Alumni Newsletter Spring 2012

Greetings from a distinctly summery Bayou City.  Although it is still arguably "spring", the crape myrtles are blooming, the 101st edition of the Indianapolis 500 has come and gone, and we have an actual Triple Crown contender going to the Belmont Stakes the weekend after next. Sure signs that it's time to move this issue into print.


It being a new year, we have made a few changes. First, to acknowledge that more and more of our readers hail from the Transocean side of the yard, we have rebranded the blog to include their stories. Note that we will continue to use our blog address, gsfalumni.blogspot.com, and our email address will continue to be gsfalumni@gmail.com. This is partly because we are set in our ways, but technology being what it is some things are simply too interrelated to change in any case. Second, we have added a PayPal tool to the blog sidebar to facilitate the rendering of lucre to the Alumni for upcoming events or to accept donations to fund our activities. More on that below.

This spring has been surprisingly quiet for the Alumni, which is a blessing in view of what we had to report in the recent past. Our Necrology section is, for once, absent. Nonetheless there were events of interest.

Ruminations

We have never ceased to be astonished by the willingness of our political class to pummel the population into near insensibility during an election year. At least in these United States we do have a more or less fixed election cycle, whereas in many other nations elections occur with the rise and fall of popular opinion, economic circumstance or in some cases outright rebellion. So we know what's coming  and when it's coming, which is supposedly a good thing. The obverse of this argument is that the politicians have plenty of time to inflict what is for the most part a plague of self-promotion and misinformation upon us. 


And to what end? Whom and what exactly is coming? The dumbing down of the political class from the best and brightest to the merely willing and occasionally power-mad is not very inspiring. All they seem to want is our money, and more of it. I am not very sanguine as to the outcome of this electoral season, particularly as nothing seems to be going very well nor is it likely to in the near future. 


It all makes me pine for a truly Rooseveltian moment, as in Theodore. To find someone who will leap onto his desk, pound his chest and do something about it. Is that too much to ask?


I'll admit that as I've gotten older I find that I have become crankier, and my recent near encounter with the reaper - which was supposed to put me in a tranquil and accepting mood towards life's little vicissitudes - has not lessened the tendency. Therein lies the magic of age: I really am turning into my father. I'm not looking forward to the great bushy eyebrows. Or getting to exclaim for no particular reason, "Those idiots are ruining the country!". But at least I have better golf clubs.


On a positive note, it warmed my heart to see the SpaceX orbital freighter successfully launched and docked with the International Space Station. Now there's a step forward that people in our industry can relate to. Private enterprise at work in a new frontier. It was not so long ago, really, that our forebearers came up with the idea of hanging a drilling rig off the side of a war-surplus landing ship to see what would happen... 


The FaceBook IPO caught my attention as well, although strictly as an observer. I mean, I like FB but this was like one of those old movies where Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland chorus, "Let's put on a play!". Right now I'm busy enough learning to communicate with Siri on my IPhone. I just love Siri. The last time I asked her for directions she said, "Go to Canada before it's too late." Smart girl.


The mockingbird which permanently resides on my patio rail is reminding me to move things along, so without further ado...


Nostalgia (The March of Time)


Some of you may have noted our Facebook traffic (see FB Seahorse Stampede) regarding the former GlobalSantaFe headquarters building, which is going under the wrecking ball to make way for a new office development. Too bad. There are a lot of memories in that place. Kyna Agerton penned a lovely tribute which follows.

"The GSF Building is coming down.  For me, it feels like a death all over again…same feeling when GSF ceased to exist.  As an employee of Global Marine and GlobalSantaFe, I couldn’t wait to get to work because I loved both companies so much.  But I especially loved the years at the GSF Building.  Not everyone loved the building like I did, and I could never understand that.  Maybe it is because I created my own world of decorations, and breaks were always spent outside with the animals, but I seemed to always see smiling faces.  I worked hard at my job, as did we all, but everyday no matter what, I felt like I was going to a party.  The building just felt magical to me, but maybe it was magical because of all the people…the employees, clients and vendors that made it feel that way.  Thanks to the hard work of Doug Stegall and Doug Freede, they miraculously turned the inside gloom of the building into a bright and cheerful place…at least for me."

"I have fond memories of the Thanksgiving Luncheon and the surprise Christmas Breakfast, and chatting daily in line at Starbucks or in the Cafeteria.  And what fun it was to hear the neighborhood elementary school sing Christmas Carols in the lunch area.  I loved playing music to coincide with whatever holiday was being celebrated or whatever I was decorating for, and western videos were fun when I decorated for Rodeo.  No one ever sat and watched the videos, but as they passed my area to and from the cafeteria, it was fun to hear comments like, “Wow, I haven’t seen that one in a long time”, or “that was always one of my favorites”.  Every Christmas, I’d have to get Santa Claus out of his box.  He’s a 5 foot Santa (taller than me), but in his box he’s only about 3 foot high.  It was a ritual every year that Doug Freede would help me set Santa up, and of course box him up for another year, but setting him up was the most fun.  We never failed to laugh when Doug would push down on Santa’s shoulders, and give a little twist…Santa would pop up, and out would roll Santa’s head across the floor…just such a funny sight!  Outside was busy too.  Who could forget the vultures sitting outside the Legal Department?  And we were always catching an injured duck, turtle, or bird, or rescuing an orphaned baby squirrel, or a opossum stuck on a ledge in the parking garage.  Of course I wasn’t the only one involved in these rescues… had to call on the building engineers for a lot of help.  I’m not exactly sure how they felt about it, but they always helped me with a smile..."

...And a Shameful Ending

Kyna continues,

"Not only is the building being leveled, but there is a plan to fill in Lake Thicket as well.  While Phil Richardson, a resident of Memorial Thicket, is trying to save the lake, I am trying to save the animals in the lake.  He has met with the President of Skanska, and that same President has received a letter from me requesting that I be given a chance to save the occupants of the lake.  I sincerely hope the lake is saved, but if not, the next best thing is to save the fish and turtles and of course the ducks.  A fence has been erected around the building and a separate fence around the lake.  Many of the ducks have been fenced in and cannot fly to the street where they are used to receiving their food, so I have a little trek across the lawn in the mornings now."

Since this article was penned, the situation regarding the wildlife at the GSF HQ site took a decided turn for the worse. The developer, Skanska USA, is treating the wildlife and the preserve itself in a shameful manner. Kyna has moved heaven and earth to save the animals that she so much loves. She has protested in high places and in person against their maltreatment. If you feel a kindred impulse, contact her at kagerton@gmail.com to help.


