Travels

I have been working in the Graham TX area for over a month. I live five days a week at the Best Western Motel, then home on most weekends. If I could have just two things with me, it would be my wife and my bed. How I miss the sweet smile of Karen every morning. She always makes me a good breakfast, while I go and get a paper. Of course the coffee pot is on early and I can smell it now! My bed is a Select comfort, you know, the Paul Harvey bed. Karen and I sink down into it and fall to a blissfull sleep.

Graham TX is a small North Texas town SW of Witchita Falls. about 200 miles from our front door. It's located in what I call "the pretty part of Texas". Tall rolling hills, big trees, waterfalls and I have even seen Buffalo roaming. (ain't they supposed to be in Oklahoma?) The town is old, and quaint. Lots of old big houses ansd several Bed and Breakfasts. A big town square around the court house with a war memorial near by. The town also has at least two parks that I have seen. They are very nice with lots of green grass and a small lake with very large trees. They also have a large Wal-Mart, Tractor Supply and a NAPA parts store, of which all I have visited.

The work: I am an independent consultant and am currently employed by Chaparral Energy of OKC. The well I am working on is about 30 miles SW of Graham. Near an old ghost town called Eliasville. We are convertng an oil well into a disposal well. This well will be used to dispose of all the produced water from the field, rather than pay to haul it off. I may go into this in more detail later.

The Crew; It is a good crew. They are hard workers, not real smart, but will do anything I ask of them. The Operator or crew leader is a Mexican. He likes to go to Oklahoma and gamble at the Indian casinos. He hasn't been doing very well. He speaks english with a very thick accent. I found out today that he can't read or write english, I don't know about Spanish.

Earl the utility hand is an old skinny, gray bearded guy, that loves to tell off color jokes that are not at all funny. He will take any conversation to turn it into a potty, or sex joke. I don't talk to him much. But, if I need the crew to start working on something, he's my go to guy.

James the derrick man. He is a large happy slow witted black man. Very friendly and talkitive. Eccept he rarely has anything to say that has anything to do with anything.

Robert the tong hand. He is quiet. Can't read a measuring tape, but does a very good job of running the tongs. Although he usally about two steps behind everyone else.

I like them all, but probly would not invite them home with me.

Bobby. He is Chaparral's fishing tool hand. He is also quiet, but will let you know when he feels you should do something different. He is new in his job and has forgot to bring certain tools he needs. His wife is in bad health and I think he is very worried about her. He told me about his first wife the other day. She was a drug user. Messed around with bad people and was sent to prison for accessory to murder. She died of a drug overdose.

Me. I show up at 8AM each morning with my coffee, egg and sausage sanwich I have gotten from the free breakfast at the Motel. I get up, shower and shave, go down and eat a bowl of rasin bran, make a sanwich and go to work. I also stop for a news paper, without a cryptaquote, fill up with gas. When I get there, I line out everybody and read my paper. I have also been reading some books. Currently I have been reading Albert Einstein's Autobiography. He was a very interesting person.

I wonder sometimes how I will be remembered. I doubt anyone will write a biogriphy about me. I have a very happy life. My wife of 35 years is the most best thing that has ever happened to me. My whole life is to make her happy. However sometimes I fall very short of that goal. I think she would perfectly happy for me to work at a factory 8 hours a day. Then I would be home everynight at a certain time. I just can't give that to her. I have tried. But, I just can't. I have to be free to move around, I guess.

Well thats enough for the first time. I doubt anyone will ever read this but it sure helps me to put it down for some reason. More later.