I had a good summer in Wyoming. I was able to spend a lot of time with the family and meet my little nephew, Bret. Nothing too exciting happened this summer (besides Dad accidentally bear spraying my mom, aunts, and I--cough cough wheeze), but I did spend some time gold panning and antelope hunting with Dad and David, and going to the cabin with the parents. It was nice to be able to see them as much as I did this summer since it will be the last opportunity for me to do so once I finish school. I miss sitting around with them and the dogs during the evening while watching TV, doing crossword puzzles, and covering our noses to Beth's doggy farts. Dad still thinks it's funny to put his feet on me (FYI: I hate feet!! Yick!), and tease me for regularly texting a certain special someone. It was all in good fun.
I worked on Rig 9 in the Elk Basin oil patch for the summer. I had spent a lot of time in Elk Basin growing up, and during my first tour of the fields in '98 on Rig 11. Honestly, I am surprised I made it some days. Our operator is one of the worst drivers I have ever had the privilege riding with. Just to be fair, he is from county 9 which is notorious for awful drivers, so bad driving is in his genes. There's nothing like driving a hundred miles an hour with a guy who is texting and telling stories with his hands the entire ride. I lost count of the wrecks we nearly caused. Anyways, we made it safely to location everyday, and worked our asses off in the blazing high desert heat. I have to say, I really do enjoy working the tubing deck latching pipe--I kind of turn it into a game or a competition against myself. I made some decent money in three months and managed to lose around twenty pounds. (now I just need to keep them off!) Overall, it was a good experience, and I had fun.
Now I am back in Oregon to finish my final year of school. I think this year will be a lot of fun. Reinforced Concrete has the potential to be a tough class (he only gives 4 A's out of a 100 grades), but the rest should be enjoyable. I am starting to look at jobs and career paths. I would really like to have a job lined up before graduation. I've also come up with a few goals for the rest of the year: Not drinking--sure a couple beers or a glass of wine is okay occasionally, but I really liked not drinking in Wyoming over the summer. I felt better without that haze. Secondly, I am going to work out regularly. It has taken me a long time to get back to the weight I am at--I need to maintain it. And lastly (I am finding my goals come in 3-packs), I want to relax and enjoy my last year of college. No stressing over silly things. No worrying about whether she loves me or not (Yes, falling in love is very important to me--it's honestly one of the most important things to me, but when I stress, it becomes my obsession. It's best that I just calm down and see where the ride takes us. If we fall in love, great! If not, someone is bound to come along.) No worrying about what I'll be doing next year--I'll cross that bridge when I get there. I want to share many smiles and laughs with those close to me, so someone tell me a funny, haha joke! So, to my friends and family--Thank you for the support you have given me over the years despite my awesome ability to be an occasional pain in the ass. I've had a lot of inspiration in one way or another from you all. I love you all, and look forward to sharing more experiences.
