ĭn'də-strē

it had to get weird

Last night I went to visit a lovely gentleman from another camp. A good time was had by all and my car was running great as well. I was feeling rather content when I stopped at the security gate and ended it up hearing words I never thought I’d hear at an Oil Sands camp. The male security guard stopped me to check my car and ID-- nothing out of the ordinary right? As he’s leaning down checking under my glove compartment he says:

Security Guard: “…right behind your Knitting Bible”

Me: “and my sewing machine. Yup, I’m such a girl”

Security Guard: “I know how to knit.”

For this moment I’m kind of stunned stupid. A male security guard on an Oil Sands construction site in Alberta is telling me he knows how to knit? Um…???!!!

Me: “oh rly? Are you single?”

Apparently all thoughts of the previous gentleman were thrown aside due to this stunning revelation.

Security Guard: *laughs* “no.”

Me: “that’s too bad. One doesn’t meet very many male knitters. There are 53 million knitters in North America y’know…” (thank-you Stephanie Pearl-McPhee)

Security Guard: “and how many of them are men?”

Me: “I only know of a few thousand. In fact one of the most talented knitters I know of is a man.”

After that he shooed me off and I went happily back to my camp. It was a surreal moment and I think I made him a bit nervous.

with a big black horse and a cherry tree

I went to the doctor today because I need antibiotics and they refused to see me because I didn't have my provincial health card with me. 2009...not so much fun. I also realized today that I can't afford anything. Until I get another job, it's going to be like college all over again. Basically, it will be living off of $50 a week.

As I'm writing this, apparently a plane has just crashed in Buffalo, NY :'( *sigh* 2009...you suck. This whole year has been a shit-storm. I am very sorry to see this on the news-- none of us need such tragedy now, or ever.

I'm a nervous wreck and I'm scared and slowly I'm becoming overwhelmed. I am a very strong person mentally and emotionally. Not everyone is so lucky. I will get through this, I always do because I have more lives than a cat. There is one silver lining to this dark cloud-- I will finally be able to go home. I haven't stopped moving in 3 years. Every 10 days I pack and get on a plane or a bus or in my car and I go; thousands of kilometers to work then home again. Now I can focus on allowing my soul to catch up.

I will have time to hike, photograph, knit, run, read, write poetry, journal, bake, cook, crochet, bead, scrapbook, organize, paint, code, and explore. Most of all, I'll have time to start again. I'll figure it out. I'll be 33 years old in 2 weeks. The future is friendly.

omega

I got laid off at 2:00 pm MT today. On February 20 I'll be driving home to St. John's, Newfoundland. Yup, it the middle of winter. Awesome. Despite everything, I'm a complete mess because I'm never going to see my friends again. It's my childhood all over again when I always had to leave my friends every few years. The downturn in the economy has ended the life I made for myself almost 3 years ago.

I have to start over. Alone.

home day part 3 - calgary to toronto

home day part 2 - saskatoon to calgary

Han Solo: Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big bright blur.
Luke Skywalker: There's nothing to see. I used to live here, you know.
Han Solo: You're gonna die here, you know.

Welcome to Calgary, Alberta. I left Fort McMurray, Alberta at 15:00 hrs and flew to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan only to arrive back in Alberta 9 hours later. I still have another hour before I board my plane to Toronto and another 12 hours until I get home to St. John's, NL.

My plane landing. Cool eh?

Calgary International Airport.

What was that? A Tim Horton's?! I know...shocking...I went to Starbucks instead for expresso goodness so I can happily exist in a state of over-caffeinated bliss.

wh00...who doesn't love a moving walkway?

Yup, still in Calgary. A lot of depressed folk around here now that the price of oil has tanked. Funny how when people are in dire need of jobs and money, they suddenly become a lot friendlier and patient...

Obi Wan Kenobi: "He's more machine than man now; twisted and evil"

home day part 1 - firebag to saskatoon

waiting at the aerodrome departure lounge. Most of these boys got laid off yesterday. I will miss all the energy and excitement of youth. A large percentage of Canadians are transient workers meaning we work away from home. For us, this is part of the normal routine.

walking across the windy and very cold apron to our plane. I think the temperature was -30 Celsius.

climbing aboard the Suncor Sunjet; a Bombardier Challenger 890.

Looking out at the runway in preparation for takeoff. Our airport is in the woods and yet we find this to be completely normal.

heh! lunch :)

the coffee wench (and I mean that as a compliment. Nice lady; very prompt).

this was my seat mate Chad. He got laid off yesterday. I just met him when he sat down and I'll probably never see him again :(

meh :( A parting shot. I wish him well.

Edmonton International Airport towards the hanger area.

My reading and my knitting. It's how I spend 22 hours trying to get home without going insane.

mmm...Bombardier.

mmm...more Bombardier.

The coffee wench left her cart to go get me more coffee :) I'm so demanding.

Looking out over the Saskatchewan prairie.

Emergency exit row :) just in case...y'know we land in the Hudson or summin'. I am the official door opener which means I get all leg room.

Saskatoon Airport. My current whereabouts yo.

What would a Canadian airport be without a Tim Horton's. Their coffee is terrible but it keeps one warm and alert. Double Double, non?

free b33r

things can always be worse I suppose. Today I found out from my mom that something is wrong with my sister's heart. She will be staying with my parents for the next 45 days on medical leave and will have to make daily visits to the hospital for cardiovascular monitoring. My sister just turned 36 years old. She doesn't smoke, drink or do drugs. I on the other hand, smoke, and when I feel like it, I drink, yet besides being a diabetic, there isn't a thing wrong with me. Not to mention I drink about 10 cups of coffee a day plus I rarely see a piece of fresh fruit due to being in a camp. This is why life isn't fair.

