chazb40

constant knee pain for years.
after 2nd surgery yesterday, the doc said there was to much else he could do. The arthritis is eating away at the menisci, ACL and degredating the fluid.

We went on a dive near a small island. The local submarine tour works from about 90 degrees around the other side. Lots of marine life.

The spot we were at was a turtle sanctuary. Saw green abcks, leather backs and some type of rare “black” turtle the guide mentioned under water, but had to (by law) move the group away from.

When on the surface for a bit of a lecture, we asked about sharks. He replied to all that they are very rare here. Hence the turtle population. After the others descended again, he caught up with us and asked if we wanted the real story. Up top again, he said to swim around to the other side of the tiny island away from the group. That’s where the submarine would soon be surfacing. It “chums” the water in the area and as it runs, so as to attract more fish, sharks, etc. for those tourists inside to view.

He would stay between us and the main group as we rounded the corner (there were three other guides for the main group) and we would be able to easily hear the sub as it surfaced, so we could swim toward the noise.

Well, he was most certainly right. The sub was easy to hear and we saw it at about 40’ as it was rising up form about 80’. There was Everything around this sub: barracuda, grouper, too many small fish to name, one dolphin and 2 small reef sharks! We emptied three cameras of film on this once-in-a-lifetime show. I have a low vis. picture of a much larger shark in the distance, about 80-100’ away in the sub-churned-up-silt. My guess is a 10-14’ bull or ?? (the picture’s not good, you just know it’s big and has a shark’s fins…)

We also tipped the guide $50. Nice kid.

The boat was the (if I remember right) Dancing Dolphin. They ran out of the cruise ship port in St. Kitts for snorkeling and scuba excursions.

Highly recommended.

Tried beginning Nov., 2004, but had relapse after relapse. Made it 5+ months from Jan-May, 2005, but got fired and spent a month on a binge I don’t remember.

Detoxed myself after that. Really NOT RECOMMENDED!!!! Go to a hospital!!!!!!!

AA has kept me sober since then. Thank God for them and a great counselor with Hazleton I see once a month.

Since then, I have been able to do SO many things I would never have been able to do with my family, in sports, travel, even quit smoking.

I’ve also been able to confront many old demons from the past as well as cope with today’s ones.

I see that there are 272 people “wanting” to do this. I whole heartedly recommend AA.