California Furnace... seriously

 Just over a month ago, I left this (above) to go to this (below):

 I have taken a job as an Assistant Radiographer and was assigned to a Tesoro Turnaround in Concord California.  To state it simply, I use a source of radiation to take "X-Rays" of welds in various locations, as well as testing pipe/metal with magnetic energy, liquid sprays, and ultrasound equipment.  It sounds pretty complicated and, honestly, some of it is but most is pretty simple.  These tests are to see if there are any cracks or other problems in welds or the base metals, typically in oilfield related locations like refineries.  This technology is also utilized in aerospace and other construction.  A Turnaround is a scheduled shutdown of a refinery, or units in a refinery, for maintenance or construction.  Hope all that helps explain what I was doing!
This industry seems to move at a moment's notice.  I got a call and 22 hours or so later I was on a plane.  To say it was rushed would be an understatement.  I tried to plan ahead for warmer weather, but I still had to buy another T-shirt!  It was also thought that I would be gone from 3-4 weeks.  (Well, you know how that went!)  Anyway, after doing a fair amount of orientations and a bunch of badges, we had a day off, so I went out for a walk along one of the trails through town.  It was really beautiful!

 I'd like to say that my fluorescent skin is just a bad picture, but...!  I laid around this park for about an hour after walking 4 miles to get there.  I literally laid in the grass and soaked in the sunshine!

 All these blooms felt completely alien to me.  Refer to the first picture for my previous frame of reference!  Lavender was blooming, geraniums were showing off their pinks and reds, and Pear trees were in full bloom.  It was just crazy!  I don't even know what this tree below is!  It was huge and beautiful!

 My new home was comfortable enough, though I had to buy a microwave and toaster to make it work.  The maid service was extremely sporadic, and I even had to call down for toilet paper at one point.  That was disappointing.  It made it even more pressing to get back home!
 Below is the small airport behind my hotel.  It made me think of Pat!

 I'm wearing the ever-fashionable Fire-Retardant coveralls in dark blue, accessorized with an H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide) monitor on the lapel and the classic leather belt holding a pouch of radiation Personal Protective Equipment including a dosimeter, Rate Alarm, Radiation Badge, and paint pen!  It's sure to disfigure any size person!  Don't forget the ever-glamorous accessory to the accessory: side shields for the glasses!

 My welding beanie fooled many into thinking I was much more knowledgeable and experienced.  Oh, and they thought I was a welder.  I truly loved wearing the lovely non-breathable blue Tyvek suit (below), especially in the giant furnace (approximately 3X the size of our house) where it was warm and I had to wear a fall arrest system and half-face respirator to climb the 6 stories of scaffolding.  My favorite!  After about a week I was working the night shift, so the fabulous sunshine was down to a minimum, but it was probably best since I could handle the "cold" so much better!  It only got down into the low 40's most nights, so it was rare for me to wear a jacket.  Oh, since I was in the furnace, it didn't really matter anyway.

So all the while I got to have so much fun in furnaces, Pat was working hard here in Alaska!  Here he is doing a "brother-in-law" weld.  He was burning the candle on both ends trying to take care of all the house stuff as well as take care of his own 12 hour shifts in the -25 degree weather.

After all this exciting adventure, I have taken a transfer of sorts into a part-time position where I will continue to assist the certified technicians but only locally and probably much less often!  It will be a much better fit for us, as I have discovered that being home is much more valuable than I had realized!