The State of a Nation

Six ancient hands snapped the flag tight as they drew it from the coffin. With trained precision, these three service men respectfully folded the stars and stripes once again. Struggling to hold the flag with reverence as the elements of the weather howled around them, they prepared this ensign of these United States to be offered in gratitude to the widow of one more hero about to be laid to rest. As the impatient youth of the nation stood anxiously waiting to get out of the cold, these men in their twilight years gave revered homage to a compatriot who had put his life on the line during World War II and lived to tell about it. To them, the understanding of what it means to be free was not lost on the trivialities of the daily grind.

The afternoon quiet was shattered by a rifle salute of 7 service men each firing 3 shots. And just like that, cell phones were turned back on, text messages were fired up, and people scattered to get "some place else". Their memories of these senior soldiers who were attempting to, for just one moment, immortalize the sacrifices of not just this one man...but of all soldiers both past and present, evaporated like a breath of air on a mirror.

Is not this the State of our Nation?

It is no surprise that the United States of America is a nation struggling. Despite the cheery candor of our current president as he bandies himself around the world with a smile and a handshake at the ready, boasting about how this new plan is "ahead of schedule and under budget", and the media circus that surrounds him spinning the news that change is here; take a look at the people around you and ask if things really are improving.

Job loss is at an all-time high, so is inflation. Housing prices continue to plummet and company after company is seeking a stimulus bail out because it is just easier that way.

People who have enjoyed past times of plenty, and taken "advantage" of second and third mortgages so that they could purchase RVs and boats, suddenly find themselves about to face the responsibility of their actions, and they race to the government seeking aid which is being handed out by the bucket loads, hoping to deter the reality that will eventually strike them.

Meanwhile, those who were prudent, bought a reasonable home, a modest car, and maintained a proper budgeting plan, and lived as best they could within their means, now find themselves doing everything they can just to make ends meet...and still shoulder the burden of realization that all this government spending is going to come out of their own personal coffers.

To the best of my research, not one person in the media, the government or any of the "Specialists" who have been called in, have been able to share with us the cause, nor the solution to our current situation. Some may have suggested it within their closed circles, but none are ready to share it.

I will.

We, as a nation, have forgotten our God. No one in any seat of power or influence will acknowledge in an open arena that it is upon the Great Hand of Providence that this Nation has relied on to make it what it is today. It was not just the futile efforts of some men and women that catapulted the history of this nation into the forefront of superpowers. It was the efforts of these men and women AFTER their faith and reliance upon God that made us a Nation of History.

When George Washington first took the office of President of these United States, after humbling recognizing that he was honored and touched by his fellow country men who elected him and their trust in him, the first thing he said to the gathered crowd in his inaugural address was, "it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States...No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their united government the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities from which the event has resulted can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage." (emphasis added)

The United States of America became great because it and the people who lead this nation, acknowledged our Heavenly Father. They expressed gratitude for His blessings both publicly and privately. They were a God-fearing people and KNEW that without Him, they and their efforts were to be lost in the histories of time as a failed attempt at creating something great.

The mindset of our nation today is that we are "Progressive" in our thinking and that it is within OUR power to make changes. We have moved beyond a need for such needless traditions as "religion". In Newsweek last week, a new study showed that the number of people who are willing to admit that they believe in Christianity has dropped by 10% in the last 10 years. The number of atheists and agnostics has increased in droves.

Every person has their opinion regarding the State of the Nation, how we got to where we are, which politician or political groups should be pointed out, scorned and blamed for the situation, and how who has the right idea of how to fix it.

I will tell you right now that the reason for our State of the Nation is because we have forgotten God. He has been taken out of our schools, out of public meetings and places. He has been pushed aside for "progressive" thinking. He has been shunned because this "crutch" is no longer needed.

I promise you that He is needed. Now more than ever before. I am not telling you how to worship, or who to worship or which religion you have to choose. I am telling you that God is out there, and He is waiting for you to find Him.

