I've always loved oldish phrases and words. Some of my favorite happen to be :
Bee's Knees
Old Bird
Carry a Torch
Cat's Meow
Copacetic
Scram
Keen
and...Fortnight!
After looking forward to this for what feels like an eternity, I am finally getting to move in with my husband in 11 days! Of course, before then there are still a plethora of things to tick off my mental list. These include finishing getting electric, water, and renter's insurance set up. Getting Adam on my car insurance. Figuring out our phone plans. Getting to his graduation. Arranging everything for his graduation party (at least we have the invitations sent out!!!) and then the very next day, turning around and moving everything we own into our new apartment in Kansas City! The very thought just kind of makes me tired. I will probably be sleeping very well.
I have also started exercising regularly again. Ouch. So much ouch. I have to approach it differently now, because I am now contending with the semi-recovering lower back muscles I have to drink more water, stretch 3-times more, sleep in specific positions, and be careful how much I sit or don't move. I never realized before I hurt my back how my lower back muscle health effects my leg muscles and movement/general comfort ability. It will not be taken for granted in the future, I assure you.
We were going to train for a marathon in Chicago for this fall, but after much discussion, we might just do a half, since it will be Adam's first half. Maybe I will even get my sister to do another half with me! Between now and then I hope we will spend the summer running races and generally getting in shape. It looks to be a hot and tiring sort of business, but what else could anyone expect from Kansas in June and July?
Finally, there are some promising things on the job front, but I would prefer to wait until something actually happens before writing about it. Wish me luck!
Good night
Becca
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
No Job - New Life - Happiness!
The past month and a half has been pretty intense. They got me off the rig and I spent about 4 weeks going to the doctor, chiropractors (way more helpful than the doctor), and pilates physical therapy. Then came the packing, getting sick (woot for dad being awesome and flying down), finally, the drive back to Kansas. The drive ended up being more epic than we originally intended due to a malfunctioning tow dolly, as well as a fuel pump that decided to go out in the middle of an avalanche of rain right outside of Tulsa.
Upside: We got home safely regardless of it all!
Downside: I am back in Kansas and with my family and friends relaxing, so there is no downside!
My back is still healing and I know it will probably take months before I am 100 percent, but I am going to continue to exercise and stretch until I am "me" again.
I don't get sick as often as I did before. We are attributing this to a complete drop in the stress of my life on a day-to-day basis, as well as more consistent and healthy meals. I am still relearning how to handle stress properly (I keep forgetting that millions of dollars are NOT going to be lost if I make a mistake), but I will get there. Adam is patient and helpful, which is wonderful.
Since I've gotten back, it has been pretty busy. First we went apartment hunting and found the apartment we wanted!! I am so happy as about this! It is in KC, about 10 minutes from my sisters and 10 minutes from Adam's work. I am going to be trying to find a job near there as well, once we move. We are supposed to move in right after Adam graduates in May. I am pretty excited about getting to live with my husband finally!
We also went down to Hutch and spent most the next weekend/week with Adam's family. I even got to stay a couple of extra days after he went back to college. It's nice to get to know his family at last. I know most people get to know their spouse and their spouse's family before marriage, but since we are going the opposite route, we are trying to remedy our lack of familiarity with each other's families as soon as possible.
Then, last week I ran a road race with some awesome friends and family and in immediately drove to Manhattan again in order to help take care of a relative who needed a companion for a week while his wife was away. It was stressful but fun, and really wonderful to see Adam every day and catch up with some old friends. I have super-missed Tracy and Ginger, so we got together, made Chinese food and stuffed ourselves!
I think the best part about being back is getting to catch up with people again. There is not a frantic-ness to getting things done, or spending time with people, because I will get to see them over and over again for the forseeable future. I've had some excellent talks with Sara, Amanda, Tracy, Ginger, Caitlin, Frank, and pretty much everyone else family-wise that I've missed connecting with. AND! Next weekend is my 25th birthday! It also happens to be one of my former bridesmaid's bachelorette parties! So, even though it will be pretty busy, I am excited for it.
That is all of my life. I am spending my time sleeping, exercising, enjoying people, and trying to finish old projects and tasks that I have put off for months and months at this point.
I am thoroughly happy :)
Becca
Upside: We got home safely regardless of it all!
Downside: I am back in Kansas and with my family and friends relaxing, so there is no downside!
My back is still healing and I know it will probably take months before I am 100 percent, but I am going to continue to exercise and stretch until I am "me" again.
I don't get sick as often as I did before. We are attributing this to a complete drop in the stress of my life on a day-to-day basis, as well as more consistent and healthy meals. I am still relearning how to handle stress properly (I keep forgetting that millions of dollars are NOT going to be lost if I make a mistake), but I will get there. Adam is patient and helpful, which is wonderful.
Since I've gotten back, it has been pretty busy. First we went apartment hunting and found the apartment we wanted!! I am so happy as about this! It is in KC, about 10 minutes from my sisters and 10 minutes from Adam's work. I am going to be trying to find a job near there as well, once we move. We are supposed to move in right after Adam graduates in May. I am pretty excited about getting to live with my husband finally!
We also went down to Hutch and spent most the next weekend/week with Adam's family. I even got to stay a couple of extra days after he went back to college. It's nice to get to know his family at last. I know most people get to know their spouse and their spouse's family before marriage, but since we are going the opposite route, we are trying to remedy our lack of familiarity with each other's families as soon as possible.
Then, last week I ran a road race with some awesome friends and family and in immediately drove to Manhattan again in order to help take care of a relative who needed a companion for a week while his wife was away. It was stressful but fun, and really wonderful to see Adam every day and catch up with some old friends. I have super-missed Tracy and Ginger, so we got together, made Chinese food and stuffed ourselves!
I think the best part about being back is getting to catch up with people again. There is not a frantic-ness to getting things done, or spending time with people, because I will get to see them over and over again for the forseeable future. I've had some excellent talks with Sara, Amanda, Tracy, Ginger, Caitlin, Frank, and pretty much everyone else family-wise that I've missed connecting with. AND! Next weekend is my 25th birthday! It also happens to be one of my former bridesmaid's bachelorette parties! So, even though it will be pretty busy, I am excited for it.
That is all of my life. I am spending my time sleeping, exercising, enjoying people, and trying to finish old projects and tasks that I have put off for months and months at this point.
I am thoroughly happy :)
Becca
Friday, February 3, 2012
A Change of Plans
So, I was supposed to be on the rig until next Tuesday. However, due to some prolonged day of activity other than drilling on the rig, it was recently suggested by a coworker that I leave early so I can see a doctor sooner rather than later. I brought this suggestion up to my cell manager and manager and they were both pretty positive about it, so, new onward with the new plan! I am now flying out tomorrow morning to and I am going to be picked up by the work-related injury people who are taking me to see whatever doctor they use. Honestly, I don't care where I go. I just want to get better. Fast. Or at least faster than I am now. This whole, "I feel horrible and am in pain" thing is mentally and emotionally wearing me down. I have a difficult time building up enthusiasm for anything. Adam says I alway sound sad, which is no good. I want to sound happy and enthusiastic about life! I want to be excited about the new adventures, not wondering how or if I will be able to physically handle them. I want to stop dreading waking up every morning because I don't know how much pain I will be every time.
I am really looking forward to tomorrow and a little scared at the same time. Excited to see what the doctor says is wrong, and what I can do to fix it. Scared the work-related injury people will be mean to me because I was injured at work. I will not have slept in about 17 or 18 hours by the time they pick me up, so they will have a tempestuous version of me to deal with!
Wish me luck and hope it is a measely thing, fixed by rest and muscle relaxants.
More updates soon.
Becca
I am really looking forward to tomorrow and a little scared at the same time. Excited to see what the doctor says is wrong, and what I can do to fix it. Scared the work-related injury people will be mean to me because I was injured at work. I will not have slept in about 17 or 18 hours by the time they pick me up, so they will have a tempestuous version of me to deal with!
Wish me luck and hope it is a measely thing, fixed by rest and muscle relaxants.
More updates soon.
Becca
Monday, January 30, 2012
Finish Lines
My life feels like a series of mini finish lines at the moment. As all these wonderful things loom in the future, I am attempting to marathon it out, mentally, until I get to them. People say that you should just stop and enjoy the experience you are going through and don't wish for the future things overly much. I think people are stupid. :) If you can find me one person out there who is working in 12 hour shifts in a high stress, high intensity job who is also trying to deal with eating healthy (no, Louisiana, everything does NOT have to be fried or put into a cream based sauce...whole grains and steaming veggies is a positive thing!) and deal with a lower back injury at the same time, and they love it, then I would love to talk to them.
However, until such a person is found, I will continue to marathon. Thursday is generally crew change day, so that is one of my countdowns. 96 more hours of working is gone for good. Since my hitches are generally 28 days, the first 2 weeks are ok, the 3rd week is pretty demoralizing (poor Adam having to talk to me on the phone), and then the 4th week passes by pretty well until about 2 days from getting on the helicopter. Then time crawls. Every morning (well, 4:30 pm for me) I am so excited because most of a day just disappears while I have slept. I also have longer countdowns; the day I get off the rig (7th of Feb!), my last time I have to leave Adam to fly to work (Feb 15), tentative, almost 100 percent leaving date (March 17), moving home (March 24), and then I think I am going to just relax after that, even though there are more exciting things coming up as well.
Back things. I have been in pain for a good while now, and officially understand that I am not invincible. I have spent most of this hitch on the rig trying to find a good balance of pain killers to take, the most comfortable position to sleep in, exercises that won't leave me limping afterwards, etc. I can actually really sleep in any position, it is just getting up and dealing with moving afterwards that is the problem. I have a trainee out here doing all of my heavy lifting which is nice. It means that even though nothing is getting better, at least it is not getting worse.
Our crew change is on a different day for the next couple of weeks. Tuesday, which is the glorious day of tomorrow, however tomorrow only marks the end of 2 weeks and 5 days, out here, so this next week is my last on the rig (unless the drs say I can come back). It will probably be a tiring day, because I will be on tower for approx 16-17 hours or so waiting for my relief to get here. Just another tiny finish line in my world of finish lines.
Random coolness of the day: Foam Rollers! We have two on the rig and I've started using them. They kinda help. http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=9911
Love you guys,
Becca
However, until such a person is found, I will continue to marathon. Thursday is generally crew change day, so that is one of my countdowns. 96 more hours of working is gone for good. Since my hitches are generally 28 days, the first 2 weeks are ok, the 3rd week is pretty demoralizing (poor Adam having to talk to me on the phone), and then the 4th week passes by pretty well until about 2 days from getting on the helicopter. Then time crawls. Every morning (well, 4:30 pm for me) I am so excited because most of a day just disappears while I have slept. I also have longer countdowns; the day I get off the rig (7th of Feb!), my last time I have to leave Adam to fly to work (Feb 15), tentative, almost 100 percent leaving date (March 17), moving home (March 24), and then I think I am going to just relax after that, even though there are more exciting things coming up as well.
Back things. I have been in pain for a good while now, and officially understand that I am not invincible. I have spent most of this hitch on the rig trying to find a good balance of pain killers to take, the most comfortable position to sleep in, exercises that won't leave me limping afterwards, etc. I can actually really sleep in any position, it is just getting up and dealing with moving afterwards that is the problem. I have a trainee out here doing all of my heavy lifting which is nice. It means that even though nothing is getting better, at least it is not getting worse.
Our crew change is on a different day for the next couple of weeks. Tuesday, which is the glorious day of tomorrow, however tomorrow only marks the end of 2 weeks and 5 days, out here, so this next week is my last on the rig (unless the drs say I can come back). It will probably be a tiring day, because I will be on tower for approx 16-17 hours or so waiting for my relief to get here. Just another tiny finish line in my world of finish lines.
Random coolness of the day: Foam Rollers! We have two on the rig and I've started using them. They kinda help. http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=9911
Love you guys,
Becca
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
On The Topic of Weddings
One of the most life changing events that has happened in the past several months is my marriage to Adam. As an experience, it was awesome! Alternately stressful, fun, exciting, nerve-wracking; it was the perfect wedding for us. And, to not get too mushy, I am so happy to be starting my life with this incredible guy who is not perfect, but is perfect for me. He is opposite of me in so many ways that will keep life interesting, but has similar beliefs and stances on many life issues that will help us have a strong foundation as a couple.
However, when I think about getting married I am a little surprised at myself. I never thought I would (a) meet someone who was worth all the time and effort that being with someone requires or (b) just marry anyone at all. Looking at my family and background, this would probably seem odd. My parents are amazing and have been married for 30 years (yup, mom and dad, that looks like a crazy long time when I type it here!), and all of my siblings are also married and seem pretty happy. However, I have always had an agenda. Growing up I just wanted to see places! As a freshman in college I got the incredible opportunity to go on a tour of New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji with an orchestra (go French Horns!!) and at that point the travel bug struck and I couldn't imagine not going overseas again. So I was doubly surprised that after 5 years of college during which I ignored numerous hitting-ons, broke up in relationships because they weren't worth even considering long term things, and shutting down 3 or 4 romantic-ish proposals my senior year because I was going to Malaysia and nothing else mattered...I met Adam. He was interesting, always surprising, fun, and adventurous. I couldn't wait to spend time with him, whether it was making cinnamon rolls at midnight at my apartment (favorite thing about college...weird hours to everyone else, normal to us!) for an event the next day or going hiking on the Konza Prairie.
