Week of July 2-7

This week on the job turned out to be pretty well given we had the 4th off. Most people get paid for the holiday but I don't. I tried seeing if overtime pay would kick in at 32 hours instead of 40 hours but that wasn't the case. I still got 41 hours in for the week so I can't complain. Averaging 9-10 hours a day and 45-50 hours a week isn't bad for my situation. I couldn't have been more blessed having the chance to live at home with my parents and save money at the same time. It is good to just come home and relax and visit with my family. I miss Corvallis but I am going to make the most of the next 2 months because odds are this will be my last time at home ever. Their is a possibility that ODOT may want me to work for them after I am done with school so I could move home then but that is further down the road so I don't have to worry about that just yet.

One of the many things that is great about this job is I am starting to really get to know the workers. To sum up most of the guys they are a bunch of perverts but they work their butt off! Being around construction surely hasn't helped with my sailor tongue but I look at this as a season in my life where I have to work on some things. Everyday is something new and I am learning a lot. My mentor sometimes throws me under the bus with paperwork but I look it as a challenge. So far I have done good so I am happy.

As for the project. We have moved to another phase which means cutting into another street and installing storm pipe. 30 inch pipe has been installed up to a certain station where we have to cast in place a manhole. The engineers at the city that designed this project sure have had a lot of problems. What makes this experience good is that I now know what mistake not to make. One of the problems with their design that they think is fine is having a 36 inch pipe flow into a 30 inch pipe. In all logic that is completely backwards but that is their choice. While the pipe is being installed the main road is being cut for subgrade before we build up the road. This phase is almost done and one of the most interesting things to me I learned last year in school was the process of building a road. I am now seeing it firsthand and it is amazing. At the end of the week, the contractor that is building the retaining wall showed up to form the area up with rebar for the footing to be poured. This got started today and I have a picture posted showing the process from afar.

With this job it can be super tiring. With the weather making a turn for the worst in terms of heat, I will be getting a lot of sleep that is for sure. I hope to keep up with more posts in the future but for those following the fun I am happy to share this part of my journey with you. It is so easy to get down on yourself when everything doesn't go to your plan. It happens all the time to me. But I am so glad God's plan for my life is better then the one I make up in my own mind. This summer has been a great journey and it is just getting started. Thank you all and enjoy the ride. God bless