A lovely hour or two after work, and six others showed up. Kevin and Dave we knew in meatspace, but others were new to our physical acquaintance. Guinness was to be had quantities suitable to our status as a motorcycle commuter, which is to say one to the hour, the hours numbering two. One after another wandered over to the ancient mariner with graying hair, asking generally to those assembled whether there was anyone among us y-clept “Lex.”
Yes. Yes there was.
I would like to say that we lifted a jar in toast to the Babes – you know who you are – but so caught up were we with the salt water running through our veins that any such salutations will have to wait for the next bout. Two E-2 crew, two SWOs, a retired AT1, and a Marine major on his way to being an Army chaplain made for an eclectic mix, and so many were the tales of time spent on the briny that I wished I’d thought to bring a tape recorder along, for there were sea stories told that would fill many pages.
The E-2 bubbas had never met before, but were going at it like country cousins in no time at all. Kevin had the ins and outs of hard service on the front lines of Stuttgart, our Marine regaled us with tales of beer days in the amphib Navy (a different thing entirely from the carrier force), a certain navigator relayed the tale of unpopular brownshoe commanding officers of refueling ships whose running shoes went adrift, and our AT1 had USS Midway tales to beat the band.
And that’s only the skim of it.
I had the slightly off center feeling of knowing people well that I had only just met, and yet having them know me a great deal better than I knew them. Navy is Navy, and where any two or three or gathered, there are all the rest of us. Still, it’s non-trivially disorienting to begin sharing a sea story from the olden days and have two or three people you’ve only just met nodding their heads and saying, oh, yes: We remember that one. Good tale.
When the time came to settle the $35 tab, twenty dollar bills flew like snowflakes in Michigan – an embarassing and wholly inappropriate profusion that sent your correspondent scurrying to the register for to make change. Little enough of that was taken up, however.
So I thank you, absent friends, for your kindness. Tip jar, aye, and I’m overwhelmed.
Next time in Perth?
Thanks for the good time. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so comfortable with 6 other people I just met…the Guiness helped. Next time I’ll try to round up some more locals.
Perth? Where is that in relation to the East Oz coast please?
Just reading the post and comments made me smile… sounds like you all had a wonderful time.
Lex, I’ll second the wish that you’d brought a tape recorder.
Well, Ill lift a toast to the Lex babes-you know who you are- Here Here!
Too bad you didn’t have two more E-2 bubbas/bubbettes. Any time you have four, there is usually a fifth between them.
N
Lex – I’m glad things worked out and it was a pleaseure meeting everyone.
Being from the mid-west, I don’t get the chance to swap sea stories and such with folks who know the smell of the sea and the color of the ocean when there’s no land to be seen. It’s one of the reasons I frequent your site – it’s a community unto itself, and you’ve done a great job as Skipper. I’ll be interested to see where you take it. Whatever you decide, don’t stop writing.
Oh, and Perth? I’d have thought from the conversation you’d suggest Pattaya.
Thanks again for the good time.
Brian
Don’t get me started on Pattaya.
Wish I still lived in Sandy Eggo. That was two moves ago. Sorry I missed it. Coulda thrown in some tin can stories.
Lex – the Babes will hold you to that “next bout” promise.
Nose,
3 and you’re good to go for a PMCF. Got my qual (my last ride was one coming outta NARF after all) but couldn’t make it yesterday.
…unless that was some Tailhook double entendre’ you were slinging.
Can someone please translate the “E-2 crew, two SWOs, a retired AT1″ for us nons.
E-2 is an aircraft, but the others..?
Jay Season, I’ll take a crack at it, but you might need more information from others. SWO is easy, that’s a Surface Warfare Officer. If I’m not mistaken they’re responsible for moving the ship through the water and all its many systems and weapons.
AT1 is a little harder, but I believe it means Aviation Electronics Technician, 1st class. This would mean a person who was an E-6 (6th level of enlisted personnel) or in Navy terms a Petty Officer 1st class.
Hope I got that right and it helped.
Sounds like a good time was had by all. Interesting that you didn’t have any token civilians. Luck of the draw I guess.
Blackeagle-
“fifth” as in “a fifth of whiskey.”
Sheesh, you must be an academy grad!
Nose- just to be perfectly fair to Blackeagle, i can see where he might have assumed “some kind of pina colada umbrella drink” before “actual whiskey”..
I’m a civilian, and I got it the first time
Sorry Nose,
Missed that. Was responding pre-caffiene. I usually hear that one as an Episcopal joke.
Academy grad?! Ouch. You really know how to hurt a guy.
