Stay Frosty
-C
28 December 2010
Finally working again! Ah what a good feeling!
So I started my new job today. I have been in Spain for only a few days and I can already see that I am going to like it here. The people do not speak as much English as I was led to believe but if I believed all the smoke that was blown up my ass I would have it coming out my eyes, nose and mouth. So like every other contract style work I have done before I was told one thing and come to find out there is a whole lot of fine print but like I say “Don’t sweat the small stuff”. I have been assigned to A shift which would make 4 out of 5 A shifts that I have assigned to, group 3 being the outcast. I am currently living in a hotel which used to be a brothel, interesting to know, and I looking for a place to live since I have to start paying for the hotel myself after 10 days so the clock is ticking. Currently I am the newest fire fighter here and all the other guys have roommates that want them or none if they don’t want any so I think this is going to be an exhausting search. The good news is that I am getting new uniforms, bad news is that they are coming in January not right now. C’est la vie! Well I have to cut this short since I am going to bed now.
Stay Frosty
-C
Written on the 5th of December
Stay Frosty
-C
Written on the 5th of December
Travel part duex
So I am in Atlanta and it is really nice. I finally made it down to the newly renovated E Terminal of the Atlanta Airport. It is really nice although not the nicest I have been in now that I think about it. I would have to say that Detroit Airport is nicer. But neither are by far the nicest in the grand scheme of things but they are the nicest I have visited. So after walking around for a bit I grab some dinner and a brew and on my receipt I find the password to the wireless internet, how nice of them. So I log on and Voila! I am surfing the net. That makes the time go by and it is where I begin to write my last blog entry and the reason I had to cut it abruptly off, it was time to board. But not I am flying on the aero plane and it is dark and I don’t have my charger plugged in so I guarantee that this entry will be cut short as well.
So I was lucky enough to have no one else in my middle row with me but because the plane was only half full people were allowed to seat swap and I have 1 person in front of me, who I guarantee will abruptly lean their chair back and bump my computer during this flight. But it is nice either was since I am on what could turn out to be the adventure of my life, but let’s not get ahead of myself just yet. All of the flight attendants, I think that is correct vernacular anyways speak both Spanish and English which I am assuming would be a requirement since they are flying to Spain, but who knows. Oh it is dinner time so time to go.
Yum Lassssaaaaaagggggnnnnnnnaaaaaaa! Bugger! She just bumped my computer and doesn’t speak English so I cannot tell her to piss off, politely of course. So I am watching the inflight movie and the guy sitting across the aisle from me is laughing hysterically at the same time I am laughing so it makes it more funny and probably making the people trying to sleep around us annoyed. Well the flight is good so far. It hasn’t been bumpy which is good and it is night out so everything is dark which makes the light coming from my laptop screen even that much brighter. And as I look around I imagine that people are staring at me with daggers in their eyes and steam coming out of their ears because they forgot their eye covers. But I only have a little battery left so I am going to continue and they can deal with it.
I am really excited to get over to Spain. It is going to be a whole new experience that I am really looking forward to plus the fact that I get to start working again. Work is coming that I need to do. I began working when I was 15 years old, maybe 14 but who knows. But now that I think about it I know I was 14 since I have tax records from 1996 which would make me 14 but tomatoes/potatoes it really doesn’t make a difference. What I wanted to say is that I have worked a lot and it is something that I feel comfortable doing. It gives me purpose. What kind of purpose I haven’t quite figured out as of right now but I have it. I also have figured out that I am beginning to define my life by my working not but who I actually am but it is difficult since who I am is related to what profession I am currently in. I mean you don’t get into firefighting to make a boat load of money. You don’t work on an ambulance because you really like to health insurance and retirement. You get into it because you want to help people; you want to make a difference. I mean no one ever says thanks for doing a good job until they need you or something happens on a national level and people attempt to justify their own existence by donating food … You know what I am not going down this road. It is a huge issue with me and not one that most people will understand. And plus my battery light is flickering and the pop up window is telling me to plug in my computer or it will shut down. So until later
Stay Frost
-C
So I was lucky enough to have no one else in my middle row with me but because the plane was only half full people were allowed to seat swap and I have 1 person in front of me, who I guarantee will abruptly lean their chair back and bump my computer during this flight. But it is nice either was since I am on what could turn out to be the adventure of my life, but let’s not get ahead of myself just yet. All of the flight attendants, I think that is correct vernacular anyways speak both Spanish and English which I am assuming would be a requirement since they are flying to Spain, but who knows. Oh it is dinner time so time to go.
Yum Lassssaaaaaagggggnnnnnnnaaaaaaa! Bugger! She just bumped my computer and doesn’t speak English so I cannot tell her to piss off, politely of course. So I am watching the inflight movie and the guy sitting across the aisle from me is laughing hysterically at the same time I am laughing so it makes it more funny and probably making the people trying to sleep around us annoyed. Well the flight is good so far. It hasn’t been bumpy which is good and it is night out so everything is dark which makes the light coming from my laptop screen even that much brighter. And as I look around I imagine that people are staring at me with daggers in their eyes and steam coming out of their ears because they forgot their eye covers. But I only have a little battery left so I am going to continue and they can deal with it.
I am really excited to get over to Spain. It is going to be a whole new experience that I am really looking forward to plus the fact that I get to start working again. Work is coming that I need to do. I began working when I was 15 years old, maybe 14 but who knows. But now that I think about it I know I was 14 since I have tax records from 1996 which would make me 14 but tomatoes/potatoes it really doesn’t make a difference. What I wanted to say is that I have worked a lot and it is something that I feel comfortable doing. It gives me purpose. What kind of purpose I haven’t quite figured out as of right now but I have it. I also have figured out that I am beginning to define my life by my working not but who I actually am but it is difficult since who I am is related to what profession I am currently in. I mean you don’t get into firefighting to make a boat load of money. You don’t work on an ambulance because you really like to health insurance and retirement. You get into it because you want to help people; you want to make a difference. I mean no one ever says thanks for doing a good job until they need you or something happens on a national level and people attempt to justify their own existence by donating food … You know what I am not going down this road. It is a huge issue with me and not one that most people will understand. And plus my battery light is flickering and the pop up window is telling me to plug in my computer or it will shut down. So until later
Stay Frost
-C
05 December 2010
From PBI to the ATL!
So I started my travels off today, 29 Nov 2010, by waking up to pitter patter of rain drops on the outside of my windowsill and upon taking a deep breath I am re-vitalized with that fresh clean smell of morning dew on wet grass. As I roll over, onto my back, I can hear multiple sets of four pads landing on a wooden floor chasing another set of four but with what I can only assume is claws out before jumping onto a counter or table to get away, it is 4 dogs each weighting at most five pounds against a cat that weights fourteen. As I am rolling over I sneak a peek at my alarm clock to find out that I am six minutes earlier than the alarm, sweet I can go back to sleep for a few moments, I think to myself too bad all the dogs are female and the cat is male, he will never win. As I lay on my back looking up into the white-ish stuck-o ceiling I am thinking of what I have to do before I leave for the airport to my destination of Spain, for a year, in just over 90 minutes. I have to finish cleaning my room and then take care of the few things that I have strewn out throughout the house, eat breakfast, shower, brush my teeth (which I will eventually forget only to remember about 15 miles from the airport), play with the dogs (anticipating that they will want to be played with and not sleepy as that is their usual routine) and then pack all my stuff out to the garage where it will most likely be stored.
So I get up and just right into the shower and get dressed. I open my bedroom window more so I can get a big whiff of the rain on grass smell, clean and bag the trash in my room, and move my boxes out into the dining room. I heat up my oatmeal, which I truly dislike but since it is good for my heart, cholesterol, blood sugar with the peanut butter and immune system with the honey I eat it, then go back to collecting my stuff that is strewn around the house. Dad calls and lets me know that he can pick me up instead of me at the house instead of driving to his work and going from there so now I have a few extra minutes, which is good since I just am barely getting done with my breakfast. So I am outside collecting the garbage cans from the end of the driveway as dad pulls up, about three minutes later would have been perfect timing but “say la vie” or however it is said.
Now I am in West Palm airport waiting in line for security and I see that they have the infamous body scanners. So I patiently wait for when it is my turn to give my passport, since I never give my drivers license to the I.D checkers, and boarding pass to the “gate keeper” before getting into a security line. I take my shoes off and I am good to go (I am smart enough to put everything that I would have to take out of my pockets into my carry on already so I only have to take off my belt, shoes and get out my baggy of liquids) and the screeners asks me to just into the regular old metal detector line. Well I kindly told him that I really eagerly wanted to go thru the body scanner.to prove that it less hassle. So after about a second and a half in the scanner and about 15 seconds awaiting the results I am good to go. Done! “Easy peezy lemon squeezey!” So after getting me shoes back on along with my belt I make my way to the gate just to find out that I will be awaiting the arrival of my airplane from Atlanta just to have it fly be back to Atlanta. I would later find out that there was a power outage in Atlanta that delayed getting my plane to West Palm and thus causing my plane to take off 58 minutes later than it should have but again “say la vie”. So I pull up to the Sam Adams restaurant for a pint of Sam Adams Winter Lager and they “don’t stock it”. I say to myself “self that is crrrraazzyyyy!” but I give in and order a pint of Bud Light and yes it is only 10:45 in the morning.
So as I am getting onto the plane bound for Atlanta it is a different configuration that I am normally used to. It is a Boeing 757-300 and when you enter the business class turns left and the economy turns right. I shouldn’t say that I am not completely unfamiliar with it since that is how the 747s and A-330s are set up but this is a domestic flight not an international flight which is where I encountered those. So I make my was to my seat and since the flight is full and I am in the last group that boards there is no space for my carry on. So I have to go all the way back to row 32 when I am in row 20. Hot a huge hassle but still. So I prepare to do my usual, pass out before the safety briefing is done, but this time I am sitting on the window of a 3x3 which makes me extremely uncomfortable. So as we take off I am just getting to sleep which is really nice since I don’t feel the pressure change or anything and I snooze until the landing gear hits the ground again, with the only exception being woken up to see if I wanted a refreshment…. Sorry but nope.
