Mrs. Frisina, your cadet is doing a great job at his stations!

Fair Winds and Following Seas,

Liz Berilla