There is not a single person out there, atheist or believer, who does not cry out to a Higher Power when their life or the lives of their loved ones is in danger.

The life of our Nation is in danger. I am crying out to Heavenly Father because I love this Nation.

God blessed America. I believe He is waiting for us to say, "Thank You."

The Cat in the Kilt?

A lot has happened over the last 2 months. It really isn't possible to sum everything up and still keep your attention...unless I write it all in tribute to Dr. Seuss. So grab a drink, sit back and enjoy "Oh The Places Zach Went"

Oh the places Zach went
Oh the money he spent
To the land of Scotland his work did give him a pass
For the first time ever, his Frequent Flyer status bumped him to First Class
While common folk dined on a half cup of soda and stale peanuts
He devoured Greek Pasta Salad with full service clean ups

When to the home of Scots he finally landed
A rental car to the streets of Aberdeen he was handed
Once before had he down the wrong side driven
That time a heart attack he was almost given
This round he had much more confidence in his ability
In fact he found that to driving in Europe, he had quite the proclivity

His companion on this journey was a man named Ken
This is a man who is heavily into the belief of Zen
All he spoke of was wanting to see a castle
This ended up proving quite a hassle
For weeks numbering two was the original plan
But, "For 21 days you will stay!" exclaimed The Man

The workload was horrendous
And the weather was tremendous
We ate and ate and ate some more
Fish and chips soon became a bore
To spice things up we tried many thing a new
A deep fried sausage, some haggis and other things that would make you spew

But the climax for me, of this wonderful trek-a
Was getting to visit the Golfer's Mecca
One half day we were given to site see
And to St. Andrew's the village we started to flee
This is the place where golf was created
I was so excited, I practically had to be sedated

Scottish Radio had a treat for us as well
They played the same songs as America as far as we could tell
But they only chose 10 to 20 that they felt to play
But each one had a message to say

From Taylor Swift I learned "The Love Story"
Pink was prevalent in all her glory
James Morrison taught me that I can't play on broken strings
Kelly Clarkson's life would suck without me she sings
Lady Gaga brags about having a fantastic poker face
And into the hearts of the Brits has Katy Perry found her place

I saw many a tourist and yet nary any kilts
Though I saw a waiter, (who at 6 foot 9) was probably on stilts
But Scotland came and Scotland went
Or rather it was I who returned after being sent
Back to America I came riding the Class of First
I was so excited, I was ready to burst

But what I wanted most was to be denied for yet another few days
So tired I was, I just stepped through the motions in a haze
It had been over a month since I had a day off
But then my friend who is finishing 2 Graduate Degrees, at me she did scoff
I realized that I probably shouldn't complain
There are others who live a life of much more work and pain

A few days later Cousin Craig called and said we were going camping
On a Wednesday night? Why not, I was only letters stamping
So to Nunn's Park we traveled
Why we were the only ones there? We were baffled
However, the raccoon came to visit our outdoor club
I still think in Micquelle's hair he was seeking a grub
She claims she has exquisite personal hygiene
It was a fantastic trip, but the night was so cold, it rattled my spleen

I realized how lucky I am to randomly camp in the middle of the week
I get to hang out with people who are after fun always seek
Life is not meant to be spent worrying about what might be
Get out there, get out there, there is so much to see

So with a new view on life
I went to the Canyon known as Bryce
My family will trek there on an annual basis
It is by far, one of our favorite places
So much fun is to be had by all
Because our family...is by no means small

My cousin Alicia invited her mate
She knew full well that it was a girl I did once date
Awkward can describe the initial reaction
But our friendship did once again gain traction
We all played softball to prevent any bore
But Dag-Nabit, now we are all sore

Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution were the nightly activities
And also some swimming...but not in our skivvies
I did hop in the hot tub wearing my purple speedo
Poor Karlee nearly barfed up her Cheeto
Pictures and cameras were all over the place
I think to 1000 pictures, did everyone race

Oh such a wonderful trip, we even met our new cousin-in-law Mike
We from Sunset Point to Tropic did hike
My brother and his wife took their own route
But eventually, we all from the canyon got out
In the Ward of Henrieville we did hear from their pulpit
And who brought that potato salad? Did anyone find the culprit?

