whatever other nonsense wandered into our heads. After a
quick shower and a fresh set of clothes we made our way to the
upper decks and the commissary for our morning meal, but to
call it breakfast always felt imprecise as it was the night shifts
dinner and contained none of your usual “breakfast foods,”
pork-chops with mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean
casserole, salad, and far too much macaroni and cheese.
Once we had all finished, we proceeded to the communal
recreation room, merely a large box with a TV, a few
computers, and a spattering of crappy books and magazines.
This mediocre refuge served as the conference room twice a
day for our Job Safety Analysis meetings, but as usual I was
only mildly present as the upper ups prattled on in a wasted
attempt to inspire us about having pride in our work, working
efficiently as a team, and presenting the best face possible for
the company. Once we were finally free from the meeting, our
group split up, with me making my way out to the deck and
the little dive shack that served as home base for my crew, a
cozy affair with a large couch, TV, and video games for when
we didn’t have any active divers in the water or were waiting
on something before a dive.