Mythological soap-operas & wet gear (9/6/09)

The number of vampire fiends is on the rise! Doesn't Dracula start off on a ship cursed by the predations of a vampire? Creepy! From left to right: Patrick Prahl, (hidden: Caroline Fortunato, Adena Kass), Vikki Campbell, Michelle Maier, Colleen Durkin, Justin Reina, Morgaine McKibben, Sara Bender, Pete Kahn.

After posting that blog-blurb about all the True Blood junkies on this boat, a few of them confronted me frustrated with the manner in which their interest in the program was represented by me. Sara, in particular, wanted me to know that she is not obsessed with vampires (Sara is the blonde up there displaying intense concern over some vampire's issues with his girlfriend). Apparently, it's not about the vampires -- they would love this show just as much if the program was about mermaids and their boyfriends. Fair enough. I was also told that I probably shouldn't be critical of other peoples' interests, when I'm so plainly obsessed with food (and in a fairly unsophisticated way). Well, I can't argue against that -- I did plate a hamburger with jellybeans the other night. Okay, moving on...

The stormy weather finally arrived, affording us an opportunity to work in the rain! Luckily this happened while we were in the estuary -- we would have been absolutely miserable at sea! The tiny bit of motion in the river was a little disorienting for us today, as we are halfway between our sea-legs and dock-rock. It's never clear if the lean we are currently feeling is real or imagined. It's fun! Personally, I hope we get back to sea before the big fun out there is over. I think we can count on it being rough when we finally do cross the bar, but as long as there's going to be trouble, it might as well be fabulous trouble.

I want to make sure all my New Horizon buddies get some press before this gig is over, so I'm going to start posting photos of them all.

Pete and Adena feverishly filtering seawater samples.

Sara and Colleen, also expert filtration engineers, goofing off at their station