And then came the niggling thought in the back of my mind...I kind of wasn't sure if I still wanted to go to Malaysia. It's not even that he hinted at wanting me to stay. On the contrary, he told me if I decided not to go he would break up with me :). So I went, we continued to date and even invented skype dating where we would make the same meal together and watch a movie at the same time (I only say "invent" because none of my friends seems to have ever considered it before when I mention it to them). He saw me curled up in a ball on my bed in Malaysia going through the misery of food poisoning and "bad bacteria" (Malaysian doctor's official diagnosis), and celebrated with me when I was having awesome, exciting things happen. I decided at this point that I was definitely not staying in Malaysia permanently. Somehow the future and marriage came up, we talked about it, and for the first time ever, the thought of being permanently "stuck" with someone was actually exciting! He ended up surprising me with a proposal in Barcelona over his spring break and...that, as they say, is that. Granted our timeline has been not quite what we originally thought, but I'd have to say it's working out great just the same.
But it still makes me wonder what 15 yr old me would say to 24 (almost 25!) yr old me. Probably that I am an idiot because I could be having adventures and seriously, how could a boy be cooler than those. My 15 yr old self was a little more close-minded than my current person. She wouldn't have figured out yet that adventures are more fun if you have a co-conspirator, and that having that person there at the end of a day, no matter how good or bad it's gone, is indescribably wonderful. Finally, my 15 year old self never met Adam. I think that if she did, I'd probably get at least a high-five.
So being married is pretty fun, it doesn't feel a whole lot different from being not married as neither of us has changed drastically just because we said "I do." Oddly enough, somehow I miss him more now than I did before, if that is possible. Only 2 months left!!! I can't wait for this next adventure with him!
And with that, the mush has ended, I hope you all have a wonderful day :)
Goodnight.
Becca
However, when I think about getting married I am a little surprised at myself. I never thought I would (a) meet someone who was worth all the time and effort that being with someone requires or (b) just marry anyone at all. Looking at my family and background, this would probably seem odd. My parents are amazing and have been married for 30 years (yup, mom and dad, that looks like a crazy long time when I type it here!), and all of my siblings are also married and seem pretty happy. However, I have always had an agenda. Growing up I just wanted to see places! As a freshman in college I got the incredible opportunity to go on a tour of New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji with an orchestra (go French Horns!!) and at that point the travel bug struck and I couldn't imagine not going overseas again. So I was doubly surprised that after 5 years of college during which I ignored numerous hitting-ons, broke up in relationships because they weren't worth even considering long term things, and shutting down 3 or 4 romantic-ish proposals my senior year because I was going to Malaysia and nothing else mattered...I met Adam. He was interesting, always surprising, fun, and adventurous. I couldn't wait to spend time with him, whether it was making cinnamon rolls at midnight at my apartment (favorite thing about college...weird hours to everyone else, normal to us!) for an event the next day or going hiking on the Konza Prairie.
And then came the niggling thought in the back of my mind...I kind of wasn't sure if I still wanted to go to Malaysia. It's not even that he hinted at wanting me to stay. On the contrary, he told me if I decided not to go he would break up with me :). So I went, we continued to date and even invented skype dating where we would make the same meal together and watch a movie at the same time (I only say "invent" because none of my friends seems to have ever considered it before when I mention it to them). He saw me curled up in a ball on my bed in Malaysia going through the misery of food poisoning and "bad bacteria" (Malaysian doctor's official diagnosis), and celebrated with me when I was having awesome, exciting things happen. I decided at this point that I was definitely not staying in Malaysia permanently. Somehow the future and marriage came up, we talked about it, and for the first time ever, the thought of being permanently "stuck" with someone was actually exciting! He ended up surprising me with a proposal in Barcelona over his spring break and...that, as they say, is that. Granted our timeline has been not quite what we originally thought, but I'd have to say it's working out great just the same.
But it still makes me wonder what 15 yr old me would say to 24 (almost 25!) yr old me. Probably that I am an idiot because I could be having adventures and seriously, how could a boy be cooler than those. My 15 yr old self was a little more close-minded than my current person. She wouldn't have figured out yet that adventures are more fun if you have a co-conspirator, and that having that person there at the end of a day, no matter how good or bad it's gone, is indescribably wonderful. Finally, my 15 year old self never met Adam. I think that if she did, I'd probably get at least a high-five.
So being married is pretty fun, it doesn't feel a whole lot different from being not married as neither of us has changed drastically just because we said "I do." Oddly enough, somehow I miss him more now than I did before, if that is possible. Only 2 months left!!! I can't wait for this next adventure with him!
And with that, the mush has ended, I hope you all have a wonderful day :)
Goodnight.
Becca
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Life is Changing!
So, in honor of a rapidly changing life, and to more aptly reflect what I am going to be writing about, I thought I'd change the name of my blog. I actually really enjoy writing down what is/has been happening in my life because it's neat to look back and see where I have been and how far I've come from and through different life events. And what crazy life events have been unfolding.
The only thing the same about my life from 6 months ago is that I am still working deep water in the Gulf of Mexico. Since last July I've gotten married to the most wonderful guy I've ever met, been to my second school for my job, started job searching, decided I am truly leaving this company that helped me get a start out of college, and began planning on moving back to Kansas and into a house in Kansas City! Adam got a job in KC for a consulting firm, and I have no problem uprooting to go home.
If I planned ahead and thought more about it I would have possibly spread out my life changes a little bit. However, I really can't complain very much. I got to have a fun wedding to an equally fun now-husband, surrounded by friends and family. Those same friends and family are excited to have me come home and are very supportive of my decision to uproot my location again. I am warming up to the idea of living in a house that is ours instead of having to share walls with loud, annoying people.
Other things I am excited for in the future : cooking for myself (especially food that is not fried!), running outside on ground that is not moving (on a floating rig, the treadmill goes up and down too...), sleeping in the same bed every night, being able to promise my friends and family I will be at random events...and being there!, seeing all four seasons in all of their glory, flying less than twice a month, getting to know my neighbors and coworkers as I will be around and they will not constantly be switched out on me, fresh fruits and veggies, and...having a pet!! I miss cats and dogs. Quite a bit.
There are parts I am nervous about, such as; actually quitting my job, finding the right house, being able to find a job and if I am unable there, being able to get into grad school, having an accident while moving my stuff back from Louisiana, and, in general, being a failure at life. I am sure I can cross these different bridges without a huge amount of trouble, it's just that they are awfully intimidating looking bridges :)
Anyway, one more day is down out here and I am going to be asleep soon. I am happy to start typing things again, and excited to see the changes the next year of my life will bring.
Good night,
Becca
The only thing the same about my life from 6 months ago is that I am still working deep water in the Gulf of Mexico. Since last July I've gotten married to the most wonderful guy I've ever met, been to my second school for my job, started job searching, decided I am truly leaving this company that helped me get a start out of college, and began planning on moving back to Kansas and into a house in Kansas City! Adam got a job in KC for a consulting firm, and I have no problem uprooting to go home.
If I planned ahead and thought more about it I would have possibly spread out my life changes a little bit. However, I really can't complain very much. I got to have a fun wedding to an equally fun now-husband, surrounded by friends and family. Those same friends and family are excited to have me come home and are very supportive of my decision to uproot my location again. I am warming up to the idea of living in a house that is ours instead of having to share walls with loud, annoying people.
Other things I am excited for in the future : cooking for myself (especially food that is not fried!), running outside on ground that is not moving (on a floating rig, the treadmill goes up and down too...), sleeping in the same bed every night, being able to promise my friends and family I will be at random events...and being there!, seeing all four seasons in all of their glory, flying less than twice a month, getting to know my neighbors and coworkers as I will be around and they will not constantly be switched out on me, fresh fruits and veggies, and...having a pet!! I miss cats and dogs. Quite a bit.
There are parts I am nervous about, such as; actually quitting my job, finding the right house, being able to find a job and if I am unable there, being able to get into grad school, having an accident while moving my stuff back from Louisiana, and, in general, being a failure at life. I am sure I can cross these different bridges without a huge amount of trouble, it's just that they are awfully intimidating looking bridges :)
Anyway, one more day is down out here and I am going to be asleep soon. I am happy to start typing things again, and excited to see the changes the next year of my life will bring.
Good night,
Becca
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Two more days...two more days....
The last four or five days I am on the rig become a mantra of counting down. If I worked in this field long enough, eventually Stockholm Syndrome would take over and I would become like the old timers out here. They frequently state that they have spent so much time on rigs that they feel more comfortable out here, than they do at home. They also have generally broken down families, so I can see why that would also be the case. However, I have not reached this stage, so when I have less than a week left on a rig, it becomes a chant that grows with excitement every time it is stated. Going home!! It is the best feeling to get on that helicopter and know that when it lands you have the freedom to do whatever you want, wherever you want. Eat at any restaurant, go shopping, jogging...heck, even doctors appointments aren't so bad :)
Not much has happened life-wise since I last posted. Most of my bridesmaids have ordered their dresses. I did a workout my brother advised and now my entire upper-arm/chest area is extremely sore. I started trying to eat healthier. Both easier and more difficult than I thought it would be. I watched Mamma Mia and hated it. Watched Indiana Jones and realized why I still love those movies!
I haven't started resume fixing yet. Everytime I am about to start, I get distracted, or realize I am just lazy. Hopefully I'll get more of that done either tomorrow night, or in town this week. Also goals while in town: go to dentist and eye doctor, start furnishing my apartment, and work out every day! Get internet installed in aformentioned apartment.Yeah, that one's a bit important as well. Anyway, we'll see how it goes :)
And now it is time for some fruit. I believe they still have strawberries in the galley, so here I go!
Love you guys,
Becca
Not much has happened life-wise since I last posted. Most of my bridesmaids have ordered their dresses. I did a workout my brother advised and now my entire upper-arm/chest area is extremely sore. I started trying to eat healthier. Both easier and more difficult than I thought it would be. I watched Mamma Mia and hated it. Watched Indiana Jones and realized why I still love those movies!
I haven't started resume fixing yet. Everytime I am about to start, I get distracted, or realize I am just lazy. Hopefully I'll get more of that done either tomorrow night, or in town this week. Also goals while in town: go to dentist and eye doctor, start furnishing my apartment, and work out every day! Get internet installed in aformentioned apartment.Yeah, that one's a bit important as well. Anyway, we'll see how it goes :)
And now it is time for some fruit. I believe they still have strawberries in the galley, so here I go!
Love you guys,
Becca
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
My 2nd 4th from a Rig :)
Happy Independence day from the Gulf of Mexico!!
I wish I could say that I did 4th-y things, but that is not the case. Instead I am celebrating my 24th Independence day in the Gulf of Mexico. It hasn't been all that sad, since this is a rig, and a European one at that, they don't really recognize national holidays such as July 4th or whenever Canada Day was (seriously, just a couple days before, I think). And as no one is truly celebrating it, it seems as if it never happened at all. However, there was some excitement that went on. We had a power outage during the middle of a test that we needed power for, and so the test failed. This was the impetus for about 4 hours of retesting, failed tests, and some fun troubleshooting. And unhappy geologists of course. I feel like geologists are perpetually unhappy people (at least the ones I work with).
The highlights of my day were:
1) Getting off-tower after 16 hours of work
2) Having a short and fun date with Adam over skype.
3) Sleeping!!
4) Having pretty much nothing to do on tower this evening, so I got to spend more quality time with Adam as well as my friend Aly. It was nothing short of awesome!
I have come to a decision as well. Not a dramatic or anything, but since it will affect my life and thus, I'll want to write about it, I thought I'd share. I have decided that I am finally tired of being unhealthy and tired when doing activities that I used to do easily. I am also tired of making excuses for my bad eating habits, sporadic exercising, and non-motivation. If I don't focus on trying to become healthy now, it will be that much harder when I am 26, 30, or 35. So I was talking to my friend Aly the other night, and we decided that we would have a bet, since we a both competive and lose a specific amount of weight in the next 4 months, with the winner being given a 100 dollar gift certificate to the place of their choice by the not-so-winner. The actually winner will be decided on the percentage of their goal weight lost, as well as the number of days within that time frame that a consistent workout took place. I think it sounds like fun, a challenge, and something that is entirely do-able, so...game on!
This hitch is passing pretty quickly, actually. I am making less mistakes than I was and still learning a lot. I still know this job isn't for me for a long time in the future, but I am not as unhappy all the time when I feel like I am doing better. I work with some interestin characters, which helps. Our DDs are completely different. I have worked with there men from southern Lousiana who are all quite different. They talk pretty slow, but are quick to jump on you if you don't know what you are talking about. One chews tobacco and is a perfectionist, one is an ex marine, and the last is just a life-long oilfield guy who says, "It'll get done when it gets done." The final DD is from Columbia and is one of the most pleasant people I've had the pleasure of working with. He always has a smile and is extremely good at what he does (and very calm). The engineers I work with are varied as well. The first one I ever worked with drinks coffee like it is going out of style and is extremely energetic, no matter when I have to wake him up. He is early to get on tower, and always late to leave. The second main guy I work with is originally from Russia and he always has interesting stories about his homeland, as well as comparisons between there and here (apparently Americans are friendlier). Besides them, most people are pretty pleasant. They've finally started joking around with me after 3 hitches, which means they feel more comfortable with my general presence.
