The one about Georgia is from last year. I don't think we already posted it. So especially for the Georgia Family!
Friday, December 2, 2011
More of Sidney's Work
These things really make us laugh so we think you might like them as well.
The one about Georgia is from last year. I don't think we already posted it. So especially for the Georgia Family!
The one about Georgia is from last year. I don't think we already posted it. So especially for the Georgia Family!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Thanksgiving in Warsaw
Kirk and Sidney joined Kimber in Warsaw for the long holiday weekend. While it may seem a bit crazy to fly a third of the way around the world for five days, it has made a difference to all of us to get to spend a little time together with Kimber's travel schedule being what it is.
The hotel we are in is just down from Kimber's office, as well as just across the street from what is probably one of the most "recognized" buildings in Warsaw, the Palace of Culture and Science. The Palace was a gift to Poland from Josef Stalin and was built in 1955. While it is viewed as a symbol of the Communist era and not a favorite symbol of Warsaw for many people. It is quite lovely lit up and a purplish-blue at night, especially from the 43rd floor swimming pool of our hotel.
Kimber's office is located in the same building as a local mall. The wavy glass roof is the mall, and Kimber's office is located in the tower portion on the front. Marathon occupies part of the 6th floor.
I mention Kimber's office here for a special reason. We have celebrated many holidays in some interesting places over the past few years - Christmas in South Africa, Easter in Croatia and Germany, etc., and Thanksgiving here in Poland at Kimber's office. It was an eclectic mix of people that joined us for the "traditional" dinner, Scots, Brits, Poles, a Spaniard, as well as some other Americans. The menu was turkey, stuffing, gravy, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, clam chowder, rolls, cheesecake, pumpkin pie and brownies. The food, prepared as a package by the Warsaw Marriott, was good, but not quite as unique as you would find around a family dinner table in the States. It was a wonderful evening of sharing, and quite interesting to see those that had never celebrated, and in some cases, knew little about Thanksgiving, all gathered together. Some had never eaten roast turkey, and the Spaniard commented that the carrots (actually sweet potatoes) were quite nice. It did remind me a bit of the spirit of the holiday, with a mix of different cultures coming together to share a meal and give thanks for all we have, and we, thankfully, shared it all as a family.
On Friday, we went to the Copernicus Museum of Science, a recent addition on the list of "things to do in Warsaw." Like other science centers, it is full of hands-on experiments and demonstrations for everyone, especially kids, to try. Here you see Sidney truly getting "hands-on", using her hands as a form to blow bubbles. There were lots of things to do, and the place was stuffed to the gills with kids of all ages learning and having a good time. After the museum, we had a nice walk back to the Fenicia Lebanese restaurant, a favorite of Kimber's since arriving in Warsaw.
Saturday was a relaxing day for us. We had a wonderful breakfast in the hotel, then walked down to a local park. Along the walk, we saw statues of Charles de Gaulle and Ronald Reagan. The statue of de Gaulle is positioned to face away from the former communist party headquarters. The statue of Reagan sits across from the U.S. Embassy. Reagan, as you may recall, was president during the time of the Solidarity movement, and was monumental in the change from communism to capitalism in Poland.
The park we visited, Ujazdowski park, had a great playground for Sidney, as well as a nice pond and sculptures. It was first opened in 1896, but has been updated many times since. There are several rare tree specimens, as well as brown-tufted squirrels and ducks.
Sidney played for a while, then we walked down the street past the university botanical gardens and parliament to the Lazienkowski park. The monument to Chopin is here. This is the monument featured on the Warsaw coffee mug from the Starbuck's city collection. A picture of it can be found in Kimber's earlier "Poland Part 1" post.
We made one more stop back at the playground before heading back to the city center. We took a trip up to the top of the Palace of Culture and Science to get a look at the city from a different perspective. While it wasn't as high as the view from the 43rd floor of our hotel, it was clearer because there was no glass between us and the view. The picture of Kimbers office building was taken from up here.
After returning to the hotel for a break, we headed back out to the Old Town to take in the Christmas Market. There were booths set up selling traditional foods, crafts and lots of other stuff. It is located on the square where the "Little Mermaid's Sister" fountain is. Those that have followed the blog for a while may remember a picture of Sidney here about a year and a half ago when Kirk and Sidney did their camping trip. Here is a more up-to-date picture of her with the mermaid.
We shopped a little, then headed for dinner at a restaurant called U Kucharzy. It is located in the kitchen (literally, the restaurant is in the kitchen) of the old Hotel Europejski. We were able to snag a table right beside the stoves and ovens and watched as the cooks prepared the traditional Polish fare around us. The food was fantastic! Kimber had cucumber soup and veal meatballs in a cream dill sauce, I had beef wrapped in cabbage, and Sidney had perogies. And for those in Texas, H.E.B. sells perogies with this picture on front. We, however, dined on much better perogies just a few blocks down from this statue. (The statue is King Sigismund, the man who made Warsaw the capitol of Poland.)
After dinner, we walked off our meal by going back to the hotel. We passed the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier along the way, and want to share it with you as well.
Sidney and Kirk head back to Houston tomorrow, with a six hour layover in Amsterdam. We are planning on trying the art museum at the airport (they have a couple of van Gogh's) and maybe a little duty free shopping. Kimber returns Tuesday, and we will be together again until Kimber heads to London the next week.
The hotel we are in is just down from Kimber's office, as well as just across the street from what is probably one of the most "recognized" buildings in Warsaw, the Palace of Culture and Science. The Palace was a gift to Poland from Josef Stalin and was built in 1955. While it is viewed as a symbol of the Communist era and not a favorite symbol of Warsaw for many people. It is quite lovely lit up and a purplish-blue at night, especially from the 43rd floor swimming pool of our hotel.
Kimber's office is located in the same building as a local mall. The wavy glass roof is the mall, and Kimber's office is located in the tower portion on the front. Marathon occupies part of the 6th floor.
