Quit Yer Belly Achin', Melonhead*

After numerous complaints to update my blog, huzzah, here it is. I got a few photo's but they're not much to look at. I really meant to take my camera to work again and take photo's of the inside of the building, but again I forgot it on the counter when I left. So for now I have some random photos.

Extra Foods on Confederation Way, close to the Cartier and Parsons housing

I've been slowly getting work, at the moment I've been given 3 different duties: decommissions, which is going through some paperwork for getting rid of programs that are not used, or broken and not worth fixing; testing, which is testing to see if our applications work without error on a new environment the company is switching to; and access requests, which is getting approval and getting access to users for applications and databases they need to use. As a computing science student, I was really expecting to do some programming, scripting, something I've been doing for the last 4 years. However, I think the paperwork, and calling users to ask questions or request stuff is really helping my ability to just talk to random people with confidence.

Superstore, which is downtown near the mall

So far the access request I've been given, just today actually, are probably the most enjoyable to do so far, since they're very easy to just rip through. Testing so far is my second most enjoyable, but the only reason is because I'm still waiting to actually test the applications. Decommissions are my least favourite, simply because it requires a huge amount of paperwork, lots of contacting users and other people, signing of paperwork, and mostly because when I started doing them I didn't know who to talk to about a lot of the different things the paperwork asked for me to know. The topping on the cake is that a lot of these applications are pretty easy to get rid of, but because of the paperwork, is taking over three weeks. Also, before I can start any of the paperwork I need approval from a specific owner of the application, which don't reply to my emails or are never at their phone. One particular application, no one seems to know about, and have gone down the path of "this guy might know" for quite a long time. I have dubbed the person, whomever it may be, that knows anything about this application, "The Unicorn", due to it's mythical nature.

The Public transit bus stop outside the Cartier housing.

Had a few nights out, on Wednesdays there is wings night at Paddy McSwiggens. Went there once, decent and very cheap wings. I'm more favourable to baked wings, not the deep-fried ones they serve, since you get juicier skin rather than crunchy skin. Drinks are expensive, since my meal was only nine dollars for 20 wings and no drinks, while other people were in the mid twenties - low thirties and had less less wings but drinks. Note: Honey Garlic wings good, teriyaki wings bad.

Went to one of the local clubs, Whiskeys Ultra Lounge. People had originally wanted to go do a different place, Club NV, but there was a big warning about how that place is a little sketchy, while Whiskeys could be, but wasn't very often and relatively safe. So about 10 of us went down there on one weekend and some danced while some played pool (I think there were 3 tables, maybe 2, didn't hang around that end of the place and count). Had some fun there, but I don't believe the club scene is compatible with me.

Shuttle bus stop for the shuttle at downtown that goes to Syncrude site (41B)
bus arrives every hour:15 from 8:15am - 3:15pm

*yes, I know the quote actually goes "quit yer daydreamin', melonhead"

First Week

First week on job was something that something new. Met a lot of new people, obviously, and got to know a lot more about the position I was placed in. Got my ID, unfortunately I thought the camera was a lot higher than I thought it was, so the angle of the photo with my silly grin end up looking more smug than anything.


No, I'm not working at the plant, but nearby at the 41X building (below). It's standard office setup; cubicles, water coolers, etc. It's got a central spiral staircase which I've been told about twenty or so times to hold the handrail else managers, or other employees, will condemn you for not doing so.



The work load has been relatively non-existent, so far. There were mandatory training videos, orientations, important documents to be read, but for the majority of the time there were large gaps in time when there wasn't anything to do and our team leader wasbusy in meetings. I've been told that this is pretty typical first week, and that now that I'm somewhat brought up to speed on their systems that I'll be getting some real work really soon.

My title is Operations Applications Support. I work in the Business Line Applications branch of Syncrude's IT department. This branch deals with essentially all the applications that Syncrude uses, my particular team deals with application that are used in the field and plants. I'm supposed to make sure that of the three hundred or so applications they use in the field they run smoothly and get them working if they are not. While it sounds a little daunting, I'm told I'll personally be working on probably five or six applications for now.

