10-24-12
I haven't really added anything to the blog in a while, mainly because there hasn't been much out of the ordinary going on, and I have been pretty busy. Just the normal mcmurdo life of work, time with friends, sports, and occasional walking trips outside when the weather clears up. Soon the weather will start getting better and we will be doing more outdoor stuff. They closed the ice runway for the C-17 super early this year. They closed it by the first week of October. Elisha had to arrive on the icerunway by airbus. The 17 is now landing out at Pegasus. Last year they closed the Icerunway after thanksgiving. Very thin ice (well as it relates to landing a giant military plane on it) this year in McMurdo sound. But they are still landing airbusses and LC-130s on it.
Things have ramped up since winfly as the mainbody folks have come in. This mean a much louder cafeteria, busier computers, difficulty finding a place to hang my coat, and a loss of the relaxed atmosphere. But at the same time this has brought more people to participate in basketball, ping pong, volleyball, and hopefully pickleball soon. It's also brought back lots of the old friends and some new ones as well. And the lab is now busy with grantees. It has been nice this year getting to know the grantees in a closer manner and to actually become friends with some of them. Around town, people often think of grantees as this higher up thing and they don't get incorporated into activities as much nor do they mingle much with the town folk. So with my new job, I've been able to hang out with them much more, and I'm trying hard to include them in events and get them to come to parties and sports events so that people can see that althought they may be brilliant scientists, they are also people as well. But I've enjoyed learning about the projects, especially the ones doing vertebrate zoology projects. I've also got a lot of firsthand experience seeing how principle investigators (PI's) who are grad advisors work with the grad students. It's quite interesting to see the dynamic between them. Some advisers are just cranky and no fun and you can see their students suffer and aren't happy (even down here). Their labs have a sad, depressed, miserable feel to them. Whereas other labs with fun advisers who care about their students and realize that science isn't the only thing in someone's life or in the world have very happy students. Their labs have a fun, relaxed, positive feel to them. And I've noticed it does't matter if the group is studying orcas or seals but have a bad adviser, they will be miserable. Or if a group is studying sedimentary worms or bacteria, but have a sweet advisor, then their lives are happy and good. So it is making me feel really good about picking Todd for my adviser in Florida. After working with him, I really like his vibe, and I think he's a great guy and cares about the happiness of his students.
The mainbody flights also brought in Elisha and Cassa! It was good to see Elisha after not seeing her for several months, and I welcomed her with a sign in Russian (Libor the Crary UT guy from the Czech Rep who speaks Russian helped me with it) and some McMurdo flowers (fake ones of course). It took her a little bit to make it down bc of weather, but finally she made it! Of course when Cassa Grant arrives to McMurdo the whole base changes it's dynamic and become a bit more lively and crazy. As Spring told me, Winfly is the time where we all get plenty of sleep and rest in preparation for Cassa's arrival as things won't be the same once she gets here. I welcomed her to the base with a Shamalama sign and a McMurdo beer (frozen beer of course).
We had our shuttles family party the other day, which was tons of fun. I miss all the shuttlers and the shuttle family and we always have the best time together. We had some good food at Hut 10 and then played a game where we were all rolling on the floor laughing
Last week we also had the ATO family (ATO is what shuttles is under) party, which was also tons of fun bc I love the cargo people as well. That also had good bbq steak, freeze booze, and a sweet dancy party (that Katy Perry medley was amazing! haha)
I'm still doing insanity and working out extra hard and eating extra less in preparation for my Halloween costume. It's a secret so I can't tell you yet, but Cassa just loves how I've been working out for 2 months in preparation for this costume. This one guy here that we're all friends with, he is going to be a scrotum for halloween. For his costume, he is asking everyone (guys and girls) he can on base to donate their pubes to put on his costume. Haha..should be quite interesting, though I have a feeling he will not have much luck with girls trying to grind up on him at this year's dance party.
I also got the 3 seasons of glee in the mail, so Elisha and I are going to go through the glee seasons this year which I am excited about.
The last sunset/sunrise of the year was a couple of days ago. Elisha and I got to witness an amazing one a bit over a week ago from the top of ob hill where we said our goodbyes to sunsets and any shadows of darkness.