Deepwater Horizon Memorial Unveiled


It's hard to believe that it is already two years since that pride of Transocean and eleven brave shipmates slipped beneath the waves, and the drama, tragedy and contentious misfortune which ensued. To mark the occasion and in remembrance, a memorial was unveiled which we feel is quite fitting. The sculpture was created by Christopher Schultz and stands near Transocean's headquarters.

We enclose the link to Trace Adkin's moving tribute, 

Missing You.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHxyXicQ0GI&sns=fb&noredirect=1

Video provided by Fletcher Rowley

2nd Annual Alumni Reunion

Our first reunion was such a rousing success that we took immediate steps to arrange the next.  Stalwarts Kyna Agerton, Mary Brashear, Patrice Domingue, Connie Abbs and others are the organizers. The Stampede will occur on October 26, 2012 from 6:30 to 10:30PM at Dave & Busters, 7620 Katy Freeway  Houston, Texas 77024.

Having learned from experience, we're pre-registering guests for this event in order to obtain the funds to reserve our room and to cover expenses. Please do feel free to bring spouses, significant others, or anyone else who would like to see oilfield trash in their natural habitat. The fee this year will be $35.00 USD per attendee, which will buy you a seat and dinner. The bar will be cash only.

Mary Brashear has kindly volunteered to be the Treasurer for this event, and has done such a good job of it so far that we have made her Alumni Treasurer for Life. Payment can be made by the PayPal link that appears in the side bar of the blog or by check directly to:

GSF/Global Marine Reunion

c/o Mary Brashear

18006 Autumn Hills Drive

Katy, Texas 77449

mdb5223@gmail.com

There is an actual registration form which you can obtain by mailing Mary at the address above or by submitting mail to gsfalumni@gmail.com with the title "Stampede 2012". PLEASE DO REGISTER EARLY.

Should you feel the urge, we've also provided for donations to the Alumni to fund our continuing operations - we don't need much, but network, materials and related costs do add up. Your generosity will be much appreciated.

The Business of the Tribe

Pharr Smith has joined Rowan as SVP Operations Support at Rowan. John Cobbs is also working for Rowan as a new construction Project Administrator in South Korea. To complete the trifecta, Jay Stiles is working in the Upgrade Projects Group at Rowan. For those of you who have not noted, things are definitely on the boil at the Williams Tower... a regular Alumni village.

Adrian Gray has surfaced in Singapore working for Aban Offshore. Kristina McGrath and Kelly Millsap have departed Lyondell Basell. We're not sure of Kristina's current pursuits but Kelly has landed at Nalco. Susan Green is working for Condon Claims Management. Mary Brashear is working for John Moore Services.

Transocean has promoted James Stegall to Rig Manager. God help them.

Speaking of new construction, Brian and Whitney Townsend have not only completed their new home in Houston but are expecting. One would have thought that these activities would be mutually exclusive, but...

Gregg Burt has been located in Austin, Texas, where he lives a few blocks from Buddy and Linda King.

On the retiree front, Bruce Watson now calls Granite Shoals, Texas home. Connie and Jim Abbs are now firmly settled in the Great White North in Trego, Wisconsin. One of our all time favorites, Bruce Kerr of Brisbane, Australia is pending retirement for oh, say, the twentieth time. We'll see if he actually goes for it this time.

We have confirmed that Neil Patience continues his long standing addiction to golf on company time and football on his own time. 

Keith Watts let us know that he has copies of the Global Marine News going back to 1974 (which incidentally was the year in which yours truly joined up) and thus joins Colin Murphy, Milton Bade, Dan Hansen and other notables as keepers of the Global Marine relics. We would love to get a more consistent idea as to who has troves of information of this type... do let us know.

All of these folks and more can be found in the latest update of the Alumni Directory, which you can access from the sidebar of this blog. Keep up with the latest peregrinations of the Alumni on Facebook at Seahorse Stampede.

Missing Persons: several of the Alumni have dropped off the radar and we are desirous of finding them if they wish to be found. In no particular order, Myra Pickett, Dave Webb, Brooke Wooton, Clay Coan, Bob McKechnie, Jeff Ivory, Jeff Todish, Trevor Howard, Randy Sivils, Richard Greff, and Larry Sparks. Most of these we find by dropped emails, and we hope that they are well. You can either let them know that we are looking for them or turn them in - we won't tell. 

One Last Thing

In spite of the trying times there seems to be much good amongst us and much good in our lives for which we should all be grateful. The politicians will in due course go away and (here we are being really hopeful) the economy will recover. It's all a matter of time, and being wise by necessity of our trade we know that all tides turn. For those of you who are in travail, remember that you are not alone.

Our best wishes to all of you. Your faithful Blogmaster and helpers.

GSF Alumni Fall/Winter 2011 Newsletter

Greetings from the Bayou City. We've had more than our fair share of excitement in the last half of 2011, both not good (see the Necrology) and very good (see The Seahorse Stampede).

Yours truly has been enjoying the view from the penthouse as the weather has been absolutely miserable for golf for months. When your pro calls and says that it's 40F with winds blowing 35 mph and the driving range is flooded, you know that you'll be spending the day indoors. Ergo this missive.

Ruminations

It seems to us that the energy industry may be the only functional industry in the country outside of Apple, which happily supplies us with expensive applicances. My cat is fascinated with my IPhone 4S. I have trouble figuring out to work it.

Since we're officially in an election year we'll forgoe the usual tirade and just let everyone vote with their minds and hearts, which you must surely do. Our hatred for the EPA continues unabated, but there you are. As was once famously said, everyone needs someone to hate.

The Stampede

The first Stampede, which we have been promising for many years, was held in west Houston in a margarita-drenched and very happy episode of re-communication and remembrance on November 4th. Kudos to Kyna Agerton, Patrice Domingue and Mary Brashear for organizing the event, which turned into a hug-fest relatively quickly and was only moderately noisy for an oil-field trash event. Of course we drove almost everyone out of the restaurant. Great fun and many friendships renewed. We did come up a little short on the promised attendance, but Billy Spear, Dan Munoz and in turn yours truly covered the loss. There's nothing like an LLC with a bank balance.

There will be a next time; just let us know if you're coming or not beforehand.

The Doings of the Tribe

Having let six months go by, there is much to report.

Alan Breed has joined Rowan as a VP of Marketing for deepwater drilling; Myrtle Jones is happily esconsced at Service Corp International; Drew Baker has moved to Atwood as General Counsel; Brooke Wooton has moved to Noble; Terry Bonno has been promoted to Senior VP Marketing at Transocean; Kathi Grier has moved to Vantage Drilling.

Dave Faure has been promoted to VP Assistant General Counsel at Rowan. Fred Brooks has joined at Rowan to oversee deepwater operations.

Scott Bell married Christie Sciandra and has gone off to Kuala Lumpur, as has James Stegall and his lovely bride. Ya'll have fun; great town except for the occasional cobra.

