Hello everyone! I hope you are having an awesome start to 2011! Life here on the ice has been pretty hectic with Christmas, New Years, and now thinking and planning redeploying. Wow! Time has just flown by! It really feels like it was just yesterday that I arrived down here and now I'm sorting my stuff out getting ready to leave here in a month. On top of that, I am trying to sort out my budget for a nice little trip to Hawaii. Raytheon has given us the option for some free layovers in Christchurch, Sydney, Honolulu, LA, Vegas, and somewhere in Texas. Naturally, it is imperative for me to take advantage of at least one of these and since I've never been to Hawaii, well, why not? Sign me up!
Moving on. Christmas down on the ice was very similar to Thanksgiving. The whole station practically shut down for the weekend, giving us a two day weekend. There was a town Christmas party, which Santa attended on Christmas Eve, but I did not attend. I opted for some wine and Christmas movies. That decision made Christmas Eve feel a bit more like Christmas Eve. Christmas day was laid back. We had to sign up for dinner, which again was fantastic. Only downfall was that the C-17 was unable to make it in time, therefore leaving us with no freshies. That, of course, was a downer, but the cooks and dining assistants still did an awesome job with the resources that they had. I think the menu consisted of prime rib, lobster tail, all the normal sides, and, like Thanksgiving, awesome desserts (including home made truffles). After dinner, I spent the rest of the night at the coffee house with some friends, then over to the Southern for some more fun.
New Years Eve was a very fun night! To celebrate NYE I attended Icestock. Icestock is Mcmurdos makeshift version of Woodstock. Basically, they put up a stage with some seating areas (including blankets, a "Sawbucks" Coffee (with baileys) and bbq huts, arts and craft hut, and live music (all original McMurdo Bands). Unfortunately, due to my work schedule I was only able to attend the last 1 1/2 hours or so. Icestock went on from 6-12:30 and I got out of work at about 9:30. Which, I might add, was a brutal work day; 4 runs out to Pegasus (2 hours a run--8 hours total driving) and 3 of which were in a Delta. If I haven't already told you Deltas intensify every bump you hit. When people complain about riding in the back I feel no sympathy for them. I tell them try riding in the drivers seat. The drivers seat is a spring seat. So every time we hit a bump I feel it X5. Its like the frog hopper ride for small children gone to hell. I usually will put my hand on the ceiling for protection just in case my head hits. And, to add to that, the roads were not good that day. Needless to say, I am due for a day at the spa and a good session at the chiropractor. Anyways, by the time I got out of work I was ready to have some fun. I spruced myself up, put my party hat on (my favorite accessory), and spent the rest of the evening (or rather till 12:30) dancing the night away. After that the crowd moved onto the Southern Bar.
 |
| View from the 3rd floor of a dorm |
 |
Sawbucks Coffee (made by the carp shop) |
So this is some big news! I have spent 3 months on the ice and was starting to get a bit worried that I would leave with never getting the chance to play with a penguin. Now, due to the antarctic treaty, we all know it is virtually impossible for me to actually "play" with a penguin. But, the chance to just see one in its natural habitat and not in a zoo will suffice. Well, a co-worker of mine asked me if I would switch shifts with her, which would leave me working five 12 hour shifts in a row. But switching really didn't bother me so I said of course I would. After all, I am down here to work. The shift was 7-7 and I had a Pegasus run at 7:30 a.m. I had no passengers (my favorite runs) so I turned the music up a little and started my karaoke session. Well, I was at about mile 7 out of 13 when I saw these black things on the side of the road in a distance. They sort of looked like toothpicks. As I approached I realized they were not toothpicks! They were 3 Emperor Penguins! Talk about good karma! Being by myself I was able to get out of the van and spend a little one on three quality time with the little happy feets! It was so cool! It was a very serene experience; to be alone with them in their natural habitat here on the ice. After about 10 minutes I remembered I still have a scheduled run to keep. So, I hopped back in my van with a perma smile on my face and finished the run out to the airfield. To my luck I had no passengers on the way back either; giving me the chance to stop again and spend some more time with them! Needless to say, the rest of the day was a great day! On top of that I took a walk to hut point a few days later to see the icebreaker coming in and I saw another penguin! This one was a cute Adelie; all by his lonesome. Equally as cute as the Emperors though!
