I am worried. That’s probably not saying alot because I tend to over-worry. But the hard times that are running up on us and staring us in the face is scaring the crap out of me.
As most of you know, Mac is working as a tester at Well Testing in Colorado. Even though he is in CO, he was still considered a Monahans hand because that is where he was hired. Today the head guy in CO comes up to him and says that he has a choice, either get a transfer to become a Colorado hand or come back here and continue to be a Monahans hand. I know what he would do. He would come back in a heartbeat. It’s been hard on us with him being so far away. The bad thing about that is, as of today Well Testing in Monahans is laying off 60 people. So there was a huge chance that if Mac decided to come home, he would have lost his job. With the 60 letting go today, that is a total of 78 people all together this month. Considering our community size, that is a lot of people. So, of course, Mac did the smart thing and chose to keep his job. This means that he will only work in Colorado now. He will be up there for months at a time and will come home every once in a while.. It stinks but we are just thankful he still has a job.
It’s worrying me when I hear about the oilfield shutting down. Unless you want to work at Pizza Hut or Dairy Queen, that is pretty much what this area runs on. I remember when we used to drive out towards Mentone and there would be 30+ rigs out there before you even left Winkler county. Now, you’re lucky if you see more than 5.
I work at a water hauling company for the oil field. It shouldn’t hit us too hard but there’s no promise in that. I’m not sure if you count Mac as in the oilfield, because he is doing flowback, which is with gas.. But still with gas going the way it is, they are having a hard time finding work. Jeff is a consultant for Cimarex. They have cut back their pay and hours. On top of that alot of their rigs are stacking out. Jeff is thankfully still getting to work but came very close this week to losing his job as well. I think someone must be looking down us and helping the family out a little because nothing too terrible has happened. Yet.
I know Wink & Kermit have somehow made it through plenty of slow times in the oil business but with this being my first one of having knowledge about what’s going on, I’m worried about whats going to happen to us. I’m sorry I’m being pessimistic but when they cut pay to where Mac is making a third of what he used to, you start getting scared. And I know this isn’t just in West Texas. Hard times are hitting every where right now. But this is all I know. My life is centered on what happens here and its all I can think about.
I pray that things pick up before they get worse. I pray that the changes that are promised to come with this election don’t hit us too hard and we still are able to make it out alive.
