It is official (until they decide to change my destination at the last minute!)....I am going to PERTH, AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More details later. Too excited now to sit still long enough to type!
Becca
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Motivation
So, I watched Invictus a couple weeks ago (maybe four or so...who knows?) and I really enjoyed it. And I am not a poem fan. The most excited I get about poems is when they mention excercise, running, or the other things such as that. Love poems? Not my style. I also try to avoid the ones that are incredibly angsty in their delivery. My favorite poems, however, refer to the indomitability of the human spirit. Poems that challenge the reader to 'take the road less traveled' or to war against the inner man. So I looked up the poem the movie referred to, and loved it. I'd like to share it with you.
Invictus by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
And though I may not completely agree with some of its sentiments, I do think I would like the menace of the years to find me still unafraid. :) And with God, I'm pretty sure this will be the case.
Thanks for letting me share.
Becca
Invictus by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
And though I may not completely agree with some of its sentiments, I do think I would like the menace of the years to find me still unafraid. :) And with God, I'm pretty sure this will be the case.
Thanks for letting me share.
Becca
Friday, January 8, 2010
Starting off 2010 with Counting
I decided (with the encouragement of a very nice G'ma) to begin typing a little bit each day again. In preparation for my future job, I have decided to type a bit as often as I remember in order to get in the habit of it before my life truly becomes crazy again.
Goal 1 : To actually remember to type.
Goal 2 : Avoid inane rambling as much as possible.
To quote Inigo Montoya, "I will explain. No. That will take too long. I will sum up." :)
My life has become, it seems, a series of numbers:
5 months since my internship ended and my most adorable younger brother got married.
4 months since I recieved my initial offer from Schlumberger (International/Mobile!!! Drilling and Measurements!!)
3 months since I pulled both groin muscles, alternately, while training/running a half marathon.
2 months since I was told, "We'll call you when we find out what country you'll be in"
1 day since I found out I cannot take Kung Fu this semester due to a class I am taking, and that my right groin muscle is still messed up.
2 weeks until I can (HOPEFULLY!) run again.
3 Months until the Brew-to-Brew
4 Months until I turn 23.
5 months until I graduate, my best friend gets married, and I pack for a world much bigger than the one I am used to.
6 months : Working for SLB! Somewhere...
It seems as if I spend my time counting back from or towards a goal, date, adventure, or dream. It's not a bad life, actually. I don't even have any difficult classes for my last semester (well, compared to Mechanics of Materials and Dynamics, that is). I am most looking forward to Fantasy and Fable. I get to read Tolkien for it. Never has a class assignment been more anticipated!
6 days until my first day of the last semester of my college career. I am excited about all the "lasts" that I will have. However, to be honest, I already feel just a bit nostalgic for the ongoing experiences my grad school friends will have. But only a very very small amount of nostalgia...I love the fact that there are so many more "firsts" that I will get to experience!!
8 hours until I have to be awake again. Probably time to go to sleep. I get grouchy when I am tired. :)
The Enthusiastic Engineer
Goal 1 : To actually remember to type.
Goal 2 : Avoid inane rambling as much as possible.
To quote Inigo Montoya, "I will explain. No. That will take too long. I will sum up." :)
My life has become, it seems, a series of numbers:
5 months since my internship ended and my most adorable younger brother got married.
4 months since I recieved my initial offer from Schlumberger (International/Mobile!!! Drilling and Measurements!!)
3 months since I pulled both groin muscles, alternately, while training/running a half marathon.
2 months since I was told, "We'll call you when we find out what country you'll be in"
1 day since I found out I cannot take Kung Fu this semester due to a class I am taking, and that my right groin muscle is still messed up.
2 weeks until I can (HOPEFULLY!) run again.
3 Months until the Brew-to-Brew
4 Months until I turn 23.
5 months until I graduate, my best friend gets married, and I pack for a world much bigger than the one I am used to.
6 months : Working for SLB! Somewhere...
