Easy like Sunday morning...

So today I didn't get to sleep in, I had to go to work at 8. It was a little rough to get up because Anjelica and I went to see Dinner for Schmucks last night and didn't get home until midnight meaning I got only 6.5 hours of sleep or so. Not ideal but considering my recent patterns pretty darn good. We went in for a "class day" with "Mama" Sharron which meant we talked all morning about our projects (and what they would be if the ones we were given were garbage) and our experiences. It was a pretty informal conversation, she just made sure we took turns and all talked about everything. I like Sharron.

We determined that my project was going to be a cost analysis of getting flow meters for the liquid chemicals so that it would reduce the discrepancies between the inventory records of the bulk plant and the coil tubing department. That is if I get the ok from Tommy for the project. I couldn't do that today because he wasn't there. I'll talk to him tomorrow. Because of this I just worked on getting my journey management registered and my reimbursement paperwork printed. So still a productive afternoon.

We ended up home by 2:30 which made up for missing mass this morning because I got to go to evening mass in Little Rock. It was particularly good today because they had a bunch of kids doing the music rock band style. Nice change from the slow, sad organ.

I polished off my leftovers from Los 3 Potrillos for dinner as I watched the old Shark Week coverage leading up to the new stuff for this years Shark Week. I really can't complain... my life rocked today. :)

Job 3... I'm getting better at this

Third job went out last night (7pm yard time got to the site a little before 10) and we got to sleep through the night. I'm in a much more positive mood after this job for a few reasons...

*I thought I'd have to go immediately on another job but Momma Sharron saved us and put us off to a night job. I love her.

*I discovered the sleeping outside on the fender of the ABT (truck with the cement tanks) is WAY more comfortable than the cab of the truck.

*Turns out that sometimes they have a trailer that no one is using and so we (the non-drivers who don't get sleepers) got to go sleep in BEDS. REAL BEDS. Granted they had no sheets but it was EONS better than the cab and even better than the fender.

* I had a fun crew this time around. Wednesday's crew was just...not...fun. They were serious and gloomy. My driver, Gary was nice enough but I got the distinct feeling that Ross didn't like me. He went on this job with us and he was nicer. I think it's just the mix of people you get. Brian, our engineer, was a good guy. "The best" according to Bucky (not kidding...his name is Paul but he hates it...so he goes with Bucky...whatever).

* The weather was reasonable today. I've been working at night and dreading a day job because of the heat and humidity but it rained last night and was overcast for most of the day. It got hot around noonish but then the rain came back. It soaked us but it did feel nice when it started. And we were about done anyway. I rode home soggy but not nearly as soggy as Danny (my driver) who had it "clear down to the underwear." These guys crack me up. They give each other so much crap over the CB radio and on site that it keeps you pretty entertained in spite of the fact that we sit for hours waiting for this and that.

This was a production job (like I think job 2 was) so we pumped cement for about 3 hours. During that time I am normally just standing (or sitting or perching) around hoping that someone will let me flip a valve open. Today they had me doing more of the same but I think I looked too stagnant so he sent me to the other side of the rig to watch returns. This means stand around out of site and watch the oil based mud come circulating back out of the ground to be sifted and settled before it goes back down. You do that to make sure it stays the same. You don't want circulation to slow or speed up. Not sure what that means to the job I just know it's not supposed to do that. So I stood there for what felt like an eternity (probably an hour or two) occasionally "helping" by glancing at the mud in the shaker. Don't worry, it stayed pretty constant.

In unrelated news, I forgot to mention I went to buy books the other day to read during the waiting parts and I treated myself to the Pioneer Woman cookbook. Great life choice. I already made the pancakes (Emily, you introduced me to them and PW herself, I thank you from the bottom of my heart) and they were spectacular! I'm sad that I am ill equipped to make much of anything in it just now but I'm stoked to get it home to my kitchen and whip up some amazing stuff. Get ready friends and family, I may try to feed you. Go with it--she's amazing and so is her food.

Job 2...Things are starting to run together...

