Blog – Page 52 – Mark's Blog

9 March 2020, A day in progress

Status:I am getting short. 24 hours of shift work and 11 days until I retire. Things going well, system has been running non stop for 5 days.

Plans:I have asked for leave all next week, which means Friday 13 March will be my last day. (Provided I get my Expense report submitted by COB Friday)

Narrative:Night was terribly long, I am very tired. Tried to relax a little by watching an old western “White Feather” which is always enjoyable. My stomach is a little unhappy, but it settled down before leaving for the hotel.

We left for the hotel and I took a shower and changed clothes before heading down to breakfast. Breakfast consisted of a LARGE bowl of frosted flakes and a glass of juice

Took a good nap before meeting up with my new shift mate. We went to Wally World and then I went to the bar for dinner and a beer.

Ordered a steak for dinner, i meant to take a picture, but I was hungry. LOL I got a double espresso for the room and spent some time on my blog.

Tomorrow:Back on shift for the last time. My boss arrives around lunch, tomorrow will be the first of two days with him in person before I leave the company. I have a rotisserie chicken for dinner with plenty of cans of vegetables.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/feelings-words-from-a-to-z-2086647

From the book “Triggers” by Marshall Goldsmith
Did I DMBT set clear goals for the day? No
Did I DMBT make progress to those goals? No
Did I DMBT make my wife feel loved? Yes
Did I DMBT help my wife today? Yes
Did I DMBT fix something today? Yes
Did I DMBT improve something today? Yes
Did I DMBT be happy? Yes
Did I DMBT be fully engaged? Yes
*Did My Best To
Injuries: Arguments: Exercise: Feeling words: Travel: Noteworthy: Accomplishments: Purchases: Project: Theme: Engineering: Repairs: Pi News:

8 March 2020, A day in progress

Status:Rested all day yesterday and had a good shot of rum to put me to sleep last night at the hotel.

Plans:Eat breakfast and drive to the site and start my shift.

Narrative:I actually slept pretty well last night, half on the bed and half on the chair. Costa Rica does not observe Daylight savings so my clocks are an hour ahead. (An woke me an hour early)

Breakfast we good as usual, better in fact they had steak as a side dish with the scrambled eggs. Waay good!

The wind is howling today, in fact there are no clouds in the sky.

Time for a nap. There is a inflated mattress that with a oversized comforter I brought from Atlanta makes for a comfy bed.

Slept for about an hour, it helped a lot. Listened to Bob Segar for a couple songs before I laid down. The coffee down here is addicting, we drink it all day long. It is not like Folgers and Maxwell House that taste so bad you have to add creme and sugar.

Had a can of Non GMO corn for a snack and a package of Oreos with my coffee. LOL

Had my can of Progresso chicken noodle soup, it was delicious. Ritz crackers would have been great, but it was good enough.

To Do List

Instant ink for Mom’s printer
ST Fiber connectors
Outside cameras
Remote access for shop
Continuity Folders
MOI List
Solar charge MOI
Router license
Circuit boards
release pmi
rental car insurance

Tomorrow:Head back to the hotel for breakfast and some rest. I have one more shift to pull on Tuesday and then I am DONE!

https://www.verywellfamily.com/feelings-words-from-a-to-z-2086647

7 March 2020, a day in progress

Status:System is stable and has been running for 58 hours without faltering. I am tired, but not terribly sleepy. I have two more 24 hour shifts to do over the next 5 days and I fly home.

Plans:Finish my shift, head back to the hotel and get some sleep in a real bed.

Narrative:It has been a beautiful evening, a bit windy at times, but very nice otherwise.

I’ve managed to get about six hours sleep so I’m in pretty good shape. Took a shower, had a good breakfast and my hotel bed is looking terrific at the moment.

Slept for a good 6 hours, i am still tired but am considering wondering to the hotel bar. *Which will ground me to the hotel for the evening.

Had salmon for dinner, it was quite good. Got a 2x Expresso to go and I am back in my room writing in my blog. I often forget the pleasure of listening to music on these trips. I don’t turn on the TV in my room, most of the channels are in Spanish and there’s not usually anything good to watch. I had to take a bath yesterday to relax and shed the anxiety of being down here. I’ve loaded my library of music on a portable player. I can also play music through my phone since I am VPN’d back to the house network.