My sister and her family to Colorado, by way of Payson did travel from Spokane
To see them and visit twice was not the original plan
We thought it would be once that we could bask in their company
However, TWICE we did get to see them, and laughs, there were many
Such wonderful and beautiful girls she has with her and their Dad
Gretchen and Jason themselves also aren't that bad

And so my journey of two months has come to a conclusion
Sometimes I think my life is a dream or illusion
But I have truly been blessed far more than one man could expect
Many wonderful memories I have been able to collect
And now, because my hands are starting to get clammy
I will simply end by saying:

I have The Greatest Family.

I really, truly do.

Health...In Proper Dosages

A popular dish in Scotland and the UK is Fish and Chips. This pretty much consists of deep fried fish with French Fries. Mmm...Cholesterol!

So there is a quaint little "chip" shop right next door to where I am staying. The other night I stopped by for some Haddock. I asked if I could get the fish poached instead of deep fried, and they were happy to oblige. So I ended up with one of the most delicious, succulent fish entrees that I have ever had in my life. It was amazing.

However, not wanting to upset the delicate balance of my finely tuned, processed food loving body, I also had a deep fried sausage.

Health...in proper dosages.

Are You A Mormon?

Yesterday one of my co-workers asked me, "Zach, aren't you a Mormon?"

The way he phrased the question, I immediately started to question if I had done something that would have given cause that I am not a Mormon. Had I sworn? Had I told an inappropriate story?

I responded by saying, "Yes, I am a Mormon...why do you ask?"

He said, "Well, you aren't uptight and judgemental. So I wasn't sure."

I took that as a compliment.

Guess What...

I'm in Scotland...again!

Life O Zach

Welcome back to the life and times of yours truly. When last we met, I was recovering from my adventures in Trinidad. I can assure you that I am ok, all traumatizing has been nullified. Thank you for your support.
So last Friday I went out on a date to an Indian restaurant. It was an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet. They served Beef Curry on the buffet. It was good.
The last week and a half, I have been working here in the Provo shop, Monday through Friday, 8 to 5...much like a common person. The job leaves me at the end of each day pretty dirty, grimy and covered in grease. So on Saturday I decided I should take my greasy clothes down to the local laundromat. I don't want to ruin the laundry machines I typically use for cleansing of the soiled apparel. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) I am not sure what it is about the laundromat...but that is where the Cream of the Crop of Crazies come to gather. While I was there, there was a rather large woman, wearing moon boots and sweats, that scared me. She would stand there mumbling to herself, and then with no warning at all, let out a screaming "Hiii-YA!", and gesticulate in some random form of martial arts. I can tell you this...Bruce Lee she was not. However, Jackie Chan from "Drunken Master"...perhaps.
Sunday I had the opportunity to speak in church. I didn't get booed and the Bishop didn't have to correct anything I said after I sat down...so I would say it went rather well. I was able to tell the story about the bat and my farewell. That is always a great way to start any talk.
Monday night I went out to eat with a friend in Salt Lake. We went to La Chai Noodle on State Street. I think I might have got a slight touch of the food poisoning. I am grateful to the wonderful employees at Chevron on 1300 East and 2100 South for their dutiful diligence in maintaining clean restrooms. Thank you.
The next morning this same friend sent me a pic text of her very "healthy" cat sprawled out in a supine position, along with an obscure reference to Jabba the Hut from Star Wars. That was a great way to start the day.
Yesterday I found out that there were some more layoffs at a company I used to work for. To all of my friends there, you are in my prayers. Good luck through this time.
On a brighter note, my awesome brother-in-law just sent me an e-mail letting me know that two of my all-time favorite TV shows,
"Ed" and "Love Monkey"
are probably going to be coming out on DVD sometime before 2020! WHOO HOO!!!
Finally, for you men out there, this Saturday IS Valentine's day. Don't forget to get something special for your someone special. I have already purchase a large container of premium oats for my imaginary pet Stall-ony.
(Stallion Pony)
Oh and I am heading back to Scotland next week.

