The Life of Brad: December 2017 - Worked through Christmas, Oilers, Chris Birthday, Breakfast Buffets

The month was work filled HDD inspection and any hopes of being home for Christmas for the first time in 9 years were thwarted by a few problems during the pullback. Oh well, an opportunity to explore Chetwynd and the surroundings.

First day of the month = Take a break haha (days off). Left the team hammering away to get the casing in.

Heading to Dawson Creek to pick up some food supplies, especially meat from the Butcher Block (Recommended!).

Off to Dawson Creek

Oh my! Rib eye!

Just in time to catch the Butcher before close

A beautiful ribeye at Murray's Pub

A few people doing shots around 8pm. Small town living.

Check out that table on bottle caps
(made of Budweiser, not Canadian?)

Coming off nights I had to stay up until 7am in order to keep my sleep clock correct. So, of course I went to Amigos the only night club in town to play some pool with the locals. Luckily it was Friday so it was just me and the locals (Sunday the Pipeline crew is off so Saturday nights are a little rougher/busier).

Pomeroy Apartment Suite, best in the building! (Highly Recommended). Best breakfast buffet and pool in town!

Fun in the Jacuzzi

Back to work (still on nights). Everything was moving along quite fast until we broke a few things and got a little stuck. At least it was warm during what is usually a chilly time of year.

Its all under control

Some schedule changes, confusing

Over seeing adding a joint of pipe

Waiting for intersection

Jet assembly made it to Entry

42" reamer

And the big boy 48"

Leatherman for my bday

Mom even sent a cookie and candle

60" casing at Exit

Pullhead on Product ready to go

Beautiful area

The other inspector shack a little more uptight then us

Cranes ain't cheap

You got to have some tools to
retrieve a broken drill stem

Must be important, modification to Fishing tool

Now we got it trimmed up right

Oh crap, pulled off to the shoulder to take a phone call
and found out there was no shoulder. Uff.

Thanks to this old guy and his
1979 3/4 ton Ford that he had to
climb under and switch the linkage
to put it in 4x4

Stuck for days hammering out the casing 1 m, then pulling the product pipe 1 m, then hammer 1 m, then pull...you get the idea...

Team work

Heating up the now frozen casing

Even tried a vibrator to get it moving

Christmas came and went. The client provided a 2 hour deep fried turkey dinner and some drinks. That'll do. Unfortunately not a lot happened during Christmas holidays as most of the main crews and welders were gone. Oh and the temperature dropped furiously. - 35 C!!!

Late in the month I was given a few days off in order to make it back to Calgary for Chris's big birthday. A 1000 km to Calgary and then a stop over in Edmonton to see a Oilers game on my way back to site. 2000 plus km in 3 1/2 days.

Sometimes, pollution can be beautiful

Christmas presents from Santa

I love those Bretzel, but $12!!!

Chris and Sis at Wurst "German" Restaurant

Crazy double turn in Edmonton

Heading in to Downtown

Matrix Hotel - Very nice

Ready for the game!

Lovely lobby at Matrix

Chicago Blackhawks at Edmonton Oilers from the nose bleeds, but hey my direct competitor bought them...haha...

Maybe they'll win a game

What a Breakfast Buffet at Matrix Hotel (Highly Recommend this hotel). I would walk over a dead body to get those cinnamon buns, YumYum!

So good!

F'ing cold!

Cold can be so clear and beautiful

Frosty doors, that's cold

Back on site to see the Moon as I switched to day shift

Highway Christmas lights

Massive Christmas light display in the middle of nowhere, but that's probably the most important place to put them, right?

Hwy 97

Other Things

Best "RESTROOM" in Canada (2016). What is a Restroom? Isn't that what they say in the US? Either the contest is bullshit or the signs to boast this honour were cheaper to make in the US?