Hence the difference in lifestyles I'm about to showcase.
I know people have experienced this on much grander scales,
but let me take you for a quick little trip into my switcheroo in lifestyles.
There are six main categories in which I've taken a nosedive in the small luxuries we have in life.
First being Eating. Pretty basic, no?
On my regular M-F schedule, eating was nochalant, unplanned. It just happened.
At my leisure.
I could never have imagined the mind change I'd be forced to make.
In Halfax, I'd wake - get ready - leave my apartment
Walk to work, and CHOOSE where I'd get coffee that morning.
Would it be the Mud Room, Uncommon Grounds, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, or the other Starbucks?
Would I get my favorite roast or switch it up today? Would I get a Latte or Cappacino?
What type of muffin would I get today? Hmmm...... all the choices, I can't decide .....
Get to work. Pick peices of my mufffin when I felt like eating it, sip my steaming hot deliciously bad for you caffinated drink.
If I wanted more, I'd slip out of work, (of course, taking orders to justify leaving the office) and simply get more.
NOW: I take my travel mug, go to whichever spout is working in the Kitchen Trailer. (doesn't matter much, it mostly tastes like slightly coffee flavoured water - but me being the eternal optimist, I try every morning, hoping for a miracle)
I pack my lunch /snack in a paper bag (as it has to double as my garbage bag)
By the time I get to the jobsite, my coffee is cold. (everyday ,,, again.... hoping for a miracle)
Then at 10:30 - work stops. Literally. Stops. Wherever you are at 10:30 - Stop your machine and take your break. It's like a movie was suddenly put on pause.
I grab my take away bowl of cereal. (Frosted Flakes is the flavour of the moment), take my banana, cut it up into the little bowl. (being the domestic goddess that I am ...).
This is all happening on the floor of whatever machine I am operating.
Hygeine becomes an afterthought in these conditions.
Finish eating.
Have another quick snack because I won't get to eat until 2:30 ....
NEXT is DRESSING:
In my former life, I'd wake, shower.. do hair .. etc.
Peruse my closet. Wonder if my polka dot high heels will match that new yellow blouse I bought?
That open toe is so cute and will really show off my hot new nail polish.
Pick out outfit.
Pick out matching jewels.
Wonder if the green eyeshadow I splurged on will look cool with my funky ensemble.
Apply lipstick.
Pick up handbag.
Walk to work.
On a street to an office.
NOW:
Try and guess how cold it is/going to be.
Put tights on.
Put jeans on.
Put on tank top.
Put on long sleeved hooded thin layer.
Put Helly Hanson thermal layer in bag (just in case)
Put socks on
Put other socks on.
Put Helly Hanson socks on.
Put Ice socks on.
Put Lululemon hoodie on (I know, scandlous!)
Gather heavy coat.
Get safety vest.
Get hard hat.
Put toque on.
Get fleece gloves.
Get scarf.
Get snowmoblie gloves.
Walk out the door.
Walk to work.
On a boardwalk into a tent.
NEXT is GYM.
(boooooo hoooooo.... I miss my gym!)
BEFORE: Walk up street. Work out. Walk home.
NOW: Beg the busdriver to wait just fiiiiiiiiiive minutes so I can change from (see above) clothes.
Leave the room in tornado like conditions.
Hop on bouncy, short school bus.
Get to gym.
Phew! Theres at least 1 other girl there. Good.
Hope she doesn't hop on the only treadmill (of 4) that works.
Work out. Improvise, seeing every other machine is broken.
If I'm lucky, or don't do cardio, I can catch the 7:00 bus that belongs to another company but passes through our camp.
Otherwise, I have to wait until 7:45 and have the grumpy night shift guy drive me home.
NEXT is ENTERTAINMENT:
BEOFRE:
Anything I wanted.
Movie up the street.
Theatre down the hill.
Friends around the corner.
TV channels up the Ying Yang.
Coffee shops everywhere.
Hockey games 3 blocks away.
NOW:
1 TV room where nowhere really cares if you're watching 'The Office',
they chant your name until you turn around.
OR:
a 12 inch in my room with 7 channels.
BATHROOM
(I bet statistics would show that this is the thing we take advantage of the most)
BEFORE: As I pleased.
Wherever. Whenever. Get up off my chair and saunter down the hall to use the facilities.
NOW:
Park machine.
Put on hardhat, safety vest, goggles, gloves,
Climb down using three point contact, of course.
Make sure I don't get run over by other equipment.
Go to Johnny on the Spot, or if I'm lucky, I'll be working at a site with bathrooms that are in trailers.
OR:
Call a foreman. Ask him to take you to a bathroom.
(yup. your foreman often knows your bladders' schedule)
Sometimes they come along and ask if you need a bathroom break.
PHONE CALLS:
BEFORE: As I pleased.
NOW: On breaks. (but only if I'm in a service area)Ask a co-worker who has a Bell or Telus phone with a long distance package.
LANGUAGE:
BEFORE:Common exchange: Leanne, could you book a meeting with the CEO's and VP's of districts 7,8 & 9. Forward agendas to their admins. Order food. Meeting is in regards to the new re-structuring proposals.
Me: Sure Abe. How long is the meeting. Are the Deputy and Minister invited? Do you care which boardroom is used? Whats the urgency and who is doing the minutes? Do you need any presentations prepared? (yeaaaaaah, never ever asked that question, but sounds very administrative assistant-y doesn't it?)
NOW: Leanne, do you have a copy?
Me: Leanne here
Radio: Where are you?Me: On the Canterra, by the Aerodome
Radio: When you get to Pit 3, dump your browns, go to the loader on the top, grab a load of clay, take it to Sub 71 and dump in on the NE side.
Me: 10-4
PAYCHEQUE:
BEFORE: Start sweating, wondering how am I going to do this AGAIN? How am I going to go another 2 weeks on this little amount of money?
NOW: I can breathe easy .... and makes the above noted inconveniences pretty well worth it. Especially since I'm flying home on a chartered jet in 5 hours.
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