5 Days

Five moons until the next weekend. I have to spend it in the office again this week and I actually have two meetings this week where I will have to wear a suit and tie. UGH!

Irish Ocean Views

Mark Collier

Surf Sunday

Goodbye Cool Hand Luke

“I'm a supporter of gay rights. And not a closet supporter either. From the time I was a kid, I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many qualities that make up a human being... by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant.”

Ninja Cat

Ninja Cat @ Yahoo! Video

Apple Crumb Pie

I love apple deserts, especially on a cool autumn evening.

Torchwood - Ianto And The Captain

An Irish Sunrise

Relax

Leighton Stutlz

Sweetness

For Your Friday Enjoyment - Cadi

Irish Valley

Hand In Hand

My man Gareth and I have been talking about buying a house and settling down together and working on a life that a committed couple does. But Ireland has still not passed promised legislation to allow gay couples to marry. Gareth has been torn between the choice of sticking it out in Ireland and hope the legislation is passed in 2009 or we move to a country that allows gay marriage?

We went for a nice walk in the country on Monday afternoon and found a nice secluded place by a creek where we sat for awhile and had a very serious talk about where we want our lives to go from here on out. I told him that I didn't need an official ceremony to declare that I love him and want to spend the rest of my life with him. Now don't get me wrong, I would love to have an official, public ceremony to express the love I have for him and the commitment I am making with him, but I don't need it. But for him it matters. He wants to have the same rights, the same celebration he watched his brother and friends have and I get that too.

After the talk, when we started to walk again, he actually reached over to me and took my hand in his hand. We walked for a long time hand in hand, just enjoying the day and making small talk and having a few laughs. We have never walked hand in hand before in public. Even though we both had a lot on our minds as far as our future, I know as long as we continue to walk through life hand in hand, everything will be alright.

Watching The World Go By

Romance

Hairy Hunk

Drifter Buoys

One of the items we work with at times are Drifter Buoys. This is a scientific instrument that floats at sea and provides scientists all kinds of data of what the seas are doing.

A drifter buoy is made up of three parts. The sphere or floater (about 14 inches in diameter) floats just below the ocean surface. It holds an antenna for sending information to a satellite orbiting above the Earth.

The "holey sock" drogue is attached to it. The drogue usually hangs down about 15 meters. It acts like an underwater sail. When it is pushed by the ocean current, the drogue helps the drifter move with the flow of water. Without a drogue, the buoy would move because of wind and waves, not the current.

The sensors measure ocean conditions, such as the sea surface water temperature. Sensors can also measure wind, ocean color, and other things. The information (data) is measured continuously. Then, an average of the measurements is calculated every hour. The data must be sent to a satellite orbiting the Earth. When a satellite passes overhead (about every six hours), the sets of data are sent to the satellite. The location of the buoy is also sent to the satellite. Then all this information is sent from the satellite to computers at a ground station on land. Scientists read the information from computers and use this information to learn about the ocean.

Quick Hello

I just got home from being at sea all week and have just enough time to grab a shower and a quick bite to eat before I have to go with everyone to Mass tonight. Gareths family is having a get together after Mass. I hope everyone enjoys their Saturday night. I'm getting yelled at to get off the computer. bye.

Cory Grant

See You In A Few Days

Night At The Temple Bar District

Sunday Walk

After dinner we went for a walk on the green. Even though there was a light rain, it was still a beautiful night and we we're having a nice romantic walk, just the two of us.


On the walk we passed an area where I sat one night in the rain when he was in Africa. That night I was out for a run and became exhausted physically from the run and mentally from feeling lost without him. So that night, I sat down in the rain and just spent some time there missing him before heading home. I mentioned this to him and pointed out the spot next to the big tree.


Before I knew what was happening, he grabbed me by the front of my shirt and pulled me off the walkway and onto the grass towards the tree. I was sort of confused at first wondering what the hell he was doing and before I knew it, he was pushing me up against the tree. In my mind I was thinking, what the hell. As I thought this, I glanced around to see if anyone was watching us. Fortunately, no one was around at the time or they may have thought he was mugging me.


I was sort of stumbling around as he backed me up into the tree. Just as I was about to ask him what was going on, his hand which still held a tight grasp of my shirt, gave me one last shove at the chest and backed me into the tree. I let out an UGH and before I could catch my breath he leaned into me and gave me a very passionate kiss.


After the kiss he told me, "From now on when you remember this spot, I want you to remember this moment instead of the sad one." Or something like that. I was still sort of dazed from it all, so I don't know if he said those exact words, but it was something like that. Now neither one of us is into public displays of affection and we both realized we we're still standing there, face to face, in public, his hand still grasping my shirt just moments after the kiss and him telling me this, when an older couple walked by. They sort of looked at us with some concern on their face. Realizing that he probably does look like he is mugging me, he let go of my shirt, patted me on the chest and backed up a bit and started walking back to the path.


I was able to pry my back out of the tree bark that was dug into my back and after making sure I didn't dislocate a shoulder, I caught up to him on the path and tried to reassemble my shirt back to a normal state of wear as we walked. But his grasp was so firm that my shirt was left with a wrinkled, protruding bump the rest of the night. I probably looked like I had a third nipple. But I have to admit, I will definitely remember this moment next time I jog past that spot. And judging by the way the old couple looked over their shoulders at us, I think we gave them something to talk about at their next shuffle board game.

Sunday Plans

It's Sunday, the weekend is about to be over and I will be going to sea again for a couple days. We had a good breakfast this morning of scrambled eggs with saugsage, onions, green peppers mixed in and homemade biscuits with jam. My man Gareth has some family things to do the early part of today so I have decided to get caught up on some reading. Don't get too excited about what book I'm reading. Its nothing you would want to read. Its a book about nautical equipment and codes and the history of such things. I can hear you all sighing now and making a frowny face over what I'm reading. I told you not to get excited. lol

Well, I'm off to get a shower now. I need to shave my face since I have a few days growth now and its really starting to itch. It doesn't bother me when I'm on the ship because it helps protect me face from the cold winds. But at home my face starts to itch and feels much better after a shave.

We're having ham slices, rice, and mashed potato's for dinner today. I am cooking that later. Hamish...I know you shall read this and show up at my door, so be here at 5:00. lol

I'm hoping to hear from all my friends in the Houston area where the hurricane hit. Chris, Kieth, Dave, and Dave and Kyle in San Antonio. Drop me a line and let me know you're all ok.

Beach View

Looking down towards Killney Beach. I love this spot and the view from here.

Sporting Kiss