Lets see...wedding front! Adam and I are discussing honeymoon stuff and I am excited!!! It will be warm and fun and wonderful time! I wanted to skip the wedding part and elope, but Adam says that I have to stick it through now and can't just skip to my honeymoon. Plus, there is always the delicious wedding cake to look forward to. :)
I am also really looking forward to going back to town next Monday because there are so many cool things to look forward to! I am going to buy stuff for my new apartment; specifically bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen stuff. Tanya and I are splitting the livingroom costs, so we'll figure that out when she gets into town later on that week. Also, I get to spend some more time with Adam! And....(drumroll)...The final Harry Potter movie comes out!! It is oddly bittersweet because it is like a signifier that my childhood is "officially" over. The first books came out when I was about 11 or 12 I think, and now, 13 years later the final movie is hitting theaters. I know a lot of 24-28 year olds that are pretty excited about this movie. I am going with Tanya and Adam to see it on opening night, hopefully.
Other things: I am in the middle of crocheting a colorful blanket, I am interested to see what will happen for the rest of this week, and I have realized that I don't need coffee to stay awake when I am working.
And with that, I think it is time to head off tower and go to bed.
I love you all and hope you had a wonderful, colorful, fun, and delicious day. Miss you guys!
Becca
I wish I could say that I did 4th-y things, but that is not the case. Instead I am celebrating my 24th Independence day in the Gulf of Mexico. It hasn't been all that sad, since this is a rig, and a European one at that, they don't really recognize national holidays such as July 4th or whenever Canada Day was (seriously, just a couple days before, I think). And as no one is truly celebrating it, it seems as if it never happened at all. However, there was some excitement that went on. We had a power outage during the middle of a test that we needed power for, and so the test failed. This was the impetus for about 4 hours of retesting, failed tests, and some fun troubleshooting. And unhappy geologists of course. I feel like geologists are perpetually unhappy people (at least the ones I work with).
The highlights of my day were:
1) Getting off-tower after 16 hours of work
2) Having a short and fun date with Adam over skype.
3) Sleeping!!
4) Having pretty much nothing to do on tower this evening, so I got to spend more quality time with Adam as well as my friend Aly. It was nothing short of awesome!
I have come to a decision as well. Not a dramatic or anything, but since it will affect my life and thus, I'll want to write about it, I thought I'd share. I have decided that I am finally tired of being unhealthy and tired when doing activities that I used to do easily. I am also tired of making excuses for my bad eating habits, sporadic exercising, and non-motivation. If I don't focus on trying to become healthy now, it will be that much harder when I am 26, 30, or 35. So I was talking to my friend Aly the other night, and we decided that we would have a bet, since we a both competive and lose a specific amount of weight in the next 4 months, with the winner being given a 100 dollar gift certificate to the place of their choice by the not-so-winner. The actually winner will be decided on the percentage of their goal weight lost, as well as the number of days within that time frame that a consistent workout took place. I think it sounds like fun, a challenge, and something that is entirely do-able, so...game on!
This hitch is passing pretty quickly, actually. I am making less mistakes than I was and still learning a lot. I still know this job isn't for me for a long time in the future, but I am not as unhappy all the time when I feel like I am doing better. I work with some interestin characters, which helps. Our DDs are completely different. I have worked with there men from southern Lousiana who are all quite different. They talk pretty slow, but are quick to jump on you if you don't know what you are talking about. One chews tobacco and is a perfectionist, one is an ex marine, and the last is just a life-long oilfield guy who says, "It'll get done when it gets done." The final DD is from Columbia and is one of the most pleasant people I've had the pleasure of working with. He always has a smile and is extremely good at what he does (and very calm). The engineers I work with are varied as well. The first one I ever worked with drinks coffee like it is going out of style and is extremely energetic, no matter when I have to wake him up. He is early to get on tower, and always late to leave. The second main guy I work with is originally from Russia and he always has interesting stories about his homeland, as well as comparisons between there and here (apparently Americans are friendlier). Besides them, most people are pretty pleasant. They've finally started joking around with me after 3 hitches, which means they feel more comfortable with my general presence.
Lets see...wedding front! Adam and I are discussing honeymoon stuff and I am excited!!! It will be warm and fun and wonderful time! I wanted to skip the wedding part and elope, but Adam says that I have to stick it through now and can't just skip to my honeymoon. Plus, there is always the delicious wedding cake to look forward to. :)
I am also really looking forward to going back to town next Monday because there are so many cool things to look forward to! I am going to buy stuff for my new apartment; specifically bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen stuff. Tanya and I are splitting the livingroom costs, so we'll figure that out when she gets into town later on that week. Also, I get to spend some more time with Adam! And....(drumroll)...The final Harry Potter movie comes out!! It is oddly bittersweet because it is like a signifier that my childhood is "officially" over. The first books came out when I was about 11 or 12 I think, and now, 13 years later the final movie is hitting theaters. I know a lot of 24-28 year olds that are pretty excited about this movie. I am going with Tanya and Adam to see it on opening night, hopefully.
Other things: I am in the middle of crocheting a colorful blanket, I am interested to see what will happen for the rest of this week, and I have realized that I don't need coffee to stay awake when I am working.
And with that, I think it is time to head off tower and go to bed.
I love you all and hope you had a wonderful, colorful, fun, and delicious day. Miss you guys!
Becca
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Overload!
So, it feels as if I just blogged like 3 or 4 days ago, however when I checked the date of my last post I found out I was wrong. Apparently "3 or 4 days" is actually about 20. What has been happening that time span? Everything and nothing.
My hitch ended with very little fanfare, but a lot of hardwork as we were preparing for the next run with a new set of tools. I am having to remember everything I thought I knew and then apply it with varying degrees of success. Sometimes I'll get a process right the first time, and other times I completely mess up and have to have it retaught or explained by my cell manager again. One of the things I have noticed since coming to this rig is that the people that whereas every other group that works on the rig has some kind of backup, mine does not. There are just two of us. Occasionally one of us has to lose sleep to be up early and help the other, but that is only if it is a pretty big deal. Most of the time we do everything unsupervised and without someone else to double check with. It is a little bit intimidating at times because quite a few people rely on the services we provide and the technical information we give.
My days off were wonderful. I ate sushi, bought and cooked most of my own meals (something I really miss when I am on a rig), ate all the fresh fruit I wanted, signed the lease to my new apartment, signed up for a gym, and went to the dentist. Adam got to come in on Friday on his way through to Houma, so I got to spend a couple days with him and that was so much fun! We went on a swamp tour, sized his finger for a wedding ring (woot!) and went to see Green Lantern in theaters. Actually a pretty good movie. I forced him to watch several sci-fi movies in a row and he watched them relatively gracefully with minimal complaining. Now he is interning in Houma for the rest of the summer which is so incredibly close compared to how far apart we've lived! From half the world away to an hour and a half drive. I am excited :D
My new roommate in Lafayette is a girl I originally met and liked in Abu Dhabi. Her name is Tanya and I am definitely looking forward to living with her. She is fun, likes to cook, agrees that frozen yogurt is awesome, and is always enthusiastic about a conversation. She was originally placed in Angola but has been recently transferred back to Lafayette with me. Our new apartment is just the right size, cute, and is about 40 feet from a pool! It is bottom floor which is awesome for moving stuff, and is not in a super crowded part of town. Also, it is a block from the gym I joined!
Oh yes, one more thing. When I went into town I did my grade 9 promotion review! So now my salary is a bit higher and I can start making bonuses. Woot! However I still feel like this job just isn't the job for me anymore. It asks me to sacrifice to much of the stuff that I love in order to make money, and that just isn't the type of person I am. I am pretty sure I will start job searching soon :)
However, weeks off must end and now I am back on the rig. We are drilling with tools I've never seen before, so I am a little intimidated, but I will learn. Hopefully it will all go smoothly and I can come out the other end with some decent experience. This time around the internet has been a little better, so I can be on skype with more success. Its really nice to get to talk to Adam every day when I wake up and before I head to bed. And that, as they say, is that.
Now I am going to get off, send in some paperwork, and finish doing other things that cannot wait until another time. I hope that however you are spending your night, it is enjoyable!
I love you guys.
Becca
My hitch ended with very little fanfare, but a lot of hardwork as we were preparing for the next run with a new set of tools. I am having to remember everything I thought I knew and then apply it with varying degrees of success. Sometimes I'll get a process right the first time, and other times I completely mess up and have to have it retaught or explained by my cell manager again. One of the things I have noticed since coming to this rig is that the people that whereas every other group that works on the rig has some kind of backup, mine does not. There are just two of us. Occasionally one of us has to lose sleep to be up early and help the other, but that is only if it is a pretty big deal. Most of the time we do everything unsupervised and without someone else to double check with. It is a little bit intimidating at times because quite a few people rely on the services we provide and the technical information we give.
My days off were wonderful. I ate sushi, bought and cooked most of my own meals (something I really miss when I am on a rig), ate all the fresh fruit I wanted, signed the lease to my new apartment, signed up for a gym, and went to the dentist. Adam got to come in on Friday on his way through to Houma, so I got to spend a couple days with him and that was so much fun! We went on a swamp tour, sized his finger for a wedding ring (woot!) and went to see Green Lantern in theaters. Actually a pretty good movie. I forced him to watch several sci-fi movies in a row and he watched them relatively gracefully with minimal complaining. Now he is interning in Houma for the rest of the summer which is so incredibly close compared to how far apart we've lived! From half the world away to an hour and a half drive. I am excited :D
My new roommate in Lafayette is a girl I originally met and liked in Abu Dhabi. Her name is Tanya and I am definitely looking forward to living with her. She is fun, likes to cook, agrees that frozen yogurt is awesome, and is always enthusiastic about a conversation. She was originally placed in Angola but has been recently transferred back to Lafayette with me. Our new apartment is just the right size, cute, and is about 40 feet from a pool! It is bottom floor which is awesome for moving stuff, and is not in a super crowded part of town. Also, it is a block from the gym I joined!
Oh yes, one more thing. When I went into town I did my grade 9 promotion review! So now my salary is a bit higher and I can start making bonuses. Woot! However I still feel like this job just isn't the job for me anymore. It asks me to sacrifice to much of the stuff that I love in order to make money, and that just isn't the type of person I am. I am pretty sure I will start job searching soon :)
However, weeks off must end and now I am back on the rig. We are drilling with tools I've never seen before, so I am a little intimidated, but I will learn. Hopefully it will all go smoothly and I can come out the other end with some decent experience. This time around the internet has been a little better, so I can be on skype with more success. Its really nice to get to talk to Adam every day when I wake up and before I head to bed. And that, as they say, is that.
Now I am going to get off, send in some paperwork, and finish doing other things that cannot wait until another time. I hope that however you are spending your night, it is enjoyable!
I love you guys.
Becca
Thursday, June 9, 2011
The Blocking Mechanism of a Rig
So, I promise I like to communicate. As you guys know, if you give me the chance to start talking I will never stop. So, though I am enjoying my time on this rig for the most part, I find it frustrating how much I am conversation blocked on a daily basis. However, I have decided that even if I am super busy or falling completely asleep, I will at least type a paragraph. However my goal tonight is to write something a bit longer and maybe even give you a legitimate update on life before I get off tower at 6 am tomorrow.
First off : My week off was both wonderful and busy. It was a quick trip into Kansas for a car pick-up and marriage counselling session (talking about Adam to anyone is pretty fun for me!!) with Pastor Tom, then driving with Adam down to Jenks, Oklahoma for my Schlumberger mandated driving class. The power point portion of the class was incredibly boring, however, the practical part (commentary driving and driving under extreme conditions) was pretty fun. I've never purposely 360'd in a car before so getting asked to do it was awesome! My favorite part of the week though, had to be getting to spend the time after class with Adam and my new friends from the school. The one adventure I didn't anticipate last week was having to get some major repairs done on my car due to a brake line seizing up right before we reached Jenks. However, it was really nice to have Adam there to share the adventure with. I am looking forward to having a million more adventures with him! I think life will be fun :)
Next: So the last part of my week ended with a 9-ish hour car drive that was aided unhelpfully by Google maps. However, having a phone with a GPS in it is sweet!! I was introduced to the app by my awesome fiance and I feel like I will be using it quite often in the future. AFter getting in and spending Sunday relaxing, I jetted off to the rig and sent Adam on his merry way back to Kansas.
The Present: Since then I have been back on the my rig and working away. It is much less stressful so far, just because I am more comfortable with the rig and how this particular job works. I am also feeling more confident in my ability not to completely fail at life this hitch. A fun link about my rig and the job we are on is below. It is so neat to be a part of something with such a large scale!!
ExxonMobil Oil Find
Well, I hope you are all having a wonderful day where you happen to be. And what do you know? It is 5:54 in the morning and I have a blog!
Love you all,
Becca
First off : My week off was both wonderful and busy. It was a quick trip into Kansas for a car pick-up and marriage counselling session (talking about Adam to anyone is pretty fun for me!!) with Pastor Tom, then driving with Adam down to Jenks, Oklahoma for my Schlumberger mandated driving class. The power point portion of the class was incredibly boring, however, the practical part (commentary driving and driving under extreme conditions) was pretty fun. I've never purposely 360'd in a car before so getting asked to do it was awesome! My favorite part of the week though, had to be getting to spend the time after class with Adam and my new friends from the school. The one adventure I didn't anticipate last week was having to get some major repairs done on my car due to a brake line seizing up right before we reached Jenks. However, it was really nice to have Adam there to share the adventure with. I am looking forward to having a million more adventures with him! I think life will be fun :)
Next: So the last part of my week ended with a 9-ish hour car drive that was aided unhelpfully by Google maps. However, having a phone with a GPS in it is sweet!! I was introduced to the app by my awesome fiance and I feel like I will be using it quite often in the future. AFter getting in and spending Sunday relaxing, I jetted off to the rig and sent Adam on his merry way back to Kansas.
