"The Ice"

Why Do People Go to Antarctica?

2012-01-20T13:01:00.002-07:00

We all have our reasons. The common saying goes: "1st year you come for the experience. 2nd year, you come for the money. 3rd year, you come because you don't fit in anywhere else." True to an extent, but there is more to it. Kiell's blog post sums it up nicely.

A Day in the Life of Science!

2012-01-20T10:36:00.004-07:00

This wonderful video was made after I left Antarctica, but shows much about the daily goings on. Check it out!

Bravo 308, McMurdo Station Antarctica 2010 from sandwichgirl on Vimeo.

Farewell, my frozen sanctuary...

2008-02-01T23:30:00.001-07:00

It has been a truly wonderful experience to be down here at the bottom of the world, working alongside some of the most interesting people I've ever met. Despite the crankiness that accompanies isolation and long hours, we all feel so lucky to be part of this community. It is so hard to leave my job here after the hours spent perfecting the process and streamlining all the processes that make up my days in Antarctica.

Funny to think that 3 years ago, my boss called me to see if I was sure I thought I could handle this job. Warning me that I would not be popular, and that daily conflict was certain. After all, no one has ever returned for more than one season in the position I was accepting. I will admit, it has not been easy being 'the housing girl'...the person who has to say 'no' more than 'yes'. There were days I dreaded going into the cafeteria, and wished for a secret hole to crawl into in order to hide from the chaos that was inevitable with every new flight. Nothing is perfect, and the housing options in Antarctica are nowhere close. Juggling the demands of the NSF, the station manager, and the expectations of each resident is no easy task. However, I feel that over the years, my boss and I were able to gain the trust of many residents and co-workers and created a pleasant environment with a sense of consistency over the last 3 years. I leave feeling that this great adventure was also a big success.

The time has come (strangely) to settle down a bit. We have chosen to return to Alaska for this, but not before a much needed tropical adventure! Next up on the list: Tonga & Samoa.

A Hiking Celebration

2008-01-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who don't know our story here's the short and nasty:

For 3 years, Eric and I have been trying to do a winter here in Antarctica. Never has it worked out. Including this year....sort of. Eric got a contract but I didn't. So for the past month or so, we've been agonizing over whether one of us stays, or we both leave, and the money we could make by staying versus the happiness we would get by leaving.

Today, the decision was made.

Eric turned down the offer and we decided to get the heck out of here!!!

So, it being the perfect day for a hike, we went up Observation Hill. The photos follow...

The girl afraid of heights was scerrrd...but she made it to the top!

Ice Stock & The Chili Cookoff

2008-01-01T21:41:00.001-07:00

Every year for New Years, we have Ice Stock...the biggest party at the bottom of the world. Bands play all day, Chili abounds from the opening of millvans, and all are merry. This is where the freaks come out to play. The weather usually sucks, but we stay out all day regardless. This year was no different. It snowed for most of the time, but hey, we like snow....we wouldn't be here if we didn't.

We mingled.....

We showed off....

I played with Mike's beard yet again...

And there were ROBOTS, I tell you!!

Yes, this is New Years in Antarctica

Happy 2008!!!

To go with Christmas? A party

2007-12-26T21:08:00.001-07:00

The town party was held this weekend also. Usually its a bit lame, so we figured we'd go late...spending the early part of the evening having drinks in Mike's room. It was a great time, and Eric read aloud from a book called 'Woman: an intimate geography'. After a few too many experimental shots (SoCo, whiskey, & baileys), this book provided hoots of laughter - and much discussion. The neighbors were lured into the room from the hallway as they heard us discussing the true size of a woman's clitoris shaft.

And always a great topic of discussion - what Mike is going to do with his beard - when he'll shave it, or if his girlfriend is really going to dump him for how ridiculous he looks!

We did eventually get to the Christmas party, but I'd say we were all a bit intoxicated! I forgot to bring my glasses....so lucky me got to wear my sunglasses for the entire evening just to see. In my state of mind, I guess I didn't care so much. There was dancing, sausages, wine, and a lot of pole dancing on a candy cane. I'm not embarrassed. I owned it.

Afterwards, we were graced with the best burritos we'd ever tasted (funny how you always think that when you're drunk) and some pretty funny conversation (like when Mike demonstrated how we should move the Christmas tree to the OTHER side of the pole so that the pictures would come out better). All very philosophical.

Xmas morning

2007-12-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Christmas morning in Antarctica is always great. We don't have our families, our pets, or the familiarity of our home, but we do have each other, and we've created wonderful traditions down here. Eric and I sleep in, drink coffee, and sit around the room opening our presents and playing just like little kids.

To start with, we opened the box his mom had sent us - and found cute little pajama sets. Of course we had to put them on for all our Christmas morning pictures.

This year, Christmas had a 'Feet' theme. I got him the ninja-toe socks that fit his strangley separated big toe. In return, he gifted me some funky gel 'Yoga Toes'. The goal of these little contraptions are to slowly train your toes to spread apart. The idea behind them is that we as a society are always cramming our feet into shoes (especially the insane women who have fallen in love with pointy toed heels) that go against every natural anatomical position for our feet. So Yoga Toes helps to undo the learned positions our toes have grown into. Its hilarious to feel! My feet had shooting tingling sensations, and I found that my little pinky toes had developed a parasitic relationship with the toe next to them...hahaha, but with some practice, maybe they'll

get better :)

Also on the gift list was a gorilla pod - a hardcore tripod for the camera I got Eric for his birthday. This is the ultimate travelling tripod and can be wrapped around trees, fence posts, etc to always get the shot. We tested it out with Eric's head.

He got me some great new clothes, my favorite being my brand new cammo pants. Yes, this girl has always wanted cammo pants. Not to blend into the background, not to be in the military....just because some good ol' cammo pants make you want to go get DIRTY. I got my wish! I also got some new yoga CDs and a powerball - If you don't ever get to play with one of these in your life, you're missing out.

From my family I got some cool stuff - attachments for my heart rate monitor to measure running and biking info, some meditation CDs, and a great neclace and earring set.

We had a blast opening and playing with all our new stuff - and then we went to brunch to pig out and brag to our friends!

Christmas Dinner

2007-12-24T21:34:00.001-07:00

Piggy Pig Pigs. It was our last chance for the idea of good food until we got off the ice in February. We piled up our plates, took pictures, and enjoyed every moment.

Gettin' Cozy with Co-workers: A Pajama Party

2007-12-22T19:58:00.001-07:00

Now it is Sunday, and although we worked today, it wasn't too bad. Its 4 pm and I'm officially on Holiday! Gotta love that. To the left, you will see my array of wonderful presents - all from Eric & my family. I even received a postcard from Ana Bell today! I wish you were here Ana Bell :)

Last night we had our department Christmas party. The theme was 'Christmas Morning'. We decorated Hut 10 with a Christmas tree, lights, and stockings for everyone. I made breakfast with the help of many people who came and went throughout the afternoon. Happily, I found that there is a brand of Italian Sausage named after me. (FYI: there is no town, street or anything I can find with my name in it, but I have found that there is an island called Jost Vandyke. Cool enough to make up for the rarities) By 6:30 pm, everyone had shown up in their pajamas and we had breakfast and our white elephant gift exchange.

Strange gifts were given, and we ended up with a hockey stick, some used shoes, dancing penguins, a fake fish tank with fish, and lots of chocolate. A great time was had by all, and after the presents, it progressed into a dance party and then into a wrestling match. By then, I had a few too many mamosas and convinced myself that someone had hidden my shoes. After walking home in my bedroom slippers - yes, over rocks and dirt - I realized I had been looking for the wrong pair of shoes! Ooops.

We'll see what fun I can get into this evening - tonight is our Town Xmas party. Santa Claus will be there, and I just may sit on his lap! We are having an experimental drinks evening where we use up whatever we've got left in our "liquor cabinets".

MERRY ALMOST CHRISTMAS!!

Countdown to Christmas: 3 days!

2007-12-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

It is Saturday today and as I sit here at work, I think to myself "No, I will NOT do anything today." They can make me sit here, but they can't make me work. And I'm scatterbrained and burnt out, so I'm taking the day off while still being here! So what better to do than update the really old posts on my website?

Me & Eric recently were able to do a hike over the pressure ridges on the sea ice. It was absolutely amazing to get out there and see the formations up close. There were large cracks forming in the ice though, a sign that we soon would not be able to travel on it any longer. The ridges of ice that rose and fell in strange shapes around us reminded us a lot of the desert formations from the summer we lived in Moab.

Happy Birthday Eric!

