Oilfield Trash

3-3-11

2011-03-03T01:31:00.000-08:00

well, as anyone who reads my wife's blog knows... i have had a change of scheduling. i now need to stay an extra 14 days over my original shift change. i do get an extra week off, but that doesn't get me home any sooner. anyway, that's about all i have to say...

Feb 26 11:25am

2011-02-25T23:49:00.000-08:00

well, i haven't blogged in a while... everything is starting to jump over here in Uganda, and i still don't have the resources that i need to get everything going on our side of things. i am going around the long way to get everything done, and it is getting redundant. i did however have 10 interviews yesterday, and hired 10 people. pretty good odds if you ask me. pretty much, the interviews consisted of me telling the prospects what i expected of them, and if they violate safety issues, they would be immediately let go. their eyes got a little big when i said that, because Ugandan companies have to give employees a month notice before firing them. i had to inform them that we are an American company, and those practices don't apply to us. i can deal with training issues, and i can replace damaged equipment (not easily) but i can't bring people back to life or replace lost body parts. everyone over here wants to get into the oilfield. it's new and the talk of the country. i had a couple of interviewees that would in no way shape or form make it as a field hand, so it was a good thing i needed some engineers. everyone i hired yesterday had at least a 2 year degree in engineering, but no one over here understands oil, so training is a must. i'm getting a warehouse manager hired on Monday, and will eventually hire non-degreed field hands after start up. that is about all i have, so i'll go for now.

Jan. 21

2011-01-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

hello blogland...

ok, now that i got the pleasantries out of the way... tonight we are going to a church function called "up all night", so we will be worshipping and having fun with a whole bunch of church people... (wait for it...) all night! imagine that, "up all night" and all night, almost coulda' called that one huh... i'm looking forward to it, and one of the most important reasons that i'm so stoked about it is... Munkey wants to go to it and is dissappointed that there is a possibility of it being cancelled for weather. yay!!! she is finally getting it. that's it for today. see ya

Jan 20

2011-01-20T06:41:00.000-08:00

ok, here i am blogging again. i was reprimanded this morning for doing the things on "the list". i guess i'm not supposed to be doing them. hold on, i'm gonna go make the bed... ok, i'm done. now, if my wife reprimands me for making the bed, i'll just tell her that the bed making fairies did it while she was in the shower. how is everyone in blog land today? i am doing just awesome! yesterday afternoon, i got an email from a Shell recruiter in scotland, requesting an updated resume. that is awesome news.. the way the major oil companies work, if they hunt you, then the job is pretty much yours to take or turn down. i haven't sent a resume to shell in over 4 years. (cool, she didn't even notice that the bed was made.) anyway, like i was saying, i did send them an updated resume, and now i'm just waiting to hear back from them. it should be a rotational position in either europe or africa. with better pay and benefits than i'm making now. so that is my news. more tomorrow hopefully...

Jan. 19

2011-01-19T05:37:00.000-08:00

OK, so, I mossed a couple days... I really don't know what I'm going to blog about. Yesterday, Steph came over, and a little while later, Erich came by and they stayed for a little while. Steph left shortly to take a kid to visitation. He prayed for it to snow and what do you know... white stuff was falling from the sky. anyway, she came back afterward and told us the story, and stayed for dinner. I'm still working on Romans, and it is getting a little easier for me. I started off just re-wording it and defining what each verse meant. but, with the help of my awesome wife, she helped me to see what each verse meant to me as far as my previous and present life. My wife speaks "Clay" so she is able to take my brains quote "harrf grryp fluhnberf gezorkt" and translate it into English "I am very happy". so, as you can see, my brain doesn't quite have the same firing pattern as most. or maybe i have glow plugs and injectors instead of spark plugs. i don't know, but i do know that my wife is the only other person on the planet who knows everything about me. Most people know the Clay that i want them to know. They'll get parts and pieces, but never a whole. Even most of my friends don't really know me... a lot of them make assumptions, and i choose whether to let them believe the assumption or not. I guess no one has ever really asked me. so... this makes about as much sense as a rambling Greek so I'll quit for now.