The Present: Since then I have been back on the my rig and working away. It is much less stressful so far, just because I am more comfortable with the rig and how this particular job works. I am also feeling more confident in my ability not to completely fail at life this hitch. A fun link about my rig and the job we are on is below. It is so neat to be a part of something with such a large scale!!
ExxonMobil Oil Find
Well, I hope you are all having a wonderful day where you happen to be. And what do you know? It is 5:54 in the morning and I have a blog!
Love you all,
Becca
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Learning Curve
I am tired. If for no other reason than that I am learning all the time. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as I generally enjoy learning new things. However, not only am I acquiring new knowledge right now, I am also learning about all the things that I've been taught by other engineers (and even in ENG-1) that are wrong. So I have decided to create several rules for myself.
1. Always ask how they do it on THEIR rig. Procedures that should be basic seem to be completed in entirely different ways in different parts of the world (even though we all work for the same company).
2. Never listen to a newer engineer who is on the verge of quitting. They will be wrong. A lot.
3. Drink a lot of water.
4. Always wake up the senior engineer if you have any doubts as to how a part of a job should be done. They are getting paid reduced crew bonus when you are there anyway.
5. Finally: It is an excellent thing to have a former pastry chef from a cruise ship be the head chef in the kitchen of your rig.
One thing I both like and hate about this rig is the stairs up to my unit. I hate them because I am always out of breath by the time I climb them all (and they are winding, so they are also disorientating). I like them because since I sit on my rear end for most of the evening, my trips up and down the stairs make me feel like I am not a completely sedentary person.
My days generally feel pretty short and I only have 3 nights left to work after tonight and then it is civilization again! Also, Adam is going to help me drive down to Lafayette and I am pretty excited about that.
Wedding planning is standstillish because it is difficult to corral people on things when you work an opposite schedule of them. However, I do have bridesmaids dresses picked out and I am feeling pretty positive about getting other things accomplished when I am within cell phone service of other people next week.
Speaking of which, next week will be so hectic! I am going to fly into Kansas, hopefully have a marriage counselling (sp?) session on Tuesday morning, then pick up my car and drive to Wichita. The next day I am going to be heading to Tulsa where I have a Schlumberger mandated driver training class for 4 days. Finally on Saturday Adam will be accompanying me from Tulsa to Lafayette (9.25 hrs....) and then I am flying him back probably on Monday morning after I head to the rig. Woot! should be a good/busy/interesting, potentially tiring break. But I am happy I'll get to see Adam before his internship starts.
Also speaking of which...Adam's internship location got moved to Houma, LA which is only an hour and 54 minutes away by google's standards. It is so exciting!!!! It means I might be able to get to see him once or twice in the next 2 months. I know that sounds kind of sad, but it is so much better than we have previously gotten, so I'll take it.
I adore the fact that this rig has wireless internet. It is so nice to be able to not have to wait in line for the phone or to go into my room and just call anyone I would like on Skype. It may die sometimes and this may be a little frustrating, but it would be so much more frustrating to have little to no contact with the people I love.
Hmm...lets see. I've started going to the gym out here in the morning. It's a little difficult to get the motivation after working for 12-13 hours every day, but I've figured out that I actually feel a lot better after jogging for even 15 minutes. So now I wander in, do some exercising and wandering out in enough time to call a couple people and fall asleep. Usually there are only one or two other guys in there with me and they leave me alone, so I feel very comfortable going.
The desserts here are incredible, but I have also had to cut down/limit the amount of desserts I put into my life. Mainly because my job is very sedentary and I cannot exercise as much as I would like. So I have begun forgoing the berry pies, icecream cakes (made from scratch!), mousses, muffins, and cookies in favor of the fruits. I don't miss the pretty desserts too much, but sometimes...*sniff*
And that is pretty much most of my life in a nutshell. Working on a rig is kind of like being in the movie Groundhog Day, and the movie ends when that helicopter flies in on Monday morning!!
I hope you are all have a really excellent Friday!
Love you,
Becca
1. Always ask how they do it on THEIR rig. Procedures that should be basic seem to be completed in entirely different ways in different parts of the world (even though we all work for the same company).
2. Never listen to a newer engineer who is on the verge of quitting. They will be wrong. A lot.
3. Drink a lot of water.
4. Always wake up the senior engineer if you have any doubts as to how a part of a job should be done. They are getting paid reduced crew bonus when you are there anyway.
5. Finally: It is an excellent thing to have a former pastry chef from a cruise ship be the head chef in the kitchen of your rig.
One thing I both like and hate about this rig is the stairs up to my unit. I hate them because I am always out of breath by the time I climb them all (and they are winding, so they are also disorientating). I like them because since I sit on my rear end for most of the evening, my trips up and down the stairs make me feel like I am not a completely sedentary person.
My days generally feel pretty short and I only have 3 nights left to work after tonight and then it is civilization again! Also, Adam is going to help me drive down to Lafayette and I am pretty excited about that.
Wedding planning is standstillish because it is difficult to corral people on things when you work an opposite schedule of them. However, I do have bridesmaids dresses picked out and I am feeling pretty positive about getting other things accomplished when I am within cell phone service of other people next week.
Speaking of which, next week will be so hectic! I am going to fly into Kansas, hopefully have a marriage counselling (sp?) session on Tuesday morning, then pick up my car and drive to Wichita. The next day I am going to be heading to Tulsa where I have a Schlumberger mandated driver training class for 4 days. Finally on Saturday Adam will be accompanying me from Tulsa to Lafayette (9.25 hrs....) and then I am flying him back probably on Monday morning after I head to the rig. Woot! should be a good/busy/interesting, potentially tiring break. But I am happy I'll get to see Adam before his internship starts.
Also speaking of which...Adam's internship location got moved to Houma, LA which is only an hour and 54 minutes away by google's standards. It is so exciting!!!! It means I might be able to get to see him once or twice in the next 2 months. I know that sounds kind of sad, but it is so much better than we have previously gotten, so I'll take it.
I adore the fact that this rig has wireless internet. It is so nice to be able to not have to wait in line for the phone or to go into my room and just call anyone I would like on Skype. It may die sometimes and this may be a little frustrating, but it would be so much more frustrating to have little to no contact with the people I love.
Hmm...lets see. I've started going to the gym out here in the morning. It's a little difficult to get the motivation after working for 12-13 hours every day, but I've figured out that I actually feel a lot better after jogging for even 15 minutes. So now I wander in, do some exercising and wandering out in enough time to call a couple people and fall asleep. Usually there are only one or two other guys in there with me and they leave me alone, so I feel very comfortable going.
The desserts here are incredible, but I have also had to cut down/limit the amount of desserts I put into my life. Mainly because my job is very sedentary and I cannot exercise as much as I would like. So I have begun forgoing the berry pies, icecream cakes (made from scratch!), mousses, muffins, and cookies in favor of the fruits. I don't miss the pretty desserts too much, but sometimes...*sniff*
And that is pretty much most of my life in a nutshell. Working on a rig is kind of like being in the movie Groundhog Day, and the movie ends when that helicopter flies in on Monday morning!!
I hope you are all have a really excellent Friday!
Love you,
Becca
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Every Day is an Adventure
I adore quotes. However, I feel like walking around using them, or even putting them in my blog all the time might seem kind of weird, but I think I might start putting a them in once or twice a week anyway. They are fun! For today I saw a quote by G.K. Chesterton (no clue who he/she is) that said, "An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." Which is simple and slightly redundant, but I love it! I especially have a problem with this, and as my mother says, I am her up and down daughter. One moment I am in love with life, adventure, fun, happiness, and all the wonderful things in between. Then some sort of inconvenience wanders through my path and the world is in shambles and might never be right again. I am not bi-polar, but instead I am incredibly reactionary. I often don't realize I am doing it, actually until someone points it out and I can forcibly try switching over my attitude/viewpoint. I have so much practice with it at this point that it has become a skill set of sorts. However, I feel like I need to take the pompous-sounding Chesterton's viewpoint on adventure a little more often. I need to embrace both the positive AND negative inconveniences in my life a little more equally.
I was thinking about the above subject today because though I am enjoying my new adventure on the rig, I am already dealing with some un-fun inconveniences in the form of clashing personality/work styles with another engineer on the rig and it causes some severe frustration while I am working and it increases the stress of situations where I am trying to submit logs and deal with higher-ups and this person at the same time. Though it started getting a bit better this morning, I know that I have not been facing this small form of adventure with the right attitude and I can do a bit better now that I've realized what I am up against. Hopefully :)
I am getting more used to this particular rig and how things are done on it, however. Every rig is made up of rig, cleaning, cooking, drilling co, and multiple service co crews. Therefore, any given rig I will ever go on is going to be different than the last one because there will never be the same combination of crews on the same rig. So every single time I go to a new job I have to figure out how I fit in with the new crew. Is the geologist going to be knowledgeable or just pushy? What are the co men like? How helpful are the roughnecks? Have the drillers worked with my company before or do I have to explain huge amounts of information to them? Anyway, it is kind of fun and kind of a pain (er...adventure!) so I at least my job is relatively dynamic.
However, since I have decided I need a little more positivity after the last couple days, I am going to make a list of the of all the things that I am enjoying about being here:
- How quickly days on my job actually pass by. I always have something I can be doing and once I get going a 12 hour shift only really feels like 6 or so hours.
- The food. There is so much of it and it is generally pretty tasty. However it is easy to turn it down so I don't have to be airlifted out of my room on the rig at the end of my hitch.
- The interesting characters on the rig. There are 19 yr old roughnecks, up to 60 yr old geologists and company men. They are from countries all over the world and always have had an interesting history.
- The way disagreements are resolved. Yelling, swearing and storming off might occur, but at the end of the day I have never seen a disagreement end unprofessionally and the next day it is like the encounter never even happened.
- The tv that is watched. It is usually either sports or some kind of news channel (generally CNN or Fox). I don't love the sports channel, but I like it that they enjoy watching the outside world too.
- The data. So freaking cool...
- Other rigs. We get to watch activity on rigs and drilling ships in the distance from our own. The most recent cool thing was our semi-sub neighbor burning of excess gas coming from the well. FLAME!!! Bwahaahaha...
- Friendly people.
And that is it!!
I hope all of you are having a great Wednesday as mine is winding down. Time for sleep :)
Love you,
Becca
I was thinking about the above subject today because though I am enjoying my new adventure on the rig, I am already dealing with some un-fun inconveniences in the form of clashing personality/work styles with another engineer on the rig and it causes some severe frustration while I am working and it increases the stress of situations where I am trying to submit logs and deal with higher-ups and this person at the same time. Though it started getting a bit better this morning, I know that I have not been facing this small form of adventure with the right attitude and I can do a bit better now that I've realized what I am up against. Hopefully :)
I am getting more used to this particular rig and how things are done on it, however. Every rig is made up of rig, cleaning, cooking, drilling co, and multiple service co crews. Therefore, any given rig I will ever go on is going to be different than the last one because there will never be the same combination of crews on the same rig. So every single time I go to a new job I have to figure out how I fit in with the new crew. Is the geologist going to be knowledgeable or just pushy? What are the co men like? How helpful are the roughnecks? Have the drillers worked with my company before or do I have to explain huge amounts of information to them? Anyway, it is kind of fun and kind of a pain (er...adventure!) so I at least my job is relatively dynamic.
However, since I have decided I need a little more positivity after the last couple days, I am going to make a list of the of all the things that I am enjoying about being here:
- How quickly days on my job actually pass by. I always have something I can be doing and once I get going a 12 hour shift only really feels like 6 or so hours.
- The food. There is so much of it and it is generally pretty tasty. However it is easy to turn it down so I don't have to be airlifted out of my room on the rig at the end of my hitch.
- The interesting characters on the rig. There are 19 yr old roughnecks, up to 60 yr old geologists and company men. They are from countries all over the world and always have had an interesting history.
- The way disagreements are resolved. Yelling, swearing and storming off might occur, but at the end of the day I have never seen a disagreement end unprofessionally and the next day it is like the encounter never even happened.
- The tv that is watched. It is usually either sports or some kind of news channel (generally CNN or Fox). I don't love the sports channel, but I like it that they enjoy watching the outside world too.
- The data. So freaking cool...
- Other rigs. We get to watch activity on rigs and drilling ships in the distance from our own. The most recent cool thing was our semi-sub neighbor burning of excess gas coming from the well. FLAME!!! Bwahaahaha...
- Friendly people.
And that is it!!
I hope all of you are having a great Wednesday as mine is winding down. Time for sleep :)
Love you,
Becca
Monday, May 16, 2011
A Bit Ridiculous
Hello peoples,
Promise this won't be a rant, but this is a little frustrating. I have tried starting to write this same blog post about 7 or 8 times in the past week. I always get about halfway through this post (and it is actually pretty long) and then I get called away to do something, my computer dies, or I have to open another program that mandatorily (is this a word) shuts down my internet windows. So to some degree I feel like this particular post is cursed. Also, I am getting tired of writing the same thing over and over again only to have to think about writing it again.
So I have given up on giving you all the details. Instead I will write random sentences about my weeks without all the details and if you would like to know more, you are welcome to email, facebook, or post a comment and I promise to respond with all the details you would like.
HOME
- Family picnics rock. Everyone should have a picnic for their birthday. And...Happy Birthday TORI!!!!
-I suck at croquet. If you would ever like to have your ego boosted, then you should play croquet against me.
- Every daughter should get to spend one adult day just hanging out with her dad. Especially if her dad is pretty cool.
- Equal time should get to be spent with her mom, and even if she doesn't get the exact same time it will probably be pretty incredible regardless.
-It should be noted that when one's mother says, "Let's look at bridesmaid dresses." It is really an evil plot to make one try on fluffy white ones instead.