2007-12-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

Eric is 32 today. Which really isn't today since Antarctica is a day behind the states...but we are celebrating either way because its also SATURDAY!

His present was an awesome new camera - the Cannon G9. We went out to the bars here to celebrate and had a fun evening.

I'm Broken

2007-11-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

So I haven't written. Why, you ask? No pictures from Thanksgiving, no big intellectual entry, no sarcastic crap.

Its because I'm broken. My wrists are failing. My forearm HURTS, my tendons are flaming. I go to the doctor tomorrow...lets hope for the best. Carpel Tunnel sux.

So I apologize and will get some pictures and entries up eventually. Wish me luck :)

Mail! I've got mail!!

2007-11-16T14:18:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we got another shipment of mail. And the whole station was elated. Except for Danny, who has been waiting patiently and never gets any mail. So I invited him to come with me to pick up mine! We grabbed the 4 boxes and carried them back to the housing office where the scene reminded me of christmas....wrapping paper everywhere, toys strewn about the room as people passed them around, admiring the many, MANY magazines and good snacks that were sent to me.

The biggest jealousy came from the two bottles of wine that my Aunt managed to get down here in one piece! Everyone wants to be my friend now in hopes of having some of that non-Antarctic brand wine! A HUGE THANK YOU to my family!

Burning, Burning

2007-11-16T05:05:00.000-07:00

We had a bit of an accident the other day. Supposedly, we have some trucks which are a bit of a fire hazard if they are driven too quickly. And we also have some drivers who have a lead foot. Needless to say, there is a new tourist destination out on the sea ice: "The Burn Site"

Where I'd rather be right now

2007-11-14T21:01:00.001-07:00

The monotony of this place is killing me. Why do we have to work our lives away when there are so many other interesting things we could be doing? This (above) is where I'd like to be right now, kayaking the islands. In fact, this is where I will be...in March. Tonga and Samoa. For a month of wonderful beach time!

My bills are paid, and now I wait...until February 26th, 2008. The last flight outta here before winter. And I'm on it!

And now just a bit about where I'll be travelling:

Tonga

“My god, the debauchery. The widespread carnage. The girls!”
~ Oscar Wilde on Tonga
Legends tell of the Terrys which dwell in this nation. They are a race of asexual lesbians which rape white people (whether men or women). Their danger-level is as high as the Greek Minotaur. They drink watered down cough syrup and then perform their mating ritual.

Samoa

“Ah, Samoa. I spent spring break in a Samoan nudist colony during my junior year of medical school. That's how I got this scar on my ankle. You know, the one that kind of looks like the word 'glaucoma' in binary. Good times.”
~ Oscar Wilde on Samoa

Samoans are pretty much very large people. Don't blame them because they love to eat! You will get your lunch taken. Beware...

I got this information from the internet...and everything you read on the internet is true right???

Condition Ones, Flight Delays, etc

2007-11-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well, the last time we had a flight come in from Christchurch was November 2nd. We are now 4 flights behind. There are an awful lot of people hanging out in New Zealand, happily stuffing their faces with sushi & indian food on the company dollar. We hate them :) The people here are starting to get restless. Working outside has been hard work with our low visibility and high winds. It is not extremely cold, but we have had a couple of Condition Ones around town this week.

Ann Curry & crew were supposed to fly home today. Not going to happen.

More Today Show

2007-11-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

Our Today show live broadcasts have been held at 2 am - and often in the middle of bad weather! One of our bands, muschknuckle, was invited to rock out on the deck of the chalet for the show. As you can see from the picture, there is a complete white out behind them. Normally, when standing on that deck, you can see out over the ice all the way to the mountains on the opposite side. It was a chilly evening!

Global Warming and the TODAY show

2007-11-06T01:08:00.000-07:00

"Ann Curry is here! Ann Curry is here!"

These are the comments that I've been hearing all week. That, along with "Wow, she's even pretty in person" and "My mom said to tell you hi, Ann!"

This sickens me. The fact that as a society, we are so obsessed with the poor woman whose job it is to just come to Antarctica and report on global warming. And we want to TOUCH her. Yes, its true. There have been the people who run up and hug her because...well...they can. Wierd. Anyhow, want to see what she's up to? Check it out here.

Ann & her team had big plans for their filming in Antarctica. Very little has gone right. She arrived on a balmy "summer" day, and all of us grumbled about how we hate when news crews get to come down and see the continent on clear days with perfect travelling conditions.

Then the weather turned. First, she wanted to go to the South Pole. Problem is, we haven't been able to get a plane in or out of pole in days. A few of them have even gotten there, boomeranged and flown back to McMurdo. Yesterday, our storms were so bad, the some planes couldn't even make it back to station and had to go spend the night at the Italian base. Who would complain about hanging out with Italians drinking wine though? Not me! Yeah, but Ann Curry and crew weren't on that flight.

They had a big helo trip planned. Didn't go as planned, but they still were able to make it out, and I'm sure that many of you have already seen the video on the live TV broadcasts. The broadcasts that were supposed to be filmed on Observation Hill, which stands towering over town with superb views of the area - when its nice. The wind and snow made it impossible to see Ob Hill from the galley windows, and we all laughed as we talked about the broadcast having to move to the Chalet. Oh well. These folks got the true Antarctic experience!

The Value of a Drink

2007-11-01T15:42:00.000-06:00

"Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I feel shame .
Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards
and all of their hopes and dreams .. If I didn't drink this wine, they might be out of work
and their dreams would be shattered.
Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this wine
and let their dreams come true than be selfish
and worry about my liver."

~ Jack Handy

Last night was a good time - we went out to the coffee house to hang out with some of our favorite people. The news was out - the wedding is off. Many questions were asked, but we feel good with our decision. This also leaves us free for travel, my school, and possibly eye surgery. Yes, I'm thinking about getting laaaazered :) It kind of freaks me out though! We'll see.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-28T00:15:00.001-06:00

Last night was our McMurdo Halloween Party. One of the biggest events of the season, and usually the most fun for Eric and I. The pre-party began right after dinner in our dorm room, and then we headed down to the big gym to watch the costume contest. Every year on Halloween, you see people ignoring the necessary(?) safety precautions for our climate...things like wearing coats, good shoes, or pants even. Well, this year I was one of them. The long walk to the gym happened without a hat on - the big-ass mask I was wearing made it a bit difficult. And by the time we arrived, I swore my ear was going to fall off. I think I may have gotten a bit of frost nip...no worries though, I can still feel all the important parts this morning :)

There were some great costumes and lots of dancing.
Eric and I went in funky Mardi Gras masks which he found in a costume store. Some of the funny costumes we saw at the party involved cross dressing men, inflatables, and well...soap.

The drinks were plentiful and the music was pretty good. So was the hangover!

Fatties Unite

2007-10-21T00:10:00.000-06:00

Today is the official beginning of "Fat Club". Otherwise known as McMurdo's Biggest Loser Competition, "Fat Club" allows us fatties and no-so-fatties to join together and compete for hundreds of dollars as we shed pounds and fight for a treadmill in the gerbil gym. For an entry fee of $100, we spend the next 3 months trying to loose as much weight as possible so we can take the pot.

I just weighed in. I am officially 18 lbs lighter than I was last year at this time. Can I somehow manage to take off another 18? Who knows. All that cheese in my fridge calls to me when my stomach rumbles. Burger bar has been my comfort on the nights I can't stomach another galley meal....and now, I've gotta stop. And BE GOOD.

Striving for Mediocrity

2007-10-16T18:39:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I'm tired of being perfect.

Er, um.....TRYING to be perfect. Because...who is? And why is it so important? Its NOT. And I've realized that, and I've come to terms with it, and now, I want to be mediocre.

At work, socially, personally, whatever. Medium. Its not bad, and its certainly not perfect.

My Website sucks....

2007-10-05T12:41:00.000-06:00

I’ve been trying to create a website for so long and I’m completely sick of it at this point. Now I know what it is thats bothering me. Its not the 10 different designs I've come up with or the special tricks I’ve learned trying to create yet another stupid design. They’re all fine. It’s the content – its empty. Trying to make this experience sound so happy happy all the time is really bullshit. So how about I throw out all of that, stick with a simple design and work on portraying the sarcastic humor that is my life? Deal? Deal.

I arrived in Antarctica for my third summer season in a row. I got here over 6 weeks ago and haven't written an email to a person except my mom. Why? I've got no good excuse except that I wanted time to finish my website and think about what I wanted to write. No progress later, here I am. The name for this site came from my boyfriend saying "Patience, Woman!" so many times. I obviously have none. And so decided I would make an effort to cultivate just a bit of patience this year. Hahahaha, good intentions!