Jan 16

2011-01-16T05:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I already missed a day.. Imagine that, a guy who doesn't write a lot missing his second day of blogging daily. Honestly, how many people actually thought that I would. Anyway, not a lot going on here, the Steelers beat the Ravens, and uless the Falcons got 4 TDs in 2 minutes, The Packers will advance.
Now for today... I see the Bears beating the Seachickens, and I think that the Jets are going to upset the Patriots. We'll see what happens

Thats it for today... bye

Jan 14

2011-01-14T06:43:00.000-08:00

Last night, I began studying the book of Romans. I am studying grace and the relationship between grace and law. I've never done this type of thing before, so it might take a while for me to figure out exactly what I'm doing. I guess I'll try the same approach that I take with everything else... I'll take it apart piece by piece and then put it back together and see if it works. Still thinking about getting this blog thing to work for me. I will try to write something every day, so it might just be a bunch of mumbo jumbo until I get it figured out.
I also started a daily journal and a prayer journal. It was suggested to slow down the RPMs of daily life and quiet down enough to be able to talk to and hear from God. That could be an important part of living for Him... If I am willing to take the time to work on my marriage and my relationship with my daughter, then doesn't it make sense that I should be more willing to make time for my relationship with God? I know this probably makes no sense to anyone but me, but hey, it's my blog...

Amazing

2010-11-11T07:47:00.000-08:00

MINNEAPOLIS –

The bus stops on the cemetery path and the silver-haired men file out, sober-faced and silent amid a sea of white marble tombstones. Some carry rifles, some flags, a few hold bugles. They've all come to say goodbye — to a stranger.

This is their eighth funeral of the day. They have five more to go.

The men are members of a special fraternity of veterans. Two generations. Three wars. Survivors of places such as Khe Sanh, Chu Lai, Tokyo Bay, the Chosin Reservoir. Recipients of Purple Hearts and Bronze Stars. Now all together, offering a final salute to those who, like them, served long ago.

Their gait may be slower than it once was, their shoulders a bit more stooped, their eyesight not quite as sharp, but every weekday, 12 months a year, in knee-deep snow and blistering heat, the men of the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad are out in force and in formation, paying tribute to veterans being laid to rest.

The volunteer squad travels in its own bus across the vast Fort Snelling National Cemetery, conducting full military honors: The call to arms. The white-gloved salute. Three rounds of rifle shots. The mournful wail of two bugles. The folding of the flag. A few words of thanks to the family. Then one final salute.

It's a sad ceremony, but a celebration, too.

"When you fire those three volleys and play Taps, that's a signal to somebody upstairs that someone special — a veteran — is on the way there," says Ted Nemzek, an 82-year-old squad member and Korean War vet whose Bronze Star hangs jauntily from his cap. "It's a wonderful way to say goodbye. It's meaningful."

He should know.

He and the squad have said goodbye more than 57,000 times.

___

It began with a man named George Weiss Jr. more than 30 years ago when a friend, a World War II fighter pilot, died and some buddies at the VFW post in the tiny town of Mendota asked him to gather a rifle squad for the proper military send-off.

Easier said than done.

Weiss had to snag a local high school kid to play the bugle and call in some favors to gather a six-man team. That got him thinking. There had to be others who'd need the tribute. So he began making the rounds to VFW and American Legion halls, pitching the idea.

A squad was born. It has been going ever since.

Weiss, now 82, is the only original survivor, a wiry great-grandfather with a hankering for Harleys (he drove one until he was in his 70s) and a razor-sharp memory of being 17 and so eager to be a part of World War II that he dropped out of high school and joined the Marines. He wound up in China in 1945.

The military, as it turned out, has served as bookends in his life. He took off his Marine uniform as a young man, had a long career at the Ford Motor Co., then in 1979, found himself saluting once more at the squad's first funeral. At 50, he was the youngest member.

He's still at it every Friday, donning the squad's official outfit — a black jacket with a patch that features the Veterans Affairs eagle emblem, black shoes and tie, white shirt with collar pins and overseas cap. The 128-member squad is divided into five groups; each man volunteers on a designated weekday.

Weiss, who has attended thousands of funerals, says the goodbyes are especially poignant for those who've outlived family and have few or no mourners. That's most common for World War II vets; on average, 737 die each day across the country, according to the VA.

"Let me put it this way," Weiss says, "last Friday, we had 15 or 16 funerals. Three of them had just one car. One had just one person. Here's someone who had spent time in the military and had protected his country and he had just one mourner. Well, he had 23 members of our squad out there. I know this sounds melodramatic ... but he did not go out alone."

"I don't know if that makes sense to you," he says, "but it does to me."

It does, too, to President Barack Obama.

Last summer, Weiss' contribution earned him an invitation to the White House, where Obama honored him and a dozen others with the Presidential Citizen's Medal, the nation's second-highest honor for civilians.

Weiss savors the memory of that August day and the ego boost of having the president quote and praise him. "I had to make sure my head wasn't too big for my shoulders," he says, his blue eyes sparkling.

He had a plan. He would salute the president when he received his medal. "I asked the Marine captain (if it would be OK) and ... and he said he IS the commander in chief," Weiss recalls.

