huge honor

"I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then I'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've traveled to. But first, I'm gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won't fall down." - Mitch Hedberg -

My life experience grew today when I was invited to attend the Scott Base 50th Anniversary Luncheon. My invitation was by default since I, and Shuttle Char, were the drivers from McMurdo to the Base. The speakers at this even include the Prime Minister Helen Clark, Sir Edmund Hillary, Claudia McMurray, and Dr. Arden Bement. The first photo is similar to what you will find if you Google "Sir Edmund Hillary" in the news for today.

The biggest honor, and perhaps highlight of my stay in Antarctica was shaking the hand of Sir Edmund Hillary and thanking him for the groundwork he laid in Antarctica for people, like myself, to be able to come here. He has accomplished much and still has goals and aspirations at 87 years old! He did not expect to be able to attend a 50th birthday party for the Base he founded in Antarctica, but seems pleased-as-punch to be here. The man is still quite witty and has great regard for the science and research that continues here.

The luncheon was a strange mix of lowly Raytheon employees, Kiwi people, military personnel, NSF and high ranking government official, along with Char and I, the shuttle drivers. Prime Minister Helen Clark consented to have her picture taken with me as well. This woman is quite approachable and "down-to-earth." I appreciate her enthusiasm for coming to Antarctica and visiting for the 50 year event.

I would attempt to write more of my thoughts, but this opportunity came about so quickly that I am still trying to figure out how little-ole-me ended up with sushi and fine New Zealand cheeses for lunch! And, I must head for bed to rest this sleepy head!

*favorite photo: me with Sir Ed.

midnight madness

New Years brought McMurdo another two day weekend. I cannot begin to tell you how nice it is to recuperate for more than 24 hours. This week will also begin our third (and last) shuttles rotation. The first, was my 17:30 to 05:30 shift. I am finishing my 05:30 to 17:30 rotation and moving into a 06:30 to 18:30 schedule.

But beyond the functionality of our work schedule, a large number of activities are scheduled to entertain us over the holiday weekend. There was a toga party, a fuel tanker party, two morning brunches in a row, Icestock, a Hut 10 Christmas party for our shuttles crew and another New Years party at Scott Base.

My Old Years Day was consumed by activities. I found myself out at Icestock early. This peculiar Antarctic event is held outside (I panorama-ed some pictures together) and features bands from around station, a chili cook-off, and some fabulous “art.” Of course, my favorite part had to be the Sawbucks; appropriately staffed by the carpentry shop. I enjoyed a nice cup of free coffee in a real Starbucks cup with Erik (he’s a general assistant, GA, and one of the very first people I met in my hotel in Denver).

I went for a run to Scott Base, but only made it to the top of their hill before I had to turn back because of wind and dust. I have to say, it was one of the most miserable runs ever! I was grateful for my balaclava to save me from inhaling the volcanic dust, but it did not keep me from getting blown across the road as I ran back into town! Last night the storm finally made its’ way into McMurdo. We had a nice fresh thin layer of snow this morning when it was over. I noticed today, we are getting some more flurries. After living such a dusty, muddy existence for the last few weeks, the new snow is a welcome sight!

For New Years, our shuttles crew had our Christmas party with gift exchange. Kris (our supervisor) and Megan (night senior) whipped up a delicious Greek feast for us all and we had a gift exchange. Then we had movies, games, and a midnight champagne toast. The festivities were quiet, but that is how I usually celebrate the turn of the year.

So, it is a new year; a fresh start to an ambiguously marked time, or year, in history. A lot will change for me in the next months to the end of next year. I will see many new places and hope for new faces, too! I have neglected to determine any resolutions, although, I hope to exercise more consistently. I wouldn’t know where to start with a resolution for an unplanned future. I am determined to have a great deal of faith in God’s provision, and a few unique adventures in the coming year!

“Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.” – Jude 1:24-25 -

christmas!

Due to the 18-21 hour time difference, I've put off writing this blog until my Christmas afternoon; hoping my readers will get this greeting late Christmas Eve, or on Christmas morning!

May you be touched by the Christmas spirit and remember Christ's love for you this weekend!

