Spent all day yesterday looking for Acme's office. The map the JATC gave me was shit, none of the roads were labelled. It took 2 hours. But I went in today and there was confusion...the girl at the front desk didn't understand what rotation was, and once we got through that, then no one else seemed to know what was going on. No one knew where I was supposed to report, what jobsite, what foreman...finally they found jobsites but didn't know when I was supposed to report or if the drug test was scheduled before or after. I got the foreman's name and cell number but he didn't answer, so I went ahead and did my drug test beforehand and even though most contractors just pay two hours for orientation and testing, I was paranoid. That's how Bombard had done it but Titan had expected me to show up the same day so in fear of being labelled no call-no show, I drove down there. It's the Henderson Water Reclamation Facility, a.k.a. the Shit Plant...definitely something different. I think it's my first job thats not in a casino or having to do with slot machines.
So I showed up: no one was expecting me, the foreman and steward both hadn't even come in to work, and the guy queening said straight out that he didn't think I was supposed to be there....great start with my new contractor.
I can't believe it. I finally got rotated. All that shit I put up with at Red Rock, begging for rotation, and I get it when I'm somewhere I like. Damn.
Sharkey, Luke, Carlo, Red, a whole bunch of the guys took me to PT's Pub, not only to celebrate "Hello Friday!" but my happy rotation. I'll be honest, I didn't order a drink myself, even though I got offers from the guys to buy me one. I knew if I got drunk and huggy at work I'd regret it. So intead I just tasted their drinks: a little Patrón, a little Crown Royal, a little Heineken...it was enough. I wasn't huggy, but I was happy.
Usually, the apprentice getting rotated gets their final check and heads out early to get their next assignment. My check was missing a whole day. I couldn't find Trevor so I spent a good fifteen minutes wandering till I found James, who called Trevor for me, and even then it wasn't until much later in teh morning that he took my check from me to get it fixed. I didn't do a damn thing my last day. I said a few goodbyes, and tied up some loose ends for Sharkey. But Trevor said he'd have me back, as did James, and Matt (the general foreman) spent a few minutes with me, saying he was sorry to see me go and I'd be welcome on his jobsite anytime. I love hearing that; it's a welcome change from the hatred propagated at the Rock.
I finally got my check close to 14h00...what a waste. But I gathered my tools, gave Sharkey my keys, vice-grips and cordless drill, and left. I guess I could have waited the extra half-hour and gone with everyone else, but I wanted to get my rotation papers.
After being dissapointed with my assignment to Acme (which contracts mostly underground work), I met a few guys at the Bonanza Lounge. It's across the street from both the JATC and the Hall, so very close and convenient. I had a Guinness, and lost a foreman's $20 in trying to play video poker. Fun, nonetheless.
Sad: I've been with Bombard for three years. I didn't think I'd care when I left.
I've been having those weird vision issues lately...with the vision temporarily going from my left eye, or that eye going numb, or simple vision disturbances. Anyway, I went to see an opthamologist. I did a field of vision test, and my right eye
was completely normal. Left eye, I'm losing sight. She said right now it's not major but I lost 15% of vision from some area...of course I forget now, I think it was the internal nasal area. Something similar. Honestly, that scares me. So I have to get it retested in six months to see if it's getting worse. And even though she said it's nothing to be overly concerned with, the actual doctor called (which is rare) and she was almost too reassuring. I'm really not liking this.
Can't explain it really. I don't think I will. But I know what it means, and knowing is half the battle. (Yay, GI Joe.)
Pipes burst, icicles hanging from studs, there were a few rooms with 1-inch solid ice coating the floor...it was interesting to see little tek-screws and strips of 20-guage metal backing suspended there. It was miserable. No one hardly talked to one another, and no one could feel their bodies. We all just shuffled around, hating existance. I even got frostbite in my toes. I swear, if ever there is a reason to blow $100 on anything Carhartt, it's for quilted bibs. I'm not going to hurt like this next winter.
I did find, however, that the McDonald's at the Palms food court sells tea for a dollar. A cup of hot water and a tea-bag. It's gloriously blissful, that 25 minutes in the heated sportsbook, sipping on cheap tea. I don't even care, it could be ground up leaves from someone's front yard, if it's hot, I'll take it.
I've never been so cold in my life. I can't even explain it. Yeah, I have people telling me that I don't know what cold is, since I live in a desert. But think about this: firstly, I was out in it all day. It's a cumulative cold. Secondly, the travellers here from colder states tell me there are heat tents set up onsite to help deal with extreme cold and frostbite. They say even they haven't ever worked in such cold conditions. At least at home, they have heat tents.
Aside from it being Logan's birthday--who, sadly, isn't even conscious to celebrate it--this day marks 14 years that I've been adopted. Half my life. Interesting, that. Sometimes I want to call everyone involved and thank them, and other times I wonder if that constant reminder that I'm adopted and not of my family "naturally" would cause problems. I know I talked to my dad about it almost two months ago and all went exceedingly well but I don't want to push it.
At any rate, happy "birthday" to me.
At breaktime today, I grabbed my lunchbox and met Sharkey on the pile of stacked drywall where we eat. It's right by the window on the sunlit side...yeah, warmth. I opened it and it looked like lunchtime exploded. I usually have everything neatly packed but it had all tumbled around. I asked Sharkey if he'd dropped it and he started laughing.
He told me that he'd moved the maid's cart down the hall and my lunchbox fell off, spilling the contents all over the hallway, and into the path of Trevor and James. Of course I always keep a few extra tampons hidden near the bottom, in case, and those spilled out too. I swear, Sharkey nearly choked with his uncontrolled laughter as he described the scene as both foremen bent down to help pick up my lunch, tampons and all.
Yes, I know men know what a tampon is, and I'm not ashamed of that. If I were, I wouldn't put them in such place, I'd actually hide them. I'm not sure what embarassed me, actually, but all of a sudden I realised that Trevor hadn't uttered two words to me this morning and James was MIA from the entire floor. All I could do is smile as I walked past them and pretend nothing had happened.
I totally spaced writing about Christmas and New Year's. Or maybe I was lazy. One can never tell.
Christmas was nice; Marissa came into town, and I really like seeing her. She's graduating from seminary in the spring and hoping she'll get a job out here. I'd love to see her more. I did miss time with my sister, and her family; since Tannah and I were in Ohio for Thanksgiving, it didn't much feel like they were absent then. But during Christmas, not seeing them really cemented it. I really miss them. But other than that, Tannah and I did the usually tri-family shufffle:
His parents first, as his mom has to be at work by 06h00. So we get there around 04h00, do the gift thing and have coffee or cocoa and stay till 07h00 or 08h00. We had breakfast there this year as well; I think that's a first. Then back to our place to get ready for my parents' place. We normally get there around 10h00 and by that time my parents have cofffee cake and other snacks out, and we do the gift thing as well. We stay there until 13h00 or so, and go home again...to refresh. Again. Then his grandparents' home, where we meet up with his parents again, and other extended family. Gifting, and dinner. Back to my parents' house by 18h00 for their annual Christmas party, which I love: treats and liquor. This is the first year Tannah's family made an appearance. it makes for a very exciting and hectic day.
New Year's was low-key. Every year I kinda want to go down to the Strip, like we did in 1999 to ring in 2000, but we never go. It's just a cluster-fuck getting in and out of there. This year we brought in 2007 quietly, just the two of us, with a bottle of Riesling. I really enjoyed it.