As we have said before, GSF was like a supernova; we have friends throughout the industry. Do help your alumni friends.

Necrology

This comes way too early in our news but we have much to report.

Bob Rose

One of the founders of our feast, and especially mine (he was crazy enough to hire me in 1974) has left us. Carolyn Rose was kind enough to have a celebration of Bob's life at the Lakeside CC on 9/29. It was a true celebration and rememberance, as is deserved. Bob made at lot happen for many of us, and I personally will miss him very much. Bless Carolyn for her generosity, and think well of the man who made so much possible for so many of us.

Steve Mershon

A much beloved senior engineer from the GMDI days of Global Marine and many years after. Kyna has penned a beautiful obiturary which can be read by replying to her at kagerton@gmail.com.

Dave Alfson

A good friend and a fantastic humorist. The kind of guy you could literally die laughing from. Dave died after a fall. Bob Barnard forwarded the news.

Peter Braddick

Scott Brittin forwarded the news of Peter's passing in Rio Rancho, N.M.

Marcus Thomas

Marcus did not work for either GSF or Transocean directly but he was a special friend. Always on board, always courteous, always happy. A good thing. Sad he is gone.

The Last Thing

I hated to write the last chapter of of the news because we lost so many. But you know - I had dinner last night with Jeff Shepard - the goal of life is to accomplish something. Do good, be good, and follow through. Nothing else actually matters.

With all best regards, your webmaster and faithful helpers.

GSF Alumni Summer 2011 Newsletter

Welcome from the steamy banks of Buffalo Bayou (well, actually, the equally steamy terrace of yours truly's Uptown penthouse, but close enough). Our rule of thumb is that when you see permanent shrubs and grass dying in the River Oaks and West University districts of Houston, then we really are in complete drought. For those of you who ranch, we empathize deeply. What a nightmare. Hope your stock tanks and wells hold out. For those of you who golf, one phrase: wait until the heat breaks in late September. Many of us just don't need to be hacking about in 104F degrees in the shade, yours truly included. An hour a week with my admittedly sadistic golf pro is enough for me.

Ruminations

The tribe has suffered several grievous losses since our last issue which we will get to in due course. But, for every loss there have been happy events which we will chronicle as well.

In the meantime, the oil patch has been hopping, our government continues to act in the strangest and possibly most dangerous manner, stock and bond markets are reacting accordingly, and gold briefly hit $1,900 per ounce last week. This is not great news for our retirees or near-retirees, unless they happened to shop heavily in the gold souks of the Middle East at some point in time and can still find all that stuff.

While we never take sides in this column, it seems inconceivable to us that the executive and representative branches of our government continue to dither on matters of utmost importance. Due to the considerable influence of the Speaker of House well and craftily employed, there is at least a chance that the saner heads in both houses of Congress and the executive itself will move to the center and compromise in the best interests of all. There was a fascinating article in the Wall Street Journal last week which compared the finances of the Federal government to those of an average household. In the case of the former, should it have been in the circumstances of the latter, the Federal government would be a candidate for foreclosure and repossession of all of its remaining wealth. Except for the Federal printing presses, which must be overheating at this point. Where do they get all that ink? 

Certain very wealthy folks who will go unnamed have suggested that taxes on the "rich" would be a good idea. We wish them well as they on average pay 17% or so of income per year since most of their income is constituted of long term capital gains, and they can afford to make such suggestions. The majority of our population (52%) pay no income tax at all. This means that everyone in the middle is by definition "rich", which has ominous connotations for the future unless addressed by our ultimate weapon - our votes.

  

Meantime, the U.S. has the highest corporate tax rate in the world or very nearly so. And we wonder why our corporations hold vast, useful amounts of cash overseas rather than contribute to the spending machine that we have created and give it into the hands of the aforementioned government; and continue to flee the predations of that government.

Our friends in Europe have been reaping the same sour harvest that in time will come to us. Of the whole group, only the Swiss, the Germans and the Scandinavians seem to have fiinancial and social control. Our very good friends the British, with whom we have long shared common bonds, are suffering record austerity measures and appalling social unrest. The same may come to France. The fate of the Union hangs in the balance, a sobering thought. A spill-over to the US of these issues is even more sobering.

At the same time as our regulatory agencies have been partly brought to heel on the issue of offshore drilling (although the dispute between Exxon Mobil and the BOREME over expired leases regarding their giant Julia discovery in the Gulf does give pause to this thesis), these agencies have now turned their attention to possibly the greatest gas and oil discoveries of the last 100 years resulting from shale drilling and fracking. For heaven's sake, the SEC is even involved in addition to the USGS and the EPA amongst others. Add this to the vilification of coal and nuclear resources in our own country and oil sands in our closest neighbor, and one has to wonder: will we take what nature and science have given us or will we persist in dependence on less friendly outsiders and the fantasy that faux-science can save us tomorrow?

We personally have no problem with energy conservation and alternative energy sources, but the latter are far from ready or available to bridge the next twenty or thirty years, if not more, to provide true energy independence.

America is a great engine of economic growth, entrepreuership, innovation and captial generation. Not to mention, in comparison with other venues, a generally nice place to live. We may be bending, but we will not break. That is our nature.

On that note, the tenth anniversary of 9/11/2001 will occur next month. Never forgive, never forget.

The Lost Shuttle

It's now official, and we in Houston take umbrage:

Enterprise goes to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York.
Discovery replaces Enterprise at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center in DC/Virginia.
Endeavor goes to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
Atlantis goes to Kennedy Space Center
Two shuttle command seats go the the NASA Houston Space Center

Now, not to seem regionally centric, but Los Angeles, really? Exactly what did LA have to do with the shuttle besides some highly profitable contracts and the movie "Armaggedon"? We ran it, our people operated it, and in some cases they died for it. I have this fantasy of swiping Endeavor and telling everyone else to "Come and Get It" (remember the Goliad flag?). However, they're just too big to move about unnoticed. Shame on you, Charles Bolden (NASA Administrator). Your Texas passport is hereby revoked.  

Oil Patch News

Frontier Drilling (FDR) has been sold to Noble Drilling. It seems that most of the Frontier folks have found new workplaces or have been placed with Noble, but anyone who has not yet done so and wishes to can contact us for assistance and information.

Rowan Drilling Company under the leadership of old friend Matt Ralls has completed the sale of its Letourneau Technologies division to Joy Global Inc. and its land drilling division to Ensign Energy Services Inc. Rowan thereby becomes a pure offshore play and is moving ahead very much in the model of GlobalSantaFe, including deepwater vessels. Many of our compradres have joined with Rowan; see the Alumni Directory and our last issue for contacts. 

