a very gypsy christmas

or nearly a gypsy christmas. We will arrive to the south end of the Suez canal late Christmas night, for a transit on the 26th. The Christmas suckling pig that the Filipinos will prepare is slated for the 27th. Of course, I have the duty once again on Christmas, my third year in a row ... yes, not only three years at sea, but three years at sea with the duty on the day.

Colleagues are OK so far. Plenty of Croatians, which makes my bread baking prowess a real asset. C/E is a conspiracy nut -- sees a mason behind every rock. But he's surprised, pleasantly, that his American first engineer not only knows what gnocchi is, but actually brought a potato ricer in his sea bag so that at some point he can make his own.

We're requesting some good proscuitto, risotto rice, and corn meal for polenta, from the agent in Italy. Hopes are high.

Otherwise, settling into a routine. Walk/run on the treadmill at 6am, down to the engineroom by 7, some training after work, supper at 1830, to bed by 2100 unless it's my duty night, then shortly thereafter. Suez and port stays will interfere, but hopefully not too bad.

Supposed to close on my LI house sale on the 28th, and my apartment combination?? who knows, my contractor is MIA again. Gotta hope for the best.