- Seeing all the important people in my life is actually kind of stressful scheduling-wise, but very much worth it.
- A list of all the people I got to see : Adam, Mom, Dad, Helen, Raegan, Ross, Amanda, James, Tori (and Tori's family!), Brutus, Tracy, Sara, Ginger, Caitlin, Dana, KIM!, Chrishelle (sp?), Nakayla, Rachel, and there may be more. I got so much good people-time in :)
- Mom food = Amazing. Still. I am sure it always will be.
- Getting to go on an actual physical date with Adam is so much fun! I hope to have them more often than once every 5 months from now on. :)
LOUISIANA
- Warm, good food, friendly people, semi-quiet town, a lot of alcohol everywhere. However, the fun music festivals make it a good place to hang out.
- Will I ever live someplace that isn't flat??? I feel like I only live in flat places now. I really do love rolling hills and mountains!
- Shopping was weird at first because there were just so many choices!
- Realized I needed summer clothes because I am so used to covering up more body parts in Malaysia.
- It is nice to not be stared at anymore (except on the rig, but then, that is just normal).
- Getting used to the office here is weird. I am not used to going into the office being an optional thing.
- I can't wait to go to my defensive driving course so my car can come down here and I can go do things on my own! I am excited to have control back over certain portions of my life again.
- Best part : both of my new roommates are friends I've made previously in foreign locations. There is Tanya who worked in Africa and another Rebecca who worked in China. They are both pretty nice.
THE RIG
- HUGE. Really. Really. Big.
- Excellent food. Every meal is a crazy exercise in self control.
- Fun rig crew. Nice MWDs.
- Semi-sub, so we are always moving just a little bit. I haven't gotten sea sick, but I do feel a little dizzy sometimes.
- Comfy rooms, wireless internet, tvs, nice break rooms, and a sweet gym!
- No Cinnamon Life cereal, however, I came prepared and brought my own!!
- Possible actual schedule if I stick with these guys. I am excited about the potential for a semi-life if I work here.
And what will be an updated thing from now on...WEDDING STUFF!
- It is happening people! Oct 22. Unless something crazy changes.
- Outside, unless the weather is horrible.
- A delicious cake will be in attendance, which means I will also be in attendance.
- I have bridesmaids. And now power! Lots and lots of power! I am excited to abuse it.
- My goal is to freak out less than 5 times throughout the entire process. I have already done it twice so wish me luck.
- Even though I will be on rigs, I cannot wait to work out more details with my mother and sisters. This is also the prime time for James to get favorite sister status if he wants ;)
- I cannot wait to get to marry Adam! No, I will not start counting down yet. That is for later.
That is all for now. Sorry this was so long. I promise now that I have gotten over the 1st-blog-in-awhile-hump that they will be more regular from now on.
Have a marvelous, wonderful, sunny-yet-not-too-warm Monday.
I love you all.
Becca
Promise this won't be a rant, but this is a little frustrating. I have tried starting to write this same blog post about 7 or 8 times in the past week. I always get about halfway through this post (and it is actually pretty long) and then I get called away to do something, my computer dies, or I have to open another program that mandatorily (is this a word) shuts down my internet windows. So to some degree I feel like this particular post is cursed. Also, I am getting tired of writing the same thing over and over again only to have to think about writing it again.
So I have given up on giving you all the details. Instead I will write random sentences about my weeks without all the details and if you would like to know more, you are welcome to email, facebook, or post a comment and I promise to respond with all the details you would like.
HOME
- Family picnics rock. Everyone should have a picnic for their birthday. And...Happy Birthday TORI!!!!
-I suck at croquet. If you would ever like to have your ego boosted, then you should play croquet against me.
- Every daughter should get to spend one adult day just hanging out with her dad. Especially if her dad is pretty cool.
- Equal time should get to be spent with her mom, and even if she doesn't get the exact same time it will probably be pretty incredible regardless.
-It should be noted that when one's mother says, "Let's look at bridesmaid dresses." It is really an evil plot to make one try on fluffy white ones instead.
- Seeing all the important people in my life is actually kind of stressful scheduling-wise, but very much worth it.
- A list of all the people I got to see : Adam, Mom, Dad, Helen, Raegan, Ross, Amanda, James, Tori (and Tori's family!), Brutus, Tracy, Sara, Ginger, Caitlin, Dana, KIM!, Chrishelle (sp?), Nakayla, Rachel, and there may be more. I got so much good people-time in :)
- Mom food = Amazing. Still. I am sure it always will be.
- Getting to go on an actual physical date with Adam is so much fun! I hope to have them more often than once every 5 months from now on. :)
LOUISIANA
- Warm, good food, friendly people, semi-quiet town, a lot of alcohol everywhere. However, the fun music festivals make it a good place to hang out.
- Will I ever live someplace that isn't flat??? I feel like I only live in flat places now. I really do love rolling hills and mountains!
- Shopping was weird at first because there were just so many choices!
- Realized I needed summer clothes because I am so used to covering up more body parts in Malaysia.
- It is nice to not be stared at anymore (except on the rig, but then, that is just normal).
- Getting used to the office here is weird. I am not used to going into the office being an optional thing.
- I can't wait to go to my defensive driving course so my car can come down here and I can go do things on my own! I am excited to have control back over certain portions of my life again.
- Best part : both of my new roommates are friends I've made previously in foreign locations. There is Tanya who worked in Africa and another Rebecca who worked in China. They are both pretty nice.
THE RIG
- HUGE. Really. Really. Big.
- Excellent food. Every meal is a crazy exercise in self control.
- Fun rig crew. Nice MWDs.
- Semi-sub, so we are always moving just a little bit. I haven't gotten sea sick, but I do feel a little dizzy sometimes.
- Comfy rooms, wireless internet, tvs, nice break rooms, and a sweet gym!
- No Cinnamon Life cereal, however, I came prepared and brought my own!!
- Possible actual schedule if I stick with these guys. I am excited about the potential for a semi-life if I work here.
And what will be an updated thing from now on...WEDDING STUFF!
- It is happening people! Oct 22. Unless something crazy changes.
- Outside, unless the weather is horrible.
- A delicious cake will be in attendance, which means I will also be in attendance.
- I have bridesmaids. And now power! Lots and lots of power! I am excited to abuse it.
- My goal is to freak out less than 5 times throughout the entire process. I have already done it twice so wish me luck.
- Even though I will be on rigs, I cannot wait to work out more details with my mother and sisters. This is also the prime time for James to get favorite sister status if he wants ;)
- I cannot wait to get to marry Adam! No, I will not start counting down yet. That is for later.
That is all for now. Sorry this was so long. I promise now that I have gotten over the 1st-blog-in-awhile-hump that they will be more regular from now on.
Have a marvelous, wonderful, sunny-yet-not-too-warm Monday.
I love you all.
Becca
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Louisiana, Food, and Readjustment
Ok! I am finally writing. Everytime I start writing I get distracted or I fall asleep. This is due to (a) the amount of stuff I have to get done/prepare to do and (b) trying to get over some severe jet lag. However, I am sleeping all the way through the night and I can handle all the random things that I have to do, so life is pretty good.
My plane flights back were a little hectic due to baggage issues, and a little crazy until I hit the longest flight which was from Singapore to Houston with an hour layover in Moscow (to refuel and such). I've never had a 22 hour flight before, but I've gotta say that beside the butt-numbing-ness of it, the flight was actually pretty peaceful. I got a little bit of sleep, and had a seat between the other person that was sitting near me, so I counted myself as pretty lucky. And I was so excited to cross into the United States again! I didn't even mind waiting in the Houston airport in the security lines. They actually went quite fast. I didn't remember how fast American airport lines tend to move. However my opinion may have been affected by my happiness.
I have very much enjoyed being back in the US thus far. I love being able to watch tv, go running in my gym at my apartment complex, and have so many choices when I go to the store! My favorite purchase so far has definitely been Honey Bunches of Oats! I could just eat that and be completely happy with my life, however, I know variety is probably needed, so I try to branch out. I also had my first legitimate barbeque in quite a long time, as of...yesterday! It was absolutely delicious and I am glad I live in such a bbq-y place.
The people here are just like I remember them. Friendly, and full of nicknames. Gotta say, my favorite nickname thus far is "Boo", affectionately labeled by the main receptionist in my building.
I can't wait to come back up and say hi to all of you! I really do miss you guys and knowing you are so close is so exciting!! Hopefully it will be soon, but if not, just remember that I am thinking of you :)
I hope you are having a wonderful day!
Love,
Becca
My plane flights back were a little hectic due to baggage issues, and a little crazy until I hit the longest flight which was from Singapore to Houston with an hour layover in Moscow (to refuel and such). I've never had a 22 hour flight before, but I've gotta say that beside the butt-numbing-ness of it, the flight was actually pretty peaceful. I got a little bit of sleep, and had a seat between the other person that was sitting near me, so I counted myself as pretty lucky. And I was so excited to cross into the United States again! I didn't even mind waiting in the Houston airport in the security lines. They actually went quite fast. I didn't remember how fast American airport lines tend to move. However my opinion may have been affected by my happiness.
I have very much enjoyed being back in the US thus far. I love being able to watch tv, go running in my gym at my apartment complex, and have so many choices when I go to the store! My favorite purchase so far has definitely been Honey Bunches of Oats! I could just eat that and be completely happy with my life, however, I know variety is probably needed, so I try to branch out. I also had my first legitimate barbeque in quite a long time, as of...yesterday! It was absolutely delicious and I am glad I live in such a bbq-y place.
The people here are just like I remember them. Friendly, and full of nicknames. Gotta say, my favorite nickname thus far is "Boo", affectionately labeled by the main receptionist in my building.
I can't wait to come back up and say hi to all of you! I really do miss you guys and knowing you are so close is so exciting!! Hopefully it will be soon, but if not, just remember that I am thinking of you :)
I hope you are having a wonderful day!
Love,
Becca
Thursday, April 21, 2011
My last post from Asia (at least for the forseeable future)
I am currently sitting at a panini shop in the Singapore airport and this is a wonderful thing for a couple of reasons.
1) I am not in a moving vehicle of some kind
2) I am not expected anywhere for at least an hour and a half
3) I just had a panini and it was delicious.
4) It came with Snapple. Also delicious.
5) I have free internet, I am warm, and though I have a massive tired-headache I know I will be able to sleep once I get on my flight.
Sorry about the silence on my end, again. This week has been massively stressful and very busy. I had an inventory to help with at work, a couple projects to finish, packing to deal with, figuring out how to get my stuff to America in a way that Schlumberger would reimburse me for, and saying goodbye to all my friends in the base. Normally, there are no engineers there so this wouldn't be a problem, however 6 or 7 just happen to be there this week, so there were a lot more goodbyes. My maid cried when I gave her a hug goodbye. I am not sure if it was because she was sad I was leaving, or relieved I wouldn't be baking anymore in the kitchen. Either way, I am glad that she felt something towards me. She introduced me to her husband who was there to pick her up, and told me "Happy Marriage" because Adam (who she met over skype once) is "very very handsome."
I will miss several friends I have made at work, and several more that I never actually got to say goodbye to. Cathy and Zhuzhu have worked with/around me for the past 8 months and both are were on rigs when I left. They are good friends. Even when we are all yelling at each other because we are trying to explain technical concepts to each other through massive language barriers and we are frustrated. They are good peoples though. I hope the diversity of the people in the Louisiana base is similar to the diversity here.
I am finally excited to be coming home!!!! At first it felt kind of surreal and I didn't believe it would actually happen. Then after it started become a reality, I was going 100 miles a minute and was too tired to be super excited. Now it is full force (through my on-going exhaustion, of course)! I cannot believe that I am only a plane flight away from being in the United States and bbq! And all of you, of course :)
If nothing else I will be excited to be in the same time zone as most of you, so I can call you and you can call me! Hehe. Even as I am speaking, Helen and I are playing facebook tag, because she keeps typing something and leaving the room, and then I respond and then get off of facebook....
I have American money again. It was so much fun to see the old grouchy looking presidents on the backs of our boring green bills. They are quite pretty, actually. I want to spend it on something!!!!
OH! And here are my flights :
LBU to KUL - Apr 21 - MH2609 (1720 to 1940).............2 hours and 20 minutes long
KUL to SIN - Apr 21 - MI 0339 (2145 to 2240)..............55 minutes long
SIN to DME (Mother RUSSIA!!) - Apr 22 - SQ 0062 ( 0230 to 0910)........10 hours and 40 minutes long
DM to IAH - Apr 22 - SQ 0062 (1040 to 1420)..........12 hours and 25 minutes long
IAH to LFT - Apr 22 - CO 2902 (1740 to 1832)...........52 minutes long
Total time flying : 27 hours and 12 minutes
Total time traveling : aprox 38 hours.
Am I ready to be done with it? Oh yes :) Wish me luck! Hopefully I will be finishing a blanket I am crocheting, getting some sleep, and watching some inflight movies I haven't seen yet. I promise I will stay safe, hydrated, and relatively sane. If I lose a bag though...hehe. No, going crazy. I'll just consider it Malaysia's kiss goodbye. At least Malaysia didn't give me the dengue or some strain of hepatitis!
There have been some not so positive parts of my moving process, but I may tell though stories later. Right now I just wanted to let you know where I was and what is up (sidenote: I will be up soon!) :)
One more positive thing : I have been with Adam for a year as of today, exactly!! It has been one of the most incredible, fun, exciting (and sometimes painful) years of my life and I am so thankful for it. I remember in the beginning I told him (and everyone else) emphatically that I was breaking up with him at the end of the summer, and that was that. I am not sure I will ever be able to say how happy I am that he got me to change my mind. I could go on and gush for awhile about his wonderfulness, but, instead if you want to you know you can call me on my new phone number (when I get it) and ask me!
