It's been awhile since my last update... And as usual, I have no excuses. Hah! Well, things have been a bit crazy, and our access to internet is kind of unreliable. But really, not a good excuse.
For starters, we've moved! (Again.) We're now a couple hours west of Oklahoma City, in a charming little town called Elk City. I actually really like it here... There are things to do! Restaurants, bars, a dance club, pool halls, shopping, coffee shops... I could go on. The people are really friendly, and it's just a nice place to call home for now. Pryor was nice, but this is just more home-ey.
Well, I guess I could call it home-ey, if we lived in a home. Since the length of this job is unknown, we couldn't get into an apartment. We may only be here a few weeks, so we've settled into a kitchenette room at the Travel Inn... Not my first choice for lodging, but it'll do. It's nice to have a kitchenette as opposed to a room with just a microwave... But the kitchenette leaves much to be desired. Only one of our two burners works. There is no stove, although we bought a toaster oven that works like a dream. Counter and cabinet space is limited, to say the very least. And the sink is itty-bitty, and too close to the walls. My elbows get sore from banging into the wall when I do dishes. But, we have a king sized bed, so that's a plus!
Another up-side to living in a motel is being close to the other pipeliners. It's nice to have interaction with other human beings. I cook dinners, we go to the bar together, we shoot paintballs out of a slingshot... It's nice to not feel so isolated anymore. And the guys are all really nice... I don't feel like the girly-girl in a room full of dudes. I've been doing some of their laundry, so there's a little income in that.
In the time we've been here, I was introduced to the ugly side of pipelining: Jody. It's a term used mostly in the military, that mainly refers to a man or a woman (since Jody is a unisex name) that is watching your homefront while you're out defending the homefront. Pipeliners are on the road for months at a time, often not going home to see their families. The time apart strains marriages and relationships. I know Skip and I have more issues when we're apart than when we're together. One of the guys on this project has gone through some rough times with his wife... No doubt a product of the distance and distrust that this lifestyle brings. They're getting a divorce, and he took his vacation time to pack up his things, and spend time with his kids.
This whole situation kind of hit me, and put bad thoughts in my head. No one ever wants to think, "What if that happens to us?"... But it enters your mind. At least, it entered my mind. I sincerely hope Skip doesn't plan on doing this traveling job for a great portion of his life. The money is great, and it's nice to see new places... But it's really not conducive to a family. I want to have kids someday, and I want to settle down. The last 6 months have been nothing but me really wanting a stable life... To be in one spot for more than a few months. I'd love to have a home with pictures on the wall and flowers on the porch. I'd love to have furniture, I'd love to live near my friends. I couldn't imagine raising kids in hotel rooms. But then again, I couldn't imagine raising kids a thousand miles away from their father, by myself.
I hope the economy picks up, so Skip can find a job that doesn't travel so much. I don't want to think about what this lifestyle could do to us... I don't want to think of all the tough times that might lie ahead for us, should he choose to do this long-term. I honestly don't know how my grandparents did this for so long while my grandpa traveled as a lineman. I guess their success is like my inspiration. If they can do it, then I guess we can too.
My internet access is now limited to time spent in a coffee shop... And quite frankly, I've been here too long. Three lattes is my limit, I think. Until next time, my faithful readers!
--Malaya