So Atlanta is really nice. I have been in and out of Atlanta a lot lately since that is the airport that I connect thru when I fly to Boston. I will be going to the E terminal this time which I have not been to since it is the International Terminal and the last terminal in a row of five… Well I must go so there is more to come.
Stay Frosty
-C
So I get up and just right into the shower and get dressed. I open my bedroom window more so I can get a big whiff of the rain on grass smell, clean and bag the trash in my room, and move my boxes out into the dining room. I heat up my oatmeal, which I truly dislike but since it is good for my heart, cholesterol, blood sugar with the peanut butter and immune system with the honey I eat it, then go back to collecting my stuff that is strewn around the house. Dad calls and lets me know that he can pick me up instead of me at the house instead of driving to his work and going from there so now I have a few extra minutes, which is good since I just am barely getting done with my breakfast. So I am outside collecting the garbage cans from the end of the driveway as dad pulls up, about three minutes later would have been perfect timing but “say la vie” or however it is said.
Now I am in West Palm airport waiting in line for security and I see that they have the infamous body scanners. So I patiently wait for when it is my turn to give my passport, since I never give my drivers license to the I.D checkers, and boarding pass to the “gate keeper” before getting into a security line. I take my shoes off and I am good to go (I am smart enough to put everything that I would have to take out of my pockets into my carry on already so I only have to take off my belt, shoes and get out my baggy of liquids) and the screeners asks me to just into the regular old metal detector line. Well I kindly told him that I really eagerly wanted to go thru the body scanner.to prove that it less hassle. So after about a second and a half in the scanner and about 15 seconds awaiting the results I am good to go. Done! “Easy peezy lemon squeezey!” So after getting me shoes back on along with my belt I make my way to the gate just to find out that I will be awaiting the arrival of my airplane from Atlanta just to have it fly be back to Atlanta. I would later find out that there was a power outage in Atlanta that delayed getting my plane to West Palm and thus causing my plane to take off 58 minutes later than it should have but again “say la vie”. So I pull up to the Sam Adams restaurant for a pint of Sam Adams Winter Lager and they “don’t stock it”. I say to myself “self that is crrrraazzyyyy!” but I give in and order a pint of Bud Light and yes it is only 10:45 in the morning.
So as I am getting onto the plane bound for Atlanta it is a different configuration that I am normally used to. It is a Boeing 757-300 and when you enter the business class turns left and the economy turns right. I shouldn’t say that I am not completely unfamiliar with it since that is how the 747s and A-330s are set up but this is a domestic flight not an international flight which is where I encountered those. So I make my was to my seat and since the flight is full and I am in the last group that boards there is no space for my carry on. So I have to go all the way back to row 32 when I am in row 20. Hot a huge hassle but still. So I prepare to do my usual, pass out before the safety briefing is done, but this time I am sitting on the window of a 3x3 which makes me extremely uncomfortable. So as we take off I am just getting to sleep which is really nice since I don’t feel the pressure change or anything and I snooze until the landing gear hits the ground again, with the only exception being woken up to see if I wanted a refreshment…. Sorry but nope.
So Atlanta is really nice. I have been in and out of Atlanta a lot lately since that is the airport that I connect thru when I fly to Boston. I will be going to the E terminal this time which I have not been to since it is the International Terminal and the last terminal in a row of five… Well I must go so there is more to come.
Stay Frosty
-C
27 November 2010
What to do? What to do?
So while I am downloading my medical packet for Spain I am searching for jobs in Massachusetts. Not a big deal to me but then I see Worcester Airport. I got excited since 1) It was in Worcester, my home state 2) it was at an airport, which I really want to work at and 3) it hadn’t closed yet. So since it required just a resume I put my download on pause and began to update it. I then submit it and begin downloading my medical forms again, waiting.
Well seven days after I put my resume in I get a letter from the City of Worcester saying, to interrupt what I think it is saying, thanks for your resume but don’t call us we will call you. So I continue to do my medical requirements for Spain while I await more information from Worcester. So I am done with all my medical stuff and just about to fax my stuff off and I get a missed call on my cell phone. Not a huge deal since I have really crappy reception at my dad’s house, so I finish faxing and then I check my voicemail and low and behold who is the voicemail from … Worcester Airport calling to set up an interview.
So then I look for plane tickets for the time frame they gave me for the interview days, Tuesday happen to be cheaper so I book a Tuesday up and Thursday home with hopefully a Wednesday interview, hopefully. So I try and call but it is Veterans days and I have to wait until tomorrow to schedule my interview. So I call at 10:15 or so and there is an appointment for Wednesday afternoon, perfect! So I pack my bag and fly up there. My older brother is putting me up for the 2 nights that I will be there and letting my use his car for the drive so I am good to go.
The morning of the flight I fly in tan slacks, a nice button down shirt and my favorite tie just in case the airline loses my bag that way I have something to go to my interview in. Fast forward to the day of the interview, I take Sean to work and then I have a few hours to kill before leaving from Quincy for Worcester. So I stop by my Aunt’s work, who is also my God Mother, which is all of 1/3 of a mile from Sean’s apartment and chat her up for about a half hours or so. Then I go for a run around the “neighborhood” which consist of a semi-busy two lane road over and back over Interstate 93 and then thru the back of a Home Depot back to the apartment building for a shower. I get dressed, looked online for directions and then I am ready to go. So I just on I-93, which I just eloquently ran over about an hour before, and drive up into Boston to catch “The Pike”, a.k.a. I-90, west to Worcester. On the way out I swing by my cousin Rob’s gym that he is at in Natick and chat it up for a bit before grabbing lunch and continuing to Worcester. I am out in the parking lot making sure my suit is all nice is pretty before going in.
So I make my way up to the office and they have me doing some paperwork before the interview. I get that done and then have to wait a few minutes before going in. So I am sitting there and I am being asked questions, pretty standard interview type questions, and I get asked what should be a simple slam dunk but I completely botched it since I couldn’t think of the answer to the question. Now I am interviewing for an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter position with duties that also include security guard work for the airport and the question is “define and give examples of the fire triangle.” Now about 15 seconds, which felt like 2 minutes, passes and I explain that I know it is a basic question that they ask on the first test of firefighter 1. It is then quiet for a few seconds again felt like 2 minutes and then I ask if there was another follow up question that I could answer to explain that I do actually know what I am talking about. So I answer that question to what I would believe was satisfactory and finish the interview.
So now is the waiting game. I am leaving for Spain on Monday, 3 days from now, and I hope that Worcester calls me for a follow up interview. The problem is that I would have fly from Spain back to the US, which isn’t a problem since I have 4 days off every 2 weeks.
Sorry for those who wanted to see my ARFF video but I should next time up next time.
Stay Frosty
-C
Well seven days after I put my resume in I get a letter from the City of Worcester saying, to interrupt what I think it is saying, thanks for your resume but don’t call us we will call you. So I continue to do my medical requirements for Spain while I await more information from Worcester. So I am done with all my medical stuff and just about to fax my stuff off and I get a missed call on my cell phone. Not a huge deal since I have really crappy reception at my dad’s house, so I finish faxing and then I check my voicemail and low and behold who is the voicemail from … Worcester Airport calling to set up an interview.
So then I look for plane tickets for the time frame they gave me for the interview days, Tuesday happen to be cheaper so I book a Tuesday up and Thursday home with hopefully a Wednesday interview, hopefully. So I try and call but it is Veterans days and I have to wait until tomorrow to schedule my interview. So I call at 10:15 or so and there is an appointment for Wednesday afternoon, perfect! So I pack my bag and fly up there. My older brother is putting me up for the 2 nights that I will be there and letting my use his car for the drive so I am good to go.
The morning of the flight I fly in tan slacks, a nice button down shirt and my favorite tie just in case the airline loses my bag that way I have something to go to my interview in. Fast forward to the day of the interview, I take Sean to work and then I have a few hours to kill before leaving from Quincy for Worcester. So I stop by my Aunt’s work, who is also my God Mother, which is all of 1/3 of a mile from Sean’s apartment and chat her up for about a half hours or so. Then I go for a run around the “neighborhood” which consist of a semi-busy two lane road over and back over Interstate 93 and then thru the back of a Home Depot back to the apartment building for a shower. I get dressed, looked online for directions and then I am ready to go. So I just on I-93, which I just eloquently ran over about an hour before, and drive up into Boston to catch “The Pike”, a.k.a. I-90, west to Worcester. On the way out I swing by my cousin Rob’s gym that he is at in Natick and chat it up for a bit before grabbing lunch and continuing to Worcester. I am out in the parking lot making sure my suit is all nice is pretty before going in.
So I make my way up to the office and they have me doing some paperwork before the interview. I get that done and then have to wait a few minutes before going in. So I am sitting there and I am being asked questions, pretty standard interview type questions, and I get asked what should be a simple slam dunk but I completely botched it since I couldn’t think of the answer to the question. Now I am interviewing for an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter position with duties that also include security guard work for the airport and the question is “define and give examples of the fire triangle.” Now about 15 seconds, which felt like 2 minutes, passes and I explain that I know it is a basic question that they ask on the first test of firefighter 1. It is then quiet for a few seconds again felt like 2 minutes and then I ask if there was another follow up question that I could answer to explain that I do actually know what I am talking about. So I answer that question to what I would believe was satisfactory and finish the interview.
So now is the waiting game. I am leaving for Spain on Monday, 3 days from now, and I hope that Worcester calls me for a follow up interview. The problem is that I would have fly from Spain back to the US, which isn’t a problem since I have 4 days off every 2 weeks.
