Life as a Fingy

Hmmm.. Wow!  Where do I begin??  So much has happened in the last week.  Between constantly meeting new people, retaining enough information to fill a book the size of a dictionary, and trying to keep my sanity while living in transition, I am mentally exhausted.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have it any other way.  Well, that's a lie... I take that back.  I would definitely change my living situation.  Maybe put myself in a quiet, peaceful room, with my own wardrobe right from the get-go.  As of now I am living in transition.  Meaning, McMurdo was too overpopulated when I arrived so I got thrown into a room, stuffed like sardines, with five other people, living out of my suitcase at the end of my bed.  Oh and did I mention I'm on the top bunk of the only bunk bed in the room?  How did I get so lucky you ask?  A few select complained that they were "too old" to climb up.  Mind you these "few select" are not any older than 30.  Joy.  In the meantime I am all over the housing department to get me out so I can have a wardrobe.  Side note:  Since this is my blog and it takes me quite some time to write in it, it has now become my journal.  And since I do not have the patience to rewrite all of this in my journal, this has now become it. Therefore, bear with me in my venting :)  Thank You :) 

I can tell you, one place that has helped me hang on to that small piece of sanity I have left is the gerbile gym.  Oh the gerbile gym... I love the gerbile gym.  The gerbile gym is a small gym filled with treadmills, bikes, elipticals, and small weights.  Very small and has the potential to build up quite the sweaty stench.  Spin class and the treadmill have become my new best friends.  Because, you see, when you are working out you have no one there.  It's the only alone time I get.  I savor every minute of that.  Along with that there are many, many recreational activities to participate in to keep me up and moving, out and about.  Just to name a few:

P90X abs
Belly Dance Lessons!!!!
Kung fu Karate lessons... something of the sort
Stitch and Bitch
Craft shows
Craft room
Boot Camp
Bible Study
AA
Tours of the important and/or restricted buldings/areas
about 8 or 9 local hikes varying from 3-9 miles up and down old volcanic hills
Cross country skiing
With an invite from the kiwis--snowboarding
American Night at Scott Base
Off station trips with the rec department
Yoga

Like I said "to name a few."  Oh and lets not forget all the parties the different departments host.  So, with all that and 54 hours of work a week I am pretty well occupied :)  And since I work 12 hour shifts I get 2 days off a week (instead of 1 like most) to enjoy all these recreational activities.  I'm pretty sure I have more of a social life here than I do at home.. Who would of thought!?

" Shuttle Kristy, Shuttle Opps" 
"Go ahead Shuttle Opps" 
"What's your 20?"
"Just arriving to the Ice Runway."
"Copy"

Ahhh (relaxing sigh).  The life of a shuttle driver.  Not a bad gig if you ask me.  So, basically, this whole last week has been training, training, and more training.  There seriously is sooo much to learn as far as safety and procedure goes.  Let me tell you an example of what a normal day would be like as a shuttle driver.

• Arrive to work between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m (depending on when I am scheduled to come in)
• First thing in the morning all the vehicles need to be checked.  Meaning we have to check the oil, hydrolic fluid, and transmission fluid? (could be wrong on that one... this part of my day is the most overwhelming since I've never done any of this before at home).  We also have to check all the tires, check for any leaks, and check all the lights.
• During the day, we usually switch up the tasks so the days are not so repetative.  I could start 3 hours on dispatch, then 3 hours on town taxi, 3 hours as a shuttle driver to and from the Ice Runway, 1 hour picking up happy camper, and 1 hour cleaning. 

What is happy camper you ask?  Happy Camper is a boondoggle, something our supervisor will decide if we can participate in or not.  It is about a 1/2 hour away from base.  And when I say 1/2 hour that is with the slow moving vehicles on the Ice.. Definitely not a 1/2 hour away compared to normal standards.  It's just down from Scott Base.  Basically, a group with 3 instructors get dropped off and picked up the next afternoon.  The instructors teach us survival skills such as how to make a shelter.  They actually sleep in that shelter at night.  As far as what else we learn I'm not quite sure, since I have yet to attend.  It sounds fun yet dreadfully cold at the same time.  It will be very interesting when I go.