It seems as if I spend my time counting back from or towards a goal, date, adventure, or dream. It's not a bad life, actually. I don't even have any difficult classes for my last semester (well, compared to Mechanics of Materials and Dynamics, that is). I am most looking forward to Fantasy and Fable. I get to read Tolkien for it. Never has a class assignment been more anticipated!
6 days until my first day of the last semester of my college career. I am excited about all the "lasts" that I will have. However, to be honest, I already feel just a bit nostalgic for the ongoing experiences my grad school friends will have. But only a very very small amount of nostalgia...I love the fact that there are so many more "firsts" that I will get to experience!!
8 hours until I have to be awake again. Probably time to go to sleep. I get grouchy when I am tired. :)
The Enthusiastic Engineer
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
A Long Absence
I will start with an apology because it has been 20 days! And I have been lazy and not full of writing motivation. Good news, though. I have had fun adventures! So there is much to share, and if I can figure out how, I might even post a picture or two.
A thank you : I love you mom and I appreciate you reminding me that I should probably write some stuff down.
On we go!!!!
So, I got back from the rig and realized as my plane touched down in Louisiana that I was ecstatically happy about being back here. It may not have good coffee, reasonable temperatures or humidity, and normal alcohol laws, but I have become comfortable here. I love the people I have met here, gotten used to the weather (I swear it gets hot here mom!!), and, well, I can always order coffee from out of state. And after being in South Texas for over 2 weeks, I can honestly say that I have nothing to complain about while living in Lafayette. ;)
After getting back I immediately got excited because the awesomest thing ever was going to happen! Mum and Helen decided to come and visit me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Something I always am a little sad about, is that very few people I know actually go to the places I do. So even though I can show those I love pictures, I never get to really share my experiences with them. This was my chance! They drove down on a Thursday evening and got here between 5 and 7 am on Friday (I don't remember the time...all I know is they woke me up). I let them sleep for awhile until I got impatient for adventures with them, so I woke them up and we went out to eat. This really wouldn't be significant, except after 3 weeks of non-rain in Lafayette, it chose approximately noon on Friday to start downpouring. Then it rained every day for the next three days (come to think of it...for the rest of July it has been raining every 2 or 3 days now), stopping occasionally to get muggy and then rain again. However, that stopped us not a whit! I did get mercilessly teased for their entire stay that I just made up the crazy hot Louisiana weather in order to garner sympathy. Psh. Anyway, the rain did stop eventually and we went on a swamp tour at Lake Martin that evening. It was so awesome and absolutely beautiful! Our tour guide was amazing, he had cute dogs (though Helen doesn't agree with me on that), and his knowledge of the swamp and bayou was intense. We took "roads" through the swamp and saw alligators, herons, cranes, and little baby birds too. One of my favorite moments of day was when we were sitting in the boat and we could see a gorgeous rainbow that went from one side of the lake to the other. I've never seen both ends of a rainbow before. :) Also, the sunset was incredible. Later we got drinks from Dix (essentially a drive through bar) and collapsed in bed. The next day we got in the car and drove down to the Gulf Coast on our way to Galveston. We actually did not make it to Galveston, because as we drove along the Gulf of Mexico, we passed all this empty beach (some occupied with cars) where all the houses were destroyed in one of the latest hurricanes. So we pulled off into the sand, got our towels out, and went to play in the water for 3 or 4 hours. It was warm, salty, and had decent shells, though not as nice Florida. Helen and I started going out to where the shelf drops off (it slopes ever so slightly until then), but mom intimidated us with all her shark talk, so we wave jumped instead. After heading home, we went out to eat, swam in an apt. swimming pool, and then went to bed again. Then, as quickly as they came, they left again. :( I am so glad they came though! My family is amazingly fun to be around, so that was probably my favorite weekend of the entire summer.
