Missing in action

Yesterday morning I woke up with a terrible headcold. It was the kind that makes your head feel like it weighs 500 pounds. I decided to fight it, part of my "I don't get sick" attitude. The last time I was really sick Abbi had to convince me to stop and take a break. But after a couple hours at the job in 95 degree heat with 95% humidity, I was done and decided the hotel bed was the best place for me to be. As I was packing my gear, one of my team members asked where another one of them was. Dontel had not been seen since 10 am. I called his phone but there was no answer. I went to the guard shack to see if he had signed out, thinking the heat was too much and he had quit (it's not uncommon for temporary local labor to walk away). But he hadn't signed out. So we had to take action. All work stopped on the jobsite. We formed search teams and began to cover the grounds. For all I knew he could be laying somewhere passed out from the heat. We searched the manholes. We looked in the vehicles and buildings. After a little while we decided we needed to drag the aeration basins, to make sure he hadn't fallen in. Each of these basins are 30 feet deep and the size of a football field. As we were setting up to do that, we got word that he had indeed walked away, but had circumvented the guard shack and didn't answer his phone because he was ashamed. I was very angry. And not only that, but my adrenaline was pumping. When I came down, I was completely wiped out. I returned to the hotel, collapsed into bed, and remained there all night and most the day today. And even though I am not even close to 100%, I feel so much better than yesterday.

Coming home this weekend. Have to take care of some business and maybe make a run to Illinois to see my Dad. Good night all.