More Counting!
Of course, being an almost 100 percent engineer, I cannot help but count out my life in order to put everything in its proper place. So here are more numbers.
Until I leave :
- 27 week days
- 7 weekends
- 5 major projects
- 1 graduation
- 4 hours of cleaning my room (approximate time it will take me to move stuff out)
- 5 hours of list making (minimum...I do enjoy a good to-do list)
- too many people and places to say goodbye to
I am currently waiting to hear about my visa status and to-do list from Wilma, the lady that places all the IM employees. However if I have learned nothing else from this company as of yet, I have definitely learned how to be patient when waiting for information.
Also, crazy struggling with motivation to do things. I have senioritis so bad!!! I know I need to focus and just get through one day at a time, but I am already so focussed on where I am going, it is difficult to care about where I am at now.
Finally, I have polled all the students I know from the Middle East and Malaysia about how to keep cool in really hot weather. Their only answer : air conditioning and lots o showers! Great...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
It was a blustery day...
When the debate rages in my mind about whether or not I will miss Kansas, or how I feel, in general, about leaving everything I've known for the forseeable future, I am always grateful for days like this.
Let me try to paint a picture for you : Kansas, February, skeletal trees and a 20 mph "blustery" wind. So windy that as the air blows furiously around buildings it "howls" and the flurries of snow are thrown violently through the air, not being allowed to land. It almost seems as if the frozen precipitation is playing "Don't Touch the Lava" (you know, that game where you try to get through the livingroom because the floor is made of hypothetical lava..I always lost at that one).The sky is gray and it feels as if it will never be blue again. It is so cold that no amount of layering can actually keep you warm; this weather seeps, trickles, and eventually rips through every layer until you are completely frozen, it destroys every happy thought you dredge up from the back of your mind in order to keep the misery of the cold at bay. In the end, all you can think about is getting back to your abode and curling up in a blanket until you forget what cold is.
So yes, will I miss Kansas? To some degree, I always will. Nothing is ever exactly like the place you grew up in. Memories (or the fact that humans tend to forget the bad ones) really do make the heart grow fonder. HOWEVER, I will not miss the days like today! Bring on the warmth, sun, humidity, and monsoons! Bring on malaria, bacterial diarrhea, tigers, and sharks! Bring on the extraordinarily short men (sadly for me, I am not attracted to men of short stature), different customs, social taboos I haven't heard of, and long hours of work in disgusting conditions!!
I am ready to long for Kansas winters from thousands of miles away. :)
The Frozen One
Let me try to paint a picture for you : Kansas, February, skeletal trees and a 20 mph "blustery" wind. So windy that as the air blows furiously around buildings it "howls" and the flurries of snow are thrown violently through the air, not being allowed to land. It almost seems as if the frozen precipitation is playing "Don't Touch the Lava" (you know, that game where you try to get through the livingroom because the floor is made of hypothetical lava..I always lost at that one).The sky is gray and it feels as if it will never be blue again. It is so cold that no amount of layering can actually keep you warm; this weather seeps, trickles, and eventually rips through every layer until you are completely frozen, it destroys every happy thought you dredge up from the back of your mind in order to keep the misery of the cold at bay. In the end, all you can think about is getting back to your abode and curling up in a blanket until you forget what cold is.
So yes, will I miss Kansas? To some degree, I always will. Nothing is ever exactly like the place you grew up in. Memories (or the fact that humans tend to forget the bad ones) really do make the heart grow fonder. HOWEVER, I will not miss the days like today! Bring on the warmth, sun, humidity, and monsoons! Bring on malaria, bacterial diarrhea, tigers, and sharks! Bring on the extraordinarily short men (sadly for me, I am not attracted to men of short stature), different customs, social taboos I haven't heard of, and long hours of work in disgusting conditions!!
I am ready to long for Kansas winters from thousands of miles away. :)
The Frozen One
Friday, February 12, 2010
Malaysia, anyone?
I love how life is not constant!!
