So at it again. nothing exciting last night except I felt really relaxed and was able to sleep very well. Had a hard time with the visualizations and than it seemed if there was something to interrupt it did. I was too hot than was too cold, than my face had to be scratched, than than than...lol There was one moment where I saw a small amount of writing I think, but of course it meant nothing. just a few symbols. too much work before trying to start this, my mind is all over the place. another night another try!

It has been a long time since I logged into this site. It my be easier now that I know no one follows me on here. This summer I have gotten to know someone that has awakened things in me that I have not thought about for a very long time. Seems to be in another place and life, and for all practical points it was.

I've been in the wilderness for a number of years, and I don't believe I'm out, but I've found a path, and I'm following it to see where it leads. It has given me renewed energy and that is exactly what I needed. When I was younger I had a blind faith in the direction that I was traveling and I lost my way, as we do sometimes. Almost like who I was, floating in my mind as memory, just out of reach.

I finished reading a book by a man named Brian Weiss, called "Many Lives, Many Masters" It awakened something in me. Something that has been just around the corner waiting for me to get there.

I downloaded a Regression CD (no, nothing to do with statistics) and did my first meditation in years.

The year was 1574 and I was 15 years old, standing on a great prairie, no trees as far as I could see. exactly where I don't know. I was browned skinned with black hair. I was shirtless, with not much on, skinny legs, and I remember some sort of moccasins on my feet. I was taken forward to my wedding a few years later. I was in a village, there where many people around us. My impressions were not of being nervous, but of a very joyous feeling. Excitement I would think. I could feel it wash over me. Than to a time 8 years later with my family, a son, I was very proud of him. I don't know if it was something that he had accomplished or if it was just the feeling I had of my family and all of us being together. Than a few years later. I was taking my son on a trip. It was a big deal, a long journey. Something that I was proud to be able to take him with....than the phone rang...lol I wanted to write this down before I forgot it.

The logical part of my brain has a number of questions. Like how the hell do I know what the year was. lol It's hard to let go and let things wash over me. It was difficult for me to really get into the meditation, my mind wondering along, interjecting thoughts. This regressions starts with descending stairs. Lots of stairs, I'm thinking alright already! May not have been the most relaxing time to do this but I didn't want to put it off. It wasn't like in the books, where I had this amazing, vivid vision of some events, more like pieces. part of that is the regression, and I think more of it is allowing myself to be immersed into the process. When I let go, pictures came. If I tried to focus too much I lost it. I supposed not abnormal, but it was a piece of something.

I intend to follow this up. I've ordered more meditations and more books. At this time in my life, it really feels right to follow this up.

I'll see you in my dreams.

The reason I'm working in the oil field is to make more money than feasable in my field elsewhere.   LOL  Last rotation (15 days)  I made more than any other 2 week period I've worked.  EVER!  Maybe until this rotation.  Last week I logged in 142 hrs in one week.  yesterday finishing 65 hrs straight on the well site.  I'll be happy to cash the check, but sometimes what you ask for is just a bit too much. 

It will continue to be a busy summer, perhaps slowing down this winter.  Until than, let the fun continue.

0130 am, alarm goes off and I think about justifying not getting up till 2nd alarm and remember I have to go into work early today.  I'm currently starting day 13 of my shift of 14 days and since I started a day early, well lets just say I'm ready for my week off.

0200 after getting dressed and taking care of almost all the things I need to do before leaving the apartment the company provides me in Dickinson ND, I get a call from my boss.   he needs the fuel card, he's heading to the northern location, What apartment I'm I in again?  #2 Grant, come on in doors open I'm just ready to leave.  I don't mind going in early or staying late, it's all overtime at this point.  We're short handed with ET's (electronic Tech's) and getting a few extra hrs never hurts the pay check.  Grant grabs the card and off he goes...lol he's on his weekend off.  Just promoted to salary and Monday through Friday hrs.  this is the 6th time in 2 weeks he's had to help cover on his time off.  Lucky him.

