Days end, years end

Its the 31st of December and I guess this year only has a few more hours to go.

We have decided to work this new year weekend. The Foreman says most of his guys are from BC anyway and they won't have much to do so they want to work it. makes no difference to me I hadn't planned on doing much myself.

Crazy, my online friend is in the hospital at Edmonton having her first baby, I wish the best for her and I am glad her mother told me. I was worried I would not be able to send anything on the stat holiday, but this worked out well. I sent her an Edible Arrangements bouquet that is made up of a whole lot of fun shaped fruit made to look like flowers all stuffed into a little pink elephant glass piggybank keepsake. I got something similar (not the elephant though) when I was ill this summer, sadly mine was huge and I couldn't eat it fast enough...but the thought was nice.

I have some plans for a major purchase in the next month or so and I am hoping to get a good deal. Feel the time is right to get a new ATV. I am stuck between what I really want and what I actually need. The Can-Am 800 Renegade is what I want, but the price is obnoxious at $13,000...its big and fast, but for my line of work its overkill. The Yamaha Grizzly 700 seems more reasonable to me and I might be able to buy a past model year that is still brand new for less money. I used to be a diehard Honda fan because they are bulletproof and last forever but I am tired of the stiff buckboard style ride.

The worst part of December,

it's Christmas day and I'm trying to relax. Its been ok so far, just quiet time with my family. I think I may have spent too much.

On Thursday, while travelling through Grande Prairie on my way back to Ft St John, I stopped at Fountain Tire and broke down and bought a full set of winter tires. Like them a lot. Feels like I have the 4x4 locked in when I don't. Never had proper winter tires before, but I have been worried about all the driving I have to do and figured it was time to do things right.

My Christmas shopping was easy, maybe I punked out, but it was mostly all gift cards this year. I feel bad about that, but it was all I could do; people in my way walking the aisles, drivers who for whatever reason can't comprehend what a 4 way stop means, ignorance in the parking lots....it all just gets on my nerves and I want to be alone.

Saw a few old friends again so that was nice, I wish I felt more sociable, but its not me right now. Just want to get back to work and I will...on the 27th.

The beat goes on

...and on and on. I told my boss the other day that I would work until the 24th and come back as soon as he wanted. He said I should make sure to get some quality time off. I really don't care that much about the holidays anymore, getting so jaded with everything in general...

Its been a hard few months...  In my mind I've given up on a few things some would say are essential but day by day I accept more and more that it's just the way it has to be. Its been a 20 year run to get to this point...what is the prize? Still looking.

I'm at Edson Alberta for work again, Ask me if I am stressed...nope.

...the thought that has been going through my head:
"Ready to go? Yeah, ...I'm ready" :-{

I've been called worse...

"YOU F*CKER!" Was what my friend Jay said to me this afternoon. "Hehe!" Was all I said back,

I have been working down by Lethbridge for the last week. It was another one of those ambiguous job starts, not really knowing when the location had to be done by, but knowing from past experience that it is always prudent to err on the side of "Get the damn thing built A.S.A.P.!"

So hard to find a contractor in the extreme south of Alberta that even knows how to build a lease anymore. The industry had for the most part gone to minimal disturbance drilling. A whole lot of accumulated knowledge has been lost. I wonder if the industry realizes this? I called a handfull of contractors I found online or in the yellow pages, the answer was always the same: "Nope, can't help you, haven't built one in 15 years and only have a few old-timers on the payroll that even know how anymore".   I have to admit I was hoping for a bit more interest, but can I really blame them? With the stroke of a pen government regulators and industry decided minimal disturbance was best. The unintended outcome was many companies left the field and pursued other earthmoving activity or went out of business entirely.

Well what do you know? An oil company decides to drill with oil based mud down here and we are left with the only option of actually protecting the soils and surrounding land, by building a real honest to god lease. And that brings me back to Jay.

I met Jay when he worked for me up north around Rocky Mtn House a good 10-12 years back. Sometime ago he left that part of the country and took a real cowboy job on the Birdseye Ranch which abutts Waterton National Park. I found him again about 3 years ago when we drilled a few wells on the ranch. He knows what he is doing and the ranch had some equipment so he built the sites for me. Anyway on this latest job near Lethbridge I got Jay back yet again.

In my own defense we started construction on Saturday and I didn't know for sure until Monday that the rig wasn't coming till Thursday...the only problem was I told Jay when we started that it was coming on Wednesday. You know I hate deadlines, but for once it was nice to make someone else think the heat was on, and they work so quick, but I get called a fucker! Oh well, I can take it, and now Jay has the whole day  to himself tomorrow to make everything look pretty with no pesky rig move happening around him. Its good to be the boss sometimes...

 ROFLMAO!