This website will go up within the week no matter what. And then I'll send an email out. Its not going to say much. I can't gush about all the exciting things that have been happening here, because, well, I'm not a FNG. Thats what we call our first year new people. FNG = F*ckin' New Guy. As for my 3rd time around....read my emails from 2 years ago...all that same stuff is happening, its just not as exciting.

Mainbody season started a few days ago. Now we're drowning in people...

A Surprise Wedding

2007-09-19T23:46:00.000-06:00

I just got the news that my aunt Tracy tied the knot! It was a small family deal. I'm starting to think I should have planned mine the same way! hehehe.

Elsewhere, there is no snow

2007-09-18T22:06:00.000-06:00

The VanDyke family vacation is occuring as I write this. Its a gorgeous September week at Cape Hatteras. The dogs are happy, the dad is over his chicken pox (yes, for real), and the kitty sleeps happily on the stairs of the cottage. Life is good. Now lets see if they catch any fish!

Meanwhile, in Antarctica, its...well....cold :)

Building a Runway

2007-09-12T13:51:00.000-06:00

We're just weeks away from Mainbody. The Onslaught of hundreds of people into our little home. Our rooms will fill, our bathrooms will crowd, and lines will form at every possible booth, counter, or activity.

S C I E N C E will begin. Science is why we're here, or at least thats what we're told. When our housing changes, its usually due to science. When people get stressed out, its also usually due to science. However, thats what we're here to run this place for right? Right. So in the name of science, our chaotic lives shuffle back and forth all over this little station.....preparing cargo, planning trips, organizing transportation. And the science begins...

...but not before the runway is built. Our ice runway is in progress as I write this. Fleet Ops crews work 24/7 plowing the way for the runway right outside of town which allows our C-17 flights to land and shuttle residents to town in fractions of the time it takes to land at Willie Field or Pegasus. This runway is built right on the frozen ocean and lasts just months until the summer warms and water is again visible (we can hope right?). A big operation.

In the meantime, we are enjoying our last few weeks of peace & quiet. Its so nice here right now. 350 people. Who ever thought I'd enjoy living in a town of 350?

First weekend out

2007-09-09T18:59:00.000-06:00

I have been...lazy. Sleepy. Unmotivated. Sober.

So far this winfly, I have not gone out very much. I changed that this Saturday. We had our first live music show at the coffee house, and Austin was playing, so we headed over. I will admit I didn't catch much of the music because things get claustrophobic when you squeeze McMurdo stations residents into the back room of a coffee bar. I did however have great wine and conversation with the people that came through....some dressed in superhero costumes for another party that was happening.

FYI

Things that keep us endlessly entertained? People who can either turn their feet or thumbs in directions that are not normal. Those people are our heroes.

1920's Party

2007-09-08T18:51:00.000-06:00

Everyone loves a theme party. And in Antarctica, it can sometimes be hard to find the appropriate attire for the plethora (yes, i used that word) of events. So really, as long as you have some sort of costume, life is good. Our first dept party was a 1920's theme party, complete with a great soundtrack brought to us by Mark at the radio station. The food was delicious, and everyone had a blast!
Keri's gorilla suit kept her a warm and toasty 100 degrees for most of the evening. She eventually dropped the costume, but not the smile!

The girls were on one side, the boys on the other. That was until the boys realized the sex talk was occuring amongst the ladies!

I met this cute boy on the internet awhile back and he's been accompanying me to many events.

Non-Attachment

2007-08-31T19:41:00.000-06:00

There are people who make you happy that you woke up and went out in the morning. Then there are the ones who make you question why you surround yourself by such trivial concerns.

Antarctica is like a land of slighty-grown children. We keep tabs on where we think everyone else should be and how we think we stand in that hierarchy. We are jealous and throw hissy fits when someone gets something we don't have. And I see that alot in my job. This continent needs a good influx of Buddhist thought and in particular non-attachment. To jobs, lunch tables, rooms, furniture, and friends. Let it go, people!

My boyfriend thinks I'm mean because I laugh at people who are angry sometimes. Of course I do not do this to their face. But I can't help it. The stupidity of the screaming matches I could get into in my office is so extreme that I'd either be angry or cry all day. And you know, I've tried the hate and it didn't do anything for my mood. The crying thing doesn't work for me either b/c I can't stand people who just sit around and cry. So I laugh. When you yell at me, I'm laughing at you inside. Does that stop you from yelling at me? Of course not. Do I care? No. Because just like everyone else, I'm just trying to get through the day, and the next 6 months with some shred of sanity left.

I'd love to tell people to leave their pettiness at the door, but since thats not going to happen, I'll just laugh at it. And if other people want to join me in keeping some sense of positivity in this child-like environment, why don't you laugh too? Its really not that bad, whatever it is. You're away from the buzz of the states, the news stations, the traffic commute. You have free food and housing. Plus, you're getting paid. So have fun, dammit!

Orange Moon

2007-08-28T13:59:00.001-06:00

Last night, we had a total eclipse of the moon. Once the moon was completely gone, the green auroras began dancing above us in the sky. They were so amazing that we barely noticed our eyelids turning into icicles. Without a super-good camera, we couldn't get any shots of them, but we took some of ourselves!

Box 'O Love

2007-08-27T21:57:00.000-06:00

If ya wanna send me a much needed present, find some tissues...not the boxed ones, but the refill pack or something! Just put em in an envelope :) My nose is peeling off from being sick and I'm about out of my tissue stash. Icky!

Oh yeah, and if anyone sees that lip gloss in a round container from Neutrogena - its called Intense Healing or something, I'd be forever in debt to you! I had some and it fell out in the snow somewhere never to be found. I cry, I cry....

hehehe. Just living in a cold little ice world!

My Cuz

2007-08-26T19:06:00.000-06:00

Scott is now an official college student. He's got lots to look forward to:

Long nights studying
Girls wearing the smallest possible clothes they can fit themselves into
Beer Pong
Lacrosse Practice
Waking up next to a dude

Doesn't it make you want to go back? :)

Winfly

2007-08-25T23:52:00.000-06:00

Winfly in McMurdo is the period between Winter and Summer seasons. 3 flights are made into station dropping off some of us fresh workers to gear up for summer and to remove the crusty, tired winterovers who are dreaming of warmer climates, sunshine, and travel adventures. The days are short, and the sun is not quite peeking up above the horizon, but there are enough hours of light despite it all. Usually, its freezing cold...but this year temperatures have not dropped to unbearable points very often all winter, and we are assuming we're in for a mild winfly period.

This time of year lends for some beautiful scenery though, and our I drive sports some nice shots:

Christmas Early

2007-08-25T23:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the last flight into McMurdo for 5 weeks. The big question was if we were going to receive the boxes that we had all sent to ourselves, in hopes that they would arrive before this mail dry-spell. The plane arrived and left, the packages were sorted and a list was posted on the wall with the names of the lucky few who had mail waiting in the post office.

My name was on the list! Yippee! This morning when the post office opened, me and Eric eagerly ran up the hill only to find that most of my boxes did not arrive...and the one that did had issues...

The soggy, torn up box with a faded Drugstore.com logo on the side of it was at some point placed into a plastic garbage bag...because, well....it was soggy. All we knew is that some poor bootle of something had not made it through the trip to Antarctica. Eric got his box and we carried them home to start the salvaging process. Armed with a stack of paper towels, I unloaded the toiletries that I had ordered one by sticky one. It was a rather bleak outcome for some of the items...almost all the contents had been spilled and absorbed into the cardboard of the box! There were a few things that were still ok though, and so the Christmas feeling lived on. Mail day was still a happy one. And now I wait anxiously for the next...

Snot

2007-08-24T01:23:00.000-06:00

There are bubbles. Snot bubbles. They are living inside my head. Sometimes, I feel them pop...and wonder if this is even slightly what going insane would feel like. I think there is an ocean inside my head, the waves slowly crashing from right to left, slowly saturating my brain with heaviness. My nose has gone from a not-so-repulsive rather cute straight breathing device to a raw, red protusion on my face which serves no purpose - because I CAN'T BREATHE.

I'm still awake though. I don't have the overwhelming sleepy crankiness that I could have...or may still get. I'm still in good spirits. Its just that my voice sounds like someone is trying to suffocate me with a pillow and my throat cannot be soothed with the many disgusting cough drops I keep feeding it.

I wonder if there is any benefit to being sick. Does being sick keep me out of trouble that I'd be getting into if I were feeling great? Possibly. Does being sick now prevent me from getting deathly ill in October when the Antarctica Crud spreads rapidly, taking down all in its path? Maybe. Do I feel any better? Nah.