Our Christmas celebration started with the town party on Saturday night after everyone got off work. I had a miserable night with a sore throat and achy body, so I stayed in. Sunday morning, Laura and I had breakfast. She brought the good cereal from the South Pole (Cocoa Puffs and Fruit Loops). We also went to the Christmas Eve service at the chapel and came back in time to rest before our big dinner at 3pm. The dinner was delightful and tasty. Afterwards, it was time for reading and resting! At 11pm, there was carols at the chapel. It was packed full, and we had a great time!

This morning (Christmas), after I took pictures of Laura running the Ob Hill Uphill race, brunch was served. This is typically the best meal of the week with an omlette bar, Belgian waffle bar, fresh fruit and cheeses, pastries, and lots of hot breakfast food, too! I loaded up on fresh fruit and then headed to the big gym for an all day volleyball tournament. I have another game in an hour, but so far, my team has won the first two matches.

So, that's my Christmas. I hope you have a spectacular time with your friends and family.

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9:6 -

humble home

A few of you have expressed curiosity over my "space" in McMurdo. So, welcome to my home; or should I say my side of the wall:

You can see the door on the left. On the wall past the door is my wardrobe. I'm taking the picture from my roommate, Roxanne's bed. The the right of me is her wardrobe, then Etosha's bed, and her wardrobe on the far wall. Next is Ana Bell's bed on the same wall as mine with her wardrobe between our beds. I have three roommates and we were lucky enough to be in a corner of rooms that share a common living area. Fourteen of us share this living space which connects to all four of our bedrooms. My dorm is the only one to have so many roomies. The other dorms are 2 to a room and some even have a bathroom between every two rooms. This is all determined by how many points you earn by your job and how long you've been here.

It sure beats making your home in an "apple." These are emergency shelters along a few trails and snow roads. They are equipped with meager provisions, and a few sleeping bags. There is also a sign-in book where people report their comings and goings. This apple was our rest break on the Castle Rock Loop Trail. Laura is peaking out the door and Dan, like a gentleman, held it open for us all to climb in!

discovery

Some of the most fascinating things about this continent are the historical huts that remain virtually untouched. These buildings provide an authentic view of life in Antarctica 100 years ago. The huts are managed by the New Zealand Antarctica Heritage.

Because the weather stays at an average of 0 degrees F, the contents of these huts has been "frozen in time." Clothes and floorboards will not rot. Seal blubber still lays inside the hut for oil, eating, waterproofing, etc. Books and journals are about each building. Biscuits, oatmeal, and cocoa line the floors and walls. These "museums" are so authentic they wreak of eery feelings and the disappointment of failed Antarctic expeditions.

The Discovery Hut, which is closest to McMurdo was one of the first structures go up in Antarctica. It was actually a design from Australia and meant to last four years. Amazingly, this inconvenient warm-weather shelter it is still standing. Inside, the dark atmosphere lets off a dank feel, even though the air is dry and sun streams through the windows. Half of the hut is soot-filled from the kitchen area. A musty smell fills the air, while wooden crates and rations litter the floor. The small structure could fit 40 men!

Again, there is a cross on the hill in memorial for all those who perished around here. Many died not far from here. It certainly is a good reminder to bring our ECW (extra cold weather) gear with us when we head out of town!

great days, part IV: thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is greeted with much excitement around town. This, as I’ve mentioned before, is the first 2 day station-wide weekend and it’s a holiday. The day begins pretty slowly. A meager breakfast is served and then everyone was required to sign up for a dinner time: 15:00, 17:00, or 19:00. There is another meal served at midnight rations for those night workers who prefer to have dinner then.

The food was pretty spectacular for McMurdo. We had fresh fruits, cheeses, and plentiful desserts (my favorite was the flourless chocolate cake). The spread included a beef carving station, turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, vegetables, bread, salad, and vegetable tray. Conveniently, alcohol is allowed in the dining room on Saturday evenings, so we all toasted the holiday in our blue, wine-filled plastic glasses!