It appears that the Keystone XL (Transcanada) pipeline from Alberta to the Gulf Coast will finally be approved by the US government, perhaps as early as next week, for the transport of heavy Canadian oilsands crude for refining in the US. Canada now supplies approximately 22% of US crude demand and that (thankfully) is expected to rise. Who needs bad partners when one can deal with good neighbors? 

Brazil has announced $220 billion+ in projects to expand deepwater production over the next ten years. This work is expected to vault Brazil into the top five world producers.

The Business of the Tribe

Hilja Sexton reports in from SBM Atlantia that, amazingly enough, the designs for both the CR Luigs and the Jack Ryan were P10000 models designed by a sub of SBMA, Gusto. She is back in the Enclave Parkway area and is quite happy with that. In addition, Hilja reports that SBMA is hiring; engineers, pay attention. 281-848-6460 or hilja.sexton@sbmoffshore.com.

Mike Dawson and fiancee Julie Shapiro wedded and immediately embarked on a tour of northern Italy in July. A definite "parent trap"; the two met via their daughters, who apparently are joined at the hip. A better arrangement can't be imagined. Brian Townsend married Whitney Supak and is apparently quite happy in wedded bliss.

Old friend Neil Patience, now of Northern Offshore, paid a visit to Houston in July and a small celebration was had at Sherlock's on Westheimer to welcome him to the sauna. Attending amongst others, yours truly, Gary Sullivan, Bob Herrin, Dana Elliott, Chris Fearing, Ian Clydesdale, Al Schneider, Scott Waller, and Scott Osmond. Neil seems to be in fine fettle, so yours truly evacuated for a dinner party before things got out of control Aberdeen-style.

Having last been sighted at Rowan in a consulting role, Drew Baker has been made General Counsel at Atwood Oceanics. Neil Voohies can now be found at W&T Offshore. Jana Coates has moved to NFR Energy. Stuart Cory has popped up at Callum and Associates in a consulting role. Suzanne Jamison has landed at GL Noble Denton.

Job Seekers

Engineers, see Hilja Sexton @ hilja.sexton@sbmoffshore.com above.

Cathy Bolin, long-time HR and Benefits supervisor for GSF is job hunting for a similar role.

Mary Brashear, a highly experienced AP supervisor and analyst, has returned to us after an absence at Intsel Steel (Triple S) and is looking for a similar role.

Rowan is actively hiring as their mission transforms.

Check the Alumni Directory attached in the sidebar for all available information regarding the current activities of the Alumni and their current locations. We are now more or less 380 strong, and have considerable breadth and influence across our various companies and industries.

Contact us directly at gsfalumni@gmail.com if you have anything that might suit for Cathy or Mary. Likewise, if anyone else is in the market please let us know.

History Lessons

We have two interesting history lessons on Global Marine and Santa Fe. You know, we all didn't realize it because we were in the middle of it every day, but we were making history.

Kyna Agerton found the following which is most interesting to the oldsters amongst us (and perhaps the young, to understand where we really came from). Rather that reprint in full, here is the link:

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/GlobalSantaFe-Corporation-Company-History.html

Jay Gregory reports on the fate of the Global Marine drillships which were at one point the pride of our world (lightly abridged, Jay).

"Am on the the run [headed out tomorrow for Cape Town]  Jay Gregory here, on Celtic Sea in Cape Town for a well deserved, and needed overhaul. Headed to Angola to work for Esso.  Story: Met 3rd party electrical testing type [checking switchboard breakers] that actually works on :Glomar Atlantic, Pacific, and Coral Sea.  The Glomar Coral Sea is anchored not far from the Celtic in the bay not far from Cape Town.  These Drillships are still in the mineral recovery business, and still operational."

"I was a Java Sea hand in the Gulf of Mexico, and I know first hand how those old "Gals" could infect your mind."

"Glomar Grand Banks is active off of Namibia doing diamond mining right now. I have the man that was working on their ROV crawler doing work on the Celtic Sea during our shipyard here in Saldahna Bay, (S. Africa).  I don't remember where the other fellow said the Glomar Atlantic and Glomar Pacific were anchored (in South Africa) but they are not active right now (no idea why?).  Regretfully I didn't have anything really cool to input, with that said I wish y'all adeiu."

We who remember the "Gals" thought that was quite cool. Thanks, Jay.

A Few Scares

Gregg Farris of Oceaneering reports regarding old friend Dick Hudson, formerly head of Global Marine's IT Department:

"On April 18th while handing a letter to the postman at his neighborhood post office in Richmond VA, Dick suffered a blown disk and vertebrae breakage that has left him paralyzed from the waist down. He is currently in a top rated rehab center until May 31st learning how to live as independently as possible. His wife Margie, daughter and grandchildren are by his side rooting him along. Dick has chosen to move forward with a positive can-do attitude and has received the highest scores across the board of any patient at the rehab center. His physical and occupational therapy teams call him their "Rock Star". The example Dick is setting for anyone faced with adversity is simply incredible."

"What can you do? Reach out with some positive moral support, let him know you are thinking about him and his family, send your well wishes. You'll see, he will be very appreciative." We agree.

dhudson01us@yahoo.com   Cell: 804-690-5440

 

I recently corresponded with Dick and after three very scary post operative moments he is now doing much better. Do contact him and lend your support.

Mark Sacco of Transocean and ex-GSF in the enterprise financial application sphere, suffered a stroke in May. It was fortunately controllable and he is now back on the job post- recovery, but we really wish you wouldn't scare us that way, old boy. Golf when it gets cooler, OK? We'll have a mini-tournament for you.

Necrology

Now, we are sad to say, the bad news. It has been an absolutely terrible summer for the tribe, with several of our distinguished members gone to their respective angels.

Robert Forrest Bauer, who was the founder of Global Marine and the founder of many of our careers and fortunes, passed away on Saturday, April 30 at the age of 93. He was an innovator of the highest order and quite literally helped to make our industry possible. He was also a tremendous family man and sportsman who loved Montana as if he had been born there. 

Quite selfishly I'm going to reprint my own little story about Bob Bauer.

When I joined Global Marine in 1974 Bob Bauer was already an historic figure in our company; which at that time was quite smaller than the successor companies to Global Marine, particularly GlobalSantaFe, but certainly a big deal for me. It was my first job out of college. Bob was a forbidding, quite craggy figure and I was scared to death of him. Two weeks after I joined the company, Bob and I were alone in an elevator (except for the elevator operator Bernie; the old Arts building in Los Angeles which we occupied at the time was quite antique); we looked each other over (I was just about curled up in the corner of the elevator under his somewhat withering gaze), and then Bob leaned over to me and said quite kindly, "You know, I'm really not such a scary guy. I just have to be that way to keep all these cowboys in line. Do your job, and you'll always have my blessing ." With that we became hail-fellow-well-met friends and whenever I had any doubt about where Global Marine was going, I knew that we had a great leader. RIP, Bob. May the Big Sky always be yours.

