I'm Back!!

I am back! I flew in last Friday morning and finally getting my 10 week venture on the blog. I am an official "mud engineer" and I have the little piece of paper to prove it. I flew to Houston Texas on January 18. I am employed by Baroid, Halliburton bought them out a few years ago so they sign my check. Baroid is the oldest and best fluid company in the oil and gas industry. I did not say that because I am employed by them, you can ask any one in the industry about Baroid and they will back up everything I say. I successfully passed the hardest and best mud school around! We started with 27 people in my class, but two failed out after week two. All of them but me and another guy was from the Texas region. One was from Angola and then me from WYOMING. I had to defend myself often and fight through the "yankee" comments but I managed. The best one I had on them was that I was from the "True Cowboy State."



Here is my class, as you can tell we are in short sleeve shirts. The coldest it got while I was there was 29 degrees and only lasted four hours. Down there they have the freezing temps timed down to how many hours it will last. Other than that it was usually seventies during the day and fifties at night. As you can tell I am needing to head South for the winters already. I enjoyed my time down there and it was hard to come home. I met a lot of close friends while I was there. The weather must have known what weekends I flew home because it was usually pretty miserable. I left Houston one Friday night at 80 degrees and got home to -3 degrees, some where in 1200 miles the nice weather left.

I truly and sincerely thank all of you that helped with my family while I was gone. Owen only had two episodes while I was down there and Gayle was in good hands. To my family, Dad for bagging Owen early one morning and taking Gayle to Evanston; Mom for helping Gayle and bringing food; Kristi for going and getting the kids and helping out Gayle; Nellie for helping Gayle and all the phone calls; and to the wonderful community of Cokeville for the continued meals, support, and prayers; and most of all the Lord Jesus Christ, I spent a lot of time on my knees for tests and my family. It was ironic that Owen got his sickest the day before two major exams, and I passed. The Lord helped me through a pretty trying time and we made it!

I am truly blessed! I made my instructor aware that I had an infant with days numbered and he was very understanding. He mentioned that if I had to go home, he would take care of everything. During tests we had to have our cell phones off, except mine. All of my class mates offered rides to the airport and even took me out to get my mind off home. I love and appreciate those in my class that went above and beyond for me.