My next adventure involved a trip to New Orleans. I was supposed to head there, fish, sky dive, then go out on Bourbon St. Two out of the four actually happened. Marlon and I drove to New Orleans, and met our friend Brian in Metarie about 10 pm. We all jumped in Brian's uncle's truck and drove out to the "camp", which is on huge stilt things and is one of the nicest "camps" I have ever seen. Awesome livingroom/kitchen/bedrooms. Two bathrooms. Washer and dryer. A/C. Anyway, we got there about midnight and I learned how to spot alligators in the little bay their dock sits in, cast bait nets (it involves putting a part of the net in your mouth and doing a twisty-body throw), pick up catfish and crabs without getting hurt, and that shrimp are really ugly in real life, too. Also...warning : look at the Deet percentage in your bugspray before using it. 40% Deet hurts. Next day we got up at 5 am, left at 6 am to go fishing in the marsh. We were heading to Black Bay and on our way, the motor on the boat started making a knocking noise. It was decided that heading back would be a good option, but since I was with crazy fishermen, they also thought it would be intelligent to stop multiple times on the way back in to fish. Of course the engine sound got worse, and it eventually culminated in us becoming dead in the water about 2 miles from the dock. We were told that another boat of fishermen were on their way back in to pull us to the dock and they were going to "fish" their way back in. 3 hours later....Yup. I ended up taking a nap in the boat due to boredom. Granted, it was a nice nap. At one point I considered swimming to the side of the water throughway we were on and walking back. Four things stopped me : alligators, marsh, catfish and stingrays. It was a fun adventure, though. I didn't get to go skydiving, but there is always another day for that. Also, instead of Bourbon St. we hung out with Brian's family all of who are really fun and also excellent cooks. They made us BBQ shrimp (which I actually ate), almond covered fish of some kind, hashbrowns, and some other food. All of which was liberally doused/boiled/fried in butter. Definitely delicious, but I ran extra far the next day. So as weekend adventures go, it was pretty good.
And with that (definitely enough writing for now) I will leave ya'll. I will write more about what is going on now with my projects as well as the end of internship stuff next time.
I love you guys!
Becca
A thank you : I love you mom and I appreciate you reminding me that I should probably write some stuff down.
On we go!!!!
So, I got back from the rig and realized as my plane touched down in Louisiana that I was ecstatically happy about being back here. It may not have good coffee, reasonable temperatures or humidity, and normal alcohol laws, but I have become comfortable here. I love the people I have met here, gotten used to the weather (I swear it gets hot here mom!!), and, well, I can always order coffee from out of state. And after being in South Texas for over 2 weeks, I can honestly say that I have nothing to complain about while living in Lafayette. ;)
After getting back I immediately got excited because the awesomest thing ever was going to happen! Mum and Helen decided to come and visit me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Something I always am a little sad about, is that very few people I know actually go to the places I do. So even though I can show those I love pictures, I never get to really share my experiences with them. This was my chance! They drove down on a Thursday evening and got here between 5 and 7 am on Friday (I don't remember the time...all I know is they woke me up). I let them sleep for awhile until I got impatient for adventures with them, so I woke them up and we went out to eat. This really wouldn't be significant, except after 3 weeks of non-rain in Lafayette, it chose approximately noon on Friday to start downpouring. Then it rained every day for the next three days (come to think of it...for the rest of July it has been raining every 2 or 3 days now), stopping occasionally to get muggy and then rain again. However, that stopped us not a whit! I did get mercilessly teased for their entire stay that I just made up the crazy hot Louisiana weather in order to garner sympathy. Psh. Anyway, the rain did stop eventually and we went on a swamp tour at Lake Martin that evening. It was so awesome and absolutely beautiful! Our tour guide was amazing, he had cute dogs (though Helen doesn't agree with me on that), and his knowledge of the swamp and bayou was intense. We took "roads" through the swamp and saw alligators, herons, cranes, and little baby birds too. One of my favorite moments of day was when we were sitting in the boat and we could see a gorgeous rainbow that went from one side of the lake to the other. I've never seen both ends of a rainbow before. :) Also, the sunset was incredible. Later we got drinks from Dix (essentially a drive through bar) and collapsed in bed. The next day we got in the car and drove down to the Gulf Coast on our way to Galveston. We actually did not make it to Galveston, because as we drove along the Gulf of Mexico, we passed all this empty beach (some occupied with cars) where all the houses were destroyed in one of the latest hurricanes. So we pulled off into the sand, got our towels out, and went to play in the water for 3 or 4 hours. It was warm, salty, and had decent shells, though not as nice Florida. Helen and I started going out to where the shelf drops off (it slopes ever so slightly until then), but mom intimidated us with all her shark talk, so we wave jumped instead. After heading home, we went out to eat, swam in an apt. swimming pool, and then went to bed again. Then, as quickly as they came, they left again. :( I am so glad they came though! My family is amazingly fun to be around, so that was probably my favorite weekend of the entire summer.