I mention Kimber's office here for a special reason. We have celebrated many holidays in some interesting places over the past few years - Christmas in South Africa, Easter in Croatia and Germany, etc., and Thanksgiving here in Poland at Kimber's office. It was an eclectic mix of people that joined us for the "traditional" dinner, Scots, Brits, Poles, a Spaniard, as well as some other Americans. The menu was turkey, stuffing, gravy, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, clam chowder, rolls, cheesecake, pumpkin pie and brownies. The food, prepared as a package by the Warsaw Marriott, was good, but not quite as unique as you would find around a family dinner table in the States. It was a wonderful evening of sharing, and quite interesting to see those that had never celebrated, and in some cases, knew little about Thanksgiving, all gathered together. Some had never eaten roast turkey, and the Spaniard commented that the carrots (actually sweet potatoes) were quite nice. It did remind me a bit of the spirit of the holiday, with a mix of different cultures coming together to share a meal and give thanks for all we have, and we, thankfully, shared it all as a family.
On Friday, we went to the Copernicus Museum of Science, a recent addition on the list of "things to do in Warsaw." Like other science centers, it is full of hands-on experiments and demonstrations for everyone, especially kids, to try. Here you see Sidney truly getting "hands-on", using her hands as a form to blow bubbles. There were lots of things to do, and the place was stuffed to the gills with kids of all ages learning and having a good time. After the museum, we had a nice walk back to the Fenicia Lebanese restaurant, a favorite of Kimber's since arriving in Warsaw.
Saturday was a relaxing day for us. We had a wonderful breakfast in the hotel, then walked down to a local park. Along the walk, we saw statues of Charles de Gaulle and Ronald Reagan. The statue of de Gaulle is positioned to face away from the former communist party headquarters. The statue of Reagan sits across from the U.S. Embassy. Reagan, as you may recall, was president during the time of the Solidarity movement, and was monumental in the change from communism to capitalism in Poland.
The park we visited, Ujazdowski park, had a great playground for Sidney, as well as a nice pond and sculptures. It was first opened in 1896, but has been updated many times since. There are several rare tree specimens, as well as brown-tufted squirrels and ducks.
Sidney played for a while, then we walked down the street past the university botanical gardens and parliament to the Lazienkowski park. The monument to Chopin is here. This is the monument featured on the Warsaw coffee mug from the Starbuck's city collection. A picture of it can be found in Kimber's earlier "Poland Part 1" post.
We made one more stop back at the playground before heading back to the city center. We took a trip up to the top of the Palace of Culture and Science to get a look at the city from a different perspective. While it wasn't as high as the view from the 43rd floor of our hotel, it was clearer because there was no glass between us and the view. The picture of Kimbers office building was taken from up here.
After returning to the hotel for a break, we headed back out to the Old Town to take in the Christmas Market. There were booths set up selling traditional foods, crafts and lots of other stuff. It is located on the square where the "Little Mermaid's Sister" fountain is. Those that have followed the blog for a while may remember a picture of Sidney here about a year and a half ago when Kirk and Sidney did their camping trip. Here is a more up-to-date picture of her with the mermaid.
We shopped a little, then headed for dinner at a restaurant called U Kucharzy. It is located in the kitchen (literally, the restaurant is in the kitchen) of the old Hotel Europejski. We were able to snag a table right beside the stoves and ovens and watched as the cooks prepared the traditional Polish fare around us. The food was fantastic! Kimber had cucumber soup and veal meatballs in a cream dill sauce, I had beef wrapped in cabbage, and Sidney had perogies. And for those in Texas, H.E.B. sells perogies with this picture on front. We, however, dined on much better perogies just a few blocks down from this statue. (The statue is King Sigismund, the man who made Warsaw the capitol of Poland.)
After dinner, we walked off our meal by going back to the hotel. We passed the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier along the way, and want to share it with you as well.
Sidney and Kirk head back to Houston tomorrow, with a six hour layover in Amsterdam. We are planning on trying the art museum at the airport (they have a couple of van Gogh's) and maybe a little duty free shopping. Kimber returns Tuesday, and we will be together again until Kimber heads to London the next week.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Trip to Poland Part 1
Kimber came to Poland after her latest trip to Africa. I am filling in for the HES Manager for two and a half weeks. I will be in Poland over Thanksgiving but Kirk and Sidney are coming over Wednesday through Sunday.
The first picture has nothing to do with Poland or Africa but is of Sidney as "Lady Bug Girl" for Halloween. The kids have to dress up as characters from a book for a Character parade rather than for Halloween. So this is what she looked like going to school. Only about half the costume made it home and by Halloween, she and the cat had worked it over pretty good and nearly all the fuzz was missing.
I arrived last Monday and worked all week. Thursday I went on an adventure by train three hours to Krakow and then three hours south-southeast of there to Debica to perform an audit on a waste disposal sight. It was an interesting adventure. The train was packed to Krakow and then nearly empty after that. We toured the facility and walked through our checklists before getting some late lunch/early dinner. We headed back to the train station only to wait for the train which was late by 85 minutes. It was a long day. We left at 6 am and arrived home at 1 am the next morning. We had first class tickets which I was grateful for but I have inserted a picture of a first class cabin. It seats six. Bathrooms are on the end of each car and they are well below the standard of an airplane bathroom.
I went on two walking tours this weekend though. One other note before I begin the details of the walking tours, is that I ate Sushi (other than California rolls) in Poland for the first time. There is a nice sushi restaurant in the mall. It is reliable with good prices and convenient.
Oh and my other comment is that the Intercontinental Hotel in Warsaw is very nice. I have a small apartment with a little kitchenette and nice view. It will be very comfortable when Kirk and Sidney visit. Second, breakfast is fabulous. There are waffles, pancakes, omelets, potatoes, veggies, sausages, bacon, ham, etc for hot food. Multiple cereals, yogurts, cottage cheeses, and rolls. There is fresh fruit including watermelon and pineapple. Sliced meats and cheeses as well as smoked salmon. It is better than any breakfast I have ever seen. Kirk and Sidney will love it. Plus, there is a harpist after 8 am every morning except Sunday. It is fantastic.
So Saturday, after sleeping late and fattening myself, I set out to walk to Old Town. i walked down several of the main shopping streets, looking at the variety of shops. For those who know me, I didn't venture into them. One is that I am not crazy about shopping and two is the language barrier. But it was nice to see what was out there.
