Hail Call from North Dakota!

[Consiglieri]

Thanks for the update, Marco.  Wishing you and the family the best.

Look forward to learning about the job when you have a moment.

Consiglieri

[HCT]

Hey brother, it's really great to hear from you. You're always in my thoughts. Give me a call when you're able to. I've just been busy back here getting the Ark ready for the big storm heading our way. ;) :D

[Tenpoint5]

Hey Marc Glad to hear from you again. Could have used you in the Iron Chef Comp. Keep your head up and keep talking to Momma and the Kids. It will be over before you know it.

[La Quinta]

Giggles...you mad man...so really glad to hear from you!!! I don't know if I have the proper numbers to call and harrass you???  ;D

You can pm me???  :)

[Smokin Soon]

I was seriously wondering where my "hazel" friend was. Glad to here your ok and working. Like me, you are hoping that things will get better, but I'm not seeing any recovery yet. We just gotta do what we do.
I really hope you and your family can weather it out.

[Smoking Duck]

Thanks for the well wishes, all!

The work is not the easiest I've done but it's hard, honest work and decent pay.  I generally will work from 7 am until 9 pm (hours will go till 10 or 11 pm when the summer gets here as it stays daylight until 11 pm in the summers here).  We get a 1/2 lunch break so that breaks up the day a little.  I live 40 minutes from work, so it does make for an early day after a short night.  No breaks for dinner though, so I usually eat my dinner on the drive home.

We're installing fibre optic cable into a lot of towns in North Dakota.  It starts with putting in the duct (basically 1 1/4 inch tubing).  This starts with digging a 2 ft hole by the house to hook up to the house.  Usually it's a 2 ft deep by 5 foot long hole.  You also have to shovel out where the line would cross power lines, cable and telephone lines.  Once that's done, you have to attach the tubing to a ditch witch or a lawn plow and run the duct out to where it will attach to the mainline.  It sounds pretty easy but it's a little more difficult than it sounds.

It is a great way to lose weight.  I'm down about 2 notches in the belt already but pretty sore most days as I'm not as young as I used to be (in fact, I think I'm the oldest one on the crew  :o).  All in all, it's a decent job and it's nice because we're usually working on overtime come Wednesday (unless we get rain or snow).

Haven't seen the family in about a month but I try to talk to then every day.  My cell phone has no coverage unless I'm in a bigger town (there are only about 12 of them here) so talking to them is a bit difficult during the week.  Talking to anyone is dificult during the week, actually.  I do have the weekends off but I'm told that during the summer they'll move to working Saturdays as well.

One upside is that I now live near one of the best walleye lakes in the country (Devil's Lake) and will be going fishing there Sunday.  There are also all kinds of ducks, pheasants, grouse, deer and moose in the area.  Hopefully, I'll get to hunt them this fall.

I'm hoping the wife and kids can come visit next month but not sure if that will happen or not.

Thanks again for all the well wishes.  I don't get on much but my thoughts are here and during the day, I always wonder what new wonderful smoked foods you guys are coming up with.

Take care,

Marc

[pensrock]

Marc, Its great to hear from you and I hope all is well. I am sure the family understands you are only doing what is best for all
pens

[HCT]

Hey Bud,
   Really great to hear from you. All the best wishes to you and your family. Hugs and smootches to Steeler. You're in my thoughts.
Mike

[josbocc]

SD,

Hang in there buddy.  Sounds like you're awful busy right now, but hopefully that will change in the future.  I just got back from a week away from the family (for work), and thought that it was not nice..., can't even begin to imagine what you're going through.

Stay Strong, we'll all be wishing the best for you.

Jeff

[IKnowWood]

Marc

Its good to hear from you and hear that you are doing some good work and working hard.  You might be one of the oldest, but surely one of the hardest working ones out there.  Your motivation will keep you going and your family will be there for you as you are there for them. 

Hope that maybe this can help in some way get closer to home or bring home closer to you.

Thanks for checking on us.  We are proud of you.

- Johnny.

[sodak]

Got your Southern flank.  Good luck to you.  We've been taking a bunch of walleye down here on the river.