Our beloved friend Allen Gott passed away untimely on June 23. Allen was our risk manager at Global Marine and GSF and cut quite a wide swath in his own way. Therefore, again selfishly, my own obituary for Allen.

 
"Allen was the most amazing man - a whole man. At first impression he was a little stern and imposing in person; but upon becoming close to him I found him to be intelligent, discerning, literate, considerate and very social. He knew the measure of others and would not tolerate fools; but having passed the bar, I found him to be a good fellow traveler. His sense of humor was dry and unrelenting; no friend was safe from a soft jibe followed by a nudge with a big smile from Allen.

I will miss that wry smile and that dry wit very much. Also his insane golf swing, which between us caused much merriment. 

Allen had his travails but at the end was a happy man and a devoted friend who would do anything for his friends or anyone in need. I am envious of his great heart and great demeanor, and only hope that I can be as good a man as he. Happiness and contentment are all that we can ask; but the search and commitment to these are so much more important. Allen made that search and succeeded."

RIP old friend.

Allen is survived by Juanita Gott, his loving partner. She can be contacted at 318 Joann Trail, Livingston, TX 77351 or nita.gott@yahoo.com. We are all gathered 'round.

Terry Rutherford, Performance Division Manager passed away on March 24 after battling cancer. He will be much missed by his Transocean collegues after a long and distinguished career.

Mike Malekie, a wry, highly opinionated and thoroughly amusing former member of the GSF IT department, passed away on March 25 much before his time. Our arguments were more fun than the making up after. One of the few people in my life who ever told me that I was an idiot - and in those particular cases he was usually right. An original.

Jock Mirrey (William Thorburn Mirrey), whom I did not know personally but appeared to be fond of living large (see his Facebook profile photo of he and a giant brandy snifter, still posted), passed away on June 19. Seems like the kind of fellow that I would have liked to work for and to know. A fine Scot by all accounts.

Norm McGuire passed away in early May. Unfortunately no further details available.

Finally, Kyna Agerton's mom passed away last weekend at the age of 99. Do lend her an ear in her grief.

The sincere condolences of the entire GSF alumni go out to the families of these fine individuals. We all together share in their loss.

Gone Missing

We have been having difficulty with interfacing the latest version of GMail to AOL users, which means that you may not hear from us. Conspiracy theory? Probably. In any case, we will contact all AOL users by private email to advise them of the problem and urge them to consider using a second service such as GMail, Yahoo, or HotMail to resolve the problem.

Alums whom we cannot find at all in no particular order:

Mark Denkowski, M Hynes, Bruce Watson, Sam Owens. If you know these folks please ask them to contact us at gsfalumni@gmail.com with new emails or contact numbers.

Also, you will note a large number of entries in the Alumni Directory (see sidebar to the blog) with incomplete information (cells marked in grey). If you wish this information to remain private please feel free, but if you wish to update please contact us at the email above.

On the same note, if we have listed any information incorrectly in the Directory, please let us know. There are quite a large number of us to keep track of, and we frankly don't always get it right.

To Sum Up

In the simplest terms it's been a lousy summer, with a few (hopeful) bright spots. As the oilfield folk that we are, we remain eternally optimistic; there will always be a bottom, and there will always be a high; there will be frustration and sadness and high times and great joy. Think well of each other, and help each other out when you can. We are after all the Tribe.

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Blog Instructions

The URL for this blog is http://gsfalumni.blogspot.com. If you know an alum who wishes to view the blog but cannot find it, please pass it on. You can contribute by contacting us at gsfalumni@gmail.com. A current directory of the alumni is to be found in the sidebar of the blog under "Hot Links".

Please do remember that if you don't tell us what you are up to or if you have a comment, then we can't let others know. All quite voluntary.

Your faithful Blogmaster and Associates

GSF Alumni Spring 2011/Winter 2010 Newsletter

My, where has the time gone? Here we are in the midst of a gorgeous spring, which follows a cold and rainy winter, and we are just now publishing our periodic update. You'll note that we have combined two issues into one; with good reason as yours truly was on the road pretty much throughout the holidays and into February. As in, California and Nevada at Thanksgiving, Christmas in Houston, New Year's in Toronto, back to California and Nevada, then myself in Houston whilst spouse galivanted in Chile and Argentina. So do forgive me, but the chain is unbroken if not timely.

We hope that those of you who could do so had excellent holidays in the warm embrace of your families.

Due the passage of time, we have a large amount of news which is chronicled below. In a rare change to the blog format, we have moved instructions as to how to view the site, how to use the links at right and and various other technical details at the bottom of the newsletter. Headline real estate is just too valuable (unlike actual real estate, which is another matter entirely).

Ruminations

Is it us, or has the pace of natural disasters acclerated in the last decade? My cousin thinks that it is the beginning of Armaggedon, but he is of the excitable sort. The Mayan calendar predicts that the world will end in 2012; such predictions have come and gone before. In my view the world has always been reinventing itself, and life will survive in some form or another until the Sun goes out, which really would be the end. To get some perspective, look at the following link to the American Museum of Natural History:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U&feature=youtube_gdata_player.

Returning to the world as we know it, northern Japan was rocked by an earthquake and tsunami in March. We tend to think of the Japanese as being so organized that they can cope with anything, but even so there are limits to human endeavor in the face of an angry planet. The human suffering of this disaster is unbelievable in a highly developed nation - could you really conceive of how we would feel if we had just lost something in the neighborhood of 30,000 dead due to a disaster in our own country? Displacement we are familiar with due to Katrina and Ike amongst other tropical storms, but think in terms of millions displaced with - really - nowhere to go. They don't have the luxury of moving over a few hundred miles.

We've all seen the videos, but modern media tends to be remote and unfeeling. We see the pictures in a cocoon, real yet unreal. Do the right thing and dig out a donation to one or more of the agencies that are attempting to provide aid to the Japanese people. Without bias, here is a link to ABC News that lists agencies that are actively involved: http://abcnews.go.com/International/japan-earthquake-donating-relief-funds/story?id=13122660. Or, follow your heart and donate to the organization that you think will do the most good. In any case, just do it. You'll be doing a good thing.

The business of extracting useful hydrocarbons from under the sea in these United States has just begun to thaw. Not in time for many offshore drilling and service companies who have departed the scene, either by relocating operations or liquidating; and certainly not in time for the American consumer, who is now paying  just south of $4 per gallon of gasolene.

