Paul Alton MBA

Lifelong Learning, Living and Loving

Home

Dukan Diet

Ad Copy

Articles

Thinking Ahead

Decisions

LongestDay

A Day

Jail Mindset

Dan Alton's Memoirs

DR Mission Trip

David Allen

Automation

Two Businesses

Winter Vacation

Tales of Buddy

Pirogue 2014

Killer Grid Heater Bolt

Video Doorbell

Travel

Copper Canyon 2010

Ireland 2011

August 1_2011 Photos

August 2_2011 Photos

August 3_2011 Photos

August 4_2011 Photos

August 5_2011 Photos

August 6_2011 Photos

August 7_2011 Photos

August 8_2011 Photos

August 9_2011 Photos

August 10 _2011 Photos

Ometepe Monastery

Somoto Canyon 2014

Reports

Heat Duct

Books

Updates

April 2025

March 2025

February 2025

January 2025

December 2024

November 2024

October 2024

September 2024

August 2024

July 2024

June 2024

May 2024

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

December 2023

November 2023

October 2023

September 2023

August 2023

July 2023

June 2023

May 2023

April 2023

March 2023

February 2023

January 2023

December 2022

November 2022

October 2022

September 2022

August 2022

July 2022

May June 2022

April 2022

March 2022

February 2022

January 2022

2021Review

December 2021

November 2021

October 2021

September 2021

August 2021

July 2021

June 2021

May 2021

April 2021

March 2021

February 2021

January 2021

December 2020

November 2020

October 2020

September 2020

August 2020

July 2020

June 2020

May 2020

April 2020

Covid Spring

March 2020

February 2020

January 2020

December 2019

November 2019

October 2019

September 2019

August 2019

July 2019

June 2019

May 2019

April 2019

March 2019

February 2019

January 2019

December 2018

November 2018

October 2018

Peru Part 2

September 2018

SpringSummer2018

February 2018

January 2018

December 2017

November 2017

Fall 2017

August 2017

July 2017

June 2017

May 2017

April 2017

March 2017

February 2017

January 2017

December 2016

November 2016

October 2016

September 2016

August 2016

July 2016

June 2016

May 2016

March April 2016

February 2016

January 2016

D and E House 2015

December 2015

Fall 2015

Bill China

CarolynChina

September 2015

Summer 2015

April 2015

March 2015

February 2015

January 2015

December 2014

November 2014

Going South 2014

summer 2014

Spring 2014

March 2014

February 2014

January 2014

December 2013

November 2013

SeptemberOctober 2013

August 2013

July 2013

June 2013

May 2013

April 2013

March 2013

February 2013

January 2013

December 2012

November 2012

October 2012

September 2012

August 2012

July 2012

June 2012

May 2012

April 2012

March 2012

February 2012

January 2012

December 2011

November 2011

September - October 2011

July - August 2011

April - June 2011

March 2011

February 2011

January 2011

December 2010

November 2010

October 2010

September 2010

Shop/Studio 2010

August 2010

July 2010

June 2010

April - May 2010

March 2010

February 2010

January 2010

December 2009

November 2009

October 2009

Going South 2009

September 2009

Shop/Studio 2009

July - August 2009

June 2009

May 2009

April 2009

March 2009

February 2009

Nicaragua Trip

January 2009

Big Feed 2008

December 2008

November 2008

October 2008

Balloon Ride

August - September 2008

Studio / Shop 2008

June - July 2008

April - May 2008

March 2008

February 2008

Jan-Feb 08 Transition

January 2008

Big Feed 2007

December 2007

November 2007

Sept/Oct 2007

Summer 2007

Spring 2007

February 2007

January 2007

2006 Updates

CanMexCan V

CanMexCan_IV

CanMexCan_III

CanMexCan_II

CanMexCan_I

 
June 2013 Update

Surmont 2

Surmont 2 is the second phase of a SAGD (Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage) plant that will remove the oil from oil sand deposits deep in the ground using steam. This means no large open pit mines and no see-from-space tailings ponds. I am foreman on the back shift for a small crew doing installation of instrumentation. Our schedule is 14 and 7 which means we will be here 2 weeks and out 1 week. The first week the larger crew is here and the second week we are on our own. Foremen and general foremen are still considered crafts people and are on the 14-7 day schedule, but staff people are on a 10 and 4 schedule so we do not lack for management continuity and have no fear of being lonely on the back shift.

I am working for one of the bigger contractors. They are very experienced and have the people and processes in place to manage large projects.

Once one is on site for the two week work term there is no leaving. There are exceptions to that rule, of course. Ambulance would be one, but it is an exceptionally safety focussed site, so you don't hear of many ambulances leaving.

Another way of leaving would be by breaking an "absolute" rule which is part of the reason it is such a safe site.

My camp room is about 50% bigger than the last construction camp I stayed in. It is about 12 feet by 12 feet and has its own bathroom! The food and facitlities are as advertised. The workday is 10 paid hours: 3 hours work - half hour break - 3 hours work - half hour break - 3 hours work - get on bus back to camp about ten minutes away.

Once there are thousands of people all back at the camp at the same time the wi-fi connection gets a little overwhelmed. I managed to write this by getting up at 3 a.m. when there are fewer people using the network.


A Book Review That Changed My Life

There was a newspaper clipping on the bulletin board where I worked. An author was visiting Vancouver, BC promoting her new book “Never Work for a Jerk”. Included in the description of her upcoming lecture and why one should never work for a jerk was a ten point evaluation of one’s boss for jerkhood. Mine passed with flying colours. “Yeh. Good point!” I said to myself and went home and sent off a resume to somebody who had left our company for a progressive family firm starting a pulp mill in Alberta.

I had worked for my employer near Vancouver for seventeen years and risked leaving a job that wasn’t bad for content and was unparalleled for job security. Nevertheless the risk and the move was worth it. I ended up working for the best boss of my career and embarked on a learning curve that lasted eighteen years to my retirement from a senior management position. Not every subsequent boss was perfect, but I have never regretted acting on the advice to never work for a jerk.

The book is still available as used copies. Maybe it is worth reading the three hundred plus pages. Can’t help you there. All I needed was the book review. Lately I have been reflecting on its content and on how, as Stephen King says, “things can change on a dime” and how miserable and frustrated I would have been if I had opted for security and chosen to retire on active duty at age 39.


<< Previous     Next >>

Copyright Paul W. Alton 2006 through 2025 All Rights Reserved
Pages on this site contain Amazon affiliate links
Amazon sells everything from soup to drones.
   Amazon Link 
As an Amazon Associate i earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.