I also didn't take many pictures on Saturday because Kirk and Sidney had been here in the summer, and it was cold and gray now. Pictures would require me to uncover my hands and they were cold. So I walked along the roads here that make up "the Royal Way". This route led me into the Old town where I saw several churches, monuments and museums as well the Mermaid of Warsaw. There are few really old buildings here as most of the town was destroyed in 1944. The most notable thing I walked by was the Warsaw Uprising Monument. The uprising started 1 August 1944 and lasted 63 days. Some 200,000 polish people died in the uprising against the Germans. The monument was built prior to the end of the occupation of Poland by Russia.
My intention Sunday was to get to a large park in the opposite direction of the Old Town. I fattened myself up again on breakfast and started out. I was headed for Park Lazienkowski. However, I got terribly lost trying to get there. I made a complete wrong turn somewhere and ended up in an area of town with some very old communist looking apartments. I was feeling a bit out of league and nearly panicked. But I figured out where I was and moved quickly back in the right direction. I never felt unsafe, only uncomfortable.
Getting to the park was a real reward though. It was lovely even in the dreary winter. I was surprised to see peacocks among the other birds (ones I don't like say pigeons). There were also tufted brown squirrels that were a bit aggressive. I stopped to look at one and it jumped half way up my leg. I had no food and didn't even look like I had food. Here is a picture of the lady peacocks since they always get neglected. They are hanging out in an empty fountain.
I spent about two hours in the park, watching people and kids. Several people were feeding the smaller birds from their hand. It was a pretty nice day, even sunny.
On the walk home, which was much more direct and easy I might add, I saw the Frederic Chopin monument. The pool in front was drained but it was still very nice. Like much else in Warsaw though, it was a rebuild after the war. I also walked by the Botanical Garden, which is closed for the winter, and another smaller park that had a great playground. The walk home was much more pleasant than the walk there and now I know where I am going. I was starved again as I had been walking for over 4 hours. So I got a Kebab, which is like a huge Giro Sandwich and costs approximately $5. It was sooooo good.
We will likely take Sidney to the park to play. We are also going to try to go tot he new science museum, the Kopernik Science Center. We have heard it is very popular and hard to get into.
We also intend to eat a lot and play a lot. The pool is on the 43 floor so you are swimming at the height of the clock on the Palace of Science and Culture. That is a unique experience. There are also some indoor play places to try. And the Marriott delivers Thanksgiving dinner so several people from the office are getting together for dinner on Thursday at the office.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
May UK Trip
Ok so like many of our posts these days, this one is well, months behind. But I suppose better late than never.
Kimber went to the UK for just over a week in late April/early May. Now for all purposes, the weather should have been bad. However, remarkably it was incredible. The sun was out every day and it was wonderfully warm. Here is a picture of a street in Aberdeen.
I went over as part of a team to help review preparations for a shutdown offshore. Because of this I had the opportunity to go offshore to the East Brae Platform. What a group pf top notch people. They are committed to safety and success. I was on East Brae for 24 hours. I was fortunate enough on the flight back to land on our other two UK platforms, Brae Alpha and Brae Bravo, as well as a platform that is not ours, Piper Bravo. Piper Bravo sits very close to where Piper Alpha used to sit. Piper Alpha was destroyed in 1988 in a major offshore disaster that killed 167 men. It was quite humbling to remember that incident and recall why it is I do what I do, which is help Marathon manage major accident risk.
Before I get into my touring adventure, I also thought you might like a couple of these unique pictures. The first picture is the Heerema Hermod, one of the largest semi-submersible crane vessels in the world. This vessel can lift 8100 metric tonnes. The second picture shows the Hermod with several service vessels nearby.
After we returned from offshore, we had roughly a half day to tour the Aberdeen country side. One of the people on the team is from the Aberdeen area so he took us on a bit of a tour outside of Aberdeen.
Our first stop was Dunnottar Castle. This is a ruined medieval fortress near Stonehaven on the Scottish east coast. The ruins are on an outcrop of land and are very much exposed. The ruins vary in age and condition but the site is quite lovely. One of the pictures of the ruins shows another photographer actually using an old fashioned camera for some shots on this lovely day.
A landscape of the castle was chosen as one of the desktop wallpaper images for Microsoft for the "United Kingdom" desktop theme for Windows 7. In addition parts of the 1990 film Hamlet were shot here.
After that we ate fish and chips at the Bervie Chipper in Inverbervie.
Once we were full and content, we drove through the Scottish Highlands along the "Slug Road" over to Banchory. We were glad John was driving as the roads were narrow and windy as well as everyone was going the "wrong" way on the street.
We walked along a golf course beside the River Dee and I am sure the golfers thought we were nuts. It was very pleasant being that it was spring.
We also saw the Blackhill War Memorial which was built in 1923. It honors those from the First and Second World War.
We stopped in some little town for dinner before heading back to Aberdeen and work the next day. It was a lovely day with a nice guided tour.
Kimber went to the UK for just over a week in late April/early May. Now for all purposes, the weather should have been bad. However, remarkably it was incredible. The sun was out every day and it was wonderfully warm. Here is a picture of a street in Aberdeen.
I went over as part of a team to help review preparations for a shutdown offshore. Because of this I had the opportunity to go offshore to the East Brae Platform. What a group pf top notch people. They are committed to safety and success. I was on East Brae for 24 hours. I was fortunate enough on the flight back to land on our other two UK platforms, Brae Alpha and Brae Bravo, as well as a platform that is not ours, Piper Bravo. Piper Bravo sits very close to where Piper Alpha used to sit. Piper Alpha was destroyed in 1988 in a major offshore disaster that killed 167 men. It was quite humbling to remember that incident and recall why it is I do what I do, which is help Marathon manage major accident risk.
Before I get into my touring adventure, I also thought you might like a couple of these unique pictures. The first picture is the Heerema Hermod, one of the largest semi-submersible crane vessels in the world. This vessel can lift 8100 metric tonnes. The second picture shows the Hermod with several service vessels nearby.
After we returned from offshore, we had roughly a half day to tour the Aberdeen country side. One of the people on the team is from the Aberdeen area so he took us on a bit of a tour outside of Aberdeen.
