This week I headed up to Richmond, VA for a weeks worth of training for my new position with Terracon! It was a beautiful drive up! I was lucky enough to hang out with some of my future sister-in-laws cousins who live there, and they showed me around! Thanks Steve & Shannon! After my first day of training, I met up with Steve and Shannon and they showed me around town, including some of downtown, Virginia Commonwealth University, and then Shockoe Bottom!
This is where we had dinner, an awesome pizza place in Shockoe Bottom!!
It was a nice evening filled with good conversation and getting to know the area of Richmond! Dinner was interupted a few times by the trains that came rolling through, but it was still a very good time!
Tuesday I didn't do a whole lot after class except to study for my first test that would be on wednesday! I passed with a 92% on my project designer test! This class will allow me to help write specifications for asbestos work that will be bid on, so I learned quite a few new things! Wednesday I decided to take a riverboat cruise on the James river, for $5 you got a 40 minute cruise and heard some of the local history, it was a lot of fun!
The riverboat!
The flood wall that protects the city of Richmond, 40' high!
These flood gates shut when a massive amount of rain falls on the city
The city of Richmond is only 9' above sea level, so when it rains in Richmond, it has a tendency to run down towards the river. A few years back a hurricane sat over Richmond and dumped 10" of rain in about 8 hours, and flooded the Shockoe Bottom area. Many restaurants and businesses closed while clean up began. The Bottoms Up restaurant has just re-opened in the last 6 months after all of their clean-up and repairs were completed on their building.
All along the river were traintracks and behind those were all the old tobacco warehouses that used to be the livelihood of the Richmond area. They have now been converted into shops, restaurants and condos and lofts! Lucky Strike brand used to be who was located here.
A detailed sign of the riverwalk area along the James River
After the river cruise, I had a little more time left before the sun went down, So I drove around town, and saw a lot of murals painted on the sides of buildings, and then I went and saw the Richmond state capital and then St. Peter's Church where Paul Henry gave his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech!
My last two days were spent in my asbestos air monitor course, which was more review than anything to me, just a formality I had to do because the state of NC wouldn't accept my training from Michigan. I passed my 2nd test with a 92% After a long week of learning and studying, I was ready to head home to my own bed!
Yesterday was Terracon's picnic, a little warm, but gave me the chance to meet some new folks from work, since i'm out in the field so much, I don't get to meet people very often! This week I will more than likely be working on the Justice Center inspection, and then thursday I get to fly home to Detroit for my bachelorette party! I can't wait to see everyone!!! And then again on the 16th I fly back again for the wedding, so I will be one very busy girl logging a lot of miles between NC and MI! Here's to some cooler weather that is headed for NC this week, with a high of barely 70 tomorrow!
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