I know, I know

But if YOU knew how busy I've been...
Like, for example, I'm now in Oklahoma.
I worked a 13 hour field day today, and am only taking a break from working on the office portion.
I didn't eat dinner because I didn't want to once again eat a big heavy meal at 9pm and turn into a big heavy me.
This project is just mayhem at this point. I get nervous when things go smoothly, because we're basically operating in near-crisis mode as the norm.
I get to be in TxDOT Thursday and Friday and it's going to feel like a working vacation.
And I fear that I'll be right back out on Sunday.
My bank account is happy, my tummy is sad, our kitty probably hates us, I'm happy because I'm doing a really good job at my first big test, I'm worried because this schedule doesn't leave much time for a thesis or a thesis defense, and I miss my friends and my city.
Sorry, break is over.

Lots of walking today

Generally speaking, Oklahoma is very linear. There are county roads running north to south and east to west almost every mile. When you are doing a very long linear survey, this is helpful. You can break your survey stretches up into small, manageable chunks and often arrange it so that you are always walking towards an awaiting vehicle. Sometimes, there's creeks that are impassable or reticent landowners and you have to do a "walk-in, walk-out".
Today, there were simply no roads. It was a stretch leading up to the Little River (and yes, some of us older folks made Little River Band jokes, and coincidentally, they played a show at a casino here last week!) across a stretch without all the county roads. Because of access issues, the nearest entry point was about 2.8 miles along the pipeline route from the Little River. We were able to score a ride on an ATV part of the way with one of the civil survey crews (they basically stake the line), but it wasn't quite half way there. My crew was chosen to walk the rest of the way to the river, THEN turn around and start surveying back. We would meet up somewhere in the middle with a second crew who was surveying towards us from the drop-off point. A third (very lucky) crew got to survey to the road from the drop-off point.
So, in summary, get dropped off and then walk almost a mile and a half to the river. Start surveying. When you meet the other crew, walk the rest of the distance back to the road. Total miles covered: roughly 4.3. Actual miles surveyed by my crew: .6. Oh yeah, and it was in an undulating terrains, which means lots of little up and downs into creek tributaries. And the grass was knee-to-waist high.
We did find a site, pretty much where we expected one to be. Nothing exciting, just a bunch of flakes and a bit of burned sandstone. It almost made up for the hike.
The amazing thing is that we covered all this terrain in around 5.5 hours of actual field time. We actually got done early, and decided to just call it a day. Tonight we're having a full crew dinner at a BBQ joint, then tomorrow we're moving down to Durant for the final stretch.

Oh, I do have to add...I did almost ask my boss to "Take it Easy on Me"

Another rain day

It rained here in Ada (and central OK in general) all morning. It's clearing up now, but it was pouring for a while so we scrapped going out for the day. Too bad, as it's in the mid-60s outside. If we can make it through the rest of the day with no rain, it may be a pleasant day for survey tomorrow.
Considering the crazy weather of the last couple of months, the fact that we've only lost 2.5 days of work to rain over a month is really good. With the exception of last Monday and today, the worst storms either dodge us or pass through in the night.
Spent most of last week in Austin, sweating my butt off and spending money like a sailor on leave. Got to hang out with a lot of people, which was very nice. I also saw Afrika Bambataa at my friend's record store! And ate breakfast tacos on more than one occasion.
The Oklahoma survey is proceeding rapidly. We've made it up to milepost 110 out of a total 158. Of course, there are a number of gaps in there where the landowners have denied access, but we've still surveyed at least 80 total miles. After this week, they're probably going to reduce our group by one full crew. We have a couple of people leaving for field school in Belize, so it really only means that one crew member and one crew chief will be leaving, and there's plenty of other work waiting at the office. If I'm sent home, I'll probably be in Louisiana before too long, wading through the bayou.
Now, to work on my thesis for a while.

Movin' on up!

Tonight is the last night in Stroud. We're driving almost 50 miles to get to our survey area right now, which means that 2 hours each day is devoted to drive time. So we're moving down to Ada, which is pretty well centered for the next 50 miles or so of survey. It's also a much bigger town, with a movie theater very close to the hotel. We'll also have microwaves and refrigerators, which means I can get a little bit closer to my regular dietary routine.
I did find out something interesting about Stroud tonight. There's a huge concrete foundation behind our hotel, just up a small hill. It's visible on Google Maps. Apparently, this was the location of a huge outlet mall which was completely flattened by tornado some years back. There've been a number of tornado watches and warnings north and west of here the last few weeks, and the tornado watch siren went off the second or third night we were here. I know this has already been a crazy year for severe weather (Bruce Sterling's Heavy Weather, maybe?), and Oklahoma seems to be right in the path of it all. So maybe there's another positive to moving 60 miles to the south.
We found a site today, by Wewoka Creek. Not sure how big it is yet, so far it's just two surface finds and a positive shovel test on a nice little sandy rise. I didn't see the whole shovel test, as I was setting up other people's spots, but there was apparently a lot of burned sandstone at one point, suggesting there may be a hearth or other burned rock feature. I don't know how much of it we'll dig up, though, probably just enough to know the site extents and whether it's significant enough to avoid. Such is the nature of most pipeline surveys.
Not much else is new. Still lots of ticks and poison ivy out there. Saw some deer today. Oh yeah, I also put some new pictures up on Flickr, including a great portrait of me in action.

