Friday, February 13, 2009

Back out at sea = No MD'ing for me

If you hadn't guess it already... I'm spelling it out for you. I'm back out on the boat after 5 weeks of sitting at home and beating 10 year olds at Mario Kart Wii. Had a great time being home, got to get out in the cold and do some digging, but now it's back to work.

We recently floated past the Diamond Offshore Ocean Endeavor drilling rig. It's pretty large and impressive. Even more so, that with the wretched current, we snail crawled and it seemed to take hours until it was out of sight.

It's good to be back with the crew, hopefully will be a great trip!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Friends, Bourbon Street, and Movie Sets

Well last night was interesting to say the least. And in saying that, I mean it completely. Interesting is really the lowest on the totem pole way you could seriously describe last night all it's events. For a little back story... the night of the 10th was filled with doubt regarding the possibility of being able to catch helicopters in the morning out to the boat. Forecast was calling for bad weather both at sea and on land. As it worked out, the 11th was scrapped completely, and off everyone went to enjoy their free day in New Orleans.

I'll give a quick rundown, and let the pics do the talking. We started off at Bourbon Rocks, then ate at Yo Mama's, then settled for the next 6 or 7 hours at Cat's Meow. Had lots of fun. We sang. We danced. Right outside they were shooting scenes from the upcoming Wolverine: Origins movie. We are hoping to be seen in it! Anyhow, check out the pics!

Fountain in front of the Radisson New Orleans Airport.


Hustler Hollywood, 111 Bourbon St.


Larry Flynt's Barely Legal, 425 Bourbon St.


Bourbon Rocks


Boondock Saint, 731 St. Peter.


Tera and yummy food at Yo-Mama's Bar & Grille on St. Peter.


Tera, Meghan and Dave with "Silver Guy."


Silver Guy


Tera and Meghan singing at Cat's Meow.


Group of red-headed sluts.


Not really sure what I'm doing here, but it's funny.


Dancin'.


Meghan, Breanna and Alex laughing.


Me and Jan Erik.


Jan Erik and Martin drinking with their arms crossed? Wha?


Tera and Dave.


Martin and Meghan dancin'.


Dave singing.


Group shot, I'm getting this framed!


Mm hmm, it was a rough night.


Bourbon St. turned into movie set.


Will.i.Am (in cowboy hat) and Hugh Jackman (right of Will) shooting a scene.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Wag of the Finger: TSA

Just for S and G's, thought I'd share with you my little rant to the TSA about something that came up missing from my baggage on Tuesday.

"I'm not really angry, but slightly disappointed. Maybe someone can help me see that I shouldn't be. I traveled from Norfolk, VA to New Orleans, LA on Tuesday February 10th. Within the pages of a book I had packed in the middle of my checked baggage were 6 or 7 foreign currency bills. They were all worthless by US dollar standards, however they were meant to be a gift to a foreign coworker of mine.

Usually if my bag is ever searched by TSA (and for whatever reason, it happens more often than not, and I travel 20+ times a year) I see the little tag on the inside of my bag letting me know. Or maybe an orange sticker.

This time, no tag, but I did have the orange sticker. When I opened my bag is was obvious it was checked, because who gives a damn about stuff that's not your right? But I digress. Moral of the story is that the foreign currency was no longer in the book. Now how the eff does that happen? Must have been those baggage fairies huh? But in reality, TSA are the ones with the X-Ray machines to see the little metal strips in the money... within a book, in the middle of a bag. Your average luggage monkey doesn't do that.

Now, maybe I'm misinformed, an traveling with foreign money in your bag is against the law? However, if it were on my person no one would have batted an eye. It's not like I was flying outside the country, and the bills had a total value of less than $1 USD combined.

It's the principal I'm after here. I'm totally a TSA backer and understand why the agency exists, and as a Iraq War vet, I'm on your side.

But crap like this is what makes people hate you guys at the airport."

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Weekly World Coin Post: POSTPONED

Sadly, as I seemed to have dropped the ball the last week I was home, my Monday morning Weekly World Coin Posts will be postponed until March 23rd, the first Monday after I return from my 5 week trip to the GoM.

I actually had meant to create the posts for the next five weeks (which I had already scanned the coins from Germany, Norway, Austria, Russia, and one other that escapes me at the moment) and set them for future dates so I wouldn't have to worry about it. Now had I saved those images to my portable HDD, this wouldn't have been an issue, but I forgot.

Anyhow, sorry if you enjoy reading them. But they'll be back... I promise!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Old School Hunt

About a week and half ago, in researching local schools, I mentioned a much older school in my area. It beats other school sites I've been hunting by at least 100 years. Well today I had scheduled my visit.

Being that the school is in a very unpopulated part of Virginia Beach, me being there would definitely be noticed. So I went the route of securing permission from the Principal during the week, and he said it was cool and that he'd let the attached public library know so it wouldn't arise any suspicion.

