There I was a very junior tech who had just reported on board his first sea command which was a forward deployed flag. How new do you ask? Well my seabag wasn't even unpacked yet. Is that new enough for you? The old timer techs from the shop grabbed me and the other tech who had just reported on board and told us it was liberty call lets hit the beach. So we threw on some civilian clothing and all went in a group.
The beach happened to be Athens and we all went out for a meal first. I had a hamburger and fries which I could barely stand eating... It was loaded down with thyme and tasted disgusting. I ate it anyway because I was short of cash because I hadn't seen a payday in about three weeks since leaving the school command in the states. Then the old sea dogs decided it was time to start drinking.
They took us to a bar and we all had a couple beers. Then the old timers said the new guys had to drink something called ouzo which was a specialty drink of Greece according to them. I was given a shot and took a sip....... Black liquorice....... That was one of my least favorite candies if you want to call that candy. Anyway I drank it and was immediately given another shot....... I lost count of the shots somewhere along the line but with the teamwork of the old seadog techs the other junior tech and I made it back to the ship and to our racks.
We pulled out the next morning for our short trip back to homeport. It was extremely rough weather for the next two days and yours truly became sick as a dog. I turned out my stomach that morning a couple three times and my stomach gurgled anytime the smell of food reached my nose till we reached calmer seas. That's the only time I remember ever being that sea sick.
Sounds pretty bad huh? Well... I was also floating around for about two days also. It appears that that great group of guys who took me out had set me and the other junior tech up because he was just as sick and floating around too. It turns out they had neglected to inform us that the puzo they had chose for us to drink... Yes there's a couple types of ouzo... was opium based. Well!!! That explains that floating sensation I had for about two days!
Thank God there was no pee test for a few months!
*****CHUCKLE*****

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