Tomorrow I think i am going to hang out in the parts MSK. There I can listen to music and concentrate on working my exit plans for the company. My boss arrives on Tuesday and i leave on Thursday. It will be interesting conversations on Wednesday because that is the last time they’ll see me in person. (I’ll be gone before they return to the USA.)

I decided to celebrate a little since it was after dark anyway, I ordered a double shot of Fleur de Caña 12 year rum. Superb! Listening to George Straight as a plus!

Still using my 10″ 2007 $200 Gateway Netbook computer!

When my sinus is draining i cannot sleep flat, i have to be elevated enough that it can drain while i sleep. I have other issues like the pressure on my lower back and limited circulation in my legs, but the sinus is by far the tall pole in the tent.

Tomorrow:Back on shift, 2 of them to go. Working 24 on an 24 off is horrible on the body. You don’t recover before your our here on shift again so the days just add up. On top of that there are things we have to do on our days off that pulls away from resting as well.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/feelings-words-from-a-to-z-2086647

6 March 2020, A day in progress

Status:At the hotel trying to rest before the alarm goes off in four hours. (I have 6 days left in Costa Rica.)

Plans:Sleep as much as I can, eat breakfast and drive to the site around 7:15 and stand another 24hr shift Friday. (3 to go) I brought 3 cans of soup down here and have yet to eat one. Time to start eating them because I need the weight for the coffee! I am also bringing more home than I brought down here, a pair of boots, gloves, and a Crock Lunch Pot for the soup.

Engineering:The 20 Mango’s I bought for this trip are catching on, as the team runs into issues with their websites they are using the Mango’s VPN to solve them. Paying bills online was a new one that occurred in the last couple days.

Narrative:woke startled, my sinus draining has built a sticky layer of phlegm in my throat. I am having a hard time going back to sleep. Made a cup of coffee and took a pain pill for the joints.

These long days are really messing with my head. My body can’t figure out whether to be awake or is it ok to sleep. I expect to be awakened at any moment from my Jr. coworker if the system falters. (Which it hasn’t so far.)

On site, system ran all night long. Woo Hoo! It will take an hour or so to get settled.

I’ve had two cups of coffee, banana , tangerine and some Doritos here at the site. Today is soup day, i have my Lunch crock to heat up a can of Chunky soup for dinner. I have a rotisserie chicken if I dare to eat it 3 days later. A can of corn tastes really good on shift.

Soup was terrific with crackers no less. Also had a can of peas and carrots that were pretty good as well. To top off the evening I had a cup of coffee with a bag of peanut M+Ms.

System running good, we’ve started our rest shifts and i’m number two in the list. Beautiful moonlit sky.

Tomorrow:A day of rest.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/feelings-words-from-a-to-z-2086647

5 March 2020, A day in progress

Status:On shift manning the system for 24 hours, things are going well.

Plans:Return to the hotel and grab breakfast. Then a good hot shower and a nap. Afternoon trip to Wally-World and get some sleep for my 3rd to last shift.

Narrative:Things going well, system is purring and we just might get through the night without any down time.

I am trying to figure out a way to encourage my shift mate to stop letting his phone distract him from learning about his job. (Which he is not qualified to hold.)

Back up from another nap, slept hard this time with thick phlegm upon awaking. System still running and stable. This will be the third night in a row that the system ran all night. (Which it has not on the opposite shift.)

Took a nice shower and a nap once I got back in the hotel. Breakfast was also pretty good this morning.

My body is rebelling at this 24 on/ 24 off schedule. I feel like I haven’t gotten enough sleep, but I am having trouble getting to sleep and sleeping more than an hour or so. (Which is what I do on site.) My joints and muscles are complaining which complicates rest as well.

This is similar to what I feel like when I drove to Chicago straight through for 12 hours. Only I was much younger then and I bounced back before returning home two days later.

I have consumed way too many calories for just sitting for 24 hours, my waist has grown maybe an inch since I started this shift schedule. The temptation is to nibble on something so that I stay alert and can do critical thinking. I haven’t worked on this system in years and the opposite shift has had severe equipment failures to deal with. To stay ahead of that, I’ve been doing lots of research and collecting as much data as I can.

