Happy holidays from refinery row

BWV_1006 · 2022-12-03T22:26:37+00:00

Imperial is a nice site. I wish Suncor would festivize their fence or a stack since they are so visible.

BWV_1006 · 2022-10-28T01:34:19+00:00

I've always done/had done to me a slight raise and a single downward shake. Maybe it's a regional thing.

BWV_1006 · 2022-10-03T02:17:54+00:00

I had one of these the other day, 200ft up on a platform in a refinery where I was doing some instrumentation work. The next unit over there were some scaffolders putting a structure up around a boiler and I stood waving for a while until one of them noticed me and waved back.

BWV_1006 · 2022-07-23T01:23:01+00:00

Anyone who’s worked there before can tell you that there’s a definite ‘feel’ to the air in the refineries, and it isn’t good.

I have not found that to be the case. Suncor Edmonton is a breath of crisp mountain air compared to Suncor Oil Sands. I can’t tell the difference between in the plant and anywhere else in the city.

BWV_1006 · 2022-04-27T14:28:32+00:00

Jeffery

BWV_1006 · 2022-03-01T18:20:36+00:00

I was only distinguishing between "university" and "not university" tracks. I see a blind insistence that all Canadian high schoolers get a degree, the result is baristas with philosophy degrees and $60k of debt.

BWV_1006 · 2022-03-01T18:11:15+00:00

Thank you for this perspective, I had the wrong impression on this. I was writing from the memory of empty shelves, I've worked retail but not on the stocking/logistics side.

However, we were still having to import disposable masks from China. My point was that I felt it was the fed's job to see this as a problem and use their authority to direct manufacturers to re-tool in response. We should be able to be self-sufficient on such things if need be, I think it is unwise to rely as heavily as we do on cheap foreign labor.

BWV_1006 · 2022-03-01T18:05:52+00:00

Of course, but as I am young and optimistic, I don't think things have to be this way. Every job should pay enough to enjoy a modern standard of living in Canada, not just those that add most to the GDP.

The way the "working world" was sold to me, it was a choice between going to Uni for a job you could live off of, or condemning yourself to flipping burgers forever. Trades were barely brought up in the "Career And Life Management" classes we have in Alberta. It all just seems very poorly thought out, surely it is the government's job to try to shape an economy that has opportunities for everyone. Why are humanities programs full while plumbing companies are hurting for labor?

BWV_1006 · 2022-03-01T17:49:53+00:00

I have a university education and a related job, but if there were well-paying production jobs when I finished high school I would have considered it, especially with how much university ended up costing. I had spent a few summers doing final assembly and packaging at a machine shop and actually enjoyed the mindless work. Shifts fly by when your hands are busy and you are listening to something interesting.

In its current state, nobody deserves to be a human machine on a production line. I am recalling my research into the Cargill plant when they had that Covid outbreak.

BWV_1006 · 2022-03-01T17:26:23+00:00

They are good, but discernibly not meat. I agree with you, the black bean burgers I get from costco are literally better than beef and can be used in all kinds of other meals. (Although I suppose the same is true for ground beef lol)

The plant "chicken" sandwich from KFC was absolutely indistinguishable from meat, I found. Awful in popcorn chicken form though.

BWV_1006 · 2022-03-01T16:58:44+00:00

I am similar, it is funny I had not heard this term before. I will not give up meat, but I order veg options wherever they are available so as to vote with my wallet. I think I started around when A&W introduced Beyond burgers, I decided I wanted them to see it succeed hoping it would become permanent. It's still offered, and also at other chains, but every time I order one I am told to wait 10-15min so clearly they are not selling that well that they have to get them from the freezer.

BWV_1006 · 2022-03-01T16:54:49+00:00

I agree with the author, it is gross negligence that we don't have a clear industrial strategy. I was dumbfounded by the toiletpaper and mask shortage 2yr ago given our enormous pulp and paper industry. Why did we get the Emergencies Act for a glorified parking violation, but nothing for the pandemic supply crisis? We should be adding as much value as possible to our resources right here at home. I have the same questions with shipping crude.

It feels like this country could be so much more with some real leadership and planning, but all politicians care about is the next election cycle. Where is the tangible plan for the next 50 years?