I just found out about a week ago that I am now going to be placed in Labuan, Malaysia instead of Perth, Australia. If you have no clue where it is, it's ok because I did not either. Here is the Google link to a map of the small island I will leave from on my way to offshore oil rigs.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl
My new start date has been moved from June 21st to May 23! This means that I now need to start thinking about packing and preparedness waaayyy earlier. If I start May 23rd then I will probably need to leave the United States on the 20th or 21st to get to Abu Dhabi on time. Abu Dhabi is where my OFS-1 (kind of like a company orientation class) is going to take place. It is approximately a 26 hour plane flight to get there. All this really means to me is that I need to stock up on my supply of ear plugs before I go. :) I have no idea how I survived 5 years of plane flights with my sanity before I discovered the marvelousness of earplugs and their effects at reducing baby-noises.
The only sad part to this story so far is that I now have to leave approximately 8 days before my best friend's wedding that I was originally suppose to be a brides maid in. These things happen, though, and I was prepared for the possibility when I agreed to go international/mobile.
Bring on the ADVENTURE!! Tigers and sharks and monkeys...WOOT!
I just found out about a week ago that I am now going to be placed in Labuan, Malaysia instead of Perth, Australia. If you have no clue where it is, it's ok because I did not either. Here is the Google link to a map of the small island I will leave from on my way to offshore oil rigs.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl
My new start date has been moved from June 21st to May 23! This means that I now need to start thinking about packing and preparedness waaayyy earlier. If I start May 23rd then I will probably need to leave the United States on the 20th or 21st to get to Abu Dhabi on time. Abu Dhabi is where my OFS-1 (kind of like a company orientation class) is going to take place. It is approximately a 26 hour plane flight to get there. All this really means to me is that I need to stock up on my supply of ear plugs before I go. :) I have no idea how I survived 5 years of plane flights with my sanity before I discovered the marvelousness of earplugs and their effects at reducing baby-noises.
The only sad part to this story so far is that I now have to leave approximately 8 days before my best friend's wedding that I was originally suppose to be a brides maid in. These things happen, though, and I was prepared for the possibility when I agreed to go international/mobile.
Bring on the ADVENTURE!! Tigers and sharks and monkeys...WOOT!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!
It is official (until they decide to change my destination at the last minute!)....I am going to PERTH, AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More details later. Too excited now to sit still long enough to type!
Becca
More details later. Too excited now to sit still long enough to type!
Becca
Monday, January 11, 2010
Motivation
So, I watched Invictus a couple weeks ago (maybe four or so...who knows?) and I really enjoyed it. And I am not a poem fan. The most excited I get about poems is when they mention excercise, running, or the other things such as that. Love poems? Not my style. I also try to avoid the ones that are incredibly angsty in their delivery. My favorite poems, however, refer to the indomitability of the human spirit. Poems that challenge the reader to 'take the road less traveled' or to war against the inner man. So I looked up the poem the movie referred to, and loved it. I'd like to share it with you.
Invictus by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
And though I may not completely agree with some of its sentiments, I do think I would like the menace of the years to find me still unafraid. :) And with God, I'm pretty sure this will be the case.
Thanks for letting me share.
Becca
Invictus by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
And though I may not completely agree with some of its sentiments, I do think I would like the menace of the years to find me still unafraid. :) And with God, I'm pretty sure this will be the case.
Thanks for letting me share.
Becca
Friday, January 8, 2010
Starting off 2010 with Counting
I decided (with the encouragement of a very nice G'ma) to begin typing a little bit each day again. In preparation for my future job, I have decided to type a bit as often as I remember in order to get in the habit of it before my life truly becomes crazy again.
Goal 1 : To actually remember to type.
Goal 2 : Avoid inane rambling as much as possible.
To quote Inigo Montoya, "I will explain. No. That will take too long. I will sum up." :)
My life has become, it seems, a series of numbers:
5 months since my internship ended and my most adorable younger brother got married.
4 months since I recieved my initial offer from Schlumberger (International/Mobile!!! Drilling and Measurements!!)
3 months since I pulled both groin muscles, alternately, while training/running a half marathon.
2 months since I was told, "We'll call you when we find out what country you'll be in"
1 day since I found out I cannot take Kung Fu this semester due to a class I am taking, and that my right groin muscle is still messed up.
2 weeks until I can (HOPEFULLY!) run again.
3 Months until the Brew-to-Brew
4 Months until I turn 23.
5 months until I graduate, my best friend gets married, and I pack for a world much bigger than the one I am used to.
