This week, I’m travelling the country. Okay, so not the country, but Texas anyway. I’m spending a couple of days in Galveston before I head up to Houston. Believe you me, I am grateful for the relief from the cold, snowy weather engulfing my home state right now. Give me 50’s over 20’s any day!
I’m here for the Topsides show being held at Moody Gardens before going back up to Houston for the Winter NAPE Expo. These are two industry shows that I really enjoy. The exhibitors and attendees always have great information to provide, and always friendly and willing to talk. The Offshore Technology Conference that will be held at Houston’s Reliant Center in May is awesome, but with more than 100,000 attendees, sometimes it becomes challenging to have good conversations with people.
Today, I’ll be at Topsides with Dr. Scott Shemwell, the author of our report on SEMS regulations and an Integrity Management specialist (among other things). We did a couple of webinars on the topic a couple of months ago, and you can check out the archives on Integrity Management: A Critical Issue in the Energy Industry here and Critical Issues in the Energy Industry here. As always, please let me know if you have any questions for either myself or Dr. Shemwell. This is the second year Scott and I have attended Topsides to talk with people about what’s happening in the industry, and every time I talk to that guy I learn something new. (You know how it is when you get to spend time with really smart people.) I’m sure tomorrow will be no exception. Again, I’m always excited to meet readers in person, so if you’ll be there, let me know!
Tomorrow, I’ll be at the NAPE Expo in Houston at the George R Brown Convention Center. Last year this event was a huge success, and I don’t just say that because I won an iPad. (although, that in and of itself would have convinced me to mark that show down as time well spent!). PenWell and the Oil & Gas Journal will have a booth at the event, and I’ll be out and about on the show floor meeting new people. Stop by and say hello.
Well, yesterday was a rainy morning in Galveston. Today, however is crystal clear, cool, and gorgeous. I am a happy camper. Why? I had a wonderful hotel room last night. Normally, I wouldn’t be so excited by the mere existence of a hotel room, but I am especially grateful this time. As the plane’s doors were getting ready to close my phone rang. It was the website I’d used to book my hotel room. The hotel I’d booked more than a month in advance was overbooked, and they asked if this was a good time to talk about re-booking somewhere else. Unfortunately, they frown on telephone conversations on planes. When my plane landed, I called back and the helpful representative and I spent an hour looking for a comparable room in Houston. That didn’t work. I offered up Galveston as an alternative, since…I was working in Galveston this week too. Finally, we got me set up with a place to lay my weary head. That’s a little more drama than I care to find in my traveling, but it all ended up working out for the best. I have a great room at a lovely historic hotel, my window faces the gulf and I can watch the waves, and I got to cut down my travel time for the next couple of days. Now, if I can get the weather at home to cooperate and get me home on time….
‘Til next time,
Jessica
EnergyGirl101 