I’ve been working some seriously long hours lately. For those that don’t know, I’m working for our local utility. Every so often, a plant has a big “outage” when a turbine-generator is down for maintenance. I got volunteered to go to another plant for their (originally-scheduled) 10-week major outage and fill the engineering slot temporarily when their engineer transferred. So, even though we just moved, I’m now driving an hour each way (again). Well, the outage is well into its 11th week, and I haven’t had a full day off since February. I worked 96 hours last week and have already put in two twenty-hour days this week (and it’s only Wednesday). On the late nights, I just get a hotel room. Last night, I went to my hotel and they told me they sold my room to someone else. I was REALLY mad, but could hardly stand up at that point, so I didn’t have the energy to argue. I considered sleeping in my car, but I’m renting a Jeep and didn’t think that would be very comfy. They eventually called the Holiday Inn and got me a room there. Since it was so late (or early, depending on how you look at it — 3:30 am), the Holiday Inn didn’t charge me for Tuesday night and had me down as an “early check-in” for Wednesday. So, I slept in AND I have a place to stay tonight when I leave work — all for one night’s price.
I’ve been noticing funny signs around the plant. Here are a few. (The contents and/or “suggestions” these signs make do not necessarily reflect my beliefs or way of life — they are just funny to me, especially at 2am)
The first one is one that I pass every time I go through the door. It’s funny in a wierd “oops,-I-might-spill-my-coffee-and-someone-could-slip-and-fall” kind of way. There are many more hazards in a power plant than the dreaded “cube farm”… I somehow find this one especially ironic late at night.
Here’s another good one:
Maybe the inspiration for a new Austin Powers movie character?:
And this last one has a story. A friend of mine (Nikki) says that every time she sees my email signature with the plant name where I’m temporarily assigned, she thinks it sounds like a “Cheesy 70s Movie Star” name. I told her she watched too many of “those type” movies (hint, hint, nudge, nudge):
