Richard update May 31

 I really wish I had help out here to get things done. The 2^nd on nights leaves things for me to do and Chief has no problem with that because he would rather me do it anyway cause I get things done and done right. Then the 1^st class that’s in the shop now is a complete tool and everyone else sees it also. They basically told me I’m the LPO of the shop because I’m always doing whatever comes up and answering the questions n such. Hopefully he wont be in the shop much longer, we’ll see. 

And then then other 2^nd that is on my shift who was moved from upstairs to learn CASS and help out is a nice guy but a retard literally. He was working on a circuit card today and he just wanted to order what the bench calls out which has already been ordered twice now. Told him t go through the schematics and TPI to see where the signals were comin from, where they are going, and what the signal is to actually troubleshoot the gear to fix it. He’s looking at me completely lost so I print out the schematics for him and hand them to him. He asks what they are n so I told him and explained to him to find the path its taking, the parts we already replaced and what else it might be. He just looks at me n says he doesn’t know how to read them. Like, hello, this is back to the basics, what you learn for you job. How have you been in for 13 years and not know what a freakin schematics diagram is and how to understand it?? 

I’m working with imbeciles up here and the ones lower rank then me I’m basically in charge of a kindercare. I have 2 good techs on days who know what is going on and do about 80% of the work around here. Phone keeps ringin and when I’m not in the shop people can’t seem to function. Its very annoying. Then when I have to deal with people from supply they wont listen or work with the guys who are lower rank because they have somthin stuck up their butt and then my guys get an attitude and are basically band from going anywhere to deal with people so that also leaves me runnin back n forth to get things fixed.

That’s why I don’t write very many emails or they are short and spaced out because when I am at the computer I have 4 dif piles of crap going on. It’s just getting retarded. I’ll be glad when cruise is done and things wont be like this. I’ll just be busy in another sense rather then the kindercare up here. It’s just amazing how on my other cruises there was more people per shift then days and nights combined. And now I have to run down to PC tog ive them an update on whats going on. Then when I get back I’ll probably have to give the same update to my 1^st class who’se been in the back sleeping. Fun times. I’ll try and email some more when I get back. I love you


It’s fine. Just a lot of ironic situations. The 1^st class tells me to delegate so I’m not so overwhelmed but most of the thigns I do I actually have to do. Some of it is because the people just don’t know and they do need to be trained yes, but I don’t have time out here to sit down with them and train them like I did in Norfolk. It was great there because having the time to train them I got to watch them do the work and help when needed and have them become better at their job. Out here tho it seems I got a lot of the leftovers. Part of the reason this shop has a bad rep

Pray for Lillian

Please pray for Lillian.  She has had a really rough past two days.  Its late and I haven't gotten much sleep, so I'm doing a bullet list.  She's been doing/having:

No fever
Sweating badly anytime she lays down
congestion
no cough
Saying her nose hurts everytime she wakes up
Taking Claritin once a day
Not eating almost any food
Threw up once each day, randomly
Overall, fussy and moments of lethargy
Drinking 12-16 cups of fluid a day
Sleeping long hours total, but waking up anywhere from every 15 mins to 1 hour
Wakes up crying with tears, moaning, saying "owie", curled up, then stretching out, back and forth

I've asked body part by part what hurts and she wont' say yes to anything.  But she's clearly in pain.  Tonight she's had Claritin, saline nose spray, tylenol, teething tables and gas med.  Really debating about taking her in tonight even.  But I'm trying to wait until the morning so she can see her regular doctor. 

Total today she has had: 1 cracker, 2 bites of a piece of cheese, 1 bite of roll, 1 piece of pasta, 1 scrambled egg and 15 cups of liquid.

24 hour Diabetic test

They said the 24 test was negative also....BUT that it was a contaminated sample (Imagine THAT from a 2 year old).  They said we don't have to re-test immediately unless any symptoms worsen drastically, but if so, to take her right in.  If not, we do the test again in 2 weeks and hope for uncontaminated, negative results.