I hope you are all having a good almost-Easter and I cannot wait to hopefully see you all at some point in the near-ish future.
Love you all.
Becca
1) I am not in a moving vehicle of some kind
2) I am not expected anywhere for at least an hour and a half
3) I just had a panini and it was delicious.
4) It came with Snapple. Also delicious.
5) I have free internet, I am warm, and though I have a massive tired-headache I know I will be able to sleep once I get on my flight.
Sorry about the silence on my end, again. This week has been massively stressful and very busy. I had an inventory to help with at work, a couple projects to finish, packing to deal with, figuring out how to get my stuff to America in a way that Schlumberger would reimburse me for, and saying goodbye to all my friends in the base. Normally, there are no engineers there so this wouldn't be a problem, however 6 or 7 just happen to be there this week, so there were a lot more goodbyes. My maid cried when I gave her a hug goodbye. I am not sure if it was because she was sad I was leaving, or relieved I wouldn't be baking anymore in the kitchen. Either way, I am glad that she felt something towards me. She introduced me to her husband who was there to pick her up, and told me "Happy Marriage" because Adam (who she met over skype once) is "very very handsome."
I will miss several friends I have made at work, and several more that I never actually got to say goodbye to. Cathy and Zhuzhu have worked with/around me for the past 8 months and both are were on rigs when I left. They are good friends. Even when we are all yelling at each other because we are trying to explain technical concepts to each other through massive language barriers and we are frustrated. They are good peoples though. I hope the diversity of the people in the Louisiana base is similar to the diversity here.
I am finally excited to be coming home!!!! At first it felt kind of surreal and I didn't believe it would actually happen. Then after it started become a reality, I was going 100 miles a minute and was too tired to be super excited. Now it is full force (through my on-going exhaustion, of course)! I cannot believe that I am only a plane flight away from being in the United States and bbq! And all of you, of course :)
If nothing else I will be excited to be in the same time zone as most of you, so I can call you and you can call me! Hehe. Even as I am speaking, Helen and I are playing facebook tag, because she keeps typing something and leaving the room, and then I respond and then get off of facebook....
I have American money again. It was so much fun to see the old grouchy looking presidents on the backs of our boring green bills. They are quite pretty, actually. I want to spend it on something!!!!
OH! And here are my flights :
LBU to KUL - Apr 21 - MH2609 (1720 to 1940).............2 hours and 20 minutes long
KUL to SIN - Apr 21 - MI 0339 (2145 to 2240)..............55 minutes long
SIN to DME (Mother RUSSIA!!) - Apr 22 - SQ 0062 ( 0230 to 0910)........10 hours and 40 minutes long
DM to IAH - Apr 22 - SQ 0062 (1040 to 1420)..........12 hours and 25 minutes long
IAH to LFT - Apr 22 - CO 2902 (1740 to 1832)...........52 minutes long
Total time flying : 27 hours and 12 minutes
Total time traveling : aprox 38 hours.
Am I ready to be done with it? Oh yes :) Wish me luck! Hopefully I will be finishing a blanket I am crocheting, getting some sleep, and watching some inflight movies I haven't seen yet. I promise I will stay safe, hydrated, and relatively sane. If I lose a bag though...hehe. No, going crazy. I'll just consider it Malaysia's kiss goodbye. At least Malaysia didn't give me the dengue or some strain of hepatitis!
There have been some not so positive parts of my moving process, but I may tell though stories later. Right now I just wanted to let you know where I was and what is up (sidenote: I will be up soon!) :)
One more positive thing : I have been with Adam for a year as of today, exactly!! It has been one of the most incredible, fun, exciting (and sometimes painful) years of my life and I am so thankful for it. I remember in the beginning I told him (and everyone else) emphatically that I was breaking up with him at the end of the summer, and that was that. I am not sure I will ever be able to say how happy I am that he got me to change my mind. I could go on and gush for awhile about his wonderfulness, but, instead if you want to you know you can call me on my new phone number (when I get it) and ask me!
I hope you are all having a good almost-Easter and I cannot wait to hopefully see you all at some point in the near-ish future.
Love you all.
Becca
Monday, April 11, 2011
A Myriad of Things
Ok, time to blog again! It is harder for me to find time because I am not sure what you will actually be interested in reading about my life when I am actually on an oil rig. To be honest, it is interesting and I am learning an incredible amount, but at the same time every day is relatively repetitive. I wake up at 10:30 pm, eat breakfast and watch tv for an hour. Then I wander over to my office on the rig, which is called the MWD Unit. Once there I set up my computer and find out what happened in the 12 hours since I was last there. From there on, my night is an open book. I may go to the rig floor, geoservices unit, or work on something in my own office. I do have several reports that need to be sent every morning so that always keeps me busy for a little while. And when I run out of productive things to do I start learning again. There are an endless (it seems) number of things to learn on an oil rig. Whether it’s about well control, rig systems, safety procedures, my job, other 3rd parties and the important things they contribute; the list could go on for awhile. Then of course, when the anomalies or interesting (as in things go wrong) things happen, it is hard to describe them because they are kind of technical and their explanation could take awhile.
However, with that said, this particular well is interesting because we are experiencing difficulties with it and the length of time it’s going to be until the well has finished has just been increased by at least one week. However, even though we won’t be drilling during that time, I will still be on the rig. It’s almost like a free one week vacation on a rig. To be honest, I could think of better places to vacation, but it will be ok. The food is good, and I still have a gym and cable, so I think I will not go crazy.
Fun fact about when I am on rigs: when I’m out here it feels like I am not in the business of oil, but rather the business of collecting bruises. I work around mostly metal and there are always corners to walk around or a low lying beam to dodge or something heavy to move around. Due to this I have been adding small bruises to my body every day. I’m not particularly upset about it, but I do think it is funny. If I was in the US and around Adam, people would think he was abusive. And I may bump into things normally, but the more tired I am, the more I bump into things or forget where all the edges of my equipment are.
My coworkers on this rig are super nice. My cell manager is very laid back and extremely knowledgeable. Every time I think I know something, he just shows me how much I really don’t know about how to work in the field. However, he is very nice and patient so as long as I soak it up and truly seem like I care, he doesn’t mind explaining processes and procedures. The night engineer I work with is also laid back. He and I joke around a bit more, but he is also very helpful. He allows me to do a lot of hands on stuff and rarely gets involved unless I have a question for him. Also, the management on the rig is quite patient with me as well. One of them gave me some books about the systems on oil rigs which has been incredibly helpful, and another gave me positive feedback for my participation in the safety program on the rig. OH!! And every week they give out an award for the best STOP card, best Obsvervation, best Intervention (all with regards to safety) for the week. I got the best Intervention this week!! And they announced it in the Sunday meeting (while I was sleeping :D ). I was very proud. I get a certificate, but I need to go pick it up from the safety officer’s office.
I don’t feel ready for work today as I had a really long shift last night and my head is pounding right now (yes, mom, I took Tylenol AND ibuprofen). It’s ok though, because it should be a slow night and I might get a chance to grab a nap somewhere in there. If not, I’ll just chug more drugs and make it through somehow.
As far as I know, I’m still on for coming back to the US around the 23rd of April. Probably tomorrow or Wednesday I’ll call my manager and ask her what day she wants me to fly off the rig. Then I’ll let you all know!
I almost forgot to tell you : I saw the moon tonight. It’s a bit funny because I when I glanced up, the song “Talking to the Moon” by Bruno Mars popped into my head. I was walking from the accommodation to my unit and usually the sky and water are pitch black (it is cloudy a lot here). However, tonight the clouds parted and there is a gorgeous crescent moon outside. Just the type of moon that you could sit on the edge of while you throw a fishing line off of, or maybe even curl up in for a quick nap. It was sitting in the sky right above another oil rig in the distance which looked really cool. The little lights on the rig twinkled, but the moons brightness totally blew them away. Below the moon there was a pathway of light on the water leading from the skyline directly to me. I couldn’t help but stop and watch it for a little bit. I feel so privileged that I get an opportunity to see beauty like that in such a unique location. It seems so soft and…friendly, almost, in comparison with my usual surroundings which are a bit stark and rigid.
Maybe I’ll talk to the moon a little bit tonight. If you guys get the chance to see her tomorrow in Kansas or wherever you are, stop and look at her, because I’m passing along a message through her: I love and miss you so much. I hope your nights are as nice and beautiful as mine has turned out to be.
Becca
However, with that said, this particular well is interesting because we are experiencing difficulties with it and the length of time it’s going to be until the well has finished has just been increased by at least one week. However, even though we won’t be drilling during that time, I will still be on the rig. It’s almost like a free one week vacation on a rig. To be honest, I could think of better places to vacation, but it will be ok. The food is good, and I still have a gym and cable, so I think I will not go crazy.
Fun fact about when I am on rigs: when I’m out here it feels like I am not in the business of oil, but rather the business of collecting bruises. I work around mostly metal and there are always corners to walk around or a low lying beam to dodge or something heavy to move around. Due to this I have been adding small bruises to my body every day. I’m not particularly upset about it, but I do think it is funny. If I was in the US and around Adam, people would think he was abusive. And I may bump into things normally, but the more tired I am, the more I bump into things or forget where all the edges of my equipment are.
My coworkers on this rig are super nice. My cell manager is very laid back and extremely knowledgeable. Every time I think I know something, he just shows me how much I really don’t know about how to work in the field. However, he is very nice and patient so as long as I soak it up and truly seem like I care, he doesn’t mind explaining processes and procedures. The night engineer I work with is also laid back. He and I joke around a bit more, but he is also very helpful. He allows me to do a lot of hands on stuff and rarely gets involved unless I have a question for him. Also, the management on the rig is quite patient with me as well. One of them gave me some books about the systems on oil rigs which has been incredibly helpful, and another gave me positive feedback for my participation in the safety program on the rig. OH!! And every week they give out an award for the best STOP card, best Obsvervation, best Intervention (all with regards to safety) for the week. I got the best Intervention this week!! And they announced it in the Sunday meeting (while I was sleeping :D ). I was very proud. I get a certificate, but I need to go pick it up from the safety officer’s office.
I don’t feel ready for work today as I had a really long shift last night and my head is pounding right now (yes, mom, I took Tylenol AND ibuprofen). It’s ok though, because it should be a slow night and I might get a chance to grab a nap somewhere in there. If not, I’ll just chug more drugs and make it through somehow.
As far as I know, I’m still on for coming back to the US around the 23rd of April. Probably tomorrow or Wednesday I’ll call my manager and ask her what day she wants me to fly off the rig. Then I’ll let you all know!
I almost forgot to tell you : I saw the moon tonight. It’s a bit funny because I when I glanced up, the song “Talking to the Moon” by Bruno Mars popped into my head. I was walking from the accommodation to my unit and usually the sky and water are pitch black (it is cloudy a lot here). However, tonight the clouds parted and there is a gorgeous crescent moon outside. Just the type of moon that you could sit on the edge of while you throw a fishing line off of, or maybe even curl up in for a quick nap. It was sitting in the sky right above another oil rig in the distance which looked really cool. The little lights on the rig twinkled, but the moons brightness totally blew them away. Below the moon there was a pathway of light on the water leading from the skyline directly to me. I couldn’t help but stop and watch it for a little bit. I feel so privileged that I get an opportunity to see beauty like that in such a unique location. It seems so soft and…friendly, almost, in comparison with my usual surroundings which are a bit stark and rigid.
Maybe I’ll talk to the moon a little bit tonight. If you guys get the chance to see her tomorrow in Kansas or wherever you are, stop and look at her, because I’m passing along a message through her: I love and miss you so much. I hope your nights are as nice and beautiful as mine has turned out to be.
Becca
Thursday, April 7, 2011
My Internet Redefines the Concept of "Slow"... :)
Seriously. This page, just to load, took about 5 minutes, but I am grateful that I have internet to use occasionally. I just hope it doesn't take as long to upload!
I am sorry there has been a bit of a dry spell in my communications (skype, facebook, phone calls, blogging) with you all. My week has been hectic, random, and both incredibly long and short at the same time. This week has also been a week of many firsts!
Number 1: Helicopter ride
It was so cool! Just getting to the helicopter was neat. We (a barge engineer, roughneck, and I) were led by an airport worker into a glass-encased area where we quickly ran our bags through a machine, weighed our bags and ourselves (so they could make sure the helicopter could hold us all and they could distribute weight properly if they needed to), and then followed them up to a general waiting area. Then we went from that area with a couple more workers to another waiting area in a relatively empty hallway full of different gates. Finally went through another gate and some more security then we walked down to a van. The van took us through a windy road to another part of the airport where we sat in a room and were given earphones and a life vest then we had to watch a 15 minute video about helicopter safety and what to do if it crashed. There are a lot of steps. Then we finally got to go over to the helicopter. Of course at this point in time a rainstorm came through so we had to wait 15 minutes until it passed. While we were waiting a little tractor pulled us out on the tarmac, then they did some random checks and testing, Finally we were ready to go! Lifting of fin a helicopter is kinda weird, because it feels like the back half is going to come up, and then when the bottom half does lift up and we initially start moving up, the nose goes down. And also, at first when it gets turned on the whole helicopter pulsingly vibrates and so do the passengers which feels really weird until it starts rotating fast enough, and then it is ok.