Sorry for those who wanted to see my ARFF video but I should next time up next time.
Stay Frosty
-C
30 October 2010
From Antarctica to…. Spain?
So as some of you might know I have left the great polar desert of a continent of Antarctica and put my trip to and thru Europe on hold. I had the opportunity to get something that I have been wanting for a long time, this time for real. I had the opportunity to get my ARFF certification. For those that do not know ARFF stands for Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting, an “Aero plane Saver” instead of a “Baby Saver” like the structural firefighters are. The reason I said this time is because I had a chance to get it back in August of 2009 but due to a rivalry of sorts between certifying agencies, I could not. So it put me in a unique situation in the firefighting field. I had the experience of ARFF work but not he certification. Normally to get the experience you need to have to certification. It is the typical evolution of schooling; get the degree to get the job to get the experience, well I managed to foul that all up and do it backwards.
Now the job I was hoping for was supposed to be bringing me to the wonderful and exciting, ancient and mysterious, elegant yet war torn country of Afghanistan. However, due to an alignment of the stars I ended up getting an job offer for working in Spain instead. So I am in the process of getting all my medical requirements done so that I can send them to my future employer so I can go to Spain. It should be fun. The job is on an military base in the Andalucía region of Spain.
Look for my next post about ARFF training. I have a video that I am working on from the 90+ minutes of film I took during our live burns. Sorry no picture this time
Stay Frost
-C
Now the job I was hoping for was supposed to be bringing me to the wonderful and exciting, ancient and mysterious, elegant yet war torn country of Afghanistan. However, due to an alignment of the stars I ended up getting an job offer for working in Spain instead. So I am in the process of getting all my medical requirements done so that I can send them to my future employer so I can go to Spain. It should be fun. The job is on an military base in the Andalucía region of Spain.
Look for my next post about ARFF training. I have a video that I am working on from the 90+ minutes of film I took during our live burns. Sorry no picture this time
Stay Frost
-C
16 August 2010
Name Change!
Hello All my faithful readers,
If you haven't noticed I changed my blog's name. It is the same title just rearranged into something more fluid. I hope it doesn't mess anyone up. I also put in a little synopsis of what I am attempting to accomplish with this blog. Well I hope this helps.
Stay Frosty
-C
If you haven't noticed I changed my blog's name. It is the same title just rearranged into something more fluid. I hope it doesn't mess anyone up. I also put in a little synopsis of what I am attempting to accomplish with this blog. Well I hope this helps.
Stay Frosty
-C
Winter Fly In a.k.a. Winfly is officially “open”!
Well here I sit after 2 oranges, 2 cherry tomatoes, 1 BaF carrot, 1 apple, 1 mini banana and 1 bowl of Orange Chocolate Chip ice cream plus a 16 ounce can of Red Bull and my stomach is feeling “awesome”. I just got back from the airfield after the 1st of 7 flights, 4 of which are NVG or Night Vision Goggle flights. The flight was supposed to come in on Friday but after a 24 hour mechanical delay, followed by a 19 “weather” delay it finally left this Sunday just after 1pm Christchurch time. On the flight were 7 fellow firefighters that were gracious enough to bring 1) a shopping bag with cherry tomatoes, grapes, oranges and mini bananas 2) big as f*** (BaF) carrots 3) apples and 4) a BIG bag-o Nuts. Oh how gracious my fellow firefighters are. While we received this group of returning firefighter we, more importantly I, lost 2 firefighters (Scott and Peter) of which I am glad to call my friends. They both went home due to family problems which is extremely unfortunate.
We begin the airfield shift by waiting outside of town about ½ mile as to not cause to much exhaust induced fog over the runway and apron since the C-17 pilots are landing using their night vision goggles. As I sit there, in the driver’s seat of Red 3, a 2005 Ford F-550 4x4 with an ARFF package on the body, I am explaining to my fellow firefighter, whose is ironically named Corey as well, what our specific role and response will be if something should arise. (See Corey and Peter along with Grant arrived on the truly last flight of Mainbody on the 5th of March 2010. The last few weeks for them have been a learning curve to get up to speed on the workings of the ARFF vehicles and procedures. Peter however was just lucky to get pictures since he already knew that he was going home on the 1st flight.) Now with the procedure and response explained I showed him how to use the wonderful joystick that controls the front turret. The turret can spray both firefighting foam and dry chemical extinguishment agent. It is pretty slick if I may say so myself, which I may since it is my blog. It reminds me of the movie character named Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars episodes 1, 2 & 3. With his 2 protruding google-ly eyes and long snout it looks just like the turret on the front of our rig. We sit outside of town until the planes calls 100 miles from airfield. That way we have enough time incase something is going to happen to get set up and still we are not there long enough to cause to much fog over the airfield. Then when the plane got to 25 miles or so the pilots asked to have the airfield runway lights shut off. Now this was absolutely amazing was to have the airfield completely light free and then have the C-17 swoop in like a “bat out of hell” and land with just enough background light to illuminate it. After the plane lands it has to turn around and taxi down to the apron, where we are staging and where it will get off loaded, in a slow stalking … no lurking pace. Just as the plane becomes visible in the dark of Antarctic night “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns-N-Roses comes on the speaker of my Ipod. I, we actually-we the 2 Corey’s-, believe this is completely fitting since it is a winter “jungle” here after the plane stop flying.
Once the plane is down and beginning to offload we are able to get out and greet our new McMurdoians as well as the few Scott Baseians that come off of the flight. They all come off with the same look, or what I would assume is the same look, that I had when I got here on the 26th of August 2009 or a mere 355 days ago for whose who weren’t counting. They are, for the most part, here until February when they will be replaced by winter over’s, like myself, who will bear the cold dark hard winter. The lucky few will experience a whole year down here consecutively like I have. This will truly give them an appreciation of the new blood, the infusion of happiness, of giddy, of eagerness to get the job down, just like me.
About the picture:
This is a picture of me getting my Antarctic Service Medal with my Winter Over bar. It is fairly significant, to me at least. I know I am blurry but what can you say, it is hard to get an accurate view of my swaggah!
Stay frosty
-C
We begin the airfield shift by waiting outside of town about ½ mile as to not cause to much exhaust induced fog over the runway and apron since the C-17 pilots are landing using their night vision goggles. As I sit there, in the driver’s seat of Red 3, a 2005 Ford F-550 4x4 with an ARFF package on the body, I am explaining to my fellow firefighter, whose is ironically named Corey as well, what our specific role and response will be if something should arise. (See Corey and Peter along with Grant arrived on the truly last flight of Mainbody on the 5th of March 2010. The last few weeks for them have been a learning curve to get up to speed on the workings of the ARFF vehicles and procedures. Peter however was just lucky to get pictures since he already knew that he was going home on the 1st flight.) Now with the procedure and response explained I showed him how to use the wonderful joystick that controls the front turret. The turret can spray both firefighting foam and dry chemical extinguishment agent. It is pretty slick if I may say so myself, which I may since it is my blog. It reminds me of the movie character named Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars episodes 1, 2 & 3. With his 2 protruding google-ly eyes and long snout it looks just like the turret on the front of our rig. We sit outside of town until the planes calls 100 miles from airfield. That way we have enough time incase something is going to happen to get set up and still we are not there long enough to cause to much fog over the airfield. Then when the plane got to 25 miles or so the pilots asked to have the airfield runway lights shut off. Now this was absolutely amazing was to have the airfield completely light free and then have the C-17 swoop in like a “bat out of hell” and land with just enough background light to illuminate it. After the plane lands it has to turn around and taxi down to the apron, where we are staging and where it will get off loaded, in a slow stalking … no lurking pace. Just as the plane becomes visible in the dark of Antarctic night “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns-N-Roses comes on the speaker of my Ipod. I, we actually-we the 2 Corey’s-, believe this is completely fitting since it is a winter “jungle” here after the plane stop flying.
Once the plane is down and beginning to offload we are able to get out and greet our new McMurdoians as well as the few Scott Baseians that come off of the flight. They all come off with the same look, or what I would assume is the same look, that I had when I got here on the 26th of August 2009 or a mere 355 days ago for whose who weren’t counting. They are, for the most part, here until February when they will be replaced by winter over’s, like myself, who will bear the cold dark hard winter. The lucky few will experience a whole year down here consecutively like I have. This will truly give them an appreciation of the new blood, the infusion of happiness, of giddy, of eagerness to get the job down, just like me.
About the picture:
This is a picture of me getting my Antarctic Service Medal with my Winter Over bar. It is fairly significant, to me at least. I know I am blurry but what can you say, it is hard to get an accurate view of my swaggah!
Stay frosty
-C
03 August 2010
Under the Pale Moon Light
As I sit here up on the road to Crater Hill I look out onto the miles of ice that is McMurdo Sound, into the desolate black that is the forefront of Antarctica, and I see water! Profound I know, but the water I see is the water of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, Boston Harbor (also called Cape Cod Bay or the “North Side” when on Cape Cod) and the Atlantic Ocean (or the “South Side” when on Cape Cod) all rolled up into 1 big frozen ice block waiting to be explored. It reminds me of a simpler time when I could relate the moon to a perspective.