Weiss did just that, raising his hand in a crisp salute, and was thrilled when Obama returned it and made the day even more special with a "way to go" atta boy.

The squad is now an institution at Fort Snelling, where more than 192,000 veterans (men and women) and their families from as far back as the Civil War are buried. About 20 funerals are held daily.

Squad members receive a schedule of funerals daily, but usually know nothing about the person beyond the branch of service, unless someone has clipped out a newspaper obituary. On rare occasions, there's someone of special distinction, such as one of the Marines who planted the flag at Iwo Jima.

There are other rifle squads across the country, but the Fort Snelling group is believed to be the only all-volunteer one with such a lengthy record of continuous service. It has presided at more than 57,000 funerals, never missing one because of weather.

Virtually everyone in the group is retired; members have held almost every kind of job: postmaster, engineer, teacher, firefighter, welder, autoworker, printer, VA hospital director, even the state's former veterans affairs commissioner.

They span all military branches and more than 30 years in age. Among the most senior is Dick O'Toole, 87, who refused to let a heart defect and a warning at the enlistment office — "don't come back even if there's an invasion" — stop him. He found a home in the Merchant Marine during World War II. The 'baby' is Tim Gabrio, 59, a ruddy-faced Navy vet who helped rescue 102 downed pilots in Vietnam. He's now disabled, with a leg brace — the effects of exposure to Agent Orange.

Like others, Gabrio says he doesn't need to know the names or biographies of those he honors.

"It doesn't matter not knowing them," he says. "It's knowing what they did for their country."

Nemzek, too, says there's an instant kinship with all the men and women he helps bury.

"I know what it's like to be shot at," he says. "I know the experience. I understand what this vet may have been though ... You know what it's like to be damned scared. You know what it's like to have that kind of feeling wondering if you're going to be around tomorrow. It doesn't make any difference whether it's Iraq, Korea or Vietnam. Vets just seem to appreciate other vets."

That goes for squad members themselves.

Each morning before the funerals, they gather in a building on the cemetery grounds to clean their rifles (they used the 1903 Springfield model), play cribbage, swap stories, and share coffee, home-baked goods whipped up by one of their wives and a few laughs.

"We're close. Very close," Weiss says. "Closer than brothers."

So much so that each death is mourned like it's a family member. The squad lost five members last year, including one Korean War vet who'd been a longtime prisoner of war. Some men have quit because of illness, but others who've had cancer, diabetes, cataracts, heart and knee surgery keep coming.

Every one has a reason.

For Archie Hazzard, the 76-year-old commander of the squad, it's a chance to honor vets who are much like his family. He decided to join the day in 1983 when he was at Fort Snelling, burying his father, also Archie, who'd landed at Normandy. His uncle Chuckie is there, too; he died a day after his 19th birthday in the Battle of the Bulge. A great-uncle from World War I and two Vietnam-era cousins are there, too.

"How can you walk among all these rows ... and not be honored and humbled and see this as hallowed ground?" Hazzard asks.

For others, there are different motivations.

For Fran Buesgens a 64-year-old retired teacher, this makes amends for something he DIDN'T do — go to Vietnam, even though he served in the Army during that time.

"I'm still having guilt feelings for having it easy," says Buesgens, who also notes that hanging around the World War II guys gives him insight into his father's experiences. "It kind of fills in holes for me because my dad would never talk about it," he says.

For Tom Mullon, an Army Vietnam vet, it's something of a natural progression. He was a director of a VA hospital, then a VA home, and now this ... "I wanted to stay in the veterans business," he says with a smile.

Truth be told, it's not all bleak.

There are lighter moments, especially witnessing the creative containers people have chosen for their cremated remains: a Wheaties box, duffel bag, briefcase, cowboy boot, golf clubs, salt-and-pepper shakers and a cake, which turned out to contain the ashes of, what else, a baker.

One squad member also remembers overhearing an amusing exchange one day when a mourner leaned over to point out the squad to a little boy, telling him, "Those are the men who protected our country." To which the puzzled kid said, "Those old guys?"

Being in a cemetery every week, though, it's hard NOT to think of your own mortality — and the feeling that someday you'll be the one remembered.

Don Fisher, now 63, says he sometimes notices old boot camp photos at ceremonies and has an eerie feeling of familiarity. "You think to yourself, you know that guy's YOUR age," he says. "It's just very strange."

Fisher, a Purple Heart recipient injured by a booby trap in Vietnam, also says he's a bit surprised to be part of something connected to the military after a lifetime as an engineer in the corporate world.

