Other things. Sorta like posts, but not.

Friday, March 29

It Was a Bit Drafty, Just Didn’t Realize the Extent


We had a fire today. We had to stop working so that the roughnecks could put on their firefighter hats and save the day. 

PS A rig is not a good place for a fire, the whole thing can blow up. Especially if we have gas returns.

Today’s Exploit:

I’ve had another wardrobe malfunction. 

It was rather embarrassing.

I couldn’t even go hide afterward, they made me keep working.

Ok, I don’t know if anyone else actually noticed, but they could have!

Anyway...I was doing my job, getting the tool ready for the new run. I was all ready to go and had even moved it to the catwalk (it’s really called that) to be ready to pick it up.

*Side note* *My tool is about 30 feet long, weights about 180 pounds and requires the air-hoist, or hydraulic-hoist, or whatever-hoist to lift it to the rig floor.* 

Then they lowered down the old one, so that I could pull it down the catwalk (it’s really called that) and swap the lifting mechanism to the new tool.

Before the bottom of the tool reaches the catwalk (it’s really called that) it hits a ledge, where they can leave big collars and drill pipe that they might need soon. I put my foot up on the v-door for leverage and pulled the tool off the ledge. 

RRRRIIIIIPPPP!!!!!!!!!

My thoughts: Crap, my pants ripped, I hope no one notices. I didn’t think these ones were that old, and they don’t even look worn.

I pulled the tool down along the catwalk (it’s really called that) and set it down as gently as possible.

That was when I got a chance to look at the RRRRIIIIIPPPP.

No chance it was just a small one. Oh no. They ripped from the middle of my zipper down to the middle of my thigh. That’s a good 10 inches. 

So, there I was, parading up and down the catwalk (it’s really called that) with a brand new fashion statement going on. Not a particularly good one, either. 

Since everyone was waiting on me, I had the joy of picking up the other tool, going up to the rig floor to make sure it was sitting properly in the collar and putting a new o-ring on the flow sleeve.

It wasn’t until I went down to change into my backup pants that I realized how visible my electric pink and garish purple leopard print panties were.

Oh joy.

Wednesday, March 27

I Knew I Was a Beast of Burden, But Really?


I have been waiting for a year to find out what the date 22 March 2013 holds that is significant. I was told that if I waited until then I would find out.  I am still waiting.  Rawr.

Today’s Exploit:

I work in a horse trailer now. I am no longer worthy of a box. This is sad, in case you were unsure about that transition.

The box was insulated, and had a working AC unit and blocked the noise, well most of it, of a drilling rig. As much as I complained about it, I rather liked the box. 

My current working conditions are sweaty, loud and wobbly. 

The AC barely works, and does not keep up with spring temperatures. I dread summer. Not to mention, part of it fell on my face the other day. And I didn’t even get a black eye to show for it. Stupid AC. 

I got a little fan, and it helps a little. Sadly, I’m thinking I should have gotten the super-extra-mammoth-industrial-17 speed fan. It might have put a dent in this heat. 

The loud part comes from the fact that my horse trailer is made from some plywood. Just thick enough that a standard cabinet handle won’t work properly. It has no insulation, thus the heat, and the cold at night. (It was actually in the 30s the last 2 days.) And it sounds like I am on the rig floor with my ear against the loudest mechanism. It may be worse. It may be that I have a funnel gathering all of the noise and maximizing it to feed into my ears on the itty-bitty end. And that is on top of the standard buzzing of the transformer, and the AC fan trying it’s hardest to blow hot air into the sweltering mess.

The trailer is on wheels, naturally, but they didn’t think it necessary to stabilize it. Therefore it rocks like a see-saw when you sneeze, and wobbles awkwardly if you dare to breathe. It also dances in the wind and jitters in the rain. I have to work off my “sea legs” every time I get out for some natural light.

By the way, this trailer does not have any windows, the door latch barely works and there is no handle to pull the door closed. It’s fun, you get to slam the door as hard as possible without getting fingers in the way, or letting the wind catch it about 23 times before it latches. 

Wednesday, March 20

A Ski Trip for Texans


On my way home I stopped at the office to talk to Joanne, the HR person. She wanted to make sure I wasn’t too traumatized by my experiences in Canada. She asked me a few times if I was ok and then we talked about other things for a few hours. 

Her daughter wants to be an engineer and a baker, too. I like her already and we’ve never met. I hope she grows up to be everything she dreams of.

Today’s Exploit:

I went home for a visit. I took H. and Klay with me. I wanted to make them ski. I knew it would be great entertainment. I imagined graphic scenes of a snowball with skis and poles rolling down the hill and yelling. And naturally I’d be skiing gracefully behind it laughing and helping it up at the bottom. As for Klay, I figured he’d pick it up in no time at all.

And it was great entertainment while my dad was teaching Klay. I saw a few good crashes, and the skis came off a few times while flailing and trying to fall sideways. But then Dad had to go back to work and the teaching was left entirely to me. 

That was scary. 

I’m not that great a skier, how am I supposed to teach a four year old?

So we did a few more runs before he decided it was too hard and started telling me he was scared. Then I got irritated and hungry and decided we should stop before I left him in the middle of a windy hill. 

So we had lunch and I switched to a snowboard, which is not the best of ideas in my opinion, I’m just getting somewhat comfortable at the skiing thing. 

I went with H. up the kiddy hill and I made us wreck when getting off the lift. Off to a good start. 

But then H. took a wrong turn and I had to climb back up the hill to follow him, since he was going too fast and ignored me when I asked if he really wanted to go that way.  That way took a long time because the road sloped sideways, and it’s hard to get up and get some momentum when you have to go into the trees to do it. At any rate, I got a good ab workout leapfrogging up to the top side of the road and slipping slowly to the bottom side, just to repeat it all again.

When we got to the bottom, after a very strenuous time for both of us, is when I got to break the news about taking another ride on the chairlift. See, the way we went took us to the back side and we were stuck FAR away from the lodge, and the only way back is to take another run. 

On that one I finally was able to turn a little, which is amazing considering that the other two times I tried to snowboard I was way to scared of catching my back edge and landing on my head. 

I still landed on my bum once or twice or 37.682 times, but didn’t make it so far as my head. 
Needless to say we were done with snowboarding after that, but I did hear a whisper saying that we can go skiing again next time.  

Yay!

Monday, March 18

She Wants To Look Like a Monkey, Too


I have been acquiring new nicknames from Oscar and Ali. Some of them include Mikalina, Taylor, Muffin Pie, Dewy and Meeka.

Today’s Exploit:

Ali has decided that she wants to do my workouts with me.

Today she made it almost halfway through the video. 

She complained the entire time about how out of shape she was and that she is a smoker.

She also told me I looked like a monkey, laughed at half the exercises I did and talked loudly on her phone. 

But she wants to do another one tomorrow. I guess I’m impressed. We shall see how long this lasts.

Google Analytics Alternative