Shit show

On first day of shift: Mikey, oh, Mikey, what are we doing here..let's go back to Medicine Hat.

At camp, not less than three people tell me "welcome to the shit show."

I brought my own PPE, but Nanton hands out stuff during safety orientation. Claudine, trainer, shows photo of pickup overran by hundred-ton haul truck. Felt like a bump.

Ray will pick you up and take you to yard. Nanton pickup pulls up. You Ray? I get in. You a dozer guy? No, maintenance. Radio chatter – this is not Ray S., this is Ray Fox, foreman, and he’s there to pick someone else.

-Your English is good.

-oilfields, foreign operators

-How long have you been in Canada

- three years

Ray drives around the yard, introduces to mechanics. Beanie– all tattooed. Who do you know in Nanton? First thing we do is turn that hard hat backwards.

People greet each other, first day of hitch, morning, 4 am:

- What are you doing here?

- Overtime, fuckers!

- I thought you told me the line where I will get hit.

- The line is you are fully retarded

More chatter on 5 pm return bus.

-Someone got yelled at on radio, told shut the fuck up!

- what channel is that ?

- Projects 2

- I gotta get on that channel

- third person: these are voices in your head.

Steam off caked mud from all hoses, torque box, steering, struts, transmission to prepare for mechanics. Takes two days to clean 777 thoroughly. I learn everything that typically breaks. Earling guy, comes to inspect, crawls under, points to areas that need more cleaning

Ray: its fucking Earling guy, let him do it.

Love and hate.

- I wish we got rid of mikes. Two way radio. 90% of conversation don't need to happen. Everyone wont’ shut up

- Dumb you down..you have to think for yourself..you should not be able to ask where to go. You need to know.

Miles (black dude):

- I pretended to be Christian, you know, I am not really

- what else you faked , are you even black?

Everyone giggles.

Crew change bus. One of crew members would drive it. After rain, bus goes over mine roads, feet high in mud, often got stuck

- I thought you could drive standard

-  What is this. Just need fuel (look at bus gauges)

Someone at the back if the bus - I thought it’s electric

Nova Scotia, Chilliwack, Medicine Hat, Anzac, Athabasca, Edmonton, Victoria, Kelowna, Calgary, Lloydmister, Newfies, New Brunswick. Small towns defined as “I live 2 hours outside of” name city.

-Where is Dustin?

-Gone

- Escort? (bringing visitors in, no maps, we are in middle of work area thirty something B)

- Prostitutes! Prostitutes are calling

Truck jumps and swivels to avoid getting stuck. In parts of the mine, only one radio station, 93.3 FM, playing country.

Rock me momma like a wagon wheel, rock me momma any way you feel,

hey momma rock me..

Kira and Luke got into a ditch.  First thing, Sunridge drags both Luke and Kira to drug test.

- I felt I almost died.

Now Kira sits in the box, worried she'll get fired.

Sunridge built a berm at intersection of Sandpiper and Ridge, we call it Kira’s berm.

-I'll put this into light vehicle chat

-there's light vehicle chat?

Departmental , purple lock first on, last off. Personal locks are blue.

- need another lock. Mine is fucked, Zane, mechanic

-no wonder we can't get rases around here, Evan

Zane later mentions he burned through four personal locks that shift

Evan to Luke: we should get you some Bethoven and get you in serial killer mode

- I thought country music gets you in serial killer mode

- I fucking hate country music. It's all the same about trucks, beer, women

Derek: drinking

- drinking, hunting

Belmonts are 26.5 in commissary

- fuck

-that's why I get mine, thirty a carton

Many smoke Canadian Lights. Native cheap cigarettes. Filter falls off if you hold it too long in mouth.

-they have less tobacco, so you can't smoke them enough, smoke twice as much.

Left coveralls bag for laundry pickup in yard. In few hours they got holes

-can't leave bags, mice would get in

- sorry, didn't know

- its ok, you are new, you can't do no wrong

Foxes, coyottes, ravens, a bear sighting every few days, one day bear walked in yard, 20-30 yards away from me.

Lockout /tag-out training, permit office. Pulled from cleaning job. Walk in dirty as fuck.

- We got here HDM, fuel and lub, electricians, all are maintenance. We call operators here drivers. Because operators here are plant operators.

Travis picks me up to take back to yard. Radio call:

- Where are you?

-  In my truck. What did you doooo?

- Nothing. Just calling to say Ken is gay

- I already knew that. He is not gay, he is bisexual. He is only into black dudes

I need to steam crew change bus undercarriage, the one behind it blocks my steam truck. I get in. Three guys laying on seats

-Can either of you move the bus, too tight

-We can't drive

-I thought you're bus drivers

-No, we're back up truck operators

Three haul truck operators on standby all day, just in case. I wonder if they're getting paid for doing nothing. “Operators are pussies.”

Nanton is building north mine expansion, it's all new, unmarked territory. Water guy got lost. When I mention we are between gate D and RMSP 12, another guy says - “that’s where we got lost.”

Group chat:

- safty saturday guys

- today we focus on safty. tomorrow we focus on spelling.

Travis:

-did you wear face shield?

- I did

- why is your face dirty then? Smiles mischievously

I didn't know how to use face shield first few times, so would lift it up and wrap cloth to protect face. Often blasted downwind and got all on me. Its' not the dirt, it's flying abrasive sand. After first day, my face felt sand blasted. Now my washing technique is much better, it’s the angle and wind direction.