An Exploit: LA Mornings, OK Nights

A nice sunrise the other day in Louisiana. At first I went to get my camera because I was watching 5 men try to figure out how to attatch a grounding wire to the rod. It was a little big for the usual method. Sadly I was too slow, and they figured it out before I got a picture. But it turned out that the sun was just coming up at the time.



Tonight I decided to go on a photo trip. This is right outside my hotel. I'm right on the corner of SW 3rd and Harvard.



Right across the street is this club. I was trying to get it so you could read the sign, but I'm not that good a photographer.



After that I had to go to the Post Office to get my mail. I've had a PO box for a month and a half and this was only my third chanc to check it. Then I decided to go get some food for dinner. I found some excellent Pineapple. I made some fruit salad with strawberries and nectarines, too. Very tasty.



Then I went and walked around a little at the lake. I passed some people playing volleyball, and wanted to ask if I could join, but maybe next time. I started at the bench.



From this bench I saw a nice little pavalion across the water.



Then I walked by the picnic area and the volleyball pit.







On the way back I walked by the playground.

An Exploit: 3rd Time's a Charm

I'm now on my third rig. I didnt' take pictures because it looks just like the last 2. I did take pictures of a nice sunset last night.

They had 3 of us hurry out here to Shreveport, Louisiana. They were almost ready for our tool. We got out here, checked all the gear we had, re-measured the drillstring and got the tool put together. Then they told us they were having circulation loss problems, and they'd pick up tools tomorrow night. Tomorrow night came and they told us at least 24 hours. So the lead MWD left to go see his wife for the night. He got back yesterday, and it looked like we'd pick up tools sometime today. When I woke up they told me, they are cementing and it'll be 3 maybe 4 days, you can leave if you want. Ha! I could have been spending time with my family, but no... Anyway I have some help with my millions of quizes I have to take while I'm here. Wish me luck, I go to school on July 20!

An Exploit: Swirly Clouds

As I was driving into town the other day, I noticed this entry a driveway. It's very simple, and I had driven by it several times without noticing. But when I saw it I laughed a lot, and then had to turn around to take a picture. So that you know I'm not lying. The gate goes into PJ Farm! Hahahahahah

Also today it rained, well I guess it was yesterday. And when I was out with Dean putting the tool together and testing it, he pointed out the clouds. He asked if I'd ever been in a tornado before, then pointed up at the sky. The clouds were moving around in a circle, starting to swirl, it was really quite interesting. Don't worry it only lasted a bout 10 minutes and didn't move down at all.

An Exploit: My New Hero

My night in my box would not be complete without these items.

1. My jute recycle bag filled with books and cd's
2. My jute star bag filled with snacks and munchies
3. My excellent green hard hat
4. Safety glasses
5. Gloves
Not pictured: My laptop



Here's what I've found lately perusing the Internet between surveys:

Amazing cupcakes, and so much other stuff. This woman is my new hero, she makes the most beautiful creations, takes fabulous pictures of them, and has done all of this while finishing med school. This picture is my favorite because it's almost the one I draw for my sister, Cupcake.



Oh, P.S. her blog is annies-eats.com

Another cool blog that Claire (Cupcake) told me about was Cupcakes Take the Cake. I found this picture on their blog.

Isn't it fun? And it's on a Vinyl! Note to self: get a stocked kitchen, some cool baking tools, and go to town. I need to learn a lot of patience to make stuff like this!

Also, I'm going to start posting my favorite pictures along the left side of the page, under my categories segment.

An Exploit: Sand Bar

This morning, after my run, I went down to the water with the intention of doing some Yoga. I did a few push ups and sit ups, and then decided that I was more interested in taking some pictures. Here is what I saw:

This one was from the other night. Claire and I were comparing how long our hair was. It's my work box, and my work jumpsuit. YAY, blue nomex with my name.

Part of an old pier. This shore is rather marshy, lots of grass.

I intended to get out earlier, there's a sand bar a few inches under water here. I thought it would make a good picture, but I was too late, and the tide started coming in.

Looking through the planks.

My footprints. The little blobs are from oysters, little air holes. When they push the water out they push the sand into little lumps.

The rest of these are just views that I found interesting. A lot of pipe and stuff was left to rust and corrode and waste away.

Orange Moon: Puddng Cookies

This morning I saw an amazingly orange moon when walking from the work box to the sleeping box. I'm starting to believe that the constant clouds are actually haze from the refinery. I did get to see 2 stars this morning, though. And it makes for a pretty cool moon.

I went into town this afternoon to the grocery store. I had found a recipe for chocolate chip cookies that I wanted to try. I ended up forgetting my list, and thus forgot to buy butter. I did have about half what the recipe called for, and fortified the rest with oil.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

1 c Butter

1/4 c Sugar

3/4 c Brown Sugar, packed

2 Eggs

1 t Vanilla

2 1/4 c Flour

1 t Baking Soda

1 (4 oz) package Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 (12 oz) package Milk Chocolate Chips

What I used:

1/3 c Butter

1/4-1/2 c Vegetable Oil

1/4 c Sugar

3/4 c Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

2 1/4 c Flour

1 t Baking Powder

1 (4 oz) package Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 (12 oz) package Milk Chocolate Chips

Sift together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, pudding mix. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add oil as necessary so that the batter will roll into balls without sticking to your hands. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Bake at 375* for about 10-12 minutes.

They turned out fairly well (very vanilla-y). Now I'm off to make friends with the roughnecks.

The DD said these were the best cookies he's ever had, and repeatedly asked me to make them again.

An Exploit: Breaking Dawn, teeheehee

I took some pictures on my way back from the work box to the sleep box. Here's what I came up with. It's still dark when I leave the box, but it gets light pretty quick.





Lights across the bay, there's a refinery over there. The lights extend all the way across the view we have from our little alcove.




Some pipe stacked out of the way.




The rig with all the lights on.

I took some more pictues tonight. I like how the moon looks on water. And how the lights turn the clouds orange.

This is my work box. Inside are 2 chairs, a bench that doubles as storage. A desk that holds 6 computers (mine included) and various other equipment (most of it I'm not entirely sure what it does).

This is where all the activity is. The stairs lead up to the rig floor (the blue box is their office). This is where the pipe is added or taken off, as needed to keep drilling or take the bit and tool out of the well.