It is very interesting how well being a Petroleum Engineer seems to suit me. It all started my junior year of high school when I first began to look at colleges. I looked at several in WV and OH but didn't really give Marietta that much thought. I knew I wanted to go to a D2 college for soccer and I knew that I wanted there to be really good food. Well, that all changed when I got a letter from the soccer coach at Marietta saying he had seen me play in a summer showcase and would like me to look at the school. I like to know what all my options are before I choose something so I decided to visit.
I think that the first time I came here I was sick so it wasn't that great of a time. Except I do remember meeting Auntie Linda in Parkersburg to pick up a cake. That was good. The soccer coach seemed really interested in me so I came back a few months later with Katie and Reamer for an overnight visit. I had lots of fun and liked the soccer team, liked the campus, the food was ok, and I got a scholarship. So I decided Marietta it would be. Oh, but then I had to choose a major. I knew that I wanted to do something with math and science but not in the medical field. Marietta College is very well known for its petroleum engineering department and when I found out how much they make, I decided to give it a shot.
The whole summer leading up to my freshman year I would tell people that I was going to major in petroleum engineering and would get these really impressed looks from people and they would ask me what that was and my reply was "I don't know but I'm going to find out" Last year I kinda got an idea a little bit about it but I really still don't know that much. All I know is that I like the classes I have to take and I don't have to write alot of papers, I just have to do tons of math problems. I like it alot, it seems like a perfect fit so far.
One of the things that the department does so well is to provide opportunities for us students to get summer internships with oil companies. There are numerous companies that come onto campus and give information sessions and based on our resumes in a data base, will select students for interviews.
I had I think 6 interviews with different companies in September and October. I was getting nervous because I had only heard back from two of them saying I just didn't have the skills they were looking for. But last week Dr. Chase, the head of the department. sent me an email saying he had talked to one of the companies and had highly recommended me to them and to look for any emails from them in the next few days. Well they did send me a job offer for the summer and I accepted.
This summer starting on June 6th I will be starting my first day with ConocoPhillips in Farmington New Mexico! I have no clue what I will be doing but I am very excited about it and know that I will learn a ton about the oil industry and more of what my future holds.
So, that's my big news right now. New Mexico. Pretty sweet
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Instructor's Pistol Class
The past two weekends I have attended a two day course that will certify me to teach a pistol class and issue conceled carry permits once I turn 21. I will also be able to get my own conceled carry at that time. They days were long but it was very worth it. I had lots of fun and met some interesting people I wouldn't otherwise know. I even decided it was so much fun I would take pictures of my awesomeness. So here they are I hope you enjoy.
We actually did get to use the flashlights and shoot in the dark today.
I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a picture with the western cowboy revolver I got to shoot today, it was alot bigger and more impressive than this little baby although this one packed quite a wallup.
For this drill we had to shoot around a barrier at two targets and then shuffle across the floor, make a 911 phone call, then shoot two more targets to mock a break in situation. I pretended I was Jack Bauer in my head the whole time.
Me doing an awesomely cool pose.
The whole class
Well yeah, that's all for now
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Jordan's Senior Soccer Night and Following Adventures
I know this is a month late, but the night of Jordan's senior soccer game was so full of adventures that I feel as though I should write about it.
It started around 5AM Wednesday morning when I got up to do procrastinated homework. At noon when I was done with my classes I found the car that I would be borrowing, printed directions, grabbed my driving hat, and set out to get Marriana. The plan was to drive to Steubenville where she goes to school (2 hrs), and then to Norwalk where the game was (3 more hrs), surprise everybody (only Dylan knew we were coming, and I don't think we even saw him that night), hang out for awhile, then drive back to Steubenville where I would spend the night before heading back to Marietta the next morning for my 11 o'clock class. Foolproof right?
Well, the first part went well, we got to Norwalk in time for Marriana to visit her mom for a bit, then we showed up to the game around 7:15, right as Norwalk scored their first goal. Everyone was really surprised and Jordan played a great game. They won 6-0 and he scored the 6th goal. It was so much fun to get to be there.
Cheering in the stands (these pictures were hyjacked from other sources)
Halftime (Man do I have a good looking brother)
After the game
It was so nice to be home for the first time this year and get to chill out with the family even if it was only for a few hours
This has to be one of my new favorite pictures
After awhile it was time to leave, we left Norwalk around 11:30. It rained for about an hour but other than that it was good for driving. I had an energy drink and some seeds and I was just cruisin along the way I like to.
