First few shifts on days.

Well after a few shifts on days I can say what a difference. Were to start, the town is a lot busier, there is more radio chatter, more people to and about but work for me isn't as busy and as much so far. I need to get use to this. With this week being a holiday week there are fewer flights than normal so there are fewer pallets to build and take to the airfield. There is less cargo coming back into McMurdo from both field camps, the South Pole and from Christchurch, in the end there is less receiving and delivering to do in town. We also have hour and half lunches instead. So needless to say I am a little bored, but I am trying to work a little slower to make what projects I do have take a little longer. I got the chance to go to LDB (Long Duration Balloon Project) on Monday to deliver some cargo. Today is a scheduled launch for the large balloon so I am hoping to hike up the hill and watch and see it take off.

It is weird down here with the holidays, you know that Christmas is coming because of the date but you are not swamped with all that Christmas rush like back home. It is a little odd feeling, but you also know that with the holidays were are headed for the home stretch with our work. We are receiving Retro Cargo (Returning Cargo) from field camps already and we still have cargo for one field camp that hasn't even left yet. The LC-130 that left for it last week had to turn around because the runway wasn't visible an it flew all the way back. We heard yesterday that the traverse (maintenance equipment) that was heading to PIG (Pine Island Glacier) the field field camp got there and saw 12' tall snow drifts on the runway. So it was a good thing that the plane didn't try to land. It would have been an accident waiting to happen if it did. Knowing that there are scientist and staff that are waiting to get into PIG and seeing their cargo not go anywhere you realize just how short the season is down here. With the Winter Solstice the weather will soon be changing again for winter and we will be leaving. Knowing that I will be leaving I have started to think about my after ice travels and what to do with my stuff that I brought down here. I know that I will need to ship some stuff home, I have also thought about trying to return next year for another season. As a first year employee my chances of getting off Ross Island are extremely slim so I think I might just so I can see more of Antarctica. It is also weird for me to being in the position of Apprentice several of my fellow coworkers have mentioned that I should try to apply for a Senior Position next year. It is a bit awkward for me hearing this but I also take it as a compliment to the work that I have done and how I have handled myself at work. This is a position that I will have to think hard about if I want to even try for it. Here is hoping doing a little bit of traveling around will help me come to a better conclusion on that one. I have also realized that I have work long and hard for the past few years since graduation so I owe it to myself to relax a bit before going back to work.

Well that is all for today.

Tim

A link about the Long Duration Balloon

http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/balloon/