You men be safe

Where the heck have I been! Let me tell you.

Monday: worked 15 hours
Tuesday: worked 17 hours
Wednesday: got to work at 6:30, slept over night at the test site
Thurdsay: woke up at the test site, got back to the office at 6.

You could say that I've been working a lot.

The test site is in Nowhere-ville, Texas. It's where we create controlled explosions. Since Monday, have learned so much about different tools (like... their names, for starters.) and how to work with PVC piping, and how to use those silicon guns, and how to test pressure gauges, and how high speed cameras work, and how to kneel wearing steel toed boots without crushing your toe knuckles, and so much more (that I can't tell you about because, you know, CLASSIFIED.)

I have also tried a breakfast taco made out of beef tongue (YES, I ACTUALLY ATE TONGUE), taken an outdoor shower, and found a bat skull.

The sleepover part last night was pretty hilarious. It was me and 2 male coworkers in the work room part of our three room trailer (bathroom, office, work room). (And the office is really just two computers with 5 million wires, cables, and control boxes. I feel so hardcore with all those blinking red lights. I'd take a picture, but, you know, CLASSIFIED.)

We had three air mattresses blown up. I shot gunned the middle one because they had made me watch a zombie movie before bed. Because they're jerks.

I thought for a second that it'd be hilarious to play work appropriate truth or dare. It'd go like this:

"I dare you to... eat a handful of almonds"
"Okay, truth. What's your middle name"

But instead we went to bed.

When was the last time you heard somebody say, "And there's the shower. Through the long grass by the nitrogen tanks." Oh and then they suggest you wear your boots out to the showers because sometimes there are "critters" in the grass. Yikes-a-likes! Let's be real here: I was terrified to take that shower. I didn't know whether to bring a million lanterns and flashlights to keep the snakes away, or to leave all the lights behind as to not attract the oil rig workers at the nearby well. (I chose to take my chances with the rig workers.)

It was actually the most glorious shower of my life, for the record. Oh, and in the trailer there was a stack of towels that never really get washed, in all sorts of different colours. Sometimes they get folded away when they are still wet, I think. So I decided to go for the pink one, thinking it would have been used least. I was right- it even still had the tag. Score one for being a girl! (Or, score one for being okay with a pink towel, I guess)

I think my favourite part of the day is when we enter the test site area, and the gate guard says (in an accent straight from King of the Hill) "You men be safe." I haven't bothered to correct him because really, what's the point. It'd be a hassle for him to remember to say, "You men and woman be safe" you know? One of the mornings after we entered past him, one of my co-workers said, "Lisa, I think he wants you to be careless."

This morning I saw the sun rise, and I've seen the sun set around there a few times. It's so pretty, guys. I really ought to take a picture. I think I'm in love with nature.

I love my job so much. I'm outside all day. I'm pretty sore, actually. I'll be alternating weeks in the office and at the test site, pretty much. During weeks at the test site, I'm probably not going to be blogging much. I can't believe this is the first time I've blogged this week. It's a physical itch... I just wanted to blog so badly. Maybe I'll get used to not having internet 24/7. So crazy.

Also, I promise that I WILL eventually post that hilarious picture of me in the my test site uniform. I need to black out the company logo on it, and I STILL don't have my new laptop so I'm borrowing my roommates every so often, but I'm not going to start photo editing on it. Just be patient, it'll be worth it.

Happy weekend!