So Many Happenings

This week was not so productive for me. Not only was my jaw sore all week, but the a/c in my apartment unit is definitely not functioning well in the August heat. I worked one day, one evening, and one night "shift" and was definitely ready to come home on Friday.

The rest we were looking forward to was not as refreshing as we hoped, however. Friday night was a bit nightmarish as a little teeny tiny cricket had gotten itself lodged in the insulation next to the unfinished shower that is behind our bedroom wall. The little guy chirped all night long, and his chirping was AMPLIFIED by the space he was in. Leo and I got very little sleep. When I got up at 4am, Leo had been up since 2am and was finally able to lay down for a bit. I really hated to wake him at 6am, but we promised Rebecca and Shannon we'd be at their house in the morning. We were on the road by 6:30.

The drive was nice. Leo and I hadn't seen each other for a few days, so we enjoyed the time getting caught up on each other's activities. The biggest two pieces of discussion fodder were 1) Leo's schedule for the rest of the year, and 2) the opportunity that has become available for me. [Note: Remember, you can click on most of the images in this blog, including the calendar at left, to see them at a larger size.] As you can see from the schedule, Leo's new "firm" date for leaving the country is September 10th. His rotation has him in Nigeria for his birthday and Thanksgiving, but home for Christmas. The second communication we got from our contacts is highly interesting as well, however.

I was contacted and asked if I would be interested in going to another location in Nigeria, a city of over 1 million inhabitants called "Warri", in order to head up a small team of procedure writers. Of course I am interested! The follow-up on the initial information we got indicates that I would work there between 7 and 10 months before moving to Escravos with Leo and the rest of the team. During the Warri period, it looks like there is a good chance that Leo and I can work the same schedule, and may even be able to travel together in and out of the country. Once the move to Escravos is made, it looks like my schedule will be a bit more strenuous with a rotation of 8-weeks on, and 3-weeks off. Still, it's not a bad game plan and I am excited about the prospect.

Now those of you who have followed our progress in this area for the past 9 months should realize that this kind of talk is WAY early in the ballgame. It could be a "go" in less than a month, but it has an equal chance of being nothing at all for the next 9 months as well. So, I am trying my best not to get too excited. However, the tasks of organizing, writing, formatting, updating, etc. operating and maintenance procedures is something I am VERY interested in pursuing further. I have lots of experience in this area, both direct (as a procedure writer) and indirect (as an operator, maintenance technician, trainer, etc.) so it would be a very comfortable position for me to settle in to. I am also looking at building a small team of people that I have worked with before with the right kind of experience to allow them to work for me in this new endeavor. All in all, even given the fact that we have to be cautious and patient, it still is an exciting prospect. Wish me luck!

To finish our traveling story...we enjoyed a FUN day with Rebecca and Shannon. The guys went out to do what guys do while Rebecca and I visited a quilt shop and a couple of antique shops in Salado. When we got back to the house, Rebecca and Shannon fixed some delicious fajitas that we ate on the back porch on their new (and very nice!) patio furniture. I had plans to meet up with some friends in the late afternoon, but after such a rough night, had to take a little nap after lunch. My "little nap" turned into something else entirely. The rest of the family finally decided they better wake me up in time to get ready for supper!

After Leo and I ran a few errands, we went to the high school in Georgetown where Shannon was auctioneering at a volleyball benefit. Even though it had been a few years since he had such a gig, he did a WONDERFUL job and impressed us all! After that, we all went to the bowling alley where Rebecca proceeded to embarrass us all by whipping us soundly in three games.

Another long drive home, and Leo and I were finally in bed by 2am. Still, it was such a fun weekend, and after resting up a bit today, I think I'll definitely be ready for another long week in downtown Houston. Yes...a lot going on here, but it's all good. :-)