6 months : Working for SLB! Somewhere...
It seems as if I spend my time counting back from or towards a goal, date, adventure, or dream. It's not a bad life, actually. I don't even have any difficult classes for my last semester (well, compared to Mechanics of Materials and Dynamics, that is). I am most looking forward to Fantasy and Fable. I get to read Tolkien for it. Never has a class assignment been more anticipated!
6 days until my first day of the last semester of my college career. I am excited about all the "lasts" that I will have. However, to be honest, I already feel just a bit nostalgic for the ongoing experiences my grad school friends will have. But only a very very small amount of nostalgia...I love the fact that there are so many more "firsts" that I will get to experience!!
8 hours until I have to be awake again. Probably time to go to sleep. I get grouchy when I am tired. :)
The Enthusiastic Engineer
Goal 1 : To actually remember to type.
Goal 2 : Avoid inane rambling as much as possible.
To quote Inigo Montoya, "I will explain. No. That will take too long. I will sum up." :)
My life has become, it seems, a series of numbers:
5 months since my internship ended and my most adorable younger brother got married.
4 months since I recieved my initial offer from Schlumberger (International/Mobile!!! Drilling and Measurements!!)
3 months since I pulled both groin muscles, alternately, while training/running a half marathon.
2 months since I was told, "We'll call you when we find out what country you'll be in"
1 day since I found out I cannot take Kung Fu this semester due to a class I am taking, and that my right groin muscle is still messed up.
2 weeks until I can (HOPEFULLY!) run again.
3 Months until the Brew-to-Brew
4 Months until I turn 23.
5 months until I graduate, my best friend gets married, and I pack for a world much bigger than the one I am used to.
6 months : Working for SLB! Somewhere...
It seems as if I spend my time counting back from or towards a goal, date, adventure, or dream. It's not a bad life, actually. I don't even have any difficult classes for my last semester (well, compared to Mechanics of Materials and Dynamics, that is). I am most looking forward to Fantasy and Fable. I get to read Tolkien for it. Never has a class assignment been more anticipated!
6 days until my first day of the last semester of my college career. I am excited about all the "lasts" that I will have. However, to be honest, I already feel just a bit nostalgic for the ongoing experiences my grad school friends will have. But only a very very small amount of nostalgia...I love the fact that there are so many more "firsts" that I will get to experience!!
8 hours until I have to be awake again. Probably time to go to sleep. I get grouchy when I am tired. :)
The Enthusiastic Engineer
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
A Long Absence
I will start with an apology because it has been 20 days! And I have been lazy and not full of writing motivation. Good news, though. I have had fun adventures! So there is much to share, and if I can figure out how, I might even post a picture or two.
A thank you : I love you mom and I appreciate you reminding me that I should probably write some stuff down.
On we go!!!!
So, I got back from the rig and realized as my plane touched down in Louisiana that I was ecstatically happy about being back here. It may not have good coffee, reasonable temperatures or humidity, and normal alcohol laws, but I have become comfortable here. I love the people I have met here, gotten used to the weather (I swear it gets hot here mom!!), and, well, I can always order coffee from out of state. And after being in South Texas for over 2 weeks, I can honestly say that I have nothing to complain about while living in Lafayette. ;)
After getting back I immediately got excited because the awesomest thing ever was going to happen! Mum and Helen decided to come and visit me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Something I always am a little sad about, is that very few people I know actually go to the places I do. So even though I can show those I love pictures, I never get to really share my experiences with them. This was my chance! They drove down on a Thursday evening and got here between 5 and 7 am on Friday (I don't remember the time...all I know is they woke me up). I let them sleep for awhile until I got impatient for adventures with them, so I woke them up and we went out to eat. This really wouldn't be significant, except after 3 weeks of non-rain in Lafayette, it chose approximately noon on