I am renewed. I am still Captain Piccolo.

My renewal came in and that is a good thing.

Several weeks ago I delivered my renewal package to REC Toledo and they forwarded it to the Coast Guard center in West Virginia for them to do their thing.

For the next few weeks the people in WV did an amazing job of keeping me posted. They emailed me as the package went through it's umpteen stages and then lo and behold I got an email saying that my card was in the mail.

Sure enough, it arrived.

I'm somewhat surprised that there wasn't a hitch and that everything went through the first time.

I blame REC Toledo for that as they did a first class job going through the package looking for undotted Is and uncrossed Ts.

I am now a licensed and documented United States Merchant Marine Officer for another 5 years unless I drop dead in the meantime.

This is the one that worried me a bit because the rumor is that the Coasties are being pretty rough on the physicals of older guys and especially of older guys with weight problems.

I think when I'm 64 I'll renew again, but right noow as things stand even if I can't renew in 2016, I'm close enough to be able to retire all right.

This takes quite a load off of my mind.

A couple of things surprised me.

It didn't take anywhere as long as I thought it would and there were no hitches. In a way that is pretty scary.

Pic, Out.


my other blog is: http://officerpiccolo.blogspot.com/ http://piccolosbutler.blogspot.com/