I see the bright, brilliantly clear, off-white moon shining down on the calm, clear, picturesque (if I had my camera that is) day and it brings me back to Philmont, where I went hiking multiple times as a Boy Scout and eventually as an Eagle Scout. I am imagining myself back on top of Mt. Castilla (I think at least but could be Costilla, Castillo, Costillo or some variation similar to that) as the star-filled sky and the full moon begin to illuminate my walking path down off the mountain. See, we (the scout group and I) had hiked up from our campsite, about a mile away, when it was sunshine and happy times. Then after dinner and some good conversation, we sat there talking, and getting to know each other, counting shooting stars, satellites, planets (when there were 9) and constellations before having to head back down. However, there on top of the mountain, I realized that there is something more to the sky than just the stars, satellites, planets and constellations. It brings me to realize that, looking up into the sky I have found an awakening feeling in myself. It feels liberating knowing that I am the only person in my immediate family, and even extended family for that matter, to look at the stars -- these stars to be specific -- from this specific vantage point. I mean anyone can look at the stars but there will be no one in my family that will even be in the same section of the country to look at these particular stars. In fact, I know this now but I assumed it then, that I would be the only one in my family to even be in this part of New Mexico, on these Sangre De Cristo Mountains in the Northeast corner of New Mexico on an early August night. Some of my friends will and have experienced them as I do and they will be able to understand my feelings, but most will not. The most that they can compare this to would be sitting on a beach. I know I make it sound humble saying “a beach” since Cape Cod really does have a phenomenal collection of beaches but it still puts it into perspective. But seriously, the best they can do is under a full moon with a slight breeze looking up at the stars but never the same ones, never from the same angle, never being this isolated from the world where there are no house lights for miles or sounds other than primal. The only thing that they will ever see that compares to this would be the same moon just at a different time, different orbit, a different phase, a just plain different personality.
When I look up at this moon and onto the ice, which is the ocean of McMurdo Sound, I am again back to this same feeling. Of knowing that I am going to be the only person in my family that gets to see the moon from this vantage point, and as humble as everyone knows me to be, I am content with having these few singular memories that are all my own. Hopefully, someday I will be able to share them with my family, but maybe this time I am the teacher instead of the student.
About the picture:
This photo was taken near what we call derelict junction or DJ for short. DJ is the “bus stop” in McMurdo where you where you get dropped off after getting here for the 1st time in the season and where you wait for the shuttle to bring you to the airfield or to Scott Base. It looks back onto building 155 on the right in the blue and up into the “business district” of town with Crater Hill just being visible in the far background. There is a road, on what would be the right of the picture, and that is where you can see the crystal clear skies, ocean, and off-colored moon when it is visible.
Stay Frosty
-C
I see the bright, brilliantly clear, off-white moon shining down on the calm, clear, picturesque (if I had my camera that is) day and it brings me back to Philmont, where I went hiking multiple times as a Boy Scout and eventually as an Eagle Scout. I am imagining myself back on top of Mt. Castilla (I think at least but could be Costilla, Castillo, Costillo or some variation similar to that) as the star-filled sky and the full moon begin to illuminate my walking path down off the mountain. See, we (the scout group and I) had hiked up from our campsite, about a mile away, when it was sunshine and happy times. Then after dinner and some good conversation, we sat there talking, and getting to know each other, counting shooting stars, satellites, planets (when there were 9) and constellations before having to head back down. However, there on top of the mountain, I realized that there is something more to the sky than just the stars, satellites, planets and constellations. It brings me to realize that, looking up into the sky I have found an awakening feeling in myself. It feels liberating knowing that I am the only person in my immediate family, and even extended family for that matter, to look at the stars -- these stars to be specific -- from this specific vantage point. I mean anyone can look at the stars but there will be no one in my family that will even be in the same section of the country to look at these particular stars. In fact, I know this now but I assumed it then, that I would be the only one in my family to even be in this part of New Mexico, on these Sangre De Cristo Mountains in the Northeast corner of New Mexico on an early August night. Some of my friends will and have experienced them as I do and they will be able to understand my feelings, but most will not. The most that they can compare this to would be sitting on a beach. I know I make it sound humble saying “a beach” since Cape Cod really does have a phenomenal collection of beaches but it still puts it into perspective. But seriously, the best they can do is under a full moon with a slight breeze looking up at the stars but never the same ones, never from the same angle, never being this isolated from the world where there are no house lights for miles or sounds other than primal. The only thing that they will ever see that compares to this would be the same moon just at a different time, different orbit, a different phase, a just plain different personality.
When I look up at this moon and onto the ice, which is the ocean of McMurdo Sound, I am again back to this same feeling. Of knowing that I am going to be the only person in my family that gets to see the moon from this vantage point, and as humble as everyone knows me to be, I am content with having these few singular memories that are all my own. Hopefully, someday I will be able to share them with my family, but maybe this time I am the teacher instead of the student.
About the picture:
This photo was taken near what we call derelict junction or DJ for short. DJ is the “bus stop” in McMurdo where you where you get dropped off after getting here for the 1st time in the season and where you wait for the shuttle to bring you to the airfield or to Scott Base. It looks back onto building 155 on the right in the blue and up into the “business district” of town with Crater Hill just being visible in the far background. There is a road, on what would be the right of the picture, and that is where you can see the crystal clear skies, ocean, and off-colored moon when it is visible.
Stay Frosty
-C
21 July 2010
Haz-Mat Slide
Hello All,
Well I know it has been a little bit since I have posted but I have been pretty busy here. The sun isn't up yet but we have twillight around noon time everyday and it is getting longer and longer. Last weekend, the 17th and 18th of July 2010, McMurdo os the host of the International 48 Hour Sub-Antarctic Film Festival. This is for all the station that are below 60 degrees south latitude. Basically all the stations that are in the Sub-Antarctic area have been invited to film and submit movies. The movies are supposed to be filmed with in the 48 hours and then submitted here to McMurdo and then judged and the winners are announced next week on the 24th of July. The neat thing this year is that the 5 items that have to be in the movie weren't actually picked by McMurdo like normal. They were picked by other stations. The year 2008 was the first year that McMurdo invited the Sub-Antarctic stations, since it was a tradition between Scott Base, South Pole and McMurdo since 2000 or so. Apparently the 1st year there were 5 international movies and last year 18 so I can only imagine how many this year. I will keep you informed once I get to view them.
Anyways the video below are the "bloopers" from the video that I filmed and starred in. We actually filmed this before the film festival started to see if we could do some of the things that we wanted to do. This video is 2.5 minutes long and the one we submitted for the film festival is 4.5 minutes. I think it is funny since it was fun to film. So take a look and tell me what you think.
Stay Frosty
-C
Well I know it has been a little bit since I have posted but I have been pretty busy here. The sun isn't up yet but we have twillight around noon time everyday and it is getting longer and longer. Last weekend, the 17th and 18th of July 2010, McMurdo os the host of the International 48 Hour Sub-Antarctic Film Festival. This is for all the station that are below 60 degrees south latitude. Basically all the stations that are in the Sub-Antarctic area have been invited to film and submit movies. The movies are supposed to be filmed with in the 48 hours and then submitted here to McMurdo and then judged and the winners are announced next week on the 24th of July. The neat thing this year is that the 5 items that have to be in the movie weren't actually picked by McMurdo like normal. They were picked by other stations. The year 2008 was the first year that McMurdo invited the Sub-Antarctic stations, since it was a tradition between Scott Base, South Pole and McMurdo since 2000 or so. Apparently the 1st year there were 5 international movies and last year 18 so I can only imagine how many this year. I will keep you informed once I get to view them.
Anyways the video below are the "bloopers" from the video that I filmed and starred in. We actually filmed this before the film festival started to see if we could do some of the things that we wanted to do. This video is 2.5 minutes long and the one we submitted for the film festival is 4.5 minutes. I think it is funny since it was fun to film. So take a look and tell me what you think.
Stay Frosty
-C
19 June 2010
Another Sleepless Night
So we have all seen the movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray. It is wicked funny and never thought I would be living it but it seems, to some point at least, that I have been introduced to that feeling. Since the sun has gone down completely I have not been sleeping well. And by well I mean 3-4 hours a night 5 days a week and some nights I just don’t sleep at all. I go into work and I “running on empty” but my body is so used to this that is just keeps me going. I have tried to help but going to the gym, not eating 2 hours before I want to go to bed, stayed away from being in bed except when I want to sleep but nothing seems to be helping me so far. So I figure if I am doing all this and I am still not sleeping why not try and do all the bad stuff and see if it helps. So the long nights up watching TV, the eating before bed time and the all night partying actually helped.
Who would have thought that all the stuff that I was told over the years growing up actually helped me get some sleep. So I was a rock star at staying up until the wee hours of the morning, according to the clock at least since there is no sun coming up, and it actually help… until about 3 weeks ago. It now seems that my body wants it to go back to the “good old days” of chi-axing and going to bed early. So I figured that I would quit the booze for a bit and that helped but then my birthday came up and my liver hated me, for stopping and then going all out one night. And tada! I am back to sleeping normally again. But now 3 weeks after I am back to not sleeping again. So what am I supposed to do?
To heck if I know but I do know that I am going to keep having fun and if my body wants a break than it will figure out how to get some sleep in.
What is that sound?
A Zombie! Fire!!!!!!!!
Yes we do hunt zombies down here!
Stay Frosty
-C
Who would have thought that all the stuff that I was told over the years growing up actually helped me get some sleep. So I was a rock star at staying up until the wee hours of the morning, according to the clock at least since there is no sun coming up, and it actually help… until about 3 weeks ago. It now seems that my body wants it to go back to the “good old days” of chi-axing and going to bed early. So I figured that I would quit the booze for a bit and that helped but then my birthday came up and my liver hated me, for stopping and then going all out one night. And tada! I am back to sleeping normally again. But now 3 weeks after I am back to not sleeping again. So what am I supposed to do?
To heck if I know but I do know that I am going to keep having fun and if my body wants a break than it will figure out how to get some sleep in.
What is that sound?
A Zombie! Fire!!!!!!!!
Yes we do hunt zombies down here!
Stay Frosty
-C
Traveling
Well tonight seems to be a productive night since this will be my 3rd blog post of the month, check that night.
