First Few Weeks in California
Finally made it to California. My dad and I ended up coming in a day early instead of spending an extra night along the way. So the truck was all unloaded that Saturday night.
I had a week of free time here before I started my job. I spent most of it unpacking and running errands. Unfortunately, David was working 12+ hours each day that week, so we saw each other just a little bit each day before we went to bed.
I started my job at the Chevron Richmond refinery July 20th. It's about a 15 minute drive in the morning because I leave my apartment at 6:45am, so not too bad of a commute. The first day was kind of overwhelming because I was meeting a whole bunch of people and getting a feel for what exactly I would be responsible for. Over the past two weeks I've been getting to know my unit (the sulfur recovery unit or SRU). It's not too complicated of a process, but it's one of the few parts of the refinery that has actual chemical reactions; the rest just separate.
My predecessor, Brandon, is very knowledgeable and fun. I've been following him around to meetings and he's explained the plant to me. He'll be around for a bit longer and then will move on to another position.
From what I can tell so far, I think I'll like my job. I like the people that work in my group and I won't just be sitting in a desk all day. Though if I do want to see the plant, I will have to don sexy fire-retardant clothing, hard hat, safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, and ear plugs. But, hey, gotta be safe.
I feel as if I have been very unproductive this weekend. Yesterday I went to David's ultimate frisbee game and just layed on the side, reading a book in the sun; it was pleasant. After that we went to the apartment of two of his friends in the city; they have a very nice apartment and the complex has outdoor grills (complete with sink, fridge and freezer) as well as firepits. All on the rooftop of their complex. We cooked out and had steaks. Today David and I helped some other friends move apartments. That took the whole day. We were able to borrow a drill, however--now we can install curtains!
I had a week of free time here before I started my job. I spent most of it unpacking and running errands. Unfortunately, David was working 12+ hours each day that week, so we saw each other just a little bit each day before we went to bed.
I started my job at the Chevron Richmond refinery July 20th. It's about a 15 minute drive in the morning because I leave my apartment at 6:45am, so not too bad of a commute. The first day was kind of overwhelming because I was meeting a whole bunch of people and getting a feel for what exactly I would be responsible for. Over the past two weeks I've been getting to know my unit (the sulfur recovery unit or SRU). It's not too complicated of a process, but it's one of the few parts of the refinery that has actual chemical reactions; the rest just separate.
My predecessor, Brandon, is very knowledgeable and fun. I've been following him around to meetings and he's explained the plant to me. He'll be around for a bit longer and then will move on to another position.
From what I can tell so far, I think I'll like my job. I like the people that work in my group and I won't just be sitting in a desk all day. Though if I do want to see the plant, I will have to don sexy fire-retardant clothing, hard hat, safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, and ear plugs. But, hey, gotta be safe.
I feel as if I have been very unproductive this weekend. Yesterday I went to David's ultimate frisbee game and just layed on the side, reading a book in the sun; it was pleasant. After that we went to the apartment of two of his friends in the city; they have a very nice apartment and the complex has outdoor grills (complete with sink, fridge and freezer) as well as firepits. All on the rooftop of their complex. We cooked out and had steaks. Today David and I helped some other friends move apartments. That took the whole day. We were able to borrow a drill, however--now we can install curtains!