"I'm Going to Disneyland!"

I GOT ADVANCE PROMOTED TO LEADING SEAMAN YESTERDAY!!! There, I couldn't wait to tell everyone and have been trying to have the whole event sink in this past day. Yesterday was HMCS Ottawa's 10th birthday and the morning began with the officers singing her "Happy Birthday" (quite off key) over the PA system. We continued the festivities with a banyan, which is basically a sailor's excuse to have a bbq and drink beer in the middle of a working day. We also get to wear "pirate rig" during the banyan, with an emphasis on the Hawaiian theme. Pirate rig is basically civilian clothing or even just untucking you uniform and working on your tan. The bbq was hauled out onto the flight deck (otherwise known as the 'steel beach') and all kinds of lawn chairs came out of their hiding places. We started the party around 11:00 in the morning and things wrapped up around 2:00. We had hotdogs and hamburgers, an assortment of cold salads, all kinds of pop, and of course birthday cake. We also partook in an old navy tradition called "Up Spirits." This dates back to the days when sailors were sailors. Ships never carried much fresh water and so to keep their crew going every day and to improve morale, sailors would be issued 2 oz of rum everyday. On special occasions or after heavy labour (like splicing the main mast), captains could authorize the issue of 2 extra oz of rum to each sailor. To ensure no 'sharing' or hoarding was going on, each sailor had to drink his rum ration in front of the captain. Now this tradition is still on the books of the Canadian Navy. Our Commanding Officer (CO) decided that in lieu of Ottawa's birthday we would carry out the Up Spirits tradition and each be issued 4 oz of navy rum. I'm sure you can all picture some of the 'rum' faces we shared with each other as we all tried our best to stomach the tradition. Since the ship's company was all together celebrating the banyan, the CO also decided to do an informal 'hands fall in." A hands fall in is a navy version of a military parade - in the sense of us all forming up in ranks and coming to attention, standing easy, and giving out awards, promotions, hearing orders, or about commands priorities on the mission, etc. This particular hands fall in was unique in that we were all in pirate rig and simply huddled around our CO, who was sporting a Hawaiian shirt and comical bbq-ing apron, I might add. One of our guys was receiving his Cert 2E certificate and he handed me his camera asking if I would take his picture when he went up to receive it (Kevin Albert). I was thrilled to help him out and was getting instructions on how to operate the damn thing when the Coxswain called out, "Able Seaman Hipfner." Now the proper response to having your name called out on parade is, "Sir" in a proud, military voice. My reaction was one of surprise so it isn't too surprising that what came out of my mouth (standing right next to the Coxswain and CO) was, "Oh, shit!" I was on the receiving end of a swift elbow from AB Orlowski (fellow stoker), yelling, "Say 'sir.' Say 'sir.'" "Sir," was what I eventually called out, but it sounded more like a question - thank god the mood was informal. While everyone was giggling at me for my verbal slip up, I jogged up in front of the CO and saluted him, the whole time beaming. The Coxswain read out that I was being advance promoted from Able Seaman to Leading Seaman, while I mimed out a double fisted, "YES!!" and the CO leaned in while everyone laughed and said, "it's very well deserved." The my Chief came to my side and the CO and him replaced my epilates with Leading Seaman ones, I yelled out, "I'm going to Disneyland!" and everyone laughed again. I saluted the CO one more time (as parade protocol dictates), then took off around the circle of people giving everyone I came in contact with a high-five. I definitely got the most laughs that afternoon and many well wishes. What can I say, I'm still a ham! The best part is, I was told that one of the guys got the whole thing on film... I haven't seen it yet. I just tell everyone who comes up to my smiling and saying that, "your promotion was definitely the best one," that if they had of let me make a speech, I would have and it would have started with, "I'd like to thank the Academy..." I gave Kevin a call shortly after to tell him the good news. I have to admit, I didn't expect such a surprised and excited response... it made me feel even higher than I already was (thanks, Fuzzy!). Kevin was quick to point out that I am now making more than him. :) So, Kev. Me and the boys have been talking and they're going to help me draft up a budget, complete with your allotted weekly allowance, now that I'm the 'sugar momma,' as they so eloquently put it. Love you cutie. I do have some rather crappy news though, although perhaps it is a blessing in disguise. I found out that I won't get to participate in this Cross Pole, cause they already had enough volunteers. Not to worry though, the promotion made up for it (it was a whole year early) and the bosses have been educating me on the lifestyle of an American sailor. It's really not as glamorous as you would first think. Turns out they consider visiting our ships to be the equivalent of going to the Hotel Ritz, and all there food comes out of a can. Maybe I can live without the experience. I'm sure I'll have more to write about soon. Tomorrow we're having another banyan, although their calling it a "picnic on the steel beach" - but we all know what it really is. I think it's to celebrate October 1st... not that it is a significant date to the ship in any way, shape or form. But tonight at midnight we are having a time change of great proportions. We are skipping September 30th altogether and moving right on to October 1st. A few of us were wondering if your birthday is on the 30th, does this mean this year is a gimme, and you don't age? Sounds great, except for those guys whose birthday falls on the day we come back. Two birthdays in two days... I'm getting a little worried, as mine is on the 12th of February and we're due back in March sometime. Cutting it a little bit close... can we say, "Tick Tock?"