going away

last night there was a going away party for pie car melissa. we're in everett, WA now, and she's originally from portland, OR. most people seem to leave around their hometowns if it works out that way.

so when someone leaves there's usually a big sha bang in their honor - birthdays and going aways.... those are the big parties, and one or the other is never too far away.

she mentioned last night that as she was saying goodbye to people it felt like she was getting out of prison.

i've heard that same comparison made a few times. though i suppose a lot of people refer to their jobs as prison, right? that's not too unusual. now, i've never been in prison, so i can't really speak for that demographic, but i suppose i could see how a couple of things Might be similar :

small confined room
close quarters
community showers
dirt and gravel for a front yard
prison looking school bus

of course, all that could be college too, so i don't know...

it can be a very, very Very monotonous life. if you let it be.
just to BE out here isn't very hard at all - granted that a couple of things like space and travel don't bug you. but if that's the case, there's not a whole lot you need to worry about. there're busses that pick you up outside your room on the hour to take you to your place of work's doorstep. the bus takes you to the grocery store and brings you right back, and there's even a pie car at the building and the train for food. and that's it. that's all you NEED really, and for a lot of folk that IS all they do - and it's worked for them for YEARS. mail comes to you at the building. you don't have to cut your yard or re-shingle your roof.

sometimes the hours aren't great. the worst stretch for techs must be a six pack then load out (ending at sun up Monday a lot of times) and an overland right from load out to a pre-rig that same night or crack of dawn Tuesday for load in Tuesday.

it can be rough

in any case - people usually seem to be both happy and envious of those who "get out"