Parties abound after the meal. Tia’s birthday was on the 24^th,
and since we had our Cape Evans trip that day, we had a brief birthday party for her at our supervisors room. There was live music at the coffee house and a “block party” in one of the halls in my dorm. The atmosphere was overwhelmingly festive; most everyone in great holiday spirits!

And, now, it’s after Thanksgiving and I can enjoy the much anticipated Christmas holiday since I have adhered to my self-imposed rule of not celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving. So, here I am, now listening to my favorite TranSiberian Orchestra Christmas music, with a smile on my face, enjoying time to myself on a Sunday morning.

I hope your holiday season is a special one. Even after Thanksgiving, may you have much more to be thankful for this December and into the New Year! Take care and enjoy spending time with your families and friends!

"Everything is extraordinary, nothing is left ordinary; Christmas is come!" -TranSiberian Orchestra-

P.S. What do you think of Laura's new haircut?

drip and drop

Shortly after our week-long warm up, my roommates and I noticed the disturbing sound of pitter-patter on our carpet. Sure enough, with the snow melt, comes a leaky roof. Unfortunately, we are on the 2nd of two floors in our building near the edge of the building where the water runs to.

First, I have a picture of a notice that went up two days ago (if you can't read it, click on the image and it will open in a new window):Interestingly enough, Laura is an engineer on station. In fact, she is the ONLY engineer on station this week and she is leaving for the South Pole on Saturday. I'm curious how one engineer, who has her plate full without leaks, would resolve such a complex and annual problem:Buckets, of course!

This is a picture of my roommate, Etosha's, corner of the room. You will note the tiles got quite soggy and heavy. Most of our buckets and containers are dicreetly stashed on top of the ceiling tiles. All of our beds have managed to stay dry thus far. When walking up and down the halls, there are a few bucket obstacle courses on the floor that can make a bleary-eyed morning person really wish they were back in bed!

To Laura's credit, I'm going to guess that engineers have been trying to figure out how to fix this problem since the buildings were constructed, and that the janitors slapped these signs up before conferring with actual station engineers just to make all of us residents feel good.

glitter glue and sparkling snow

We recently began decorating our office for the holidays. The first task we were assigned was to put turkeys on the door. I can’t remember the last time I traced my hand and decorated it for Thanksgiving, but this has to be the best ones ever! It seems like such a little thing, but when I went into our supply drawer to find glue, I was gleefully surprised to find glitter glue! When I see stuff like that, I have to wonder if Raytheon shipped in on the cargo plane, if it made it’s journey with other supplies on the boat, if someone squished it in their suitcase, or had it mailed down. Glitter glue is just one of those novelties I didn’t imagine running across here.

I attended Sea Ice School yesterday. This is an entire day dedicated to learning about Ice conditions, cracks, and how to determine if they are drivable. If the sea ice is greater than 30 inches, any light vehicle can travel over it (light vehicle includes the 67,000 pound TerraBus because it’s weight is distributed so well that it’s likelihood of sinking in is less than that of a 240 pound human).

The day was actually quite fun. Matt, our instructor was informative and lead an hour-long classroom session on what we should look for and how the ice typically develops cracks.

From their we grabbed lunches and headed out in a Hagglund, across the shiny glittering snow (the picture illustrates how bright it was outside) to find some cracks to assess. We found some pressure ridges that have formed over the past 5 years (since the B-15 iceberg broke off). Because the temporary ice shelf hasn’t broken up the past years, pressure ridges have built up larger than normal. This year, since we assume the ice is going to break up, these areas are particularly volatile.Let me clarify here, that when I talk about a fracture in the ice, it usually does not indicate that there is water sloshing around between the two sides of ice. It can happen, but most of the time, these cracks are a result of tidal movement, pressure, or a slow warming, and many times ice will move and crack and refreeze in between. This simply makes the ice weaker than the ice shelf around it.

First, we dug out a trench perpendicular to the crack itself and exposed the ice below the snow so we know what sort of fracture we have. Most cracks will look like stairsteps down to a center point.

Then we took readings of each level of the crack to determine the thickness of the ice. To do this we used a drill. Both motorized and hand drills were available. We were required to use both. My apathy towards power tools prompted me to enjoy the hand drill more.