Friday to start downpouring. Then it rained every day for the next three days (come to think of it...for the rest of July it has been raining every 2 or 3 days now), stopping occasionally to get muggy and then rain again. However, that stopped us not a whit! I did get mercilessly teased for their entire stay that I just made up the crazy hot Louisiana weather in order to garner sympathy. Psh. Anyway, the rain did stop eventually and we went on a swamp tour at Lake Martin that evening. It was so awesome and absolutely beautiful! Our tour guide was amazing, he had cute dogs (though Helen doesn't agree with me on that), and his knowledge of the swamp and bayou was intense. We took "roads" through the swamp and saw alligators, herons, cranes, and little baby birds too. One of my favorite moments of day was when we were sitting in the boat and we could see a gorgeous rainbow that went from one side of the lake to the other. I've never seen both ends of a rainbow before. :) Also, the sunset was incredible. Later we got drinks from Dix (essentially a drive through bar) and collapsed in bed. The next day we got in the car and drove down to the Gulf Coast on our way to Galveston. We actually did not make it to Galveston, because as we drove along the Gulf of Mexico, we passed all this empty beach (some occupied with cars) where all the houses were destroyed in one of the latest hurricanes. So we pulled off into the sand, got our towels out, and went to play in the water for 3 or 4 hours. It was warm, salty, and had decent shells, though not as nice Florida. Helen and I started going out to where the shelf drops off (it slopes ever so slightly until then), but mom intimidated us with all her shark talk, so we wave jumped instead. After heading home, we went out to eat, swam in an apt. swimming pool, and then went to bed again. Then, as quickly as they came, they left again. :( I am so glad they came though! My family is amazingly fun to be around, so that was probably my favorite weekend of the entire summer.
My next adventure involved a trip to New Orleans. I was supposed to head there, fish, sky dive, then go out on Bourbon St. Two out of the four actually happened. Marlon and I drove to New Orleans, and met our friend Brian in Metarie about 10 pm. We all jumped in Brian's uncle's truck and drove out to the "camp", which is on huge stilt things and is one of the nicest "camps" I have ever seen. Awesome livingroom/kitchen/bedrooms. Two bathrooms. Washer and dryer. A/C. Anyway, we got there about midnight and I learned how to spot alligators in the little bay their dock sits in, cast bait nets (it involves putting a part of the net in your mouth and doing a twisty-body throw), pick up catfish and crabs without getting hurt, and that shrimp are really ugly in real life, too. Also...warning : look at the Deet percentage in your bugspray before using it. 40% Deet hurts. Next day we got up at 5 am, left at 6 am to go fishing in the marsh. We were heading to Black Bay and on our way, the motor on the boat started making a knocking noise. It was decided that heading back would be a good option, but since I was with crazy fishermen, they also thought it would be intelligent to stop multiple times on the way back in to fish. Of course the engine sound got worse, and it eventually culminated in us becoming dead in the water about 2 miles from the dock. We were told that another boat of fishermen were on their way back in to pull us to the dock and they were going to "fish" their way back in. 3 hours later....Yup. I ended up taking a nap in the boat due to boredom. Granted, it was a nice nap. At one point I considered swimming to the side of the water throughway we were on and walking back. Four things stopped me : alligators, marsh, catfish and stingrays. It was a fun adventure, though. I didn't get to go skydiving, but there is always another day for that. Also, instead of Bourbon St. we hung out with Brian's family all of who are really fun and also excellent cooks. They made us BBQ shrimp (which I actually ate), almond covered fish of some kind, hashbrowns, and some other food. All of which was liberally doused/boiled/fried in butter. Definitely delicious, but I ran extra far the next day. So as weekend adventures go, it was pretty good.
And with that (definitely enough writing for now) I will leave ya'll. I will write more about what is going on now with my projects as well as the end of internship stuff next time.
I love you guys!
Becca
A thank you : I love you mom and I appreciate you reminding me that I should probably write some stuff down.
On we go!!!!
