Winter begins...

Since my last blog I have been incredibly busy however now that the south pole station has closed it has slowed down considerably and I can catch up.
After the holidays the station was very busy. Everyone was starting to get excited about going home within the next month. Those of us that received and accepted a contract to winter over looked forward to some R & R. Most chose to spend it in New Zealand or Australia. However I was fortunate enough to get to return to the states. Actually Reinhart and I were on the same flights out. When I arrived to New Zealand about 0300 it was quiet, dark and the moon was out. It had been the first time I had seen the night sky since October. Walking from the NZ airport over to the CDC (Clothing Distribution Center) the smells were amazing-fresh greenery and flowers. I didn't need my ECW gear, only a light jacket. Keep in mind it was NZ's summer. I managed to get a couple hours sleep at the Windsor B & B before back to the airport for continued flights. However Reinhart didn't bother to sleep but went out with some others from the ice. (pic)After 6 flights to get back to NC from the South Pole I had lost track of the time zones I crossed, dates/hours that I traveled. I arrived on Saturday evening @0000. Back at the South Pole it was Sunday @ 1800 and I would be eating dinner. Never the less I was wide awake and I somewhat unpacked and eventually forced myself to go to bed. It was so nice to be in my own comfortable bed. I had 24 hours in NC and spent it visiting friends before flying to Philadelphia to visit family for several days . You know the whole time I was in the states it was raining-the first rain I had seen since October. It was great seeing family and friends and eating all my favorite foods, driving, and sleeping in my own bed. I did get to go to the movies once, but still didn't really watch and tv. After spending several days with my family in Delaware is was back to NC to tidy things up as that I would be away for the next 10-11 months. (taxes, bills, shopping-I had to buy some new clothes as that I have lost over 20 lbs). On returning to the South Pole it was a long journey...lost a day, luggage left in Australia, plane delays in New Zealand and also in McMurdo... I finally got back to the SP late Friday evening, the 29th and after a week got to see my luggage on Saturday morning. A shower and complete change of clothes never felt so good. Despite the delays I still have not gotten to spend any quality time in NZ or Australia, hopefully when I get off the ice I will be spending several weeks traveling. Let me know if you want to join me!!
Coming back to the SP was alittle weird. Everyone was moody and on edge with short tempers. Probably in anticipation of the incredible amount of work that still had to be done for station closing and getting to go home. The tension settled down after a few days and it didn't take me long to settle back in. The doc had picked up my boxes that my mom and Tom sent, full of stuff that I would need in anticipation of wintering over. The station got really busy at this point with plans for the station to close on 2/15. After this date there would not be any flights in/out of the South Pole, meaning no mail, fresh food... until some time in October. Ella, the winterover doc arrived, and spent a couple of days with us checking over the clinic with us. Larry, the summer doc, left to meet his wife and travel for several months. He was really anxious to leave. The new doc from McMurdo came up for a day-thought he could come here and do anything because he is in shape and lives at altitude. After my guided tours and hikes he was in the clinic sleeping with oxygen. (pic)
So now I am settling in with a new doc, a new schedule, and I have finally moved into my new bigger room. I have managed to snag a 18" tv and DVD/gameboy for my room. With that, more room and my iPod stereo system I am all set. (Maybe a rerigerator would be nice) The rooms even though they are slightly bigger are still like dorm rooms. Elevated bed, dressers, and a desk. However you can tell I have made it my own. (pic)
On Thursday the 11th we were informed that the station was going to close early, on Saturday the 13th instead of the 15th. OMG everyone was in a state because work wasn't completed, people weren't packed... I managed to see several friends/planes off over the next couple of days. It was very sad to see them leave and maybe it was a good thing that we didn't have more time. Saturday night Ella woke me up around 0145 for the last plane. The last 10 summer people left the station, we were now numbering 47 for the nest 10 plus months and on our own. (pics)The last several C-130's did some great really low fly bys... After the last plane left about a quarter of the station ended up in the galley with the music cranked and champange flowing. Over the next several days everyone appeared to be exhausted. Since the last plane left we have gradually settled into new routines and have begun making new friends.

The clinic is much much slower than the summer. I have created some winter projects for myself in the clinic once things have completely settled down. Right now to keep myself busy I have volunteered for many other jobs... The first is running the store with Ralf on Friday nights. He is a lot of fun and is willing to go along with my crazy ideas. I am carding the people who try to buy alcohol, listening to the people's lungs if they want cigerettes (also giving them a hard time), and will have theme nights in the store. The first night was too busy learning the system to plan a theme however this Friday our theme is "Animal House". The movie will be playing in the background and Ralf and I will be wearing togas. Ralf being from Germany, one of two of the Ice Cube people left on station, has not seen Animal House or knew what a toga was. Greenhouse Joe and I are trying to clone and cultivate mushrooms so hopefully we will have them throughout the winter. (pics) I have also started assisting in the greenhouse harvesting and planting new stock. Believe it or not I have started eating salads. Part of the job of the winter crew is to clean the station. During the summmer about 150 people reside in the Jamesways-tent like structures outside. Apparently they don't clean them when they leave and we have to. Pretty discusting. We start that next week. We also have to do their wash all the bed linen from the Jamesways. Ella and I have been doing that. Imagine in three days washing the linen from 150 beds and repacking it for redistribution next summer. Not fun but have found some intesting sheets from "hello kitty and batman" to some awful looking plaids... The dishpit is somewhat boring but the music that you can crank up makes it go by easier. I have learned when chefs do not have to do their own dishes they dirty a lot more than necessary. Other things I hope to do over winter include exercise./volleyball, plan my travels for post ice, study for boards, read, movies, sleep, learn southern hemisphere astronomy, spanish and photography.... and hopefully keep this up to date based on satellite availabilty. I am sure with my imagination I will find lots of other things to keep me occupied through the winter as well.
Around March 21st, the sun will begin to set and we will have several days of twilight and then eventually darkness. I anticipate amazing aurora's and stars... In fact the IT guys program our radios with an "aurora" channel so that when one is visible it is announced to everyone. I guess one of the reasons they do this is that all the windows are blocked to prevent station light from going outside and interfering with the various experiments.  By the way since returning to the ice the temperatures have been steadily dropping. When I returned it was around - 30F. Today it is -51.2 F with a wind chill of -81F. The wind is at 11. knots and the barameter is 683 mb making our altitude 10504 ft. For some reason I am having a problems with pictures-I will have to figure this out.