Until next time!

Dot Com!

Trinidad

I really am going to get better at this...I have been back from Trinidad for a little over a week already and I haven't posted anything about it. What could possibly be distracting me from such an important task?? I'll tell you: 24 just started the new season. I had to catch up.

Now that I have my priorities in order and check marked...I just got back from Trinidad! Woo Hoo! For those of you scratching your noggins, wondering where on Earth this island is...I am here to help. Trinidad is the southern most Caribbean Island. It is located just 8 miles off of the coast of Venezuela. As you can imagine, the weather was fantastic down there.

For the most part, it was a pretty low-key trip with nothing too exciting happening. We spent most every day down at the pipe yard working with our equipment. The pipe yard happened to be about 200 yards from the ocean, so the view was unbeatable.

I got a spectacular sunburn, that later turned into a fantastic tan, that burned again...and is now tan once more. This picture is of me drinking from a fresh coconut that we found growing near by. We actually found about 6 of them that were ripe and ready.

The food was amazing down there. One night we went out and got shark sandwiches. Most mornings we would stop by these little street vendors and get what is called a "Double". It is a slice of pita bread with a bean sauce poured down the middle of it, with another slice of bread over the top. The bean sauce was pretty spicy, but the overall taste was amazing. We usually got two or three each morning.

We also stopped at another street vendor and got some mango. This was by far the greatest piece of fruit that I have ever tasted in my entire life. The consistency of the fruit was almost of a creamy pudding. The moment it touched your tongue, it started to melt. And the flavor! Wow...amazing!

We had the chance to go to church in the city of Port of Spain. It was a small branch of about 25 people. We were the tallest, and whitest people there. But we were welcomed with open arms. It was fun to see the new missionary, (pretty fresh out of the MTC), get called upon at the last minute to give a talk. Ahh...the memories!

Our lodging was kind of chaotic. We were working on getting an apartment, however, every day seemed to present a new challenge with the paperwork. This meant that almost every night we were in a different hotel. Most of the time we were in Port of Spain, which is on the northern tip of the island. However, the yard we were working in was located by a place called Pitch Lake. Pitch Lake is on the southern most tip of the island. So each day we were commuting the entire length of Trinidad.

Port of Spain is a beautiful town with a very diverse cultural background. It happens to be the capital of the country. We were able to see the Prime Minister's home, the government meeting house, and the President's Home. The funny thing about the President's home is that it is located right in the middle of their national zoo. He has elephants and other animals just wandering through the yards. I would run for office just for the opportunity to live in a zoo.

But I think they have something with keeping their politicians in cages.

For several nights, we stayed down closer to Pitch Lake. Pitch Lake is just that...a large, natural reservoir of pitch or tar. We drove past it each day and were able to see tar in its natural habitat. It was rather boring.

However, staying in that area of the island did prove to be an adventure. When we went down there for the first night, we were strictly instructed that once we were dropped off at our hotel, we were under no circumstances, to leave the premises of the hotel. Apparently Trinidad has the highest murder rate per capita in the world. It also is the number one location for sex-change operations. (Oh wait...that is Trinidad Colorado).

So we were staying in a pretty dangerous neighborhood. To get to the hotel, you had to pass through a secured gate with armed guards. I think even if we wanted to leave the hotel at night, we would have had a hard time getting in and out.

Which brings us to the night of the Triple Play. I call it the Triple Play because within 5-10 minutes, 3 things happened that still just blow my mind. Ok, Play number 2 isn't that unusual...but it fits with the story. Ready? Here we go:

Once upon a time, there were 3 very tired guys and one very friendly taxi driver that were heading back to a hotel for the night. Along the way, they discussed that hunger was the overall feeling at the moment. A shopping mall was coming up and the taxi driver, who happened to be a local, knew that it was a safe neighborhood, and therefore, safe to stop with these Yanks.