"The Vietnam generation, you came home and you just put it away," he says. "I wasn't ashamed ... but you had to get back to your life."

"Now 25, 30, 40 years later, you're doing something good and honorable," he says, and "maybe it's a chance to do the salutes you didn't get — or the ones you would have liked to see yourself."

George Weiss has plans for his final salute.

He has a 2-foot-tall solid brass shell casing from a 105mm howitzer that will house his cremated remains; it was purchased on eBay.

He wants to be buried on a Friday, so his squad can do the honors.

He doesn't want anyone to play "Taps." He prefers "Reveille."

Why a song marking the beginning of a new day? Maybe, he says, it's a message to the heavens: "Look out, here I come."

Things to think about

2010-07-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

'I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The
only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America.

Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America ; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.

Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.

I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE ?

I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.

I have the right 'NOT' to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.

I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!

My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.

I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the above lines..

I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.

We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document and open to their interpretations.

I don't hate the rich; I don't pity the poor.

I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.

It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid and say 'NO!' when necessary.

I think tattoos and piercings are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!

I am sick of 'Political Correctness.' I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa, so how can they be 'African-Americans'?
Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe.

I am proud to be from America
and nowhere else.

And if you don't like my point of view, tough...

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE
TO THE FLAG,
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
AND TO THE REPUBLIC,
FOR WHICH IT STANDS,
ONE NATION
UNDER GOD,
INDIVISIBLE,
WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!

I was asked to send this on if I agree or delete if I don't. It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God.. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having 'In God We Trust' on our money and having 'God' in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Why don't we just tell the 14% to BE QUIET!!!

HA!

2010-07-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

I WON A GAME OF MONOPOLY!!!!!!

Just a Thought

2010-05-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago, I started to read the Bible. I started to read it differently than I had before. I used to read it just as anyone would read any book; I have just recently started reading it and getting the messages conveyed because now I have the Holy Spirit to help me interpret. I want to share something that caught my attention, and if you care to, share this with anyone who you think could get something from it.

It was suggested to me, to start reading the New Testament book of John. Well, I decided to start in Matthew because something told me that I should, and it felt right. Immediately, something caught my attention, and I brought it up to my wife (who has a whole two weeks of Christianity on me). It amazed me how many times the apostles lost their faith. I know that we are all imperfect humans, but how hard is it really to keep faith?

There they were, in the presence of the living breathing Jesus, who performed miracles right and left on a daily basis. The apostles themselves were given the ability to perform miracles in His name, and did so on a regular basis. But, as soon as anything looked bleak? BANG!!! They lost their faith. They had to be reminded time and time again by Jesus, that all it took was the faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains. How hard is it to have just that miniscule amount of faith?

Now, I have only been Christian for a whole three weeks, but I have something to share. I was physically healed by a miracle of God. Not because I had faith, but because others did. At the time that this happened, I was still a pagan however; I had opened myself up to the possibility. I had emotions well up inside me that I had never felt before, and I felt the presence of God. Shortly thereafter, I prayed with Pastor Brian, and invited Jesus into my life and my heart. It was amazing! I had never felt so good in my life! Just writing about it brings back the joy that I felt at that moment.

Anyway, to make a long story even longer, I believe that I have found a way to keep faith. I think a lot of it has to do with your mindset, and the words you use when talking about it.

I KNOW that I have faith. I AM a man of faith.

This is how you need to think about it. Use conviction in your words.

If you word it as:

I believe that I am a man of faith. I believe that I have faith.

Well, that leaves it open to interpretation… 99% of the time that people use the term “I believe”, it means “I think so, but if you can prove me wrong, then…”

An example would be:

I believe that I deserve a pay raise. As opposed to:

I know that I deserve a pay raise.

I want to be a man of faith. I want to have faith. – is a little different.

In prayer, that is great. That is asking for our Lord, to give you faith, to maintain your faith, because if you ask, you will receive! But once you receive it don’t profess “I want….” Say it like you mean it “I KNOW…”

If you KNOW something, it is not open for discussion. There is no opposition, there is no swaying, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.

Anyway, I know that God is a living God. I know that Jesus died for my sins. I know that if I pray that my prayers will be answered. And I know that everything that I accomplish in this life will be because of our Lord God. I know that I am just a vessel for His work. I know that everything that I am good at is because of God. And, I know that anything I have or will accomplish in this life will be because of our Father God.

I know that life isn’t always going to be perfect and worry free. But, think about it:

If God is in your life, God through which anything is possible, how hard can it really be?

Last weekend, May 16, 2010; was presbytery weekend. I was fortunate enough to receive a message. The first part of the message was a warning if you will.
“Never think that a double minded man receives anything from God.”

