I'm so remiss in updating this thing.
Actually, truth be told, I use it to food porn on. And to keep up on some of my favourite writers.
2011 so far has been epic.
Details maybe later.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Where does the time go?
It seems to me, since I have been working in Antarctica, time never just drags anymore. It passes by quickly, year after year. To me, 9 seasons ago does sort of seem like yesterday. Here I am, now seeing the light at the end of my deployment tunnel, knowing full well that 2011 will go as quickly as any of the seasons have.
I bypass resolutions usually all together, but this year, I'm going to make it my best year ever. I have a lot of good things going on, and I'm standing on the edge of having close to a perfect life. I mean really, I am lucky, and if you would have asked my 10 years ago if I ever thought my life would be this good, I would have said no. Anyway, that is what I intend for 2011, and I suppose we will see how that goes. It means a lot of things, and for those that know me personally, and how rough 2010 ended up being for me, I'm not hoping for things to get easier (though I would take it if it presented itself), but for me to take it all in stride and in grace. Keep your hands and feet in the ride of life until the ride has come to a complete stop...
The season here has been good. I did get to see some of the more remote camps on my great continent. Yeah, it sure is white and mostly flat out there. But that being said, I have gotten to ride on flight decks of airplanes and bounce around in helicopters, even on my whirlwind work tours. One of the load masters on the LC130's recognized me, and we laughed about my getting some serious frequent flier miles. I told him I was in it for the upgrades. So he sat me up top in the cockpit. Yep, THAT was an upgrade for sure. He even made me a ghetto mocha.
I feel the rush of the end of season pushing down on my ears. I actually was up most of last night with anxiety, (not to mention my ribs are out of place, yet again. Thanks boxing!) and the feeling like I'm just not in control enough of this job of mine. This is the first job I have ever had that is this brainless, and seems impossible to get on top of on most days. Herding penguins across the airfield has got to be easier. Anyway, I'm feeling the pressure. Not in a good way, and I think my resolve to quit drinking for the month of January just got pushed back to Feb.
Boxing takes up a fair bit of my time, and has pushed my physical limits further than a lot of activities I have done in my life. I box 3 times a week now, and am completely addicted to it. I would like to continue once I get back to the states, but because of my work travel schedule, I'm fairly dubious that will happen. Yet, I'm hopeful that I will get the chance. I have popped my ribs out twice now. Once was just a fluke, I twisted bad while hitting the heavy bag, and the other was a direct result of my sparring buddy landing an odd punch on my back. Not something that usually happens, but as soon as he nailed me, I knew it. Yeah, so hopefully this will not take weeks to get back into place again. I did end up in medical, much like Oliver Twist asking for some meds to help me get through the night. Taking said meds made me barfy and unable to work the next day, so that was a bust. Yep, I usually power through the pain anyway....so I feel sort of stupid for even asking the doctor for meds in the first place.
I also asked for ambien this year too. A few firsts for me down here in the 2010 season. Usually I power through the insomnia. *sigh* Maybe I'm just getting old. This is also the first season (knocks on particle board) that I have not been down with the crud. I'm exposed to a lot of work places, but not necessarily to high concentrations of people. Couple that with a desire to avoid social situations this season, and I think I might...might actually make it without getting sick.
Anyway, here is to hoping all of our 2011 is the best year for us. Whatever that should mean.
I bypass resolutions usually all together, but this year, I'm going to make it my best year ever. I have a lot of good things going on, and I'm standing on the edge of having close to a perfect life. I mean really, I am lucky, and if you would have asked my 10 years ago if I ever thought my life would be this good, I would have said no. Anyway, that is what I intend for 2011, and I suppose we will see how that goes. It means a lot of things, and for those that know me personally, and how rough 2010 ended up being for me, I'm not hoping for things to get easier (though I would take it if it presented itself), but for me to take it all in stride and in grace. Keep your hands and feet in the ride of life until the ride has come to a complete stop...