We pulled into the Burger King parking lot a little after 7:30 PM. The four of us walked into the restaurant and walked up to the line this side of the counter. There were about 10 other customers waiting there...but one thing we quickly noticed was that there were no employees on the other side of the counter.

So my buddy walks up to the counter and hollers into the back, "Hey! Are you guys open?"

A woman came rushing up from the kitchen and said with panic in her voice, "Someone just died."

Then she ran back.

We craned our necks to see if we could see what was going on. We saw that there was in fact a body laying down back there near the stove. We decided that it would probably be best if we were to leave. So we did. [Play #1]

As we were walking outside, a lady, probably close to 40 or 41 years old, well-dressed, walked out with us. She started talking to my buddy Mike. She was explaining to him that she was HIV Positive and had a drug problem, but that she also had a child and needed money. I interjected to say something, and she turned, looked me straight in the eye, and said, "I was talking to HIM." Then turned away.

Fine...be that way. [Play #2]

So while Mike was being asked for money, I started looking around for another place to eat. I quickly noticed about 20 feet away, a young woman of about 22 or 23 years old who was yelling at me. I looked around to see if it was me she was screaming at, and noticing that there was no one else in her line of sight, realized that, yes...she was yelling at me.

What was she yelling you ask? An excellent question. I won't go into great detail of what exactly she was yelling...but let's just say that she was offering "services" for free. No charge. (She said that a lot).

However, this was not enough...apparently I wasn't understanding what she was saying. Maybe her accent was too thick. Maybe I didn't speak English. Whatever the case for my non-response to her offers, she decide to step it up a notch and DEMONSTRATE what it was she was offering.

So....off came her pants and she proceeded to make clear, in no subtle way, exactly what it was that she was offering me.

As I looked everywhere around except at her, I noticed a Subway Restaurant. I grabbed the guys and said, "Hey look! Subway!" [Play #3]

Later that night, after we had our food and were eating, our taxi driver made some phone calls. His wife happens to work at another Burger King in a different part of town. He called her, and she called the Regional Manager to see what was going on. Sure enough, someone had died in that Burger King when we walked in. There had been some work done on the gas lines in the kitchen, and no one had re-lit the pilot light. The kitchen had filled up with gas and someone had been there too long and breathed in too much. What a sad way to go.

So that was my trip to Trinidad. Now I am back in town for a little while. I have caught up on sleep and cleaning...and most important, I am right there with Jack Bauer as he once again comes to the rescue!

Hi! Remember Me?

Ok, ok...so it has been a while...a long while. I'm sorry. I am going to try and be better at this. Truth be known, I have been busy. When last we spoke, I was on my way to Scotland.

I spent two fantastic weeks in Scotland. I was sent over there because we had a whole bunch of equipment that needed to be tested and inventoried before the end of the year. It wasn't all fun and games...we worked 12-14 hours every day and only had one day off for the full 14 days. We have a facility there that we share with other departments in the overall mother company. Because of this, I was able to see a lot of the different aspects of the oil industry, at least the supply side of it. I was also able to work with a lot of very interesting people. In the UK, whenever a crane is being used, they have very strict laws about who can load and hook up the crane. At our yard, there were only two guys that were allowed to do this. No one knew where they were from because they spoke some "weird" language. They also looked and dressed alike. So I started calling them Thing 1 and Thing 2.They were some really nice guys. I did find out that they were from Lithuania.
I also got to listen to a lot of Scottish radio. It really isn't that exciting. They play 90% American pop music, and then 10% other. I think I heard The Killers' song "Human" probably 30-40 times a day. It seemed to be about every 5th song. I also found out that Duffy is white. I had no idea.