We’ve lost power at the hotel several times over the last hour. I’ll have to wait to take a nap since I didn’t bring the batteries from the site this week.

Took a hot bath, and that helped with the skin tensions. Went down to the bar and had Salmon and two beers. That helped too. Coffee in the room settles my stomach so that is next on my list. I have 4 fresh pairs of pants left and more than enough shirts for the next 7 days. At some point I need to take my dirty socks and toss them in the trash can. I have had the maid send them to be washed. They’ve also picked up all the dirty clothes off the floor and washed them in Colombia.

Three shift days left, I am ready to go home.

Tomorrow:Grab breakfast and start a 24 hour shift manning the equipment.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/feelings-words-from-a-to-z-2086647

4 March 2020, A day in Progress

Status:16 days left at my job, manning the system today. Three more of those days left before I fly home.

Plans:Eat a good breakfast and drive out to the site.

Narrative: Arrived a little early so I can get acquainted with the plans for today. The work this morning went well and we’re up and running.

Broke out “Slate” today, needed a real windows computer to sign a document. Turns out I didn’t use it, but i did power her up and check for updates. (Which doesn’t happen anymore.)

Took a couple hour nap and i feel much better. These long hours raise my fight or flight until my skin is uncomfortably tingly. It also becomes increasingly difficult to think straight and my mind wanders random thoughts. Productivity also decreases dramatically along with critical thinking which can lead you astray when trying to solve a problem.

I am just over half of my 24 hour shift here on site. I spent a good hour assessing the system after my nap making sure that I’ve not missed something.

I have a challenge with me on shift. He is an online gamer and has absolutely no emotional response when talking to him. He works hard when directed but is totally content earning a good wage playing with his phone for hours on end. He will also drift into the shadows during the work day and wait for you to come look for him.

Tomorrow:Drive to Wally – World and get another rotisserie chicken for Friday. Drive to Avis and sign a driving authorization.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/feelings-words-from-a-to-z-2086647

3 March 2020, a day in progress

Status:Shift number two bites the dust, i am ready to go to the hotel and get some rest. Tonight went well, learned a lot and so did my partner.

Plans:Get some breakfast, take a nap, return my rental car and get some groceries.

Narrative:Drive to hotel was uneventful and breakfast was very good. Took a small nap and I am headed to the gas station and then to Avis to work out the details of my rental car. It is a little complicated because they scheduled this transfer for tomorrow.

Car swap took about an hour n half, he had to modify the start and end dates of the contract. We also haggled about the insurance for a bit, still i ended up with a brand new SUV for the guys.

Back in my room I updated my “Linux Mint” computer before heading back out again.

We went to Wal-Mart and picked up some groceries for tomorrow before I headed down to the bar for dinner and a beer.

I headed back up to the room, took a shower and made a cup of coffee to sip on while I work on my blog.

The wife has hooked up with a good friend and they’ve been spending some good time together. These trips are hard on her too.

Tomorrow:Eat breakfast and be prepared to dig into preventive maintenance. Then stay on site for one of my last four shifts with the company. I have a hard time setting clear goals when i’m stretched as thin as I am down here.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/feelings-words-from-a-to-z-2086647

2 March 2020, a day in progress

Status: On site, babysitting the equipment for 24 hours.

Plans: Do everything I can to keep the equipment running today and find out why it failed last night.

Narrative: Slept pretty well, woke up a couple of times with congestion. Alarm woke me at 05:40 and i joined the team at breakfast.

Drove out to the site and relieved the current team. Weather is clear, warm and windy.

There is Costa Rican coffee always brewing here, it doesn’t need creme or sugar. I put a touch of sugar in mine this morning, but I’ve drank it black as well.

Lunch was a couple peanut butter crackers and a few M+Ms. Dinner was a rotisserie chicken today, it really hit the spot. I also has a can of corn with the chicken for Dinner.

I took a nap so that I could be more alert during the difficult time frame with this system. It was a good hour and half and I woke rested ready to go.

It is 10PM and the system hasn’t burped, very similar to my last shift on Saturday. We’ve spent almost all day looking at the circuitry and how the entire process works so that we are prepared if something happens.