So, I got back from the rig and realized as my plane touched down in Louisiana that I was ecstatically happy about being back here. It may not have good coffee, reasonable temperatures or humidity, and normal alcohol laws, but I have become comfortable here. I love the people I have met here, gotten used to the weather (I swear it gets hot here mom!!), and, well, I can always order coffee from out of state. And after being in South Texas for over 2 weeks, I can honestly say that I have nothing to complain about while living in Lafayette. ;)
After getting back I immediately got excited because the awesomest thing ever was going to happen! Mum and Helen decided to come and visit me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Something I always am a little sad about, is that very few people I know actually go to the places I do. So even though I can show those I love pictures, I never get to really share my experiences with them. This was my chance! They drove down on a Thursday evening and got here between 5 and 7 am on Friday (I don't remember the time...all I know is they woke me up). I let them sleep for awhile until I got impatient for adventures with them, so I woke them up and we went out to eat. This really wouldn't be significant, except after 3 weeks of non-rain in Lafayette, it chose approximately noon on Friday to start downpouring. Then it rained every day for the next three days (come to think of it...for the rest of July it has been raining every 2 or 3 days now), stopping occasionally to get muggy and then rain again. However, that stopped us not a whit! I did get mercilessly teased for their entire stay that I just made up the crazy hot Louisiana weather in order to garner sympathy. Psh. Anyway, the rain did stop eventually and we went on a swamp tour at Lake Martin that evening. It was so awesome and absolutely beautiful! Our tour guide was amazing, he had cute dogs (though Helen doesn't agree with me on that), and his knowledge of the swamp and bayou was intense. We took "roads" through the swamp and saw alligators, herons, cranes, and little baby birds too. One of my favorite moments of day was when we were sitting in the boat and we could see a gorgeous rainbow that went from one side of the lake to the other. I've never seen both ends of a rainbow before. :) Also, the sunset was incredible. Later we got drinks from Dix (essentially a drive through bar) and collapsed in bed. The next day we got in the car and drove down to the Gulf Coast on our way to Galveston. We actually did not make it to Galveston, because as we drove along the Gulf of Mexico, we passed all this empty beach (some occupied with cars) where all the houses were destroyed in one of the latest hurricanes. So we pulled off into the sand, got our towels out, and went to play in the water for 3 or 4 hours. It was warm, salty, and had decent shells, though not as nice Florida. Helen and I started going out to where the shelf drops off (it slopes ever so slightly until then), but mom intimidated us with all her shark talk, so we wave jumped instead. After heading home, we went out to eat, swam in an apt. swimming pool, and then went to bed again. Then, as quickly as they came, they left again. :( I am so glad they came though! My family is amazingly fun to be around, so that was probably my favorite weekend of the entire summer.
My next adventure involved a trip to New Orleans. I was supposed to head there, fish, sky dive, then go out on Bourbon St. Two out of the four actually happened. Marlon and I drove to New Orleans, and met our friend Brian in Metarie about 10 pm. We all jumped in Brian's uncle's truck and drove out to the "camp", which is on huge stilt things and is one of the nicest "camps" I have ever seen. Awesome livingroom/kitchen/bedrooms. Two bathrooms. Washer and dryer. A/C. Anyway, we got there about midnight and I learned how to spot alligators in the little bay their dock sits in, cast bait nets (it involves putting a part of the net in your mouth and doing a twisty-body throw), pick up catfish and crabs without getting hurt, and that shrimp are really ugly in real life, too. Also...warning : look at the Deet percentage in your bugspray before using it. 40% Deet hurts. Next day we got up at 5 am, left at 6 am to go fishing in the marsh. We were heading to Black Bay and on our way, the motor on the boat started making a knocking noise. It was decided that heading back would be a good option, but since I was with crazy fishermen, they also thought it would be intelligent to stop multiple times on the way back in to fish. Of course the engine sound got worse, and it eventually culminated in us becoming dead in the water about 2 miles from the dock. We were told that another boat of fishermen were on their way back in to pull us to the dock and they were going to "fish" their way back in. 3 hours later....Yup. I ended up taking a nap in the boat due to boredom. Granted, it was a nice nap. At one point I considered swimming to the side of the water throughway we were on and walking back. Four things stopped me : alligators, marsh, catfish and stingrays. It was a fun adventure, though. I didn't get to go skydiving, but there is always another day for that. Also, instead of Bourbon St. we hung out with Brian's family all of who are really fun and also excellent cooks. They made us BBQ shrimp (which I actually ate), almond covered fish of some kind, hashbrowns, and some other food. All of which was liberally doused/boiled/fried in butter. Definitely delicious, but I ran extra far the next day. So as weekend adventures go, it was pretty good.
And with that (definitely enough writing for now) I will leave ya'll. I will write more about what is going on now with my projects as well as the end of internship stuff next time.
I love you guys!
Becca
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