Well as you can see from the list of places, under my profile picture to the right, that I would like to visit a fairly decent amount of places. It has finally come time to begin planning my vacation. It is sad that the more time that goes by the more people that can’t travel. The traveling group started out with myself, Rob Weidman, Rob Gancarz and Jeremy Hirschhorn. Then Natasha Shields joined the group and then right after that Rob G. dropped out of the group followed shortly by Jeremy. Rob and Jeremy were both supposed to winter down here in McMurdo but they got the call from back in the U.S.A. for a full time job or at least the possibility of one. No hard feels because if I had gotten that call I would have bounced as well, so that left Rob W. Natasha and myself, a solid group if I must say so myself. But now Rob W is going to jam as well, and yes it is for a fulltime job or the possibility of one at least, as well, so that leaved Natasha and myself (moooo-haha-haha my plan is finally coming together).
So the plan is, as of right now… in my head… while I am typing this blog, is to fly to London, since I am ticketed to there, and go from there. We are thinking Stonehenge then off to Paris and Euro Disney, that is right bitches be jealous, then up to the coast and see the D-day beaches before training it to Barcelona. While on the way to or from Barcelona hit up Andorra (one of the five smallest countries in the world-SCotW- that are in Europe) and Monaco (#2 SCoft)then off to Italy. Italy is the place that I would like to see the most so we are going to be hitting up Venice, the sinking city, San Marco (SCotW #3), Florence, Rome and then Pompeii before heading to Greece for a leisure island hoping life style. Then from Greece to Istanbul, Turkey where I will attempt to get my 4th possibly 5th and Natasha’s 7th and last, continent since the city resides in both Eastern Europe and Western Asia, or so says Wikipedia. Then from there fly to Prague, Czech Republic and then train it Germany where we will hit Berlin, Munich and Dusseldorf (spelling I know) before making our way back to London via Liechtenstein (#4 SCotW).
As of right now I am flying from Auckland New Zealand on the 23rd of October and landing in London on the 25th of October. We are planning, as of right now, to be leaving London the 15th of December so that I can have an awesome story to tell the family at the Walsh Family Christmas Party and general booze fest on the 18th of December 2010 in Braintree, Ma. So if your plans will take you to any where in Europe during that time frame, or you always wanted to travel but had nobody to go with drop me a line or telephony call and we can make this happen.
Yea we live life on the edge down here! Thanks Scotty
Stay Frosty
-C
Well as you can see from the list of places, under my profile picture to the right, that I would like to visit a fairly decent amount of places. It has finally come time to begin planning my vacation. It is sad that the more time that goes by the more people that can’t travel. The traveling group started out with myself, Rob Weidman, Rob Gancarz and Jeremy Hirschhorn. Then Natasha Shields joined the group and then right after that Rob G. dropped out of the group followed shortly by Jeremy. Rob and Jeremy were both supposed to winter down here in McMurdo but they got the call from back in the U.S.A. for a full time job or at least the possibility of one. No hard feels because if I had gotten that call I would have bounced as well, so that left Rob W. Natasha and myself, a solid group if I must say so myself. But now Rob W is going to jam as well, and yes it is for a fulltime job or the possibility of one at least, as well, so that leaved Natasha and myself (moooo-haha-haha my plan is finally coming together).
So the plan is, as of right now… in my head… while I am typing this blog, is to fly to London, since I am ticketed to there, and go from there. We are thinking Stonehenge then off to Paris and Euro Disney, that is right bitches be jealous, then up to the coast and see the D-day beaches before training it to Barcelona. While on the way to or from Barcelona hit up Andorra (one of the five smallest countries in the world-SCotW- that are in Europe) and Monaco (#2 SCoft)then off to Italy. Italy is the place that I would like to see the most so we are going to be hitting up Venice, the sinking city, San Marco (SCotW #3), Florence, Rome and then Pompeii before heading to Greece for a leisure island hoping life style. Then from Greece to Istanbul, Turkey where I will attempt to get my 4th possibly 5th and Natasha’s 7th and last, continent since the city resides in both Eastern Europe and Western Asia, or so says Wikipedia. Then from there fly to Prague, Czech Republic and then train it Germany where we will hit Berlin, Munich and Dusseldorf (spelling I know) before making our way back to London via Liechtenstein (#4 SCotW).
As of right now I am flying from Auckland New Zealand on the 23rd of October and landing in London on the 25th of October. We are planning, as of right now, to be leaving London the 15th of December so that I can have an awesome story to tell the family at the Walsh Family Christmas Party and general booze fest on the 18th of December 2010 in Braintree, Ma. So if your plans will take you to any where in Europe during that time frame, or you always wanted to travel but had nobody to go with drop me a line or telephony call and we can make this happen.
Yea we live life on the edge down here! Thanks Scotty
Stay Frosty
-C
Life during training, winfly and at the south pole in video
Hello All,
Here is a video that was put up on the wonderful world of Youtube. com by Phil McCully. I am the firefighter in the pink stocking hat also known as the dusty rose hat. And yes that is me "John Wayneing" the CO2 extinguisher at the 3:55 mark.
Thanks again Phil from Philfirerescue.blogspot.com for the video and stay low while in the academy
Stay Frosty
-C
Here is a video that was put up on the wonderful world of Youtube. com by Phil McCully. I am the firefighter in the pink stocking hat also known as the dusty rose hat. And yes that is me "John Wayneing" the CO2 extinguisher at the 3:55 mark.
Thanks again Phil from Philfirerescue.blogspot.com for the video and stay low while in the academy
Stay Frosty
-C
Burger Bar
So I sit here in the computer kiosk reading other people’s blogs about being down here in the wonderful world of Antarctica and I realize that some of the most basic things that I enjoy down here people will never know the feeling of excitement and joy that they bring me.
So I will try to explain the simple things that bring me joy. For today’s installment I choose to write about Burger Bar. A very simple name for a very simple event but the joy and fulfillment that it brings me, and most people on station for that matter, is endless. You see everyday down here events rotate around a meal time, even more now during the winter than they do during the summer. The meals are breakfast from 06h00 to 08h00, then lunch 11h00 to 13h00 and then dinner 17h00 to 19h00. All of the meals with the exception of breakfast have an early and late meal. This by no way means that people are assigned a meal time but you see the same people at early lunch (a.k.a. 1st) 11h30 to 12h15 and then at early dinner 17h30 to 18h15 and the same for late (a.k.a. 2nd) lunch and dinner. Being that I work for a 24 hour department means that our schedule transverses all time frames and status quo as to which seating that we sit for. Some times, if I am covering dispatch, I will go to late dinner but I will usually go to early lunch, when I am working. It is funny, to me at least, that I added “when I am working” to the last sentence because when I am not working it seems that I don’t have a set time, which is nice but also means that I am usually eating alone. Eating alone is not a big deal for me especially since I am usually eating at 13h00 or 13h30 instead of the standard 11h00 to 13h00 time frame. But I always seem to eat 1st dinner with only one exception, Burger Bar. That is because Burger Bar is the coveted one dinner during the week that is cooked after you order it, isn’t under heat light or in ice baths, or that is tough to the touch since it has been cooked for a while.
Now I am be no means saying that the food down here is bad or that the cooks aren’t anything short of spectacular but what I am saying is that it is nice to actually go and order your food and get it the way you want it, with very few exceptions. Today was a burger bar night, if you can’t already tell. I had not realized that tonight was a BB night (Burger Bar for short, duh!) until I got a phone call asking to borrow my DVD player so they could watch the football game (in America we call it Soccer). I was so stunned to learn that it was BB tonight that I immediately jumped for joy because I know that I was going to have some fresh cooked, notice how I didn’t say fresh killed, food not even knowing what kind of toppings were to be had or even who was cooking. This joyous occasion only happens; I say it like it is rare, once a week but the day rotates so it could be 10 days in between BB. On those weeks the natives really get restless and that is when the lines and waits are long. But overall the selection of food is really good. Last BB, excluding tonight, it was “Big Kahuna Burgers.” It was burgers topped with fresh, as fresh as you can get with the last flight being 3 months ago, pineapple and real bacon. Tonight was sauce night; BBQ, Hot sauce, mild sauce, sweet chili sauce, ranch and bleu cheese, so that you could top your wings, fries, or tots with. Two BB ago it was hot dog and patty melt night and I do have to say that I had the best hot dog sandwich in my life that night, thanks Carl!
Stay Frosty
-C
P.S.-- Dear Google Images thank you for the picture of the cheeseburger as I would imagine it would look like if I was in a place that was warm. Picture taken from http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/IMG_0314_2.jpg and hopefully that will be enough credit to not get me in trouble
So I will try to explain the simple things that bring me joy. For today’s installment I choose to write about Burger Bar. A very simple name for a very simple event but the joy and fulfillment that it brings me, and most people on station for that matter, is endless. You see everyday down here events rotate around a meal time, even more now during the winter than they do during the summer. The meals are breakfast from 06h00 to 08h00, then lunch 11h00 to 13h00 and then dinner 17h00 to 19h00. All of the meals with the exception of breakfast have an early and late meal. This by no way means that people are assigned a meal time but you see the same people at early lunch (a.k.a. 1st) 11h30 to 12h15 and then at early dinner 17h30 to 18h15 and the same for late (a.k.a. 2nd) lunch and dinner. Being that I work for a 24 hour department means that our schedule transverses all time frames and status quo as to which seating that we sit for. Some times, if I am covering dispatch, I will go to late dinner but I will usually go to early lunch, when I am working. It is funny, to me at least, that I added “when I am working” to the last sentence because when I am not working it seems that I don’t have a set time, which is nice but also means that I am usually eating alone. Eating alone is not a big deal for me especially since I am usually eating at 13h00 or 13h30 instead of the standard 11h00 to 13h00 time frame. But I always seem to eat 1st dinner with only one exception, Burger Bar. That is because Burger Bar is the coveted one dinner during the week that is cooked after you order it, isn’t under heat light or in ice baths, or that is tough to the touch since it has been cooked for a while.