The IBDC

2007-08-24T00:10:00.000-06:00

Tonight was the last night of IBDC operation. What is IBDC you ask? The Internation Beverage Distribution Center. In other words, our liquor store. At least the one they used for winter. So they were trying to get rid of stock...and I helped out. Now a box o' wine and Baileys sits happily on top of my desk.

My empty fridge awaits these much needed items. My wallet is lighter.

Ever wonder what we drink in Antarctica?
- Baileys & coffee
- Murray Ridge Savignon Blanc
- Timara Savignon Blanc
- Hardy's Pinot Noir
- Banrock Station Cabernet Merlot
- Speights...the budweiser of New Zealand, only better.

Wanna see Antarctica?

2007-08-23T00:19:00.000-06:00

Check out some time lapse goodies here and here

All for LOVE - Evil love

2007-08-23T00:11:00.001-06:00

So here is the bitchiness coming out. My former favorite co-worker Jeff wrote in to us today giving his resignation. All cheery and fun, like we wouldn't mind. He explained that his new girlfriend was cool and he likes Cali. LIKE WE CARE!!

Insensitive us? YES. Who cares. What I care about is ME. The fact that my season on the ice was going to be super cool with an all-returning staff, no training a new person or wasting any time. Just getting to spend time with the ones we like you know? Ok, here's the story:

Jeff meets girl hiking in Nepal. Jeff immediately falls in love. Jeff follows girl to Cali. Jeff accepts job offer in Antarctica. Multiple emails are written to Jeff confirming that he will still come. Jeff says yes. More emails are written to double check (we obviously didn't trust him). Jeff confirms. We deploy to Antarctica, without hiring an alternate for Jeff's position.

JEFF QUITS, LEAVING US SCREWED. YES SCREWED. Now, not only do we have to hire some new person, but they also have to arrive mainbody and LEARN the job during the time we need them most to be working. Quitting here is not like quitting in the states. We're a bit stranded down here with limited hiring possibilities now. The idiot couldn't have just quit and said his lovey-dovey boooshit earlier when we were in the states? Not happy are we. Not happy at all. If I have a bad season, its definitely all his fault! hehehe.

There its out. I said it. Breathe.....in.......out......

She's totally going to dump him :)

Arrival

2007-08-21T23:57:00.000-06:00

I'm baaaack. After long days spent in orientation, flight delays, and despite all that - a lot of fun....I'm back in Antarctica. The time we had in Christchurch, NZ flew by in a whirl of yummy food. It appears that we are obsessed with Indian food and sushi - two things which most of us crave like no other when we're down here. McMurdo food in my mind is summed up in a few meals: Creamy Chicken and NMFD (Nasty Mexican Food Day). Please note, none of this is bad. Its just that we have MANY ways of using our chicken down here, and it usually results in some sort of creamy chicken dish. Wednesdays were named NMFD by my former co-worker who knows what good mexican food really tastes like. I on the other hand, have no problem with NMFD simply because meat, cheese, beans, salsa, and tortillas are my idea of a good time. Even if they don't always sit right :) Either way, food rants are what we're good at, and so there was mine.

Is it wierd to say that it felt like home when I arrived? Not that my real home didn't also feel like home, but this is really where I've spent the most time in the past 3 years, and it was very familiar. The new folks this year so far are awesome. I'm enjoying everyone's company, and even though I feel like this year will be a very mellow one for me, I'm excited. Station looks much as it did when I left, and it seems to have been a mild winter. The winter people look great and are in good spirits, so that is always good! 6 months spent with 120 people can definitely get stressful.

So far, haven't done much but work. I'm back in the housing office welcoming (and more often dissappointing) people with their new rooms. I have already got a cold, so not feeling super hot, but I've been waking up early every day for my morning yoga sessions! A few people are trying to get me to lead a class, so I'm thinking about it...but not sure yet. More to come...

Almost Over

2007-08-11T20:04:00.000-06:00

Well, the summer is almost over now. Much has been accomplished....or has it? Hahaha. Lets see:

I made a sweater vest
Finished wedding plans
Travelled a bit

Good enough!

Father's Day

2007-06-17T14:56:00.001-06:00

For Father's Day, we figured what better present than grilling tools? That way we can put dad to work and have a feast! Everything tasted really good after our morning hike in the woods with our dogs.

After the BBQ, I decided to try out my recipe for a chocolate peanut butter cake. It turned out delicious!

Scott Graduates High School

2007-06-14T21:51:00.000-06:00

My cousin Scott just graduated high school. Our family got together for a dinner in DC to celebrate. Jaime and Tracy came to visit and so did Karl - I haven't seen them in years! We pigged out at the Melting Pot and enjoyed our ride there and back in a sweet limo.

First Post of 2007!

2007-05-17T14:49:00.000-06:00

So I've been a slacker again, and haven't been keeping up with the blog. Here's the quick rundown:

Left Antarctica and vacationed in New Zealand
Eric proposed - I said yes.
Spending the summer at home in VA

Good enough? :)

Dinner Time!

2006-12-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

Our Xmas Feast was a wonderful time with Mike, Adrianna, and Jeff. We stuffed our faces, took goofy pictures, and drank wine. Nothing else to say. BURP

A Christmas Hike

2006-12-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

We decided that to properly take advantage of the awesome weather we are having, we should go on a hike before Christmas dinner. We filled out the proper paperwork (as everywhere you go must be documented in case of an emergency), checked out at the firehouse, and headed down onto the sea ice. The Cape Armitage loop takes you over miles of sea ice from McMurdo station to Scott Base. On a clear day, the views are endless. On our way down, we heard of a penguin sighting over at Hut Point, but we had our minds set on this hike. Forgoing the penguins, we sloshed out onto the squishy ice - all this sunshine and warmness is melting things fast!

It got a bit chilly out there on the ice, but it felt good to take in some fresh air and exercise. We also were able to watch the LDB (Long Duration Balloon) scientists launch their newest weather balloon which will circle the continent collecting data. Its the white speck above ob hill in the photo! Once we were thoroughly worn out and half frozen, we headed back for warm showers before dinner....

Town Christmas Party!

2006-12-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the town party. They re-vamped the VMF and decorated for the party. Santa Claus made an appearance, and everyone dressed in their McMurdo Best...this varies from sweatpants to skirts!

White Elephants

2006-12-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

For our department Christmas party, we had a White Elephant Skua party. "Skua" is the term used for getting rid of or picking up unwanted items. Each dorm has a "skua bin" in which you can place things you no longer want. This provides the opportunity to have your goods recycled back into the community, embracing the concept of one's trash is another person's treasure. For the Skua party, all the gifts have to be collected from around station and wrapped up. Then one person picks a present and unwraps it. The next person can unwrap a present or steal the already opened one. Some funny gifts that showed up included a spam themed gift - SPAM hat, beach ball, and 2 cans of (expired?) spam. Jeff received the perfect gift of porn, complete with the roll of toilet paper...but that was stolen from him quickly. Drinks and food were had by all, and it was a nice night where people in the department actually all got along. Maybe that is because some of the problem people were not there...but either way, I enjoyed the non-drama of it. Me and eric wound up with a cartoon drawing kit and a pair of clippers to give one of the guys his next haircut...

My sweet Presents!

2006-12-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

My desk at work has become my space for the tree and presents since I'm here more than at home (and because I keep my room in a wonderful state of disarray at all times). The card is from the mommy and all those presents are from Eric. I opened all of them and re-taped them :) Hehehehee, I wish!

Early Christmas

2006-12-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

In Antarctica, getting mail is huge. You always feel like you've won the lottery if a package comes for you. So when we received the big box of Christmas presents Eric's mom sent us, we were pleasantly surprised! Inside were two very soft fleece blankets, some fuzzy socks, dried fruit, and various books/cds/presents from his brothers. We had too much fun with them!

Alpaca Hat

2006-12-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

So I got some great alpaca yarn and had been wondering what to use it for when I found a great pattern for a hat. I figured I'd make it for Eric's Christmas present, but when I got it finished, I couldn't wait that extra week... so here it is!

So you wanna see the wildlife?

2006-12-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

People with Cool Jobs part II

2006-12-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

Antarctic Diving - some cold stuff!!!

Station Services Party

2006-12-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

Station Services refers to the kitchen, recreation, store, and housing staff members, and every year we have a Christmas party. This year, the decorations were gorgeous and the food was amazing. What a difference it makes to have fresh veggies and dip and meat that has been cooked correctly. Our kitchen staff does well, but cooking en masse for 1,000+ people often leaves much to be desired when it comes to dinner. This was so delicious.

