cc: file, Tony Hafen, Pauline Nelson via mail, Sara and Des Penny, and Maxine Shirts
"After last week's epistle, and since I'm writing two separate Thoughtlets today to catch up, they will be short. Thanks for the responses to last weeks thoughts. Those that responded did so in a very positive manner, and I realize there was the basis for commenting otherwise. I was particularly pleased to get the e-mail from Kate with a diary of Grant's activities. Although I realize the thoughtlets probably had nothing to do with Kate's note, even the appearance of imitation can come across as the sincerest form of flattery.
Jude taught me a Nigerian word this week. Broda means trusted more than a genetic brother, or close to the heart. Jude seldom talks to me without calling me `broda.' He is a good man, and I really enjoy being with him. Maybe I am as color blind as I always thought I was, as long as those of color are moral and honest and open and like I strive to be. Jude's mother was 50 years old when he was born. In the Catholic Church, Jude means an unexpected blessing from God. I look forward to introducing each of you to Jude and to his family.
Most of the week was spent on the workstation at II&T (Interactive Interpretation & Training), starting the detailed interpretation of OPL-229. I started by spending a couple of days building a stratal pattern interpretation of the key lines going up the monocline to the KK structural trap in the north central portion of the block. To me it is absolutely and totally fasinating work. Several years ago, Brad Macurda and I did a similar study of the sediments offshore Mozambique on the east side of Africa. I picked 30 sequence boundaries coming up onto the KK structure. There is absolutely no question in my mind that a scripture I discovered a few years ago in the Book of Mormon has been fullfilled (CAPS below):
As far as the week went, it was good to be back. I believe
Matt was glad to have us back. He did just fine while we
were gone, other than getting pretty lonely some of the time.
Jerad Jurinak came over and spent the evenings with him. And
Ashley Branning came over so there was someone home every
night when he got home from school.
On Monday I went to the POPS luncheon (Pioneer Oil Producer's Society). Wonderful talk by the President and CEO of Burlington. I agree that there is another train wreck coming in US gas prices, and the next one will probably not be sometihg we recover from near as fast as the last time prices spiked at over $10 per thousand cubic feet of gas ($10/MCF). I sat down at an empty table towards the front, only to find I sat next to where Alf Klaviness had saved his seat. Alf is definitely my broda. He was talking to one of the other folks at the table about all of the members of POPS who have died, and I wrote down what he said:
I spent the days at II&T, and actually came home in the
evenings. We watched the season premire of JAG, Smallville,
and Enterprise. I felt like I was being lazy. There was
some jet lag, and I was tired, and by the end of the week
I was back on schedule. It is sad to recognize when your
body is slowing down and you are getting older. Oh well!
We had a ward activity planned for Friday, and I reverse delegated my role while we were in Nigeria to Jeff Jurinak in the Bishopric. When I called him to find out what needed to be done, he asked about our trip. I told him about the opportunity to invest in OPL-229, and he said he would check it out with the new Conoco-Phillips management team, which happened to be meeting to finalize the merger. I told him about Jude being the only honest Nigerian Damir Skerl knows. Jeff asked if it had been presented to Conoco. I told him Jude wasn't specific with me. Jeff responded, `So he's almost an honest Nigerian.' Turns out Jude had given presentations to Phillips, and not Conoco. I thought the comment was funny, and sad how it reflects on each of us.
Friday afternoon Les Denham at II&T put everything I had done for the week on a CD. I just did a search on `Les Denham' and realized I have referenced him 16 times in the Thoughtlets since 1941. Les is John Denham's twin brother, which is how we met. John was the Chief Geophysicist for BHP Petroleum and purchased the first Landmark Workstation (by contract, serial number 002). These two men are broda. They are from the Australian outback, both very laid back, and we have had a lot of great times together. Just thinking about the relationship we have, shows me how little we can know about another person, even if, as I do, there is a sincere effort and a medium to share information about themselves.