Survey machines

Today my crew covered 3.5 miles, AND we finished early. Most of it was through hayfields and pastures, and we only needed a few shovel tests each mile. Best of all, we didn't find anything. I know that sounds funny coming from an archaeologist, but some days you'd rather find nothing instead of having to spend a lot of time recording a minor trash scatter (or even a non-diagnostic prehistoric lithic scatter).
Yesterday, we did go back and record the two sites we found on Saturday. One of them was nothing, and I would have been okay to just call it a mistake, as the artifacts were questionable, but we had forms started and then someone found some historic glass nearby and so we had to go through with it. The site closer to the river was better, as we turned up a couple more chipped stone tools (nothing too nice and not diagnostic) and a couple of groundstone tools as well. Still not a major site, but it was a nice change of pace.
The other crew found a late-19th and early 20th century cemetery. It was covered in brush and poison ivy and had apparently been partially bulldozed. It's possible that there's more burial than there are markers left. I also heard it may be Native American, but I really don't know, as it wasn't on one of our stretches.
Tomorrow we've got a major challenge. My crew is going out on a one-mile stretch with a crew of biologists and one of the general survey crews. We only have access to this for one day, so if we find any sites, we have to record them and keep going. It's also a walk-in, walk-out, so that it's actually a two-mile walk. If we're lucky, we don't find anything or just a small site. But it's a nice sandy stretch by a major river, so it's possible that we'll be very busy. I'm going to have my crew spend some time in the morning filling out a lot of the information on their forms, to save as much time as possible.
I'm definitely looking forward to my break.

Day off

And I need it. Despite it being S-A-T-UR-DAY NIGHT last night, I was asleep by about 10:30. I even had a 6-pack of Lone Star (an import up here!) chilling in my cooler. Woke up on my own about 7:40, feeling rather refreshed. Went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast (2 eggs, hashbrowns, thick-cut bacon and toast for $2.99), then to the laundromat to wash the stinky, poison-ivy covered field clothes. A lot of folks are headed to Tulsa for the day, to check out a museum or just do some shopping at a real grocery store and maybe catch a movie.
I, on the other hand, am going to Oklahoma City to pick up one of my crew members at the airport. I'm also shopping for some snake guards (for the crew), field pants (for me), and groceries at the health food store and the Super Target. I'm hoping to maybe find a thrift store and pick up a cheap microwave. They're 30 bucks at the pawn shop here in Stroud.
Yesterday was a good day. It was mostly open prairie, and while it was really hot it was also pretty dry. I found a projectile point in the two-track road almost immediately, pretty much right where we predicted there would be a site. We didn't spend much time there, since our goal for the day was miles and not sites, but we'll be back. Also found a second site about half a mile in, along a small creek. We finished that 2.1 mile stretch 30 minutes before the anticipated time, so we drove a few miles down the road to survey another stretch. This was a hilly stretch with a lot of wooded areas. Even though it was only 1.25 miles, it was a lot harder because of the dense understory. Lots of thorny plants. All told, we covered 3.35 miles in a day, which was our best day so far.
I have a small patch of poison ivy on my right arm. I figured out it was from resting my arm on my pants while crouching after taking off my long sleeved shirt. Doh! My main nemesis these days is the biting gnats which swarm in the wooded areas. Both of my ears are red and slightly cauliflowered from gnat bites. I look like I just got done with a rugby game or boxing match.
I'm definitely looking forward to my break in Austin in 10 days. I need to eat some healthy, home-cooked meals!