The evening started with some "Conversation Bingo" which listed things such as: owns a kayak, been in jail, knows how to play the harp, etc. You're supposed to find someone who has done each thing and get them to sign each slot on your form. The goal was to get to know each other better, but since we were playing for prizes, of course everyone just walked around trading

forms and got it done as fast as possible. Its all good, I'm not into games anyhow! It was a nice evening though :)

Craft Show

2006-12-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

We just got done with the 2nd annual craft show where everyone gets together to view (and buy) the things people have been busy making all season. The crafts ranged from pottery & knitted items to postcards and photography. There are definitely some talented people around here!

ANITA art contest

2006-12-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

ANITA (Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna) will fly a long duration balloon above the Antarctic plateau in order to observe radio impulses that are expected to originate from ultra-high energy cosmic neutrino interactions in the ice. ANITA's payload is a large array of VHF/UHF antennas which can observe and geolocate these impulses, and derive a possible direction and energy for any neutrinos observed. ANITA is the first NASA mission whose goal is high energy neutrino detection.

The battery box on this monster had to be painted 30-50% black to avoid from burning up in the atmosphere (or something) so the scientists held an art contest and awarded the 3 winners a panel on the box. The requirements for the art was either an antarctic theme or something with the Hula girl mascot for the University of Hawaii.

Eric created the cutest little hula penguin and it won a spot on the box. Despite days of bad weather, the balloon has now launched. When asked why they want to detect these neutrinos, one of ANITA's scientists basically answered, "Because we can". There we have it folks, science to see what we can see.

Good luck ANITA

Thanksgiving!

2006-12-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving weekend brought a much needed holiday. The first TWO day weekend I've had since August. This year, Antarctica is not new and exciting. In fact, the monotony of everything is really getting to me. With an extra day off, I finally had a chance to take a hike up the hut ridge trail, and the weather was great! We came upon a little GPS cache where I found these wonderful big glasses. I think its about a 3 mile round trip hike, so we were able to work up an appetite before the big Thanksgiving dinner!

Waiting in line to get into the "dining facility" (they don't want us to call it the galley anymore) is the first step to the evening. This is also where you can see some of the people who use the holiday as an excuse to dress up. I personally never understand the need to get all done up to eat, but hey, to each his own. It is interesting to see people out of their carharts and hats...

Dinner itself was wonderful, with tons of food to choose from. I find myself really claustraphobic though this year, and the crowds started to bother me. Just imagine 300 people crowded around buffet tables, all reaching and excited to get that last shrimp or tomato. And then there are the "lost diners" who wander from buffet table to buffet table with that spaced out look in their eyes...you have to watch out for them because they are likely going to turn around and start walking the opposite direction right when you're behind them. Avoiding accidents in the galley is one of the number one safety concerns.

Either way, we stuffed ourselves, drank wine, and then continued upstairs to the corner bar for more festivities. The two day weekend also allowed for ample time to party and know that we could relax and recover the next day instead of going into work with the hangover.

Happy Birthday Eric!

2006-12-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

We got Hut 10 for Eric's 31st Birthday party and cooked up a feast!

Some of my favorite things...

2006-11-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

So I'm just sitting around thinking about how much my life has changed in the past two years, and remembering the good times I had when I was at home with a "stable" life. Not that it is better or worse than now, but we had some GOOD times!

Kevin's Wedding - Jeff was my date and we had one agenda...drink away the pain of marriage

My sweet puppy dog Brewski who chewed his chicken to death...

The big bald guy who is one of my bestest friends ever! Hmmm, we were drinking that night too..

Now this one is old! New Years at Jeff's place...my people, we need to hang out again!

Can I mention that I miss my painting of a naked woman? I miss it dammit!

Memiors of a Helo Party

2006-11-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

So I just got my hands on some pictures from last year's Helo party. Already a bit intoxicated, I met up with Chris (who is one of the people I miss the most this year). He attempted to kidnap me....

Beach Party!

2006-10-11T21:46:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of me and my boys...my bestest friends from Winfly. I don't see them much anymore, as going out just isn't as fun when the population goes from 400 to 1100. Either way, thinking back on the good old days!

People with cool jobs

2006-10-02T21:29:00.000-06:00

Some people come to Antarctica and still rot inside an office, only to get outside for 10 minutes a day, while walking between dorms (ME!)

Other people get to see the landscape, play with the animals, and even pollute Antarctica in the name of science! Below you'll find what may look like big red snowmen killing whales. Its really just a bunch of scientists tagging killer whales. How cool would that be?

MIA

2006-09-26T20:10:00.000-06:00

Where have I been? What have I been doing? Have I fallen in a crack and died? Not yet.

The truth is, this season feels more like a job. Not that I don't still have fun, but all the stories are the same, the scenery is the same, and well, the people aren't nearly as cool as last year.
But as I sit in my office every day, the computer burning names and numbers into my retinas, the whole "Antarctica" thing goes on around me. So I'll let you in on it...

First, there was the S&M party. This was during Winfly (the period between August and October when life in McMurdo can't be any more near perfect in terms of population, food, and fun).

This "rave" is the perfect excuse to dress in as little as you want, and act as crazy as you want. In fact, I ended up leaving a bit early and running down to Southern, our bar. The only thing is, when you walk into a bar wearing a short skirt and a collar around your neck, people look at you funny....

The weather was SHITTY this winfly and I think out of the whole 6 weeks, we may have had 3 clear nights. It wasn't necessarily cold, just cloudy and windy with lots of snow blowing. One afternoon it went to a condition 2 weather condition... Here's me and Roxanne, and YES, I am that much shorter than her!

At one point, you couldn't see those buildings behind me because the snow was blowing so hard. It was unusually warm that day though, and the snow was so moist that every time you went inside, your face was sopping wet!

There was also hiking...it was cold. But sometimes when you're dreaming of getting in your car and taking a road trip, the best thing you can do is go out and take a hike.

Our department did the annual trip up to the NASA golf ball, which houses the Satellite. This provides important TIME OFF WORK as well as a nice view of town.

Hut 10 Party

2006-09-10T18:56:00.000-06:00

Pisten Bully

2006-09-10T00:04:00.000-06:00

This little short-bus is one of the preferred methods of getting around down here!

Antarctic road building

2006-09-09T23:52:00.000-06:00

Down here in the true South, road construction works a bit differently. Traveling over the sea ice is a common way to get around, and sometimes the best way to reach a destination. At the beginning of the Winfly season, it is necessary to find a safe route for scientists & science support groups to follow when heading out to their research stations. To accomplish this task, a group of people are gathered to search out the route and mark it along the way.

Flags on bamboo poles serve as our road signs in and around McMurdo. They not only show the correct path to take while travelling, but also dangerous areas (thin ice, crevasses) along the way. This is a tiresome task, as a hole must be drilled for each bamboo pole to rest in, and the flags must be close together in case bad weather creates low visibility.

In search of "the lights"

2006-09-08T23:39:00.000-06:00

My friend Barry has spent every night searching the sky for a glimpse of the Southern Lights. However, this season the weather hasn't been so clear, and from town we have not even been able to see stars on most nights. So imagine Barry's excitement when he got invited to go on a night excursion to Castle Rock to check out the lights. Castle Rock is about a 9 mile round trip hike in the bitter cold right now...but that didn't stop this group of hikers!

Halfway to Castle Rock, there's a small emergency hut with a phone and some blankets...and a guest book. Here, you can find the names of those who came before you...and also some other rather interesting comments and information about people.

The hike up the side of Castle Rock can be a little tricky in the summer time, but right now, the snow and ice covering the rock make it much more difficult to climb...and that much more satisfying when you reach the top!

Finished Product

2006-09-08T19:22:00.000-06:00

Creativity?

2006-09-07T22:30:00.000-06:00

My boyfriend requested that I find hobbies so that I don't drink so much. Everyone seems to find that funny. *bewildered look*

Anyhow, over the past few months, here are some of the projects I've completed along with my "test hat" that I'm working on now.

Ice Runway

2006-09-07T22:23:00.000-06:00

Every season during winfly, we build an ice runway so that C-17s can fly people in and land on the sea ice right outside of town. This runway takes many days and LOTS of snow removal to construct. Operations are round the clock trying to finish the runway in time for the first flight of Mainbody.

Hiking

2006-09-07T18:57:00.000-06:00

Today seemed a bit warmer than usual, so I gathered the girls and we took a hike down to Hut Point. As soon as we were outside of town, we realized that it was NOT warm at all! Either way, the fresh air was nice, and it felt good to be moving around.

Men's room fun

2006-09-01T19:29:00.000-06:00

This is what happens when a window is left open in Antarctica....