The season here has been good. I did get to see some of the more remote camps on my great continent. Yeah, it sure is white and mostly flat out there. But that being said, I have gotten to ride on flight decks of airplanes and bounce around in helicopters, even on my whirlwind work tours. One of the load masters on the LC130's recognized me, and we laughed about my getting some serious frequent flier miles. I told him I was in it for the upgrades. So he sat me up top in the cockpit. Yep, THAT was an upgrade for sure. He even made me a ghetto mocha.
I feel the rush of the end of season pushing down on my ears. I actually was up most of last night with anxiety, (not to mention my ribs are out of place, yet again. Thanks boxing!) and the feeling like I'm just not in control enough of this job of mine. This is the first job I have ever had that is this brainless, and seems impossible to get on top of on most days. Herding penguins across the airfield has got to be easier. Anyway, I'm feeling the pressure. Not in a good way, and I think my resolve to quit drinking for the month of January just got pushed back to Feb.
Boxing takes up a fair bit of my time, and has pushed my physical limits further than a lot of activities I have done in my life. I box 3 times a week now, and am completely addicted to it. I would like to continue once I get back to the states, but because of my work travel schedule, I'm fairly dubious that will happen. Yet, I'm hopeful that I will get the chance. I have popped my ribs out twice now. Once was just a fluke, I twisted bad while hitting the heavy bag, and the other was a direct result of my sparring buddy landing an odd punch on my back. Not something that usually happens, but as soon as he nailed me, I knew it. Yeah, so hopefully this will not take weeks to get back into place again. I did end up in medical, much like Oliver Twist asking for some meds to help me get through the night. Taking said meds made me barfy and unable to work the next day, so that was a bust. Yep, I usually power through the pain anyway....so I feel sort of stupid for even asking the doctor for meds in the first place.
I also asked for ambien this year too. A few firsts for me down here in the 2010 season. Usually I power through the insomnia. *sigh* Maybe I'm just getting old. This is also the first season (knocks on particle board) that I have not been down with the crud. I'm exposed to a lot of work places, but not necessarily to high concentrations of people. Couple that with a desire to avoid social situations this season, and I think I might...might actually make it without getting sick.
Anyway, here is to hoping all of our 2011 is the best year for us. Whatever that should mean.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
As the ice turns....
Well we are rapidly approaching the big Halloween party here. I have yet to attend one in all of my years working in Antarctica. Call me crazy, but I'm a little paranoid about being in a huge building that only has two fire exits and no fire supression system. *shrug* The other side of the coin is a huge crowd, and drama llamas. So I suspect that I will likely be found in our coffee house playing some cribbage with a few friends and drinking some wine.
Things are motoring along here. I'm trying to get my head wrapped around travelling down here, and getting from field camp to field camp. I am actually exceedingly lucky this year to have a position that lets me do that. I have only gone into the interior of Antarctica once, over to Beardmore Glacier area. This year I'm slated to hit South Pole Station, Wais Divide, Byrd Surface Camp, and those will happen with LC130's. Then by helicopter to Marble Point, Black Island and the Dry Valley areas. Yep, colour me excited. I also have to manage all of that, with the work I have here in town. Fortunately I now have some flying monkeys at my disposal to help with my tasking.
I have also received word that my work/personal travel schedule is going to be more hectic this year than last. It looks a lot like this:
Leave Antarctica for New Zealand in late January.
Spend a few days in New Zealand and head to Denver.
Maybe head to Arizona from Denver and back again.
Leave Denver to Hawaii and back again towards the end of Feb for a week.
Leave Denver to Port Hueneme California for work and back again end of March straddling into the begining of April. Maybe take some side flights up the coast to Oregon and Washington.
Leave Denver to Punta Arenas Chile for work, around the middle of April.
Leave Chile to take a research vessel to Palmer Station Antarctica, and back again to Denver, around the begining of May.
Leave Denver to take a honeymoon. Africa? Spain? Japan? Not decided yet. Back again in May.
Leave Denver to go back to Punta Arenas to work for a month or two around June. Back again in July.
Maybe leave Denver to go to Georgia and back again July.
Maybe leave Denver to go to Vegas and back again July.
Leave Denver to go to Arizona and back again in August.
Leave Denver to come back to McMurdo Station in August.
