Making It Through...

This last week has been really tough at work. Today I worked over 13 hours and there is no end in site. We've had trainings, an environmental audit, a new dewatering system requiring 24/7 care, etc. To top it off, I've had a serious case of sun poisoning. By the time I get home at night all I want to do is sleep. Ian has been wonderful. He's been so supportive through this time. He's met me at my apartment, made dinner, done laundry and put me to bed each night before heading back to Golden. I've been falling asleep during dinner and waking up the next morning to a spotless apartment. Ian is amazing and there is no way I could have done any of this without him. Now everything should settle down and I look forward to being there for him.

Baby Fox!

We have a family of foxes that like to live on our site. Today I walked down into the bus box to see three grown men chasing a baby box. It had gone down into a excavation for a swim and didn't want to leave. The men were trying to catch it and release it outside of the area so they could keep digging. Two hours later the men were still running around in circles, chasing the baby fox. Finally they caught it and released it just outside the hole. The baby fox ran back to it's family.

Denver Aquarium!

Let's Go Rockies! *Clap Clap*

Tonight the project engineer at the Union Station took all the interns to the Rockies game. I hadn't met the other interns yet so this was a great opportunity to get to know them. I knew they would all be great guys and they were. A couple of them were from CSU and several were majoring in construction management. The Rockies were playing the Red Sox, so the stadium was completely packed and insanely loud! We had an awesome time and the Rockies won. GO ROCKIES!!!

Bethany's Visit!

Ian and I headed down to the Springs today to pick up Bethany. She's here until tomorrow to visit, hang out and relax. We spent the afternoon at the pool, explored downtown Denver, tried H|Burger (very good) watched movies and taught her how to make cookies. Cookies the Laura and Ian way are not particularly precise and more for the experience than the cookies themselves. We had a great time together!

Random Trains...

I work in the Right of Way (ROW) of three different train tracks - RTD Light rail, Union Pacific and BNSF. I have training for each of these and stickers and wallet cards to prove I'm allowed on the site. These two BNSF trains pulled up ten feet away from me this week. They both stopped and the operators got out to chat for a few minutes. They then switch trains and go on their merry way. Sweet! And totally random...

Walking the Dog...

This is what we fondly call "walking the dog." This trench is being used for electric lines and the ground is too soft for people to be safely inside. Therefore, the operator is remotely controlling this device from the side. The machine actually looks like a dog in its movements. It has two wheels in the front and two in the back. The wheels actually leave individual tracks. The back and front of the machine are two separate pieces so when the front is moving forward the back is swaying side to side slightly. It looks like it is just trotting along. The machine actually bounces and climb and goes around itself in circles. What is the function of the 'dog?' I haven't figured that out yet, I've been preoccupied from playing with the dog!

Dirt Glue...

It turns out that you can, in fact, glue dirt. We have two massive stockpiles of dirt on our site that will be used eventually as backfill for the underground bus terminal (aka bus box). Because these piles are going to be on the site for several years, we brought in a group from Arizona (the only people around who do this) to put dirt glue on the stockpiles. It creates a very nice, protective coating all over the pile and is kinda rubbery to the touch. Cool!

Aaron and Jenn...

This is Aaron and Jenn. Jenn is my mentor and actually did her graduate studies at Mines. I wear the same PPE (personal protective gear) as what you see in the picture. Notice Aaron's hat. You can spot him across the site because of all the stickers. my goal is to have just as many stickers someday. In construction work, the stickers and color of hat give information. Each sticker represents a different type of training. I received my first sticker today!

Where I Work...

This is part of a new filtration system we are working on. I spend most of my day here. The blue weir tanks are the ones we were climbing on to take measurements.

The Denver Union Station...

A Typical Day...

Okay, there is really nothing typical about any day, butI can at least describe what happened today! I wake up at 5:15am and decide I must be crazy. I'm so sore! By 6:45am I'm at work and ready to go! The first thing I do is suit up in my hard hat, gloves and safety glasses. Aaron and I headed out to the site for a meeting with Austin and his team. This is my core unit, we all work together as a team. While talking about the day we do something called "Stretch and Flex". Yep, everyone at Kiewit does stretches in the morning all together. Afterward Austin teaches something called a "Toolbox". It's a small, 10 minute workshop on how to do something at the site. This time it's how to place a straw waddle into place. After Austin teaches we all head out. I get my instructions for the day and start the air quality machines. I take the two monitors back to the office. There I place several phone calls to get quote for new equipment. I realize that I'm missing some measurements to make the place the final orders, so I head back out into the field and meet Aaron. We climb to the top of all the weir tanks and take the measurements. There is a lot of climbing and drawing involved and the sun is particularly hot up here. I'm very glad I have aloe back in the office! It's fun though. Aaron and I spend the time just talking. After taking the measurements I go back to the office and continue placing calls for equipment. I then rush back out into the site and take more air quality measurements. Finally it's time to meet Mom Ebersole for lunch. We had a wonderful, through regrettably short time together. The afternoon followed with meetings, training, air quality tests and the like. When I get home I immediately jump in the shower. I'm so covered in black soot I hardly recognize myself. After the shower is dinner, Stargate Atlantis and bed. Thus, my day. By the way, I've fixed the comments section, so you can now leave comments on my blog.

First Impressions: Meet Kyle...

Kyle is the other engineer I work with. He's only a year older than I am and was an intern last year, then got hired on after he graduated. I get to be Kyle's tagalong. I follow him out to the work site and basically question every move he makes. The first day we walked for 11 hours straight! It doesn't help that he's much taller than I am! Kyle is very patient and answers my hundreds of questions. He let's me go to meetings with him and teaches me to run the equipment. Tomorrow will be the real test. Kyle will be gone at training and both Kyle and Aaron have decided I can do some of the stuff that's often Kyle's responsibility. I'm really excited!

First Impressions: Meet Aaron...

Aaron is my boss and the head Environmental guy on this job. He's really easy going and already very protective of me. Just about the first thing out of his mouth: "How's the apartment? Do you feel safe and comfortable there?" Something that surprised me is how much he really values my opinion, often asking what I think of a decision. He takes time to answer all my questions and always acts like he's glad I'm asking them. Aaron has a good, though subtle, sense of humour and sometimes messes with the other engineer working with us. At lunch we just sit and talk about life and the job a bit, which is nice. Aaron teaches me about the job, but also about the politics with the subcontractors and how important it is to take care of the people working with you. His often quotes "We want everyone to have a smile!"

The Way It Started...

Let me say welcome back! I received a flurry of emails when i discontinued the picture blog and everyone has been so interested in what I'm doing this summer, so I've decided to keep a summer blog. This won't be anything fancy, but it will serve to keep everyone up to date. A little bit of background, I'm working for Kiewit, a civil construction company, at the Denver Union Station. I'm not entirely sure how I got the job. Kiewit tracked me down at Career Fair in the fall, said they wanted me to interview with them and gave me a job in October. They've also provided housing in the heart of downtown Denver, hence the title. I am now a construction worker living in a high-rise apartment. I'll write a few blogs explaining the living situation, the job and the people I work for. Just know that for now, this is the intro! Welcome aboard on this adventure!