I think this is a good place to insert that I love driving, especially by myself because I can be as loud as I want and so on the way to pick up Marriana I had been singing for awhile when God put in on my heart to pray in the spirit. Ok, so for about 45 min. before I got there I was just pressing in for I didn't even know what, like hardcore warfare kinda stuff which I don't normally do unless I know what I'm praying for. When I was done I just said, "God let these prayers accomplish whatever they were for." So, back to the drive from Norwalk, Marriana fell asleep so I just started praying agian but quietly. It was weird because she woke up suddenly and told me to stay on the road (which I totally was, I don't know why she freaked out), so I stopped praying and later learned that she started praying then. (She prays really quietly I guess). Ok, point being, lots of prayer in that car. You might be wondering why, I'll tell you why.
All was going well until we got to Strausburg where a really huge old building had caught on fire. There were fire trucks from every county around and traffic was backed way up. We went on a little detour and continued on our way. No biggie, it was just interesting.
We kept going on 250, when around 1:30 ish the car started making weird rattling noises. We were in the middle of nowhere with only woods and a winding road around us. So I did the only thing I knew to do and kept driving. Well, that plan failed when I felt the power steering and power brakes go out so I did my best to get it off the road. I just happened to land halfway in the front yard of the only two houses within a 3 or 4 mile radius (my estimation), and steam was just pouring from the hood. At which point a drunk man comes stumbling out from the house and into the road. Yep, I was in his yard, and he was not happy about it.
He came up to my window and started pounding on it yelling at us to open it and talk to him, not wanting to anger the man, we made sure the doors were locked and rolled the window down enough to talk to him, rather I let Marriana talk to him. I reached for my phone and called 911...NO SERVICE. As if this nightmare could get any worse, but it could.
This guy would carry on about something for a bit, then ask us something, get mad at our response, stomp off, come back, be happy for a minute or two, get mad again. This happened for awhile. At one point he was screaming at me to turn on the hazard lights and to open the hood; I had never driven this car before so it took me a while to find the right buttons and levers but I eventually did although not fast enough for this crazy guy. In the midst of one of his rants he mentioned something about his old lady. Marriana jumped on this opportunity and asked him if his wife was home. His response was something like "Well actually she lives in that house and I live in this house because she likes to decorate her way and I like to decorate mine." Marriana asked him to go get her and he got upset because we didn't trust men and called us some interesting names but he did eventually go and get her for us.
Out of the second house walks this lady wearing jeans, a leather jacket, no shoes, and smoking a cigarette. Oh boy. The guy decided that the car needed to be pushed off the road completely because it was still partially in the road. There was a convenient lot right across the street so he yelled at Marriana to get out of the car and help push; up to this point, we had stayed put. She reassured me that beause the woman was there everything would be ok, so the three of them pushed the car off the road. Then the lady went back inside to go look for some oil or something. Situation: me sitting in drivers seat, Marriana and guy standing on the passenger side of the car talking, windows cracked. All was fine until he said something about kissing her so I got out of the car ready for anything despite the glare I got from Marriana that said "you stay in the car missy." Thankfully this guy didn't try anything because I'm pretty sure I would have beat him up if necessary.
The lady, whose name was Tammie, came back and so we asked if she had a house phone we could use. The guy starts flipping out when we mention calling the police, and Tammie told us we could call our parents but nobody else because she didn't want the police to come either. (she was obviously on some drugs). Our parents were 2 1/2 hours away and we estimated we were only about 30 min. from Steubenville. So Tammie told us it was ok if Marriana called some of her friends to come get us. So we entered the house....
Remember how I said it couldn't get any worse? Well, these people raised German Shepards for a living. I think they said that between the two of them there were sixteen. I am not particularly fond of dogs in the first place. So we walk in this lady's house and there are four dogs (she had put the biggest one upstairs) barking wildly. And you could hear dogs all around; in the back yard and at the guy's house. Tammie found the phone for us. It needed recharged. So we had to wait in this house for her phone to charge. We went and sat on the couch and these dogs were sniffing me and licking me and if I looked at them wrong or moved they would start barking at me. Also, the guy decided that he wanted to come into the house to but Tammie told him to go home, he said no, they started fighting, she threatens him with a stick, he leaves, comes back, this happens several times until the guy takes some pills, goes home, and we don't see him again for the rest of the story.
