It's A Small World, After All

You know what I love about the oilfield?

The thing I love the very most?

The fact that you can meet someone for the very first time, and within minutes, find out that you have about twenty mutual friends.

And those mutual friends are good friends, that both of you have known all your lives.

And still, you’ve never met each other, and pretty much, have lived in other states most of your lives.

Talk about 6 degrees from Kevin Bacon.

It’s a small world out there.

And we’re all connected.  And what we do, matters.  

It really does.

Think about that as you go through your day today, wherever you are, and whatever you do.

What you do matters.  So go love on somebody today, will ya?

Sunset at Seminole, Texas - Pumping Unit - Photo by Janie Snelson

Life in the Petroplex Just Got Funnier

Our town, Midland, Texas, has grown so much that the entire populace is groaning about all sorts of issues.  From the very basics of no groceries on the shelves to high rent and bad restaurant service, every business in the area is stretched.  And let's not even talk about horrible traffic and bad driving.

This is also the case for our neighboring town, Odessa, Texas.

One smart soul is making us all laugh about our issues, though.

A new Facebook Midland Meme page cropped up on August 4, 2013 and has already amassed some almost 20,000 likes in 7 days. AMAZING.

I have laughed so hard at some of the memes, I have cried.  The mysterious meme creator has definitely captured some of the facts about our fair city, as well as (insert evil laugh) those of Odessa, Texas.  Below is some of his/her work.

And POW! SMACK! Robin, you dork, you deserved this one.

True.  You go into a restaurant, see empty tables and wait 30 minutes due to lack of waitstaff.  

 Don't even ask me about the water.  We spend untold dollars on potassium for our water softener, regularly use our RO unit, AND buy bottle water.

One of the very best things about working in Midland, Texas is our tuned down work attire.  The young man on the right definitely epitomizes the attire of the majority of the young professionals here.  He looks great, and he's not gonna melt in the excessive heat.  And that's a good thing, right?

We went to the grocery store and got out within an hour.  Thought that was pretty good, considering the checkout lines were 5 baskets deep.  I saw a potential for a  fight to break out in a couple of the aisles, though, just due to cart traffic congestion and bad shopping manners.   

Oh, wait. Crap.
 That was me.

I hope this page grows and grows! Not a day goes by that I'm not hit in the face by some funky reality due to our overpopulation, and this page will help me keep everything in perspective AND laughing.  I am proud to be employed in the oil industry that birthed this situation...and proud of the creator of Midland Memes.

Bravo, Midland Memes.  Bravo!

Work and Fun In The OilPatch of the Marcellus Shale

Just returned from a great trip to the wonderful P of A...I love that state!

My new boss flew us up in his jet, we were super busy with appointments and sales calls, which I LOVE! Thursday afternoon,  I attended the National Board meeting for the American Association of Drilling Engineers.

This meeting was, wonderfully, followed the next day by the AADE Appalachian “Blast”, the Appalachian AADE’s sporting clay tourney benefiting the Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital.  We did have a blast.  The tourney was held at Hunting Hills Gun Range in Hunting Hills, Pennsylvania.  Beautiful.

It was the first time I ever shot sporting clays in hard, pouring rain.  Vendors manned stations, and cooked all sorts of good food: bacon-wrapped quail, jambalaya, bacon-wrapped scallops, pulled pork deep fried egg rolls, and much more.  I have mentioned that the drilling group likes to eat, haven't I?  Well, we do!

The shoot was really fun, even with all the rain!  I shot at 9 am, and by 6 p.m. when we arrived at our friends’ house, I was still soaking wet.  

I learn something on every trip.  Here are my discoveries from this one:

• If you’re traveling in a private jet, it pays to have superb pilots.  Especially when they’re trying to land between two huge thunderstorms, and the tower gives them clearance on a runway where another plane is trying to take off.  Thanks, y’all - good eye!  You’re amazing!
• If you have to travel on business, having good friends in the area makes your trip super sweet.  My friends John and Suzan are amazing.  It was so fun to hang with them, and I learned to play the domino game “Shoot The Moon”.  I didn’t do too badly at it, either! Love y'all. And tell Patches the kitty that the Wonderdogs went ballistic because she had been in my suitcase, haha!
• I got to see my good friends Tommy, Deb, and Daniel.  I think of them, and start to giggle.  We had some really funny stuff happen.  Another story, another day!  Love you guys.
• If you decide to buy ammo in Pennsylvania, especially if you’re buying for multiple people, plan ahead and locate your ammo dealer in that area.  Because you might have to buy multiple boxes instead of flats of ammo...and that’s IF they have any in stock.
• If you're going to a shooting tourney and there's a good chance of rain, take (1) another change of clothes and (2) don't bother to fix your hair. Just wear a ball cap. You'll come out ahead and get 30 minutes extra sleep.
• I only shot a 70/100.  I need to practice more.  Of course, I could always blame it on the trees.
• If you’re traveling with your shotgun, be sure to take cleaning cloths, a cleaning snake, gun oil, etc.  I was woefully unprepared to properly clean my gun and protect it post shoot.  Hey, don’t be hating...I’m a desert chick.  It doesn’t rain out here, people. I clean my gun when I get home.  (Not this time!)
• Corporate jets are the Way.To.Travel.  Yesterday morning, wheels up at 8:30 a.m. EST, home by 10:30 am CST.  Smooth, beautiful flight, great company...it was awesome.  Did I mention I didn’t even have to pack my shotgun in a travel case?  Suhweeeeet.  Thanks, Bossman!

I love Pennsylvania...it is so very beautiful.  And I LOVE the people, especially my compadres in the Oilfield. I cannot wait to go back.