Now I am be no means saying that the food down here is bad or that the cooks aren’t anything short of spectacular but what I am saying is that it is nice to actually go and order your food and get it the way you want it, with very few exceptions. Today was a burger bar night, if you can’t already tell. I had not realized that tonight was a BB night (Burger Bar for short, duh!) until I got a phone call asking to borrow my DVD player so they could watch the football game (in America we call it Soccer). I was so stunned to learn that it was BB tonight that I immediately jumped for joy because I know that I was going to have some fresh cooked, notice how I didn’t say fresh killed, food not even knowing what kind of toppings were to be had or even who was cooking. This joyous occasion only happens; I say it like it is rare, once a week but the day rotates so it could be 10 days in between BB. On those weeks the natives really get restless and that is when the lines and waits are long. But overall the selection of food is really good. Last BB, excluding tonight, it was “Big Kahuna Burgers.” It was burgers topped with fresh, as fresh as you can get with the last flight being 3 months ago, pineapple and real bacon. Tonight was sauce night; BBQ, Hot sauce, mild sauce, sweet chili sauce, ranch and bleu cheese, so that you could top your wings, fries, or tots with. Two BB ago it was hot dog and patty melt night and I do have to say that I had the best hot dog sandwich in my life that night, thanks Carl!
Stay Frosty
-C
P.S.-- Dear Google Images thank you for the picture of the cheeseburger as I would imagine it would look like if I was in a place that was warm. Picture taken from http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/IMG_0314_2.jpg and hopefully that will be enough credit to not get me in trouble
26 May 2010
Benefits of being here during the winter
Well hello all. I am back in my room right now, on one of my (many) days off. Having every other day down here is the benefit of being a firefighter. Normally back home we would work a schedule at over 3,4 or 5 days we would work 1 and then have either 2, 3 or the next 4 days off, this is all due to working 24 hours a day. Down here we do not have that “luxury” but we still have some benefits. Case in point, today (and Monday for that matter), I had the benefit of going into the hot tub for 2 hours. Normally we can only reserve it for an hour at a time but if you go in groups then each person can get an hour to themselves which means longer for everyone.
Anyways, as I am walking to the Firehouse, which is 20 feet from the hot tub, I see people walking around town either going to or from a work assignment and I am thankful for having my schedule. I am dressed in my “big red” with a t-shirt and a pair of jeans on along with my sneakers and a bag around my shoulders to carry my towel and my beverages for the hot tub. I go into the firehouse and see the people working in the bay to overhaul our heating system. Of course I say hi to them all and they ask why I am back since it is my day off, they know this since they begin work at 730am and I leave work about 815am after we have our shift change meeting and “bs” with everyone. I say with a snicker “I’m ‘rubber ducking it’ today.” They all give that “I wish I was you right now” look since they know the rubber duck, yes just like when you were a kid and played with one in the tub, is attached to the hot tub key ring as to not lose the key in the snow.
I also take advantage of working at the firehouse and go to my bunk room to change into my swim shorts / workout short and with just my t-shirt, sneakers and workout shorts on I briskly jog over the 20 feet to the hot tub where I relax with some beverages, music and non-work related conversation. Since for the most part the Firehouse and the Power Plant operators are the only ones that don’t work “town schedule” (Monday to Saturday 730am to 530pm) the hot tub is relatively free most days before 6pm. This is nice since it gets chemically treated in the morning about 7 am or maybe the night before if it isn’t in use before the wonderful UT foreman racks out for the evening. So it is usually nice and clean and germ free, an added benefit.
Lately we have been getting more people to join us in the hot tub either before or after our scheduled times. It is nice to have people from different work centers come and join so we don’t talk about the same topics. The conversations inevitably turn into “war stories”, “triumphs” or work bitching. Which is all well and good but they have their place, which is not in the hot tub since it is relaxing time.
Everyone once in an while someone will knock on the door to see who is in there since they can hear the music on the outside. The conversation usually goes like “Hey what up? Not much ‘just chilling, relaxing and acting all cool. You know shooting some b-ball outside of the school.’ How long you going to be here? Until 4 or so (or 5 or 6 which ever is correct). Cool mind if I join? Not at all come on back and join.” Then there is the inevitable meeting / passing / random person coming up in the galley / hallway / computer kiosk that asks if we are “tubing” it this morning / afternoon. Which the answer is usually yes or maybe an inquisitive you want to? But either way it is nice to be here and have some things that are different or specifically saved for winter. It gives the 198 winter-overs, the biggest in 3 years, something to be elitists about. Apparently this year it is going to be a big winfly season with 200 more scientist and grantees coming down. So the hot tub and all the extra amenities will all disappear, a week early this year, as to not give the impression that we have "luxuries" that they don't have during the summer. Where as winfly is usually the influx of trades people to help; open the dorms and buildings, get the vehicles up and running, and compile all the gear that is going to get used during the summer. But this year is it the 260ish winfly people like normal plus 200+ scientist and grantees. (FYI grantees are the unpaid scientist / videographers / photographers / random people in general that get sponsored by their respective universities and the NSF to come down and work on experiments.)
Hope you enjoyed.
From a nice calm and surprisingly warm (+7 degrees Fahrenheit) Wednesday
Stay Frosty!
-C
Anyways, as I am walking to the Firehouse, which is 20 feet from the hot tub, I see people walking around town either going to or from a work assignment and I am thankful for having my schedule. I am dressed in my “big red” with a t-shirt and a pair of jeans on along with my sneakers and a bag around my shoulders to carry my towel and my beverages for the hot tub. I go into the firehouse and see the people working in the bay to overhaul our heating system. Of course I say hi to them all and they ask why I am back since it is my day off, they know this since they begin work at 730am and I leave work about 815am after we have our shift change meeting and “bs” with everyone. I say with a snicker “I’m ‘rubber ducking it’ today.” They all give that “I wish I was you right now” look since they know the rubber duck, yes just like when you were a kid and played with one in the tub, is attached to the hot tub key ring as to not lose the key in the snow.
I also take advantage of working at the firehouse and go to my bunk room to change into my swim shorts / workout short and with just my t-shirt, sneakers and workout shorts on I briskly jog over the 20 feet to the hot tub where I relax with some beverages, music and non-work related conversation. Since for the most part the Firehouse and the Power Plant operators are the only ones that don’t work “town schedule” (Monday to Saturday 730am to 530pm) the hot tub is relatively free most days before 6pm. This is nice since it gets chemically treated in the morning about 7 am or maybe the night before if it isn’t in use before the wonderful UT foreman racks out for the evening. So it is usually nice and clean and germ free, an added benefit.
Lately we have been getting more people to join us in the hot tub either before or after our scheduled times. It is nice to have people from different work centers come and join so we don’t talk about the same topics. The conversations inevitably turn into “war stories”, “triumphs” or work bitching. Which is all well and good but they have their place, which is not in the hot tub since it is relaxing time.
Everyone once in an while someone will knock on the door to see who is in there since they can hear the music on the outside. The conversation usually goes like “Hey what up? Not much ‘just chilling, relaxing and acting all cool. You know shooting some b-ball outside of the school.’ How long you going to be here? Until 4 or so (or 5 or 6 which ever is correct). Cool mind if I join? Not at all come on back and join.” Then there is the inevitable meeting / passing / random person coming up in the galley / hallway / computer kiosk that asks if we are “tubing” it this morning / afternoon. Which the answer is usually yes or maybe an inquisitive you want to? But either way it is nice to be here and have some things that are different or specifically saved for winter. It gives the 198 winter-overs, the biggest in 3 years, something to be elitists about. Apparently this year it is going to be a big winfly season with 200 more scientist and grantees coming down. So the hot tub and all the extra amenities will all disappear, a week early this year, as to not give the impression that we have "luxuries" that they don't have during the summer. Where as winfly is usually the influx of trades people to help; open the dorms and buildings, get the vehicles up and running, and compile all the gear that is going to get used during the summer. But this year is it the 260ish winfly people like normal plus 200+ scientist and grantees. (FYI grantees are the unpaid scientist / videographers / photographers / random people in general that get sponsored by their respective universities and the NSF to come down and work on experiments.)
About these pictures:
So right down the road, literally, is Scott Base which is considered “foreign soil” since it is under the control of New Zealand. They are the ones that maintain the wind turbines (picture #2) that help to offset the power used by both bases. Apparently McMurdo’s power plant helps to power Scott Base. So when the wind is whipping, read above about 10 knots, it gives enough power to completely supply Scott Base and help offset McMurdo’s own power consumption. This is a good thing since we aren’t using diesel / JP-8 (jet fuel) / AN-8 (winterized {Antarctic} JP-8) to power the town which is a normally what is used to make electricity and water. Heat is comes from the diesel thru boilers or thru the waste heat loop around town that comes from the cooling of the 2 generators. So anyways about the sign, currently there are 14 bodies (13 plus a really short person hence a 13 ½) that reside at Scott Base during the winter. This picture was taken the same day that we did fire watch stand by for them so they could take there winter-over picture up at the wind turbines. It is A-shift, my shift, minus Virginia. It was here “Kelly Day.”
Hope you enjoyed.From a nice calm and surprisingly warm (+7 degrees Fahrenheit) Wednesday
Stay Frosty!
-C
19 May 2010
Group Photos
Helloooo All,
I know it has been a few weeks, almost a month, since my last update but I have been busy. Well to tell you the truth I haven’t been busy but I have been to busy to finish writing the 5 posts that I have started. I get typing and then something comes up and I don’t finish, or I rush and it doesn’t accurately portray what I am trying to describe. So I have decided to go over them and revise what I have to make a good solid few posts. Plus my friend Phil McCully mentioned me in his blog so I have to kick my arse into high gear to get this updated.
