Theeeeeyyyyy'rrreee baaaaack!

I can't tell you how weird it was to have most of the gang from front shift away and I equally can't tell you how glad I am that they are back! Of course I am going to try to tell you these things because that is the whole purpose of this blog now isn't it? Fun, fun and more fun! Where to start? In the absence of my shift-mates I have had a great time working with the French guys from New Brunswick. I have been doing honest-to-god ironwork and have been loving it. As a kid I absolutely loved the monkey bars and climbing trees and gymnastics so climbing the iron is pretty natural for me. Of course as a kid I didn't weight 220lbs and I wasn't wearing heavy boots, extra thick clothing, hard hat, fall arrest gear with two dog leashes around my neck! But I have always loved the climbing. And I love working as part of a team doing work that at first glance makes you think it can't be done. But I am quickly learning that Ironworkers can do anything. As one guy said yesterday do you know why Jesus was a carpenter? Because they hadn't invented iron yet! I concur! Now that my shift is back I will likely end up back with the welding crew. I am good with that too. When I am doing welding stuff I feel like its the best kind of work a person can do. Of course when I am doing Ironwork I feel the same about that. Ditto for planting tomatoes, lol! Maybe I just like good honest work and particularly when I am with a good team. Of course really decent pay helps as well. Maybe I'm just a happy person! Things will be a little different now at the site. Some people like Curt and Steve and Mike have left to do their next sessions of schooling on the road to becoming journeypersons. Greg has given up his white Foreman's hat a d is going back on the tools (ok for the record Greg always knew that was comi g and he NEVER wore a white hat). I liked Greg as a Foreman. I also like him as a welder. Either way I'm glad he didn't leave as he is fun and knows more thing about more things than most people I know. Kind of like a human encyclopedia with a wicked/dirty sense of humor. Spuds McIron, Bru, Big Pat, Emma and several others of my good friends are back. As I probably said in another entry these people are the voices of the choir that sings the song of life up here. That's a metaphor of course. I doubt any of them can actually sing. In fact one time Spuds was singing in the trailer and Bru asked her if she liked the song. When she answered with a 'yes' he responded tongue in cheek 'than why are you ruining it?' Yes we tease each other pretty hard! We are on the bus to work and it is early in the day. The sun is up and despite what I said earlier about choruses the only one you hear at the moment is the even and gentle breathing of the people who have dozed off. My friends are back and everything is falling back into the gentle and comfortable routine that marks working up in Kearl lake. Everything is as it should be. And I am content. :)