I'll be in BC for Yule before flying home to Newfoundland. I am done Moe's scarf and just need to weave in the ends then wash and block it. By Friday I will be working on my sister's scarf. I hope she will get a chance to wear it. I hope that whatever is wrong with her comes with a cure.

I came back to work today and everything has been flipped upside down. It's surreal. I don't know what to make of it but I'm trying to avoid it all like the plague. I'm too worried about my sister to even care.

P.S. Attached is what my mom sent me to cheer me up. Did I mention it was -35C? Ouch.

nuts!

well hmm...something has come up at work that might be a hitch in my giddy-up concerning my move to Newfoundland. They're not real keen on the idea of me moving because they prefer to hire and keep workers from western Canada. Not cool and I'm working on a solution.

In the meantime I'm watching me some hockey (Canucks are playing Boston), drinking tea and knitting. Taking a night off from the gym to let my legs muscles relax and heal. Meanwhile enjoy the pictures :)

Clockwise: Godwin, Ferdie, Gary (who brought me the last flower on site), and Al

This is my good friend Shawn from Portugal Cove, Newfoundland. He broke my heart but it worked out for the best. (Shawn is an electrician).

My friend Jamie from Port Aux Basque, Newfoundland. Most of my friends are electricians.

More random abstract art from my Blackberry Pearl. I don't mean to take the pictures but I think it's cool when I find them on my memory card.

Sea Silk yarn by Handmaiden. It tangled on me while I was spinning it into a ball. Fucker took me 6 hours to untangle.

The Montego Bay scarf (designed by Amy R. Singer) day 1.

Montego Bay scarf day 3 aka today. I think I'm going to give it to my sister as a birthday present next week.

These are cows. I stole them from Ray. This is Ray's evil eye. I was caught and couldn't get a way. He stood on my boots until he understood that I felt no remorse for my thievery.

This is Kevin and he is well tattooed. Kevin had his sister buy me this silver skull in Bali. He gave it to me this morning and I proudly put it on top of my computer. It makes me happy like all the Newfoundland pictures I also put on my desk. Yup, Kevin is awesome :)

better than a bad movie

Darren > We had snow today. How's work going?
Sonja > Wow. Like a lot of snow?! Work is crazy busy but that's what I get for slacking off in nfld :)
Darren > No not much at all. But it's a start.
Sonja > hehe. I picture you praying to the snowmobiling gods for more snow. Even offering a beer sacrifice.
Darren > I like my beer too much for that. *lol*

there you have it. Better than discussing the cheesy Josh Harnett movie I've suffered through the last hour. Something to do with vampires...maybe 30 Days of Night? I dunno....

I got to go on a field trip this afternoon so I took some pictures. Enjoy.

yup, a storage tank

C'mon admit it. Storage tanks are cool!

yay. Cranes. We build stuff

oOoh a piperack

what can I say? I like piperacks.

newfoundland - day 7

no pictures today as it's Thanksgiving here is my beautiful country of Canada :) Happy Thanksgiving!  What I have for you are pictures of my day-to-day life at camp in Alberta and home in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Oh and maybe a few pictures from Newfoundland from when I arrived.

All the pictures were taken with my Blackberry Pearl. Some were taken from a plane, my car and a lot on foot. Enjoy :)

Flying over camp north of Fort McMurray, Alberta from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

I took this picture at about 5 pm one day just before going to a meeting.

About 2 hours after the previous photo was taken. Waiting out a really nasty rain storm in the work truck

Photo of camp at various times over the course of a 10 day shift

Photo of camp at various times over the course of a 10 day shift

Photo of camp at various times over the course of a 10 day shift

Photo of camp at various times over the course of a 10 day shift

Photo of camp at various times over the course of a 10 day shift

Photo of camp at various times over the course of a 10 day shift

My good friend Mike and one of my favourite people in the whole world

A picture of another friend of mine named Mike. He quit soon after this picture was taken

My friend Sina from Iran but lives in Vancouver, BC. He quit the day I left camp to travel to Newfoundland

My friend Francis. We've worked together for over 2 years now

Jon, Gary and Art. New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta represent ;)

Dave. Just Dave *lol* He's hilarious

My friend Andy. He was the third person I met up at camp over 2 years ago

My co-worker Moe. Fellow computer geek and Captain Intense

Another picture of my friend Mike just before leaving work and heading into that rainstorm

Flying over Edmonton, Alberta. We land in Edmonton before flying home to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Driving home from Saskatoon, SK to Moose Jaw, SK after getting off the plane

Praire storm on the way home

Same storm same road :P

Third time's the charm eh?

Home. This picture was taken from my apartment balcony

Another picture taken from my apartment balcony

A gorgeous Friday morning after a blissful night sleeping in my own bed

Later that morning at Chapters in Regina, SK. I find it ironic that someone would leave an empty cup on a bookshelf dedicated to Green Living and recycling

Another orphaned cup in the Interior Decorating isle. The garbage can was 3 feet away

That afternoon back in Moose Jaw and reading at the park down the road from my apartment. I'm being stalked by a chipmunk. He is on the tree.

Alberta or Saskatchewan? I'm not sure...

Still not sure...

It's not my fault! This MIGHT be near Vermillion, AB. oy...

well...this one I do think was taken near Vermillion. My mind wanders...

Knitting my new scarf on the plane bound for Newfoundland :)

Smoked Montreal corned beef on rye. mmm...sandwich. I wimped out and didn't try the cod. I swear I will before I leave Newfoundland

First test shot of St. John's harbour before I switched to my Canon xti Rebel.

Second test shot of St. John's harbour.