I took the CD up to Telge Road and Highway 290 and reviewed results with Jude and Vince. There was a movie showing the stratal pattern interpretation rotating around in 3-D space. There were the 30 sequences mentioned above, each thinning onto the Niger Delta, and I did it so displaying a series of images in a row, quickly, gave a movie representation of the growth of the basin. Maybe the predictability of geology is the reason I enjoy my work so much, and is also the reason I struggle in relationships. Jude's wife came to pick him up before we were finished, and she had to wait a little while for him to pack up. He had me go out and talk to her. What a special person. She asked about Andrea, as if she is a long lost sister, and they have never met. She told me I was now part of their family. It was my first time to meet her, and I was quite taken back by her personality and comments. It is obvious Jude does a better job of communicating about work to his wife than I do. It is equally obvious she is interested and involved in what he does. Andrea usually has to pull information out of me, and I guess it is because I expect she has no interest in what I'm doing. Maybe I can learn.
Friday night was the Ward Dinner Group night I had sat up as the Activity Committee Chairman. The theme for the groups was the Sister's Hobbies. We went to the Jurinak's, where the Dave and Rachel Williams joined us. Two other couples had called and canceled earlier in the day (one had brought by a casserole). Jeff had me go back and bring Matt over to hang out with Michelle Williams and Preston Jurinak. It was good for Matt, and I think he had a good time. I certainly enjoyed myself. Good conversations. It was fun to tease Jeff about having a cat that he took for a walk every evening for a couple of years after they returned from Dubai. Andrea did not know about Brother William's lawn fertilizer and how it gets grass growing under trees, etc. Also learned that Russ and Margaret Harris (who I was in the Bishopric with when Steve Feil was the Bishop) took a leave of absence from working for Dave, sold their house, and are serving a mission in the Phillipines. Their daughter Sandi, who was one of Sara Ellyn's best friends is also serving a mission in the Phillipines. Their son Rob has moved to Austin and is back in school. It was funny when Dave tried to pin down Jeff on his job, Jeff said, `I get paid to sit in meetings, listen to what is said, and make wise comments.' He is one of 10 people responsible for Conoco-Phillip's $300 million dollar annual exploration budget. It was interesting to me how the sisters hobbies were not a key portion of the discussion. It was neat to see the others recognize the work and the beauty of the cross-stitch Andrea did for Rachel, which she brought to show the others. Also, to hear her describe how much she enjoyed reading `The Prize' on our trip to The Niger Delta. She was pretty adamant that everyone should read this book. As we left Matt got right in Michelle's face and did Rachel's chicken sounds. He wants so much to have attention and to be noticed. I could not help but think about the fact Jeff, Paula, Dave, Rachel, Matt, Preston, and Andrea are my broda.
Saturday started at 6:30 with me outside cutting down and digging up the bushes over by the three pine trees. I wanted to get this done before our first Ward Choir practice of the fall, because I had a lot of interpretation work to do on OPL-229. I got the bushes cut down, and most of them hauled out to the trash before Andrea got home from her morning run. Then I dug a hole, and we dug the HyperMedia plant by the big rock and moved it over to that hole. I mentioned this last week (0237.html) because I cut the three phone lines into the house while doing this. Oh well! Reynolds Calhoon is the new Ward Choir Director. He does a great job. It reminded me of the conversation with Bishop Daniels when he asked if I would be interested in being the Choir Director, stressing his question was not a calling (../9843.html). I am glad it is Reynolds, my broda, who has the calling, and not me. The interpretation work went well, and I spent from 9:30 until about 6:30 at II&T.
Shortly after I got home, Andrea and I went to see the movie `My Big Fat Greek Wedding.' I encourage each of you to see this movie when you have a chance. It is both funny and entertaining, as well as effective in teaching the value of a cultural heritage and the importance of being flexible in how a heritage is passed on to the next generation. Both Andrea and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. It showed you don't have to have a Greek heritage to be a broda.
It was an interesting week working with Jude. As mentioned, on Friday afternoon, we sat down to review what I had been able to accomplish since returning from the Niger Delta (0237.html), and to start planning the next phases of our work. I was a little apprehensive because my bluntness sometimes creates problems for me in developing relationships. The conversation included a heart to heart discussion about pride, arrogance, decision processes, payment for services rendered, and other related things. It is amazing how fast we have gone through Blaine Taylor's steps to team building: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. I pleased to know Jude is also my broda."