Our first stop was Dunnottar Castle. This is a ruined medieval fortress near Stonehaven on the Scottish east coast. The ruins are on an outcrop of land and are very much exposed. The ruins vary in age and condition but the site is quite lovely. One of the pictures of the ruins shows another photographer actually using an old fashioned camera for some shots on this lovely day.
A landscape of the castle was chosen as one of the desktop wallpaper images for Microsoft for the "United Kingdom" desktop theme for Windows 7. In addition parts of the 1990 film Hamlet were shot here.After that we ate fish and chips at the Bervie Chipper in Inverbervie.
Once we were full and content, we drove through the Scottish Highlands along the "Slug Road" over to Banchory. We were glad John was driving as the roads were narrow and windy as well as everyone was going the "wrong" way on the street.
We walked along a golf course beside the River Dee and I am sure the golfers thought we were nuts. It was very pleasant being that it was spring.We also saw the Blackhill War Memorial which was built in 1923. It honors those from the First and Second World War.
We stopped in some little town for dinner before heading back to Aberdeen and work the next day. It was a lovely day with a nice guided tour.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sidney's Work
This is a post of pictures only. We thought you might enjoy some samples of what Sidney is up to. The first picture is a letter to Mom and Dad. She wrote it and put it in the dresser. The second is her skeleton from learning about skeletons in school. Note where helmets and pads are.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Visits to EG
I (Kimber) have been to Equatorial Guinea (EG) four times this year. I have more more trip in two weeks. My first trip was in early April to help out with a hazard review of a couple of processing units. That trip was right before the MS 150. As a matter of fact, I returned to the US on Thursday and rode in the MS 150 on Saturday and Sunday. I put up an earlier blog post about the MS 150. In preparation for that though I rode a borrowed bike in EG one Sunday on an adventurous and tough ride.
The bike I borrowed was a small women's bike but it was bigger than any of my bikes at home. I could still ride it but I had to be careful. Also, the gears I most needed didn't work well so sometimes I would just come to a stop in the middle of a shift. Oh well.
The ride started at the Marathon compound. We then rode about 4 miles on pavement through two round-abouts to a dirt trail. Now one is very careful on the pavement and always happy to make it off the pavement alive. Cars have no respect for bikes there and it is a bit of taking life into your own hands. And you ride as fast as you can through the round-abouts. The steady up hill started once we got off the pavement. The road was gravel and actually in good shape considering it is a road to several quarries. I managed to ride tot he lower quarry but it was a hard ride. The climb is from sea level to about 2400 feet in 6 miles. I didn't realize the incline until we turned around and I didn't pedal for 3 miles. Only applied the brakes. And although the climb was hard, the heat was killer. I think the temperature ended up being about 110F with the humidity factored in. I was really beat by that. And you didn't want to stop because then the bugs piled on.
I did survive the ride and would like to do it again. Maybe on a cooler day. Maybe some day I will make it the 1000 feet higher to the upper quarry. Something to look forward to.
As if that wasn't enough of a day, I participated in something called a hash that Sunday afternoon. A Hash is an organized walk or run (depending on what you are in the mood for). You have no idea the route before you start but the walk will be about 3 miles and the tun 5 to 6 miles. The trail is marked by a set of volunteers and they lay false positive trails as well. So you could follow what you think is the correct trail and have to turn around at the end of it to find the correct trail again. The walkers have a few false trails but the runners have many in order to get them their mileage. Also, when you see a route marker you are supposed to shout “On On”. If it is a false route you shout “On Back”. It is rather comical. Here are the three volcanoes that make up Bioko Island. The largest and darkest is the volcano just outside of Malabo.
There is an organized break in the middle for beer, water or soda. I go for the water but many go for the beer. They seem more relaxed when they finish. Afterwards is a bit of a ....... session. The Hash leader calls up various groups of people, say first time hashers, people who will be leaving EG, the trail marking group, etc. When called you must sit on a block of ice, sing a song, and chug a small glass of beer or water. Then put the empty cup on your head. Of course as you can predict, if there is anything in your cup, you have to chug another cups worth. Lets just say I was tired after all that. The whole thing ended with a bite to eat. What an adventure.
After that, I took the opportunity to support a colleague from Texas City who has helped organize a weekly Non-Denominational service on the compound each Sunday. When he is on rotation, which he was while I was there, he provides the message. It was a real pleasure to worship with him and the other men there. I think I was the first “sister” they have had. I will always look for those guys on my visits to give an encouraging word.
Right before I left I also ate at a restaurant call Hot Rock. You can order their specialty which is some sort of meat or fish that you cook at your table yourself. They bring the meat along with a piece of granite that has been in a 600F oven for 9 hours. You then cook your own meal on this rock. Be warned, don’t touch it. I ordered a steak which was fantastic. My colleague ordered prawns which were also great.
Here is a picture of the EGLNG Jetty. It is often referred to as one of the wonders of the world. It is an amazing feat of engineering and extremely impressive.
My second trip to EG was a two day trip. I didn't get to do anything exciting except arrive, work, eat, sleep twice and leave.
My third trip was to help out with some internal audits and building location studies. I took this opportunity to go hiking at the Monkey reserve on the south end of Bioko Island. It was during the rainy season but the weather for the hike was nice. It was surprisingly cool. I had only a t-shirt and shorts so I had to borrow a jacket. I think it might have been only 60F as the reserve is maybe at 4000 feet. The hike was quite pleasant. We walked for a couple of hours and saw several birds, beautiful plants, and butterflies. We also met this guy. He was minding his own business but very interesting. There were also wild begonias but the flower was much more like an orchid flower. We also saw some Turacos, although never a good view. We saw four but they were always in front of the sun so we couldn't see their color. I also saw an owl which is quite uncommon. Unfortunately we didn't see any monkeys. Here is a picture of me on the hike as well as a picture of one of the many millipedes we encountered. Yes they are big.
After the hike we had an incredible meal. The two guys i was with brought Brats for the appetizer. Then we had grilled steaks with mushrooms and onions, baked potatoes with all the fixings, and rolls. Everything was grilled or wormed up not he grill. There were even chives for the potatoes. It was the most amazing food I have had in EG.
