Wow, just changed the settings and the template for my blog - I may try to get back into blogging since I have internet in my room next to the palace in Wapasu - and I've found that numerous things have disapearred like my links and my comments feature and a few other things as well. The price of progress I guess.
And it's time to work on a new banner pic, I guess. The reaper was getting old and the tiny java scrpit which made it look left and then right on mouse over was more annoying than anything! lol I'll have lots of time for that when I get back out west.

Yes out west, for those of you (and by 'you' I mean the three people who read this page by accident or otherwise.) who don't know, I'm home for a little bit...two weeks to be exact. I am among the luck ones who have a return ticket to Firebag to finish up work for Suncor on thier stage 2 VRU and SRU projects.(vapour recovery and sulphur recovery units)
It can be stressful working in an environment where you're paycheck and in some cases 'WHO' you are is directly tied to every whim of the shareholders and the board of directors who are only worried about the dollars they are not making...not the dollars that they are. But such is the oil patch. It's always been this way and it always will be.
Though I secretly consider myself a veteran of the patch I am by no means as thoroughly versed in the 'ups and downs of capital investment/oil prices vs. whether or not I am working today' as some. But I have been around long enough to accept the situation as it comes to me. I've known the risks, placed my money down and spun the big roulette wheel of employment chance and so far it's all worked out to the status quo if not to my slight advantage...but the odds always lie with the house and I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.
And that bitches, is where the stressful work environment comes from. As much as I know things could change in a minute, (before I get around to posting this I may be unemployed) it's the not knowing when that puts your finances on hold and your life in limbo. I've heard different things from different people, we have work until October, work til August, work til July. Blah Blah Blah. It means nothing when we can be shut down at anytime, no apologies to anyone involved, just thanks for coming out, we'll call you when we need you again.
I consider myself lucky to have a job right now and every day they pay me to insulate and clad pipe up there is a bonus day.

Enough rambling for now. More rambling to come. Maybe later, maybe tomorrow, life's just that uncertain right now bitches.