Long weeks

Ten hours a day, six days a week is very tiring. Today our actual field time was only a little over 6 hours. During that time, we covered 2.1 miles of survey corridor, which was mostly going up and down small hills. There was also the usual poison ivy, ticks, chiggers, and biting gnats. My crew also had their first snake spotting (not me personally) and someone was almost chased by an aggressive, protective mother cow.
Our two crews have surveyed roughly 25 miles of the 180 total. We've recorded 5 or 6 archaeological sites and 3 or 4 historic-aged standing structures. My crew has also recorded a stretch of old Route 66 (mentioned in the last post) and foundation remains and artifacts related to an abandoned oil boom town that was originally an early 20th century black community.
We've been earning our OT. I think we're all tired and sore. We all have various bug bites, rashes, blisters or tender spots. Actually, one of our techs has been out all week with severe blisters on her ankles and achilles. The doctor even gave her antibiotics.
So tomorrow my crew is doing two miles just south of the North Fork of the Canadian River. The other crew found 3 prehistoric sites in the same setting to the north, so we're hopeful to find something cool and interesting. Either way, it will be a long hot day.

Go here for some kicks

old Rte 66 roadbed
Originally uploaded by texasrobo

A portion of the old Route 66 roadbed crosses our survey corridor. Interestingly, it shows up on Google Maps, even though it's not an active road and a lot of it it destroyed and overgrown. We recorded the location for the client and took a few photos.
I uploaded a few more pictures from the project so far onto my Flickr page.
Woke up this morning to heavy rain and thunderstorms. Right now it's sunny, but we're waiting until noon to give all the storms a chance to pass or break up before we try and go into the field. I drank too much coffee to take a nap, so I'm finally getting to catch up a bit on photos and blog. I'll probably even tap on my thesis a little bit. And this is all at least partially on the clock.
I don't think I mentioned that I got a performance review right before we left for Oklahoma, where I got a bit of a promotion and a small raise. I'm now officially a crew-chief level archaeologist, rather than a senior field tech. A lot of added responsibilities, but I'm happy.

So busy

I've been working like 12 hours a day. Throw in showers and eating and just keeping up with basic day-to-day online stuff and phone calls, and it doesn't leave much time to get a good night's sleep. Especially if the tornado watch alarm goes off in the middle of the night again. Last night was actually the first time we've gotten any of the rain and storms that have been pounding Oklahoma, as they've been passing to the north or breaking up before they get here.
I've been walking somewhere between 4-6 miles a day. My legs and feet are a little sore, but only my left big toe has been suffering in the steel toed boots so far. They're actually rather comfortable and only feel heavy late in the afternoon.
We haven't found much yet. One small 1940s-50s trash dump in the middle of the woods, one recently abandoned 1930s house, and one area that may be the remains of a 1940s WPA workcamp. That one we're not sure of yet. Nothing prehistoric in the slightest.
Last weekend we stayed at the worst hotel I've ever spent the night in outside of Mexico. Some of the well-seasoned field techs who've been doing CRM work for years and years said it's the worst place they've ever seen. So if you somehow end up in Shawnee, Oklahoma, DO NOT stay at the Cinderella Inn. Keep driving, sleep in your car in a better part of town, or something.
I'll try and expound and get some more photos up tomorrow, as the Benadryl is starting to kick in.
Where in the hell am I? Stroud, Oklahoma. For 2 more weeks...

Dressed for success

Oklahoma survey gear
Originally uploaded by texasrobo

So this is me in all my safety gear (aka Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE). The hard hat has a styrofoam insert inside so that it resists side impacts as well. It also makes it heavier and more uncomfortable. I'm glad I went ahead and got prescription safety glasses, although the side shields mess with my peripheral vision a little bit. My boots (not in the picture) are about as comfortable as one would expect from tall, steel-toed boots that aren't really meant for hiking around in. The fishing shirts are nice, and I don't know why I didn't get some of those sooner.
Still trying to learn the ropes and get the hang of all the new protocols here. Had a short field day today and only got a small section done. Apparently, access issues have been a big problem, as most landowners would like 48 hours notice before we survey on their land. This is a little more advance planning than normal, but we'll adjust as best as possible.
Making this short to try and get some sleep, but there will be some interesting stuff soon...

Oklahoma or bust

Well, we got the go-ahead to go to Oklahoma, starting tomorrow. It has been an insanely stressful insanely busy last couple of weeks, and that's without even dwelling on my thesis. Right now, I'm waiting for the last of my new lightweight, wicking, long-sleeve field shirts to dry. I bought 4 of them, since I'll probably be needing to wear a new one every day because of poison ivy. I also bought a kick-ass pair of waterproof, steel-toed boots (which I can't find on the Red Wing site to link to), and prescription safety glasses. It's all stuff I will need again in the future, and we got a stipend towards the boots.
Looks like we'll be staying in small towns as close to the pipeline corridor as possible. I think the only requirement is that the hotel has internet access. I'm not so excited about this, as I was hoping we could stay at one central spot (preferably one in a decent-sized town with a real grocery store and a movie theater).
I have not had time to review our standard operating procedure documents, so I'll probably be doing that on the trip up tomorrow and in the hotel room later. The client is very specific about how they want things done as far as recording things.
Anyway, there will be some updates from Oklahoma, although they'll probably be pretty brief. I'll be trying to finish my thesis on our Sundays off, and maybe if I can squeeze in an hour here or there. And I'll be in Austin for a week in mid-June for a break.

