Thoughts of the Lady in the Tower

2004-10-04 - 7:32 p.m.

Whidbey Island

This is a LONG entry, so I'm going to do it in parts. In the meantime, PICTURES (I'll talk about them later). Today is part 1 of (I think) 6.

Arrival

After a day spent in airplanes and airports (apparently, when you work for the government it takes an act of Congress to fly across the US direct; it�s not equally enforced, but my department follows the guideline), I arrived at Sea-Tac about 2 pm. I made it to the Muliketo/Clinton ferry about an hour-ish later. The ferry had just left, so I parked the car and wandered out onto the pier.

And so began my entrancement with the area. I grew up in the flat coastlands of South Carolina, but spent (what I feel were the years most important in my development) my college years in the upstate of SC, the foothills of the Appalachians. I guess I�ve always assumed that you couldn�t have rocky mountains and ocean expanses in the same place, but I�ve learned differently. I spent the short (20 minutes?) trip on the deck, enjoying the view.

Friday, I had to go to the pass office (on the main base) before I could go to the Seaplane base. A coworker (who annoys me to no end) gave me directions, but they were inaccurate, and it took me an hour to find the place. By the time I got to the MU, the boat had already left.

On the other hand, when they got back I didn�t mind so much. Spending the day towing mines in 4-5 ft seas in a 7 meter rubber rib does NOT sound like a good time. Especially when you consider that the mines way several hundred pounds, and the boats get swamped.

Eh, I could have done it, but I was just as glad to have a good excuse not to.

My annoying coworker is the reason I was put on this project. It was one of his projects, but he got another job and left. I had to deal with him on Friday; he left WA that first Saturday morning, and completed his last week while I was gone. I don�t have to deal with him anymore. Hoo-rah!