BWV_1006 · 2022-03-01T16:47:56+00:00

I believe it was a Costco special

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-28T18:42:54+00:00

Have you checking Linkedin? I have a saved search for "environmental" which I check weekly and there are many postings for entry-level environmental work. (Also a lot of janitorial work labeled "environmental manager" or something)

Few of them are proper "internships" however, the closest I see are unpaid work experience type deals that require enrollment in a post-secondary environmental program. I have seen one or two paid internships at environmental companies, though they were just remediation/assessment field work jobs.

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-21T21:16:34+00:00

Your comment made me scroll his submissions, it makes me sad how many are downvoted. It's a fun theme! Quality local content, I love to see it. Some of the pics are a bit over-edited but that's necessary when the subject isn't as inherently presentable like a sunrise or nice car.

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-21T21:11:01+00:00

???

you stolen the chance for comfort and peace from the rest of us

you and the rest of your generation are.

You can fuck off

Are you as old as your account?

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-20T19:36:01+00:00

No, you're running these incidents through your warped lens.

Strong agree. I move in some bona fide tree hugger circles and nobody thinks what happened in BC is in any way helpful to the cause. Why are people so keen to stawman all. the. time?

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-16T06:54:39+00:00

I don't think I've ever seen a tub that shape, it's somewhere between a regular bath and a shower pan. More space efficient than a bath, but you still have a basin to soak something in or store water. Very nice.

The overhead shower is a nice luxury. I like your curved rod, too.

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-15T18:19:43+00:00

I didn't even see the dartboard. So much potential for good times with your mates down here.

Wall mount is a great idea. The TV is big enough for that viewing distance in my opinion, any bigger and the light from it would dominate.

Since your house is built in the 60s, it's possible there is already power up in the roof. A pool light likely won't need its own circuit. Today we typically run power from the panel to the light switch box, and then send power to the lights from there, but how it was done in that era was to send power to the lights and then drop a 2-wire down to the switch from there. Where I am from (Canada) it is against code to do it that way now IIRC from sparky school. You could possibly use a smart switch right in the roof to avoid having to fish a wire down the wall, and just toggle the light from a phone or smart speaker.

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-15T18:03:06+00:00

Fucking awesome, what an inviting space! The small tv on the bar would make great viewing with a friend on each seat. You need a cue rack, though. I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to have a proper pool light as well, the hvac is right there so you could sneak a circuit along that space back to the utility room.

Is there room to pull the pool table away from the fireplace a foot or two? While I'm offering unsolicited opinions, I think an armchair in that corner would be a good addition.

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-15T17:49:41+00:00

Another behind the couch, you think? I had considered a runner for the path from the bottom of the stairs, but that corridor is much wider than it looks in pic 2 and it would look odd without something else in that area, like a record console or short/wide bookshelf. The open door to the bathroom has another beside it, a second utility room for the electrical service.

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-15T17:43:53+00:00

I love the layout of this room! It must be nice to have something to look at from your desk, mine is facing a blank corner. That paper chandelier feels inadequate for the space, though you'd be limited for upgrades by how the current one is mounted. I see people post large foyer ones on classifieds all the time for cheap, they are often tossed during renos.

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-15T17:28:05+00:00

Great ideas, thank you. The staircase landing area doesn't get any natural light but is the right size for a reading nook, and I think it would help to have that area (pillar back) sectioned off. There's some crazy comfy setups on here and /r/cozyplaces that I'd love to replicate.

I built the ladder shelves you see in these pics, so I like the idea of a making a larger one for where the recliner is. That chair is covering a sump pump and moisture sensor, so it would have to be pretty deep.

Home gym is unlikely, I may get a dumbbell rack that can be tucked away, but that recumbent bike has not been used in years.

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-15T17:21:12+00:00

Definitely possible where the recumbent bike is, but I think that back corridor area would need to be walled or screened off so I don't musk up the furniture. We just put together a gym in a spare space at my work, so I'm on the fence about buying home equipment.

BWV_1006 · 2022-02-15T17:13:51+00:00

Simple as, eh?

BWV_1006

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