Probably my favorite part of the ride was being so close to the ground. I loved getting to see how Brunei is laid out, and all the cool jungle, neighborhoods, and even the palace laying below. The water was pretty cool too, though slightly freaky because I kept on thinking about what crashing would be like.
The ride took about 20 minutes and then we arrived and landed on the helipad of the rig. Then workers from the rig then made a human path outside the helicopter for us to follow so we didn’t actually wander into the path of the blade’s radius.
All in all, a cool experience.
Number 2: Off-shore rig= So neat!! I am
I am on a jack-up rig, which is a rig that sits on stilts that connect to the ocean floor. This means that the rig doesn’t move up and down with the waves (thank goodness, because I get sea sick!). However, the cool thing about this rig is that most of the walkways are made of corrugated metal so wherever I am I can look down and see the ocean moving below me. Also, every single direction I look the ground is moving. I keep on looking for wildlife, but haven’t seen any fishes yet.
There are not a lot of places to go since it is a confined area, but I am not going stir-crazy yet. At the moment I am just trying to get used to my schedule, which was supposed to start as a midnight to noon, but for the first couple of days was definitely not that because my cell manager wanted me to make sure I would be conscious for action on the rig when it happened. However, I have finally started, and I am enjoying myself. Also, as far as working locations go, this is a really nice one. We have friendly coworkers, ok food, a gym (which I am often too tired to use), and tvs in our rooms.
Also, in other news….I have found out that I am being transferred back to America to work! The opportunity came up a week ago and I told my manager that I would be interested in the opportunity, and so now I am supposed to be in Lousiana around the 23rd of April! Am I excited?! Yes. I will definitely let you guys know more when I know more. Pretty much we will finish this section of the well and then I have to pack, and will be on my way back! Woot!!!!
With that, I feel like I should go because my shift is about to start. I love you and miss you all and I can’t wait to hopefully see you guys soon!!!
Have a wonderful, awesome, relaxing Thursday!
Becca
I am sorry there has been a bit of a dry spell in my communications (skype, facebook, phone calls, blogging) with you all. My week has been hectic, random, and both incredibly long and short at the same time. This week has also been a week of many firsts!
Number 1: Helicopter ride
It was so cool! Just getting to the helicopter was neat. We (a barge engineer, roughneck, and I) were led by an airport worker into a glass-encased area where we quickly ran our bags through a machine, weighed our bags and ourselves (so they could make sure the helicopter could hold us all and they could distribute weight properly if they needed to), and then followed them up to a general waiting area. Then we went from that area with a couple more workers to another waiting area in a relatively empty hallway full of different gates. Finally went through another gate and some more security then we walked down to a van. The van took us through a windy road to another part of the airport where we sat in a room and were given earphones and a life vest then we had to watch a 15 minute video about helicopter safety and what to do if it crashed. There are a lot of steps. Then we finally got to go over to the helicopter. Of course at this point in time a rainstorm came through so we had to wait 15 minutes until it passed. While we were waiting a little tractor pulled us out on the tarmac, then they did some random checks and testing, Finally we were ready to go! Lifting of fin a helicopter is kinda weird, because it feels like the back half is going to come up, and then when the bottom half does lift up and we initially start moving up, the nose goes down. And also, at first when it gets turned on the whole helicopter pulsingly vibrates and so do the passengers which feels really weird until it starts rotating fast enough, and then it is ok.
Probably my favorite part of the ride was being so close to the ground. I loved getting to see how Brunei is laid out, and all the cool jungle, neighborhoods, and even the palace laying below. The water was pretty cool too, though slightly freaky because I kept on thinking about what crashing would be like.
The ride took about 20 minutes and then we arrived and landed on the helipad of the rig. Then workers from the rig then made a human path outside the helicopter for us to follow so we didn’t actually wander into the path of the blade’s radius.
All in all, a cool experience.
Number 2: Off-shore rig= So neat!! I am
I am on a jack-up rig, which is a rig that sits on stilts that connect to the ocean floor. This means that the rig doesn’t move up and down with the waves (thank goodness, because I get sea sick!). However, the cool thing about this rig is that most of the walkways are made of corrugated metal so wherever I am I can look down and see the ocean moving below me. Also, every single direction I look the ground is moving. I keep on looking for wildlife, but haven’t seen any fishes yet.
There are not a lot of places to go since it is a confined area, but I am not going stir-crazy yet. At the moment I am just trying to get used to my schedule, which was supposed to start as a midnight to noon, but for the first couple of days was definitely not that because my cell manager wanted me to make sure I would be conscious for action on the rig when it happened. However, I have finally started, and I am enjoying myself. Also, as far as working locations go, this is a really nice one. We have friendly coworkers, ok food, a gym (which I am often too tired to use), and tvs in our rooms.
Also, in other news….I have found out that I am being transferred back to America to work! The opportunity came up a week ago and I told my manager that I would be interested in the opportunity, and so now I am supposed to be in Lousiana around the 23rd of April! Am I excited?! Yes. I will definitely let you guys know more when I know more. Pretty much we will finish this section of the well and then I have to pack, and will be on my way back! Woot!!!!
With that, I feel like I should go because my shift is about to start. I love you and miss you all and I can’t wait to hopefully see you guys soon!!!
Have a wonderful, awesome, relaxing Thursday!
Becca
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Brunei
If you ever go to an offshore rig, there is always some kind of intermediary point. This point may be a base, a helicopter pad, or, in my case, a town. This town for me is in Brunei, only a 50 minute ferry ride from Labuan.
What is the town's name, you ask? I don't know. I have been in so many towns and they all have weird names, so at this point I am forgetting them. Plus, I didn't really bother to learn this town's name as I thought I would only be here for 2 days. However, plans change.
Due to a previous job on the rig not being finish, the drilling has been pushed back to Tuesday, and my presence on the rig (because they have to be able to have space for the lone woman..woot!) has been pushed back to Monday, which is fast approaching! Tomorrow at 1 pm I will check in to the helicopter desk at the airport, and then leave an hour later with my offshore and book bags to go to the rig. An offshore bag is just a big duffel bag that is made out of water resistant material. Which, to be honest, I really appreciate because salt-water soaked clothing is uncomfortable.
My manager will be taking me to the rig, and I will be leaving this lovely hotel with its cable, internet, and gym that I've been lounging in for the past couple of days. I did a little bit of walking around, ate at some really good restaruants, watched my first movie in theaters in 4 months, and just had a relaxing good time.
Oh, for the record, Brunei is basically just like Malaysia. However, here you can see Probiscis Monkeys in the wild. I wanted to go on a tour to see them, but you had to have at least 2 people to take the river raft tour thing. Oh well! They weren't particularly cute anyway.
In the past couple days I've seen quite a few movies just because I could. I saw Sucker Punch in theaters and it was extremely depressing, though it had cool action scenes. I also watch Steven Seagal in "A Dangerous Man." I can't say I loved it, but I love how monotone and emotionless he is! I want to watch more of his movies, if only so I can laugh. There was also the new Star Trek movie (always good!), and then my favorite of the 4 days : Invictus. I am not really a huge fan of movies about politics or sports and this is rife with both. However, I think (and you can completely disagree with me) this movie is incredibly, moving, and so exciting!!!! Also the All Blacks (from NZ) doing the Haka at the beginning of the championship match...I'VE SEEN IT IN NEW ZEALAND!!!!! and it was totally cool to know what it was when I saw it in this movie.
Well, that is about it. I am here. I am heading to the rig tomorrow and (sorry) I will have limited internet and communication abilities. However, I will probably be heading off the rig around the 20th of the month, hopefully having learned many many things and having had a really positive experience.
Some things I hope : That Raegan says "Becca" soon. That it gets awesomely warm in Kansas soon and you can gad about in t-shirts and shorts. Also that to all the people I know who are approaching finals (Adam, Tracy, James, Tori, Ginger, Erik), that you rock'em out!
I love you all. I miss you all. And I hope you are having a wonderful week.
Becca
What is the town's name, you ask? I don't know. I have been in so many towns and they all have weird names, so at this point I am forgetting them. Plus, I didn't really bother to learn this town's name as I thought I would only be here for 2 days. However, plans change.
Due to a previous job on the rig not being finish, the drilling has been pushed back to Tuesday, and my presence on the rig (because they have to be able to have space for the lone woman..woot!) has been pushed back to Monday, which is fast approaching! Tomorrow at 1 pm I will check in to the helicopter desk at the airport, and then leave an hour later with my offshore and book bags to go to the rig. An offshore bag is just a big duffel bag that is made out of water resistant material. Which, to be honest, I really appreciate because salt-water soaked clothing is uncomfortable.
My manager will be taking me to the rig, and I will be leaving this lovely hotel with its cable, internet, and gym that I've been lounging in for the past couple of days. I did a little bit of walking around, ate at some really good restaruants, watched my first movie in theaters in 4 months, and just had a relaxing good time.
Oh, for the record, Brunei is basically just like Malaysia. However, here you can see Probiscis Monkeys in the wild. I wanted to go on a tour to see them, but you had to have at least 2 people to take the river raft tour thing. Oh well! They weren't particularly cute anyway.
In the past couple days I've seen quite a few movies just because I could. I saw Sucker Punch in theaters and it was extremely depressing, though it had cool action scenes. I also watch Steven Seagal in "A Dangerous Man." I can't say I loved it, but I love how monotone and emotionless he is! I want to watch more of his movies, if only so I can laugh. There was also the new Star Trek movie (always good!), and then my favorite of the 4 days : Invictus. I am not really a huge fan of movies about politics or sports and this is rife with both. However, I think (and you can completely disagree with me) this movie is incredibly, moving, and so exciting!!!! Also the All Blacks (from NZ) doing the Haka at the beginning of the championship match...I'VE SEEN IT IN NEW ZEALAND!!!!! and it was totally cool to know what it was when I saw it in this movie.
Well, that is about it. I am here. I am heading to the rig tomorrow and (sorry) I will have limited internet and communication abilities. However, I will probably be heading off the rig around the 20th of the month, hopefully having learned many many things and having had a really positive experience.
Some things I hope : That Raegan says "Becca" soon. That it gets awesomely warm in Kansas soon and you can gad about in t-shirts and shorts. Also that to all the people I know who are approaching finals (Adam, Tracy, James, Tori, Ginger, Erik), that you rock'em out!
I love you all. I miss you all. And I hope you are having a wonderful week.
Becca
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Trip Part Dos!
So, part two starts out, actually with a trip to a museum of some kind, but for some reason (plus, my pictures are in Labuan right now, but more about that later), but I do not remember a whole lot about it, however, it was probably a blast! However, after the museum we took a trip to the zoo!!
My friend Tracy, who previously lived in Europe, told me that it was a huge zoo and would be a good idea. As Adam and I both like zoos, we decided to check it out. It was incredible! The layout was fun and wander-y. The little food booth where we had lunch had menacing pigeons waiting eagerly for unwary visitors who left their trays for more than 12 seconds. The exhibits were attractive and it felt like if I was an animal I would actually enjoy living in one of them. Also, there was such a variety of animals!
Some of my favorites :
1) The vulture that does a creepy wing/dracula thing when it is intimidating others. Just the thought of the creepy hunch-walk just gave me the shivers.
2) A cheetah that was feverishly pacing the fence area where he could best attempt to stalk the numerous rambunctious 7 yr olds running rampant in the grass near his cage.
3) The exhibit-house for ton of different types of tiny monkeys. They were so adorable! Also, apparently I am not allowed to use flash in there...oops.
4) The hippos! There were two different exhibits for them and they were so close. And friendly. I want one!
5) The elephant, of course. My favorite animal ever. :)
It was such a good afternoon, but our feet were pretty sore, so we headed back to the hotel, relaxed for a bit, then headed to dinner. For dinner we walked for about 15 minutes looking for a cafe that looked just right, and happened upon a cozy one that had both spanish/english/catalan translations in menu. Woot! We lingered over some sangria, pizza, and lasagna, but eventually decided against a club and ended up going back to watch Big Bang Theory instead. There, after watching several hours of Big Bang Theory, as most of you already know, Adam surprised me by getting down on a knee and asking me to marry him!! It was a awesome moment, in the perfect place, and the ring fit perfectly even though I've never told him my finger size. :) It is crazy because I feel like the realization of this is still just hitting me. And though it may sound cheesy, I never expected to be this happy with someone, regardless of where he and I are located and I keep on waiting for this to be just a dream. However, life rocks because I know that it is not!
Ok. Done gushing. I know you don't actually read this blog for the gushing, so I really do try to keep it to a minimum :)
Anyway, the next day we got to do one of Adam's favorite things of the trip : Take a cable car up to Castle Montjuic! However, there was only one problem...when we got off the metro, there was no cable car tower in sight. I did see one about 3/4 of a mile away, so I dragged Adam toward it. It was not the right one. However, we did see some cool supposed-to-be-there graffiti on a wall along the way. We gamely turned around and walked back, changing our strategy slightly to involve asking for directions at a hotel. We found out that there was a metro car in the very metro station we came in, that would take us to the cable car station on the side of the mountain. It was my (and I believe his as well) first cable car ride! So fun!!!
The castle itself was gorgeous. There were gardens, a drawbridge, ramparts, cannons, a high walls, arches, and stairways. The view from the top of the castle was inspiring and beautiful, and we took way too many pictures of everything. I'm not sure it would it be the coziest place to live, but it would be pretty incredible. The people we saw all around were interesting as well. There was a soprano sax player who played a lovely rendition of Auld Lang Syne. There were also some men illegally selling scarves that the Catalan police had to chase down as they ran away with scarves trailing behind them. The joggers impressed me the most, as I am pretty sure they ran from the bottom of the trails up to the top of the mountain.
