I got called back to survey some more locations and fix some sites that will be cleaned up when it thaws out, but for whatever reason needed work done RIGHT NOW! It put me in a bad mood. My attitude took a definite turn for the worst.
The bad karma "pile-on" started to take effect only I didn't know it at the time.
The drive back to Edson was horrible, a late spring snow storm made the road 500km's of glare ice and scared stupid drivers. Then the snow delayed that "rush" location repair. The surveying didn't go any better. What looked like such an easy site to do was later found to have a dubious natural clearing that the surveyor was in a tizzy to class and describe. The Alberta government resource development rules have gone gong show the last couple of years, but that's a whole 'nother story. I then had a run in with our resident, batshit crazy, landowner. Things started to heat up and I could barely hold my tongue and not tell him to go fuck himself, but I was able to put on a smile and say "Have a nice DAY!" then drive around his bumbling ass and leave location. I get back to see the surveyor and arrive just in time to to find that the chain-man (surveyors helper) has achieved the impossible by rolling an ATV on flat ground. He is messed up and needs to go to Edson Hospital emergency to get checked out...the rest of my day and a good part of the evening is taken up with incident reporting paperwork and questions coming down the pipe from company managers. Oh what fun ;-(
That wasn't all, please don't think that just because I ended the paragraph that the story is finished. Oh no...I had 3, count em' three, near misses while driving that would have ended very badly but for some reason didn't. The first happened on dry pavement, I have the right of way (common theme so pay attention) and was driving along when a log truck pulled up to a stop sign, stopped, then proceeded to pull onto the road right in from of me, less than 100 meters, I slammed on the brakes, he finally saw me and thankfully stopped before entering my lane. The next two near misses happened while driving home. In both cases I am on cruise in the slow lane, but always 5-10kmph above the limit. Number one dumb-ass (with BC plates) decides its a good idea to pass me right when the passing lane ends, traffic oncoming. This is after following at a distance for several miles. Binders are applied, black screech marks left on pavement, middle finger and expletives raised.. 5o miles down the road number two dumbass bitch comes out of nowhere, decides I need to be passed, but stays in the fast-lane a couple car lengths ahead. She starts slowing down, I know this because I am on cruise and I am gaining on her. JUST when it looks like I will be passing her, dumb-ass bitch decides to pull into the slow lane that I currently occupy. Again the brakes come on and I am almost forced into the ditch...horn is honked, 2 middle fingers extended and multiple expletives used (for several miles)
I get home after completing all my work..I settle into my chair, I happen to glance at my email...another survey request has popped up, posted just before 5pm which was 4 hours ago and 2 hours into my drive home...it must be a sign, but I'll be damned if I know what its telling me