Well, any of you who know me would obviously know my immediate thought… “Did he just call me two faced?” well, I had the help once again of Pastor Brian, who explained that to me in better light. Remember, I am still new to the whole Christian thing, and have not yet had the privilege to read and know the Bible as I want to. I think that my new interpretation could be of use to a lot of people.

I know that I am and have been good at my job. Even when promoted to a position which I was not trained for, I was able to just jump right in and take ownership of it. (now here is the kicker)

WHY?

It occurred to me that for YEARS, God was with me and helping me. Even without my acknowledgment, He was helping me. I was always prideful, and almost to the point of arrogant when it came to my job. Then, a week after I accepted God into my life, I am given this warning, and LIGHT BULB!!! How can I take credit for what God worked through me? (There’s that whole double minded thing.) So, now that I think I have that sorted out, I am going to continue to have faith and do what I feel that God intends me to do.

I will continue to pray that God will give me the wisdom to be a better father to my child, and a better husband to my wife. I will continue to pray for the wisdom to take care of my responsibilities at work. And several times a day, I ask God to never let me lose my faith.

2010-05-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

Well,
I have been notified that I have not blogged in a whole 6 days.... Imagine that!
I guess I will re-state what anyone who reads this already knows... I am now a Christian! and as Ren says "Who knew that being Christian could be so fun??!!" Anyway, I have now blogged... So quitch o bitchin'!

2010-04-30T08:13:00.001-07:00

From the Halls of Montezuma
To the Shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in ev'ry clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job--
The United States Marines.

Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.

2010-04-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

a picture that i took in a bathroom at work...

the bathroom of my current motel room below

2010-04-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

Probably the nicest motel room that I have stayed in whilst in Africa...

Thank You

2010-03-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

OK,

There I was... Just sitting there wondering what to do. So, I decided to take this time to say "Thank You" to someone who doesn't hear those words very often.

Thank You Ren...

For being my wife, for supporting me and being behind me 100% in my career. For raising our daughter (by yourself for most of her life). For working as hard as you do, and caring for us as much as you do.

For those of you who don't know... When Monkey was born, I was not much of a father. I was in the Marine Corps, I was an alcoholic and addicted to a variety of substances which shall remain nameless. I was home from about 3:00 am (after the bar closed) until 4:30 am (when I went back to work). Thank You Ren, for keeping me around.

Scooting along a few years, I was no longer active duty, I overcame my addictions (Thank You Ren, for helping me through and sticking around), and got a job in the oilfield.... Well, when you work an average of 120 hours a week, there's not much time left to do anything with your family. Much less raise a child. I wouldn't be where I am now without her support. Thank You Ren, for being basically, a single mother and raising our daughter and instilling the values and morals worthy of praise.

Now, I only work 6 months a year, I am home every other month, and I am able to know and interact with Monkey. She is a wonderful, funny, smart, clever, etc, etc... teenager.

A lot of people say to me, "You are a wonderful father, look at your daughter, she is such a great kid.."

My reply is always the same... - "The credit goes to Ren... She is the one who has done all of the hard work, and I get to reap the benefits."

I'm not being modest, I'm being truthful. Soooo......

Thank you again, I don't know how I was lucky enough to get you, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

Deal Brutal..

2010-02-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

I miss you..

Signed,
Your Blog..

Typed by
Obi Ren Kenobi

Dark Force

2010-01-07T17:52:00.000-08:00

I just thought that I'd blog and say to "Dark Force" that I am waiting for your call to inform me all about my wife's affair with a certain unnamed individual. I would be glad to hear your thoughts on this, as I am completely clueless on this matter. So, be so kind as to call me at 402-213-1098, and enlighten me.

Long Day

2009-09-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am in Congo once again... However there have been a few changes. I am now a Service Leader which means that I am now the Supervisor for all cementers within 22 different countries in Africa. I am first just trying to make some kind of order out of the chaos that is here. Right now, my goal is to have all equipment certified and accounted for by the first of the year. During all of this, I also have to put out brush fires that just pop up out of nowhere, like the mis-placed radiation units that really weren't mis-placed, but someone decided to send an email to cooperate that they were. just as soon as that fire is out, another one comes up, so it is taking a little longer to get things straightened out than I would like it to. I finally got back to the staff house last night, plugged in my phone to charge, turned on the laptop, turned on the light to the bathroom, and pow!!! all lights went out, laptop has a black screen and making funny noises, and cellphone is dead. So, today, I got a new battery for my phone (lucky that that is all that happened to it), and I have a guy with IT looking at the laptop. Tomorrow I get to go to the clinic and get a physical in ordeer to get the passes that I will require to go to the places that I need to go to, and the police department is issuing me a congolese drivers license...

again...

