Home at Last

My 7-day 11-state tour is over. I am finally back home and it feels good. The funny thing about the whole trip is that we had to be in ND on Tuesday to attend a 3-hour safety class for a 1-hour job on friday. So 60+ hours worth of driving for 4 hours of work. We couldnt fly because we had to take equipment with us up there.

We were hoping to be back sooner as the job was supposed to start at 7 am. This means that we had to be ready at 6 am. Since we spend about two hors rigging up on thursday all we had to do was drop the tools on depth on friday, which still takes an hour to get to around 10,000 ft. So we needed to start dropping tools at 5 am. Since the nearest hotel was 90 minutes away we had to leave at 3:30 am. All this is well and good as the job was supposed to last 1 hour. The other crew didnt even show until 7:30, took them until 10 to rig up, had a few problems so the job actually started at 3:30 pm. They finish around 5 and we have to monitor for another hour so we start our 2 hour rig down at 7. Long story short, we were hoping to leave by noon but we left at 10:30 pm.

We decided to drive straight through again, another 1800 miles. 3 guys who had worked all day and not showered going for a 30 hour car ride. To say the truck was a little funky at the end is an understatement.

Since im the new guy I had the dreaded 2 am-8 am driving shift. The only saving grace is that there is nobody on the roads of SD at 3am and the speed limit is 75.
BTW, if you ever find yourself driving through Fargo do not stop at the Pilot station off the interstate. Within 5 minutes I saw/heard these things:

1)A guy in full canadian tuxedo (denim, on denim, on denim)
2)A guy ask the clerk for a glass of water because his quarters were thirsty. Seriously.
3)A dude buy, literally, all the beef jerkey in this place.

So I'm on this lonely road with the other guys sleeping and I have a lot of time to myself to just think. This song called "Turning Home" by David Nall comes on. Awesome song, its about this guy remembering all the good times he had in his home town/ friends / first love. I don't know why it got me thinking but it did. I don't know if it is because I came from such a small town or that I didnt really enjoy high school that much except for my senior year, but unlike the song when I think of all these things I think of college.



Usually take one last pass through town
Stop the car and touch the ground
Watch those streetlights swayin’ in the breeze
Decorated store fronts
Rusty old gas pumps
Try to fill my mind up
With somethin’ before I go
Picture postcard memories
You know they always make for good company

I don’t know no town
Like the old town
Even when the miles are many
I feel like I’m still around
Deep inside me
Like rings through an oak tree
Yeah, there something ‘bout a Sunday when I’m gone
That keeps me turning home

To me this just described Tuscaloosa for me. I really do love that town, as ready as I was to leave it. As an alum, its a totally nastolgic feeling when I visit. Since my parents moved away from the town I graduated high school from, there is not much of a reason to go back, plus the fact that I truely had the best time of my life in Ttown is why I really will always consider it "home".

I’m standin’ here beneath these billboard lights
Takes me back to those autumn nights
Hometown bleachers packed real tight
As we marched down the field
My feet would swing from a dropped tailgate
Out on Airport Road real late
No one could walk a line too straight
We usually made it home alright
And glory days I cant re-live
Stories I’ll never forget

And I don’t know no friends
Like the old friends
I never seem to laugh now
Like I did with them
But deep inside me
A piece of history
Yeah, I hear their voices even though they’re gone
And it keeps me turning home

While he is talking about playing HS football, I think of attending Bama games. More specifically, pre- or post-gaming for games is where I cant remember laughing like I did at Stadium Apartments my freshman year, 701 13th st my sophomore year, the fraternity house my next two years, and my apt the next two. Everyone just drinking, eating, and laughing are the times I truely miss. Ive attended a game as an alum and really there is just no comparing to having 30-40 of your best friends at one place while you are all in school to tailgating on the quad with families.

Never twice the same way does it start
And sure enough she stole my heart
On the old gym floor, spinnin’ round and round one night
And though we both tried hard to wait
We sure did love the taste
Of the sweet love being made and prayin’ I got it right
Graduation came and went
Along with all the time we spent

And I don’t know no love
Like the first love
When I think about the best times
She’s the one I think of
Deep inside me
All though the taste is bittersweet
I see her smilin’ even though she’s gone
And it keeps me turning home, yeah
And it keeps me turning home

This one probably got me thinking the most of all. Like most people, I had my first serious relashionship in college. And like most people, it didnt last. In my case it was two people who were finally having to face the world after 2-3 years together and realizing that they were headed in opposite directions in life when not given the commonality of college. And in all my life I have never had regrets except on this issue. I don't regret the relashionship, I loved her and I knew she loved me. I don't regret the breakup, in hindsight it was the right decision. The thing I regret is that my relashionships to people changed over the whole thing.

I was having a ton of fun and was really good friends (and I mean friends) with a lot of girls when I entered the relashionship. I allowed myself to disengage those friends to be more focused on my gf. This may be the biggest mistake of my life. I just cut and dry was not a good friend to the people. Even after the breakup, friends that we had as a couple I suddenly no longer had, because I guess they felt they needed to choose sides or something.

Through it all, I've had my best friends stick by me, and for that I am truly blessed. I have to use two hands to count my true friends and even I know that is unusual. And a few of those people I wasnt good friends to have forgiven me and we talk or text pretty frequently now, which doesnt take away my regret but does make me feel better about.

Hey, if all life is is a collection of experiences im well on my way, and I thank all of you for being a part of it, no matter how large or small the part.