A long while back, before I left, I was sent an email for a Holiday party that the IT department was holding for employees of Syncrude and Exxon. I had accepted and it just so happen to fall on this Friday, a day I got off from ADO (additional days off). I and pretty much everyone in the office had attended. There was food, dancing, and karaoke. It's apparently one of the perks of doing a January co-op, along with wonderful, fantastic, frigid, snow!

Here's some photo's of the party:

Google maps

I'd like to point out that google maps satellite images of the suburban area of Fort McMurray are really out of date (as of the time of writing this 01/08/2010).

Things to note are that the area circled by, and around, Millennium Drive are all built houses. I made mention that other coop students were at the parsons creek buildings, these buildings are just NW of the Parsons Creek - Millennium Drive intersection (the one which Parsons turns to Plamondon Drive East of the intersection).

Day 2-4

On my second day I took the bus again to the downtown so I could find where the hourly shuttle to my work site was, get a bus pass, then get on the shuttle and take my medical assessment. The shuttle is right on the corner of Hardin and MacDonald, practically a few steps short of the intersection.

I got my buss pass from the Jubilee center which is just connected to the city hall building. it's right around the corner of the main bus loop there.



I got on the shuttle to the Syncrude work site, told the driver I was a student and was getting my papers out, but she just told me to just write "student" where it asked for employee Id's on this clipboard and away we were. I would have had pictures of the bus ride and site, but the second I turned on my camera after I got on the bus the batteries died.

We were dropped off right in front of the Frank Spragins Building, aka building 41B. After getting a visitors pass from the receptionist. we walked just a short while, through some double doors, then to the assessment office on the right hand side. If you're doing a coop, you can just follow the red signs with a red cross and arrow pointing in the right direction, but walk just past the red cross sign saying Health Services to the door with the blue cross sign that if I can recall correctly says Health surveillance.

the whole process took about 45 minutes or so. we had to fill out some forms, and perform some very simple tests. Since my appointment was at 12:30, right when the staff come back from lunch, I was pretty much ready to go when I arrived. It might take longer if the tests and paperwork is taking longer to do with earlier appointments.



I took the shuttle back. picked up some things that were needed around the apartment, and pretty much sat around for a while, had leftovers since when I make dinner I make enough for two. then went to sleep really early, because I was SO bored with nothing to do but watch TV.



Day three was alright, I still had just a few more things to get, so I bussed downtown and picked up a few things. I returned and found out I that my computer had been delivered that day, but I wasn't there, so I had to pick it up at the post office. I looked around my house and realized I had forgotten to pick up a few really essential things, so I once again headed out and got more stuff from the store.

Day 4 was lots of exhausting fun. I sat around waiting till about 1pm, when the little delivery notice said my package will be ready for pickup, called a cab, and got my computer.

Alas, my computer didn't make it untouched. My monitor made it perfectly fine, but the heatsink and fan for my CPU had snapped off. luckily my motherboard, and other circuits were not damaged much by the heatsink probably rattling around the computer. I looked up a place in the phone book, called them up. then bused down and bought a new one for 21 bucks. Nothing fancy, just a simple heatsink and fan. I got home, and pretty much had to take my computer completely apart since I had to take out the motherboard so I could place a mounting bracket on the back of it. This whole ordeal took about 5 hours to do. I was so relieved nothing else on my computer was broken.

I then ended up playing 6 hours of Left 4 Dead 2 with some friends back home. I had worries about the "simple" internet connection that Syncrude had told us we had, but the connection is great. Also "simple" cable TV is pretty comprehensive, 70 so channels, a respectful amount. They even have Global BC channel, and that channel that shows the view from a camera in the lobby.

Online! Day 1

Today I got my computer, so obviously I have to fill in the details of 4 days worth of information. Also, I got pictures as well :P. I'm posting this quite late. As I also decided to have a 6 hour Left 4 Dead 2 marathon with friends back home. So today I'm going to post only about my first day and tomorrow I'll be posting day 2-4.