Diabetes

As some of you are aware, we were told on Friday that Lillian's pediatrician was fairly certain she had Type 1 Diabetes.  There are 8 typical symptoms and Lillian has 6 of them. They tried to do urine testing on Friday and Lillian was not cooperating.

We did testing this morning and the initial reports came back NEGATIVE!!!!  However, they do re-test in 24 hours, 2 weeks and 4 weeks.  And if those are negative, then we go back to the drawing board as to what is causing all of these other issues.

Richard Update May 20

The CPI event is finished for the most part. Yesterday I had to help them with finishing some things. They are tieing up all the unfinished ends to send off to CNAF to be reviewed. So we gave our brief here, but now they have to mail everything off to be reviewed by another board, so they have to get all the other stuff finished. But I shouldn’t have to do much for that at all. Now I’m trying to finish up the project for Warrant, and I have an audit in 2 or 3 weeks on the whoel shop so I’m having to go over the CSEC for all the programs to find out what needs to be fixed for that coming up.

Richard update May 17

Presentation went a lot better then I thought it would. Overall went pretty well, and I didn’t do to badly. Was very nervous n my debrief was that I started very confident n when they started asking questions once I answered them, which I did well on, they said I started talking a lil more quietly like I wasn’t as confident. So they said I need to work on that

Richard update May 16th

I have 4 meetings/practices for the outbrief tonight. I actually give it at 1830 tonight and will be so glad when that’s over with. So much drama going on about this event and the people who are overall in charge of it isn’t that great of a leader. The other thing I’ve been working on with Coreys help is due all completed in less then a week so I have to hurry and finish that one off. After that hopefully I won’t get anymore assignments. 

Our schedule out here changed again, and might screw up the ports we were going to hit on the way home, but the end date hasn’t changed at all yet. Work is still work, pretty much my life at the moment. I’m starting to get wore out. Just kinda sitting here looking at what I need to do today. The days seem to be going by decently at least. It will be strange working less hours and actually having a life. Assuming I will be working less when I get back, but who knows. Never been ships company before.

This is the US Navy's "Official photo site" if you're interested.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavynvns/

Richard has asked for Beef Jerkey and Snackwell's Cookies (Vanilla Sandwich) the next time someone sends him a box.

I now have the approximate date of the next port and the approximate return date, as well as the approximate date he will be able to take leave.  If you want that information, let me know.  It cannot be published online due to OpSec rules.

Photo of the Ship

http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavynvns/4578736175/

Lillian Update May 2

Favorite Movies: Toy Story ("Buzz"), The Bee Movie ("Bumblebee")
Favorite Cereals: Apple Jacks, Trix
Favorite Song: Pop Goes the Weasel (although that's all she ever sings)
Favorite Foods: Yogurt, Bananas, Fruit Snacks, Cheese
Favorite Character: Dora, followed by the Princesses
Favorite Friend: Savannah "Manna"
Favorite thing to do: "Play" (Go to Y)
Favorite PJs: Pink Puppy ones or the Whales
She loves to stand on the learning tower and help me cook.  Trys to drag it over by herself, every time I'm in the kitchen.
Favorite Drink: Milk or Pink Lemonade "pink"
At night she says "No close it please" which means, Don't close the door please.
She says "I like it", "I did it" and "I'm okay" a lot.
She loves to color, she LOVES play doh and she's getting into doing games and puzzles.
She now eats all her meals at the "princess chair" at the table.
She has now gotten into my lipstick at least 4-5 times.
She gets up on her own in the morning and (usually) heads right to our bed and says "hi mommy".
I've been setting out a small bowl of cereal and a cup of juice in the middle of the living room floor and sometimes she eats that first.
She loves to wear her backpack
She no longer wants to ride in the stroller, she wants to push it.
She NEVER listens.
Whenever we pull into the parking lot she says "daddy's black truck" and whenever we walk out of the house to the van she says "daddy's truck, gampa clean up"
Anytime someone knocks on the door she says "My daddy?"
Anytime we come home to the house, she opens the door and says "Daddy home?"
When you ask her where Daddy is she says "boat"
She prays... "Dear Jesus, Amen", sometimes other words are used, but not usually.
She loves to ask for cookies and ice cream, but doesn't eat a whole lot of either.
She doesn't like the sun in her eyes and constantly asks for "sun up mommy" which means, "please put my sun shade up"
She is SLOWLY getting better at drinking with a straw and using a regular cup without spilling.
If she gets in our bed, when I'm already in it, she WILL NOT go to sleep. 
She sometimes asks to sleep in our bed, but its rare.
She is not fond of getting her hair washed, at all.
She DOES NOT like the shower.