We drove all of the rest of the way around the island on the way home. Unfortunately the weather was quite bad by then with pouring rain and thick clouds. So in actuality I didn't get to see much more of the island. But it was a fine way to spend a day and I hope to get to do it again sometime.
My last trip was just these last two weeks. I went to help with a larger audit as well as finish by building evaluations. I got to go offshore in this trip and have inserted a picture of me coming back in from offshore with the Caldera in the background. The area of the Caldera is where I hiked as described just before. I have also inserted a picture of the platforms. They are small platforms but it was nice to get to visit them and visit with the people who operate them. I also happen to see my first wild shark while I was out there. It was about 5 feet long and just below the surface of the B2 platform. I looked for whales all the way to and from the platform but did not see any. That was disappointing. But the day was lovely and view fantastic going out at 0630 and coming back at 1700. We could see Cameroon and Nigeria quite clearly as well as the three volcanoes that make up Bioko Island. Some of the pictures are crooked and that is because the boat moves a lot even though the seas are calm. So an off horizontal horizon is what I got.
This is a picture of Cameroon with the sun coming up. It is really nice to see Cameroon. The volcano there is much taller than the largest volcano on Bioko Island.
Here is a picture of part of the MEGPL Gas Plant from the sea. In front are part of one of the loading berths. The berths just appear to be buoys sitting at sea but they have lines running to them from shore to load methanol, propane, butane, and condensate. It is too bad there weren't any tankers in on Sunday when I went offshore.
I am looking forward to a quick trip in two weeks but there won't be anything exciting on that trip.
Here are two of the EG platforms. They are about 18 miles offshore and transportation is by boat. Many people go out just for a day because they are so close and we run a boat every day. The platform on the right is B2 built in the mid-2000s. The platform on the right is the original manned platform built in the early 1990s. The wellheads are on B as well as the accommodations. Most of the processing equipment is on B2.
My last trip was in November right before I went over to Poland. It was a brief trip, 8 days total and I went offshore again on one day. I got to spend some time at the EGLNG plant which was good and I spent a lot of time with maintenance at MEGPL.
My flight in came over Cameroon and when I looked out the window, we were at the same height as the volcano summit. So here is a picture of Mount Cameroon from the plane window. A unique view. I also have a picture of the Punta Europa plant site which includes much of the operating and living areas. It just gives you an idea of what the area looks like from above.
The bike I borrowed was a small women's bike but it was bigger than any of my bikes at home. I could still ride it but I had to be careful. Also, the gears I most needed didn't work well so sometimes I would just come to a stop in the middle of a shift. Oh well.The ride started at the Marathon compound. We then rode about 4 miles on pavement through two round-abouts to a dirt trail. Now one is very careful on the pavement and always happy to make it off the pavement alive. Cars have no respect for bikes there and it is a bit of taking life into your own hands. And you ride as fast as you can through the round-abouts. The steady up hill started once we got off the pavement. The road was gravel and actually in good shape considering it is a road to several quarries. I managed to ride tot he lower quarry but it was a hard ride. The climb is from sea level to about 2400 feet in 6 miles. I didn't realize the incline until we turned around and I didn't pedal for 3 miles. Only applied the brakes. And although the climb was hard, the heat was killer. I think the temperature ended up being about 110F with the humidity factored in. I was really beat by that. And you didn't want to stop because then the bugs piled on.
I did survive the ride and would like to do it again. Maybe on a cooler day. Maybe some day I will make it the 1000 feet higher to the upper quarry. Something to look forward to.
As if that wasn't enough of a day, I participated in something called a hash that Sunday afternoon. A Hash is an organized walk or run (depending on what you are in the mood for). You have no idea the route before you start but the walk will be about 3 miles and the tun 5 to 6 miles. The trail is marked by a set of volunteers and they lay false positive trails as well. So you could follow what you think is the correct trail and have to turn around at the end of it to find the correct trail again. The walkers have a few false trails but the runners have many in order to get them their mileage. Also, when you see a route marker you are supposed to shout “On On”. If it is a false route you shout “On Back”. It is rather comical. Here are the three volcanoes that make up Bioko Island. The largest and darkest is the volcano just outside of Malabo.
There is an organized break in the middle for beer, water or soda. I go for the water but many go for the beer. They seem more relaxed when they finish. Afterwards is a bit of a ....... session. The Hash leader calls up various groups of people, say first time hashers, people who will be leaving EG, the trail marking group, etc. When called you must sit on a block of ice, sing a song, and chug a small glass of beer or water. Then put the empty cup on your head. Of course as you can predict, if there is anything in your cup, you have to chug another cups worth. Lets just say I was tired after all that. The whole thing ended with a bite to eat. What an adventure.
After that, I took the opportunity to support a colleague from Texas City who has helped organize a weekly Non-Denominational service on the compound each Sunday. When he is on rotation, which he was while I was there, he provides the message. It was a real pleasure to worship with him and the other men there. I think I was the first “sister” they have had. I will always look for those guys on my visits to give an encouraging word.
Right before I left I also ate at a restaurant call Hot Rock. You can order their specialty which is some sort of meat or fish that you cook at your table yourself. They bring the meat along with a piece of granite that has been in a 600F oven for 9 hours. You then cook your own meal on this rock. Be warned, don’t touch it. I ordered a steak which was fantastic. My colleague ordered prawns which were also great.
Here is a picture of the EGLNG Jetty. It is often referred to as one of the wonders of the world. It is an amazing feat of engineering and extremely impressive.
My second trip to EG was a two day trip. I didn't get to do anything exciting except arrive, work, eat, sleep twice and leave.My third trip was to help out with some internal audits and building location studies. I took this opportunity to go hiking at the Monkey reserve on the south end of Bioko Island. It was during the rainy season but the weather for the hike was nice. It was surprisingly cool. I had only a t-shirt and shorts so I had to borrow a jacket. I think it might have been only 60F as the reserve is maybe at 4000 feet. The hike was quite pleasant. We walked for a couple of hours and saw several birds, beautiful plants, and butterflies. We also met this guy. He was minding his own business but very interesting. There were also wild begonias but the flower was much more like an orchid flower. We also saw some Turacos, although never a good view. We saw four but they were always in front of the sun so we couldn't see their color. I also saw an owl which is quite uncommon. Unfortunately we didn't see any monkeys. Here is a picture of me on the hike as well as a picture of one of the many millipedes we encountered. Yes they are big.