My next adventure involved a trip to New Orleans. I was supposed to head there, fish, sky dive, then go out on Bourbon St. Two out of the four actually happened. Marlon and I drove to New Orleans, and met our friend Brian in Metarie about 10 pm. We all jumped in Brian's uncle's truck and drove out to the "camp", which is on huge stilt things and is one of the nicest "camps" I have ever seen. Awesome livingroom/kitchen/bedrooms. Two bathrooms. Washer and dryer. A/C. Anyway, we got there about midnight and I learned how to spot alligators in the little bay their dock sits in, cast bait nets (it involves putting a part of the net in your mouth and doing a twisty-body throw), pick up catfish and crabs without getting hurt, and that shrimp are really ugly in real life, too. Also...warning : look at the Deet percentage in your bugspray before using it. 40% Deet hurts. Next day we got up at 5 am, left at 6 am to go fishing in the marsh. We were heading to Black Bay and on our way, the motor on the boat started making a knocking noise. It was decided that heading back would be a good option, but since I was with crazy fishermen, they also thought it would be intelligent to stop multiple times on the way back in to fish. Of course the engine sound got worse, and it eventually culminated in us becoming dead in the water about 2 miles from the dock. We were told that another boat of fishermen were on their way back in to pull us to the dock and they were going to "fish" their way back in. 3 hours later....Yup. I ended up taking a nap in the boat due to boredom. Granted, it was a nice nap. At one point I considered swimming to the side of the water throughway we were on and walking back. Four things stopped me : alligators, marsh, catfish and stingrays. It was a fun adventure, though. I didn't get to go skydiving, but there is always another day for that. Also, instead of Bourbon St. we hung out with Brian's family all of who are really fun and also excellent cooks. They made us BBQ shrimp (which I actually ate), almond covered fish of some kind, hashbrowns, and some other food. All of which was liberally doused/boiled/fried in butter. Definitely delicious, but I ran extra far the next day. So as weekend adventures go, it was pretty good.
And with that (definitely enough writing for now) I will leave ya'll. I will write more about what is going on now with my projects as well as the end of internship stuff next time.
I love you guys!
Becca
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Success!!!
We Td'ed (drilled to the ending point) the well!!! You have no idea the extent of my happiness right now. To be honest, the well itself has not been too bad. Yes, we had problems with it a couple times, but it was all the circumstances surrounding the well that led to it being frustrating at times. Generators going down in 110 degree heat (this means that the people sleeping during that time get...kinda warm, to say the least), pumps failing, clashing guy personalities, etc; all of these things led to it being tiring at times.
However, it was actually a pretty interesting and almost fun experience. I have some awesome co-workers, I learned an incredible amount, I got to eat homemade cajun, sri lankan, mexican, and south texas food. So, basically, everything spicy. I want to ask for recipes, but I know there is no way in heck I will be able to replicate these foods.