I’m just an old whitehat (Road scholar with a Phd in Street).
cheers,
dw
AT1, EAWS, NAC
Lex, Still finding it hard to believe how seven (7) Navy types/pukes , of dubious varacity ( future Army Chaplin, doing Gods work, excluded) telling lies/sea stories over a period of two (2) hours while at the same time drinking at an overpriced ersatz S D Brit Pub managed to run a tab of only $35.00…you must have something on the owners… Verdad?? Best
PS, Nose, Re your comment # 12 above…the brown and clear spirits industry (thats major distillers of hard liquor Lex Babes) have use the metric system for some time…so that a fifth( 1/5 gal) is now a 750 ml, a Quart (1/4 gal ) is now a Liter 100 ml and a Gallon is now a 175 ml …called a “handle” in the trade… hope this clears things up for you … strongly suggest that you get out more and see what civilization has to offer… after all drinking “shine” out of an old Mason jar in Pea-Pickerville, VA can be very limiting…
I agree about that bar-tab analysis Snake. Weak. Especially today when that old clarion call-”Happy Hour” has gone the way of the model-T!
b2
B2/Snake: after all, how much could a case of Sprite, a jar of maraschino cherries, and two dozen little paper umbrellas cost?
Which the first round was paid for by occasional reader Brian, oh, ye of little faith.
And if ye do no believe it, you’re quite welcome to come to Sandy Eggo and see what it costs to buy your correspondent a sip or more of mither’s milk, in dark, foamy pints.
Of course it shoulda Lex- he was on pier diem, weren’t he!?
You mean pint o’bread dontcha?
b2
Byron – maybe we should do something like that here in Jacksonville – we could call it “The First Annual Neptunus Jax Reunion.” Whaddya think?
Lest you think that the whole of the $35 tab was taken up by frosty pints of stout, I have to add that $25 of it was mine alone, what with the fish & chips (great recommendation, Lex!) and a pint each of Guinness & Boddington’s.
I apparently missed the first round, as rush-hour traffic on I-15 was made even more annoying by having two accidents factored in. I’ll be there earlier next time, Lex – I promise!
And in case you were wondering, the Vanson jacket was thanks to your posting of the same in the way-back. I’d been wanting one ever since you made mention of it.
Oh, and thanks for the pass, Snake. Kinda hard to do the Lord’s work amongst *that* crowd, indeed!
Might could, Yak. I expect there’s a few of us Lex-ites around here.
And Snake, just what’s wrong with sipping some of the original Mountain Dew? I’d rather drink that than the watered down stuff you find in bars
especially that north Georgia Smoky Mountain ’shine!
Sure it’s a lovely jacket, and if I could get the All-Girl Spending Team off season for a quarter I might have one of my own.
As if.
That made me smile. As did the comments.
So I will forgive you this time on the toast. And hold you to it on the next one.
Snake,
You are one funny sumbeyotch. But looks aren’t everything.
Figures you would go metric!
Good weekend all. High School Musical comes out today!! WOOT!
Nose, Sweet flippen Jesus…High School Musical … “shine” out of an old rotten crotch Mason Jar and jumping the bones of your main squeeze… it dosen’t get better than that… paradise in Pea-Pickerville, Va.
Padre Harvey, My deepest respects… please disregard the above I’m just having some some with the Gomers …and say one for me… I need it. Best
Lex ~ because you all got too wrapped up in yourselves to remember the Lex Babes (you know who you are), I think they should be there in person for the next toast.
Yak and Byron, Sign me up for the Right Coast Lex Chapter meeting. THeres a little pub at the beach on 2nd ave north, Brix, has about 26 foamy liquids on tap. Let me know when.
Aye, a good time was had by all. Excellent brew, friendly people, and outrageous sea stories (is there any other kind) all around.
I’m looking forward to the next opportunity for a similar get-together.
Only if they carry Bombay’s Best
Byron, I had a few sips of some Mason Jar Shine the other day with a peach in it. Tasted like peach brandy, except it maybe burned a little more going down.
Wasn’t bad at all!
Miss Birdlegs,
By your photo, I’m not sure you should be drinkin’ that stuff!
Best,
Nose from Pea-Pickerville
Lex,
It was great to finally meet face-to-face! It was genteel of you to leave out the fact that the Brown Shoe CO’s sneaks were pulled out of the CHT via Roto-Rooter. Next time I’ll tell you about his O-calls, forcing us shoes to leap for our FORAC messages as he threw them, jump ball style, across his office. Made a bad name for Airdales.
Thanks again for the meet-n-greet!
Ah, Nose – You know how it is with all us rednecks.
Age doesn’t enter into the equation.