Aches & Pains

Aches and Pains

21^st May 2011

Okay, I’m finally up to date with my blog entries. Go me!

Today didn’t start off too well. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t good either. Our schedule was changed at the last minute. Our clocks went back an hour as we are heading back to Italy. Paco our AMS said that instead of starting work in the gallery at 08.30 we were going to start at 07.30. Our dreams of an extra hour in bed were soon dashed.  

Hernan rang my cabin at 7.15 telling me to get my arse of out bed. We had to be in the lab at 7.15 to pick up the prints. He was heading down to get started. Me and Luci were to meet him there. Normally it’s me waking Hernan up! 

My back and shoulders were in agony today. Each day it’s getting worse. Normally it’s my lower back that gives me the odd batch of trouble but today it was in between my shoulder blades and up towards my neck. There’s also a pain in my shoulders. I don’t think my shoulder has properly recovered from what I’d previously done in the studio.

Anyway, in the gallery we started displaying the colossal amount of prints and taking it in turns to go for breakfast. Stu wasn’t in the best of moods this morning and snapped at me for having a laugh and joke. Apolgising, Stu commented that today, because of last night, he wasn't in the best of moods. Apparently things aren’t getting better. 

On the upside I managed to sell a couple of portfolios and a frame. Selling the GTPs is pretty much for nothing. I earn nothing, zilch, nada on it. Only photog2s and 3s earn from it.

I was working in the gallery from 07.30 to 13.00. When I got back to the cabin Luci was asleep and straight away I woke her up. She’s getting fed up of me always waking her up. I can’t help it though, I’m trying to be as quiet as a mouse and I still wake her up. In the end I grabbed my laptop and headed up to Back Deck for a couple of hours until she started work. 

Sitting on back deck is great some times. It’s got huge open panels so it’s like a half-way feel to it. You're covered, but there's so much open space, sea breeze, you feel like you're outside. I can sit there with a can of coca-cola, my music and laptop typing for hours. I love it, it’s my new place to go when I want some down time.

After Stu finished work I popped over to his cabin to pick some of my stuff up. I’m hopping cabins at the moment as Luci is still ill. I really don’t want whatever she’s got. So yesterday I spent my free time at Stu’s and also got ready for formal night there. I spoke to him for a bit and although he’s not in the best of moods, I now know why. 

We took our V.I.C. Cards (gold award cards) that Reuben gave us for selling the most amount of frames (1 each) to the Crew Office. Stu had one from the previous BM too. We both for $10 free at Johnny Rocket and Stu got a $5 calling card. Free food – and Johnny Rockets have the best Oreo ice cream. It’s the best place to go if you want to become seriously, morbidly obese with the less amount of work/energy.

Jeni has asked me if I want to move into her cabin with her. She did share with Natasha. Originally  Luci was talking about moving in to Jeni’s where it’s quieter as the photographer’s corridor can get pretty loud during the evening. I’m not too sure what to say. I love living in the photographer’s corridor (Jeni, Stu and Paco’s cabins are situated in another part of the ship) but I think I need to move out because, as I said, Luci’s getting ratty with me constantly waking her up, getting in late etc. Suggestions are welcome to say the least.

For the entire evening I was working in the gallery. Although it’s not bad there wasn’t much to do except wait for the mad rush to come. In the mean time we had a muck around and a laugh. In between that I was sorting out the photos, filling in the gaps and making as much space as possible. I was doing pretty well until another flood of people came into the gallery from the studio. 

Luci and I had a one hour stint in the studio for the last session. She managed to get 40 images while I could only take 27. Mind you, I did have a good natter with a Welsh couple when my deck was completely deserted.

A small group of us (me, Stu, Jeni, Newman, David and Fede) were planning on going to Johnny Rockets after work for dinner. Our dinner break was scheduled for when the Staff Mess was closed. 

Just before we were going to leave at 23.30 Reuben told us that there was a small meeting in the lab. We all ran down to the lab hoping to get the meeting over and done with before Johnny Rockets closed. Constantly checking our watches our hopes of food were  dashed. Five minutes to midnight… would Johnny Rockets stay open? We rang to check if they were still open, fingers crossed people were still in Johnny Rockets eating. No chance. They were closed.

Jeni came over to Hernan’s cabin later carrying a large opaque bag. Jeni and I were on a mission for food. We headed up to raid the crew and staff mess of any food they may have had. Quickly popping into the slob chest we got some bits and bobs. The sandwiches weren’t out yet. Every night the crew mess have sandwiches at about 1-2am. This food actually comes from the guest café. What doesn’t get eaten is the brought down to the staff area and we can help ourselves. As you can see, we really are at the bottom of the food chain. Getting some cereals from the staff mess we headed back down to crew mess for bread. The rolls were out! Jeni went rushing over for sandwiches and I was hot on her heels to be honest…. Until we got there and saw they were all salmon!! Dried bread and cereals for dinner. What a meal!!