I'm stoked for sure, but it is going to kick my ass. I really wish the science types would get a teleporter working. It sure would shave some time off in airports.
Things are motoring along here. I'm trying to get my head wrapped around travelling down here, and getting from field camp to field camp. I am actually exceedingly lucky this year to have a position that lets me do that. I have only gone into the interior of Antarctica once, over to Beardmore Glacier area. This year I'm slated to hit South Pole Station, Wais Divide, Byrd Surface Camp, and those will happen with LC130's. Then by helicopter to Marble Point, Black Island and the Dry Valley areas. Yep, colour me excited. I also have to manage all of that, with the work I have here in town. Fortunately I now have some flying monkeys at my disposal to help with my tasking.
I have also received word that my work/personal travel schedule is going to be more hectic this year than last. It looks a lot like this:
Leave Antarctica for New Zealand in late January.
Spend a few days in New Zealand and head to Denver.
Maybe head to Arizona from Denver and back again.
Leave Denver to Hawaii and back again towards the end of Feb for a week.
Leave Denver to Port Hueneme California for work and back again end of March straddling into the begining of April. Maybe take some side flights up the coast to Oregon and Washington.
Leave Denver to Punta Arenas Chile for work, around the middle of April.
Leave Chile to take a research vessel to Palmer Station Antarctica, and back again to Denver, around the begining of May.
Leave Denver to take a honeymoon. Africa? Spain? Japan? Not decided yet. Back again in May.
Leave Denver to go back to Punta Arenas to work for a month or two around June. Back again in July.
Maybe leave Denver to go to Georgia and back again July.
Maybe leave Denver to go to Vegas and back again July.
Leave Denver to go to Arizona and back again in August.
Leave Denver to come back to McMurdo Station in August.
I'm stoked for sure, but it is going to kick my ass. I really wish the science types would get a teleporter working. It sure would shave some time off in airports.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
lazy susans....
Well I'm back on the ice. Already off and running, and over complicating things that I probably should not.
Ah well.
Ah well.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Trap door spider....
It seems to me as if this blog sits in a dusty corner. I come across it from time to time, like a old cookbook to peruse through, and put away.
I have been working like a mad woman, getting more and more frequent flier miles. Currently I'm sitting in my hotel in Punta Arenas, where I will be wrapping up a two month stint of work on July 20th. Immediately following is a weekend in Vegas to thaw out, and then off to Antarctica in early August. This is my second trip to Chile this year.
New word of the day, Antiopdal. I haz it.
Anyway, things are motoring along. I'm engaged as of my trip to Iceland, though only heaven knows when we will get the time to actually get married. This time back home, I think he and I have only really seen each other...maybe 2 months. We have both been traveling so much. I definitely do not see next year going down this way, but you never know. Though I know it is said absence makes the heart grow fonder, I really wonder if that statement is true. I certainly believe that it makes me harder to deal with when I get back home. Independence may be a good thing, but sometimes it can take the shape of overbearing.
Hm. I wonder if I had a point to make. All arrows point to no.
I have been working like a mad woman, getting more and more frequent flier miles. Currently I'm sitting in my hotel in Punta Arenas, where I will be wrapping up a two month stint of work on July 20th. Immediately following is a weekend in Vegas to thaw out, and then off to Antarctica in early August. This is my second trip to Chile this year.
New word of the day, Antiopdal. I haz it.
Anyway, things are motoring along. I'm engaged as of my trip to Iceland, though only heaven knows when we will get the time to actually get married. This time back home, I think he and I have only really seen each other...maybe 2 months. We have both been traveling so much. I definitely do not see next year going down this way, but you never know. Though I know it is said absence makes the heart grow fonder, I really wonder if that statement is true. I certainly believe that it makes me harder to deal with when I get back home. Independence may be a good thing, but sometimes it can take the shape of overbearing.
Hm. I wonder if I had a point to make. All arrows point to no.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Timing...
Is everything.
Iceland was epic, and I left before the eruption. Just like Tonga last year. I'm one for leaving places with eruptions.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Iceland was epic, and I left before the eruption. Just like Tonga last year. I'm one for leaving places with eruptions.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Monday, February 1, 2010
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