The phone finally charged enough for Marriana to call Armando....he didn't answer, she left a voicemail and then the phone died again. I think she did end up getting one text out telling him to call that number back. Anyways, so there was nothing to do but wait. We were sitting there on the couch and I was exhausted so I kinda fell asleep while Marriana was busy multitasking. She amazes me. First of all, she can talk to anybody, I mean ANYBODY for a very long time. So she was talking to Tammie, trying to get a text to go out, comforting the freaking out Hannah, bonding with these dogs, praying, and who knows what else while we waited. As messed up as Tammie's life was, she was very helpful and I am very grateful for her taking us in even if the circumstances were not ideal.
Marriana's friends finally understood what was going on and came out to find us. They got lost trying to find us, I think part of it was I had missed my turn and hadn't realized it. After a long time they finally found us, I have never loved a stranger more than I loved Armando and Hannah Voss that night. We ended up getting oil for the car, it drove to a gas station then died again and we rode back to campus. It was during that drive that Marriana made a very funny connection. This guy's name was Chester. Her household gave creepers the codename "Chester" and warned about them. If only we had listened. Sorry I don't have any pictures of the car breaking down event.
We got back to campus around 6:30 that morning. I was SO happy when the sun came up. That was definentally the scariest night of my life. I shake everytime I tell the story, it was like a living nightmare. But God protected us, and no harm came to us.
Uncle Rodney came with a trailer and picked me up. We went back to get the car. Everything seemed to different in the light. We loaded it up and drove back to Marietta. I think I slept the whole way. I finally arrived back to my city at 5:30 that evening, so happy to be back, and so happy to be alive.
I still think that getting to be at Jordan's Senior Night was totally worth it. I would even do it all over again if I had to.
It started around 5AM Wednesday morning when I got up to do procrastinated homework. At noon when I was done with my classes I found the car that I would be borrowing, printed directions, grabbed my driving hat, and set out to get Marriana. The plan was to drive to Steubenville where she goes to school (2 hrs), and then to Norwalk where the game was (3 more hrs), surprise everybody (only Dylan knew we were coming, and I don't think we even saw him that night), hang out for awhile, then drive back to Steubenville where I would spend the night before heading back to Marietta the next morning for my 11 o'clock class. Foolproof right?
It was so nice to be home for the first time this year and get to chill out with the family even if it was only for a few hours
After awhile it was time to leave, we left Norwalk around 11:30. It rained for about an hour but other than that it was good for driving. I had an energy drink and some seeds and I was just cruisin along the way I like to.
I think this is a good place to insert that I love driving, especially by myself because I can be as loud as I want and so on the way to pick up Marriana I had been singing for awhile when God put in on my heart to pray in the spirit. Ok, so for about 45 min. before I got there I was just pressing in for I didn't even know what, like hardcore warfare kinda stuff which I don't normally do unless I know what I'm praying for. When I was done I just said, "God let these prayers accomplish whatever they were for." So, back to the drive from Norwalk, Marriana fell asleep so I just started praying agian but quietly. It was weird because she woke up suddenly and told me to stay on the road (which I totally was, I don't know why she freaked out), so I stopped praying and later learned that she started praying then. (She prays really quietly I guess). Ok, point being, lots of prayer in that car. You might be wondering why, I'll tell you why.
All was going well until we got to Strausburg where a really huge old building had caught on fire. There were fire trucks from every county around and traffic was backed way up. We went on a little detour and continued on our way. No biggie, it was just interesting.
We kept going on 250, when around 1:30 ish the car started making weird rattling noises. We were in the middle of nowhere with only woods and a winding road around us. So I did the only thing I knew to do and kept driving. Well, that plan failed when I felt the power steering and power brakes go out so I did my best to get it off the road. I just happened to land halfway in the front yard of the only two houses within a 3 or 4 mile radius (my estimation), and steam was just pouring from the hood. At which point a drunk man comes stumbling out from the house and into the road. Yep, I was in his yard, and he was not happy about it.
He came up to my window and started pounding on it yelling at us to open it and talk to him, not wanting to anger the man, we made sure the doors were locked and rolled the window down enough to talk to him, rather I let Marriana talk to him. I reached for my phone and called 911...NO SERVICE. As if this nightmare could get any worse, but it could.