0210 grab my lunch and computer and out the door.  30 mile drive to location, going west.  The nice thing about this early is there is hardly no traffic.  in a few hours you'd think you were in Chicago.

0245 pull into location, they are still fracking a stage, everything is running that is a good sign.  They don't have an ET on this shift Grant or I were on call if there was a problem.  no problem. no call.  that meant 5 hrs of undisturbed sleep.

I poke my head into the data van,  check out how things are going.   I get the usual comments about how we aren't needed blaa blaa blaa.  they are just Jealous.  So I go back to the truck and turn off the engine and recline the seat and relax.  1 1/2 before shift change, If I don't get a call over the radio, I'm not needed.  Start thinking about the day and what I want to get done between frac stages.  What I can do if we are down a while.

This site has three wells.  we finished one,  sanded off the 2nd, (that's not a good thing) and are working on the third.  It's been one problem after another.  we are all getting close to our days off and we want this to be done.  besides, you don't get any bonus if you don't complete stages.

0400  my shifts shows up, I get yesterday's time card completed and join the guys for the safety meeting.  They are just finishing up the last stage ready for turn over.  Now we have a 2 hr wait for Wireline (another company that has to ready the well for the next frac stage).  So everything is pretty easy going.  I update Grant via text and talk with the treater on a few issues. and ultimately go back to my truck and site and wait some more.

I check the news and my email....nothing exciting.  I txt Vickie good morning.  I saw lightening in the west on my way in looking like we are going to be getting some rain today.  I'll take cloud cover, that direct sunlight with the humidity is just too much....lol  Glad I don't have to labor in it.  I really have it pretty easy.  Outside of making rounds on the equipment while running and a little fix here or there, most of my time is inside a vehicle.    There is an advantage to having some skills.

0530 getting ready to go.  Wirelilne is getting ready to be complete.  equipment checks, getting to our places.  reading everything.  I sit in the datavan and watch the treater and company mans computer screens.  there are a few things I want to watch while we do this stage.  Not a problem yet, but trying to stay on top of it.  You never know when You have to be ready to act.  while my job is actually boring when everything is working, it gets real busy real quick when something breaks.

0755 finished up the stage,  managed not to fall asleep in the datavan.   textbook...yea  just made an extra $25 for the day, now three more of these just like that and I'm set for the day. 

0815 company man gets a call, stops wireline, and redirects them.  Coil Tubing is coming in to work on one of the other wells.  (they are a specielty service to fix things that go wrong)  they have to unplug the 2nd well we did...they come with a big crane, a truck with 24000 feet of 1 1/2 tube on a reel and all the special tools needed to get the well open again and ready to frac.  really amazing stuff.   so that is about the next 5 hrs while that is being set up.

1315  ready to start the next stage  20 mins in another big problem.  a piece of equipment breaks down and well, here we go again.   Company man says shut it all down, now we have to wait for coil tubing to finish before we can fix this problem.  the equipment is fixed but it stopped the frac and almost screened off this well....lol not good.   so the mechanic and me go and check equipment.  I shut down the computers in the data van to reset them, and to interrupt the people in it as best I can. 

1420  I ask the treater if I can run to town and get gas.  I don't need gas but I want to get off the site...lol  he laughs and says get out of here, so I go to the dairy queen which is across from the gas station (about 5 miles away)  I go inside and its packed, which is just fine to me.  I've got time to kill.  so 30 minutes later I had a burger and fries and head back.  nothing has changed.  Everything is shut down.  They won't start up again till tomorrow.  the night shift will have nothing to do...I'm sure they will all find a nice truck to hide in.

1550  night shift is here, we are out of here and not a moment too soon.  I won't get extra hrs tonight but I will get extra sleep.  early start in the morning and after my shift someone has to get me to Waterford city to get my truck and things, that's an extra hr.  than 800 miles of driving and I'm home....yeaaa....been a good two weeks  216 hrs of work.  10 days of bonus on the well sites...this is what I come up here for. 

