next project

Tom left for his next project in Nevada. I found an apartment with much stress and anxiety for him, searching the classifieds and craigslist, and calling local agents. This area, he is working in, I am told from multiple sources is a very popular rental area with a coal plant and a coal mine both giving a lot of short term engineers projects to work on needing short term residences to live in.

I had a place lined up before, a little cottage with maid service once a week. But we took too long starting the project and the cottage was grabbed for the next 11 months by some other engineers coming in to work at the coal mine.

I left my name with several apartment complexes. I received a call asking if I was still looking as this apartment complex had an opening  due to a no show in one of their units. It was a two bedroom. They charge more for short term, but I was happy to find something at all. I had seen an ad on Craigslist where a woman had a room to rent in her home and was offering her master suite in the arraingment. I wondered if she came with the bedroom, after all it is Nevada, and I didn't want to get so desperate for a place for Tom that I would have to ask.

 The owner's partner had died recently so when I asked if there was any way I could get some furniture into it, the owner agreed, for a fee. He provided a dining room set and a couch and coffee table and a recliner that reminded me of Tom's first recliner when we were dating, 20 years ago. He also provided a Queen bed and frame. I really didn't want Tom sleeping on a mattress on the floor. I remember Vashon Island with Tom on a twin mattress, on the floor, we had stuffed into the backseat of his cadillac for a bed.

Tom took my jeep with the new tires and 4 wheel drive. Just in case he had bad weather while he was gone. The jeep holds more stuff anyway. Tom packed his HDTV, the mid size one from our bedroom. He had the boys move their smaller one up to my room to replace it, though small is relative in this household when it comes to TV's. Our smallest is 40 inches. I didn't even notice at first until the boys told me.

 I threw in some dishes, pots and pans,  and blankets into the car. I gave up my can opener just to make sure he had one when he arrived. I must remember to pick up a new one for myself. I used an old style beer opener to open a can of re fried beans after Tom left, and just demolished the can.

The trip was uneventful. Tom stopped in Pasco to see an old friend. He arrived Saturday morning about noon at his destination. He told me he had thought Wyoming was a desolate place  until he drove through Northern Nevada. He spent a year during college in Wyoming working at a "man camp". After that year he went back to college and got his degree.

 I had called for power to be  hooked up before Tom arrived, and for the Direct TV guy to be available the first day so he didn't have to live without TV for even one day. I was thrilled to hear the installer worked on both Saturdays and Sundays.   The Direct TV offers a second account  for those that have two  residences and you can keep your packages.

What I missed was the gas heat and gas water heater. When I called the electric company I asked them about  gas hook up and they said "We don't have gas in that area." I took that to mean no gas. Well, Tom arrived down there to find clear skies and 17 degrees at night, and no heat. No hot water to shower either. He put a pot of water on the stove and turned the oven on and survived the first night. Thank goodness for the Direct TV's successful install. Tom can survive anything as long as there is HDTV.

The property manager has the unit across from Tom's. He is a golfer and had several conversations with Tom.  Doug has been allowing Tom to use his shower over the weekend until the gas man can come get Tom hooked up.

I called to get the gas hooked up while Tom went to his first day at work. The account had to be put in my name as Tom wasn't with me  to say hello to the agent on the phone, hooking up the power in Nevada. I made the appointment for the gas man to come over while Tom was at work. I begged for same day hook up so he wouldn't have to go another night without heat or hot water.

Tom called from his work the apartment manager to unlock the closet where the water heater pilot light needs to be turned on and accessible.It is in the closet between the two apartments. The door was unlocked by someone, but no one was there when the gas man arrived. It turned out the door was an automatic locking door when the door is shut. So after unlocking the door and leaving, the door shut and relocked. When the gas man arrived the door was locked. Tom has to go another night without hot water or heat. The gas company can't get back to him until Wednesday.

I am just glad Tom's next door neighbor, the apartment manager, is so accommodating, or Tom would be pretty stinky for his first few days on the job. Tom makes friends where ever he goes, the manager is a golfer. I am sure they are already arranging Tee times at the closest decent course for Tom's first day off from work. He will be working six tens so Sundays are his day of rest.  Tom sent me a picture of the area and noted the blue sky in the background. As soon as he left the weather turned nice here also. Some how we need to figure out how to have these between projects times happen during summer, so Tom can get some golf in with nice weather.

Tom is all set up now at his new location. I'll wait to hear when I can come for conjugal visits, maybe Memorial weekend.    I tried so hard to get everything comfortable and ready for Tom. My poor guy is freezing in the desert.