Hello Hank
You make a very valid point in your last post. My experience, and that of many of the guys on this contract, is that this lifestyle can be very demanding on the family, especially the wife, as she has to alternate between being a single mother when you are away at work and then sharing the parenting, decision making etc. when you are back home. It is not always very easy and should, unless unemployment etc. forces the issue, be considered very carefully before taking up this lifestyle.
I am not being negative about it, have been here for 7 years and have worked through (sort of) these issues, such that the job works for us and is actually not too bad.
Good luck with it all.