Probably the craziest thing that happened while I was there, was renting a car and learning to navigate the roundabouts of Aberdeen. Of course they gave me a stick shift. And they all drive on the "other" (wrong) side of the road. But we survived and had no accidents. I think there was some Divine help with that one.
The one day that we DID have off, we went to church and then went out to a little town called Stonehaven. This place was amazing! First of all, it is right down on the shore of the North Sea. There happened to be a storm coming in. The sea crashes up against a 10 foot retaining wall that stretches the span of the whole city. Because of the storm, the waves were so huge that they were crashing 10 feet ABOVE this retaining wall. I can't adequately describe the sheer power that Mother Nature was displaying there. It was awesome. In the purest sense of the word: Awesome.

We also got to see this castle:
It was really amazing to see this. If you are curious, it is called Dunnottar Castle. I recommend you look it up and read the history of it. Fascinating.

There was a lot more that went on there, but I will have to save that for another post. After I got back from Scotland, I was able to spend the Holidays with my family. It was one of the best Christmas and New Years Celebrations ever. I seriously have a wonderful, wonderful family.

One sad note, (well,depending on who you ask), over the Holidays, my brother Noah and his family moved to Indiana for a new job. Although I am very excited for him, I am also sad. I really enjoyed the fact that they were close and easy to visit. But I wish my brother well. He is an amazing man and his new company is very lucky to have him.

But on to the present...I am in Trinidad! I got an e-mail the other day asking for volunteers to go to Trinidad for work. I flew down on Wednesday. Did you know that Trinidad is the southern most Caribbean Island? I haven't seen Jack Sparrow yet...but I am keeping my eyes open.
Excuse me...CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow.

Did you know you can sunburn in January? Enjoy the snow HA HA HA HA!!! Hello 85 degrees!

My Life Is Hard

Phone call:

*Ring Ring*

Zach: Hello?

Work Coordinator: Zach? We need you to go to Scotland this week.

Zach: Oh...ok.

Work Coordinator: You leave Saturday. I'll e-mail you the ticket.

Zach: Ok, thanks.

Aye, laddy! I am off to bonnie Scotland! Again!

Oh and we had the Lifferth Family Christmas Party last night. Aunt Paula and Uncle Karl did a fantastic job of setting it up. Thanks to them! Uncle Bob, my Brother, and several of my Cousins and Aunts put on a very beautiful program about the Savior's birth. And as always, it really was a wonderful time to be able to visit with family. I have the greatest family (immediate and extended) that anyone could ever be blessed with.

Bon Voyage!

Movie Night Lessons

So we had another fantastic movie night tonight. We decided to watch the animated, (albeit creepy) "Polar Express" with Tom Hanks.
We learned a very valuable lesson tonight:

Children + Hot Chocolate = Scalded Small People

Sorry Landon! I hope you are ok! Keep the shirt!

H.U.E.T.

Helicopter Underwater Escape Training
So the final chapter of my Scotland '08 Legacy is centered around H.U.E.T. Not to be confused with Huey, Uncle Scrooge's Nephew and doppleganger to Dewey and Louie.
H.U.E.T. is Helicopter Underwater Escape Training. As was previously mentioned in an earlier post, a large part of my work will be in the North Sea. All rigs are only accessible by helicopter. In fact, from the Aberdeen Heliport in North Scotland, over 100,000 helicopter round trips are flown each year. Because of the frequency of such flights, it is a requirement that anyone who is to fly out there, must be certified in emergency response.
So inside of our training school, they have a large (unheated) swimming pool. They have a mock helicopter fuselage, and plenty of practice tossing said fuselage into the pool.
We were trained in two different types of escape. The first was just holding your breath. The second involved an apparatus called a re-breather.
Anytime that you are on a helicopter in the North Sea, you must be buckled in with a 4-point harness. With that said, here are the basic steps of escape:

1 - Holding Breath (Once you have been alerted that you are going down):
- Don't panic
- Tighten harness belts (you'll see why in a second)
- Locate your buckle with left hand and the window with your right hand (or vice versa if the window is to your left)
- Straighten back and put both feet flat on the ground
- Hang on

If you are using a re-breather, the only difference is inflating the air bladder after tightening the harness belts.

Once you hit the water, the most important thing to do is to wait until the helicopter has actually settled into sinking mode. There may be a few moments where the rotors are pitching and turning and you want to make sure that you will get clear of them.