So since this is more of a teaser than an update I will be showing and telling about my fellow McMurdoians. We have been taking pictures all over town for the yearbook, Mother’s day and our individual department photos. So this is more of a get to know my fellow Americans, and some Kiwi, than anything else. I do have to give credit where it is due, since the photos are not saved on the common drive anymore, and I do not have access to my laptop currently. I am going to be borrowing pictures that are already posted by my fellow McMurdoians. So please visit the page of a fellow McMurdoian Marika at http://ilostabetdotgov.wordpress.com/ which is truly a wonderful blog or my friends on facebook under the “Ice Cube” friend group.
My Fellow Firefighters
So here is a good picture of the different shifts. On the left you have A-Shift of which I am a proud member of. On the right you have B-Shift which they are all proud members of. And then in the front you have the Station Captain, John Cassidy, on the left and our wonderful and talented dispatcher Bethany Barfield on the right. For B-Shift starting at the bottom is their Lieutenant Mark Bucher, FF Corey Adler, FF Grant Hanson, FF & D/O Rob Weidman and last but certainly not least FF & D/O Megan Branson. Now Megan and Rob are both my personal photographers so you may already recognize them. Now onto A-Shift again starting at the bottom is Lieutenant Shayne Dombrowski, FF & D/O Virginia Price, FF & D/O Scott Beu, FF Peter McHargue and last but of course not least, not in my mind anyways, FF & D/O Corey Walsh who I do have to say is a stunningly good looking person.
F.E.M.C.-Facilities Engineering Mechanical and Construction
These groups of people are the ones that take care of and maintain everything on station except for vehicles and computers, which means they are the biggest group on station by far during this winter. They are plumbers, electricians, carpenters, engineers, boiler mechanics, and UT (universal technicians) that I get to call at 1, 2, 3 or 4 am when I am covering dispatch when a variety of alarms go off. They are the ones that brave the -50 degree weather to make sure the local watering hole (Gallagher’s) is still nice and toasty when the low temperature alarm goes off, like it just did.
Galley
I would think that just by the name it would explain it. But for those who do not know, there are the people who cook our delicious food and maintain the entire cutlery that goes along with it. They have by far one of the least appreciated jobs on station. In fact they are so under staffed that every weekend 4-6 community members have to “volunteer” in the dish pit to clean dishes and pots so 1 member of the Galley staff can have the day off.
Janos
The Janos are the housing staff that clean up the public spaces in McMurdo. Many are former Galley staff that liked it so much that they came back. They are also the people that do the laundry that is left over from the summer and make the bed packs so when the summer people come back they have clean sheets to sleep on. They also have one of the least appreciated jobs on station.
Carp Shop
These are the guys that are carpenters on station. They, like most others jobs this winter, are always under staffed and overbook on projects. They also assemble two of the best bands on station.
B.F.C.-Berg Field Center a.k.a. Building Full of Chicks
They are the individuals that are tasked with cleaning, maintaining and preparing all the field camp equipment for the summer researchers. They are also charge with maintaining the hiking trails in and around McMurdo both summer and winter.
Heat Trace
They have one of the worst jobs, I think, on station. All the piping that runs from building to building is wrapped with heat conduction to keep it all warm. Well they are in the process of rewiring all of it. So they are outside 90% of the day. A good solid thanks to all you heat tracers.
**Note** Heavy Shop Picture doesn't feel like loading today so I will work on it.
I know it has been a few weeks, almost a month, since my last update but I have been busy. Well to tell you the truth I haven’t been busy but I have been to busy to finish writing the 5 posts that I have started. I get typing and then something comes up and I don’t finish, or I rush and it doesn’t accurately portray what I am trying to describe. So I have decided to go over them and revise what I have to make a good solid few posts. Plus my friend Phil McCully mentioned me in his blog so I have to kick my arse into high gear to get this updated.
So since this is more of a teaser than an update I will be showing and telling about my fellow McMurdoians. We have been taking pictures all over town for the yearbook, Mother’s day and our individual department photos. So this is more of a get to know my fellow Americans, and some Kiwi, than anything else. I do have to give credit where it is due, since the photos are not saved on the common drive anymore, and I do not have access to my laptop currently. I am going to be borrowing pictures that are already posted by my fellow McMurdoians. So please visit the page of a fellow McMurdoian Marika at http://ilostabetdotgov.wordpress.com/ which is truly a wonderful blog or my friends on facebook under the “Ice Cube” friend group.
My Fellow FirefightersSo here is a good picture of the different shifts. On the left you have A-Shift of which I am a proud member of. On the right you have B-Shift which they are all proud members of. And then in the front you have the Station Captain, John Cassidy, on the left and our wonderful and talented dispatcher Bethany Barfield on the right. For B-Shift starting at the bottom is their Lieutenant Mark Bucher, FF Corey Adler, FF Grant Hanson, FF & D/O Rob Weidman and last but certainly not least FF & D/O Megan Branson. Now Megan and Rob are both my personal photographers so you may already recognize them. Now onto A-Shift again starting at the bottom is Lieutenant Shayne Dombrowski, FF & D/O Virginia Price, FF & D/O Scott Beu, FF Peter McHargue and last but of course not least, not in my mind anyways, FF & D/O Corey Walsh who I do have to say is a stunningly good looking person.
F.E.M.C.-Facilities Engineering Mechanical and ConstructionThese groups of people are the ones that take care of and maintain everything on station except for vehicles and computers, which means they are the biggest group on station by far during this winter. They are plumbers, electricians, carpenters, engineers, boiler mechanics, and UT (universal technicians) that I get to call at 1, 2, 3 or 4 am when I am covering dispatch when a variety of alarms go off. They are the ones that brave the -50 degree weather to make sure the local watering hole (Gallagher’s) is still nice and toasty when the low temperature alarm goes off, like it just did.
GalleyI would think that just by the name it would explain it. But for those who do not know, there are the people who cook our delicious food and maintain the entire cutlery that goes along with it. They have by far one of the least appreciated jobs on station. In fact they are so under staffed that every weekend 4-6 community members have to “volunteer” in the dish pit to clean dishes and pots so 1 member of the Galley staff can have the day off.
JanosThe Janos are the housing staff that clean up the public spaces in McMurdo. Many are former Galley staff that liked it so much that they came back. They are also the people that do the laundry that is left over from the summer and make the bed packs so when the summer people come back they have clean sheets to sleep on. They also have one of the least appreciated jobs on station.
Carp ShopThese are the guys that are carpenters on station. They, like most others jobs this winter, are always under staffed and overbook on projects. They also assemble two of the best bands on station.
B.F.C.-Berg Field Center a.k.a. Building Full of ChicksThey are the individuals that are tasked with cleaning, maintaining and preparing all the field camp equipment for the summer researchers. They are also charge with maintaining the hiking trails in and around McMurdo both summer and winter.
Heat TraceThey have one of the worst jobs, I think, on station. All the piping that runs from building to building is wrapped with heat conduction to keep it all warm. Well they are in the process of rewiring all of it. So they are outside 90% of the day. A good solid thanks to all you heat tracers.
**Note** Heavy Shop Picture doesn't feel like loading today so I will work on it.
The Heavy ShopThese guys and gals are the ones that fix our equipment. Big and small, light and heavy, snow covered or sea water soaked they take care of it all. They work on everything from pickups to Caterpillar D-9 earth moving, or rather snow moving, dozers. I know that we, the fire department, have tasked them with fixing our Engines multiple times this winter and with probably more to come. They are also the group that graciously gives up there work center once a month for a horseshoe tournament
Now I know that I am missing some departments like supply, Human Resources, Finance, the Store, Safety and IT but I could not, even remotely, find a picture of them. This last picture is of the fire department again. We took it outside, obviously, but since we needed a head shot type picture we went with the first one.
More updates to come this week, I promise!
Stay Frosty
-C
Now I know that I am missing some departments like supply, Human Resources, Finance, the Store, Safety and IT but I could not, even remotely, find a picture of them. This last picture is of the fire department again. We took it outside, obviously, but since we needed a head shot type picture we went with the first one.More updates to come this week, I promise!
Stay Frosty
-C
22 April 2010
Washing my Hands
So everyday we have to checkout the apparatus and today it is my turn to check our primary fire rig but not just the normal daily check the much coveted weekly check. Not a huge deal I have done 1 a week since I have been here in McMurdo. Not that I could do them in my sleep but they are pretty mundane and considering there are only 4 firefighters per shift I am doing 1 of the 2 fire rigs every week, or at least it seems that way. So there I am checking the airbrake system under the rig and I say to myself “self what does this remind you of?”
Well it reminds me of when I was younger (15 years ago pfft!) I used to help my dad work on cars, van, trucks or whatever he was getting paid to “wrench” on. I am sitting on a red creeper, with similarly placed duct tape patches, under a vehicle on a concrete floor looking up at the rear axles when I slid my head into something. Dang drive shaft! You would thing that I already know that the drive shaft would win in a battle with my flamboyantly styled hair and my hard as brink head but I forgot and the drive shaft let me know it again. As I sit there draining the air from the airbrake tanks, to get the moisture out, I think of how many afternoons I have spend under, in or working on cars with my dad. After I get done under the rig I get up to wash my hands and as I reach for the soap one of the guys asks why I do not use water to help the soap? Well I explain to them that the “Gojo” soap that we are using is pumice based and it is designed to help get the grease out of your pours and from under your finger nails and what not. And by using water it dilutes the soap and it will not work as well. He proceeded to thank me for my explanation. So this goes out to you Dad. Thanks for taking the time to explain how the soap work to me, among other things.