Antarctic Weather

2006-08-23T18:54:00.000-06:00

Since we've arrived here, the weather has steadily dropped in temperature and the days have been pretty cloudy. We've got about 4-5 hours of daylight right now, but the sun has not yet shown down on any of our buildings. Thats ok though, because Antarctic nights are gorgeous. The moon has been keeping us company until we finally see the sun!

Back to the Ice

2006-08-21T12:47:00.000-06:00

Once again, back to shared living space. Here is what my space consists of...at least I decorated a bit more this year than last! My room is nothing more than a bed and a closet, but I just have a month until Eric gets here and we can move into our "permanent" room. Funny how in Antarctica 5 months seems permanent, huh? This place gives us more stability than anywhere since we don't have the choice of leaving. There's nowhere to escape!!

Its good to be back though. Rather strange how not too much has changed and it seems like I never left. But here, we have no gas price worries, no bills, no quandry over what to cook for dinner, and minimal daily chores. I really can't argue with that! If only I could have my kitty....

Desert Rainbow Road

2006-08-13T15:45:00.000-06:00

The desert sure is hot, but it can certainly be beautiful! Eric took this picture on one of his many trips back and forth across the desert this summer.

Moab Garden Goodies

2006-08-10T18:41:00.000-06:00

Well, I've left Moab and headed back to Virginia to see my parents before leaving again. Eric has another week or two at the house, and our garden is in full bloom with delicious tomatoes. MMMMM, I'm so jealous I don't get to taste all these juicy things! However, our summer garden attempt has proven successful, and we had a great time with it. Now its time to go back to Antarctica, where a green plant will be nowhere in sight for another 6 months to a year....

Flash floods & waterfalls

2006-07-20T15:20:00.000-06:00

Driving back to Moab, we took a scenic route and enjoyed some forests along the way. Its wierd how much you miss trees when you live in the desert most of the time.

When we got back home, there was red dirt all over the roads and bulldozers on the shoulder. Looked like we had gotten some flooding. It turned out that there had been huge amounts of rain in Arches park and that the flooding had become waterfalls down over the cliffs. You go away for 10 days and miss all the cool stuff!

Our garden had suffered a bit in the storms and some of our tomato plants were leaning to the side. Our sunflower had snapped in half and fell over, but otherwise, things were ok. Its good to be home again and have nothing to do for another 10 days. After that, we're heading to Denver, then back to VA, then on to New Zealand and Antarctica! Summers go by quickly, thats for sure.

Another pit hike!

2006-07-16T15:01:00.000-06:00

Today we hiked the Fairyland trail in Bryce Canyon. An ambitious couple, we started the 8.5 mile hike at 11:30 and enjoyed the awesome views and cloudy weather. However, after the first 6 miles, I wasn't so hot on the hike anymore, and just wanted to get back to the cabin my Aunt had rented where the wine & hot tub were waiting for me!!

It was a great trip though and very nice to see my Aunt Sharon and her friend Ellen. Eric cooked us all dinner and survived a night with the 3 of us crazy girls. Lots of fun.

Home, sweet home

2006-07-14T23:52:00.000-06:00

We arrived in the outskirts of Eugene and the signs for fresh produce were everywhere. I have an obsession with things of this sort, and drooled past every stand. We stopped at a lake right outside town only to find that it was huge! They even have a little marina and sail boats were abundant. This immediately solved our concern about not living by the water. Eric could sail on this lake if need be, and we were only an hour from the coast. Driving back into Eugene, we knew right away that this is where we would move. Bellingham is cool, but Eugene has everything we want right now. The college program for Eric is awesome, their new 4 story library is so cool, and the town itself is just really funky.

And you can't beat the beer. Last time we were there, we had awesome beer at this local hangout. This time, we found another little micro-brewery where it just so happened they were rolling out new beers. Free drinks, and an awesome peach cider made us happy. The hamburgers were delicious, and convinced me to put down the brochure about how vegetarian is the only way to go. To top it all off, they were raffling off prizes and I won a t-shirt! Now I have to move there.

There are parks and walking/bike paths everywhere, and we even got pulled over because in the state of Oregon you can't drive on a crosswalk until all pedestrians are COMPLETELY crossed to the other side. Kind of annoying if you're driving, but at least I have less of a chance to get run over walking around town right?

Oh yeah, did I mention they have a farmers market 3 days a week? Yeah. I love me some Eugene.

Portland

2006-07-13T14:47:00.000-06:00

Portland is not a place I would live. Every time we even drive through there, we get stuck in traffic. I'm not sure why, but I pictured it differently. I actually like Seattle a lot more than Portland. But we stopped there for a night to check it out anyhow and to see Amanda!

Dinner consisted of the two BIGGEST bowls of curry I've ever seen. Me and Eric could have easily split a meal and not finished. Stuffed, we wandered the streets over to Powells, a book store that is 4 stories high and takes up a whole city block. If you know me and Eric, we were in Heaven! I'm not sure what time it was when we got there, but a few hours later, we still weren't done and it was time to meet Amanda. I keep thinking about that store. It might be worth moving to Portland just so I could go to that store every day....

Anyhow, we took some pics, but none of Amanda :( We are retarded sometimes. It was fun either way, and we all got beer and caught up. I hope I'll be seeing her again VERY soon!

Bellingham, Washington

2006-07-12T14:23:00.000-06:00

Bellingham was a gorgeous place! Right on the waterfront, the air always smelled of salt and the temperatures were comfortable. The perfect escape from Moab's summer heat. We wandered the town and the docks, checking out the surroundings. Overall, it was a neat place with a great downtown. However, the housing market there has blown up and houses are overvalued by 50%. It makes the prospect of buying a little house pretty much impossible!

We were able to see the Alaska Ferry at dock and both realized that we miss our summer- time in Alaska. However, soon we'll be back in Antarctica where the weather is cold and the town is small once more. I'm looking forward to getting back, but I'm also looking forward to just being done with the whole thing so I can settle down for a bit and relax from the back-and-forth schedule, doctors appts, and interviews. I want to go get my kitty and live somewhere for awhile! That was the purpose of this trip, and we ended up liking Bellingham alot despite the housing prices.

We found the cheapest sushi ever and pigged out...we had Indian food, we watched movies. Any town with good food like that has got my vote. Plus, there were tons of very artsy shops and people...a nice environment.

We couldn't decide if Bellingham or Eugene would be our next place to call home...so we decided to extend our trip and go back to Eugene!

Northern Exposure

2006-07-10T23:16:00.000-06:00

On the way to Bellingham, we stopped in Roslyn Washington to visit the site where Northern Exposure was filmed. What a crazy little town, tucked back in the middle of nowhere! For those of you who are fans of the show, we poked our heads inside the bar where it all happens...only to find that the inside looks completely different from the one in the show. Have they remodeled? Was it filmed elsewhere? Who knows. It was cool either way....

My first tomato

2006-07-07T14:58:00.000-06:00

I love my garden. Especially when my tomatoes finally ripen. This baby is sitting pretty in my belly....

Chelsea visits

2006-07-06T15:09:00.000-06:00

We have been without pets for too long. So I was happy when Eric's mom brought his dog down to visit us for a week. Chelsea is a 15 year old English Setter who loves to sleep in closets. And its not that she was scared the whole time....she just hates cameras!

Eric's mom visits

2006-07-01T21:14:00.000-06:00

We had a nice time with Eric's mom when she came to Moab. Eric took us on a Canyonlands Light Show tour where we ate a big Dutch-oven type dinner and then jumped on a boat headed down the Colorado. The guide pointed out interesting formations on the way and then a taped story was played while a light show was done on the canyon walls. We weren't allowed to bring cameras, so there are no pictures.

The next morning, we all hiked up to Delicate Arch again. It was a nice morning, but the day got pretty hot as we headed back.

Stupid me... forgot the sunscreen on my neck and got a bit crispy-fried!

Vacation Time!!

2006-06-27T19:46:00.000-06:00

We were doing some quality porch sitting this morning and browsing the relocation package we were sent from Bellingham, Washington. It included a real estate guide, some coupons, and generic town information. For example, did you know that the average high temperature in Bellingham during July is 72? Yes, 72. How pleasant. I bet I wouldn't have to take three showers a day and sweat just from walking outside in a town like that. The downfall...5 inches of rain each month in the winter. Hmmmm...

So Bellingham vs Eugene. Which town will win? We decided Eugene had an unfair advantage since we've already been there and loved it. So....being unemployed and all....why not go to Bellingham? Rather than sit on our asses in our backyard pool, crispy frying our pasty selves, we may as well just jump in the car and go have some fun in what may become our new home town.