I got to run on country roads again. I kind of missed it because those are the first places I ran with Dad. The scenery I see while running down here is just as beautiful as kansas, but in a little different way. Here there are less trees, more shrubs, and no grass. All you see is the stark contrast of scraggly, green bush and light tan, dusty road with rocks. The bushes down here are what I imagine a human would look like if she or he worked really hard every day out in the sun for their whole life. Weathered, but tough. Also, down here I run slow, similar to when I started running to begin with Dad. Back then, my goal was to not die while trying to keep up with the Energizer Bunny that is my father. Now I wanted to avoid respraining my ankle again (we have some huge chunks of gravel all over the place). Never bitten by a rattlesnake, though, despite the directional driller's frequently spoken concerns.
It amazes me that I am not turned away or intimidated by the oil field sometimes. It is dirty, gross, long hours, remote locations, and has crazy people. I have met men who become angry and racist when under pressure, and I have met others who can work for 21 hours straight and still crack a smile throughout the night, get up and come into work 3 hours later. I have seen what happens when equipment fails while drilling (not pretty), people who don't perform to the level that the company exactly wants (they get run off rigs), how a night of stress for someone can end up in a yelling, vulgar, almost physical fight, and what happens when the stress of living this lifestyle gets to someone who might not be prepared for it (complete breakdowns). And yet, I want to be here. Undoubtedly.
My friends don't understand why I don't want an office job with air freshner, business casual dress code, going out for drinks after work on friday, and a 2 day weekend every week with holidays off; I can't give them an answer that satisfies them. All they say is "you're crazy..." My question, though, is "don't you long for adventure???" I want to see unique places, eat some crazy food that might give make me sick or be the best thing I've ever had in my life, learn a foreign language or two and actually get to USE it, get on a plane and have to figure out the town I am living in/near when I get there, see yet another breathtaking sunset, work a crazy schedule, and meet people have the same dreams as me. One day I'll want an office, probably. Not now. Give me a rig, adventure, foreign country...I am there.
Finally, I am excited to go back to Louisiana. I have a project to work on, stuff to learn, people to hang out with, and a pool to inhabit for multiple hours a day. It will be a nice break.
I miss you guys, and hope your week is going amazingly well.
Love you.
However, it was actually a pretty interesting and almost fun experience. I have some awesome co-workers, I learned an incredible amount, I got to eat homemade cajun, sri lankan, mexican, and south texas food. So, basically, everything spicy. I want to ask for recipes, but I know there is no way in heck I will be able to replicate these foods.
I got to run on country roads again. I kind of missed it because those are the first places I ran with Dad. The scenery I see while running down here is just as beautiful as kansas, but in a little different way. Here there are less trees, more shrubs, and no grass. All you see is the stark contrast of scraggly, green bush and light tan, dusty road with rocks. The bushes down here are what I imagine a human would look like if she or he worked really hard every day out in the sun for their whole life. Weathered, but tough. Also, down here I run slow, similar to when I started running to begin with Dad. Back then, my goal was to not die while trying to keep up with the Energizer Bunny that is my father. Now I wanted to avoid respraining my ankle again (we have some huge chunks of gravel all over the place). Never bitten by a rattlesnake, though, despite the directional driller's frequently spoken concerns.
It amazes me that I am not turned away or intimidated by the oil field sometimes. It is dirty, gross, long hours, remote locations, and has crazy people. I have met men who become angry and racist when under pressure, and I have met others who can work for 21 hours straight and still crack a smile throughout the night, get up and come into work 3 hours later. I have seen what happens when equipment fails while drilling (not pretty), people who don't perform to the level that the company exactly wants (they get run off rigs), how a night of stress for someone can end up in a yelling, vulgar, almost physical fight, and what happens when the stress of living this lifestyle gets to someone who might not be prepared for it (complete breakdowns). And yet, I want to be here. Undoubtedly.
My friends don't understand why I don't want an office job with air freshner, business casual dress code, going out for drinks after work on friday, and a 2 day weekend every week with holidays off; I can't give them an answer that satisfies them. All they say is "you're crazy..." My question, though, is "don't you long for adventure???" I want to see unique places, eat some crazy food that might give make me sick or be the best thing I've ever had in my life, learn a foreign language or two and actually get to USE it, get on a plane and have to figure out the town I am living in/near when I get there, see yet another breathtaking sunset, work a crazy schedule, and meet people have the same dreams as me. One day I'll want an office, probably. Not now. Give me a rig, adventure, foreign country...I am there.
