And on the Seventh Day

Notice from Administrator (a/k/a Joe's girlfriend): It appears that email is down yet again! Also, I checked the school's website and the flight information has changed for arriving students from what it was before. This Post is from 6/13

the librarian worked. Today is our third Sunday while at sea, but this
time no barbeque... We’ll probably get a barbecue next Sunday instead.
No… today is just a regular working day for all aboard. Despite that, I
think the cadets think I’m closed today because it’s been really quiet
here.

At the time of this writing we are passing through the strait between
Sardinia and Corsica again following back our tracks toward Gibraltar.
Weather and seas have been pretty calm; like they have been through most
of the Mediterranean.

The main mystery of the day is in what Bermuda Triangle have all our
inbound emails vanished. We can actually *see* how many we have waiting
for us – I have 17 waiting in fact – so at least I can feel the love out
there. Please keep writing; I’m sure we’ll get them… eventually. The
current theory (the Professor McKoy Theorum) is because today is a Sunday,
this situation will not get resolved until people get into their offices
on Monday.

So my new flat on the main deck seems to be working out, although sleeping
in the bottom bunk of a bunk bed makes me feel like a vampire, since the
bottom of the top bunk is so close. Actually, I have become a bit of a
night owl since I’ve been closing the library at 2300 (that’s 11pm to you
and me), and stay up until 0100. The strange thing is that the cadets
seem to be up *all* the time. Plus, many of them are doing physical labor
which can be scraping paint, painting, garbaging (i.e. garbage watch),
changing light bulbs (incidentally, it takes two cadets to change a light
bulb – a Mug to change it and an upperclassman to supervise him), welding,
and other use of tools that no teenager should be allowed to play with.
No wonder why some of them just pass out on the couches in the library!

In other news we are starting to feel the pinch of a cup shortage. When
we left New York we had a certain supply of plastic reusable cups and
disposable paper cups. Between then and now a couple of thousand of the
plastic cups have vanished and of the paper cups, we have used
approximately 30,000 of them which is over half of what we had. We are
now urging conservation, but as to the whereabouts of all the plastic
cups, you can take your best guess! We suppose that if each of cadets
took 4 or 5 cups and has them in their room or down in the holds, that
will account for the figure that is missing. They are no doubt afraid to
return them to avoid demerits. So if you want to send a care package to
your son or daughter, best send a reusable mug.

Tomorrow, the students are going to be practicing with and handling boats
while we are at anchor around Mallorca. From what I understand, they are
actually going to be lowering and using the boats *in* the water. I’m
hoping maybe they can give me a lift to the island – you know… as practice
in how to transport a civilian and back. I think it would be very
educational.

Fair Winds and Following Seas,
Joe