Ciggy's Blog

Actually typing up this code with my left pointer finger wrapped up in a splint. It's kind of crazy just how inconvenient it is to not have all my fingers fully functional.

The story behind my left pointer finger getting fucked up is pretty straight forward.

It happened yesterday (on April 1st, I'm not even kidding you), and I was working on the low sea suction valve on the ship. The valve packing was leaking, so I had to try and remove the packing gland, then install at least one new packing ring. The packing rings that were currently inside of the valve were crushed down pretty far. (This was evident by how much threads we had left for the packing gland nuts to be tightened.) I had already removed the nuts from the packing gland, now the problem was actually getting the packing gland up and out. Some jerkoff (1st's words, albeit accurate and really funny) painted the valve stem and the packing gland.

It's not some ordinary paint either.

This is some premium scratch-resistant paint. Which meant I had to "Hammer it like (I) fucking mean it" to remove the paint.

After using two ball-peen (lol) hammers simulataneously and for an hour on this fuck ass valve stem, I had to PRY the packing gland up — not with a pry bar. No— the ship could not afford a real big-boy pry bar.

I used a 38mm wrench and a fucking mallet. (Genuinely big props to the 1st for giving me this tip. You can't learn these types of tips in the maritime academy for sure.)

While smacking the ever-loving shit out of the 38mm wrench, the wrench slipped which led to me slamming my knuckle into the fish plate. My knuckle hurt so goddamn much and it was swollen. BUT— it wasn't bleeding or anything. So I just kept working the rest of the day lol.

My pinky on my right hand got slightly over-extended.

(This was because I hit my hand against a spinning metal structure at the playground... Yes, I am 24.)

"i'm such a fat fucking chud."
— Garrett, absolutely