After the hike we had an incredible meal. The two guys i was with brought Brats for the appetizer. Then we had grilled steaks with mushrooms and onions, baked potatoes with all the fixings, and rolls. Everything was grilled or wormed up not he grill. There were even chives for the potatoes. It was the most amazing food I have had in EG.We drove all of the rest of the way around the island on the way home. Unfortunately the weather was quite bad by then with pouring rain and thick clouds. So in actuality I didn't get to see much more of the island. But it was a fine way to spend a day and I hope to get to do it again sometime.
My last trip was just these last two weeks. I went to help with a larger audit as well as finish by building evaluations. I got to go offshore in this trip and have inserted a picture of me coming back in from offshore with the Caldera in the background. The area of the Caldera is where I hiked as described just before. I have also inserted a picture of the platforms. They are small platforms but it was nice to get to visit them and visit with the people who operate them. I also happen to see my first wild shark while I was out there. It was about 5 feet long and just below the surface of the B2 platform. I looked for whales all the way to and from the platform but did not see any. That was disappointing. But the day was lovely and view fantastic going out at 0630 and coming back at 1700. We could see Cameroon and Nigeria quite clearly as well as the three volcanoes that make up Bioko Island. Some of the pictures are crooked and that is because the boat moves a lot even though the seas are calm. So an off horizontal horizon is what I got.
This is a picture of Cameroon with the sun coming up. It is really nice to see Cameroon. The volcano there is much taller than the largest volcano on Bioko Island.Here is a picture of part of the MEGPL Gas Plant from the sea. In front are part of one of the loading berths. The berths just appear to be buoys sitting at sea but they have lines running to them from shore to load methanol, propane, butane, and condensate. It is too bad there weren't any tankers in on Sunday when I went offshore.
I am looking forward to a quick trip in two weeks but there won't be anything exciting on that trip.
Here are two of the EG platforms. They are about 18 miles offshore and transportation is by boat. Many people go out just for a day because they are so close and we run a boat every day. The platform on the right is B2 built in the mid-2000s. The platform on the right is the original manned platform built in the early 1990s. The wellheads are on B as well as the accommodations. Most of the processing equipment is on B2.
My last trip was in November right before I went over to Poland. It was a brief trip, 8 days total and I went offshore again on one day. I got to spend some time at the EGLNG plant which was good and I spent a lot of time with maintenance at MEGPL.
My flight in came over Cameroon and when I looked out the window, we were at the same height as the volcano summit. So here is a picture of Mount Cameroon from the plane window. A unique view. I also have a picture of the Punta Europa plant site which includes much of the operating and living areas. It just gives you an idea of what the area looks like from above.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Norway
I (Kimber) recently returned from a quick trip to Norway. It was wonderful to get back to Stavanger although it also makes me a little sad. We left there just at 1 year ago. This trip was short, only three and a half days. I arrived Tuesday and went straight to work. Wednesday started with a bit of rain, but that was the only rain for the entire trip. Stavanger had their summer while I was there. It was fantastic. I didn't need a jacket at all.
I played sand volleyball with the girls on Wednesday. there is an indoor court in Sandnes. The girls play every Wednesday and I played every week before we moved. We have a hilariously good time with at least one of us (frequently me) collapsing in laughter each week. It is the best stress relief. I was very limited in my ability to play this time as I am still in the boot following my surgery. But I got a few hits and served frequently. The two pictures show the team from last week. The lighting wasn't very good for picture taking. We vary between four and eight players each week. Some are very good players, particularly the ones who play every week.
I ate dinner with Cheryl, the wife of the pastor of the church we attended in Stavanger on Thursday and then went to a bible study with a few ladies. It was wonderful to see Cheryl and hear about her family and the church family. And I needed to get my batteries refilled.
Friday was the nicest day of the week. I didn't bother bringing my jacket to work. I then met friends for dinner and a nice walk around the lake. It was of course a treat to see my dear friends and spend time with them.
I tried to check on the swans that live near where we used to live. I was not able to find them this trip. I didn't have time or ability to walk over to close to where they live. So I don't have an update on their family.
I also took a few more pictures of the new Marathon offices. The Norway office will move to their new digs over the Thanksgiving weekend. I have inserted some pictures below. Of course one includes the reference Condeep in the background. Another is taken from the pier that Kirk and Sidney used to fish from. The building is getting very near completion.
I played sand volleyball with the girls on Wednesday. there is an indoor court in Sandnes. The girls play every Wednesday and I played every week before we moved. We have a hilariously good time with at least one of us (frequently me) collapsing in laughter each week. It is the best stress relief. I was very limited in my ability to play this time as I am still in the boot following my surgery. But I got a few hits and served frequently. The two pictures show the team from last week. The lighting wasn't very good for picture taking. We vary between four and eight players each week. Some are very good players, particularly the ones who play every week.
I ate dinner with Cheryl, the wife of the pastor of the church we attended in Stavanger on Thursday and then went to a bible study with a few ladies. It was wonderful to see Cheryl and hear about her family and the church family. And I needed to get my batteries refilled.
Friday was the nicest day of the week. I didn't bother bringing my jacket to work. I then met friends for dinner and a nice walk around the lake. It was of course a treat to see my dear friends and spend time with them.
I tried to check on the swans that live near where we used to live. I was not able to find them this trip. I didn't have time or ability to walk over to close to where they live. So I don't have an update on their family.
I also took a few more pictures of the new Marathon offices. The Norway office will move to their new digs over the Thanksgiving weekend. I have inserted some pictures below. Of course one includes the reference Condeep in the background. Another is taken from the pier that Kirk and Sidney used to fish from. The building is getting very near completion.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
California
I (Kimber) attend my first ever girls weekend. It was in Sonoma California during the grape harvesting festival. I flew to San Fransisco on Thursday. The weather was lovely but the Golden Gate Bridge was socked in by fog. I fortunately had seen it before so I wasn't too disappointed. But I did get this cool shot of only the top of the bridge above the for from the Sausalito side of the bridge (rather than the San Fransisco side).
