The Past Several Weeks

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In the last three weeks I’ve been off shift planning a shutdown of a “Reformer” unit, I was off work four days sick with a fever and body aches and I’ve come back to work the shutdown that I was planning. It was a rough three weeks. During our shutdown we had an incident that could have gotten a couple of guys hurt, but thankfully no one was injured. Shutdowns are stressful even when everything goes right, our incident made it VERY stressful.

 

All this ended Friday. Our unit came up smoothly and I was able to leave after only eight hours at the refinery.  I left work at 1:30 and went to the blood bank to donate blood. They hooked me up to the machine and took a double portion of red blood cells. After giving blood I went to get the boys from school.

 

Friday evening Lisa and I decided to go dancing. Travis Matte and his band were playing at Yesterday’s, so we went there to dance to some Cajun, Zydeco and Swamp Pop music. We were not disappointed. The band was jamming and we danced to every song they played (lots of jitterbugging), except for one slow song. We had a solid three hours of dancing and it was a blast.

 

Saturday, we hung around the house. I did a few chores. A co-worker’s dad is a shrimper and he was selling shrimp for $2.50 a pound (headed) so I bought 20 pounds. Brian delivered the shrimp early Saturday afternoon. I cleaned several pounds and sautéed them in butter, lemon and fresh garlic. (They were yum). I also boiled several pounds along with some corn and potatoes, and this too was good. I spent much of the afternoon cooking and feasting on shrimp and watching college football.

 

That evening my good friend MK came over. I opened a good bottle of wine. We drank wine and discussed (lamented) LSU’s performance against Mississippi State. LSU won, but it was not pretty. LSU has a lot of talent, but they don’t look like they need to look.

 

Sunday, I took one of our sons to church Lisa stayed home with the other because he had a fever.

 

There, I think I have caught things up.

 

Later,

Kenith

 

 

 

 

After worship on Wednesday I grilled chicken and sausage for supper. LP's parents came ove to eat and visit. Sunday evening there was a wonderful lightning display to the north. It was a great show that I enjoyed for about an hour.

I worked at the Refinery for Labor Day, after work came home. Lisa had invited Monica and Dan over for supper. We had salad, 2" tenderloin steaks, Steamed Veges with a lemon butter sauce and some fine red wines. Good food and good friends.

Worked today. I think I am getting a cold. Uuuuuugggghhhh.

Kenith

This morning, I got up at 7:00. Lisa was already up and had started making gumbo chicken and sausage) for supper. After the gumbo, rice and potato salad were mostly done she went to her parents and then to the shop. I did some chores and then "cut the grass" (that is the way we say "mow the lawn" in South Louisiana.

Lisa got home about 11. We loaded up the truck with food. Lisa the boys and I headed for Mittie. Donna had asked me to bottle the home brew that Jon had started to celebrate the birth of their first grand baby.

We spent most of the afternoon in Mittie. I bottled the beer (5 gallons) played with the children outside, helped catch and saddle the horse, visited Jon's grave and read on their porch.

I pray for this family. Jon will be missed.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

At work I've been planning on a shutdown for one of our units, so I'm off my normal shift. This weekend will be my last days of for a couple of weeks. This is not a "normal" shutdown and the work scope is pretty narrow, so it should be fairly easy.

Today I got off work in time to pick the boys up from school. We came home, they did their homework and I helped when it was needed. For supper, I warmed up leftovers (spaghetti Lisa made). I did my two mile walk/run this evening and got back in time to say evening prayers with the boys.

Now I'm gonna pour myself a glass of Merlot and take a bath.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

Yesterday, we attended the funeral of Jon McCrary's funeral. The service for Jon was held at Bethel Presbyterian Church and was officiated by our pastor, Rev. Steve Wright. After the service, the procession drove an hour to the McCrary home. Jon was laid to rest in the McCrary family cemetery.

After words were said at the cemetery, Jon's friends lowered his casket into the ground placed the dirt into his grave. Jon was buried in a pine casket built by two of his friends.

It was a beautiful funeral and like no other funeral that I have ever attended.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

Jon McCrary, a good friend and a godly man died last night. Jon and his wife Donna were visiting our pastor and his wife. At one point in their conversation Jon closed his eyes and died. CPR and AED were all used, but to no avail, the LORD had called him home.

I found out when my daughter called to tell us. She was crying terribly and it was hard for her to get it out. She has known "Mr. Jon" all her life. We are all in shock. Morgan came over and she

and Lisa cried. MK came over also. He and I walked and prayed for Jon's family.

Jon leaves behind a wife, eight children, two of which are grown and married and one grandson. We both served a deacons together at Bethel Presbyterian Church (PCA) and he has served since served Bethel as an Elder. Jon will be missed by all who know him. He was godly Christian man. This world needs many more men like Jon.

This is a recent picture of Jon and his family. Please pray for them. He leaves a terrible void that only Christ can fill.

We can ask why, but the answer from the Lord was given to Job. It is the same today as then.

