About 3:30 this morning I am jolted awake in my bed. Wake up startled. Felt like someone had shaken the bed. Half asleep. In complete blackness. And pissed. As I become more alert in the darkness I think this person who has shaken my bed must be in my room. All 10 x 8 of it. I wonder what are they doing here? Wake up some more and cautiously get up ready to pounce. Turn the light on…….. and alas. All by mysef. Being a guy I scratch myself and take a leak. Think, wow, that must of been an earthquake. First day of training in Anchorage Instructor had informed us earthquakes happen in Alaska, and you will, eventually experience one if you are here for any period of time. He being born and bred in Alaska non-chalantly added buildings don’t fall over to set our fears aside.
So lets see, Earthquakes, minus 80 farenheight, blackness for 2 months, Polar Bears, Grizzly Bears (Brown), 14 twelve hour days in a row, 2400 working hours a year (avg work year is 1920 hrs), and hardest of all, no sweetheart for 208 days a year. That explains the “Pay”. Mind you though I have not won the lottery.
Back to bed. Up at 5 an hour and half later to prepare for our 6am roundtable. Lots to do and running out of time to hit our target dates. I reluctantly inform crew I have several days of training I need to complete before this hitch is up and will need to work this in. Everyone agrees that should be my focus and I will not get to get in the field today. Which aint such a bad thing today. This was posted on every exit
Look Both Ways
Later on after sun came up I and lookout the window and notice Lake Collen had frozen over overnight.
Lake Colleen Frozen over on Sept 20th
Well I start plowing through various training courses. Not too boring until the Work Order software training. Yuck…… !! Overhear one of the other field guys ask one of our Planners “Did you feel that Earthquake two nights ago?” My incident was last night and I felt nothing two nights ago. Test and Balance (T & B) guy overhears conversation and injects there are no Earthquakes on the Slope. Our Building is entirely on stilts and can be mobilized if needed. Fairley large complex that sleeps 463 people. T & B guy says it was most likely a garbage truck, sewage truck or delivery truck bumping into building. It happens and depending upon where you are you could be jolted out of bed. Guess I was woken by a sewage and not an Earthquake 🙂 Later at lunch we discussed Earthquakes and wether they happen upon the slope. Apparently Alaska has lots of Earthquakes, but none on the Slope. It is a Tundra with 1500 ft of Perma Frost. The Perma Frost is one of the reasons everything, incuding all oil rigs and Flow Stations, are on stilts. Sitting on the Tundra would melt the Permafrost and we would just sink and sink and sink. The Tundra is just one large frozen marsh. Other reasons are environmental. Hence the Sewage removal.
Finished my shift 2 hrs ago. Ate. Took an hour to write this and allow some digestion before heading to Gym for a workout. That will leave me six hours until tomorrows 6am roundtable. Hope you enjoy my musings with the outside world.
Goodnight all and God Bless!!
Adventures with Vicki and Dale 
Earthquake?
About 3:30 this morning I am jolted awake in my bed. Wake up startled. Felt like someone had shaken the bed. Half asleep. In complete blackness. And pissed. As I become more alert in the darkness I think this person who has shaken my bed must be in my room. All 10 x 8 of it. I wonder what are they doing here? Wake up some more and cautiously get up ready to pounce. Turn the light on…….. and alas. All by mysef. Being a guy I scratch myself and take a leak. Think, wow, that must of been an earthquake. First day of training in Anchorage Instructor had informed us earthquakes happen in Alaska, and you will, eventually experience one if you are here for any period of time. He being born and bred in Alaska non-chalantly added buildings don’t fall over to set our fears aside.
So lets see, Earthquakes, minus 80 farenheight, blackness for 2 months, Polar Bears, Grizzly Bears (Brown), 14 twelve hour days in a row, 2400 working hours a year (avg work year is 1920 hrs), and hardest of all, no sweetheart for 208 days a year. That explains the “Pay”. Mind you though I have not won the lottery.
Back to bed. Up at 5 an hour and half later to prepare for our 6am roundtable. Lots to do and running out of time to hit our target dates. I reluctantly inform crew I have several days of training I need to complete before this hitch is up and will need to work this in. Everyone agrees that should be my focus and I will not get to get in the field today. Which aint such a bad thing today. This was posted on every exit
Look Both Ways
Later on after sun came up I and lookout the window and notice Lake Collen had frozen over overnight.
Lake Colleen Frozen over on Sept 20th
Well I start plowing through various training courses. Not too boring until the Work Order software training. Yuck…… !! Overhear one of the other field guys ask one of our Planners “Did you feel that Earthquake two nights ago?” My incident was last night and I felt nothing two nights ago. Test and Balance (T & B) guy overhears conversation and injects there are no Earthquakes on the Slope. Our Building is entirely on stilts and can be mobilized if needed. Fairley large complex that sleeps 463 people. T & B guy says it was most likely a garbage truck, sewage truck or delivery truck bumping into building. It happens and depending upon where you are you could be jolted out of bed. Guess I was woken by a sewage and not an Earthquake 🙂 Later at lunch we discussed Earthquakes and wether they happen upon the slope. Apparently Alaska has lots of Earthquakes, but none on the Slope. It is a Tundra with 1500 ft of Perma Frost. The Perma Frost is one of the reasons everything, incuding all oil rigs and Flow Stations, are on stilts. Sitting on the Tundra would melt the Permafrost and we would just sink and sink and sink. The Tundra is just one large frozen marsh. Other reasons are environmental. Hence the Sewage removal.
Finished my shift 2 hrs ago. Ate. Took an hour to write this and allow some digestion before heading to Gym for a workout. That will leave me six hours until tomorrows 6am roundtable. Hope you enjoy my musings with the outside world.
Goodnight all and God Bless!!
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