Here is also a picture of all the ladies who attended this girls weekend. Some I knew before the weekend and others I did not. Some have attended previous weekends, but this was my first. From left to right we are, Kmber, Melissa, Jen, Theresa, Sharon, Rita, and Jessica.
The back story was provided by Theresa and is copied here.
"Theresa and Jen grew up together in the little town of Shelby, Ohio. They were inseparable in high school and now it's their dad's who are inseparable! Then came college. Theresa deserted Jen in her last year of high school for the "big city" of Evansville, Indiana, where she met Rita. Rita and T became great friends through the Newman Center. Meanwhile, Jen survived senior year without Theresa and went on to Bowling Green State University (BGSU). Theresa graduated from UE and went to work in good ol' Findlay, Ohio, home of Marathon, conveniently located just 30 short minutes south of BGSU. One fall, Jen and Theresa road tripped to Milwaukee to see Rita in her hometown where she'd moved back to teach after conquering UE. (I believe this is the first documented actual meeting of Jen and Rita. It could have also been the road trip Jen took to visit T at Evansville, but I can't remember if that was before or after Rita graduated. I must be getting old, my memory's not what it once was!) Anyhow, back to the story, Theresa and Jessica met when Jessica (who’s an engineer) was visiting her sister whom Theresa worked with in Findlay. Meanwhile, Jen became a certified pain and torturist, I mean physical therapist, and moved to Boston. There she met Melissa who was working at the same facility as Jen (Melissa's an occupational therapist). Jen and Melissa became great friends. When Jen decided to get married, T and Melissa met as they were both in the wedding. During the planning of the wedding, we decided we needed a vacation after the whirlwind planning. The first girls weekend ensued with a cruise to Cozumel! Fast forward a couple years and Theresa starts working in HES&S and Kimber (an engineer also in HES&S) moves to Findlay. Their offices are right next to each other and the rest, they say, is history. I believe there was a meeting between Jen and Kimber while Theresa was living in Findlay but can’t remember for sure. So, Jen and Melissa are both happily married now and decide to take their husbands on a vacation to an island (Jamaica, I think). While there, they run into this couple from Minnesota who are in Jamaica to get married but don't have any witnesses! So, Jen and Melissa and their husbands are the witnesses. With that, Sharon is now happily married and part of the annual girls weekend group! Fast forward a couple more years, and T is now living in Texas. She's reconnected with the Koutny sisters even becoming an honorary member of the fam to join in on the family’s Alaska vacation!, and has gotten Kimber to move to Houston too (by way of Norway). So, Rita (who now is a nurse practitioner and is living in Minnesota – but really needs to move to Houston, hint hint!) comes to visit T in Houston for a Gaelic Storm concert. Kimber (and a few others) decides to tag along for this concert of a band she's never heard of and gets to meet Rita in the process. To escape the dreary Ohio winters, Jen and her family road trip to Texas (they should really just move to Houston!) to visit T and meet Kimber and her family when we have a barbeque one night. And that brings us to the California Road Trip/Sonoma Weekend when you’ll get to meet anyone you’ve not already met!"
We all stayed in a wonderful house in Sonoma. The house had three bedrooms and two baths. It had a fully equipped huge kitchen. There was a pool, beautiful landscaping, a putting green and bunk house. We had plenty of room and it was a much better deal than rooms in a hotel. The only issue we had were yellow jackets. They would leave you alone unless you had recently touched food.
Our arrival Thursday left us all too tired to cook. So we found an incredible Italian Restaurant in Sonoma called Mama Tanino's. Kimberly and her husband Gaetano are the owners. Gaetano is Italian and has been a chef at several popular restaurants in large cities. Now he has settled down with Kimberly to create amazing Italian food in Sonoma. Kimberly was a perfect hostess and made us feel so comfortable. We stopped back in later in the weekend to say hello and get some more fabulous Italian dessert.
We had a van and driver for winery touring and wine tasting on Friday. We visited 5 different wineries and I can't remember what order. I have inserted a few pictures below though. Here are three pictures from the Deerfield winery. We sampled all the wines they offered (it was good this winery was last as we were all very happy at this point). The tasting room at Deerfield in in the cave. Below are pictures of the wine making equipment outside the cave. then a picture of a cask in the cave. The casks are stamped with the type and age of the wood (say Red Oak) and the winery the wine is being produced for. Deerfield produces their own wine as well as wine for smaller wine makers. Finally a picture of many casks in one section of the caves.
Also on our drive around, the driver provided history and information about the area. One thing he pointed out were the hills in the picture below that are in the movie Bottle Shock. Bottle Shock was filmed in 2008 and is based on a 1976 wine competition where a Califonia wine defeated a French wine in a blind taste test. Although based on a Napa valley vitner, the movie was filmed in Sonoma.
Another winery had this beautiful pond and flood control walls pictured below.
After the winery tours, we munched on cheese, crackers and veggies for dinner.
Saturday found us up before dawn to go on a hot air balloon ride. We had to leave the house at 5:30 to drive for an hour to the rendezvous point. We met the balloon pilot and helpers before driving another hour and a half to the valley where the balloon ride would occur. Here is a picture of the van and balloon and basket. The road was extremely windy and the driver an expert at driving it. So since we were all in the back of the van we were a bit shaky on our arrival.
So now the picture below is as close to actually going on the ride as we got. the wind was very light and the weather beautiful. However the wind was blowing in the wrong direction and would have blown us out of the valley and potentially to poor landing spots. These other two balloons arrived before us and had inflated and loaded before they called off. So we watched some equally disappointed people offload from the two balloons pictured. Then we watched them deflate. We were all very disappointed but respectful of the call the pilot made. Of course then we had to repeat the drives to the valley to get home.
Saturday afternoon was a tasty lunch of chicken and beef tacos as well as salsa, dip, and cheese made in our fancy kitchen. then we went into the festival in town and enjoyed Sonoma. We also celebrated Theresa's birthday.
Sunday found us leaving at various times. The rain started early Sunday so we were happy to get to the airport and that our previous two days were so nice. We had a blast and were sad to say goodbye and enter reality.
