Showing posts with label louisiana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label louisiana. Show all posts

Saturday, February 23, 2013

28 Days Later and I leave LA... but not without a Souvenir.

It's been a full 28 days in Houma, LA. A great run, but I had to eventually say Adieu. The people there were amazing. Saved heaps of money. A month closer to my summer goal. Only 80 or so days left before they leave me to my own devices. (Work done). Now I am in Alabama just east of Mobile. Once again the weather is rainy and cloudy.

Last night I was using my coworkers tent he purchased from Walmart. An Ozark Trail brand 2-person tent. He was heading out for the night to see some people not too far off. Before he left, he set up the tent complete with a 4 inch rubber mattress. I moved my zero degree bag and memory foam travel pillow over before it began to rain. 

Later that evening when I went to bed around midnight is when it all got interesting. I woke up to being sprayed in the face with water. Hmm... Turns out that the wind was driving the rain through the nylon fabric walls and misting me while in the sleeping bag. It started to collect on top of the mattress. I was still warm and dry inside my bag, though I had to cinch up the hood to keep the water annoyance off of me. My shoulder and hip were now saturated from the down soaking through and wicking up into my clothing. :-/ I knew I had enough testing on this tent, however, due to the torrential down pour, I wasn't about to open the door, drag my bag over, and switch tents!

I just had to ride it out.... and I did. 7 am comes and there is a break. I get up and go to the airport FBO to change into dry clothes. Toss in my bag in the dryer on the delicate cycle. Grab my summer 40F bag from my plane and walk back to my twinkie tube tent. Guess what? Bone dry inside. HAH

After a few more hours of sleep I get woken up to two of my coworkers hooting at me from behind the airport fence.

Well, a fun night indeed. Now about that Houma, LA souvenir....

I've been pondering a tattoo for ten years now. Finally made it to a place where I met a mechanic who's GF is an artist. A darn good one from the looks of my arm... ;) 4 hours of fun. 9:30pm to 1:30am. The next days weather was horrible so no work missed. I made the first few hours easy enough but that last one.... If it wasn't for knowing I would only have one shot at it and probably relocating soon, I may have done two sessions. I gritted it and lasted through the shading too. ;)

Hope all is well!

My Design : All Stenciled Up
Close to 2am and all finished.
Started Small for a First Tattoo.

Day after. The white ink Hand Visible.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Houston, Ray of Sunshine.

The weather was pretty rough this morning. Afternoon held up not all that much better either.  Instead of spending the day cooped up in the FBO, holding down the couch, I (hypothetically) took up the offer to hop in a plane to Houston for the day. 
A group of co-workers and myself have been 'camping' at the FBO down in Houma, LA. The owner has been overly gracious in allowing us the use of the downstairs pilot lounge. It has worked out nice for the two weeks we've been working here. It has several nice sofas, tables, and a room of bunk beds. I've opted to push two ottomans together to create a platform for tossing the sleeping bag upon. 
Guess being short (5'7") has its perks. 

This morning, another co-worker and I, took up the owner's offer of hoping in on a free ride in a small, multi-engine aircraft, flying a charter client out to Texas. A Pressurized Baron, if you are familiar. Quite unlike me, I made sure to be sitting upstairs on the sofa ready with my headset first thing in the morning so as to not be forgotten.

Ray, it's unbelievably hot in Texas already, guy.

Places I have mapped/been so far on the road :

Batavia, NY - October 22nd to November 6th, 2012
Findlay, OH - November 6th to November 18th, 2012
Washington, PA - November 18th to December 1st, 2012
Beaver, PA - December 1st to December 15th, 2012
Chesapeake, VA - December 15th to January 5th, 2013
Anderson, SC - January 5th to January 6th, 2013
Lexington, KY - January 6th to January 8th, 2013
Ashland, KY - January 8th to January 18th, 2013
Columbus, MS - January 18th to January 19th, 2013
Baton Rouge, LA - January 19th to January 24th, 2013
Houma, LA - January 24th to Current (February 5th, 2013)



Internet Photo
Internet Photo - Cabin

Early Start ! Louisiana
I'm so ready to plant!
Rough Camp Food - Thai curry - Potato
Grand Isle Beach - Poor Guy never saw it coming