Ike's Captain's Newsletter

30 April 2010


Dear Friends and Family of IKE,

We are officially in the Third Quarter! The “5 Star Team” of the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group returned to the waters off Pakistan today to continue our support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan after spending a few days in the Arabian Gulf to conduct exercises and to visit the port of Dubai, UAE. We are focused on maintaining the high levels of motivation and professionalism that led to our many successes so far this deployment.

The visit to Dubai was very productive and enjoyable. The four days in port allowed us to complete many maintenance actions that were difficult to perform underway. We were also able to load aboard lots of supplies and mail (thank you!). And, of course, we were able to enjoy the wonders of this modern Middle Eastern metropolitan city. We also hosted a reception onboard IKE that was sponsored by the Dubai Navy League where many of our Sailors had the chance to meet local supporters of the Navy.

You remain in our thoughts and prayers as we return to conducting daily flight operations. We appreciate the continuous love and support that you provide. We could not be successful without you!

Best wishes from IKE,

--Dee
CAPT Dee L. Mewbourne, USN
Commanding Officer
USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69)

Richard update May 1st

Well tonight’s been a pretty good day. A little bit ago I had to break 2 guys up before they got in a fight but other then that its been good lol Some gear went out and only 2 came in, backlog is getting lower so gives me more time to work on my projects that I have. Just hope I get them finished in time. How is everything goin back home babygrl? I got a card in the mail today from Deb n Bob wishing me a happy birthday, was a nice surprise J Its like a completely dif world out here compared to being home. Seems all we live for out here is just to work n that’s it. In the mornings after I shower I stand on one of those little mini hand towels to try and let my feet air dry for a few minutes before putting my boots on. Even just that is funny, because at home I can take a shower n just stay barefoot for awhile n such. But only time my boots aren’t on is when I sleep and showering lol But anywho, I need to get off ehre and get thigns finished up for shift change.  

On the new first class in charge of the shop....

I don’t know what he thinks of me, its what we all think of him already. He mumbles when he talks really bad, doesn’t speak up at all, doesn’t looka t you when talking to you, he’s already meddled with gear we were working on and screwed it up royally, today we’re fixing what he screwed up. At least he realized today he was the one who broke it more and we had to order parts to fix it so hopefully he wont interfere with work now, but he’s always hovering right over you’re shoulder asking what you are doing and why constantly. I’ll be emailing and he’ll ask what are you doing. Well, lets see here, my email is open and I’m typing so I’d venture to guess I’m emailing. Like retarded things like that. He walks around just looking at stuff he can get into. He already was caught sleeping in the back office. He’s just not what a first Class or LPO should be, at all. I told Smith before he leaves he needs to email me everything file he has of whatever he has because I’m going to end up babysitting my LPO and running the shop probably. He’s already told me himself that when people come walking around to come check on him and get him. And today he asked me to remind him of an apt later today. It’s hard enough for me to remember thigns I have to do for myself let alone other people. So it’s going to be real ‘fun’. He hasn’t been to bad today so far, other then constantly asking why this and why that. I know he just got here and he’s learning like I was and am, but the way hes going about it I’m afraid is what he is going to be like the whole time he’s here. This is also the guy I’ve been told who has been known to take a tool out of a toolbox to stir his coffee, then lick the tool clean and stick it back in the toolbox…..