Next we went to the National Museum of Art, which not only was huge and had some incredible art, but also included A LOT of steps going to the top. There was a lot of art directly regarding saints, but this makes sense, considering the history in Spain and the time-periods that the art came from. I don't adore art museums, but this one was actually really nice. By the end we were both ready to give up on the feet business. So sore!!! After 2 or 3 days of constant walking everywhere, our out of shape feet needed a rest. This was highlighted even more the next day, when I some how got an incredibly painful ingrown toenail (another first!) and we spent that afternoon packing stuff up, downloading pictures, and getting ready to head off for our respective destinations.
So, an amazing week, in a great location, with a wonderful traveling companion, and now.....my fiance!!
And now, I am in Brunei waiting to head to my first rig! Things happen pretty fast in my life sometimes (after months of going slow), and I am enjoying the change of pace. We'll see how it goes :)
Love you guys,
Becca
My friend Tracy, who previously lived in Europe, told me that it was a huge zoo and would be a good idea. As Adam and I both like zoos, we decided to check it out. It was incredible! The layout was fun and wander-y. The little food booth where we had lunch had menacing pigeons waiting eagerly for unwary visitors who left their trays for more than 12 seconds. The exhibits were attractive and it felt like if I was an animal I would actually enjoy living in one of them. Also, there was such a variety of animals!
Some of my favorites :
1) The vulture that does a creepy wing/dracula thing when it is intimidating others. Just the thought of the creepy hunch-walk just gave me the shivers.
2) A cheetah that was feverishly pacing the fence area where he could best attempt to stalk the numerous rambunctious 7 yr olds running rampant in the grass near his cage.
3) The exhibit-house for ton of different types of tiny monkeys. They were so adorable! Also, apparently I am not allowed to use flash in there...oops.
4) The hippos! There were two different exhibits for them and they were so close. And friendly. I want one!
5) The elephant, of course. My favorite animal ever. :)
It was such a good afternoon, but our feet were pretty sore, so we headed back to the hotel, relaxed for a bit, then headed to dinner. For dinner we walked for about 15 minutes looking for a cafe that looked just right, and happened upon a cozy one that had both spanish/english/catalan translations in menu. Woot! We lingered over some sangria, pizza, and lasagna, but eventually decided against a club and ended up going back to watch Big Bang Theory instead. There, after watching several hours of Big Bang Theory, as most of you already know, Adam surprised me by getting down on a knee and asking me to marry him!! It was a awesome moment, in the perfect place, and the ring fit perfectly even though I've never told him my finger size. :) It is crazy because I feel like the realization of this is still just hitting me. And though it may sound cheesy, I never expected to be this happy with someone, regardless of where he and I are located and I keep on waiting for this to be just a dream. However, life rocks because I know that it is not!
Ok. Done gushing. I know you don't actually read this blog for the gushing, so I really do try to keep it to a minimum :)
Anyway, the next day we got to do one of Adam's favorite things of the trip : Take a cable car up to Castle Montjuic! However, there was only one problem...when we got off the metro, there was no cable car tower in sight. I did see one about 3/4 of a mile away, so I dragged Adam toward it. It was not the right one. However, we did see some cool supposed-to-be-there graffiti on a wall along the way. We gamely turned around and walked back, changing our strategy slightly to involve asking for directions at a hotel. We found out that there was a metro car in the very metro station we came in, that would take us to the cable car station on the side of the mountain. It was my (and I believe his as well) first cable car ride! So fun!!!
The castle itself was gorgeous. There were gardens, a drawbridge, ramparts, cannons, a high walls, arches, and stairways. The view from the top of the castle was inspiring and beautiful, and we took way too many pictures of everything. I'm not sure it would it be the coziest place to live, but it would be pretty incredible. The people we saw all around were interesting as well. There was a soprano sax player who played a lovely rendition of Auld Lang Syne. There were also some men illegally selling scarves that the Catalan police had to chase down as they ran away with scarves trailing behind them. The joggers impressed me the most, as I am pretty sure they ran from the bottom of the trails up to the top of the mountain.
Next we went to the National Museum of Art, which not only was huge and had some incredible art, but also included A LOT of steps going to the top. There was a lot of art directly regarding saints, but this makes sense, considering the history in Spain and the time-periods that the art came from. I don't adore art museums, but this one was actually really nice. By the end we were both ready to give up on the feet business. So sore!!! After 2 or 3 days of constant walking everywhere, our out of shape feet needed a rest. This was highlighted even more the next day, when I some how got an incredibly painful ingrown toenail (another first!) and we spent that afternoon packing stuff up, downloading pictures, and getting ready to head off for our respective destinations.
So, an amazing week, in a great location, with a wonderful traveling companion, and now.....my fiance!!
And now, I am in Brunei waiting to head to my first rig! Things happen pretty fast in my life sometimes (after months of going slow), and I am enjoying the change of pace. We'll see how it goes :)
Love you guys,
Becca
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Back from Vacation
It is difficult to find the right people to vacation with. Once I went to New York City on spring break with a friend from Massachusetts. Longest 3 days of my life. She complained about walking about, visiting museums and libraries, and had a creepy obsession with wanting to visit a museum dedicated to sex toys. I mean, NYC was a great place, I just went with the wrong person. Same with a mission trip I went on in Mexico over Christmas one year. My poor brother (only 15 or 16 at the time) got to be traumatized by people who basically yelled in tongues and would wake him up by praying over him with a Bible and flashlight in the middle of the night. We definitely drove straight home after they dropped us off in Oklahoma, turning down their offers of an extra place to stay (to be honest I was also afraid of spontaneous exorcisms occuring).
Sometimes we vacation with people who like outdoor activities and want to be constantly moving, other times we find friends who want to lay on the beach. I find my parents have one of the funniest/adorable vacationing relationships I've ever seen. When we went to Florida as a family, I distinctly remember that they would both get up early for a walk on the beach, then dad would do things like reconaissance on the bus routes in Florida, while mom would come back out to the beach after breakfast and soak up sun for most of the day. Also amusing : the fact that dad would get up so early and then take morning and afternoon naps. This might not be an accurate re-telling, but this is always how I will remember it in my mind. For the record, I absolutely loved that vacation. Getting to spend so much time with my family was absolutely wonderful!
However, this is not about NYC, Mexico, or Florida. This is about Barcelona. :)
Barcelona was my first trip to Europe that I actually remember. And though I would love to go back to Germany with my parents and do some remembering there, I've gotta say that Barcelona left an amazing first impression! To begin with, the city is so clean! There was a bit of trash here and there, and some graffiti in random places, but overall I was surprised at how tidy it was.
It was also fun to get lost in. My parents and Adam can both attest to how stressed out being lost causes me to be, but it wasn't so bad there. There was always a metro close by, and it was laid out in such a way that it was generally not bad to find your way to a known landmark if you are patient enough. Also, people were quite helpful whenever we broke down and asked them. Adam can also do N/S/E/W pretty well, so he was pretty good at keeping us on track. I know being bad at directions is an annoying stereotype to fit in, but in my defense, the gene for being good absolutely skipped me. What happened G'ma and Mom??
Also amazing...the food!! Even the "fast food" from a restaurant called Pan or Pans was pretty good. I love sandwiches and the bread at every place we stopped at was very good. I liked eating at completely random shops and cafes because undoubtedly no matter what you ate would be delicious (and sometimes a surprise as we couldn't decipher some of the Catalan/Spanish menus). Also, the sangria in Barcelona was amazing. Pretty much tasted like carbonated grape juice. Our favorite restaurant was run by a British guy and it was called "Ben." We happened upon it right before visiting the National Museum of Art (soooo much ART!!) and came back the next day because the food was incredible.
I don't even know where to start on the site seeing. We saw the Aquarium which was fun, winding, and full of interesting fishes. There was even a huge shark tank (you can take a dunk for 400-ish Euros) and a sting ray tank that you can look down into and watch stingrays swimming a foot from your hand. We tried to go to an IMAX theater nearby, but it was closed, so we braved a Spanish shopping mall instead, which was pretty nice. We tried on fun (and crazy looking) clothes, Adam found a nice shirt and I found a cute pair of shoes to wear.
On Tuesday (I think) we went on a 4 hour tour of Barcelona starting at 11 am. We were supposed to meet the guides in a plaza in the city center, but as we had never been to that part of the city before (and a lot of places in Barcelona have plaza looking areas!) we got a little lost and had to ask directsion twice. However, we did eventually find our guides, got bikes (no helmets, though there is a city law about wearing them) and then we were off (but then, you knew that...). It was actually the first time I'd ridden a bike in about 5 years. Took a little getting used to. We then proceeded to bike everywhere! We looked at historical buildings such as the Sagrada Familia, Opera House, several war memorials, city walls (which are pretty cool if they are hundreds of years old), and some neat fountains and parks. Our tour guide was an Aussie who was fun and told stories in a interesting way. He had dreads and spent the entire tour, when not socializing or telling stories, hitting on a French girl who was also on the tour. It was awesome to watch! At the end of the tour we stopped at a bakery down by the beach and had lunch. The beach is SO windy!! There were a ton of people windsurfing and parasailing, but they were all in wetsuits because it was also extremely cold. Ok. Maybe only 40 F, but that is still cold! We had spinach lasagna, focaccia (sp?) bread, and a pitcher of sangria. All were delicious, and I am actually salivating remembering them now.
Anyway that is all for now. I will add pictures to the next blog post about the last half of our trip which includes : (a) a castle, (b) a proposal, (c) some fun museums! Oh,and a movie adventure.
Later.
Love you!
Becca
Sometimes we vacation with people who like outdoor activities and want to be constantly moving, other times we find friends who want to lay on the beach. I find my parents have one of the funniest/adorable vacationing relationships I've ever seen. When we went to Florida as a family, I distinctly remember that they would both get up early for a walk on the beach, then dad would do things like reconaissance on the bus routes in Florida, while mom would come back out to the beach after breakfast and soak up sun for most of the day. Also amusing : the fact that dad would get up so early and then take morning and afternoon naps. This might not be an accurate re-telling, but this is always how I will remember it in my mind. For the record, I absolutely loved that vacation. Getting to spend so much time with my family was absolutely wonderful!
However, this is not about NYC, Mexico, or Florida. This is about Barcelona. :)
Barcelona was my first trip to Europe that I actually remember. And though I would love to go back to Germany with my parents and do some remembering there, I've gotta say that Barcelona left an amazing first impression! To begin with, the city is so clean! There was a bit of trash here and there, and some graffiti in random places, but overall I was surprised at how tidy it was.
It was also fun to get lost in. My parents and Adam can both attest to how stressed out being lost causes me to be, but it wasn't so bad there. There was always a metro close by, and it was laid out in such a way that it was generally not bad to find your way to a known landmark if you are patient enough. Also, people were quite helpful whenever we broke down and asked them. Adam can also do N/S/E/W pretty well, so he was pretty good at keeping us on track. I know being bad at directions is an annoying stereotype to fit in, but in my defense, the gene for being good absolutely skipped me. What happened G'ma and Mom??
Also amazing...the food!! Even the "fast food" from a restaurant called Pan or Pans was pretty good. I love sandwiches and the bread at every place we stopped at was very good. I liked eating at completely random shops and cafes because undoubtedly no matter what you ate would be delicious (and sometimes a surprise as we couldn't decipher some of the Catalan/Spanish menus). Also, the sangria in Barcelona was amazing. Pretty much tasted like carbonated grape juice. Our favorite restaurant was run by a British guy and it was called "Ben." We happened upon it right before visiting the National Museum of Art (soooo much ART!!) and came back the next day because the food was incredible.
I don't even know where to start on the site seeing. We saw the Aquarium which was fun, winding, and full of interesting fishes. There was even a huge shark tank (you can take a dunk for 400-ish Euros) and a sting ray tank that you can look down into and watch stingrays swimming a foot from your hand. We tried to go to an IMAX theater nearby, but it was closed, so we braved a Spanish shopping mall instead, which was pretty nice. We tried on fun (and crazy looking) clothes, Adam found a nice shirt and I found a cute pair of shoes to wear.
On Tuesday (I think) we went on a 4 hour tour of Barcelona starting at 11 am. We were supposed to meet the guides in a plaza in the city center, but as we had never been to that part of the city before (and a lot of places in Barcelona have plaza looking areas!) we got a little lost and had to ask directsion twice. However, we did eventually find our guides, got bikes (no helmets, though there is a city law about wearing them) and then we were off (but then, you knew that...). It was actually the first time I'd ridden a bike in about 5 years. Took a little getting used to. We then proceeded to bike everywhere! We looked at historical buildings such as the Sagrada Familia, Opera House, several war memorials, city walls (which are pretty cool if they are hundreds of years old), and some neat fountains and parks. Our tour guide was an Aussie who was fun and told stories in a interesting way. He had dreads and spent the entire tour, when not socializing or telling stories, hitting on a French girl who was also on the tour. It was awesome to watch! At the end of the tour we stopped at a bakery down by the beach and had lunch. The beach is SO windy!! There were a ton of people windsurfing and parasailing, but they were all in wetsuits because it was also extremely cold. Ok. Maybe only 40 F, but that is still cold! We had spinach lasagna, focaccia (sp?) bread, and a pitcher of sangria. All were delicious, and I am actually salivating remembering them now.
Anyway that is all for now. I will add pictures to the next blog post about the last half of our trip which includes : (a) a castle, (b) a proposal, (c) some fun museums! Oh,and a movie adventure.
Later.
Love you!
Becca
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