Always something to write about

Sharon over at Domestic engineer pointed out in a post today
that life is never boring, there is always something to do or
watch that is interesting and something to write about.
At first I thought to leap the self-pitying, "but I'm working
offshore, and I'm bored"

But then again she's right, people are pretty interesting if you
watch them. It's always interesting offshore how people fall
into stereotypes, mostly because almost all the jobs on the rig
are pretty standardized, so you can call out on the PA on any
rig in the world "pick up driller!" and the guy that does the drilling
will pickup the phone. And he'll be pretty similar seeming to
every driller on any rig in the world. Even in india, they are likely
to be tobacco chewing rednecks. They just have curry for lunch
instead of chicken fried steak.

I've been on enough drilling rigs to have a definite groundhog
day feeling (the movie, not the day). Things tend to endlessly
repeat, same processes and procedures, the people look and
sound similar. (most of the crews are from small towns in Mississippi).
At one point in the 90's when I was traveling from rig to rig to rig. I
wondered if there was really only one rig, and the actors on the rig
just made slight adjustments to their coveralls and hard hats to make them look
slightly different. I would go back home for a few days, attempt to
drink all the beer in the world, then travel back to the rig after the
actors were changed slightly.

Ok. So my lifestyle wasn't the best back then. I spent all my money
on booze and women, and pissed away the rest. Maybe lack of vitamins
and too much alchohol added to my jaded perspective.

Now, since I travel offshore to rigs so seldem, maybe 20 days a year instead
of 200, offshore life seems...even worse. The people can be interesting,
one guy owns a software and webhosting company that he runs on his days
off. There is no end to the bullshit sessions and joke telling...so I'm sure
it could be fun, but now it is something to be endured, like going to church
when I was a boy.

Oh well, Sharon may be right life is interesting, and I'm sure there is poetry
in roughnecks, but I don't feel it. I'm bored.

Comments

Sharon said…
Ah, Joe, this was so interesting to read. It may be dull for you (I understand) but it was really interesting for me.

I love this:

"At one point in the 90's when I was traveling from rig to rig to rig. I
wondered if there was really only one rig, and the actors on the rig
just made slight adjustments to their coveralls and hard hats to make them look
slightly different."

Thank you for reading me. :-)
3:41 AM
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