Finally, I am excited to go back to Louisiana. I have a project to work on, stuff to learn, people to hang out with, and a pool to inhabit for multiple hours a day. It will be a nice break.
I miss you guys, and hope your week is going amazingly well.
Love you.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
PRECIPITATION!!!
It rained tonight!!!!! The first time I have ever been on a rig when precipitation is occurring. It was marvelous.
I jumped out the door to walk back to camp and no dust flew up under my feet. It was warm, but the beating down of the late afternoon sun was gone, hidden behind the lovely dark grey clouds currently pouring water down on me. My hard hat deflected the drops from my head and face, but the Nomex suit I was wearing barely even slowed them down. For the first time, in almost 4 weeks, I believe I felt a little bit of something I’d like to call “cold” when I was in the outdoors. I briefly debated the merits of dancing in the rain on the dirt pad the oil rig stands upon, but sadly, I shot the idea down. Being the only woman on this rig, I try really hard NOT to stand out as being “different” more than I absolutely have to. Dancing in the rain might be an attention getter. So, I will just have to wait until I am in Lafayette again, or even Kansas, before I dance in the rain again. Besides, I have a rain-dancing date with my friend Heather; I wouldn’t like to start early without her.
The other night engineer that I work with, Justin, laughingly says that I am crazy and who would want to go outside and get wet and muddy? “Psh,” I say. Who can say that they have truly lived and enjoyed life until they’ve gone outside in a rainstorm and just….been a part of it? So, for all of you Kansans who are at home right now, I have a favor to ask. Next time it starts to precipitate, whether it is pouring down like crazy, or dropping light sprinkles on the ground, just take a wander outside; walk around; maybe do a funky little dance or a waltz or tango…I will be right beside you, dancing in spirit.
I love you all.
I jumped out the door to walk back to camp and no dust flew up under my feet. It was warm, but the beating down of the late afternoon sun was gone, hidden behind the lovely dark grey clouds currently pouring water down on me. My hard hat deflected the drops from my head and face, but the Nomex suit I was wearing barely even slowed them down. For the first time, in almost 4 weeks, I believe I felt a little bit of something I’d like to call “cold” when I was in the outdoors. I briefly debated the merits of dancing in the rain on the dirt pad the oil rig stands upon, but sadly, I shot the idea down. Being the only woman on this rig, I try really hard NOT to stand out as being “different” more than I absolutely have to. Dancing in the rain might be an attention getter. So, I will just have to wait until I am in Lafayette again, or even Kansas, before I dance in the rain again. Besides, I have a rain-dancing date with my friend Heather; I wouldn’t like to start early without her.
The other night engineer that I work with, Justin, laughingly says that I am crazy and who would want to go outside and get wet and muddy? “Psh,” I say. Who can say that they have truly lived and enjoyed life until they’ve gone outside in a rainstorm and just….been a part of it? So, for all of you Kansans who are at home right now, I have a favor to ask. Next time it starts to precipitate, whether it is pouring down like crazy, or dropping light sprinkles on the ground, just take a wander outside; walk around; maybe do a funky little dance or a waltz or tango…I will be right beside you, dancing in spirit.
I love you all.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
A Cup of Coffee Post
Contrary to what you might think by the title. This is not the sort of post I am writing while drinking a cup of that marvelous liquid that I hold so dear. Instead, I am warning you in advance...
WARNING : This post might be a tad bit long. Though I hope it is an interesting one to you, I think you should pour some caffeinated elixir and grab a piece of toast with Nutella on it before hunkering down to the read. :)
And on we go!
