TheBanyanTree: Downs and Ups

[PJMoney]

Seano's boat broke about two weeks ago.  So he's been getting no sea time,
which means no bridge time, which means less experience towards qualifying
for the bridge watch-keeping certificate.  More experience means finding it
easier to pass the test and if there is one thing my boy is interested in
it's getting through tests easily.

At first there were repeated promises that the boat would be fixed and out
to sea that day.  Then the promises stopped being made.  Crew members were
assigned alternate tasks.  Eventually the crew was assigned to tasks such as
playing soccer and other ball games.  I really hope the exercise
physiologists have worked this out properly because I'm worried that gaining
the fitness needed to run around for a long time will not necessarily help
those who may find themselves trying to survive after being cast into the
sea.

Then the HMS Monmouth (a Royal Navy frigate) sailed into town.  She was on
her way to Wellington, NZ, and then back to Sydney.  She had a couple of
empty berths.  Her Captain offered these to whichever members of the RAN
would benefit from such a placement and Seano, being on a broken boat with
his training possibilities severely reduced, had his hopes up.

Some guy in Canberra said no.  I did not have that information then.  All I
knew was that, suddenly, we were living with a young man who was acting
cranky but, when asked, kept saying that nothing was wrong.  Why do people
do that?  Why can't people just say what's bothering them?  It's quite
unnerving to be living with someone who's obviously upset but won't say why.

Seano's XO made further representations to Canberra and these, obviously,
were persuasive.  On Saturday we shopped for cold weather clobber and
yesterday he and his pal Phil (the other sub-Lt on the broken boat) sailed
out; two young Oz blokes among 120 odd Brits.
  
What an adventure for them!  

I'm expecting my boy back in about 3 weeks.  That will be good.  It really
has been lovely having him home again for these last 6 weeks.

Janice