This guy would carry on about something for a bit, then ask us something, get mad at our response, stomp off, come back, be happy for a minute or two, get mad again. This happened for awhile. At one point he was screaming at me to turn on the hazard lights and to open the hood; I had never driven this car before so it took me a while to find the right buttons and levers but I eventually did although not fast enough for this crazy guy. In the midst of one of his rants he mentioned something about his old lady. Marriana jumped on this opportunity and asked him if his wife was home. His response was something like "Well actually she lives in that house and I live in this house because she likes to decorate her way and I like to decorate mine." Marriana asked him to go get her and he got upset because we didn't trust men and called us some interesting names but he did eventually go and get her for us.
Out of the second house walks this lady wearing jeans, a leather jacket, no shoes, and smoking a cigarette. Oh boy. The guy decided that the car needed to be pushed off the road completely because it was still partially in the road. There was a convenient lot right across the street so he yelled at Marriana to get out of the car and help push; up to this point, we had stayed put. She reassured me that beause the woman was there everything would be ok, so the three of them pushed the car off the road. Then the lady went back inside to go look for some oil or something. Situation: me sitting in drivers seat, Marriana and guy standing on the passenger side of the car talking, windows cracked. All was fine until he said something about kissing her so I got out of the car ready for anything despite the glare I got from Marriana that said "you stay in the car missy." Thankfully this guy didn't try anything because I'm pretty sure I would have beat him up if necessary.
The lady, whose name was Tammie, came back and so we asked if she had a house phone we could use. The guy starts flipping out when we mention calling the police, and Tammie told us we could call our parents but nobody else because she didn't want the police to come either. (she was obviously on some drugs). Our parents were 2 1/2 hours away and we estimated we were only about 30 min. from Steubenville. So Tammie told us it was ok if Marriana called some of her friends to come get us. So we entered the house....
Remember how I said it couldn't get any worse? Well, these people raised German Shepards for a living. I think they said that between the two of them there were sixteen. I am not particularly fond of dogs in the first place. So we walk in this lady's house and there are four dogs (she had put the biggest one upstairs) barking wildly. And you could hear dogs all around; in the back yard and at the guy's house. Tammie found the phone for us. It needed recharged. So we had to wait in this house for her phone to charge. We went and sat on the couch and these dogs were sniffing me and licking me and if I looked at them wrong or moved they would start barking at me. Also, the guy decided that he wanted to come into the house to but Tammie told him to go home, he said no, they started fighting, she threatens him with a stick, he leaves, comes back, this happens several times until the guy takes some pills, goes home, and we don't see him again for the rest of the story.
The phone finally charged enough for Marriana to call Armando....he didn't answer, she left a voicemail and then the phone died again. I think she did end up getting one text out telling him to call that number back. Anyways, so there was nothing to do but wait. We were sitting there on the couch and I was exhausted so I kinda fell asleep while Marriana was busy multitasking. She amazes me. First of all, she can talk to anybody, I mean ANYBODY for a very long time. So she was talking to Tammie, trying to get a text to go out, comforting the freaking out Hannah, bonding with these dogs, praying, and who knows what else while we waited. As messed up as Tammie's life was, she was very helpful and I am very grateful for her taking us in even if the circumstances were not ideal.
Marriana's friends finally understood what was going on and came out to find us. They got lost trying to find us, I think part of it was I had missed my turn and hadn't realized it. After a long time they finally found us, I have never loved a stranger more than I loved Armando and Hannah Voss that night. We ended up getting oil for the car, it drove to a gas station then died again and we rode back to campus. It was during that drive that Marriana made a very funny connection. This guy's name was Chester. Her household gave creepers the codename "Chester" and warned about them. If only we had listened. Sorry I don't have any pictures of the car breaking down event.
We got back to campus around 6:30 that morning. I was SO happy when the sun came up. That was definentally the scariest night of my life. I shake everytime I tell the story, it was like a living nightmare. But God protected us, and no harm came to us.
Uncle Rodney came with a trailer and picked me up. We went back to get the car. Everything seemed to different in the light. We loaded it up and drove back to Marietta. I think I slept the whole way. I finally arrived back to my city at 5:30 that evening, so happy to be back, and so happy to be alive.
