A cool photo from our Library.

12-10-11

After work I went dumpster diving and then over to Elisha and Melanie's room to work on my costume for the Fuelies' Mad Max party. My usual costume designer Cassa is on a new schedule of working 9 to 9, so she was just going to meet us at the party. Mad Max movies are these terrible post apocolypic moviesstarring Mel Gibson. There are basically two themes to take, the metal, gladiator type look from barter town, or the feral children look. I went with the feral children look, especially a specific character that had a recored and big headphones and such and was the radio guy. People went all out for the party and there were some pretty amazing costumes. It's crazy how into the costumes people get here. The party was fun and we danced late into the night.

I got a new rommate, another fireman I think, several days ago b/c one of the really boring fire roommates got sent to the south pole. I haven't met this one yet b/c I'm hardly in my room, but I see that he has UF bed sheets, which is interesting.

12-11-11

Sang some Christmas songs at church. It's hard to believe how fast Christmas is coming.
After church, I played some volleyball and then hung out at the coffee shop drinking Peggy's famous chai tea latte's and writing some postcards with Mel and Elisha. We reserved one of the lounges for the evening since it was Mel's 30th birthday, but b/c of the crazy night the night before we just watched a movie (wedding crasher's)

12-12-11

There are lots of people coming down for the celebration of Amundsen (and Scott's) 100 year anniversary of reaching the South Pole. Today the Norwegian delegation was flying out to the pole. At the galley at the pegasus airfield while they waited for their plane, I got to have a hot chocolate with the Prime Minister of Norway and with one of Amundsen's relatives.

I've been reading a book called The Lost Men, which is about the Ross sea party that was to set up depot's for Shackleton's transantarctic expedition. It's a cool book b/c it takes place right here at hut point and on the ross sea ice shelf. Saw a couple of quotes in it that I thought were interesting

"There's a race of me that don't fit in,
A race that can't stay still;
So they break the hearts of kith and kin,
And they roam the world at will"
-Robert Service

"I don't wonder at people's being drawn back and back to Antarctica in spite of the hardships and risks--there's a fascination about the life that would appeal to most anybody. It's astonishing too, how one forgets about the outer world. No doubt there are times when one simply longs for civilization again with its attendant comfort and luxury but these fits don't last and you thank your lucky stars that you're down here, living a real life"
-Irvine Owen Gaze

Went for a good ski on the Armitage loop with Shuttle Elisha and Shuttle Mel. Then we all rewarded ourselves with some tasty icecream

12-13-11

We put on the trailers today that go to our new van. I got to do the first test run on them today and then seemed to go ok even with all the ruts and holes in the snow road. Shuttle Bill has started calling me Wolfman (in addition to Mr. Hormone and Junior). When asked why, he said, "He has such a pretty face, I don't know why he goes and ruins it with all that hair" I'm growing out the facial hair though b/c Shuttle Dan is organizing this event in January called Moustache roullette that will be this weird shaving thing, but people will have to pay money to shave the guys and the money will go towards prostate cancer research.

Shuttle Adrain had something happen and has to go back to the States. He was on the night shift, so they're having Cassa switch to nights. I'm pretty sad about this. Cassa is my best Antarctic friend and makes me smile all the time and makes me so upbeat. And probably when I go onto nights in a couple weeks, she'll switch back to days.