We have had so many captains and pilots come and go in the past week I need a scorecard. Right now we have one pilot and two captains, one is riding as an observer. Let me start with him. He has been on the river for 49 years and has a story to tell for everyday of every year!!! He sparred with Mohammad Ali, he was fired from 5 jobs by the time he was 21 because his father started the unions in Illinois, his wife of 48 years was once a fashion model, etc. etc. etc. We have mandatory safety meetings on Sunday afternoon. Yesterday's was about safely boarding a vessel. After the video, Deron asked if there was any questions. He started telling stories about how he had pulled 6 1/2 bodies out of the water (don't ask) and kids throwing pumpkins off bridges at the wheelhouse. The Mate and Chief finally got up and walked out after 15 minutes. Oh yeah, and he called the Chief "Baby" constantly, tore him up!!!! lol (Have I mentioned the Chief is about 6'3" and weighs about 250?) But he has a good heart. He loves taking pictures with his digital camera. He made everyone's picture doing their job and printed them out and gave to us. He also had a picture of our boat, don't know why, but he gave all of us a copy of that as well. He left at lunch time today to to Pittsburgh. There was a small celebration. The other captain said he almost threw him off the wheel house this morning!!!
And that brings us to Mark, the other captain. Pretty blunt, smokes like a chimney and cusses a blue streak. He is from Wisconsin originally and tells it like he sees it. I like him cause he let me call in my own grocery order and told Teno to mind his own business on the deck and I could take care of the galley!!! Woop, woop!!! Course Teno didn't speak to me for 2 days, but I lived through it fine and his panties are out of a wad now! He is staying with us for a while longer but is going to the back watch as pilot.
NOTE OF EXPLANATION: Captains work from 5 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 11 pm (Front watch). Pilots work from 11 am to 5 pm and 11pm to 5 am (back watch) Lauren tells me I don't always explain myself well.
The pilot we have now, Tommy, is getting off tomorrow. He is from Paducah and just got back from 3 weeks in Hawaii. I think I may have signed on for the wrong position with Ingram!! He is hilarious and has been fun to ride with. He is normally a captain on the Tennessee River and is going back there. The guy coming on will be the new captain. His nickname is Rabbit and he is from Corinth!!! I am anxious to meet him. The other captains say he is a neat freak, smokes 4 packs of cigarettes a day (can't see those going together) and won't eat anything hardly unless it is deep fried. Oh yeah, and he tells the cook what to prepare on what day. I guess that will take the guess work out for me!
They tell me we are going back to St. Louis where we will tie up. The Chief and Mate will stay with this boat until crew change day, April 27. The rest of us will go to the Robin something to stay until our crew change day. We are going there because that is Rabbit's regular boat. It has been in repairs because it hit a bridge last week and knocked the radar off the top of the wheelhouse and broke all the windows out of the wheelhouse. And no, he wasn't driving at the time.... I asked already!! So not only do I have to go to someone else's galley, I have a picky captain!! But he is from my neck of the woods, so I don't have to make crazy stuff like cod stew or sweetmeat pie, both of which are in the Ingram cookbook I found onboard... blah!! I made Dijon Chicken tonight and it was a big hit. Recipe follows.
We also have a new deckhand named Matt, who came to us when the Robin hit the bridge. He is a really sweet kid from Illinois. He has been giving the downlow on his captain.
Well other than all that its been a slow week. I really don't have amusing stories to tell, so I'll simply end by saying this is the last week!!!!
Till later.......
Dijon Chicken
6 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup brown spicy mustard
Seasoned bread crumbs
Melted butter
- Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with Pam.
- Combine sour cream and mustard.
- Dip chicken in mixture, then in bread crumbs coating well.
- Place on cookie sheet and drizzle with melted butter.
- Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until juices run clear.
- (I turn the oven up to 400 and cook another 10 minutes to brown.)
No comments:
Post a Comment