BlogArchive/April 2003

Haven't posted in a while; thought I'd record some random stuff.

Eric had his throat resection operation last Friday. This was a major thing; kinda dangerous and not totally certain of its success. So far, it appears to be okay; it is so good to hear him talk again. He's also breathing through his mouth and nose again; no more trach! If this works, this'll be his last hurdle to recovery - go Eric! I love you, bub...

I've been diving a couple of times since my last post. Once more on the Prinz Eugen, then a dive on Troy's Coral Head, followed by a two-dive day, one on the "K5 Upright" followed by a dive on another coral head in that vicinity. I was starting to worry about my motion sickness, but I think I have it licked now. Troy's was neat; there's a large school of fish there, shepherded by a bunch of sharks. We came upon the school swimming by the coral head, a river of fish that lasted a good 2-3 minutes, right behind them a couple of sharks "riding herd." Sharks left us alone; according to Julio, they're well-fed and we're too big.

K5 Upright is a sunken tanker in about 130 feet right outside of the channel coming into Kwajalein Harbor. We tied up at a mooring buoy fastened to the top mast of the ship, then descended to the deck about 100 feet below. You can just about see the ship from the surface; it's a surreal experience to descend on it from above like that. At the next coral head there's a lot of old litter from ships; Julio found a 1944 Coke bottle on our dive. All this within a 2-mile radius of the harbor.

Also went to Bigej with friends last weekend. It's an uninhabited island on the east reef about 10 miles north of Kwaj, nice snorkeling and beachcombing. The Boy Scouts sometimes camp there. We pass it every day on the catamaran to Meck; was interesting to finally visit.

I'll try not to be such a stranger...

Sherry tells me that Eric is eligible for aid that could eventually pay for two years of college. Sounds kinda average, but you need to consider where he's been the past year.

Eric, my 20-year-old stepson, had a bad accident last April; took a nasty blow to the head. Since, he's been recovering from an almost fatal brain injury. That he has the chance to go to college is just so amazing considering how badly he was hurt - it reflects well on his effort to get better and Sherry's help. He's living at a place called Spruce House now, a transition home that helps folks with injuries like his to transition back to the workaday world. I'm really proud of the progress he's fought so hard to attain; keep going, Eric - you're doing great!

Went diving on the Prinz Eugen again last Sunday. Julio had told me to keep Sunday afternoon open, and I thought he'd call to confirm. The next I heard, Craig Dawson was calling me from the marina, they've got a boat and they're waiting for me. Rush-rush, gathered my gear and sped down on the bike.

Well, it was rough out on the lagoon, winds just below small-craft warning. Greg and I rode the bow, slamming into waves. That was actually quite fun, once you get over the sense of impending disintegration. The rough part came when we anchored; we were in the lee of the Eugen, but the waves were still high. I started to feel it then, so I geared up and dropped in the water quickly. Then, we had to snorkel a bit to save air before we descended, so that added to the feeling. The dive was nice, same sort of tour as last time except we went all the way to the bow, 110ft max. When I surfaced, I found myself aways from the boat on the windward side of the wreck, and I just lost it there. I did manage to keep from puking in my regulator. Once on the boat, it just got worse. I had to beg off the second dive, go home, and crash - bad bouts just debilitate me.

Lesson learned - Short-notice diving isn't good for me; doesn't leave me the time to prepare for rough seas.