Our friends at  the unpronounceable BOEMRE (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement nee MMS; if there had to be an acronym, we would have preferred BOREME, which has multiple amusing interpretations) have finally realized that a storm of adverse public opiniion and political pressure is not what they had in mind, and have finally begun to do something about permitting in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. Gracious, even BP is in the permit queue. Not fast enough for us, but at least there is motion. It's fair to say, however, that readily available reserves in California and West Florida won't be touched for years, or at least until they are worth ten times what they are today. 

On the whole, fascinating behavior for a government which is trying to stimulate the national economy and to save jobs. 

In the long and tangled saga of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Det Norske Veritas has concluded that a flaw in the design of the shear rams in the DWH blowout preventer was the primary cause of the ensuing oil spill. This is small comfort to the families and friends of our compatriots, who were already dead by the time that the rams were actuated by as yet unidentified means; but at least there is some illumination there. Keep those eleven close in your hearts and never let their memory fade.

In our corner of the oil patch Ensco PLC of the UK (formerly of Dallas) has agreed to purchase Pride International of just down the street from me. This will create the second largest offshore driller by rig count and significantly augment Ensco's deepwater capabilities, but the effects on our friends who work for Pride are as yet unknown. Think well of them and help them out if they need it.

Speaking of offshoring, CBS's Sixty Minutes news show visited Transocean's office in Zug, Switzerland and found one person in the office, a receptionist (a nice one who we suspect was confused by Leslie Stahl and bright lights; what can one do but stammer in the face of mighty CBS with an absent boss?). They also tried to visit Weatherford's office in the same building but no one in the building knew where it was.

This expert crew apparently failed to notice the corporate signage for both companies on large office buildings in Geneva until after they had visited Zug. No interviews with the drilling services folks and most other companies mentioned in the piece; although the CEO of Cisco Systems was kind enough (and brave enough) to explain to Leslie on the air that the US 35% corporate tax rate has a sobering effect on the management and stakeholders of companies that choose to domicile in our fine country. 'Nuff said.

On a different and lighter note,  Houston hosted the NCAA's Final Four, the Shell Houston Open, the Astros season opener, Rockets vs. Spurs, Rockets vs. Hawks and Dynamo vs. New York all in the same week. Must be some sort of a record for simultaneous major sports events outside of the Olympics (and far more interesting). Being good citizens we watched all this on TV from San Antonio so as not to have to deal with the 150,000 or so attendees of these various hoe downs. Our usual traffic is crazy enough. 

The Business of the Tribe

Dave Geer reports that he has retired in Portugal after one last year-long hitch doing marketing for RIG  in Angola. Still working as consultant (aren't we all?) but on a less hectic basis. This sounds like a good thing, but I wouldn't be stuffing Portuguese government bonds under the mattress unless you want to have more padding. They would make good wallpaper, though. Pictures of your place please, Dave.

Jeff Shepard and wife Trisha have executed their getaway to Reynolds Plantation in Georgia, just in time for the late season snow. For those of you who wish to harrass Jeff directly regarding this despicable defection from the Republic, his email and cell numbers have not changed. New address: 1050 Swift Creek, Greensboro, GA 30642. At least the Shepards have no black bears, unlike John and Suzie Donahoe who apparently have fauna wandering through the yard in Asheville, North Carolina at will. What more could you want? Bears and snow. Kind of like a National Geographic special, except being live.

Old friend Dan Hansen scared the willies out of all of us by having a heart attack in January. Dan survived the event and is well, but a scare like that is not something we like to hear about. If you're over 50, think about it and get thee to the gym.

James and Rebecca Stegall welcomed twins Lilly and Laney into the world in February to join son Luke. We know where Doug Stegall will be spending his time - he just loves grandbabies and finally has enough to keep him busy, we think. Bye the bye James recently made Rig Manager, so congratulations are in order.

Alan Breed and wife Tiffany have founded The Calendar Garden nursery on Hockley Road in Magnolia, Texas. Now yours truly really likes this as, being a condo dweller, one of the few things I miss about ground-level living is my garden. It takes some vision and lots of heavy lifting to open a nursery; this apparently is a boutique operation involving roses from the Antique Rose Emporium in Independence (for which yours truly has always had great affection when motivated to make the drive to Hempsted and points beyond), Texas Master Gardeners and all sorts of cool indigenous stuff (as in, stuff that won't die four minutes after you plant it). Magnolia is a lot closer than Independence; go buy a something from Tiffany and tell her we sent you. 

Carmel Finlay, who has been a fixture on the GSF and RIG circuit for some years to our great pleasure and amusement, has up and gone back to Newfoundland. We'll miss you, girl; although after long absence we would not recommend consumption of screech except under medical supervision...

Speaking of Canada, Anil Shah has made his way north and is now working for Rick George as VP Treasurer of Suncor in Calgary. Not exactly a tropical locale but there you go; great company, great town, great people, great rodeo. We want a picture with a cowboy hat, Anil!

Kyna Agerton reports: Doug Freede will be a grandfather in April. Patrice Domingue will be a grandmother in May. Laurie Hayward is engaged. We (and time) move on, do we not?

Other Sightings: We always said that when GSF went it would be like a supernova, and we were right. Points of light everywhere.

Fred Brooks has joined Matt Ralls' team at Rowan (old friends Dave Faure, Nick Postolos, Ted Lewis, Rick Bohlen, Lisa Gauthier, Brandy Picou Ehrig and Brian Daniells already having landed).

Peggy Fitzgerald has joined Helix as general counsel; Drew Baker has joined Atwood Ocenics as general counsel; Kathi Greer has moved to Seadrill as an HR recruiter; Mike Anderson joins alums Gary Sullivan and Campbell Austin, amongst others, at Northern Offshore; Paul Moreno, Noel Cipriano and Jeff Trial are at Nabors; Danny Garcia has joined as controller as Marlin Offshore; Dave Boutelle can be found at Vantage Drilling; Susan Green has landed at Aon Risk Solutions; and Larry Noyce has landed at Texas Health Resources in the Dallas area.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can visit Khaled El Barkouki at Sahara Petroleum Services in Cairo. Still handsome as ever.

Last but not least, our old friend and indefatigable correspondent Kyna Agerton is looking to make a move. Let her know if you have something that might suit. She has the Voice. Really.

Notes on locating the alumni:

First, download the Alumni Directory from the link at right. It contains everything that we know about the location and current pursuits of the alumni. If you find your own information to be incomplete or incorrect, let us know at gsfalumni@gmail.com and we'll make it right. If you know of someone who would like to be listed in the Directory, please let us know at the same email.

Second, if you have not done so, sign up at LinkedIn.com. Simply the most effective business network that we have ever found. Amazing in its scope and utility.

Necrology

Now for the sad part; it's always sad, but especially this time. Old friend and all-around fine gentleman Charlie Johnson passed away in Smithville, Texas on  February 22nd. We have not the words to describe our feelings, so we will leave it to his good friend Mike Yoakum.