With Great Sadness,

Kenith

Wednesday

Yesterday, I woke at 6 AM and got the boys up so that they could get ready for school. Lisa has them well trained, so they don’t need supervision and I just stay out of the way. After they headed off to school and Lisa left for work, I went on my two mile walk in the neighbourhood. When I finished my walk I got cleaned up and went to St. Michael’s Church for worship service.

 

After worship I went to visit my grandparents. Pawpaw is 89 and he is becoming frailer everyday. His wife Esther (my step-grandmother) is nearly blind but still made and served me a cup of coffee just as she has always done. We visited for an hour when my parents showed up to visit also. They were in town for a doctor visit.

 

After my visit I returned home took a nap, so I could start the hoot shift. I got up a little bit before three, so that I could pick the boys up at school.

 

Coram Deo,

Kenith

 

The boy's started back to school this morning. I got up with Lisa and the boys, but I stayed out of the way and only gave moral support. Lisa got them off to school and went to run a couple of errands before work.

After they left, I started a load of laundry, and went for a brisk two mile walk (with lunges thrown in). When I got back to the house I started the iRobot vacuum and worked on the garbage disposal, got it working and worked on the dishes. My next goal is (ughh) is pay bills. I hate paying bills. Then I have a few more "honey do" items to tackle.

Later,

Kenith

Just got home after spending a week in Philadelphia. Half of the refinery's rescue team went to Philly for our annual 40 hour rescue training. It was a lot of hard work, but very challenging and enjoyable. We practiced high angle rope rescue, confined space rescue and swift water rescue. The water rescue portion was a new challenge for our team, and it was great training.

We stayed a Embassy Suites near the airport and practiced at the fire ground nearby. The water rescue was done on the Delaware River about 40 or 50 miles north of Philly. There had been a lot of rain the night before so we got to practice with the river running high and very fast.

Embassy Suites is our favourite place to stay when training out of town. They have a great breakfast (complementary) and free drinks during happy hour every evening. In philly that have Yuengling Beer which is a very good brew. Its far better than Bud our Miller products.

Pictures will be coming when I get time to up load them.

Coram Deo,

Kenith

I've been very busy since my last post. Working lots of overtime and when I did have time off, much of that time was spent with helping my wife deal with my father-in-law who was in the hospital for a week and a half.

We have several turnarounds between now and thanksgiving, so I will likely be working lots of overtime between now and then. I will also be going to Philadelphia soon for rescue ttraining.

Later,

Kenith

Weekend In Gulf Shores

Friday morning, Lisa, the boys and I piled into our Nissan truck and drove 400 miles to Gulf Shores, Alabama for a little mini vacation. We rented a condo at Beach Club. We had a ground floor condo which opened to the pool. Past the pool was a boardwalk and beyond that was the beach. Lisa and the boys loved the place, and I was also impressed.

 

The boys went from beach to pool and back to the beach. We tagged along and tried to keep up with them. They wore us out, but it was all worth it. We all went para-sailing one day. That was a pricey, but the boys thought it was great. They got to enjoy a boat ride and fly behind the boat harnessed up to a parachute.

 

Monday, on the way home we stopped at Lambert’s Café for lunch. It opened at 10 AM and we were there for the opening, as were a lot of other people. We packed in and filled up the restaurant immediately. After ordering one of my sons was belayed by a hot roll. It up set him for a moment, and then he got into the spirit of things. He also enjoyed the roll that had smacked him, for clarification the roll was being thrown to someone else, who did not catch it.

 

The food was very good, the atmosphere was a load of fun and the price was reasonable. We will return on future occasions, if we can get into the place. Every time we passed it, it had a very long line of folks waiting to get inside.

 

We had an uneventful ride home. I drove and listened to an audio book while the others dozed. We got home early enough for me to get a bit to eat and then cut the grass.

 

I will try to upload some pictures tomorrow.

 

Later,

Kenith

 

 

Today was my Friday. I finished this weeks shift and I've taken a day's vacation next week, so I don't go back to work until Tuesday. I plan to spend a long weekend with my family.

We finally got rain in South Louisiana. Of course when the rains came they came in massive sheets, high winds and a great lighting show. I did get to enjoy some of the storm from the front porch.

Later,
Kenith

An Afternoon at S.P.A.R.

Remembering Gerry

Today is the 48th birthday of my brother Gerry. Gerry died almost six years ago, after succumbing to a three year battle with colon and liver  cancer.

 

My sister and two brothers were all born close together.  Gerry was the closest of my siblings to me in age. He was born less than 15 months after me and we grew up close. Of course, being boys close in age, he and I had our share of fist fights. I was the older and faster, but he was stockier and had more natural strength. We both had a fair amount of boxing experience by the time of our last fight.  I was seventeen and he was sixteen at the time. I started the fight, for reasons that I have long since forgotten, but I do remember being the guilty party.

This was the first and only fight between us where blood was spilt. We had several friends with us, and neither one of us wanted to look soft in front of our friends, so the fight went on longer than it would have other wise. I remember, I punched him in the face, cut his cheek and saw blood on his face. When I saw the blood, I immediately wanted to quit, but he would have none of that and we started again. After a few more punches he caught me with right to the face and I too began to bleed. He dropped his fists wanting to stop, but this time I insisted on continuing.