2009-09-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I'm blogging again.... a second time within a month... I know what you're thinking... "holy crap!!! he's actually putting thoughts down in words..."
anyway, the N.O.B. (Nosy Old Bat) across the street hasn't been any more trouble yet. she might once i start getting retirement home fliers and bulletins mailed to her, but as of now, she hasn't said a word to me. i really don't mind that much, because she has that gating, annoying, grinding voice that just crawls up your spine and makes you want to scream. anyway, she will be moving soon, so i won't have to worry about walking from my bedroom to the shower without someone looking in the window to see what all is going on in the neighborhood.
on another note... guess what.... STEELERS WON!!! as if anyone had any doubts...
I mowed the lawn and now i will look for other stuff to fix and tinker around with to keep me from doing womens' aka.. housework.. stay tuned for further updates within the next year...

It's official

2009-09-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I've gone and screwed up!!! The other day while R was sick, I did some laundry. As you can tell, that messed up the system that I had going on getting out of doing laundry. I would say "You don't want me to do laundry unless you want everything in EARTHTONES!!!" well, she found out that I do know how to do laundry... correctly. Now I get to "HELP" with the laundry when I'm home...

On other notes, the crazy, nosy, pain in the ass neighbor across the street has once again put her nose where it doesn't belong. Maybe I should just go punch her in the nose, but then it might swell up and get in even more places it doesn't belong. It's about time that someone suggests to her that she should move to a retirement community... or a padded room... either is fine with me.

OK done rambling for a while... stay tuned for further developments........

It's been a while...

2009-06-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can tell, it's been quite some time since I blogged anything. I guess I didn't really have anything that I thought was important enough to blog about. I've been contracted to a french company, so I've had to deal with working with a bunch of french people. (I don't suggest this to any American.) Anyway, I am back at home now, enjoying the time with my wife and daughter.
Took Monkey with me to New Mexico for about a week. We enjoyed seeing and visiting family down there. I think Monkey liked riding on the quads the best though.
We went to the grocery store last night, and had more excitement than I have in a long time. A couple of teenagers chased another guy into the store and proceeded to beat on him in the produce section. Because of my being the fine upstanding citizen that I am... We took it upon myself to to break it up inside the store. After I did that, I had a little entourage of people following me through the store in awe that someone actually stopped it. As a side note, the kid that was getting beat up waited for us to walk out of the store before he would leave. (like I would stop it OUTSIDE the store too.) well, that's about the extent of my rambling..

Believe it or Not

2009-01-14T06:26:00.000-08:00

Look!!! I'm posting something.
Finally, all of the paperwork is finished for our foster care licensing. if all goes well, we will have 2 foster children in our house by the end of the week. a girl 2 1/2 and her brother 1 1/2. it will be a tight fit in the mustang for a couple months until i get back from congo next time, then i will be getting a durango in order to fit everyone. I WILL NOT DRIVE A MINIVAN!!! anyway, as many of you well know, it is colder than a well diggers arse right now.
OK, now for the imortant things... my predictions for the Superbowl. it will be the Steelers and Cardinals, with the steelers winning 27-3. there you go. you may now place your bets.

screwup

2008-12-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

The new Barbies

2008-11-13T08:51:00.000-08:00

mondays are a pain in the butt

2008-11-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

well,
yesterday the bears lost to the titans.... steelers lost to the colts.... panthers beat the raiders... and some teams not worth mentioning undoubtedly lost to other teams not worth mentioning. so, a 33% success rate isn't very good. we need to work on that next week. anyway, today i'm doing some yard work with the assistance from my loving wife. getting the yard picked up and looking good just before we move in FEB. fun, fun... i might write something a little later if i get in a mood to do so, if not, then you'll have to wait another month to find out what's happening.

QUICKIE

2008-11-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

Eddie wanted desperately to have sex with this really cute, really hot
girl in his office...
But she was dating someone else.

One day Eddie got so frustrated that he went to her and said,
'I'll give you $100 if you let me have sex with you...
'The girl looked at him, and then said, 'NO!'

Eddie said,
'I'll be real fast. I'll throw the money on the floor,
You bend down and I'll finish by the time you've picked it up.'

She thought for a moment and said that she would consult with her
boyfriend...
So she called him and explained the situation.

Her boyfriend says,
'Ask him for $200, and pick up the money really fast.
He won't even be able to get his pants down.'

She agreed and accepts the proposal.