I didn't remember the pictures of the school I had seen before, so I decided to head around back and was kind of blown back at all the area there was to cover. So I only really covered a limited area, and didn't find all that much. The majority of my finds were limited to numerous old pop and food cans that kept ringing up as dimes and quarters, but solid.

The place was littered with deeper "iffy" signals that I decided to not pay much attention to today. Of course the consensus is that those are what I should really be targeting. Any way, I did land a 1952 Wheat penny, second of the year, an old spoon... and two pieces of a buried desk that was hitting loud and proud at 8 inches.

These first three images are in succession of the school starting in 1839, then 1908, and again in 1939.

And here is the school today, along with my finds.


Tuesday, February 3, 2009

2007-08 Dollar Coin Sets

Last night around 1030p-11p I came across a handful of dollar bills. Then the hunger came... the hunger for fourth meal. After satisfying that, I drove over to the car wash and starting inserting dollar bills, only to cancel the transaction and get a dollar coin in return.

My first $5 were all Washington, so I just kept re-depositing them. When all was said and done I had landed all four 2007 minted coins, as well as all four 2008 issued coins, completing the set thus far, WOO!

Not to be outdone, I landed to more Susan B's of which the dates I didn't have.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Apostolico7

To continue posting my random text messages I recieve from people who have no clue what the eff they are doing, here is my newest entry.

Apostolico7: Did you have a great Birthday? We missed you so much love you Alex. We are going to try and come to one of your games this spring. Have a great day.

Haha, I love missent texts. Don't let this be you!

Weekly World Coin Post: GREAT BRITAIN

Now into my third week of highlighting coins from across the globe, I have decided to showcase the much more varied selection I have obtained from Great Britain. I have shown both obverse and reverse where I had multiples of coins. And you'll also notice that some coins of the same denomination may have a different obverse depending on year, while retaining the same reverse.

To me, British currency makes absolutely no sense. There are so many ways to break it down that it seems impossible that the residents of the fine mother land can remember any of it. Not only are there so many types, but each also has a "slang" term it is also referred to as. For example, 1 Pound (which also equals 1 Sovereign) is also known as a Quid. Or 5 Shillings (which also equals 1 Crown) can be called a Dollar. I won't even try to make any of that make sense, so please follow THIS LINK to learn more about the currency.

So let's get down to what I have in my collection.

Top Row, Left to Right:

2005 50 Pence Copper-Nickel 27.3mm
1997 50 Pence Copper-Nickel 27.3mm
1948 Shilling Copper-Nickel 23.5mm
1960 Shilling Copper-Nickel 23.5mm
1952 1/2 Penny Bronze 25.5mm
1931 1/2 Penny Bronze 25.5mm
1940 Penny Bronze 30.8mm
1966 Penny Bronze 30.72mm

Second Row, Left to Right:

1990 20 Pence Copper-Nickel 21.4mm
1997 50 Pence Copper-Nickel 27.3mm
1962 Shilling Copper-Nickel 23.5mm
1958 1/2 Penny Bronze 25.44mm
1944 Penny Bronze 30.8mm
1967 Penny Bronze 30.72mm

Third Row, Left to Right:

1953 3 Pence Nickel-Brass
1956 6 Pence Copper-Nickel 19.5mm
1951 6 Pence Copper-Nickel 19.5mm
2004 5 Pence Copper-Nickel 18mm
1992 10 Pence Copper-Nickel 24.5mm
1983 Pound Nickel-Brass 22.5mm
1973 10 New Pence Copper-Nickel 28.5mm
2001 2 Pence Copper Plated Steel 25.86mm
1971 2 New Pence Bronze 25.91mm

Bottom Row, Left to Right:

1963 6 Pence Copper-Nickel 19.5mm
1997 Pound Nickel-Brass 22.5mm
1988 2 Pence Bronze 25.91mm

Links to currency related items like the images depicted on the obverse and reverse of the coins.

Brittania
Elizabeth II
George VI
George V

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Car Wash Change Return Hunting

This afternoon I had to run to Wal*Mart again, this time to get a money order. But whatever about that, my car wash is in the same area. I had a pocket full of dollar bills I wanted to slide in the machine and cancel to get coins back.

Well I walked up to the machine, and guess what? Well it turns out its one of those pressure sensitive type things that is expecting the weight of the car before the screen turns on. So I left.

Later in the day, my buddy Matt had to run up there, so I tagged along. I had him pull up to the machine, and start putting in my dollars, and then cancel the transaction. First dollar resulted in a 1979 Susan B!!! I couldn't believe it. 2nd dollar was another superb condition Sac, and then I started getting Pres dollars. I got 2 Quincy's, a Van Buren and another G.W.