As interpreted by my friends Greg and Dez:

1) The eye mask, so the princess may have long sleep-ins
2) Super absorbent multi-purpose cloths
3) Mineral spirits (ha-ha, Dez. What’s that for? In case I spill another gallon of paint??)
4) Brasso
5) 2 cans of Diet Coke
6) Bungee cords
7) “Rescue” tape
8) A great toolbox to store it all in

But the very best of all?

9) My tiara!! Purple and sparkly and fuzzy with a huge purple dangly heart ~ what more could a girl ask?

I think they hit every important potential need. Good job, you two! Have I mentioned lately that I love my friends?

No, nothing racy. We spent the evening exploring the magic of stereoscopic vision (the whole 3D thing) and taking “stereo pair” photographs of each other, which we could then see in 3D when we blurred our eyes (sort of the cheap Magic Eye entertainment). It took a while before Brock was convinced that he couldn’t manipulate a photo we’d already taken, that it has to be two shots of the same thing from ever-so-slightly-different angles. (I waited patiently while he discovered that fact for himself after playing with the software for a while)

Hmm. I can’t share with you any of the photos we took. Maybe it was a racier night than I thought…

A day off is such a delight after this “work” thing. I am tired and sore, but so happy that I’m doing this job. I’ve started to get somewhere with my relationships with my crew (being a woman, being white, not being a Muslim, not speaking the language ~ it’s been a bit uphill) and we’re having some fun together, sharing a few laughs even. Working seriously hard seems to have gained some respect.

I have two things I would like to share with travelers, given my newly-acquired wisdom from this week.

1) Your baggage WILL be thrown. Deal with it. There is no fricking way we can move 600 bags in the space of a few minutes if we’re being delicate. I try to toss them relatively gently. That’s the best I can do for you. Those of you who pack your bags so they require a “Heavy” sticker? I don’t necessarily afford you that same courtesy.

2) If you like your pet, don’t ship it. Just don’t. They do not look like they are having a good time. I try to say hello in a friendly voice when I’m moving the crates, but really? No. If you like your animal, don’t do that to them.

Just spent an awesome day with Brock running errands. I had forgotten the part about when you’re working a schedule and actually have to plan your life around that kind of thing.

I’ve picked up a job down at SeaTac International Airport, working on the ramp (yes, that’s down on the tarmac by the planes). It is so much fun and a really great workout too. The real estate thing wasn’t working out so well in this market, so I decided that a change was in order.

So far, I love it. My crew is all Somalian guys, so I’m learning a new language while I’m at it. I’ve never worked a job in which I didn’t speak the language, so it’s been a little challenging in some ways. I adore marshalling the aircraft (waving my orange sticks around). The sunsets are fantastic from the airfield and the rain doesn’t bother me at all (check back with me when we have to de-ice the planes ~ that sounds a little cold). I’ve actually missed getting soaking wet in Search and Rescue ~ this is a nice, paying alternative. Working outside is so much better than being stuck in an office.

Of course, being on a schedule is new for me; I haven’t had that in over 10 years. So far, it’s not bugging me too much.

No, not me. I have a boat. I am completely uninterested in adding to my boat collection.

Brock’s brother is building a dinghy to go with his newly acquired sailboat. You can check out his progress at Carcus Carcus Milliarcus.