I still think that getting to be at Jordan's Senior Night was totally worth it. I would even do it all over again if I had to.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
All about today
This morning I woke up at 6:30, then went back to bed (which is actually an ordeal because my bed is lofted so I had to climb down, hit snooze, then climb back up). Then got up around seven, ate animal crackers, did some homework, and went to class.
Ok, pause, I just remembered I forgot one major detail. I have not been able to find my sneakers for the last 2 weeks and have looked EVERYWHERE for them, and this morning, amidst the haze of morningness I bumped my chair and saw a water bottle under it and reached down and found my long lost sneakers so I wore them today. Ok, back to the story.
I had class from 8-11 and not much exciting happened. I got my physics exam back and did better than I thought, and it got curved 6 points, so I ended up with a B. I'm pretty happy about that one.
Then I ate lunch which was weird because I sat with my vb friends who were sitting with two of their friends who happen to be my suitemates and we have never really talked. Then my vb friends left so it was just my suitemates and it was just weird because we continued the pattern and still didn't talk. The food was not good today.
After lunch I took a nap until my 2:00 lab. I am in a stagecraft class in which I learn about and help build sets for the school's productions. Today I got to climb up to the grid way above the stage and help with some wiring. It was sweet because that was the first time I had been up there.
Lab lasted an hour and then I went for a run with the soccer team for our day off. I ran with one of my teamates who said she will run a marathon with me in the spring. We did almost 4 miles and it was great to run again and today was a beautiful day but I am going to be sore tomorrow because we went pretty fast.
I watched part of the guy's game, took a shower, ate a banana, and went to church. I love Wednesday nights because I get to hang out with people I like and get off campus for awhile and refocus. Then I came back to campus, hung out with people, got palpated, and ate some more animal crackers, and now I am going to bed.
Just another normal day in my life, I know it wasn't that exciting, but, oh well.
Ok, pause, I just remembered I forgot one major detail. I have not been able to find my sneakers for the last 2 weeks and have looked EVERYWHERE for them, and this morning, amidst the haze of morningness I bumped my chair and saw a water bottle under it and reached down and found my long lost sneakers so I wore them today. Ok, back to the story.
I had class from 8-11 and not much exciting happened. I got my physics exam back and did better than I thought, and it got curved 6 points, so I ended up with a B. I'm pretty happy about that one.
Then I ate lunch which was weird because I sat with my vb friends who were sitting with two of their friends who happen to be my suitemates and we have never really talked. Then my vb friends left so it was just my suitemates and it was just weird because we continued the pattern and still didn't talk. The food was not good today.
After lunch I took a nap until my 2:00 lab. I am in a stagecraft class in which I learn about and help build sets for the school's productions. Today I got to climb up to the grid way above the stage and help with some wiring. It was sweet because that was the first time I had been up there.
Lab lasted an hour and then I went for a run with the soccer team for our day off. I ran with one of my teamates who said she will run a marathon with me in the spring. We did almost 4 miles and it was great to run again and today was a beautiful day but I am going to be sore tomorrow because we went pretty fast.
I watched part of the guy's game, took a shower, ate a banana, and went to church. I love Wednesday nights because I get to hang out with people I like and get off campus for awhile and refocus. Then I came back to campus, hung out with people, got palpated, and ate some more animal crackers, and now I am going to bed.
Just another normal day in my life, I know it wasn't that exciting, but, oh well.
Monday, October 11, 2010
My First Post!
Ok, so this is my first ever blog post, kinda confused right now but it is coming along. I guess the reason I started this blog is beause I like to write as a way to get my thoughts out, and the patterns and colors and computer stuff seemed kinda cool, (until I started and now its confusing), and to allow people who I love and live far away to know what is up in my busy life. Because it is so busy I don't know how much I will actually post so this is more of a trial-and-error kind of deal.
I guess most of you can tell I like the number 2. I also like fire, alot! and I really miss my bonfires because for some reason they don't let you have those on a college campus without permission and some cause.
I will probably write a combination of stories, thoughts, and randomness so I hope you enjoy, whoever you are.
I guess most of you can tell I like the number 2. I also like fire, alot! and I really miss my bonfires because for some reason they don't let you have those on a college campus without permission and some cause.
I will probably write a combination of stories, thoughts, and randomness so I hope you enjoy, whoever you are.
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