20th April 2011 - Day 65 [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

G'day Friends,

Well, it's another day on duty, and another dollar off the mortgage.  After duty Monday, yesterday off, duty today and again on Sunday (our only day off while we're working 6 day weeks) I'm truly looking forward to Sunday 01May, as it will be my first day of in nearly 3 weeks!  Just the thought of it makes me tired!

At least I'll have the following two Sundays off, before having another fortnight without a break.....Oh Woe Is Me!...and yet not!

<insert 5 minute break here>

Well, I just went to do Sunset (the ceremony of lowering the Australian National Flag, and the Australian White Ensign), and I'm back.  Now that I'm hear, it occurs to me that I really have little to report at the moment.  The lack of days off in the last week and a half have meant that I haven't done anything much to report, and the tempo of work has meant that my mind hasn't had much of a chance to wander, so I'm left typing away, but not really saying too much.

Aha! Something to write!  In case I haven't already mentioned it, I'm starting to develop very noticeable love-handles....something which has shocked me some, and after nearly a month of very little exercise, I've managed to drag my lazy backside back to the running track the past few days (or the days that I've been able to leave the ship).  

I never gave much credence to the idea of putting on weight when I stopped smoking, as it didn't seem to happen all the other times I stopped, but apparently quitting smoking and drinking at the same time, replacing booze with sugary soft drinks, hitting 36 and being a little to relaxed with my exercise routine has caught up with me!  On the up side, now I know what it feels like to have love-handles.

Let me make this abundantly clear.......I do NOT enjoy it.....not one little bit!

Well, on that note, I think I might go for a run around the ship!  Have a great night friends, and for those of you back in Australia, as Autumn sets in and Winter crawls closer, I hope you're all coping with the cooler weather well.  I look forward to coming home, but not sure I'm looking forward to that change from tropical heat to mid-winter when we arrive.

Take care Friends. :)






LSCIS4 Aaron James Howearth      
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