The End of Summer Random Discussion for TPBM (29)

Belmondo wrote in post #8711707
Ironic...when we were in port, I was on the Commodore's boat crew. I got to wear white sneakers instead of the standard black leather shoes. I always figured I was very stylish, and those sneakers were a visual clue that I was someone really important (as opposed to a garden-variety boatswain's mate deck ape).

I'm still wearing them.

When I was on the boats, they bounced around a lot, and we (the boat crew) would have to stand on the deck at parade rest during the boat run. I actually became fairly sure-footed in those days.

It always impressed me how many muscles were needed to stand at ease on a rolling boat. It's like a work out.

thomascanty wrote in post #8711711
I've been seasick exactly once, and that was only a few years ago on another sport-fishing boat my brother and I were on. This time it was a big catamaran from Oxnard. That's the only time I've been on a catamatan and there was just something about the way those twin hulls rode on the water that made me and about half of the other passengers very queasy. The water wasn't even rough that day, either.

I would be fine on my cutter. No problems. But when I did law enforcement boardings on smaller craft, or some of those big foreign fishery ships, I would have to fight back the queasy.

All I can say about boats is that the best thing about running up a beach into a hail of bullets is that you were no longer in a boat !

neil_r wrote in post #8711728
All I can say about boats is that the best thing about running up a beach into a hale of bullets is that you were no longer in a boat !

OK. You win. Never had to do THAT. Had a big, mean dog get all up in my face once. That's as close as I ever got.

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #8711736
OK. You win. Never had to do THAT. Had a big, mean dog get all up in my face once. That's as close as I ever got.

I was not trying to "black cat" you. just trying to point out that no matter how bad some things seem, they could be worse..... you could be on a boat.

puddlepirate44 wrote in post #8711701
Great memories, Chief!

I used to love to stand those late night/early morning watches. Especially when I was off the helm and started to do the navigation. The OOD and I would spend the watch just jawing about this or that. It was always a bonus whenever the CO or XO decided to take a midwatch. Those conversations were always interesting.

I was stationed on a couple different troop transports, and the tables in the mess hall could be raised/lowered. When we had Marines on board, they would raise the tables so we had to eat standing up (some genius figured out that a person will eat faster when standing, thus they could feed more people in a shorter time). We were served on stainless steel trays, and the table had a lip around it so that things would not slide off onto the deck. Under some circumstances, the tray could still slide across the table, or to the other end. There was a recess in the tray to hold the beverage, but in a heavy roll, a full glass/cup would tip over, so we had to master the business of holding on to everything while steadying the drink. It worked okay except when they served steaks, which required three hands and a Skilsaw to cut. Generally, the best rule was to only fill the beverage glass about half full.

short5 wrote in post #8711669
Hi Mike

Hi Z

Eating was a waste of time, It would have been better for me to just tip the plate down the heads and cut out the middle man

well it's been an enjoyable evening reminiscing with you dudes


*waves* g'night

neil_r wrote in post #8711743
I was not trying to "black cat" you. just trying to point out that no matter how bad some things seem, they could be worse..... you could be on a boat.

Not me! I'd much rather be onboard than running around getting shot at.

Belmondo wrote in post #8711759
I was stationed on a couple different troop transports, and the tables in the mess hall could be raised/lowered. When we had Marines on board, they would raise the tables so we had to eat standing up (some genius figured out that a person will eat faster when standing, thus they could feed more people in a shorter time). We were served on stainless steel trays, and the table had a lip around it so that things would not slide off onto the deck. Under some circumstances, the tray could still slide across the table, or to the other end. There was a recess in the tray to hold the beverage, but in a heavy roll, a full glass/cup would tip over, so we had to master the business of holding on to everything while steadying the drink. It worked okay except when they served steaks, which required three hands and a Skilsaw to cut. Generally, the best rule was to only fill the beverage glass about half full.

I remember once, in rough seas, watching a huge jar of peanut butter break loose from the rubber matting that we had on the mess deck tables, roll across the table, launch off the aforementioned "lip" of the table and crash on the deck. We were all hanging on to our plates and cups during the roll, so no one could stop it's trajectory. When it was all over, we had about 64 oz. of a brown amoeba on deck.

Peanut butter is really hard to get off of the deck, btw.

Permagrin wrote in post #8711775
well it's been an enjoyable evening reminiscing with you dudes


*waves* g'night

I can see how you'd feel that way.

This is the ship I spent the most time on (two WESTPAC cruises).

lol. no seriously...I love sea stories


g'night for real.

neil_r wrote in post #8711771
Eating was a waste of time, It would have been better for me to just tip the plate down the heads and cut out the middle man

Eww. Sorry. I would've given you some mercy. There were others, tho', that would not... Hazing is an ugly business.

OK, I'm done with my stories. I shall not bore thee with them again.

Belmondo wrote in post #8711785
This is the ship I spent the most time on (two WESTPAC cruises).

Interesting history on that one, Tom.

Okay. Maybe this is a question for Puddle Dan.

I want to make some hot and sour soup, and found a few recipes online. This is the list of ingredients that seems to be common to most of them, but I'm not familiar with some of these things. In fact, a couple of them sound like something you might have made up.

• 1 cake tofu (fresh, if possible)
  
• 2 ounces pork tenderloin
  
• Marinade:
  
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  
• 1 teaspoon tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
  
• Other:
  
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoots
  
• 2 tablespoons black fungus (Wood Ear) or Cloud Ear fungus
  
• (or 3 - 4 Chinese dried black mushrooms or fresh mushrooms)
  
• 1 small handful dried lily buds
  
• 6 cups water (or 6 cups water and 1 cup Campbell's chicken broth)*
  
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons red rice vinegar, white rice vinegar, or red wine vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
  
• 1 egg, beaten