Offshore blogging again

I had to zip offshore yesterday at the last minute,
changing my tranquil sunday at home to a mad dash
to the dock, then a four hour crew boat ride to the rig.
Not too bad of a ride, I only reached the nasty salivating
feeling before we arrived at the rig, it sucks when the
high point of the evening is not puking.

I stayed out on the back deck most of the time since I
won't get sick if I can see the horizon and not smell that
boat smell of lysol/oldpuke/diesel fuel that inhabits the
inside of the boat. It was a pretty clear night, and the only
lights were the lights of rigs and production platform as
we cruised past, so I had a clear view of the big dipper and
the north star and I willed those two pointer stars to move
faster around and speed up time.

Apparently there is a meteor shower for this part of the
month, because I saw one fall, but it didn't look real, more
like a reflection off of metal into my eyes. The next meteorite
was more emphatic, maybe even a fireball, because it powered
brightly down from nearly zenith down to the horizon. the
show was pretty much over then though, a big cloud covered
the western sky and I ducked into the darkened miasma inside
the cabin.

Since I was the only passenger I could lay down across a row of
seats, which was lucky because just then my dramamine kicked
in, around two hours late. mmm...legal drugs....
then what felt like a moment later we arrived.
A deckhand said "we're here, getup" and shined a light in my
face. I staggered back out onto the deck and looked up at the
rig, which looks like a high island bathed in yellow sodium lights

[sort of like this, but higher and in the dark, picture borrowed
from:
http://king-o-coals.com/d_i__misc_photos.htm]



























A crane lowered a personnel basket, and I hopped on.


.




















I had to hug on those ropes like a newby, since I hadn't
ridden a personnel basket in about two years. (normally
I travel by helicoptor) Since I was by myself, there was
no one else to counterbalance my weight, and I felt like
any second the whole thing would flip over and I'd fall 80'
to the gulf.

Finally they lowered me to the deck, I stepped off the basket
and I was good as new. Home again. bleh.