settling in with the sun

"Lord, help me to do great things as though they were little, since I do them with your power; and little things as though they were great, since I do them in your name." - Blaise Pascal -

Here I'm sitting, taking my lunch in the office since we all have to spend lunch in for each other every few days to keep the phones covered--ironically, they don't ring between midnight and 1am, but I'm sure there is some principle behind it all. I'm munching on a carrot cupcake, wondering if this wasn't a carrot muffin from two days ago that they frosted to look more appetizing today. No complaints, either way. The food here is better than expected, and therefore, a sustaining treat three times a day.

The sun does not go "down" anymore. As I type this, it's laying low in the sky, but is content just skimming across the mountains. I'm doing the same. I am content, shining/smiling brightly and driving through life down here; and excited to just DO what God wants, rather than WORRY about that is (and there is a difference).

I'm also content with my new friends; the closest being Tia, Michael, and Marty. For some reason, the four of us really hit it off in Denver and even though Tia and Marty are on day shifts, we still look to each other for those late night/early morning chats. We are very different personalities, who get excited about finding and discussing our contrasts. Last night we had a post-Halloween Party debriefing together. As a disclaimer, though, I aught to mentioned that I miss my "old" friends a lot. They are irreplaceable.(Picture from Tia Kramer)

Yesterday we had the annual Halloween Party. I swapped shifts with someone who didn't want to go and dressed up like Pebbles Flinstone. I must say, it's quite a challenge to get up and go to a party. When the party was over and everyone headed to bed, I felt like I should be going too, and ended up taking about 3 naps during my "day" to compensate for my mixed up internal clock! Other than that, I had a fun time seeing everyone dress up.
Life here is settling into a pattern. There are a whole lot of South Pole folks that have been stacked up here for the last couple of weeks. They've run out of beds and are holding people in New Zealand until they are able to send some of the folks here to the South Pole. This means, longer lines for us at meals, slower internet, and packed-out social events. Most people here are looking forward to losing them soon, but the weather doesn't look promising at the Pole.