Last time I talked with you, I was studying oilfield material and relaxing in the humid bliss that makes up Louisiana. This has changed. Last Wednesday...or Thursday. I forget which day, I was called up by my FSM (field service manager) while I was working in Youngville and she told me that (a) they had found an oil rig for me to go to, (b)it was in Texas, (c) if I didn't have any plans for that day I was leaving at 1:30 pm. Which, after running around talking to various managers, my FSM, the lady that schedules my flights, and the shuttle driver, I only had about 35 minutes to pack for what the FSM said was a week of work and get to the airport for my flight. Then I flew from Lafayette to Houston and Houston to Laredo, TX.
I was told it was going to be about 105 on average in Laredo. This is a lie. They should've added about 10 degrees because that is what it really is near the oil rig. This is ok, though. I accept it as part of the job. The rig I am on is about a 45 minute drive from Laredo, and about a mile from the US/Mexican border. I've actually seen more Border Patrol cars than I have seen normal cop cars. I live in a large trailer with the other D&M Engg. as well as the DDs (Directional Drillers). We cook and clean for ourselves, so I stopped by the store and bought food (as well as a towel when we went back into town about 4 days later. Drying off after your shower with your t-shirt is really awkward).
All the engineers I work with are extremely nice. The cell manager (head engg) is a hilarious guy named Suthan, who is from Sri Lanka and makes delicious food; there is a trainee who is kinda uptight, but from the midwest, so he automatically ranks as cool; an engineeer from US Land (the land section of Schlumberger) named Jared who drives an enormous blue truck, loves The Office, and is always ready for a joke; and the other night engineer that I worked with, Mark, who is originally from Mexico (and regularly translates what people say down here for me), is extremely nice, has good taste in music, and has the most interestingly cool family I've ever heard of. Sadly, Mark left for a vacation (in London!!) with his girlfriend, but his replacement is a guy named Justin who is from Vietnam, but grew up in Kansas and went to KSU!!! Justin automatically rocked because he has a KSU cover that he says he always takes to rigs with him (rig camps don't always supply all the necessities...).
I work a night tour (pronounced "tower") which is from 6 pm to 6 am. So I sleep from about 8:30 am until 4:30 or 5:00 pm. After waking up I eat, relax for a bit, then head outside to the logging unit, where the normal shift-change chit chat goes on between the day and night crew. After all misunderstandings and issues are cleared up, they go in for the night and Justin and I start our shift. We monitor, make logs, program, etc. Sometimes I play on facebook if it is a slow night, and sometimes I work for hours straight without realizing time has even passed. When I first get up it is still really hot (probably about 110-115 degrees outside) but eventually cools down to a low (and I type this sarcastically) of 80-85 degrees. The A/C unit in the logging unit finally recovers from yesterday's heat at around 2:30 am, so by the time I leave at 6:30 or 7 am, it is nice and cool for the day fellows. After work, I change into shorts and jog down the one country road/driveway that leads to the main country road that goes back to town. It's gorgeous in the morning with the sun just climbing over the horizon and I have a spectacular view of this shrub/desert area that is a lot prettier than it sounds. I am 100 percent scared of running on top of a rattle snake, so I pay attention pretty well to where I am putting my feet while I am out there. After running (and participating in an early morning session of what I like to call "The SouthWest Texas Diet : Sweat until you are skeletal!) I shower, head to bed, and start it all over again. I try to call people occasionally, but I have no signal except for in one exact spot on the entire area, and I can only handle the heat for so long (sorry). I also don't have internet unless I am on tour.
So, yes, I am here until it is finished. The way it looks right now, it will probably be Saturday or Sunday before we head home, but I don't know. We wil see! I really am enjoying myself, and I can't get enough of this job and the life that comes with it. I am working with crazy/unique/interesting people, visiting cool (if, albeit, they are kind of remote) places, and eating delicious food! What more could I ask for??
I love you all and hope Kansas stays cooler than good ol' Texas.
Becca
WARNING : This post might be a tad bit long. Though I hope it is an interesting one to you, I think you should pour some caffeinated elixir and grab a piece of toast with Nutella on it before hunkering down to the read. :)
And on we go!
