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Wolverine Macarena

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 So ... the above photo is of the BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc Corrosion, Inspection and Chemicals Group (BPX CIC Group) Headquarters building, located behind the BPX Base Operations Camp (BPX BOC), located in the Western Operating Area (WOA) of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska . I believe I took this photo in the winter of 1992 - 1993.  My office was located on the 2nd floor, and the landing I mention in the story below can bee seen in the above photo.  This story is all about making sure you know what is on the other side of the door before you walk outside.   _____________ So ... I'm doing a normal day on the slope in the late 1990's. It's deep into winter.... and there is a storm brewing outside... I remember there was this female British ex-pat corrosion engineer working in the office - she had been there for about the last 6 months. Well - she had apparently walked out the back door to start her truck, and met a Wolverine sniffing around the parking lot ... She'd b...
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The day I got an At-Uh-Boy, a Raise, got Fired - and Re-Hired ...

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  So ... as the above photo shows, some days you are the brave Prudhoe Bay Alaska Field Inspector, some days you are Bearfood.    And that ain't me ... you got to realize - if you live around Bears - you are Bearfood.  The key is ... not to become Bear Dinner ...  "Run Food ... Run!" Things can change fast in the north of Alaska - both inside and outside the office.  The following is a story of how the job could change on a moments notice. ____________ So ... I'd been working for the BPX CIC Group for several years.   The job had mutated from an As-Builting of Corrosion Drawings type thing to a Computer Fix-it, Drawings Update, Database Programmer, Contractor Liaison, Run around and basically fix anything I found Broken type Thingy - which was fine with me, as it kept me busy, and allowed me to work the hours necessary (upon approval) to get the things fixed ... I mean done.   This one day, I'm working at the office doing my normal ...
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Four Drinks for Two Bucks ...

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  So ... you end up flying a lot if you work in Prudhoe Bay - the only other ways there are by sea barge, or by the Haul Road - which is a 474.5 Mile Gravel Road from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Deadhorse, Alaska - and for which I personally saw the results of a Viper Advertisement that was supposed to show how the fast car made the trip ... it was being towed into Deadhorse with it's front left wheel hanging by cable or two ... as one of the front independent suspension systems ... didn't like the road  much. Anyway ... The following story is about one of my flights out of Deadhorse ... So ... I'm flying back to Anchorage after a long two week tour of 18 hour days ... this was back when you could do 18 hour days ... and am sitting near the rear of the BPX Charter 727 (the one with the green and yellow stripes - in verse to the one with the dark blue and light blue stripes - which was the Arco Charter).   I think this was back during the winter of 1993 – 1994.   ...
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Location: Anchorage, AK, USA
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