I went on another job that followed nearly the same schedule as the first one again the night after. 6pm yard time and then on the job site around 9. Started working a little before 11 and wrapped up about 4:30. This time when we made it back to the yard (I again was in a coma for the whole drive home) I was told if I wanted to get some food I should do that quickly because we were going to catch another job. Exhausted, we drove to McDonalds and got breakfast. Anjelica is going into her weekend off so when we got back, Sharron told her that she wouldn't go on this second job. Turns out that crew's drivers had maxed out their driving hours so it became a huge headache to figure out how to get people there and who would do what. This is great news for us because Sharron said I could just go home with Anjelica and catch a job this evening. I'm super glad because A)I was TIRED and B)I am fairly certain that crew didn't want us tagging along anyway. Ok maybe it was just that Ross guy acting like a high school girl but it was irritating to be looked at like a nuisance.

I came home and slept until 2 when Anjelica needed a ride to the hair dresser. I ate something... thought it feels weird... my body has not accepted these new hours (just as well, who knows how long it'll last) and I think it's confused about when it should eat. Whatever. This is the part where I start to hate my "job"--I am sore from sleeping in those stupid cabs, my throat hurts from inadequate sleep (and likely being blasted in the face by AC while I am trying to sleep) and I just feel off. I just keep thinking that I only have to be tough until the end of the month. I'm just going to try to remain positive. "I LOVE lugging hoses and pipe. I LOVE lugging hoses and pipe. I LOVE lugging hoses and pipe..."

Day 2

This morning we got a yard tour from a girl named Kelly who is only here through the weekend because she's being transfered to Oklahoma. She was nice. I'm sad she's leaving because she seems like she's fun. She and Sharron took us out to lunch today since we're new and we don't know our way around yet and so that they could expense their own lunch too. Naturally we went to Friday's and ate too much. Good times.

This afternoon all we've done is certifications for standards. We have to do about 7 or so of them and they're a pain in the...you know. We sit in the break room and try to look up answers to each test in the pages of standards for each one. It's way boring but we gotta do it. That's all that's really on our agenda because we can't do anything else until they're done and passed. Tomorrow we'll have Kelly's help and she thinks we can get it done by lunch. When we finish our next move is to the bulk plant where they mix up cement and frack components and put them in the trucks to go out to the field. We may also work in the lab here in these first few days. Testing cement I think... we'll see if I'm right.

Tonight: Walmart for groceries and then maybe some light exploration of Conway.

Welcome to Arkansas, where the accents are thicker and our purses are camo

At long last, I am finally at my field location in Conway, Arkansas (the drive was, in fact, lovely. Thanks for asking)! I know you were all wondering when my internship would actually start. The answer is: today the moment I arrived in Conway. I showed up at the yard (the office) and was pretty much set to work setting myself up in the company online systems and taking tests to be allowed to go to the field. It was an intense first 3 (ish) hours.

We got set up in our apartment which is NICE. It puts the StratCastle to shame (though that's not real hard to do). The only thing it's lacking is all the fellow interns... *sniff* Nick, Anjelica and I are all in Well Services so we are in the apartments and Brendan and Jared are in Wireline so they're in a hotel for the time being but I think they move to some apartments (we're hoping ours) by next week. Unfortunately we've already been told that we'll spend little time in our apartments.

My manager (Stephen-cementing manager) has already let down any professional best behavior facade that he may have had. He's real honest and upfront. I like it. Our mentor (Sharron or "Mamma Sharron") is much the same. So is everyone really. Again, I like it. So far things are good. I'll try to keep reporting regularly but from the sounds of it, things may get kinda sporadic. Hang in there people, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

First purse I see in AR is forest print camo of course.

Walking into our apartment and looking slightly right: The kitchen!

And if you look more forward: The doors are just the back door (nothing special out there) and the hall to the right leads to our rooms...

When you go to the end of the hall you get to my room... sleepin' in style!

And if you look back toward the door you see that I have the master room...my own private bathroom! Anjelica has a bathroom (the door across the hall) to herself too so don't feel too bad. There's a washer and dryer in hers too (I swooned!).