Where would a writer begin if he attempted to tell their stories and tie them all to the Indy? How does one decide which role is more active and what about the characters that aren't aboard Indy but are very much a part of the story. Yeah, well, so I digress... today was full of stories.

Earlier before I headed topside for a look, I dropped by Disbursing to wish a happy birthday to DKC Isabelito Cabana (right), who's from Nueua Ecija, Philippines, from his wife Judy. When I asked how old this would make him, "Too old," he said. I have had a few requests to wish Happy Birthdays, and I REALLY want to say that I could get to them all, but really, life on Indy is like a schedule on a never-ending rollercoster. New loops everyday.

Sitting next to Garcia, but lasting just long enough to catch sight of the next customer's skill, was PR3 Gary Bremer from Lehigh Acres, FL (green shirt). He said he pumps about $2.00 worth or quarters into the games every other day and is getting pretty good. He works with the life support gear for the pilots of VFA 192 and said the one thing he wishes Indy had is "real" showers. Sitting next to Bremer is IC3 Rowland Patrick from Roanoke, AL who's been aboard Indy for two years. He said although he misses his family while being aboard Indy, he likes the time out to here because it gives him time to think. "... You get a lot of time away from it all to get into your job, and time to yourself to think about things." Patrick said he's gotten the training he wanted, and a place to put it to practice.

Also standing by in the Ready Room was Lt. John Picco (below 2nd right) from Annandale, VA who's been with VFA 195 since October '97. "It's been one tall thrill after another," he said. "Every experience is new, and the foreign landscape is amazing," he added telling me about flying near Mt. Fuji and the variety of Japanese architecture. Last summer I hiked to the top of Mt. Fuji, so, I kinda had the picture of where he was flying, but him describing flying by Fuji with his hair on fire and me remembering crawling up it were two totally different experiences. Pictured here with Picco is part of the VFA 195 crew, (from L to R) AT3 Jesse Clasen from Mountain Iron, MN; AE3 Chip Hooper from Spindale, NC; AT1 Ronnie Harper from Louisville, KT and AMH2 Aaron Crews from Lake City, FL.

Next, I made my way up to the HS 14 rooms to find AZ2 William David Price (below) from Uriah, AL. He's an Aviation Logbook Clerk for Indy's famous Helicopter Squadron and has been with them for one and a half years now. He said nothing incredibly exciting has ever happened to him here, but the recent port visit to Australia would always top the list of any stories he might later tell. "The Indy's just like the pamphlet says, a small mobile airport, a small city," he said. In his off time Price said he reads and works-out, but when he really wants to relax or calm his mind, he heads out here (the sponson) and takes in an evening sunset..

Tonight MWR had a few events for the crew. It was Cinema-at-Sea in the Foc'sle for the showing of CONAIR, and in the Aft Messdecks there was a Spades and Chess tournament. (Below) LI3 Curtis Cambell from Fayetteville, NC shuffles for a new game. He won. But he attributes his winning to his early start in the game at a "young" age.

In hopes of wrapping this up early today, I thought it would be best if I just grabbed four or five of the photo request and have this done by taps... no such luck. Actually, as luck would have it, I found myself engaged in lengthy conversations with shipmates on the other side of my lens. I am always amazed at the thought, this "small" ship carries more than 5,000 stories to be told that are thick with subplots and lost chapters, and chapters still being written.

As we headed through the Strait of Hormuz, you really couldn't see much in ways of land, but we knew it was nearby. Later in the evening islands popped up here and there. We didn't fly, fly today, so, the flight deck was open to runners and sightseer's for awhile.

Making my way through the forward mess decks, I realized I hadn't taken a photo of the new video games MWR purchased for the crew recently. (Below) On the left is Airman Benito Garcia from Larado, Texas who said he plays around $3.00 worth of games a day. When he's not kick'n aliens' butts, he's an elevator operator and works with flight deck control.

After giving one of the games a try myself, I was up and rolling again in, oh, about fifteen seconds. So, I found two more photo request in the same Ready Room, VFA 195. Lt. Brett Odom (below) from Thibodaux, LA has been a part of VFA 195 for two years and said this is his first time in the Gulf. "Flying can be an absolute thrill, to absolute scary," Odom said. "Night traps can be intense, but flying overall is pretty much a thrill." Odom said he went to flight school with many pilots aboard the USS Nimitz and said he's excited about being here. "To relax I watch a lot of movies, or play guitar, or read... watch a lot of movies," he said laughing. His top two picks are Swingers and Austin Powers.

(Below) One of the Islands we passed later in the evening with an HS 14 Helo coming in for a landing.

Out catching tonight's sunset was part of Indy's Search and Rescue divers. (From L to R) AW1 Michael Rouse from Frankfort, Mich.; AW2 Troy Kyle from Houston, Texas; AW3 jack Eichmann from Seattle, WA; and AW1 Elmer Depacma from Russellville, AK.

(Above) NCC (SW) Henry Barr (left) makes his move, but AS1 (SW/AW) Armando Garcia ends up making the final move to knock him out of the game.

So, it's another late one here. We're steaming pretty smoothly here. That's the funny part about going places via Indy, living on Indy, and working on Indy. I see the same walls in our homeport of Yokosuka, Japan as I do now. Although I know that by looking at the map we're no where near "home," except for the few days of rock'n conditions, it doesn't feel like we've moved a bit.