Beginning tomorrow at 7 in the morning, I make the drive to Midland to attend a new employee orientation for Dawson Geophysical the following morning. The day after that I'll be heading over the Texas border into New Mexico to start my job on a seismic crew. I'll be working on average 80 hours a week, easily the hardest I'll have ever worked up to this point in my life. The pay is good and will help alleviate the costs of college tuition, one of the main reasons I'm doing this in the first place. However, the most I hope to gain is a stronger work ethic and some experience that might distinguish me from other college graduates later down the line.

I'm extremely nervous but at the same time equally anxious to start my summer job. I've still got some maturing to do, and this will be a big step in the right direction. I plan to take it seriously and put in my best effort.

If anyone sees a yellow Fiero GT tomorrow driving West on I-10, that'll be me. Take it easy & have a great summer folks. If I can find internet I'll try to read the forums.

Same here only I'm going a slightly different path.. I'm going to be all over the place this summer

good luck to you.

From Bryan/College Sta to Midland Texas, You are taking I-10? Kinda taking the long way around aren't ya?

Good luck o the seismic crew--we used to call them doodlebuggers. You gonna be laying out miles of cables, and dropping charges-- or doing the new fangled methods?

To Bradley Jay:
I was going to say 'good luck', but I don't think you will need it. Congratulations upon having such an excellent attitude and work ethic
To PK:
Well done to you too...and I will repeat once again here...congratulations are also in order for persevering with you ambitions to do well at your new job, and secondly, but just as important IMHO, is the vast improvement in your spelling and punctuation etc. You know, just that alone shows you respect yourself, and OTHERS too
Good Job!! and well done again, to you both!
Nick

[This message has been edited by fierofetish (edited 05-16-2011).]

quote Originally posted by maryjane: From Bryan/College Sta to Midland Texas, You are taking I-10? Kinda taking the long way around aren't ya? Good luck o the seismic crew--we used to call them doodlebuggers. You gonna be laying out miles of cables, and dropping charges-- or doing the new fangled methods?

I'm taking off from Katy, so it's just a quick trip up north on 99 until I hit I-10. My last final exam in Cstation was on Tuesday. That gave me a couple of days here at home to spend with family. Won't see them for about two months!
I'll be on the survey team that's apart of the seismic crew. Before I get any chance to lay down cable I'll be learning how to use a GPS in the field & take measurements.

Thank you for the support guys. I leave in a half hour!

An excellent opportunity, make the most of it. Good luck.

------------------
Ron

quote Originally posted by Bradley Jay: I'm taking off from Katy, so .... I leave in a half hour!

Hmm, should be passing Kerrville between 11:00 AM and noon.
I know some good places for lunch, if you get this post.

Congrats and good luck. Hope you lean some stuff and have an interesting time.

Never stop trying to augment yourself.

New Mexico is crawling with rattlesnakes, scorpions, and Chupacabri this time of year...................

quote Originally posted by maryjane: New Mexico is crawling with rattlesnakes, scorpions, and Chupacabri this time of year...................

And nickle prostitutes.
But spend the extra dime and get the good ones.

[This message has been edited by Boondawg (edited 05-16-2011).]

quote Originally posted by cliffw: Hmm, should be passing Kerrville between 11:00 AM and noon. I know some good places for lunch, if you get this post.

Wish I would've checked the forums on my phone before I sat down at the DQ. Just got into Kerrville.

quote Originally posted by Bradley Jay: Wish I would've checked the forums on my phone before I sat down at the DQ. Just got into Kerrville.

Don't sweat it Bradley--He wuz just lookin for someone to mooch a free meal off of anyway.

quote Originally posted by FieroRumor: Congrats and good luck. Hope you ====lean==== some stuff and have an interesting time. Never stop trying to augment yourself.

Yep !! It is TRUE!! FieroRumor ALWAYS has some form of bacon on his mind
Nick

I have known 2 people who did that, and neither of them had any complaints or regrets. So have fun and enjoy the money!

I'll be making a very similar thread here in a couple days, when I start my internship.

Good luck to you. It sounds like an excellent opportunity.

Thought I'd provide everyone with an update as to what's gone on since I left Katy. I started field work last Friday and yesterday I went out on my own for the first time; I was able to shoot all the points I was assigned without my mentor. Because of this my boss gave me the next two days off to take it easy. What a Godsend that was. There are terrible blisters on both of my heels that haven't been getting any help closing up. Since Friday I've walked on average about 6-7 miles a day shooting points with the GPS.

Exactly a week ago I was staying at a family friends' place in Midland. Probably the nicest group of people I've ever met. Extremely hospitable bunch, they gave me a place to stay for three days during my orientation (I've also never had as good of a home-cooked meal as theirs!). They live on a nice big piece of land where they raise two horses and various other livestock, including five dogs. With all the land to run around on, they're nothing but spoiled.




After staying with them I took off & headed towards Carlsbad, NM. Made it to the inn that my boss is staying at and met everyone else I'd be working with. Bought a room but ended up getting stuck with a two bedroom unit until a one bedroom becomes available. Pretty cozy, but toasty inside. The AC unit doesn't work very well.

And the "office". I usually find myself here every night after work with my summer reading material. All those books cost only five bucks at a Goodwill in Midland!


The work current routine requires me to wake up at five every morning. We're usually out and about at six setting up the base. It's a large antenna w/ a Leica system hooked up so our GPS have a reference point before we start shooting other points later in the day.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: New Mexico is crawling with rattlesnakes, scorpions, and Chupacabri this time of year...................

Haven't found any scorpions or Chupacabri yet but I have bumped into two snakes since I started working.
The first day out in the field I was staring at the GPS trying to find my next point. I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking until my mentor alerted me to what I stepped on:

Walked right on top of him! He didn't even seem to care; didn't move, didn't make a sound, didn't become aggressive. Just layed there and watched us for a couple of minutes until he slithered away. I wasn't even a foot and a half away from him when I took that picture.

The day after I bumped into a rattlesnake early in the morning. Wow, was he PISSED!

Couldn't have been much older than a year since his rattler was fairly tiny. Sure made a lot of noise though.


So far, that's everything worth mentioning. I'll just be enjoying the time off by reading my books. There isn't much to do here in Carlsbad, but before the summer is over I need to go to the caverns and get a look at those.

[This message has been edited by Bradley Jay (edited 05-25-2011).]

quote Originally posted by Bradley Jay: I wasn't even a foot and a half away from him when I took that picture. The day after I bumped into a rattlesnake early in the morning. Wow, was he PISSED!

Looks like you were more than a foot away from the rattler, .
Sorry I missed you in Kerrville. Let me know if you get back this way.
EDIT
By the way, ... a rattlesnake can only strike 2/3^rds the distance as the length of it's body.

[This message has been edited by cliffw (edited 05-25-2011).]