After drilling out the different levels of ice, we took a tape measure and a weight that catches under the ice and measured the thickness of the ice. Of the 3 cracks we assessed, all had 2-3 meters of ice beneath them.

The trip was capped off by another Weddell Seal sighting. Some smart scientists who attended Sea Ice School with me, suggested that I try holding him, so that's me holding a Weddell Seal below!

coffee comfort

Here's a great illustration of what the sun is doing right now. I met Laura on the way to the Coffee Shop this evening and took a picture of her bright personality. The picture was taken about 9pm and from here, the sun will head directly left in the picture across the sky before it gets higher again during the day.I am sitting in the coffee shop right now with 3 other people. We're all attached to the internet with our ethernet cables and have squished our laptops together on a small square table. I've already sipped my $1.50 mocha down to the last drop and ready to start my day here while everyone else winds down for bed. The coffee shop is a low key social point for McMurdo and doubles as a wine bar as well. There's a warm, dark environment here that is usually sociable and comfortable. Although, now that the temps are warming a bit, the leaks in the roof make themselves known!The building is rustic. It's a jamesway, redecorated to accomodate the coffee & wine drinking crowd. There are card games, Chess, Scrabble, and Settlers of Catan games in progress and lots of friendly chatter to complete the atmosphere. Tonight my friends joined me for awhile and enjoyed some downtime together. This is my second of two nights off. Yesterday I completed my housekeeping tasks like balancing the checkbook and doing laundry. This evening, I'm enjoying the music and chatting with the seal scientists! They are a group of people who I am fortunate to have gotten delayed in Auckland with. I missed my flight in baggage and customs and they were also held up, so I got a chance to introduce myself and talk about what they would be doing on The Ice. They are a group of only a few who have seen penguins while out and about. They have also been having immense success in their seal research and today they are at the Coffee Shop to celebrate putting their first tracking device on a seal today. Most of the time they are tagging and weighing and counting.

These folks remind me what I'm ultimately here for. They truly put the excitement into the job. Their enthusiasm for their research is addictive and it feels so great to know what I'm doing enables their success!And, now, as I sit and contemplate the research going on here, I'm being reflective:

“Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?” Isaiah 40:12

It struck me as cynically funny that we, people, are trying to estimate the mass of ice shelves, define the dimensions of the ozone hole, count penguins from photographs, unravel the mystery of global warming, and explore the layers beneath the sea when there is One who knows it all; and has more accurate measurements than any of our technical instrumentation can hope to facilitate. I feel like God is the silent listener in a conversation – the person who knows the topic of discussion, but only divulges his expertise after he’s listened to everyone else offer their haphazard comments and uninformed statistics. But, I think, God enjoys watching us explore Creation. I think of someone who creates a puzzle, and views, in amazement, as a child pieces it together.

“Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding.” Isaiah 40:28

bathroom breeze

Things work a little different in Antarctica. Sometimes the way things get done stateside is not feasible, or not possible with the resources we have to work with here. A lot of people like to talk about "open door" policies. For the most part, Raytheon, and the organizations it supports do a good job of at least leaving the door open a crack, but here's an example of why sometimes the open door policy should remain closed in Antarctica.

(i:drive photo)

nightdreams about last day

I'm all backwards. My body clock is off, my meals are upside down, and my brain is trying to compensate for it all. It's like being in New Zealand and trying to understand driving on the left side of the road, rather than the right. And, in either case, I'm not saying that right is right, or daylight is right, but after 28 years of understanding "right-road-driving" and "dayshift," it's a challenge to change my thinking!
In any case, I thought I'd write down what a typical day entails for me:

4:00pm (or earlier): Alarm goes off.
My roommates are all working their normal day of work, so I generally have the room to myself to rise and shine with the rest of them night folk. I step out of bed and flip my lights on and pull on a pair of long underwear--pants and shirt. I follow that with a complement of sock liners and wool socks. A sweater and jeans complete the second layer. I try to dab some makeup on at this point and a little jewelry to make me feel like a girl. I break for the bathroom, wash my face, and slather on some SPF lotion. The "hole" is the biggest ever this year, so they have emphasized the use of sunscreen before going outside. At this point in the morning, I'm beginning to interact with other folks who have been up all day and are preparing for dinner. The halls are busy and I'm still trying to open my eyes to the flourescent lighting in the halls!