Over half an hour goes by and the boyfriend is still waiting for his
girlfriend's call.

Finally, after 45 minutes the boyfriend calls and asks what happened...?

Still breathing hard, she managed to reply,
'The bastard had all quarters!'

Management lesson:
Always consider a business proposition in its entirety before agreeing
to it and getting screwed.

Guts and Balls

2008-11-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

The medical distinction between Guts and Balls We've all heard about people having guts or balls. But do you really know the difference between them? In an effort to keep you informed, the definition for each is listed below...

Guts - is arriving home late after a night out with the guys, being met by your wife with a broom, and having the guts to ask: 'Are you still cleaning, or are you flying somewhere?'

Balls - is coming home late after a night out with the guys, smelling of perfume and beer, lipstick on your collar, slapping your wife on the butt and having the balls to say: 'You're next.'

I hope this clears up any confusion on the definitions.

Medically speaking, there is no difference in the outcome since both ultimately result in death.

hypergraphia

2008-10-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

I guess if I was hypergraphic, it would be easier to blog. Being as how I'm not, I will just try to figure out what to write. I got home last Thursday, just a couple days before going to Vala's on Saturday with Hex, Z & T, pez, cheesecake, and peeps for Monkey's birthday. Monkey got a couple of video games for the nintendo ds that she also received. She also got a shirt and I'm sure she got some more things that I don't remember. We then spent the night at Z & T's and had breakfast on Sunday at some restaurant that I don't remember the name of. I do remember, however, that the wind was blowing harder than a democratic intern convention, and knocked a tree over on top of Hex when the left hand door was opened. I then stood in front of the door, holding it shut to prevent people from opening it. It really pissed off one lady when she tried to open the door (but couldn't because i was holding it). I turned around to look at her and pointed to the other door, and i could have sworn that her eyes turned red and veins popped out of places that I didn't even know existed (I wish I could've heard the words she was saying, her lips looked like they might be forming words I've never heard before!!) Anyway, it was a great weekend, and now it's the latter half of the following week before I write about it. Go Figure...
I think today, I might practice my skills of sitting on my ass flipping channels. Like that'll ever happen... I have a list of crap I have to do before going back to work, so I might work on it. Or not. Don't know yet... I'll probably let you know next Wednesday going by my track record.

update

2008-10-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we got internet back for a little while so I will try to update. As of now we are making an easterly turn underneath the ivory coast of africa. in other words, we are a little more than half way to Ghana. The estimated date of arrival is the 10th of October and i am supposed to be home between the 12th and 16th. then I will have 4 weeks home and then back to a normal rotation. i'm going to post this before we lose server again...

Las Palmas

2008-09-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

Las Palmas. What more can I say. We were supposed to be leaving to Ghana at 10 am. it's now 11:30 pm and we are still sitting here. They had some problems with the re-fuelling lines, so we should be on our way by mid-morning tomorrow.
I just love going to foreign countries that are way more expensive than the US. Here I was paying everything in Euros instead of dollars so multiply everything by 1.5 to 2 depending on what the merchant wants to charge. I got a club sandwich for 18 euros. If you think that's bad, i got a t-shirt for monkey that ran 21 euros. I think i may have to mug a few people just to feel like I wasn't raped by the canary islands. anyway, i'll try to write some more later.

Why do I need to title these things? The date is above it anyway...

2008-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well,
Today I'm going to help Monkey pack all of her stuff for "outdoor ed." she packed most of it last night, but i'm not sure if it will be accessible and comfortable enough for her to carry for what she claims to be "4 miles". I guess if the only teacher going was the immigrant from Lesba, she would have everybody walk 4 miles, but i think other teachers are going as well as the school nurse. (she might be from Lesba too, i don't really know...) anyway.... i think this outdoor ed thing might be a pretty good idea. they have cabins and running water, so the won't have to learn how to sleep on the ground in the mud or squat over a trench, but hey, they get to learn how to canoe, and deal with a lot of people their own age that they may or may not like, for 3 days straight....

Tuesday, I'll be heading off to the canary islands to commision a new cement unit on a rig. that consists of building a cement unit, wiring the electronics, and testing everything once it's completed. Then I get to give it my seal of approval before it goes off to be used somewhere in the wide world of drilling. if I'm able to, i will write my daily activities at the end of each day that i'm there. i don't know if i'll have internet or not. have a wonderful day, just look outside, it's nice and gray and foggy and cool... if the trees were dead this would be a perfect day!!!