 

The fight did not last much longer; right about that time our dad drove into the drive way. We both stopped then. Dad was angry. He saw two of his sons fighting one another, both cut and bleeding. I will not go into detail about what happened, but our friends quickly left our yard, Dad sent Gerry and me inside then he came in. My dad but an end to that fight, as he had so  many others, but Gerry and I never fought again. Not too much after that I went in the Navy. When I returned four years later, Gerry was married and had a baby girl.

 

Gerry was always a good friend, I still miss him a great deal, but I know that we will meet again. He is with our Lord. He made his salvation sure while struggling with his cancer.

 

Coram Deo,

Kenith

 

 

 

 

 

This past week I took the boys and Morgan to the Sulphur water park one afternoon. We had a good time.

 

My shift started nights on Wednesday evening. I worked the first one but was taken off the schedule the next two nights so that I could attend the refineries Joint Health and Safety Committee (whose membership is half management and half union). Saturday evening I returned to my shift.

 

It rained at the house Sunday for the first in over a month. We need it for the yard and to break the heat for a little while.

 

I'm hoping for a good week ahead.

Kenith.

 

 

 

Friday, was the day for our monthly Rescue Team training. I've been on the team for about 15 years. I enjoy doing this sort of thing. As a young man I was a Navy helicopter aircrewman and rescue rescue swimmer. Then I jumped out of helicopters in a wetsuit with fins and goggles to rescue downed pilots ( trained but never had to do an actual pilot rescue), now train rescue injured industrial works. by I repelling on ropes and enter vessels with an fresh air equipment.

Saturday, Mark came over and Lisa, Mark and I worked on our new deck in the backyard. It's nice. Now I can drink coffee, beer, etc... on the front porch or the back deck. Life is good.

After we finished the deck I grilled some dogs, burgers and steaks for supper.

Sunday, was Father's Day. I got up and fixed pain perdu (i.e. French toast) for breakfast. We worshipped at Bethel. Pastor Mark Duncan and his family were in from Texarkana. He preached a good sermon. After church we had potato soup for lunch, relaxed for a while and then the boys, Lisa and I went for a bike ride.

Later,

Kenith

I worked off graveyard shift yesterday morning. My friend Gary and I carpooled the last week. After work, we had a drink, Jameson Irish Whiskey. Whiskey a 5:45 AM is OK if you have worked 1 nights in a row and day is now night and night is now day.

After a small whiskey, I came home visited with Lisa and stayed up until about eight, I then slept to 1:30. After I woke, I made myself a cup of coffee and sat on the back deck vegetating for a while. After my coffee the boys and I went swiming at the community pool.

While we were swimming, Lisa came home and made supper (porkchops, mash potatoes and brown gravy). After supper, Lisa and went for a nice walk.

I managed to fall asleep at 9PM. I woke at 1:30 AM and can't sleep. I'm working days today, I'm going to lay down and read, and hopefully fall back to sleep for a little while.

What can I say, shift work messes up normal sleep patterns.

Later,

Kenith

Shift work

I work sift work. I work from 5:30 AM to 5:30 PM and from 5:30 PM to 5:30 AM. This kind of shift work tends to mess with a persons normal internal clock. I know that very well. My sleep patterns are not normal even when I’m on my days off.

I find it more difficult to switch from nights to days. Staying up all night must shift our normal evening fatigue pattern back, so even when I’m off from work I tend to stay up later. This is true even when I get up at a normal hour. It usually takes several days like this to get back to being able to sleep at a normal hour.

Of course, just as you get back to normal, you have to throw everything out of whack again, because it is time to go back on the night shift.

That all being true, I actually like shift work because you are often of on weekdays when most people are working. This can be very helpful. You can hunt and fish while most people are at work. You can get things done during the week that other folks would have to take time off from work to do, etc…

Shift work has a good set of negatives as well, but if I start writing about those items (at 3:50 AM) it might get me down so I will not mention those things now.

Oh, I saw that there is a beautiful half moon out tonight on my 3:00 AM stroll this morning.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

Back to Normal

I went back on shift last week, working graveyards. I worked 85 hours last week, all nights. Nights are good because the bosses, mechanical and engineers are (for the most part) not at the refinery. Because of this, things are quieter on nights and weekends also. If all is running ok you can have a little down time.

I did manage to finish reading Michael Behe's book The Edge of Evolution. I found it interesting and useful. I also completed the first volume of Phantastes  by George McDonald. The book is mentioned by C.S. Lewis’ main character in his book The Great Divorce.

Later,
Kenith

This morning, as I stepped out of the air conditioning, I was hit by the humid out of doors and my glasses fogged up immediately. South Louisiana's summer has arrived and will hang around for many months to come.

I'm back working at the refinery this week and I'm scheduled to work 84 hours (i.e. seven twelve hour days in a row). Yuck. Oh well, we will make the best of it.

Later,

Kenith