2015 Traveling Fitter

I have frequently done the short turn around between jobs. You basically empty the suitcase, wash the clothes, and fill it back up again. If you’re lucky, you get a night or two in your own bed. 2015 was exceptionally chaotic. I was such a vagabond. It started out quietly as I had decided to treat myself to January in the warmth of Florida. After 6 weeks of sunshine, beach, and booze, I had to get back to work. Not just because I needed the money, but because I had agreed to rent out my house in February and March, which meant I was essentially homeless. I decided to visit my niece in Alabama and my brother in NC. Three days into my trip, my BA Brad let me know I could start at Vogtle Nuclear in Waynesboro, GA. There I was enjoying the company of my brother Dan and his darling wife Ann, suddenly I am packing my stuff and searching for a place to stay. A woman I met through a FB Tradeswoman’s chat page offered me a bed for the night. It was about an hour from the training center which was 30 minutes from the job. I arrived bearing wine and BBQ and discovered a wonderful home and new friend. She is a retired pipefitter and antique collector. I slept on a bed that had been in Dr. Samuel Mudd’s home (of John Wilkes Booth fame). I swear I am the luckiest around meeting such generous people in this world. So first day of training, 100 or more people in the room, and a young laborer attaches herself to me. It was her first nuke plant and she needed the help with the tests and paperwork. During our lunch, we took a drive to the plant to see how far away it was and get the lay of the land. Spotting a sign with cabins for rent, I stopped and called the number. Ten minutes later, I had a 2 bedroom trailer, ten minutes from the job, for a decent price. I stopped and picked up some sheets and other essentials and had a place to lay my head. Back at training I met JJ, Pete, and Bill, pipefitter brothers from another mother. I have never figured out what makes people become friends, but these three guys and I bonded instantly. Initially we were all put on the rigging crew, but then Bill and I were sent to separate piping crews. Rigging is what I love and do well. Working in a ditch, in the hot GA sun and rain, with 24” pipe—not so much! I was sent to a couple of training classes, for pipe prep and for rigging, but I kept being sent back to the piping crew. Due to rain outages and other scheduling issues, I was having a hard time getting in a full week of work. Meanwhile JJ and Pete were getting in 72 hours a week. On weekends we would meet for bonfires or road trips to Tybee Island. A week didn’t pass that we didn’t get together for dinner or drinks. By the end of April I was ready to move on and started bugging Brad for another job that paid better. On Thursday morning at 9 am I received a text from him asking if I could start Monday in NY. I replied yes, then turned around and started shaking everyone’s hands and saying goodbye. It takes at least 2 hours to process out of a nuclear plant. It was noon before I had returned to my cabin. Luckily I had been able to find the boys and get some hugs before I left. I packed my things and drove eight hours home to FL. I had to check on the place after my renters. I also had to register my car which I had been procrastinating about doing for a while. This living in my van gets complicated. I left FL on Saturday afternoon. I had arranged to stay in a place I had stayed at the year before in NY. I arrived late Sunday afternoon, unpacked, and started work the next morning at 6 am. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was back at the same place I worked last year, but for a different contractor. It was an expanding facility that manufactures computer chips. We were also doing totally a different type of piping. Instead of large bore “dirty” pipe we were doing tool install with all “clean” plastic and stainless steel piping. For some installations, we had to dress from head to toe in Tyvek suits with face masks and for the guys, beard covers. We looked like giant bunnies! Think Harvey, but not as cute. I was immediately put on night shift, first ten hour, and then twelve hour shifts. I took the first weekend off to go see my daughter Megan. I had not seen her in six months. After that, it was six, then seven days a week. While the pipe was lightweight, I was having a lot of trouble climbing the pipe racks. You had to climb the racks because most of the piping was inaccessible by ladder. I seemed to be in constant pain and was gobbling the Aleve like candy. After three months, this all came to a screeching halt. A large customer pulled their business. If you don’t need product, you don’t need machines that make them installed. In another hurried leave-taking, I was laid off Friday at 2 pm, packed and left at 6 am the next morning. Luckily before I left, I was able to catch up with a college roommate who lived there. On the way to Elmira, I stopped for mimosas and breakfast with my newly married friends, Catherine and Kathaleen. I really appreciate all my friends that make an effort to see me in my hurried and limited time frame. I had booked a nice hotel which I checked into before getting my BBQ fix at Callear’s. I picked up my daughter and drove her to work. Then I picked up Jackie, my dear friend who works too hard and took her back to the hotel. We relaxed in the room until another set of friends joined us. Jennifer, the mother of the bride, Liz and Carlos, the soon to be married couple, also all needed a break from life. A couple of bottle of champagne, hot tub, and wings from Alliger’s, and we were all much more relaxed and happy. After driving Jackie home, I picked up Megan, fed her some wings and went to sleep. We spent Sunday indulging in hair appointments and an overload of TV. I was prepping for a colonoscopy and didn’t want to be far from the bathroom. Monday morning bright and early, Megan (my CNA and DD) took me to the hospital. After a clean checkup, I went to see the orthopedic doctor. X-rays showed all the pain wasn’t in my head, I had some arthritis and bone spurs. A conservative course of cortisone shots, diet and exercise was decided on, before we do surgery. With all the medical stuff behind me, we could have some fun. So we had lunch, then Megan got her eyebrow pierced. Nothing like Mother-daughter bonding over body modifications. After a nap, we headed up to Ithaca to do some pre-school shopping and oyster slurping before my union meeting. I love how careful my officers are about saying men and women or workers or people when referring to the union members. It really does make a difference. Something about attending a union meeting makes me happy. I feel proud and accomplished to be part of such a good group of people. We slept in the next morning, but got in a little more hot tub time before breakfast. After dropping Megan at her dad’s house, I drove to FL which is a 20 hour drive. I kept thinking I should stop, but I wasn’t tired. I wanted to get home! I knew I had a job starting in ten days in NH, but I really needed to sleep in my own bed even if for a short time. Also, I need to check everything out and clean the place once in a while. Many people had used the house over the summer and some repairs were needed. So I sit here; trying to find a place to stay in NH, arrange for someone to watch the dog, and coordinate visiting friends and family as I head north again. Willie Nelson’s “On the road again” is playing in my head.