I haven't really added anything to the blog in a while, mainly because there hasn't been much out of the ordinary going on, and I have been pretty busy. Just the normal mcmurdo life of work, time with friends, sports, and occasional walking trips outside when the weather clears up. Soon the weather will start getting better and we will be doing more outdoor stuff. They closed the ice runway for the C-17 super early this year. They closed it by the first week of October. Elisha had to arrive on the icerunway by airbus. The 17 is now landing out at Pegasus. Last year they closed the Icerunway after thanksgiving. Very thin ice (well as it relates to landing a giant military plane on it) this year in McMurdo sound. But they are still landing airbusses and LC-130s on it.
Things have ramped up since winfly as the mainbody folks have come in. This mean a much louder cafeteria, busier computers, difficulty finding a place to hang my coat, and a loss of the relaxed atmosphere. But at the same time this has brought more people to participate in basketball, ping pong, volleyball, and hopefully pickleball soon. It's also brought back lots of the old friends and some new ones as well. And the lab is now busy with grantees. It has been nice this year getting to know the grantees in a closer manner and to actually become friends with some of them. Around town, people often think of grantees as this higher up thing and they don't get incorporated into activities as much nor do they mingle much with the town folk. So with my new job, I've been able to hang out with them much more, and I'm trying hard to include them in events and get them to come to parties and sports events so that people can see that althought they may be brilliant scientists, they are also people as well. But I've enjoyed learning about the projects, especially the ones doing vertebrate zoology projects. I've also got a lot of firsthand experience seeing how principle investigators (PI's) who are grad advisors work with the grad students. It's quite interesting to see the dynamic between them. Some advisers are just cranky and no fun and you can see their students suffer and aren't happy (even down here). Their labs have a sad, depressed, miserable feel to them. Whereas other labs with fun advisers who care about their students and realize that science isn't the only thing in someone's life or in the world have very happy students. Their labs have a fun, relaxed, positive feel to them. And I've noticed it does't matter if the group is studying orcas or seals but have a bad adviser, they will be miserable. Or if a group is studying sedimentary worms or bacteria, but have a sweet advisor, then their lives are happy and good. So it is making me feel really good about picking Todd for my adviser in Florida. After working with him, I really like his vibe, and I think he's a great guy and cares about the happiness of his students.
The mainbody flights also brought in Elisha and Cassa! It was good to see Elisha after not seeing her for several months, and I welcomed her with a sign in Russian (Libor the Crary UT guy from the Czech Rep who speaks Russian helped me with it) and some McMurdo flowers (fake ones of course). It took her a little bit to make it down bc of weather, but finally she made it! Of course when Cassa Grant arrives to McMurdo the whole base changes it's dynamic and become a bit more lively and crazy. As Spring told me, Winfly is the time where we all get plenty of sleep and rest in preparation for Cassa's arrival as things won't be the same once she gets here. I welcomed her to the base with a Shamalama sign and a McMurdo beer (frozen beer of course).
We had our shuttles family party the other day, which was tons of fun. I miss all the shuttlers and the shuttle family and we always have the best time together. We had some good food at Hut 10 and then played a game where we were all rolling on the floor laughing
Last week we also had the ATO family (ATO is what shuttles is under) party, which was also tons of fun bc I love the cargo people as well. That also had good bbq steak, freeze booze, and a sweet dancy party (that Katy Perry medley was amazing! haha)
I'm still doing insanity and working out extra hard and eating extra less in preparation for my Halloween costume. It's a secret so I can't tell you yet, but Cassa just loves how I've been working out for 2 months in preparation for this costume. This one guy here that we're all friends with, he is going to be a scrotum for halloween. For his costume, he is asking everyone (guys and girls) he can on base to donate their pubes to put on his costume. Haha..should be quite interesting, though I have a feeling he will not have much luck with girls trying to grind up on him at this year's dance party.
I also got the 3 seasons of glee in the mail, so Elisha and I are going to go through the glee seasons this year which I am excited about.
The last sunset/sunrise of the year was a couple of days ago. Elisha and I got to witness an amazing one a bit over a week ago from the top of ob hill where we said our goodbyes to sunsets and any shadows of darkness.
