A week in the life – 80’s Style

My consulting odometer recently clicked over the 40 year mark, and I thought I would share some random thoughts from my early days as a Geotechnical Technologist. Some (older folks) may recall similar experiences, others justifiably amazed at how for we have come. For your enjoyment, here are some imaginary, tongue-in-cheek work diary entries from way back (for my younger readers, that’s like a social media post, but written with a pen in a paper journal).

• Lots of soil samples to log and prep for testing today from the big drilling job; but I have to get 20 sets of 7-day concrete cylinders capped and cracked first. It’s going to be a long day in the soils lab. At least I can bank some overtime for the winter lay-off.
• Office day today with lots of drafting to do from that drilling job. Seems like hundreds of hand-drafted boreholes, but really only 50 logs with multiple revisions from the engineer. My pen is almost out of ink, my wrists are sore, and I have broken one Leroy Lettering device. There’s got to be a better way of doing this!
• More drafting in the office, but at least it’s out of the mud, cold and rain/snow mix forecast for this week. Some days I would trade the outside cold for this smoke-filled, ashtray-covered office. I must be the only non-smoker here – I don’t know how they can all afford to smoke at almost $2 a pack now.
• Scheduled to be out of the office next week to help on this on-going drilling project. I’m looking forward to getting out in the field more. Hope the weather improves.
• Logging samples and soil stratigraphy on the drill rig all last week was interesting and I learned a lot, especially with doing all the soil mechanics/lab testing after. The Senior Tech on site was really a great instructor on the fieldwork procedures. With two drills going maybe he was just happy for the help, but he seemed genuinely interested in teaching and training me.
• More drill time this week. First three days were great; but for last 2 days the driller’s helper didn’t show up (for unknown and mysterious reasons I was told), and I had to do both the helper and tech jobs. The driller was great and he helped a lot but it was hard work bagging & tagging samples in between lugging augurs and breaking split spoons and drill rods all day - in the rain and mud too. Every part of my body aches – drilling is a tough way to make a living!
• Time sheet Friday - such a time-waster! Hand writing three copies of everything, plus a copy for each project you worked on this week. But if I don’t get it in by 4 pm, no pay cheque next week! At least I got a raise – up to $11.15 an hour now!
• Driving to all those job sites, especially hauling equipment and samples on the construction and drill sites, is really hard on my old car. I hope the new allowance rate of 20 cents per kilometer will pay for the repairs and maybe help with a newer vehicle.
• I got to assist with an environmental investigation this week with the new Senior Scientist/Hydrogeologist the company hired. We dug up a pile of drums and stinky soil at an old factory site. Super interesting! I wonder if there’s more opportunities with this type of work?

Bill Leedham, P. Geo., CESA
Bill is the Head Instructor and Course Developer for the Associated Environmental Site Assessors of Canada (www.aesac.ca); and the founder and President of Down 2 Earth Environmental Services Inc. You can contact Bill at info@down2earthenvironmental.ca