Coming soon:

My publisher was in touch the other day, having finally got back from sea and managed to dot the 'I's and cross the 'T's, I've been informed that earliest the book will be out is April 2017 - more likely June 2017. It's a while to wait, but this process does take time, as I'm finding out, but, to be honest, I'm still buzzing that I'm going to be a published author. 

Anyway, having completed all my amendments I am left with time on my hands. This is the first time in my adult life that I have been able to finish work and actually relax. I'm reading books, blogs, watching films, playing computer games, or just scrolling through facebook, and I'm loving it.  

Me and Nat have also just booked a two week holiday in Amoudara, Heraklion Area, of Crete.  I love Greece, from the mythology, to the philosophy (currently re-reading Plato's 'The Last Day's of Socrates'), to the computer game 'Master of Olympus: Zeus', where you build your own ancient Greek cities, all the way to Willy Russell's 'Shirley Valentine'.  Going to 'Shirley's' Mykonos is definitely on mine and Nat's bucketlist, as is seeing every Greek island we can get to, but how beautiful is this, please?  

  

It's one of the few advantages of working like a dog, I now have the money to book things like this, whilst simultaneously saving for my future.  

I've also booked this boss gig: 

   

This weekend, after tomorrow's 24 hour duty (consisting of another store-ship and three three-hour-stints of gun sentry) Nat is coming up to see me (first time we've seen each other, in person, in six months) at the base for a few days.  In fact, it'll be ten days together, here and in Liverpool, interrupted only by another 24 hour duty on Tuesday.  However, I have secured October, in its entirety, for leave, and I'm predicting a fair amount of time off in September and November too.  

Coming soon: an Everton match (or ten!), a boss night out, a trip to the pictures, a gig, an adventure climbing Snowdon, a reunion with my band, a friend's wedding, and finally, fulfilling a lifelong ambition to see Billy Connolly live, something I never thought I'd be able to do, and we're seeing him in Liverpool! Sound that!

Writing this blog has cheered me up.  Potentially I'm at sea for the best part of a year, in 2017, so I'm making the most of all the free time I have.  If you're not enjoying life, re-assess it.  I truly despise my job at times, but i'm using it instrumentally to get to where I want to be in life.  'Time on goes slow and time off just goes', as one of my Sub-Surface Meditations states (watch this space), so I made a decision to enjoy every second I can, while I can.  Life is for living, so live. 

Work Hard: Play Harder.