Let's do this again

Would you believe it is turnaround season for us again?? Schedules have changed and N is in the midst of a turnaround right now. The shutdown for my facility has been moved until February of next year. Which is fine for us now, since there is only one of us trying to survive night shifts and long working hours, but in February, the turnaround start date is mearly three weeks after the due date for our new baby. When I brought this little fact up to my boss, his statement was exactly no more than, "Wow, you'll be tired!"
So I guess we'll just have to get there and see how it all pans out.
And really, who cares?? We are going to have a baby boy in January! And we are so excited for this coming change in our family. Nothing seems real yet, other than my coveralls not zipping shut that well, and the extra hours I've logged with the bathroom in the shop across the street. I don't think many people here have really noticed my pregnancy. I don't think that there have been many pregnant people in the refinery. I know I've seen one, a few years ago and another in the accounting building. But as far as how one goes about working here while pregnant, it's still a bit of a mystery. I'm pretty sure they don't make maternity fire resitant coveralls.

One gray day!

Next month I enter my longest ever stint with the same contract company. February marks two years that I have been with the group I work for now, although I have had the same onsite boss and position for almost three years. I really like what I do, but I have noticed that the last year has been increasingly difficult. It is just simply quite hard to come here everyday. I enter the gates and it is like entering another world. A world which altogether ignores the reality of the world outside it. Everything here is painted gray with overtones of rust. Grass is replaced with gravel. Windows are few and the ones we have are patterned with anti blast support rods. If I were to become an operator and be here 12+ hours a day, I would have to insist on operating at the dock. At least out there you get to live on the water and gaze at the islands. Forget watching the cranes drive by hauling pieces of demolished towers.
I saw a commercial for an anti-depression light. As an occupational health specialist, I think it would be a fun idea to replace all the lights we have in here with those. Do they actually work? Maybe then there would be less gossiping, less divorce, and less negativity in here. I try to add color to my work space by bringing in a few things that Z has painted. This is nice for when I am at my office, but when I am out in the plant - things are still pretty blah. My friend V worked with N during his last turnaround and she is quite the girly girl. She suggested I get some pink shoe-laces for my work boots. I put them on a couple of months ago and I've noticed that they make people smile.
On another note, N and I both have big turnarounds coming up this year. Unfortunately, they are scheduled for the same months. I can't even fathom what we will do for poor Z. If we are both on nights, I don't know where she will sleep, or what she will do while we are sleeping. If we are on days, she'll get to see us some, but still no extra time for her. And if we are on opposite schedules, she'll have to be super quiet as one of us will be sleeping nearly all the time. Poor kid, good thing she's got such an awesome Nana.