Tomorrow:Deal with the rental cars, maybe. They’ve slated the rental return on Wednesday at 9AM.

https://www.verywellfamily.com/feelings-words-from-a-to-z-2086647

1 March 2020, a day in progress

Status:Assisting a remote team operate a system in Central America.

Plans:Stand my watch, eat breakfast and go to bed.

Narrative:Slept on site for about 4 hours. Broken sleep, but i feel much better having been here for 16 hours. Radar is running good so it has been an easy shift. I slept about 4 hours but I forgot my pillow that would have made me much more comfortable.

Another issue we ran into is when the Guard folks want to sleep when the site personnel are sleeping. Normally it is not an issue with two people on site, only one is sleeping.

I am struggling with my circle of influence. I feel like my time at work and at home with the Wife is 80% of my daily life. Add church activities and children i usually reach my limit for the day. I am not really good at breaking the momentum of something i like to do for something I need to do. I am looking forward to having the time to get closer to my extended family and visit them occasionally.

I took a pictures at night of the antenna that is sitting on an stacked 20′ ISO container.

First sunrise on shift at the remote site.

It is pretty cool to come down here to one of these remote sites. It’s on us whatever happens during our shift.

Back in the hotel with THREE cell phones, Local, Company and my personal phone. Had a good sized breakfast and I am headed for the shower to scrub off the 24 last hours. Coffee is always been good down here, today was no exception.

Today is Sunday and I forgot to let the guys know that they needed to put out the cones this weekend and next. Oops!

Apparently I’ve left my charging cord for my heart monitor in Atlanta and it seems i didn’t take the spare. (Which I bought just for this trip. ) I’ve got about 2 nights of charge in the one I have if I need it.

The housekeeper appreciated my tip and made me a swan.

Went to the store and got some Rotisserie Chicken and other supplies for tomorrow. We walked across the street and picked up a couple of Burger King Whoppers for dinner. (Hey I had Salmon the night before.) It’s true that last nights dinner was a couple of peanut butter crackers and two cans of corn.

Back in the hotel for the evening, Whopper was really good, the Fry’s were so, so. But still it was a familiar taste from home.

Sipp’n on a can of beer updating my blog for the day. I only had one “cold one” in the fridge, it is happy hour at the bar.

Tomorrow:Back on shift for Day 2 at the GBR

https://www.verywellfamily.com/feelings-words-from-a-to-z-2086647

29 February, Leap year

Status:On a remote site for the first time in years, it feels very familiar. Generator powered with a very small manning requirement is the trademarks of a MASS GBR.

Plans:Keep this system running and have a little fun doing it.

Narrative:Got up VERY early at 4:00 and took a shower. Finished packing for the trip to the site and sent my coworkers a message I was ready to take them.

05:45 and four bags stored in my room we’re headed to the airport.

Dropped them off and I drove in Costa Rica for the very first time. I’ve been here maybe eight trips and we always got a driver with the vehicle. Arrived at the hotel without incident. Finished last minute packing and headed down for breakfast.

This hotel has quite a spread for breakfast, it is $23 if you had to pay for it. Eggs made to order all kinds of breads and several versions of fruit.

Trip to site was uneventful, takes like 10 minutes. Radar performed pretty good overnight so it should be a good shift.

I setup the VPN to the house without much fanfare and checked my company resources. We took pictures and a video of the departing team’s Delta Aircraft. i’ll have to find a way to transfer that large file from my phone and share it.

Feeling words: Confident, Capable, Guarded

Tomorrow:SLEEP, buy a rotisserie chicken and have a good dinner!

https://www.verywellfamily.com/feelings-words-from-a-to-z-2086647

From the book “Triggers” by Marshall Goldsmith
Did I DMBT set clear goals for the day? Yes
Did I DMBT make progress to those goals? Yes
Did I DMBT make my wife feel loved? Yes
Did I DMBT help my wife today? Yes
Did I DMBT fix something today? Yes
Did I DMBT improve something today? Yes
Did I DMBT be happy? Yes
Did I DMBT be fully engaged? Yes
*Did My Best To
Injuries: Arguments: Exercise: Travel: Noteworthy: Accomplishments: Purchases: Project: Theme: Engineering: Repairs: Pi News:

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