"My friend Charlie J passed away this week. Of all the people I have known in the oil patch, he was one of the very best, brightest and cut a wide path through this life. A colorful gentleman to say the least who did things in his time others wouldn't dream of and was never afraid to put it on the line. May you rest in peace, my friend. We sure gonna miss you."

And Now... Roger Gosnell Channels Dennis Miller (or perhaps Mark Twain)

Old friend Roger Gosnell, who prowled the halls of the Payroll Department at GSF for many years, has revealed a heretofore unheralded aptitude for observation of the human condition which has at last been revealed. He titles these observations "I HATE" and "I WANT TO KNOW". To view the complete collection, visit Roger's Wall on Facebook. For your amusement, a few samples:

I HATE: My washer. Not to be outdone by the dryer, this machine has the uncanny ability to take a pair of brand new jeans, turn one leg inside out, thread it through the other leg, tie my best shirt into knots, stuff it through the zipper of my jeans, and just for grins, stuff my undies in the pocket. And then as if to say, "thanks for the good time", leave a dollar in change as a tip.

I HATE: That second puberty in life when hair starts growing places where it never has. Wake up one morning, your nose has decided to grow a beard, your ears a princess Leah hairdo. I have concluded men do not lose their hair. It is being relocated through the brain to ears and nose. Proof - pluck one and experience the pain of a frontal lobotomy. OUCH!

I NEED TO KNOW: Why does the bedroom closet have a door? Is it to keep your shoes from running away? Does your clothing need privacy? I often wonder when I turn the closet light off and close that door, what's going on in there...

I NEED TO KNOW; Where do brown eggs come from? Do they come from brown chickens? Were they left in the sun and got tanned?

To Sum Up

It's been a time of change and doubt - even tragedy - for several years now, but it seems to me that the light of dawn can now be seen. A new dawn, a different dawn for many of us; but better times really do lie ahead. In life, things that have been broken have a tendency to mend themselves or to fade away as bad dreams. Stick together - honor your friends, love and appreciate your families, do your best and all will be well.

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Blog Instructions 

We have quite a few new correspondents, so here are our usual reminders in abbreviated form. You can contribute by writing to us at gsfalumni@gmail.com. You can comment on any post using the Comment tool at the bottom of each post. A current directory of the alumni is to be found in the sidebar to the right of the posts.

Please do remember that if you don't tell us what you are up to, we can't let others know. All quite voluntary. Should we omit information or report incorrectly, we do apologize. We hate missing babies, marriages, relocations and so forth; but we do what we can to keep up with a very large and very active group.

Your faithful Blogmaster and Associates.

GSF Alumni Fall 2010 Newsletter

It's finally fall in the energy capital, which one can tell because the Christmas decorations are going up on Post Oak Blvd and in Highland Village; a sure sign that the annual orgy of materialism is about to begin. Your Blogmaster has emerged from summer hiding and is once again emulating Ernie Els on the links, although with much less effect than the master himself. In other words, there is no threat whatsoever to anyone on the PGA Champions Tour, or anyone sporting a 15 handicap or better for that matter.

We have quite a few new correspondents, so here are our usual reminders in abbreviated form. You can contribute by writing to us at gsfalumni@gmail.com. You can comment on any post using the Comment tool at the bottom of each post. A current directory of the alumni is to be found in the sidebar to the right of the posts. Important note: due to technical difficulties at Blogspot, we have been unable to update the directory for this issue; so a PDF of the directory will be sent with the mail announcing this issue of the newsletter. You've just got to love new technology; every time you think you've got it nailed, something blows up. Never mind; we'll get it fixed in due course.

Ruminations

After all the hoopla of the mid-term elections, US energy policy is still twisting in the wind. Word now is that due to environmental reviews, the semi-annual lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico may be delayed to mid-2011. And of course getting an offshore drilling permit remains akin to winning the lottery. Meantime, the land drillers and their service companies in the US are quite giddy with the onset of shalemania. Except, of course, for the fact that the EPA is now investigating as to whether they are ruining everyone's groundwater. However, it's nice for a change to hear stories of farmers who are pocketing six figure royalty checks if they happen to be sitting on top of one of the aforementioned shale deposits. Just like the good old days.

To be fair, the green folks are having their own travails. The ethanol tax credit is about to expire, Ms. Boxer of California has ensured that the Mojave desert will never have one solar panel in it while she lives and breathes, the coast off Hyannisport remains blissfully wind-turbine free, and the latest estimate to hook up what good stuff does get done to the grid is somewhere north of 100 billion dollars. Now, we're all for green energy and conservation -really- but we're also just a little concerned about keeping the place running for the next 20 years while all of this comes together. As rational as this might seem, our political establishment seems to have a hard time grasping the concept.

A Close Call in Nigeria

Several of our collegues were kidnapped and at least one injured in a rebel assault on the High Island VII off Nigeria on November 8th. The hostages were freed unharmed in an apparently dramatic Nigerian JST rescue on November 17th, which we were immensely glad and grateful to hear. But boy, if you need a reminder as to exactly how dangerous certain parts of the planet are, there you have it.

The Business of the Tribe

The tribe has actually been quite busy this fall.

Christie Watt and beau Yoni Sade tied the knot on October 30 at a lovely ceremony at the Houstonian. An entire generation of hopeful suitors is grieving. A change of name has obviously resulted: you can now contact Christie at christiesade@yahoo.com. As might be expected, a major local alumni reunion accompanied the event, which involved considerable merriment. Very nice to see so many members of the tribe in one place.

Speaking of reunions, Kyna Agerton reports that the ladies of the tribe had a large dinner gathering of their own on November 18 at Pappasito's in west Houston. There were 42 of them, give or take a few. Not sure who the prime instigators were here, but we wish they would put something together for the gents as well. We apparently can't organize our way out of a paper sack on our own. Kyna and Myriam Touchard have the incriminating photos.

Long Khuu and longtime friend Huyen Dao took their vows on October 9, which was followed by a gigantic traditional  feast at Kim Son. We very much regretted missing this chance to gain even more weight than we already have this year, but it was apparently a great success.

Andrew and Susan Tietz have returned from the wilds of the Far East and are busily doing what we all like to do best - homebuilding. It always sounds so great in concept. Andrew continues to work for Noble along with quite a contingent from the tribe.

Speaking of the Far East, Trevor Howard has reported in from Singapore, where he works for Premium Drilling. He invites any and all of the tribe who might happen by to come see him. Jim Long is also in Singapore; we hope that he is holding our spot at the Raffles Bar until we can return to claim it.