Crazy already

We're not actually going to Oklahoma until next week, and it's already crazy. We endured 2 days of safety meetings last Thursday and Friday. They fed us well and we got some overtime for the drive back, so I can't complain too much. This week, there's lots of logistical things and practicing with the fancy GPS units that we won't even get until tomorrow afternoon and trying to get everything that's pending done before half our office leaves. And I still have to go to Louisiana and back, which will eat up all of Wednesday and Thursday.
Plus the thesis, which is not going to be done by this Friday. And my poor kitty has a urinary tract infection so we have to watch her closely and give her special food so we can sneak in the medicine. She's in the painful "working it out" stage so she's trying to go to the bathroom like every 15 minutes and not drinking much water. I ended up buying some low-sodium chicken broth (and watering it down) to get some liquids in her.
This weekend, we went straight from Houston to a co-worker's wedding weekend at the Canyon of the Eagles lodge and nature park. It was a nice place to spend a weekend with a bunch of people, although all I really did was drink a lot of beer and go to the wedding and reception. The park was nice and there's a place to take a cruise or do kayaking. I will try and get out there again sometime.
So this weekend I need to spend time with my wife (who is currently out of town again), try and hang out with my friends, go to Chaos in Tejas on Saturday night, see Prince Caspian with said wifey before I leave. Oh, and pack for a long trip.
I also need to buy some long-sleeve wicking shirts and fancy steel-toed boots, and maybe try and get some prescription side-shield safety glasses. But I might try and find some time for that during the week. Too bad I can 't get those at some place open past 9.
I don't know if it makes you tired and stressed out, but just writing this made my shoulders tighten.

It's getting closer

Tomorrow we head to Houston in the afternoon so that we can start our two-day safety seminar and kick-off meeting for the big Oklahoma pipeline job (I'll be calling you, St. Murse) . They're putting us up in the Renaissance Hotel near the Galleria and feeding us breakfast and lunch. I think we might even have to get paid overtime for our drive back Friday afternoon. I'm definitely going to be one of the three crew chiefs, overseeing 3 people on my crew. I apparently have to take an online CPR class at some point in the next couple of weeks (paid, of course).
We may be leaving as soon as the 19th. I was told there's going to be a rotation of 2 weeks on, 1 week off to prevent burnout. Of course, this means one crew will work the first 4 weeks. That might also change if we somehow are unable to field enough crew members to have a 4th team.
So yeah, I'll be summering in Oklahoma, very soon. There might be a BBQ before I go.
Did a short survey today in San Antonio. I think it took longer to drive there and back than it did for the actual survey. In addition to the usual golf balls (I think I might have blogged about this before) I found a golf club today. So we gathered up a bunch of the golf balls and smacked a few of them off the top of the hill. I actually got a couple of pretty good shots, but I think the extent of my golfing career will be limited to mini golf and the occasional driving practice in the field with found golf balls (I kept the 4-iron)

Procrastinating, again

Can you say that you're taking a break from work when you've done more breaking than working?
I did get to dig on Monday and Tuesday. I didn't find anything noteworthy at all, just some lithic debitage and very small burned limestone pieces. I also forgot my gloves, so I started getting blisters, although they've already hardened into calluses.
Wednesday I finished a survey in a different part of San Antonio, which I started writing about on Thursday and Friday. I'll finish that report on Monday or Tuesday. I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, they can spare me the rest of the week and I can stay home and write.
Got word on the Oklahoma survey. Starts in mid-May. We'll be working 6 days a week, 10 hour days. That means lots of overtime. It also means I'll be out of town for a month, unless they do some kind of rotation (which I'd rather not do, since I'd really like as much OT and per diem as possible). The client is being super-hardcore about safety, which means I'll need to get a pair of steel-toed boots and some lightweight long sleeve shirts (since getting poison ivy is considered an "incident"). I think we might even have to wear safety glasses in addition to hard hats, safety vests and steel-toed boots.
Other than all that, Tina's best friend Kensey is in town for the weekend and last night was Dan's birthday party. I watched some Japanese women's wrestling earlier this evening. I've written maybe 3 pages the past week.