Keep on driving We'll find more oil!

Well yesterday was the first day,  orientation, paperwork etc etc....no end to the fun.  Would have had a few hrs work in the shop but they sent everyone home because of the snow storm...which hasn't really been that bad.  Same storm system I missed on Sunday when I was driving.  It was to the south of me the whole time.

This is going to be a challenge.  I guess it fits, new year completely new challenge.  Starting a new frac crew in a new location, will be fun  lol  right.  A lot of work, so there won't be any shortage of hrs to work.  Company so far seems ok, but than again so did Schlumberger.  Time will tell the story.  In the next month or so I will be very busy here upgrading equipment to take over there.

They don't have contracts yet.  Chicken and Egg stuff, have to be there ready to go before anyone signs one, but they have good prospects.  We'll know when we are there...lol  I'll save my money just in case.

Made the mistake tonight of going to bed at 8:30pm...up at 1am  still up....I'll be tired tonight, they expect us to start work on trucks after training today, expect to work till 9pm today.  I'm expected to have over 100 hrs in this week.  Yea!!!  [o[

Hotel is nice, has a small pool and Hot tub with some really great Jets....one of the reasons I was ready for sleep at 8:30 lol

Well since I'm up might as well do some of the work they want done.

One of the things I really didn't like about the U.P.  was the fact at about this time of year you could still look forward to another 4 months of winter.  While the year I first moved up there, it was an early spring, including a great deal of flooding, most of the time it was a very long winter.  One Memorial day Black River harbor was iced in, they had to cancel the big fishing tournament that year because none of the boats could get out on the lake.  Many times it was may before the snow would be gone.  If it were in the mountains you could understand, but blaaa....

Idaho falls wasn't that bad, Not so sure about Wyoming.   The last two years Rock springs had snow on Memorial day, than it just got hotter than hell...lol  along with the wind.  Even with last years mild winter.  I was climbing up Mt Garfield mid December last year.  Than the 6 weeks of below zero temps, made me think that I was in a different part of the country.  lol  It hasn't been bad the last few weeks, reaching into the 40's in the valley here.  You would expect the higher elevations to have snow, but an early spring is one of the things I expect here, and so far not so bad.  At least not for someone used to the cold.

I have less than a week and than I move out of the place here.  It has been an interesting 7 months.  The oilfield seems to be picking up again.  all the firms that were locked down are hiring again.  I don't expect it will be more than a few months and I'll be back at it. 

It has been nice, I've been able to complete a lot of annoying little projects that I have boxed up and drug around with me for the last 6 years.  Digitized the rest of my pictures, lots of things that needed to be thrown away.  Still have a well stocked storage...lol  glad I don't have to take the living room furniture. 

I would be nice if it warms up just a little bit more....:)

2013 Photography.  I do have some specific goals

roughly I want to be out and shooting at least 4 days a month.  that puts me at about 50 dedicated days of shooting this year.  in that time frame I should be able to take about 30,000 photo's.  Giving me about 300 pics I like and giving me about 30 that I would be willing to hang on a wall somewhere...lol  this seems like a goal that is reachable.

I need to spend about 10 hrs a month in dedicated learning on the computer software.  that's about 120 hrs of instruction and practice, not including my actual work time.  the instruction I spend watching the faster my work time will be.

I have two photo classes (online) that I want to take.  would like to complete before my birthday.  they are 30 day courses each. 

as far as purchases go, by the end of this year I want to have a Canon 1DX....ya so many ways to spend 7k...lol  if I'm back in the oil fields this year, not a big deal.  if not, I'll have to earn it, either way its a great goal.

Based on the work i've already done, I think I have about 6 photo books worth of stuff to create.  I have so much that I haven't let see the light of day..  need to do more about that.

These are worth tracking....will be watching carefully...