Harry Swanston, a well known Aggie, has announced that he has set up shop on - get this - Longhorn Parkway in Austin. There are apparently very good reasons for this, but the potential for ribbing is endless.

Meantime, Paul Law is moving to Paso Robles, CA; he claims that this is to get closer to family, but we suspect that it's to get as close as possible to the 200 or so wineries that have sprung up in mid-California. His partly restored Boss 302 Mustang will make the trip; we are anxiously awaiting news of its completion.

Jeff Shepard, with his usual efficiency, is actually nearing completion of his own homebuilding project in Reynolds Plantation, GA. This means that anyone who wants to see Jeff and wife Trisha in the near future had best do it right now, or you'll be connecting through Atlanta to do it. An embarrassingly excessive going away party is definitely called for.

A few of the tribe are moving about: Alan Breed is now at Ocean Rig, and Kevin Skipworth is now at Anadarko. Kyna Anderson is on contract with Wilson Supply downtown.

In the way of new retirees, Jay Stiles has announced that he is hanging them up and heading for the Hill Country. Your faithful Blogmaster officially retired on October 1, although I'm continuing to do governance  and management consulting with my company Half Moon Solutions. Got to pay for that vacation house!

Necrology

Now for the sad news. As always our sympathies go out to the families of the departed.

Old friend Carter Newton passed away in Houston on August 31. Carter was a well beloved friend to many Global Mariners and was instrumental in promoting and mentoring the careers of many of us. A great loss.

Carl Cole reports that his brother, Stuart Cole, passed away in Houston on September 30. Stuart was a long time storekeeper for Global Marine and GSF.

To Sum Up

While there are some glimmerings of hope on the economic front in Houston and elsewhere, remember that a lot of our friends and fellow alumni have had a very hard time of it for the last few years.

We have a tremendous network - use it! If you know someone who needs a job or just needs some help, do what you can and let other alumni know when they might be able to help. When you do succeed, let others know so that they can find you. We're in it together, and collectively are much stronger than any one individual.

OK! Ya'll have a wonderful holiday season, which we hope finds you happy and comfortable in the company of your families and loved ones. We'll be back with our Winter report in early 2011. Do write about your holiday doings.

Your faithful Blogmaster and Associates

GSF Alumni Summer 2010 Newsletter

Well, the world is still turning and the season we love to hate in Houston is in full swing. It's mighty steamy in the energy captial (or, as persons of certain proclivities seem to think of it, the blister on the devil's toe) at the moment, so much so that your Blogmaster has been driven right off the golf course after several tentative adventures earlier in the season. That imitation of Ernie Els which we like to do when no one is watching will have to wait (no one does Tiger any more, for better or for worse).

Our usual reminders for first time visitors or those who have simply forgotten in a haze of seafood denial. You can contribute by writing to us at gsfalumni@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can add your own info or comment on any post by using the Comment tool at the bottom of each post. A current directory of the alumni is to be found in the sidebar to the right of the posts, which everyone seems to find useful. If you'd like to update your information, use the Alumni Information Form in the sidebar and mail it to us at the address above. You'll also find other useful links under Hot Links. If you wish to be updated instantaneously with our various ramblings, you can Follow the blog from the link at the bottom of the sidebar.

You can also find us on Facebook as SeahorseStampede. So there's no reason to be shy...

Ruminations

Is it us, or can the Gulf Coast just not catch a break? It's beginning to look like a lost decade down here. In years past we were reminded by Mother Nature in no uncertain terms as to the weaknesses of our geographical preferences; this year, we have had a man-made disaster which is shaking us to our roots and imperiling our livelihoods and our lifestyles in ways that we could not have imagined. And this in the context of a national recession the likes of which has not been seen in many years.

We are a tenacious and resourceful bunch. If left to determine our own fates we are sure that we will get back to doing what we do best, which is building sound futures for ourselves and our children, being responsible and generous citizens, and serving as one of the country's great engines of prosperity. Not to mention enjoying life with a certain savoir that that is not completely understood but which is recognized as unique throughout the world.

Speaking of steamy, the upcoming US mid-term elections are shaping up to be extraordinarily contentious. It's not just us. Our Australian cousins will be making some difficult electoral choices in just a few days, while our British friends are pondering the outcomes of their May elections and what the economic and social future will hold. Now, we don't get into politics in this space for reasons of both impartiality and common sense. But we would reiterate a common truth - no matter where you live - that if you are not making an impact by participating in the process and contibuting what you can to your causes of choice, then you're missing a great opportunity to be heard. All you need do is to speak your mind and to vote.

Life Does Go On...

Moving on to the business of the tribe, Doug Freede let us know that he has gone to work for the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company in their Compensation and Benefits department. You can reach him at 361.972.8602 or dafreede@stpegs.com. See? That wasn't hard.

Old friend Connie Abbs has left Houston to begin a two-state residency in Wisconsin and Arizona. We really can't wish her well enough - one of our originals. Address info to follow from our special correspondent. Sherry Richard has hung up her spurs (corporately, certainly not literally) as has Keith Watts, a prolific rig mover and world tourist.

Matt and Lindsey Ewers announced the arrival of Adley Elisabeth Ewers on Father's Day. James and Rebecca Stegall are anticipating twins in early 2011, perpetuating a well known GSF mini-dynasty.

Upcoming nuptuals: Christie Watt and beau Yoni Sade, Long Khuu and Huyen Dao, both cermonies planned for October. Wise choice of dates, ya'll. Perhaps it will be in the low 90's by then. Now that you've been outed, you'll just have to go through with it...

CallOuts

From Matt Ewers: The Oilfield Helping Hands will be holding a 5-Stand Sporting Clays Tournament on September 25, 2010 to benefit the families of the Deepwater Horizon. Two websites that will assist you with questions regarding the event, registration, donations, and submitting sponsorships follow. Do support this worthy cause.

http://www.facebook.com/l/041b3BMemc979I0ktgOQ3L_yZkg;www.deepwaterhorizonbenefit.org

http://www.facebook.com/l/041b3RREvINmb3bEAuoj0N6_CCw;www.oilfieldhelpinghands.org

From Bob Labbe: Saudi Aramco is looking for certified accountants to work in Saudi Arabia. Very lucrative compensation and benefits. Bob has the Aramco contact for potential openings. Contact him at robertlabbe@att.net for details.

Necrology

Linda Rowe reports that John McGarrity died on May 16, 2010 after an extended illness. No other information was available at press time. The heartfelt regrets of the tribe go out to his family and friends.

To Sum Up

We don't need to remind you that in times like these, it's never been more important to be there for each other. We hold the bonds that cannot be broken except by time and distance, and then only if we let them fade away.

Do write. Otherwise we'll have to start making stuff up about ya'll, which would never be as interesting as the truth.

Your faithful Blogmaster and associates