There's a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout...

'cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out
And these mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again
If you only try turning around -
So breathe, just breathe...

Rota, Spain.

The city hasn't changed much since the last time I was here, summer 2006 on the Apache. I didn't get much of a chance to get out and around then, and I spent most of my time this time around on a bar stool or a patio watching the beach (and the local fauna), so maybe I'm not the best observer. It's a Navy town; they have lots of alcohol, and the priestesses of the sacred bar are devoted to their art, and the rest of the locals would be just as happy if you'd piss off and leave them alone. Air Force guys are surprisingly fun to drink with, although it helps if you tell them "Opsec" when they ask you why you're here. They think I'm Special Forces or something -guess he didn't see the swinging gut.

I'm trying to lose that, although it's a slow process not notably assisted by this weekend's intake of liquid calories in the guise of lovely lovely ethanol. Guinness really is the beer that drinks like a meal, and other than the occasional cushioning layer of fuzzy water piss beer and sweetening shot of Jameson, is about all I consumed this weekend. Still, I'm making progress; at the root of this sudden foray into fitness is a wager with the Chief Mate as to whom can lose the most weight within the first two months of the deployment. Given that I've got twenty years less and sixty pounds more than he, I think my odds are good - I'm already down between five and ten, though I should probably check that now that we're in port and the rolling seas aren't going to keep throwing the scales out of whack.

Finally watched Scrubs season 4, and it hooked me enough to pick up season 5. Watched all of Wonderfalls - a seriously awesome show in the vein of Dead Like Me, with special bonus appearances from Jewel Staite. Many thanks to Damaris for first bringing the show to my attention, and now I really wish I'd borrowed it from her rather than waiting this long. ^_^

I bought a new hat. I know, usually hats and I get along together about as well as tall bulky men with incredibly large heads and inevitably too-small flappy things can be expected to get along, but I think this one rather works - which of course is the usual first sign that I look ridiculous. The second one, of course, is when people compliment me on how well it looks - which has also occurred. But it shades my face and the fabric is SPF 50, and being bound for the Burning Lands and all, it's probably all for the best.

On the other hand, somebody just (quite literally 'just') referred to me as "Indiana Jones", so maybe I'm just missing the warning signs.

Next stop, the Burning Sands, sometime towards the middle or end of next month. Or the month after, nobody's really sure.