The Midnight Baker

Back in 2008 when I was aboard the USS Kearsage for my blogger embark, so much stuff happened that I couldn't write about it all.

Before the embark I asked several people to advise me on how to make the most of my time aboard. I posted about "The List" here. It was written in one of my two nifty USS Constitution wheelbooks. I lost that particular wheelbook on the trip from Walter Reed to the Pentagon in April.

My Dad's contribution to "The List" was "Meet the midnight baker." So, that's what I did!

I grabbed someone who was in the wardroom late one night and asked him to take me to the midnight baker.

I met a very nice young man who couldn't understand why anyone would think he was important enough to seek out. He was making a massive batch of chocolate chip cookies. the place smelled like Heaven! We talked about the things that I asked most of the people I met; where are you from, why did you join, will it be a career, did you leave a girlfriend/boyfriend behind.

As we talked and he moved about making batches and batches of cookies, the midnight baker casually mentioned that he didn't do his own laundry.....people did that for him. I gave him a pin from USS Constitution, I had brought little souvenirs with me to give out to people aboard USS Kearsarge who met with me, helped me, etc. I got a cookie....a warm gooey cookie.

Then he mentioned that he didn't do certain other duties, other Sailors did them for him. People liked the treats he would bring back for them.

Then the light went off! "That's why your father thinks I am important!"

Yup.

So, why am I thinking about this story? Well last month when I was down in Virginia Beach for #JWC10 I was Twittering all my meetings and seminars. @ChrisAlbon who was my blogger shipmate aboard USS Kearsarge replied to a Tweet with this -

"I am seriously at a loss at how you get into all these things. You are the midnight baker of the DoD."

Hehehe! I like it! To paraphrase the Garrett Morris character from Saturday Night Live "Blogging been berry berry good to me!"