Online, we found that Bellingham has many great places to kiss. It may be the kissing capital of the west coast according to the enthusiasm on this website. So we're gonna go get some action....

Neeeeeed

2006-06-19T19:43:00.000-06:00

I want margaritas.
A lot of them.
Seriously.

Why have I gone through the summer and have had maybe two margaritas? I think something may be wrong with me. Anyone want to come over for a shot 'o tequila or two?

The Pit of Hell

2006-06-16T15:57:00.000-06:00

What started out as any other day of hiking in Canyonlands National Park turned into a tiresome experience I would prefer to never have again!

We have a tour book AND the park map that talks about a hike in the "Neck" of the canyon. 5.8 miles was the distance quoted. We headed down into the canyon and enjoyed the sights and a nice lunch. Thats where the fun part ended! Soon, the trail was leading up and down sand dunes. My legs burning, I wondered if the trail would ever flatten or turn back into the rock I'm used to hiking on in these parts?

As we hiked, I looked across the gap to the other side where are car rested and wondered how the heck this loop worked, considering we just kept following the side of the cliff edge and got farther and farther from where we started. My shoes were full of sand, my muscles screaming, and my adventurous mood was declining fast. Eventually, we decided that there was no way we'd make it to the car on this path. To make it worse, the sun was setting, and we had about an hour and a half of light left....and 2.5 hours of hiking back the way we came.

I've got no clue how the park service could have such a well marked trail lead into the middle of no where. The blisters forming on my feet, I dragged myself back over the same path and Eric decided we could climb to the top of the cliff face and reach the road that winds through the park. At least we wouldn't be stuck down in the damn pit of hell in the dark with all the coyotes and rattlesnakes! We reached the top rim of the canyon just as the sun was setting....SAFE!!

I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a car in all my life. 5.8 miles my ass. Call me a wuss, but that sucked.

Buckin' Broncos, flat tires, and SHEEP

2006-06-08T22:33:00.000-06:00

Well, tonight sure was different from most. I started out with a flat tire as we pulled in to the annual Moab Rodeo. It had been raining all day and was getting dark, so we figured we better change the tire while we had a dry moment and a little light left. Wouldn't have been a big deal except that the Rodeo parking lot was just a big pile of mud and my tire jack kept digging in and toppling over, making this little tire changing project last a lot longer than it needed to!!

Once everything was fixed up, we headed inside to watch some sexy(?) cowboys and cowgirls buck around on their choice of animal. My first Rodeo. Boy was I excited. Rodeos are like football in that you just can't seem to get down to the action before the women parade around with flags and whatnot. These women were hardly as cute as the ones with the little pom poms and miniskirts at college ballgames, but they did have tight jeans, boots, and form fitting sequined tops. This one girl had the biggest, shiniest hooters in a red, white, and blue top that seemed to be loosing sequins into the horse's hair too. Damn hot. We started sneezing a bit at the beginning....allergic to horses too I guess?

Anyways, back to the real events. Kids riding sheep. I had no clue that sheep riding was a sport, and now I feel like I have missed out by growing up in the city. I mean, if I had gotten a chance to pop on a sweet helmet, jump on a sheep, and hang on for dear life until the sheep or I went down, you can bet your last dollar I'd have been a champion!!! Screw swim team, I would've been a sheep riding fool! Oh well, I got to watch other kids do that tonight.

The crazy horses and bulls were amazing to watch and I have no clue why any man would want to subject himself or his balls to that torture, but it makes a hell of a scene. By now, Eric's eyes were watering and it wasn't from looking at all those girls on horseback. The amount of horsehair and whatever else in the air was just about killing us!! We stayed through the end though and had the displeasure of watching them wrestle cows to the ground by practically twisting their heads off. I personally didn't get too much enjoyment out of that.

An asthma attack almost killed Eric on the way home from the night's festivities, but we made it back throughly entertained and mostly alive. I think I've been missing out....

Fiery Furnace

2006-06-08T11:40:00.000-06:00

The Fiery Furnace hike is by far one of the best hikes in Arches National Park. It requires a guide your first time because much of the path is unmarked and leads through narrow rock openings. We started out about 9 am and were completely lucky because it was an overcast day and the temperature had plummeted. Once we got inside the rock formations, we saw deer and rabbits among the desert scrub. The rock formations were really cool and we scrambled up and down rock faces to each new destination. Some of the overlooks we got into other parts of the park were amazing also!

After the hike was over, about noon, we had a picnic lunch and then the sky opened up and poured! We had made it just in time :)

The Day of the Beast...and Taco Tuesday

2006-06-06T14:53:00.000-06:00

So we woke up at the crack of dawn this morning. For us unemployed folk, that means 7 am. Why you ask? It was for the fiery furnace, a guided hike into the wild rock maze of Arches National Park. You are required to have a guide the first time, and have a permit all the rest of the time. Supposedly, there is no trail, so people often get lost. And lost=wasted time and money for the park service. No one likes that.

Yeah, anyways, we get to the park and drive to the trailhead...almost. The road was completely blocked off - they had just got done paving! So to our dismay, we turned around and headed back to the visitors center where we were informed that we were out of luck. We had signed up for the hike before the pavers had reported their schedule. So there was no Fiery Furnace on 6/6/06 for us :(

Feeling ready for a hike anyhow, we decided to try a side canyon we'd seen while bike riding - BAD IDEA. This place was like the projects of canyons. The "stream" was stagnant bug breeding pools and the big gray biting flies just didn't do it for me. We were not meant to hike today. Period.

Well, all the lack of action had us hungry so we headed for TACO TUESDAY at La Hacienda, my new favorite mexican restaurant. That put us in a much better mood. Things only got better when we returned home to find our little garden full of sprouting snacks. One day, we will feast from our own backyard...

Of Gym Shoes and Bugs...

2006-06-05T14:56:00.000-06:00

Removing a bug from your ear = $200.00, Convincing your Boyfriend you're not crazy = Priceless! Two weeks after screaming, jumping up and down and smacking her head with her hand like a madwoman at 1 in the morning..... Marisa finally had the bug in her Ear removed. Much to the amusement of the clinic doctor and staff here at the Moab clinic :) She even got to keep it as a souveneer after they spent an hour trying to figure out how to scrape a dead bug off her eardrum! LOL!!! Funny as it was I am now satisifed that my girlfriend is not crazy ( I began to worry about all the "fluttering" in her head) .

Also on this fine day, I finally got my brand spankin new gym shoes to use here at our local fitness center. It's a good gym and it will be nice to have a workout in air-con comfort while the desert heat is roasting outside. But the guy who owns it is .... let's just say Super Anal! He has video cameras all over the place and watches for members who wear used shoes into his gym, if he catches you it's 50 bucks! So in order to comply with these rules Marisa and I got sweet new shoes, hers are a shiny silver and yellow while mine are a classic black and white... cool, eh?

The Better Half.....

2006-06-03T14:01:00.000-06:00

So.... Marisa said I'm allowed to speak my peace about the reality of this summer.... but then when I tell her what I want to say she changes her mind.... Funny, eh?
Anyhow, The Devil's Garden hike was fun... but long, and while I didn't think it was too strenous the last 2 hours consisted of me turning back every 20 feet to give her "motovational" hugs :) which was fine but she was all sweaty and dirty and kept complaining about her upset stomach and having to poop in the shrubs.... heeheheheh..
Life here is good though... and I'm not complaining. In fact I'm most proud of our little backyard Oasis that we built for 70 bucks. It consists of a small table transfered from the front porch, 2 plastic lounge chairs, a 12 dollar lawn umbrella for shade and the centerpiece: a neon green family pool!!! It's so sweet! Big inflateable sides that we can lounge about on and stay cool in this 105 degree heat. The phot's don't do it justice but I love our little Oasis, backyard dinner with Wine after a dip in the pool....Unemployment dosen't get any better than this!

Public Apology

2006-06-02T20:42:00.000-06:00

My sweet Ana Bell!!! I hear you are mad at me for being a slacker at keeping in touch. I am...I admit it! But I still love you my little Antarctican friend. In fact, I dream of beating your team in the next bowling tournament, and watching cheesy girly movies, and talking crap about everyone who sux!

Please forgive me!!
(I'm down on my knees here, baby).

I just got a new celly, so I will call you this weekend.

Everyone else who's reading, here is a pic of my favorite friend from Antarctica!

Devil's Garden

2006-05-31T19:35:00.000-06:00

Today we hiked Devil's Garden, the 8 mile trail at the end of Arches National Park. It was the last day our weather was supposed to be under 100 degrees, so why not?

