Last Day!

To everyone else at work yesterday, it was just another normal day. It was a busy day, the crushers were moving, the pit was swarming with equipment, loaders moving conveyors, rock trucks lined up right out of the pit, waiting to be loaded with gravel...and in the midst of all the bustling, my head was also swarming with activity, last minute tasks and loose ends that needed tying were lined up in my head further than the trucks in the pit.

It was 567 days ago I started working for TBG. I never thought that number would get so high, looking back now it's a pretty significant chunk of my mature life gone by. With the long hours and the busy schedule I've had in Fort McMurray the time has gone by fast, especially of course this last couple weeks. And as I had expected, it was actually quite difficult finally saying goodbye to the people I've come to know as much more than co-workers. My work family out at CNRL spends far more time together than most actual families do at home, and they're a really great bunch of guys and gals.

One friend I will sure miss is Trevor King. Trevor is from Red Harbour, Newfoundland. He's an equipment operator, been with TBG for 3.5 yrs, now owns a home in the Fort, has a wife and son, and works his heart out every day. Well, he did anyway before he sprained his ankle. So now our new Newfie of the week will be helping last week's winner Hazel in the office while he's on light duty.

See ya round, Trevor buy.


It's strange to be so melancholy on one's birthday, but I find myself today somewhat aimless as I still struggle to let go of this last chapter of my life and prepare to take on the next. You may be very surprised to hear that I find it hard to leave, but it's true. Every day I've worked at the same place with the same people, my mind has been saturated with the concerns of TBG engineering for a long, long time.

Throughout the day yesterday I kept catching myself thinking "ok, tomorrow I have to do this, oh wait, I won't be here" or "I think the generator is going to need fuel tomorrow". It's just so difficult to extricate yourself from an environment that you allow yourself to be consumed by for so long, especially when it's a positive one. I can't even imagine what it would be like to leave after working somewhere for 5 or 10 years!!

One neat thing I was able to do at work on my last couple days is I brought in a flight navigational chart of Newfoundland which I will be using to fly by in a few months, and a couple of my favourite co-workers showed me where their home towns are so that I can fly over, take some pictures, maybe find a free place to stay the night. After all, what people say about Fort McMurray is true, it is the second biggest city in Newfoundland. I've already learned the lingo, so I'll have no trouble understanding the locals.

Until then, it's time to get ready, time to pack and clean and finish removing myself from the life I've had here. Physically I didn't accumulate very much, so there's really not that much to pack, but in terms of the experiences, the lessons and relationships, I really am leaving with a lot more than I arrived with.