Thursday

2008-09-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

well, it's that time for me to write random thoughts again... I'm going off to the Canary Islands next week sometime for a few days. I will then come back home for a while before I go to Gabon. I guess I need to start learning french... It can't be very hard because all the french people can speak it.... I only know one phrase and it won't be muttered to anyone but Hexer...

Friday

2008-08-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

Well, here we go. It's Friday, and I'm blogging!!! HOLY CRAP!!! Can you believe it? Anyway, I really don't have a whole lot to say. Just gonna do some de-cluttering and organizing of our house today. We did a couple of rooms yesterday, gonna do a couple today, and so on and so on... Everyone have a great day!!

ME

2008-08-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

The influence of your Day of Birth;
You were born on the 30th day of the month, which makes your birth number 3. Your high energy and enthusiasm will literally PROPEL you to center stage in life. Once there, you'll use your humor and persuasiveness to persuade people to see things your way and to win juicy roles in your career. You make a wonderful manager because people look up to you and rarely contradict you. In addition, your strong intuition leads you to say the right things to the right people at the right time. You're also a born charmer. When you were a boy, adults probably told you that you'd "be a heartbreaker" when you grew up. As a man, you use your persuasive and friendly ways to get where you need to be.

Your Destiny number;
Powerful and ambitious on the one hand, reliable and efficient on the other . . That's YOU, my friend, thanks to the influence of the 8 Destiny. The first thing that people are likely to notice when you enter a room is your air of command and authority, and your ability to control almost everyone around you. Once they get through this self-confident shell, these folks are likely to see a guy who ADMIRES and strives for success, who LOVES obstacles and takes PRIDE in the quality of his work, and who believes in an "honest day's work for an honest day's pay." But even under the surface, you practically throb with power and confidence. You're going to go to the top in WHATEVER field you choose-and no one is going to stop you! In order to fulfill your destiny, it's important to accept that there are certain things you must be, do, and accomplish in your life.

Your Life Path's influence;
How do people describe you? As a 3 Lifepather, you're LIVELY and VISIONARY, and have a VIVID imagination. Add warmth, charm, joy, a love of pleasure and sociability, and you've got a sharp, clear picture of a guy traveling on the 3 Lifepath-namely, YOU! Your outgoing personality combined with a sense of fun and the ability to be the CENTER of attention make you a shoo-in when it comes to social events and activities and will be valuable tools when it comes to achieving your purpose in life.

Your Intuitive Plane;
You are very attuned to supernatural phenomena, and have keen insight into forces which others are not even aware of. You should learn how to tap into your excellent PSYCHIC abilities and find answers to life's mysteries. Some people could talk until they're blue in the face and not be able to convince anyone of anything. You, on the other hand, have but to lift an eyebrow or smile ever so slightly to WIN people over. And when you actually make a formal argument for or against something, your persuasive powers are at their peak. "Well, things could always be worse." That's a typical reaction for you to a predicament that might leave someone else in a funk for days. Being OPTIMISTIC just comes naturally to you, and you have a knack for finding the humor in almost every situation. The only thing that brings you "down" is being considered superficial or fake.

Your Personality number - how others see you;
What a powerful, confident and assertive guy you appear to be! You're ALWAYS attracting positions of authority and leadership because others know that they can trust you to do the right thing! The reason for your aura of power and competence is that you're under the influence of a 44 Outer Personality. I typically see people with this Outer Personality at the helm of major corporations. Others are leaders of their communities. With this personality, even if you don't FEEL like a leader on the inside, you sure do ACT like one! You're disciplined in your bearing-some might say almost military. You seem to know WHERE you're going, HOW you're going to get there, and WHAT you're going to do to make it! The 44 is a Master Number, which means that you'll feel things more intensely than the average guy. At times, you'll be feeling the influence of the number that 44 adds up to, which is 8.

Your Soul Urge influence - what truly makes you happy;
Spiritual, generous warm . . . Someone who is giving to others and beloved of all. . If this sounds like someone you know - namely YOU - there's a good reason: you're under the influence of a 9 Soul Urge. The driving forces within you are compassion and a love of harmony and beauty in the world. Your whole makeup is oriented toward helping others in need, and on a very large scale. You're the eternal optimist, a man who regards the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. You possess that enviable ability to forgive and forget.Along with the capacity to perceive beauty amidst ugliness, you're extremely intuitive. You ALWAYS know what to say to whom...and when to say it!

taking time

2008-07-30T02:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I left home and came to work. The first week is the hardest, especially when I've been running arround trying to get everything done for a big job that was coming up. I have a little time now, but I have a day and a half to prepare for another huge job. I'll write again later and maybe get some pictures.

Hey

2008-07-18T09:16:00.001-07:00

Give me some time to write something.