Moving on.  I told you that departments tend to throw parties.  Well, I attended my first one the other night.  ATO (don't ask me what that stands for yet--- remember I'm still in the learning process) hosted a party/meet and greet.  Now, I can tell you that Shuttles is a part of ATO along with cargo and some of the airfield people.  All I know is that all of us are in building 140.  The food served was the best I've had since I left home when Kel and I made homemade tomato basil soup.  They flew in two grills, and set it up in the back of a cargo van where they cooked pork, chicken and steak.  And for dessert..... cookie dough chunks.  Yep, you heard me right.... cookie dough chunks.  Regardless, the chunks were good.  This party also consisted of free beer and wine.  But if you don't like speights dark, speights ale, or tui (an Indian beer) you were SOL.  So, the nice dinner party turned into a rockin dance party.  It was pretty cool though.  I was able to have proper conversations with my co-workers and after the party some of us went to Gallagher''s.  There I ended up meeting a few of my friends AND got conned into singing solo karaoke.  Yes.. I shared with Antarctica my Award-winning-American- Idol-worthy voice by singing Band of Gold by Freda Payne.  My 7th grade choir teacher (who by the way, strongly advised I lip sync at the 7th grade choir festival) would be so proud.  Lucky for me I had Sunday off so I was able to sleep in.

Now, let me tell you about the infamous "Sunday Brunch".  Sunday Brunch is not something one voluntarily misses.  They really bust out the big guns for this one.  Fresh Fruit Galore.. I'm talking watermelon, muskmelon, pineapple, grapes, apples, bananas.  But remember "don't be a banana hog".  It's funny to see everyones plates just overflowing with fruit.  You don't realize how much you miss "freshies," as people call it down on the ice, until its controlled by a higher power and you only get it when they give the go ahead.  Same goes with salad. I don't eat them all that often at home, but when those 2 salad bowls (the size of giant tires) are filled to the top with that mouth watering green I just dive right in!  Back to brunch...  Along with the freshies, they also make doughnuts, danishes, Belgium waffles cooked in front of you, chocolate chip pancakes, eggs and omelette's of your choice (that's every day of the week), and some extremely high calorie casseroles.  Like I said, Sunday Brunch is not something you miss!

Cape Evans Trip
The Cape Evans trip is one that the rec department puts together.  It's something that you wait in a massive, long line and hope that you will make it to the front to sign your name on a sheet of paper before it fills.  But, I got lucky. I didn't have to wait in the massive, long line.  My supervisor was training a group on how to lead future trips to Cape Evans so it was mandatory that the whole shuttle crew came along.  I know what you are thinking.  How horrible that my supervisor would make a random trip out into beautiful, pure, fresh, blue Antarctica mandatory.  We took all 3 Deltas out on the 1 1/2 hour journey to Cape Evans.  Once we arrived one Delta, the training Delta, took off to the Iceberg while we explored Scott's Hut.  Now Scott's Hut was made by a New Zealand crew trying to make it to the South Pole in 1910 or 1911.  When they made it the South Pole they realized that the Norwegians had beat them to it.  Disappointed yet ecstatic that they accomplished what they had come to do they started to head back to their hut, some 620 miles North.  Along the way they hit some bad weather one or some died.  The leader, Scott, ended up dying in his hut before returning to New Zealand.  And I think a few others died there as well.  I don't really have the whole story straight.  Sorry.  Anyways, they knew that they were dying so they kept their journals next to them along with letters to their loved ones for someone to find.  The hut was kept as it was.  So, basically when you enter the hut you are walking through pure history.  It was fascinating.  After the hut we switched and went to the iceberg.  The iceberg is frozen in permanent ice.  It looked like something straight out of heaven.  All of that frozen water, clean and untouched.  It was like paradise blue and shimmered in the sun like it had tiny diamonds all over it.  It honestly was so sweet to stand next to something so huge and old!  Literally, once in a lifetime opportunity (unless I come back next year as a shuttle driver and the trip is mandatory again... haha).  Hopefully I will get lucky and get to go on some more fascinating trips. 

Well friends, family, and readers I do not know, I have now been working on this blog entry for quite some time and since I missed breakfast, I don't want to miss lunch.. Until next time!



Scott's Hut at Cape Evans




Memorial Cross




Notice the Iceberg in the background




Shuttles Crew posing on one of the Deltas





Unknown Antarctica.. We were about 10 miles from the ocean




View from building 140 (where I work) at about 11:40 at night

 Much Love!

P.S "Fingy" means f@#%-ing New Guy