Lee’s upset. Prowling the boat like a caged panther that I suppose he is in a way. And it’s not anything do with the crew, or our present mission. It’s just that he’s still got a bee in his bonnet about the lack of any official ‘well done’ for me or ‘at least a Presidential Citation!’ he ranted, when we, well, actually I, defused that sabotaged satellite from going boom and destroying the San Francisco Bay Area.

What brought on his present mood and that remembrance I can only guess. His friend and fellow spook Lt. Cmdr. Joe Jackson had more than a few beers while we parked Seaview at Pearl Harbor and I suppose they got to chatting. No worries there, the man has security clearance for most of our missions, and this one had been declassified after the fact.

And it seems the new President is issuing Presidential Citations left and right for rather more mundane military assignments, and not as Lee puts it, the stuff heroes are made of. I tried to soothe his ruffled feathers (he’s a Crane, after all), and told him ‘there is no ‘I’ in teamwork.’ But to no avail. He’s broody, moody, and Heaven help the man who tries to cheer him up.

Not usually on the end of his well known ‘Skipper’s Scowl’, I have a plan. I’m not sure it will work, but I’ve asked Cookie to make brownies. And home made Ice Cream to go with them. Now that will tame the savage beast or I’m not Harriman Nelson!