The month is moving by quickly, but than again what is new...2013 is almost over...lol  I was researching some information for a person I'm doing some side work for and I found a business that I could really get into.  Very excited actually.  I've been looking for a number of years and have had in my mind a direction, but hadn't found the technology.  it's here...

So one of my short term goals will be to do my research and determine market etc.  It's right up my alley...oh what is it?  lol  that's for another post.

Still haven't worked out my goals for the year as far as the big ones are concerned.  not so much a problem with the what but the specifics and the specifics are everything to making something happen.  It has turned out to be a busy week, which was ok.  some extra money in my pocket.

I'm going to have a hard time sleeping tonight.  My mind is racing 1000 mph.

One January 1st 2012 I blogged a few of my goals for this year.  I always like to look and see how I did.

Eat right?  Lose the rest of this weight so I can get off the medicine!

I'm not always sure about the eating right thing, but for the most part 2012 has been a good year for me on this front.  In April I put new efforts into this and I met my Birthday goal of being under 200 lbs.  I got down to 192 at the lowest and currently going back and forth between 200 and 210 but I think I'm ready to take that back down.  First was losing the weight the maintaining it, well that will be a lifetime of work...lol  I have been able to lose the diabetic meds, my blood sugar has been good, still need some work on the blood pressure, but i'm 50% there.  this year I'll get the rest of the way.  actually, the goal I made in June was by my birthday, we'll see lol.

Pay off my truck -  Only half way on that one.  spent some money on Lenses this year.  have had a good time working with my camera.

Put 25k aside and max out my 401k   only got to half of that this year due to a change in location and working change in jobs.  beginning of this year I couldn't even begin to see where I was going to be at.

take 50,000 photo's with my new camera gear!!! Well I got about 20k of that done this year.  from June to present I have been pre-occupied with other things. but I have to say taking 20k of pics is not a bad thing.  I've learned a great deal about my camera and lenses this year.  2013 will be some very specific learning in that department plus a whole set of specific goals.

Walk over 200 miles of mountain trails I didn't track this one as well as I should have.  If I had to guess in an educated way (based on trips)  I'd say that I've gotten only about 150 miles of hiking in this year.  The up side is I have gotten over 700 miles on my mountain bikes this year, including a 2000 foot elevation climb up the National Monument (6 times) including my longest bike ride of 54 miles.  ya my ass still hurts

Live life with Passion,  Play as hard as I work!  I've been working on this one.  Its the important part of the whole program.  I've had times that i've been caught up in living and forget why I do all these things.   I need to get something on my door so I see it every-time I leave my room.

The Other Changes this year!

Moved to new location!

No longer working for the Idiots I was working for.

got to my weight goal by my birthday as desired, (huge)

Forged new friendships

Fell in Love

Not necessarily in this order...lol

I've been thinking about what my goals are going to be for 2013, in some areas they are very specific.  I'll be working on writing them out here over the next week.  Things don't stay too dull for me, don't expect anything different in 2013.  YAaaa.

I got word today that my 2nd cousin Walt, passed away this morning.  It has been a time coming.  He had overcome a lot of problems and a lot of pain in the last years.  It was worth it.  Instead of giving up and giving in he fought a lot of health problems and out of that he left something of himself for all of us to view.  He got to publish his book, and I am greatful for that.

Today I spent a good deal of time up on the Colorado Monument taking pictures.  We had a nice snowfall on Sunday morning and I wanted to capture some of it before it all went away.  As I was climbing around I was thinking about all the things Walley and Barb had done for me and my sister as kids growing up.  They never had kids themselves but they had a lasting impact on a lot of people.  A lifetime of giving of themselves and making a difference where ever they could. 

As I was watching a flock of Blue Jays fly around me, I was thinking about all the times as a Kid we went bird watching with Walt.  I can't capture one on the camera without thinking of him and all the instruction he gave. 

I'm happy for him.  He's free, with his wife Barb, his parents and all those gone before. 

I talked with him just a few weeks before.  He will be missed, the world was a better place with him in it.

Bye Walt, we all love you....we'll see ya on the other side