The beginning of the trail was super dissappointing as we pulled into an overly crowded parking lot and found a wide gravel trail where ladies in dresses and flip flops were "hiking" around. Despite that, the scenery was gorgeous as we walked between the sandstone walls to the outlooks for various different arches around the park. Some of them were high up in the rock and you could only view them, while others were low enough to walk through.

The views were amazing from these arches, and you could see all the way across the park. Rock fins rose from the flat desert land hundreds of feet in the air, in the strangest formations. Once we got past the first couple of arches, the crowd thinned out with the trail. It was necessary to scramble a bit up the rock faces to get further into the park. The hike got much better from here on out!

We reached Navajo Arch, where the wind had worked a hole through the Sandstone, creating a little cave-like structure. The sunlight was beautiful in here, and it was cool between all the surrounding rocks. From Navajo, we hiked over the rock fins to Double O Arch and had a snack and a rest!

The next 2 hours were spent on the "primitive" trail, where we got to dip down into the canyon and hike the bottom of the rock fins. Scrambling up and down these babies really makes you feel small! We found this rock which is shaped rather oddly - I'm not going to make any suggestions here ;)

Finally back at the car, crispy from the sun and sore from the hike, we decided on Chinese food and good old Miller Lite for dinner!

Family Time

2006-05-30T18:48:00.000-06:00

Memorial Day Weekend. Moab is packed. The grocery store reminded me alot of Northern Virginia shopping. You'd half expect someone to jump over your shoulder or karate chop you to get to the last good apple. The freaking huge families and their train of carts parade down the aisles leaving you wondering WHY people have to move so slowly and act so lost in a type of store they visit EVERY week. Its groceries, dammit...get with the program right? Anyhow, I got food for our weekend guests.

Eric's two brothers Jeremy and Kurt came to visit with their wives. Baby Kenai came along too, to remind me and Eric how cool being single and childless really is (like we were having doubts!). He was cute though and definitely has entertainment value. The Moab Arts Festival was on, so we browsed the stands and admired the photography/painting/sculpting skills of the many artists and wondered why our main talent was drinking wine. Lots of bands played throughout the day, and we even got to watch some belly shakin' when Moab's only belly dancing troup performed.

Jeremy enjoyed some quality time in our backyard oasis, but no one else was brave enough to jump in that day. Much wine drinking occurred and after an unknown period of time, when most of the house was asleep, me, Eric, Jeremy, and Tiffany went on an adventure to the park. That is some of the last part of the evening I remember, other than the fact that I arrived back at the house in the trunk. Supposedly Eric headed straight for the ice cream (and broke the scoop) while I complained about him eating it on my side of the bed. Neither one of us remembers this at all, but the ice cream scoop WAS broken when we woke up the next day and Tiffany was there to clue us in on our funny behavior the night before!

It was a good weekend with great weather. Kenai smooshed many cheerios and bananas into the carpet, and looked damn cute doing it. I think everyone enjoyed their time here. Jeremy & Marin completed a grueling bike ride through Arches while Tiffany & Kurt hauled the baby up Negro Bill's Canyon. Me and Eric did nothing that day and enjoyed every minute of our laziness (hangover).

Oh yeah, and we took the group photo before everyone left. Notice how the baby seems to be sprouting legs in red :)

10 degrees cooler

2006-05-23T18:37:00.000-06:00

I never really thought about the difference between 80 and 90 degrees. The difference is that you can sit at your table eating breakfast and NOT break a sweat at 80. Today was awesome!

A hike was in order to celebrate the weather. We went down to Negro Bill's Canyon, wondering how it got its name. The wonderful little P.C. sign explained to us that William Something-or-Other was one of the first "non-natives" to arrive to this area in the 1800's. Hmmm, interesting. I wonder how I can get my name attached to a canyon, short of dying in an unnamed one?

The 2 mile walk was beautiful and took us through the bottom of the canyon, next to a little creek, and lots of greenery. Desert plants and cactus flowers kept us company, along with an abundance of poision ivy. Our paths over sandstone rocks and sand led us to Morning Glory Arch, one of the longest natural bridges. Absolutely gorgeous.

Not getting the whole story? Want more?

2006-05-23T17:25:00.000-06:00

So Eric's complaint is that this blog is biased and I'm giving a glossed over view of life here in Moab. So he can now post on this thing to give you a more well-rounded idea. But until he motivates himself to do so...lemme tell you a couple little stories I forgot about in the chaos that is moving in.

Our house is also home to a variety of supposedly friendly (but not so friendly-looking) spiders and bugs. Not infested or anything, but we all share. And they pop out at the most inappropriate moments. And I scream. Eric gets a kick out of this....I don't care. After hanging with my Uncle's poisonous spiders in Arkansas when I was 16, I developed a pure hatred for the furry little buggers. So I don't care how small they are...get them out of my house!

Going along with the spiders are a variety of bugs. YES I want to keep my doors open at all times. And YES I understand that they are going to get in the house sometimes. But that is no excuse for the thing that crawled on my arm the other night when I went to bed - a distraction plot so that his friend could make his way into my EAR!!!!

Yeah, who knows if that's correct or not. Maybe I imagined the whole thing. Maybe my ear was just tingling on its own and feeling like something was flittering little wings inside it. And MAYBE I looked completely stupid dancing around the bedroom smacking my head and screaming "get it out!" when Eric had no idea what was going on. Again, I don't care. These bugs have it out for me - thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

So after sticking various objects in my ear to try and remove whatever was in there (no luck), we contemplated the fact that I may be insane and there was nothing there. I went to bed (sort of) for a few hours until the flittering was back that morning.

I was on a mission. That thing was going to DIE.

Olive Oil. Thats what the internet says to use to dislodge objects in your ear. Whatever, I was DESPERATE!

A disappointing end to a long tale - we never did find the culprit. No dead bug came floating to the top. However, I now know what its like to have olive oil in my ear for 20 minutes AND there is no more flittering or wierd ear feelings.

Draw your own conclusions...

The Burning Bush

2006-05-22T18:08:00.000-06:00

So we decided to do this crazy bike ride yesterday to test out my new bike gear. It wasn't too long of a distance, but its uphill most of the way... a bit ambitious for my lazy ass. Oh well, gotta start somewhere. So I make it to our destination without falling off the bike, although there were some close calls where I couldn't get my foot unclipped from the pedals and my bike was rolling to a nice halt as my muscles gave out. Yeah, so what. I'm a complainer. I made it though.

We watched the ducks in this wierd pond, and rested for about 10 minutes....then it started pouring. The sky just opened up and let us have it. So we figure going home has got to be quick and easy...its all downhill. We start racing down the twisty roads and I'm going to myself "Don't brake, your bike may slip and you will definitely be hurting. Don't brake." Eric looked back to make sure I was ok. And right then, a HUGE bolt of lightening came down what looked like right behind his head. If I wasn't clipped into my bike, I may have fallen off from shock. Instead, I started hauling ass to get home. This whole storm thing was not so entertaining with lightening so close. As we rounded the next bend, there it was - the burning bush. That damn lightening bolt had hit just a few hundred feet away, and the proof was turning to ashes before our eyes.

Sitting back home on my front porch watching the rain, I wondered if I could use that as an excuse not to ride up those hills anymore....I mean God struck down upon us and set the bush on fire!

La Sal Adventures

2006-05-21T20:21:00.000-06:00

A drive into the La Sal mountains today provided a much needed relief from the desert heat. While out gardening yesterday, I fried myself and couldn't handle any more of the super-powered sunshine! A 30 minute drive and 6,000 feet higher had us feeling much better!

This area is filled with 4-wd paths, so we decided to follow a book we've got and try to loop around in the mountains. However, we reached a little more than a fourth a tank of gas and were lost, so the loop will have to be post-poned to a later date....we need a better map! During our beautiful bumpy ride, we got to pass through little desert towns where the green building is very evident, and adobe, mud, straw, and grass are commonplace building materials. Further on, the scrub turned into trees and we were surrounded by tons of wildlife. Good size deer flanked the roads and we dodged chipmonks along with the larger rocks. I guess these farmers have free range cows, because they were EVERYWHERE! We found a few nice lakes, hiked up the side of a mountain and found snow, and best of all - we weren't sweating!!

Cheap Groceries

2006-05-20T20:32:00.000-06:00

So we figure if we can save the world by growing our own food, we'll give it a try. And hey, if nothing else, its less groceries to buy! Today we bought the plants for our little garden. Lots of beans, tomatoes, and peppers. Sweet peppers and hot peppers. Some cabbage and eggplant. And a tomatillo - even though I haven't a clue as to what I'll do with those! I also got a bunch of herbs...and a nice sunburn!