Leaving on a Jet Plane..

Things have been crazy at work. We lost a few contracts, and as winter approaches everyone seems to be looking around, wondering why nothing is happening. The whispers of layoffs and office changes could be heard all around the office. Last season was great, but that’s just the ‘nature of the industry’.

Yeah, okay.

Needless to say when my boss came into my office last Thursday  morning and closed the door, the whispers began to feel all too real. At the start of the conversation, it was quickly made clear that I was not being laid off (phew!), but that the ‘department would need to undergo some changes’. After a solid 20 minute conversation, I had been tentatively offered a position in Northern Alberta in order to save someone else’s job in our company (who is unable to work in the said position due to lack of education). So bascially, I leave, or she leaves. A camp job. Hmm…

For a moment, the “25-year old girl who moved to Alberta to get rich directly out of university” in me flaired up. YESSS I want to go! Duhh. I was reminded to talk it over with my husband, and that a formal offer would be made later in the day.

The next few hours flew by, and after a phone call to the husband we both agreed that the “8 days on, 6 days off” rotation I was being offered would be okay, and would likely not be a need for imminent divorce. So it was settled. Where’s my offer?

It was soon apparent that they had spoken too soon, and HR was on holiday’s until Monday. Oh coool, let’s just put my life on hold for a second (or 4 days), shall we? Friday and the weekend passed, slowly..while I thought over every possible scenario in my head and asked my husband as many questions as possible about ‘camp life’ (which he is all too familiar with).

By the time Monday rolled around I was pretty much ready to put on some wool socks and roll out.  I was given a bit more information on Monday morning, although I still wasn’t enlightened on the most important things: such as my hours of work, size of camp, gym facilities and quality of food. I was enrolled in a vast array of training courses for the next few days and scheduled for my drug and alcohol test. I can now officially say I am able to use a ladder and dig a trench safely and effectively. 😉 Silly.

Side Bar: I have been googling like crazy, trying to find information about the secret little realm I’m about to enter into. Sounds scary, fun, stupid, neat, cold, and snowy…but really overall there isn’t that much info. UNTIL NOW, my lucky friends. I am going to keep you all posted on my journey… I bet you can hardly wait!

So, I fly out on Monday at 1:00pm to Wood Buffalo, Alberta. Google that shit.. No, but seriously…you will be afraid when you see how close to the top of the world I will be. Looks cold.

So now that the flight is booked, things are starting to look a little more real. “25-year old girl who moved to Alberta to get rich directly out of university” is hiding somewhere in a corner, and Ashley is here, trying to imagine what it will really be like up there. It’s only 8 days at a time..right?

So! As of now, my main thoughts are:

1. I still don’t know what hours I will be working..only that I will be doing 10-hour days. Fingers crossed I’m not up by 5am..
2. Camp food — I’ve heard everything from “OMG RED SEAL TRAINED CHEFS” to “bring trail mix and protein bars…”
3. The gym — Will it be shitty, or will it be great? Perhaps this will be the motivation I need to stop eating like a chunker?
4. No matter how bad it is, the first cheque will make it all worth it, no?
5. Only 11 more sleeps and I get 6 days off (That’s the spirit!! :))
6. I’ve never done 10 hour days…  I think 10 hour office days are probably very different than 10 (or 12!) hour “working-outside-in-the-minus-50” days.. which is typical for most of the people up there . I should probably not complain, ever, no matter what.
7. Everyone I talk to keeps warning me about the male/female ratio, and how I needed to “watch myself” and “be careful”. Yesterday I was even warned by the lady who provided one of my training courses that I should “not speak to a man unless spoke to first, as it may give off the wrong impression”. Uhh sorry, what century are we living in?
8. Will I miss J too much? I’m scared..but I know it will be fine…as long as he misses me just as much. ❤

Four more sleeps and a few shopping trips from now and I’ll be flying up to the Great White North (literally?)…weird.

Fingers crossed.

❤ Ash

 

Burrr…Thursday rant.

