[books 2009] Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs

54. Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs - She thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse by Paul Carter

I heard about this when I came out as I caught Paul Carter plugging it on Radio 4.  He sounded witty and charming.

It's an account of working on oil rigs throughout the world, mostly in South East Asia, with an emphasis on how dangerous it is - not only the job itself, but also the potential for kidnapping and extortion in some of the less stable oil hotspots in the world.

I read it in the two days when I was painting the spare room; there is very little to it and what there is does not tax the brain.  It's not nearly as good as I thought it would be.  While the individual anecdotes are mostly very funny, there is only the odd sentence or two at the beginning or end of each chapter to tie them together.  The exception is the chapter on his work in Nigeria - he found it awful and terrifying and got the hell out as soon as he could.

(For the record, his mum knows he works on the rigs; she and his stepfather both work in the oil industry and only had a problem with him working in Nigeria).

While not as good as I expected, it's a good light read for when the brain isn't up to meatier stuff.

[convergence] beginnings of a plan

I haven't put as much time or energy into plans for Convergence as I should have.  No, I haven't got a life, my brain has died.

I have established that there are no direct flights from England to Salt Lake City.  Also no direct flights from Toronto.

The only option for changing planes in Europe and not having to see my luggage is that there are direct flights from Paris to Salt Lake.  I haven't investigated time or costs yet.  I then realized that if we're going via Paris, we can fly from Bristol instead of Heathrow.  Which might lead to a budget carrier experience in which I have to see my luggage (you don't seriously think Easyjet arrange to transfer your bags, do you?) but would still be worth it for not having to travel to Heathrow.  (Eurostar - Charles de Gaulle isn't really an option.  I don't think).  I suspect if I use my usual travel agent we can get the Bristol-Paris part thrown in for free anyway.

The other possibility, if I have to see my bags, is fly the Bristol-New York flight, but only if I can then get a direct flight from NYC to Salt Lake, and US airlines don't tend to have direct flights to anywhere.  Or appear to be able to get anywhere on time.

It has also occurred to me to fly to Paris or New York a day early and stay over so I don't have to deal with the whole trip at once.

Where I am completely plan-deficient is in what to do with the other week I want to be over there.  I'm trying to avoid the sort of road trips that involve being in the car for 12-plus hours at a stretch; on the other hand, it's the part of the world where that's what road trips entail.  I need to have a good hard look at my Rough Guide to the USA and figure out what's do-able without completely wiping me out.  Preliminary research for my  Ghost Towns book comes to mind, though seriously, even preliminary research needs a lot more time than that.  Proof-of-concept maybe?

Jason has made sounds about wanting to see the Black Hills (I made the mistake of telling him I've been).  I don't think I want to go that far, but it would involve drying through Wyoming, and I've never been there.

For the record, as long as I stay covered in Factor 50 sunblock I should be fine - dry heat is my natural habitat.  (OK, dry cold more so, the point being, the less moisture there is in the air, the more at home I feel).

Edit:  I've looked at a map and had an evil plan.  Park City -> Yellowstone National Park -> the Black Hills.