Typically it is best if you wait until your entire body is under water. You then eject the window with your window hand FIRST and then flip the quick-release on your harness with your other hand. Remember tightening it down? Well, they are designed to release more quickly when there is more tension on them. So, the tighter you can get those straps, the quicker you are getting out.

Then, with your hand that located the window, you swim out. A word to the wise: Eject your window first...otherwise you have to fight your own buoyancy while trying to pop the window out.

Simple right?

Our training consisted of being tossed into the drink a total of 7 times. Sometimes we went in right-side up. Sometimes we were upside down. We were also tossed in pitched to one side. Sometimes we used the re-breather...sometimes, we were flying only on the air in our lungs. (I actually preferred that because the re-breather was really complicated.)

On my final dunking, I knew we were going in upside down, and I didn't use the re-breather. I remember going under, and just sitting there. I was strapped in, hanging upside down, underwater, and frozen in time. I wasn't panicking at all. It was actually quite calm. I just remember sitting there and soaking it all in that I was in Scotland...upside down, underwater, in a helicopter shell. It was surreal.

Anyway, I realized that I hadn't moved in a few moments and the trainers were probably going to come after me. So I popped, flipped, and surfaced with no problems.

I love my job.

Scotland!

The blustery weather of yesterday takes me back to a time that I visited the enchanting country of Scotland. It seems that it was only a week or so ago that I was preambling along the rolling green hills of bonny Scotland, an overcast sky painted in every shade of gray, and a pureness of air cycling through my lungs. It really is a beautiful country with wonderful people.

I went to Scotland for work to attend a school there that is designed to help train people for survival situations off-shore. Aberdeen is an international hub for the European oil industry, and it is located on the north shores of Scotland. There you will find a booming economy central to supporting the drilling of oil in the North Sea. Because of this propensity for the industry, many of the most sought out training facilities are established there. The school that I went to was designed specifically for off-shore survival.

The three days of intense training that I went through were basically broken up into three categories. 1) First Aid, 2) Fire Fighting, 3) H.U.E.T. or Helicopter Underwater Escape Training. I'll write more on the third one in my next post.

With the first aid training, it wasn't your basic, run-of-the-mill CPR certification. By re-creating scenarios that have happened in the past, we would be presented with a situation and asked how to proceed. An example might be:

You have just evacuated a rig. You and 28 other people have successfully deployed an emergency raft designed only for 20 people. You are floating in the North Sea, where the June temperature of the water is 15 Celsius (59 Fahrenheit), and it is November. 3 people are unconscious. 1 person has a compound fracture of the leg. 2 more people are bleeding uncontrollably, and 1 person has gone into shock. Your supplies consist of food and water rations for 20 people for 3 days, you have a VERY limited first aid kit, 1 knife, two oars, 6 flares, and a bailing bucket. You are several hundred miles from any land. What do you do?

We would then proceed to figure out the best possible solutions. Sometimes we were asked why we did certain things first and postponed first aid to others. The whole idea was to help us get our minds wrapped around the idea that, A) 911 wasn't always going to be there for us, and B) sometimes, you had to make tough decisions.

It was very eye opening.

We also had the opportunity to learn basic fire fighting. Again, being out on a rig, you don't always have many of the things that we take for granted around here, such as if the structure you are currently in starts on fire...you can't always run outside and get away. So...what do you do?

We learned about the different types of fires that are possible, and which methods work best to extinguish them. It wasn't all book work and PowerPoints either. They had a very elaborate fire yard to help us with practical application.

We also learned different means of escaping a smoke filled room.

When we weren't in classes, we spent most of our time out and about seeing the sites. Now, Aberdeen is not well-known for its tourism, so catering to that crowd is held at a minimum. However, we were still able to see many wonderful things.
Downtown Aberdeen:

The architecture:

Random Cool Buildings:

But I think one of the best parts was their polite way of telling you what the speed limit was:

How courteous of them!