4:45pm: Breakfast
Of course, this meal is really served as dinner. It's hard to load up a plate of steak and rosemary roasted veggies for the first meal of the day, so I tend to find the jello, fruit, orange juice, and maybe a little pasta. Oh! And, I try to get a piping hot cup of the super-leaded coffee served in the dining hall. By 5am, I should be dumping my tray off, sorting my leftovers into "burnables" (napkins and wrappers, etc) and "food waste" (those unedible leftovers).

5:00pm: Back up to my dorm room.
5:15pm: Depart for work.
I grab "Big Red," my huge parka, and my backpack and trek up the hill about 100 yards to Building 140; home of American Cargo, Kiwi Cargo, Air Services, and Shuttles. Our office is not big enough for our entire crew, but it stays extremely warm.

5:30pm: Work.

Coming into work is hectic as so many people are switching in and out. I could be working dispatch, or driving a van out to the Ice Runway. We take people out to Scott Base for their store, or for American Night. We bring "Happy Campers" out to Happy Camper School. We transport scientists to the brand new Andrill Project (http://andrill.org/iceberg/index.php), or the Long Distance Balloon Launching site (launched for ozone research). We pick up and drop off people who are flying in and out of McMurdo, and facilitate ground transportation as needed on the Station. After 7:30-8:00pm, we typically do a lot of sitting in the office "on call."

driving a shuttle van

12:00am: MidRats (Midnight Rations).
The Dining Hall is in the building 155, where I also live, so I typically drop my parka off in my room and head down to the meal made especially for the night shift. People have said it's better than the normal meals, but we have yet to experience that. Usually the people from our department and building spend the time chit-chatting and marveling over the sunset.

building 155

1:00am: Work.
This portion of our shift is pretty well dedicated to vehicle maintainence and coordinating the vehicles for the next morning. It's the coldest part of the job. After sitting in the office reading, or writing on our blogs and e-mails (as I'm doing now), it's a shocker to be outside for 40-60 minutes at a time checking out fluids, filling oil and glycol, and cleaning them.

5:30am: Head Home.
Ahhh...

6:00am: Off for a run.
My rule of thumb has always been "If it's under 20 degrees, I stay inside." So, there's two gyms here. The gerbal gym has cardiovascular equipment like stairsteppers and treadmills. We also have a weight gym with a climbing wall upstairs.

6:45am: Dinner.
This is another unique meal. For the next six weeks, I get breakfast for dinner every night! We can customize omlettes and typically choose from a selection of canned fruit (it's fresh if we're lucky), potatoes, pastries, and such.

7:15am: Downtime.
I've spent most of my downtime typing e-mails, talking to new friends, playing pool in our lounge, watching a movie, and unpacking the boxes I've sent myself that trickle in.

9:00am: Shower & Bedtime.
By 8am, I'm usually pretty exhausted. It's a struggle to go down the hall and get ready for bed, but feels so great to crawl into those sheets!

