The Cruise

This is a new Charles, Steve, and Me story. To read the last one go to http://theadmiralsquarters.spaces.live.com and find "A Tale of Unrequited Love" it was posted in April of 2007.

Without further ado:

The Cruise.

The manufacturing company that Charles, Steve and I work for was doing a training operation to further enable it's technical operators to work the equipment in cold environments. So they sent us on one of the company's frieghters into the Bering Strait of Alaska to pick up several thousand tons of Alaskan wood stripped out of the forests.

Early one Friday morning I kissed my beautiful wife and children goodby and rushed out the door and into my new Smart for 4 car and left to pick up my partners in crime. I maneuvered my little car in and out of rush hour traffic headed east on the interstate. My radio was explaining very repetitively that the world as we know it is about ready to crash and burn and that global warming and George Bush was the cause of all the problems. I got tired of hearing about it and switched stations to hear about Neal Boortz talking about his fair tax plan. I heaved a long sigh and switched my stereo to my Veggie Tales Cd and sang along with Larry the cucumber trying to get my mind off the upcoming trip.

When I drive, my brain switches to auto-pilot mode because driving takes the brain power of a one-celled amoeba and I usually end up falling asleep even during the middle of the day. This morning was no exception to the rule. Dueting with Barbara Manatee was just enough to keep my interest up and I barely glanced around at my surroundings just to make sure I wouldn't get sandwiched between some deisel trucks. It was lucky I looked because I noticed my exit was almost there and that I would have to think fast and move quick in order to not go through the gore area and into a concrete barrier. Flipping my right blinker I shifted down into 3rd gear and pulled right hard causing some guy in a red minivan to swerve and start honking...so much for New York hospitality. I honked cheerfully back at him and gunned up the exit ramp.

Charles and steve were two techs that worked in the same department with me. Our job was to know how the machines in our industry worked. Our department had to know how to fix everything from small hand-held sanders to our large Barges that hauled lumber from the North into our shipping dock in New York Harbor. This trip we were going on a training seminar on a freighter called The Lucky Sow. The freighter was leaving port this morning to be gone for three weeks traveling up the coast. I was looking forward to the trip. Sounded like a great vacation to me!

Charles, Steve and I were carpooling in my Smart car to the harbor. I had to pick them up. Fortunately we had a good head start and plenty of time. I pulled into the duplex where Charles and Steve both lived. they had condos on opposite sides of each other, but we had all agreed to meet in Steve's place for a pre-trip conference, then to pile into my tiny car and rush to the harbor.

Some lady was pulling out of her covered spot and I waited patiently for her to go and then promptly parked in there. I waved at her and smiled and she pulled out squeeling her tires. I knew that I would be gone by the time she got back and I had little danger of being towed. I bounced up the steps of #109 and banged on the door...

This ends Chapter 1. Please stay tuned for the next chapter which will be released in the near future!

Thanks for reading Ch. 1! e-mail me at: not.a.pipe.dream@gmail.com
-David