Hi folks! Sorry, I know it's been a long time since I rapped at ya, but I've been going nuts getting all these part-time jobs. I am now one of the elite band of Antarctic Bartenders. Hopefully that'll pan out and give me an in for a temporary job when I get back to the hemisphere. I'll let you know more about that when I actually get to work and not just train.
Also, I am working several hours a week at the Burger Bar, the only place in town to get a bite to eat not made in the (in)famous Galley. To any Galley employees that may be reading: the food is wonderful and I wouldn't change it if I could. Eric, Tilleman, et al ex-Pingrees, I have one word: Vegilene. The other night I cooked Burgers for two hours on a night that just happened to be especially appetizing at the Galley, and I made 42 dollars in tips. Not to mention the minimum wage added to my paycheck! Awesome gig, but it does give me nightmares of my old days working at Wendy's. It's a big responsibility to cook the only food that people actually have to
pay money for around here. Also, the deep fryer is small and has only two baskets, but I serve three different types of fried potatoes.
Small Seasoned Curlies!
Don't have any new pictures. I have to find a way to keep my camera battery warm, it keeps running out of juice when it gets too cold. Some of my friends have some pics, I'll get them soon. There was an awesome sunset today, and it was also the first time the actual glowing orb has been visible from in town; it is very rare that the sky is not totally obsured by clouds. I ran out to get a picture, but realized I left the battery on the charger. So I sat there and stared at it for a while, and all of a sudden I sensed a presence behind me. This is also a rare thing, because the giant red parka, hereafter to be reffered to as 'Big Red,' is very hard to hear and obstructs all peripheral vision. It turns out that for about 6 minutes I had been being filmed for an upcoming documentary on life at McMurdo, and they thought I looked interesting standing there and looking at the sun and the Royal Society Mountains.
Actually, since I started writing that paragraph, I'm now being filmed as we speak! I guess sitting here and writing a blog is just as film-worthy..... Maybe it's the glass of wine in my hand that intrests them more. That's much more representative of the lifestyle.
We got our official buildings to clean for the next month, until the next plane gets in and brings more janitors. I got the worst dorm, of course, the one I live in. Since it is the dorm that all of the low-tier employees live in, I have to clean up puke on a regular basis. I also have a bunch of firefighters for neighbors, and one of my co-workers has already been sexually almost-assaulted by one of them. He's young, and since there's no drinking age here he was a little crazy. I think he might be going home on the next flight, but I shouldn't fuel the rumor mill...... Also I clean the weight room, the bowling alley, and the craft/ceramics room, which are all the same building. And Mac Ops, which is where all air traffic, weather, and military support forces are taking place. That's a nice building, but the J-closets are about the size of my pants' waist line. I think in October, though, I may change and clean Crary Lab, the building that is described as "The reason we are all down here." I hope so, because it is the building most similar to the ones I was cleaning at CSU, and that is where anything interesting goes down.
Everyone who wants to send me stuff, I have started thinking of a wish list!
- Janet! Scratch the coffee, I got some in 'Skua,' which is the exchange system for things people don't want to take off the ice, and think other people can use. It is also a scavenging Antarctic bird. I also skuaed a french press, so I'm all set. And the bar I'm going to tend is the coffee bar, which it turns out is a somewhat misleading name.....
- Will! You can send Porno, and dried fruit is awesome. But by the time you get any food to me, we're already going to have freshies, and I probably won't want anything. Candy would be nice, there's a limited selection here.
- Things to hang on my wall. Everyone take a cool picture of yourself and send it to me.
- Emily-- you should send me some yarn and some knitting needles, Adam and Erin (my new best friends!) need some, and since you got that lucrative job at Lambspun, I think you are best equipped to do it. See if Will or anybody will put them in the package they're sending.
- CD-R's. I need to pirate some music.
- I need an extra pair of shoes. If anyone goes up to sierra trading post, get me a pair of 9.5's to 10's of anything. It doesn't have to be espescially warm or anything. One dude just wore crocs all winter, and he still has 10 toes. Just tennis shoes or something. I'll pay ya back when I get back or I'll send you something nice for christmas or something.
Thats about all I have to say about my life down here. As a closing note, I want to offer my love to the Pile family. Austin, I consider you a brother, I wish I could be there with you. Phoebe, we will miss you.
of us janitors were scheduled to take a tour of some of the scientific outposts. The ring or halo around the sun is a phenomenon known as a 'Sun Dog,' but I don't really see the resemblance.
Black Island and White Island
