Patrol 2, day 4

Another end to another exceedingly long day. They are getting better at least. It's the routine I think, you get in and just go. There's really not much thinking, just going. The best part of my day has really come down to the brief I give the captain in the morning. It where I can really expand my brain and push stuff to the limit. Today we did helo ops, which basically consists of me sitting on the mess deck playing PSP, and pretending to be a fireman, just in case. What happens on the boat however is, we get a helicopter from...where ever, they do landings, they pickup stuff of the helo deck, they drop people off and pick people up, but it's all training so when we really have to do it we know how. We had a dude that had a heart attack on a boat last patrol and because of this we were able to just do it. You know what they say...anyhow. I'm feeling a lot more comfortable. I think the worst thing on my mind right now is..."Damn I need to find time to work out!" It's hard to fit that in my schedule. After getting told by my gastro that I'm basically a fatty I think I get the hint...so I've been trying to eat better. Less fatty foods, more salads. We've had a good spread onboard so hitting that hasn't been to hard. But really, I've been working so hard I haven't really had time to sit and think. LOL look it's already day 4 it really doesn't feel like it should be that already. It feels like maybe day 2. I haven't really broken down yet like I did last patrol. I'm more just doing my thing. I don't talk to people much I just work and work and work. It doesn't really bother me cause it keeps my mind off the fact I'm on a boat and the people I have to work with, and how much I miss my beautiful wife, and all the things like that. I think I'm just so sleep deprived...I don't know. LOL Really this blog is helping me keep it together a lot. Chronicling our day and my feelings. Today was fridged again though. I still can't get used to that. In New Mexico even the winters were pretty nice. It was really just down right cold, but chilly and then ok. On the boat it is very cold and the farther the boat moves out to sea the colder it gets. I walked outside to get some air in the morning and instantly I could see my breath seeping out of my mouth. My lips were shut and I could still see my breath. I turned to walk back inside, and my eye caught a glare on the handle of the door. I looked closer trying to see what it was in the early morning's light. There covering the handle, was a super thin layer of ice. Now for obvious reasons I couldn't tell if it was sea water or just condensations between the inside and the outside of the door but the fact is, it was ice, which means it's beginning. The ice sheets have come. I'm scared to see what it will look like on the days when it's really cold. I'm scared to see my lower ranked friends go out on that fateful day and have to break ice off the boat with ax handles. Anyway...today has come to an end. I'm finally getting sleepy. It's not something that happens when it's supposed to so I'm really going to try and take advantage of it tonight. I do have an idea though, I think I'm going to wash my blanket when I get home and see if my wife will sleep with it for the 2 months as well as my pillow. I miss her scent. All I ever smell is stink men and believe you me it's a very putrid smell. I have become accustomed to having a heightened sense of smell. The faint ones get me worst. Oh man does someone who hasn't washed their hair piss me off. On top of that my chief never used deodorant which KILLS ME! ARGGG.....ok I'm going to bed before I ruin my ok mood with stinky thoughts of a very stinky man.