trains

a couple months ago i started my new job at a railroad bridge construction and design company. the first couple months have provided quite the variety. i spent time in north dakota taking measurements on timber bridges, moved sandbags in western south dakota, spent a week on a historic bridge over the st. croix in north wisconsin busting rivets, another week in lanark illinois (booming metropolis) busting concrete, and this past week i've been cruisin down the rail in northern illinois inspecting culverts. i'm always a little nervous of what i'm going to see when i climb down and look inside the culverts out in the middle of nowhere. along with all that, i've spent time in the office working on some design tasks and gone on a shopping spree for supplies (gps, camera, waders, life jackets, the basics) with a company credit card. freight railroad is a whole different world most people never see. like any new job i've had to learn lots of new phrases and words specific to the railroad. for example; EIC - the person in charge of making sure no trains hit you while you're working the rail road or FRN-(pronounced furn) frickin railroad nut. the variety has been the good part of the job and the travel has been the hard part. i miss being at home with shannon and eli at night when i'm gone and hotels and restaurants get old fast. i do like the fact that when i travel it forces me to be more intentional about my time with shannon and eli on the weekends. good and bad, after over a year without a job it's nice to be working again. i still haven't been issued a conductor hat. hopefully someday.