I’m so cold. All the time!  Right now I am sitting in my office with the space heater running at max, trying to over-ride the air conditining that my manager has blasting in this place. It makes me so sleepy though… this blog post, while perhaps quite useless and uninformative, is my attempt at making it through the next few hours of my shift without taking a desk nap.

It’s summer time here, and the weather is great..it’s hovering around 30 degrees (that’s 86 in Fahrenheit, according to Google..which might not seem hot for some, but for us, it’s pretty standard. It sometimes might get to about 35 (or 95F), but that’s about the max). It’s also insanely dry here and there’s no ocean…so the heat feels a bit like a desert. But guess who LOVES IT? This girl. Maybe I need to move somewhere I hear about on TV where 100F is the norm…mmm…let’s cook an egg, shall we?

You know that feeling of climbing into a scortching car after it’s been sitting in the sun all day? Lovely..only a few more hours..haha  James thinks I am absolutely nuts and we constantly fight over the air conditioning level in the car. Air conditioning sucks. Give me hot, hot, sweltering, unventilated car heat anyday over AC.

P.S. I am getting married in two weeks.

On that note, let’s unleash the Bridezilla for a bit, shall we? I’ve never been to a wedding, and this is the first one I’ve ever been a part of planning…so please correct me if any of my stated information or feelings are wrong.

Say someone invites you to a wedding.. a wedding that has specifically stated (through both word of mouth and their beautiful wedding website) that children will, unfortunately, not be invited to the event due to space constraints, as well as the fact that the venue does not allow minors. Now,  would you think it would be reasonable to ask the host(s) if you could PLEASE bring your kids? “No one else even has to know”.. Or, how about request that you please ADD ADDITIONAL PERSON(S) to your invite? I’ve had several inquiries lately, ranging from “My husband can’t come, so I’m bringing my child in his place”, “My son wants to come, and he is bringing his girlfriend”, “Will there be booze at the ceremony??” to “I think it’s absolutely unfair that my children cannot come and we will not be attending since our family comes as a single unit.”, and even “I am thinking of leaving my husband, but I am unsure. Would it be okay for me to put an alternate name down as my plus 1, just in case?”. <– That is real.. I swear it is.

Crazy. Maybe I’m crazy, or maybe they are. Everyone has told me since the begining of this planning that I cannot be worried about other people, that “this is [our] special day”, and “not to let it get to [me]”..but I feel like a bit of a psycho/meany-pants/bridezilla/control freak when I have to say “no”, “no”, “no”, “yes”, “okay”, “maybe”, “sorry”, “sure”, or, “I’ll get back to you”, to each of these requests.

I get it..but please understand, folks… I’m truly sorry you can’t bring your kids, and (as a non-parent) I cannot begin to imagine how horrible it must be for you to have one free night away from them (I’ve offered to pay for a sitter).  I’m also sorry that our venue only allows us to accomodate a small number of people, and that we have chosen to have an intimate wedding with only our close family and friends. I am also sorry that your 14-year old son wants to bring his girlfriend, but unfortunately I am not interested.I am sorry that you feel the need to drink during our ceremony, but that, unfortunately, will not be available until afterwards. I’m also sorry that I’ve never met your five year old golden retriever, and I’m sure he’s lovely..but we are not having animals at the wedding (other than Monkey and Benjamin, because they are my soul babies). <– okay, I guess that answer’s it.. It’s me who’s crazy.

Oh wait, no I’m not sorry. We invited each and every single one of you to share in our special day because you’re important to us. Please come, and pack a smile and well-wishes…that is all we ask. If you don’t agree with the way we are organizing our big day, we truly hope you can get over it, but if not, you will unfortunately not be welcome (and no, your sister’s cat cannot take your place).

So, my special friends, that ends my crazy rant (sorry if I offended anyone).

In closing:

I promise that if I am ever invited to a wedding I will come as I am, and if Jamie is not available (or even not invited!), I will come alone. I will not ask if I can bring my sister’s cousin’s friend and his entire family. I promise. I will cheer when you kiss, and I will probably cry too, even if you are wearing black and ONLY invite children–I want your day to be perfect–for you. Good luck fellow brides, try to remember to breathe..