I got to the Airport really early, about 3 hours early. Thanks to my older brother Jordy for the ride. A lot of people didn't show up at the gate till about an hour before boarding. There wasn't a lot to do, but I had my iPod, so a few shows later we were ready to board. As I suspected, the plane was only about a 75 seater. There was only one tiny isle to get to your seat, so it took a while before everyone got settled in for the flight.



the flight was a short one, only about 2 hours long. We got the typical tiny snack and a drink. As we landed, I took a few snapshots of the ground. We got off by the stair-truck method, which I've only done once before, and seeing as it was really cold outside, the last thing I wanted to do was slip down them. Also, after a few steps off the plane, I remembered I left my backpack under the seat! I was able to quickly get back on and grab it, whew.




I got my luggage and headed outside, just slightly to my left were a line of taxis ready to take you anywhere. I grabbed one and headed to the Clearwater Hotel that had the keys to my apartment and other information, and then got to my apartment. The taxi ride cost about 60$ but I was still on the meter when I was picking up my keys. If you're judging how much you might need, I suggest taking more than that since there might be traffic, the weather, and how long it takes you to get your keys from wherever it takes you to pick them up from.


My Apartment is at 106 Cartier Road, but it seems like other coop students are in completely other buildings around the sub-urban area of the town. Some are in my building, some are in the 102 building right next door, and others are at various buildings in the Parsons Creek area.







Here's a couple shots of the place. I have a two bedroom apartment, but it seems like I won't be having a room-mate, I'm not sure why. I've heard from the other coop students that most of them got one bedroom apartments, but I got a fancy shmancy TV. It's a lot better than what I have in my room at home! The view from the balcony is alright too. Interesting, there were 26 messages on the answering machine, while some were automated ads, a few of them were quite hilarious.



I left and took the bus from the bus stop that is right outside the building. The buses run either 30 minutes apart to an hour apart depending on the time, so plan ahead or stand around a stop freezing :P.

There is apparently a grocery store nearby, but I don't know where it is yet as of the time of writing this, so I don't know if it's better to go there or not. I took the bus down to the "Main Terminal" which is a glorified street side, where all of the buses line up. I walked down to the Canadian Superstore which is about 2 blocks away from the bus stop, got some groceries, and walked back.

Now, to get back to my apartment, I need to take Bus 2 to Timberlea. I had been standing around in the cold for a while, and quickly got on the first bus that said "Timberlea" on it. It wasn't until it was too late that I realized I was not on the right but, I was on Bus 3 to Timberlea, which takes a entirely different route around the suburban area before returning to town. It was dark, I couldn't make out the street signs because of the full-bus advertisement that tinted the windows on the side, and it wouldn't have helped me since I don't know where any of the streets are. The only map I had was that of the bus I was supposed to take, which only labelled the roads it drove on. I knew the bus eventually went back to town, so I ended up wasting an hour going all around and then getting on the right bus. I promptly made a quick meal, and went to sleep.

Flight

I'm finally flying out today. I'll be taking plenty of snapshots with my camera so when I get my computer I'll be able to upload and post away. will be flying out on Air Canada flight, I think it's one of the smaller planes, not the giant 200+ seaters, since my landing gate and my departure gate are "not available". I'm assuming I'll be getting off right at the plane and being taxied to the terminal, only done that once before.

Will post again in a couple of days once my computer gets here and I figure out the whole Internet deal is up there.

Away it goes...

Just saw off my computer to the fedex truck, If all goes well I'll see in a few days safe and sound at my new place.

Stil not much to do around the house other than keep everything as clean as possible before leaving. I'm so bored I've got nothing to do but plan out what I'm doing the next couple of days when I get there but work hasn't started.

I've thought about whether or not to get a bus pass, or just fare booklet. I figure if the downtown area isn't very enticing, I might only need to go down town once a week to pick up groceries and such. I'll see how often I'll be taking the bus before I decide.