Friday, November 03, 2006

Adventures of the Texas Land Man ... er Woman

At a friend's wedding last Saturday I heard the most shocking piece of information ... I have readers. Or should I say HAD readers. I recently switched careers and have been traveling back and forth between Fort Worth and Houston for the past couple of months, and in all the upheaval, fell down on the job with my blogs. Who am I kidding? I can't even blame the career move. It just has been one hectic summer... except it's November, so I guess that isn't really an excuse either.

Anyway, a friend's boyfriend who I hadn't seen in ages mentioned that they have checked my blog and haven't seen any action on it in months. And I have no excuse since I have had plenty to say (as always), so I'm back at reader request ... or something like that. It sounds good, so leave me my fantasy.

It actually is a pleasure to write again now that most of my days aren't spent writing lately ... My editorial position with the art magazine ended in August when the office relocated to Colorado, and I was offered a job in a completely new field with perks too good to pass up. So although I still am making money doing freelance writing, my bread is buttered by the oil and gas industry (yes, I know I have complained about my miserable five months tech writing for a prominent oil and gas company, but this is different ... I swear ... and it pays better).

I am now (drumroll please) ... a land man. If you have no idea what that is, don't feel bad. I didn't either until recently, and when asked what I do, I usually just say that I am a consultant for the oil & gas industry. For the curious, I will give a brief elaboration. A land man (or land manager) researches title and mineral ownership on tracts of land for interested clients, and in some cases, actually arranges for the lease of mineral rights from their owners.

In practice, it means time away from a desk, a cubicle and corporate America. There is quite a bit of driving, but I also can work from my "home" office or at various courthouses. And since I am self-employed, it also is largely self-directed. And it allows me the time and financial freedom to write, which is wonderful. The hardest part is spending so much time away from lovely Houston and all my dear friends and family ... although the weather in Fort Worth has been lovely.

Plus, with my daily food allowance, I have the opportunity to try all the great restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (woohoo!), which for a foodie like myself is irresistible. All in all, quite the adventure and worth sharing. So keep tuning in dear readers, and I will do my best not to disappoint!