The latest news...

Early this morning the phone was ringing. I was still in bed. I didn't want to get up, knowing that nobody who I call "friend" would call me before 9 a.m. But I did and as suspected it was a debt collector. I knew this because I said "hello" three times before they said anything. I hung up on them and went back to bed.

About 20 minutes later the phone rang again. I didn't like it, but was more awake now. So I got out of bed and as I walked to pick it up said out loud (to no one-- I was alone), "This better be Andrea from Lindblad, because I don't want to talk to anyone else."

"Hello?"
"Hello, Tracey? It's Andrea from Lindblad Expeditions."

I was ecstatic. I knew that the only reason she was calling me was because the job I applied for came open and she was offering it to me.

"I called to offer you the pantry chef job. What do you think?"
"WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!" I howled. Or was it more of a hoot? Anyway, I got it.

The job is as a prep cook on board an eco-tour cruise ship for Lindblad Expeditions. I will work in a tiny kitchen for 60 days straight cooking for up to 75 guests and 25 crew. Three meals a day. The pay is decent and includes a share of tips, which are probably added to the final tab of the guests.

http://www.expeditions.com/

After 60 days I'll be sent home for a 30 day break. They pay for the flights to and from the ship and there are no costs involved for me to work on board. Nice, huh? If I want to go somewhere besides my home (in Colorado) I can as long as the ticket price is comparable. Or I can stay where the boat drops me off.

When I join the boat April 19 I will be in Washington State on the Columbia River. We will head to Seattle from there, get new guests and head up to Alaska, following the migration of various whales. In late fall we follow the whales back and head to Baja, Mexico. ( http://www.mexonline.com/sanignacio.htm )

What this means for me is that this is going to be the fifth year in a row when I came to Colorado, stayed with my brother for a while, then left. In 2001 I came out here after quitting my job, but returned because my girlfriend was in North Carolina. In 2002 I came out here long enough to store my possessions, then left to teach English in Korea ( www.daveseslcafe.com ). In 2003 I came back from Korea-Australia, etc., and then returned to Korea a few months later to recruit English teachers for private schools there. In 2004 I returned from Korea then got a job in Wyoming for the summer, then headed to Canada to live with my girlfriend. Now, 2005, I've been dumped and have returned again. I got a job here, but it doesn't pay much, so I'm leaving again to work on a boat heading to Alaska.

When does it end? I guess when I get out of debt or get published. Time will tell.