 |
| Adelie |
 |
 |
 |
| The Oden - The Icebreaker scientists |
So, there might be a chance that I'm cursed with the big vehicles. Or maybe it's just the luck of the draw; therefore making me a bit unlucky. First, I managed to get Ivan stuck in the transition. Now, I think my biggest fear down here was getting stuck and having to call over the radio, for all to hear, for help. And when I say that I mean in a van. I didn't really think that I would have a chance to get Ivan stuck. I don't drive him all that often. Well, I was coming back from picking up pax that came in on the C-17 and was almost home free, back on land, when I managed to get stuck. This was the week that the transition was really bad. Pretty much looked like you were driving through giant puddles. One wrong turn of the steering wheel and there I was; STUCK! Super embarrassing, especially with pax on board. Lucky for me there were 3 bulldozers right in front of me. But, I still had to call in on the radio to inform them that I was, indeed, stuck. It was the back, driver side tire. They hooked up one bulldozer, told me when to give it gas, and nothing. The bulldozer wasn't strong enough and my back tire wasn't even touching the snow. It was still spinning after I stopped accelerating. So, they had to bring in the big dog! Hooked that bad boy up and it was smooth sailing. I didn't even really have to do anything. Lets not forget that that people were taking pictures of me and taking videos. 
On top of getting Ivan stuck, I've also had some bad luck with Delta Dawn and a van. During a three day span Delta Dawn happened to break down on me twice, along with a van. Once Dawn's engine just quit on me while I was going down the Scott base hill (steepest hill there is on station), resulting in the steering wheel locking up and the airbreaks going out on me. That was fun. The second time I had driven out to LDB, the long duration balloon facility about a 1/2 hour to 40 minutes out, when Dawn decided to break down on me again--while I was out there. It had something to do with the a belt coming off, burning rubber, and a loud squealing noise. Again, that was fun. That same day I went to drive a van and it wouldn't roll over; making me late for my Pegasus run. Lets all cross our fingers that my unlucky spell with vehicles is over! :)
So here is a fun fact that I don't know if I mentioned before. Did you know that McMurdo Station recycles 60-70% of everything used down here on the ice. And did you know that everything that comes on the ice also must leave the ice. Therefore, we have to sort our trash in the beginning to make it easier and more efficient. Clothing, paper towel, plastic, food waste, sanitary waste, hazardous waste, heavy metal, light metal, glass, mixed paper, wood, non-recyclables, aluminum, cardboard, and even human waste have to be shipped back to the states, unless it can be reused here. There are bins everywhere, all around the station. There are small cupboards to sort in the buildings and big bins outside of the buildings to put all of the sorted trash in once the cupboards are filled and need to be emptied. The waste team then goes around collecting everything, where they will make sure everything is sorted and get it ready to go on the boat back to the states. It could be a few years before some of the waste actually makes it off the island so it is critical that it is sorted properly. Example, you want all the food waste with the food waste so it is not to rot somewhere else.  |
 |
| Milvan Ally.. These will be filled with all the waste |
 |
| These boxes are filled with food waste.. all of them |
Well, I am sorry to say, but that's all I can think of for now. With all this talk about redeployment I will leave you with some things that will seem a bit weird/awkward/strange to me when I leave the ice.
1. Driving faster than 25 mph. I might have a panic attack driving on the highway
2. Not having to chock/micro break my vehicle. I have a feeling I will attempt to do this out of habit when I return
3. The feel of humidity on my skin. I've heard it hits you like a ton of bricks upon arrival to Christchurch
4. Seeing green other than green flags, and the Kiwi base. I'm talking grass and trees
5. Showering in peace.
6. Just being somewhere where there is more than a few hundred people at a time; like any public place seems super overwhelming.
7. Listening to a radio station and/or watching t.v that is not run by the Armed Forces Network. It's kind of weird hearing all the propaganda talk.
8. Having to pay for gas
9. Having to pay for food
10. Being charged $5 just for a beer
11. Buying something from a store that isn't expired (most things in the store here are expired--it's kind of funny)
12. Seeing a bug. No bugs-- At all-- in Antarctica; it's too cold
13. Not being able to walk 50 ft from my house to the gym... what a convenience!
14. Having to grocery shop
15. Not wearing flip flops when I shower
16. Wearing shoes other than my hiking boots or converses
17. Better yet having a whole closet and drawer full of clothes to choose from!
18. Having my cell phone. Right now I don't even know my own room telephone number.
19. Having the sun go down; seeing stars again
20. Life without frosty boy
hmm.. That seems to be all for now! Until next time! Much love!