birthday bash

In Antarctica, they say you get to celebrate your birthday twice. The first time is the McMurdo celebration and the second time is all the e-mails from the states because the time difference is almost an entire day different! October 17 marked another year of my life. Having a birthday on The Ice is not something everyone gets to have; even of those who make it down here because we only work 5-6 months of the year. In addition to celebrating my birthday, I was scheduled to work, as well, but one of my co-workers kindly switched days with me and instead of working, I began my transition into a night schedule. My shifts will be from 5:30pm to 5:30am. After sleeping in until 11am, I woke up to find a beautiful slice of birthday cake, a huge sign crafted by Tia and Michael. Michael had breakfast laid out for me and I even made candles out of cardboard for me and other friends wrote messages to me!Laura planned a dessert and margarita party for me, and even brought a no-bake Jello dessert down to make for the occasion; complete with real candles! Most of my shuttles co-workers showed up along with some roommates, Laura's co-worker Dan (pictured below), and some other folks who I met on the flights down here.Because I finally had a day off, I was able to get some laundry done, jog on the treadmill at the gerbal gym, and clean up myself and my room. I met Laura for lunch. This was the first time we spent time together since I made it to Antarctica. It's great to have her around to spend time with and even get mistaken for at times! Now that I'm working nights we're hoping to spend some time together at breakfast once a week.Our night crew has been adjusting and beginning to work the night shift. We spent a good amount of time together to finish off my birthday hours. There are five of us on the crew: Mike, Megan (supervisor), Rick, Dave, and me. You'll notice in the picture that Dave is hanging onto my new book, "Why Penguins have knees," that Jen gave me for my birthday. It was a package worth hauling with me!In some of our time off, a few of us took a van and drove over to the Scott Base Store. The Scott Base is the New Zealand station in Antarctica. The United States Antarctic Program works closely with them and they use many of our services. Scott Base is close to Americans except on "American Night" which is every Thursday evening. However, the store is open to us whenever they have store hours, and it was such a beautiful day, we spent some time enjoying scenery and meeting Kat who works the Scott Base Store.Sunsets are a novelty here. When the sun is visible and not clouded over, it is amazing to watch it pull under the hills. Last night, we watched it duck behind the hills. Complete darkness has disappeared from McMurdo. The sky is hazy light all night long!Mt Erebus is the active volcano that hovers over the Scott and McMurdo. Off the top, you'll notice a steam cloud drifting to the right. The mountain is quite impressive in the white & blue landscape!
My postings may slow down a bit. While I'm convinced I'll learn something new every day, these 12 hour shifts do not leave much time to recreate and websurf!

freshies and seventies

Random Fact of the day: The Antarctic Treaty comes up for renewal in 2041. This treaty basically governs the use of the continent for research only and limits countries from claiming land they've staked as their own territory. I'm sure there's some other important stuff in that treaty, too, but that's all I've got for you now!

Yesterday was a pretty busy day! I had my first Ice Runway pick up. I was the lead shuttles vehicle (with my supervisor) and we got to pick up 67 new faces from the C-17 cargo plane in 6 vehicles! I was amazed at how cool it felt to be the “experienced” old kid on the block when these new people came in!

The picture above shows Tia, myself, Mike, and Dave enjoying the ATO BBQ after work. The food wasn’t so great, but the people were pretty fun. Our department & building is categorized as ATO (Air Transport Operations), so we work closely with cargo, kiwi cargo, air services, and the Post Office (hint, hint: My office is in the same building as the POST OFFICE. It’s really easy for me to pick up mail; but only if people send me stuff)! At the post office, we are also able to get our official Antarctic Passport stamp. You’d better believe I was over there already to get that mark in my book! How many people can say they have that stamp!

After that party, Mike and I, walked outside to a cloudy sunset and decided we should take advantage of the amazing sunset over the mountain ranges, so we found our way down to the chalet. Behind me in this picture is the Ross Sea Ice. It will begin to break up a bit later in the season. Once the ice melts to 6 feet thick, the runway will move. Pictures are simply not going to do justice to the amazing grandeur God has created down here. It’s an incredible ice kingdom!
Speaking of God’s Kingdom, we also slipped into the Chapel of the Snows to take in the sunset. It’s warm, and there are binoculars in the front of the church to look out at the sea ice and mountain ranges behind.

Yesterday was the “Summer Kickoff 70’s Party” at McMurdo. So, we went to the non-smoking bar, Gallagher’s, and saw some fantastic costumes (there’s a gear issue with plenty of costumes down here). This picture is of Tia, Mike, Laura, and Mike's disco ball alarm clock. I popped in and out pretty quickly after a couple pictures since I was pretty exhausted after this long week! We can't believe it's only been 3 days!

On the flight that came in, we got a pallet of "freshies." This includes pineapple, bananas, apples, oranges, and lots of other fruit and veggies. We found out that if we ask a Dining Assistant nicely, they will pull out a couple of bananas for us, so I smiled nice and took a couple back to my room! At breakfast this morning, the fruit was by far the highlight of the meal. They also have a tastey waffle bar! Yummy!