Last time I talked with you, I was studying oilfield material and relaxing in the humid bliss that makes up Louisiana. This has changed. Last Wednesday...or Thursday. I forget which day, I was called up by my FSM (field service manager) while I was working in Youngville and she told me that (a) they had found an oil rig for me to go to, (b)it was in Texas, (c) if I didn't have any plans for that day I was leaving at 1:30 pm. Which, after running around talking to various managers, my FSM, the lady that schedules my flights, and the shuttle driver, I only had about 35 minutes to pack for what the FSM said was a week of work and get to the airport for my flight. Then I flew from Lafayette to Houston and Houston to Laredo, TX.
I was told it was going to be about 105 on average in Laredo. This is a lie. They should've added about 10 degrees because that is what it really is near the oil rig. This is ok, though. I accept it as part of the job. The rig I am on is about a 45 minute drive from Laredo, and about a mile from the US/Mexican border. I've actually seen more Border Patrol cars than I have seen normal cop cars. I live in a large trailer with the other D&M Engg. as well as the DDs (Directional Drillers). We cook and clean for ourselves, so I stopped by the store and bought food (as well as a towel when we went back into town about 4 days later. Drying off after your shower with your t-shirt is really awkward).
All the engineers I work with are extremely nice. The cell manager (head engg) is a hilarious guy named Suthan, who is from Sri Lanka and makes delicious food; there is a trainee who is kinda uptight, but from the midwest, so he automatically ranks as cool; an engineeer from US Land (the land section of Schlumberger) named Jared who drives an enormous blue truck, loves The Office, and is always ready for a joke; and the other night engineer that I worked with, Mark, who is originally from Mexico (and regularly translates what people say down here for me), is extremely nice, has good taste in music, and has the most interestingly cool family I've ever heard of. Sadly, Mark left for a vacation (in London!!) with his girlfriend, but his replacement is a guy named Justin who is from Vietnam, but grew up in Kansas and went to KSU!!! Justin automatically rocked because he has a KSU cover that he says he always takes to rigs with him (rig camps don't always supply all the necessities...).
I work a night tour (pronounced "tower") which is from 6 pm to 6 am. So I sleep from about 8:30 am until 4:30 or 5:00 pm. After waking up I eat, relax for a bit, then head outside to the logging unit, where the normal shift-change chit chat goes on between the day and night crew. After all misunderstandings and issues are cleared up, they go in for the night and Justin and I start our shift. We monitor, make logs, program, etc. Sometimes I play on facebook if it is a slow night, and sometimes I work for hours straight without realizing time has even passed. When I first get up it is still really hot (probably about 110-115 degrees outside) but eventually cools down to a low (and I type this sarcastically) of 80-85 degrees. The A/C unit in the logging unit finally recovers from yesterday's heat at around 2:30 am, so by the time I leave at 6:30 or 7 am, it is nice and cool for the day fellows. After work, I change into shorts and jog down the one country road/driveway that leads to the main country road that goes back to town. It's gorgeous in the morning with the sun just climbing over the horizon and I have a spectacular view of this shrub/desert area that is a lot prettier than it sounds. I am 100 percent scared of running on top of a rattle snake, so I pay attention pretty well to where I am putting my feet while I am out there. After running (and participating in an early morning session of what I like to call "The SouthWest Texas Diet : Sweat until you are skeletal!) I shower, head to bed, and start it all over again. I try to call people occasionally, but I have no signal except for in one exact spot on the entire area, and I can only handle the heat for so long (sorry). I also don't have internet unless I am on tour.
So, yes, I am here until it is finished. The way it looks right now, it will probably be Saturday or Sunday before we head home, but I don't know. We wil see! I really am enjoying myself, and I can't get enough of this job and the life that comes with it. I am working with crazy/unique/interesting people, visiting cool (if, albeit, they are kind of remote) places, and eating delicious food! What more could I ask for??
I love you all and hope Kansas stays cooler than good ol' Texas.
Becca
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