I'm not going to say much about the thesis; I don't feel relieved or proud I just feel kinda dazed now it is over. It has been such a big part of my life for so long, and I hated it, but now it seems wierd that I don't have to do it any more. At least I can start actually being useful around the house again, and my guitar can come out of it's case. I'm looking forward to that a lot. We are going out tonight so I think tomorrow will be G-day :).
We went to Seabase in Utah on the weekend to do the open water dives for our basic scuba certification. Andy and I got there around 6pm, and look in mild dismay into the green horror that was the 'inland ocean' we were to dive in. We managed to spot some small fish, but the water looked so awful we had very low expectations for diving. Luckily we were distracted by the crazy dogs that lived at the center and some quality all- American junk food.
The certification dives
were an interesting experience.. basically, we could see f-all unless it was right infront of our masks. We would desend and wait in the gloom holding onto a guide rope until a hand appeard and gestured a skill to be demonstrated. Some times it was pretty hairy because it was hard to keep track of where Andy was, and I really didn't want to loose him. On the second day he was using his octo so I could just follow the yellow hose and I always knew where his face was. Ocassionally, a fin or torso would appear from the thick pea soup and slap me in the face or become entangled in my hair. I got adept at identifying people in my group by their hands because it was basically all I could see (small hand= lisa, wedding ring=joel, hand holding mine=probably andy). I lost so much crap too; I guess it's important to learn now that anything you take down needs to be securely attached or will soon vanish. If they ever dredge the bay they could make a small fortune selling on dropped gear.The pictures belong to Andy... I didn't take any. But they give you an idea of how silly we looked and how bad the vis was :).
There is thi
s really cool sunken metal box with windows that gives an air space so we swam into it to chat. Suddenly, a hand slapped onto the window and it was like something out of a horror film. Funny though.After we were certified, 3 of us hung around to get another dive in. We moved to an area called White Rocks Bay, which we hadn't been allowed in when we were training. This is home to most of the big fish, including the nurse sharks. We hadn't really seen any fish, but we had been reliably informed that the big fish like romain lettice. I desended down a pole, and hung on with my knees. We were only in maybe 10 feet of water, and as my tank was emptying I was getting extra floaty, so I had to grip the pole to stay submerged. After a few seconds I felt a hard tug on the lettice I was holding, so I brought it up to my face. Suddenly, dozens of Scat and Angel fish emerged from the gloom and started pulling chunks off my lettice, and occasionally my fingers too. The looked so beautiful and graceful, I couldn't help laughing. I was floating on my back in a cloud of fish giggling, not caring about the water seeping into my mask along the laughter lines around my eyes. I managed to gently pet some of the scats and they felt strangely coarse a
nd leathery, with delicate feather-like tails. It was truely amazing. As Joel pointed out, if we can enjoy diving in such bad conditions, I am going to really love it when we can actually see things!Oh... and I was the most sluttily dressed at the wedding.. Just thought I'd point that out.
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And now I'm not so serene: I just had this online chat with first interstate bank:
Brad: Please confirm your social security number, name and date of birth
Me: I just want to know what is going on with your website. Since you 'upgraded it, I can't actually pay any bills. Is it compatable with Mozilla Firefox?
Brad: Unfortunately, to protect your security, I need to confirm your identity before I can help you
Me: But I don't have a question about my account, I just want to know why the website doesn't work anymore. This seems overly secure for a simple question.
Brad: Take your time
Me: (grudgingly supplies details)
Brad: We are updating our records, can you confirm some details?
Me: Umm, ok
(this goes on for a while)
Brad: So what can I help you with today Ms Lane?
Me: As I said, I can't pay any bills online on your online billpay website. I just want to know why. Is it compatable with Firefox? I never had any problems in the past.
Brad: I apologise. Let me research that issue for you.
Me: Ok
***Browser crashes spectacularly***
If you listen carefully you might just hear me banging my head against my laptop.
