Monthly Archives: November 2013
Counting Down the Days . . ,
Jan and I wanted to thank Nick and all the other veterans for their service to our country on this day of remembrance. We can’t thank them enough.
Well, we’re into our last two weeks on this gate, and it still looks like we’ll be able to finish out our time here.
Things have really slowed down with only 30-40 vehicles through the gate each day. But we’re getting a lot of different crews through who stay a few days and then move on. Not exactly sure what the problem is on our frack site, but they still haven’t gone back into production yet, so I guess what ever it is, they still don’t have it fixed.
There are new pads going in just north and south of us, so things are still booming around here. Plus at night when you look around you can lit-up rigs in every direction. I can count more than a dozen, and a bunch of flare stacks too.
As an interesting update, I added a list of oilfield jobs and what they pay to the Gate Guard Info tab. Although the pay rates are really specific to North Dakota, they’re not much different here.
We’ve got a cold snap coming up the middle of the week, with a low Tuesday night of 41 degrees. Then on Wednesday the high / low is 59 and 35 degrees. BRRR!
But this time I’m ready. Actually the only part of me that gets really cold are my hands. The gloves I have (and I’ve got several different pairs) just don’t cut for spending hours outside.
So I ordered these from Amazon.
Thinsulate Battery Heated Gloves
I also found a really good deal on this WORX Power Screwdriver. Top-rated by Popular Science and listing for $50, Amazon had it for $37.
My Coleman model is about 6 years old and the batteries no longer hold a charge very long. And a replacement battery cost as much as this new WORX model. So it’s a win/win.
Two weeks from today we’ll be back at our Houston area home, Galveston Bay RV Park , and we’re really looking forward to it. Even the sunrise/sunsets are great.
Here’s a photo posted on Facebook recently by the park manager, LauraLee.
And here’s a couple of mine.
We can’t wait to get back.
Wrapping up, here’s another photo of our son-in-law Lowell’s sister’s daughter’s daughter, Zoe. A real red-haired cutie.
Thought for the Day:
“Access to power must be confined to men who are not in love with it.” – Plato, The Republic
fgsdfgs
All the Difference in the World . . .
It’s amazing what a 10′ x 20′ piece of tarp will do to keep things warm.
Wednesday night was pretty cold. It had been colder last week (42 degrees), but Wednesday’s 53 had a 10-15 mph north wind combined with it. And it just cut right through you. Plus it was actually blowing the heat from the two electric heaters away from me.
So the tarp really helps, though it does make our ‘encampment’ look a little more ‘Beverly Hillbillyish’. We probably need to add a still to complete the look.
But, hey, it’s an oilfield.
Yesterday was grocery day in Pleasanton, so as usual I stopped off at McDonald’s to bring home lunch. And maybe things are looking up there. Last week I waited 26 minutes for an Iced Coffee drink, 4 pies, and 3 packs of Apple slices.
Today the same order only took 8 minutes. Maybe the fact that they seem to have a new manager is what made the difference. We’ll see next week.
One nice thing about the time change is that I get to see a lot of really great sunrises.
I’ve added two more recipes to the Jan’s Favorite Recipes tab: Squash Casserole and Broccoli Casserole. These, along with her Sausage Balls, are her go-to holiday recipes, the ones that everyone wants her to bring when we get together with friends and family.
Wrapping up, I just had to post this. If only to make you see what I cannot unsee.
It probably should have gone under my What Were They Thinking tab, but I’m not sure any ‘thinking’ was involved.
The link is for The 29 Whitest Family Photos for All Time.
This is No. 2, and one of the few that I feel comfortable posting on the blog itself.
And I don’t think I’ll ever get No. 13 out of my mind. And No. 6 is right up there.
See for yourself and don’t say I didn’t warn you if you end up gouging your eyes out.
But as a disclaimer I have to inform you that Jan and I are also on the Awkward Family Photo site too. Here’s the photo that got us there.
Check out the link below and be sure to read the comments down below, including a couple that I made explaining things.
http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/2009/05/08/saturday-night-special-awkward-roller-coaster-photo/
And here’s the story behind the photo after we first posted it in 2009.
http://ourrvadventures.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/our-blog-has-gone-viral/
At least we’re not wearing pink fur suits.
Thought for the Day:
How can $40.00 bankrupt a multi-billion dollar company? Here’s how.
In the late 90’s, a Blockbuster customer returned a video one day late and was charged a $40 late fee. That really pissed him off. His name is Reed Hastings, and instead of just stewing about it, he went out and founded Netflix. Which killed Blockbuster. Then Redbox drove a stake through its heart.
Blockbuster, once having over 9000 stores, and now owned by DISH, just announced that they are closing their last 300 stores.
sfdgsdfgsdfg