Here is also a picture of all the ladies who attended this girls weekend. Some I knew before the weekend and others I did not. Some have attended previous weekends, but this was my first. From left to right we are, Kmber, Melissa, Jen, Theresa, Sharon, Rita, and Jessica.
The back story was provided by Theresa and is copied here.
"Theresa and Jen grew up together in the little town of Shelby, Ohio. They were inseparable in high school and now it's their dad's who are inseparable! Then came college. Theresa deserted Jen in her last year of high school for the "big city" of Evansville, Indiana, where she met Rita. Rita and T became great friends through the Newman Center. Meanwhile, Jen survived senior year without Theresa and went on to Bowling Green State University (BGSU). Theresa graduated from UE and went to work in good ol' Findlay, Ohio, home of Marathon, conveniently located just 30 short minutes south of BGSU. One fall, Jen and Theresa road tripped to Milwaukee to see Rita in her hometown where she'd moved back to teach after conquering UE. (I believe this is the first documented actual meeting of Jen and Rita. It could have also been the road trip Jen took to visit T at Evansville, but I can't remember if that was before or after Rita graduated. I must be getting old, my memory's not what it once was!) Anyhow, back to the story, Theresa and Jessica met when Jessica (who’s an engineer) was visiting her sister whom Theresa worked with in Findlay. Meanwhile, Jen became a certified pain and torturist, I mean physical therapist, and moved to Boston. There she met Melissa who was working at the same facility as Jen (Melissa's an occupational therapist). Jen and Melissa became great friends. When Jen decided to get married, T and Melissa met as they were both in the wedding. During the planning of the wedding, we decided we needed a vacation after the whirlwind planning. The first girls weekend ensued with a cruise to Cozumel! Fast forward a couple years and Theresa starts working in HES&S and Kimber (an engineer also in HES&S) moves to Findlay. Their offices are right next to each other and the rest, they say, is history. I believe there was a meeting between Jen and Kimber while Theresa was living in Findlay but can’t remember for sure. So, Jen and Melissa are both happily married now and decide to take their husbands on a vacation to an island (Jamaica, I think). While there, they run into this couple from Minnesota who are in Jamaica to get married but don't have any witnesses! So, Jen and Melissa and their husbands are the witnesses. With that, Sharon is now happily married and part of the annual girls weekend group! Fast forward a couple more years, and T is now living in Texas. She's reconnected with the Koutny sisters even becoming an honorary member of the fam to join in on the family’s Alaska vacation!, and has gotten Kimber to move to Houston too (by way of Norway). So, Rita (who now is a nurse practitioner and is living in Minnesota – but really needs to move to Houston, hint hint!) comes to visit T in Houston for a Gaelic Storm concert. Kimber (and a few others) decides to tag along for this concert of a band she's never heard of and gets to meet Rita in the process. To escape the dreary Ohio winters, Jen and her family road trip to Texas (they should really just move to Houston!) to visit T and meet Kimber and her family when we have a barbeque one night. And that brings us to the California Road Trip/Sonoma Weekend when you’ll get to meet anyone you’ve not already met!"
We all stayed in a wonderful house in Sonoma. The house had three bedrooms and two baths. It had a fully equipped huge kitchen. There was a pool, beautiful landscaping, a putting green and bunk house. We had plenty of room and it was a much better deal than rooms in a hotel. The only issue we had were yellow jackets. They would leave you alone unless you had recently touched food.
Our arrival Thursday left us all too tired to cook. So we found an incredible Italian Restaurant in Sonoma called Mama Tanino's. Kimberly and her husband Gaetano are the owners. Gaetano is Italian and has been a chef at several popular restaurants in large cities. Now he has settled down with Kimberly to create amazing Italian food in Sonoma. Kimberly was a perfect hostess and made us feel so comfortable. We stopped back in later in the weekend to say hello and get some more fabulous Italian dessert.
We had a van and driver for winery touring and wine tasting on Friday. We visited 5 different wineries and I can't remember what order. I have inserted a few pictures below though. Here are three pictures from the Deerfield winery. We sampled all the wines they offered (it was good this winery was last as we were all very happy at this point). The tasting room at Deerfield in in the cave. Below are pictures of the wine making equipment outside the cave. then a picture of a cask in the cave. The casks are stamped with the type and age of the wood (say Red Oak) and the winery the wine is being produced for. Deerfield produces their own wine as well as wine for smaller wine makers. Finally a picture of many casks in one section of the caves.
Also on our drive around, the driver provided history and information about the area. One thing he pointed out were the hills in the picture below that are in the movie Bottle Shock. Bottle Shock was filmed in 2008 and is based on a 1976 wine competition where a Califonia wine defeated a French wine in a blind taste test. Although based on a Napa valley vitner, the movie was filmed in Sonoma.
Another winery had this beautiful pond and flood control walls pictured below.
After the winery tours, we munched on cheese, crackers and veggies for dinner.
Saturday found us up before dawn to go on a hot air balloon ride. We had to leave the house at 5:30 to drive for an hour to the rendezvous point. We met the balloon pilot and helpers before driving another hour and a half to the valley where the balloon ride would occur. Here is a picture of the van and balloon and basket. The road was extremely windy and the driver an expert at driving it. So since we were all in the back of the van we were a bit shaky on our arrival.
So now the picture below is as close to actually going on the ride as we got. the wind was very light and the weather beautiful. However the wind was blowing in the wrong direction and would have blown us out of the valley and potentially to poor landing spots. These other two balloons arrived before us and had inflated and loaded before they called off. So we watched some equally disappointed people offload from the two balloons pictured. Then we watched them deflate. We were all very disappointed but respectful of the call the pilot made. Of course then we had to repeat the drives to the valley to get home.
Saturday afternoon was a tasty lunch of chicken and beef tacos as well as salsa, dip, and cheese made in our fancy kitchen. then we went into the festival in town and enjoyed Sonoma. We also celebrated Theresa's birthday.
Sunday found us leaving at various times. The rain started early Sunday so we were happy to get to the airport and that our previous two days were so nice. We had a blast and were sad to say goodbye and enter reality.
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