Submarine Ball

This past Friday, the boyfriend and I went to the annual US Navy Submarine Birthday Ball, in downtown Seattle at the Westin Hotel. I should mention that I am assuming this is the Sub Ball for NRNW (aka Navy Region Northwest, one of the geographical regions that the Navy is split into...ah, another SAIC memory, arising to the surface). It was quite nice - lots of ceremony at the beginning, but they try to stuff food in your face while people are talking at the podium, so you can sort of shut up.

We sat at a table with several other junior officers and their dates/ girlfriends. My favorite guys are Cook (and his gf Joanna), Nestor (and his gf Jamie), and Jim (and his hot gf in the Navy reserves whose name I forgot). Cook is just a goofy white guy, Nestor is pretty funny, and Jim is like their Denzel from "Crimson Tide". The new ensign (?) is pretty cool, too - he reminds me of my brother in some ways (red hair, glasses, sort of big - which is a) remarkable, because most all other submariners I've met are not even remotely squishy, and b) shouldn't apply to my brother anymore because he's skinny now), anyway, I pulled him onto the dance floor when the boyfriend had to go take care of something... the XO's wife thanked me for pulling him out there, but really it wasn't an act of pity; I think he's sweet.

Here is a picture of me and the boyfriend, at "Grown-Up Prom":


My sister was sad that there were no good full-length pics of the dress, but I can remedy that with a self-timer shot from my camera. :-)

We left around 10 PM, since he had to work the next day, and I, coincidentally, had a friend's birthday party to attend, so we parted outside in a nearby lot, and I went to my friend's shindig. Had a great time - met a lot of interesting people, and hung out for a bit. Then I went home, and discovered the boyfriend sitting in my hallway in front of my condo! A pleasant surprise, to be sure, but I was somewhat taken aback. Turns out there was a Seattle Mariners baseball game, and the ferry line was too crowded for him to get his car on there, so he came back to my place. A smart move, however he had to wake up at 0530 in order to make the 0600 ferry so he could get to work on time. Poor thing. Thank god I work in private industry, and don't have CO's giving me weekend duties. I spent the day with him today in Bremerton. It was very domestic - we hit up the NEX (Naval Exchange...like a P/X, but Navy, not Army), went to a Fred Meyers, he fixed his inflatable mattress to ensure it's operation before his parents arrive at the end of May, we had an expensive sushi lunch, he mowed the lawn while I stayed inside in the clean air and watched TV, and then we watched some more cartoons together before I had to come home.