Bribery

The past couple days have been very hectic for me.  I ran five miles Thursday, and the roads are hilly.  Friday I carried the SlimPulse six times.  (SlimPulse is the tool I run.  It is copper tubing about 30 ft long, 1.5 inches in diameter filled with electronics. In other words it's not light.  And sometimes I have to add extensions, which are solid steel.)  To carry the tool, I pick it up and rest it on my shoulder.  I have no padding on my shoulder, so it hurts really bad.  I couldn't sleep on my right side after that.  Also, I could hardly move the next day.

Just when I was starting to recover, my shoulder didn't hurt to touch, and I was ready to run, we did it again.  This time I only carried the tool four times, though.   

When I started I had to have a physical.  They made sure I could lift 75 pounds to shoulder height.  Then they told me that, because I'm female, I am only allowed to lift 30 pounds.  The SlimPulse is definitely more then 60 pounds.  So every time I do my job, I am breaking the rules.  Go figure.

Today's Exploit

The other night I made Banana Bread.  But I didn't have a bread pan, so I used a muffin tin.  Of course I had to share.  (These guys get used to getting food real fast, ie, one time.)

Last night I was on the rig floor, when one of the rough necks, Billy, started teasing me about not bringing something for them again.  Normally I ignore this, but later the driller turned on some cajun music.  Another rough neck, Paul, started dancing. 

I asked Billy if he was going to dance, too.  He said he would if I brought muffins.  Lucky for me I had some left over.  So I handed them out and the boys started dancing.  Imagine a cross between Pistol Pete dancing to Cotton Eye Joe and an Irish jig.  It was hilarious. 

Later Ed came up, so I gave him some muffins.  I wasn't going to make him dance since he didn't get any the night before.  But the driller decided he had to.  Oh, my sides hurt. 

I know bribery is not generally smiled upon, but this is too much to resist.  They've told me that they'd "really get down" if I bring something tonight.  I'm not sure who is bribing whom here, but I know we all come out happy.