My Neglected Husband

I've been so busy with Nicholas and his family, I've just about forgotten to mention anything about my husband. So, I take the time here.

Russ has been working in Stanton, ND for the past 4 weeks. I don't remember the exact dates, but if it was exactly 4 weeks ago, he left on Sunday, Feb. 1st. He stayed overnight in Jamestown on Sunday and than proceeded to Bismarck on Tuesday. He had to check into the Union Hall in Bismarck on Monday. He had to take a drug mandatory drug test before working on Tuesday. So after making that stop, he headed to Washburn to find a place to stay. He's been staying in a hotel there every since.

Russ took Friday, February 20th off so he could travel home to see his new grandchild. As you see from an earlier entry: Grandpa meets James for the 1st time, he did see little James. Unfortunately, he didn't get to see Steph or Nicholas. Russ headed back to Washburn on Sunday the 22nd.

The weather in his area has been plenty cold for outdoor working conditions. But, he manages with insulated coveralls. If I remember correctly, they didn't work one day because of extreme cold conditions. Otherwise, he's been working 5/10's (5 days a week, 10 hours a day).

Today he is working too. This is the second Saturday that he has worked. If he hadn't come home last weekend, he could have been working that Saturday too. Russ says that there will probably be many more Saturdays to work too. As of my last update about Saturday workdays, the foreman has stated that the company wants them to work the next one or two Saturdays too.

So, in today's economy, we are feeling relieved that Russ has a job. And the overtime work makes it much easier to travel such distances to justify taking the job too.

By the way, Russ is working for a company that is doing construction work on a coal plant. Apparently there is plenty of work at these coal plants. -- Good for us!