About this picture:
This picture is half of our winter fire department staff. We had just got done with a confined space practical exercise a couple hundred feet from the sign and the wind died down. So in the pictures are (left to right) Scott “Scotty Beu-Beu-Beu” Beu, Corey “Yup the writer of this Blog” Walsh, Peter “Prusik Pete” McHargue, Lt. Shayne “D-Ski” Dombrowski, Station Captain John “Oh Captain My Captain” Cassidy, and Virginia “I’m going to rule the world… someday” Price. With the exception of Capt. Cassidy that is the A-shift that is protecting McMurdo Station Antarctica on the Ross Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea with in the confines of the continent of Antarctica for the winter of 2010, or until Winfly at least. Behind up is McMurdo Sound which 2 months ago had open water and seals everywhere. But now the temperatures are colder and the wind windier so it is only the few 200+ crazy people from the USA, New Zealand and everywhere else. I was going to “photoshop” out the power lines but than I realized that it is how it is down here so why should I try to hide anything.
Stay Frost
-C
Well it reminds me of when I was younger (15 years ago pfft!) I used to help my dad work on cars, van, trucks or whatever he was getting paid to “wrench” on. I am sitting on a red creeper, with similarly placed duct tape patches, under a vehicle on a concrete floor looking up at the rear axles when I slid my head into something. Dang drive shaft! You would thing that I already know that the drive shaft would win in a battle with my flamboyantly styled hair and my hard as brink head but I forgot and the drive shaft let me know it again. As I sit there draining the air from the airbrake tanks, to get the moisture out, I think of how many afternoons I have spend under, in or working on cars with my dad. After I get done under the rig I get up to wash my hands and as I reach for the soap one of the guys asks why I do not use water to help the soap? Well I explain to them that the “Gojo” soap that we are using is pumice based and it is designed to help get the grease out of your pours and from under your finger nails and what not. And by using water it dilutes the soap and it will not work as well. He proceeded to thank me for my explanation. So this goes out to you Dad. Thanks for taking the time to explain how the soap work to me, among other things.
About this picture:This picture is half of our winter fire department staff. We had just got done with a confined space practical exercise a couple hundred feet from the sign and the wind died down. So in the pictures are (left to right) Scott “Scotty Beu-Beu-Beu” Beu, Corey “Yup the writer of this Blog” Walsh, Peter “Prusik Pete” McHargue, Lt. Shayne “D-Ski” Dombrowski, Station Captain John “Oh Captain My Captain” Cassidy, and Virginia “I’m going to rule the world… someday” Price. With the exception of Capt. Cassidy that is the A-shift that is protecting McMurdo Station Antarctica on the Ross Ice Shelf in the Ross Sea with in the confines of the continent of Antarctica for the winter of 2010, or until Winfly at least. Behind up is McMurdo Sound which 2 months ago had open water and seals everywhere. But now the temperatures are colder and the wind windier so it is only the few 200+ crazy people from the USA, New Zealand and everywhere else. I was going to “photoshop” out the power lines but than I realized that it is how it is down here so why should I try to hide anything.
Stay Frost
-C
25 March 2010
The Darkness
So I am sitting at the firehouse standing in the dark of the room and staring out the window into the darkness of the night. Off to my right is a reflection, from one of the 4 windows in the room, of a blue light. The blue is familiar and so I turn to look and see what it is from. Ding ding the blue color is from the fresh paint, well fresh down here, of the mail dormitory building that also houses the galley, offices and businesses, all 2 of them. The building, number 155, was painted this summer as one of the summer projects. Most people I talked to during the summer really had distain for the blue. I admit I did as well at the time but now as I see it in the light of the night with the light from the outside stairwell shinning onto it I actually like it. It is calming and that is what I need right now. I transition back to my original window to continuing to enjoy the night for a few minutes before I head to bed. Thirty minutes later I finally make my way to my bunk and as I enter my room I see that I have been missing some of the most beautiful horizon that I have seen in year. I look out my bunk room window to see the Royal Society Mountain Range backlit with a layering of colors. Yellow at the bottom followed with a surprising green twice as high as the yellow and topped off with a wonderful and picturesque blue right at the top of the mountain range.
The last time I saw a sunset or sunrise for that matter was many years ago when I was hiking in New Mexico. I know that is something that some people may find hard to believe since I have lived at the foot of one of the best beaches in the world on Cape Cod. But I can honestly tell you that you don’t get the colors over the ocean that you do down here. You still get the layering but it just isn’t the 3 hours that you get down here. Back home you get 20 minutes at best. Now when I was in New Mexico I was hiking and I do have to say that when I was there I saw the most beautiful sunrise and sunset that I could have possibly imagined but down here with the clean air and the 3 hour sunsets it is completely different. The sunsets, and sunrises I would imagine it I was up early enough, start earlier everyday but seem to last all night. Last night’s started at 20h12 (8:12 pm) and it was 23h30 (11:30 pm) when I made it up stairs to my bunk.
I think, besides the length of the sunset, the mountains have a major part in the sunsets. They help to reflect the light in different angles and thus creating different, strike that, more vibrant, long lasting colors that you typically do not see. I have not seen a sunrise down here that could compare to a sunrise over 9,000’+ mountains and over mesa and plateaus. I do look forward to seeing what Mother Nature has in store for us come August after the months of darkness that I have before me.
Stay Frosty
-C
About this posting’s picture,
Well I would think that it is pretty self explanatory but since most people as me about it I will tell you. After Hurricane Katrina I worked down in New Orleans for 9 months. While working there I was assigned many tasks but this one involved checking to make sure that the temporary housing that was being installed was being set up properly. So while working I came up to an intersection and since there was water in the street we were instructed to get out and check to make sure that there was still a road below the water. So I get out and look at the puddle. It was ankle deep and I was able to walk and see thru the whole puddle, so I just back in my car to drive thru it. Well that is when the road gave out. I made it halfway thru the puddle when the road gave out, twice. So I called my buddy who was a few blocks away to come help me. As I am on the phone with him the water starts coming into the car, time to get out! So 5 hours later and 8 feet below the road they finally figure out that at some point the fire hydrant got hit and it was undermining the whole intersection. I made it out by jumping out the window onto the grass which was coincidently when the New Orleans Police rolled up.
The last time I saw a sunset or sunrise for that matter was many years ago when I was hiking in New Mexico. I know that is something that some people may find hard to believe since I have lived at the foot of one of the best beaches in the world on Cape Cod. But I can honestly tell you that you don’t get the colors over the ocean that you do down here. You still get the layering but it just isn’t the 3 hours that you get down here. Back home you get 20 minutes at best. Now when I was in New Mexico I was hiking and I do have to say that when I was there I saw the most beautiful sunrise and sunset that I could have possibly imagined but down here with the clean air and the 3 hour sunsets it is completely different. The sunsets, and sunrises I would imagine it I was up early enough, start earlier everyday but seem to last all night. Last night’s started at 20h12 (8:12 pm) and it was 23h30 (11:30 pm) when I made it up stairs to my bunk.
I think, besides the length of the sunset, the mountains have a major part in the sunsets. They help to reflect the light in different angles and thus creating different, strike that, more vibrant, long lasting colors that you typically do not see. I have not seen a sunrise down here that could compare to a sunrise over 9,000’+ mountains and over mesa and plateaus. I do look forward to seeing what Mother Nature has in store for us come August after the months of darkness that I have before me.
Stay Frosty
-C
About this posting’s picture,Well I would think that it is pretty self explanatory but since most people as me about it I will tell you. After Hurricane Katrina I worked down in New Orleans for 9 months. While working there I was assigned many tasks but this one involved checking to make sure that the temporary housing that was being installed was being set up properly. So while working I came up to an intersection and since there was water in the street we were instructed to get out and check to make sure that there was still a road below the water. So I get out and look at the puddle. It was ankle deep and I was able to walk and see thru the whole puddle, so I just back in my car to drive thru it. Well that is when the road gave out. I made it halfway thru the puddle when the road gave out, twice. So I called my buddy who was a few blocks away to come help me. As I am on the phone with him the water starts coming into the car, time to get out! So 5 hours later and 8 feet below the road they finally figure out that at some point the fire hydrant got hit and it was undermining the whole intersection. I made it out by jumping out the window onto the grass which was coincidently when the New Orleans Police rolled up.
19 March 2010
Walking to school
So there I am getting ready for work and looking at the gorgeous sunrise shining through my 24” by 48” window, happening before my eyes. The light is coming up over the Royal Society Mountain Range directly outside my window. Through the window I can see the dreadful wind. Normally, the wind is an invisible creature that you have to be involved in to experience but down here and right now it is the mixture of snow, volcanic dust, and rock that show direction as well as speed. However whispery it may be for the time being, it can change to horrifyingly violent with enough force to pick up dumpsters and move them multiple feet. The wind, today, is ever so slow; that is, just enough to put a chill in your bones. Just enough to cause the hair on the back of your neck to stand, but when it blows it likes to wrap around whatever it catches almost like it is creating a whirlpool -- a vortex around its prey. Then, just as fast as it caught you, it is gone. All the snow and dust is lying flat on the ground motionless: waiting, stalking, and thinking of who or what it is going for next.As I make the outer door to my building I pause for a moment to do a mental check of stuff for work. Work sweatshirt? Check. Ball cap? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Writing instrument --pen? Check. Now I am ready to leave. So I reach for the outer door and slowly peer outside to see how hard the wind is blowing. To my surprise it is docile, for the moment. As I am walking down the metal staircase I say, “Self, I hope it doesn’t pick up once I leave the security of the landing.” I am lucky today as the wind is not lurking behind the building waiting or watching me. I am completely free to continue on my long, arduous journey to work.
The morning, this morning, is different from the last few. It reminds me of when I used to walk to the school bus stop, way back when. I always remember walking up the hill by my house, when we lived 4 blocks from the beach, and seeing the sunrise coming up over the marsh on my left where the mix of warm water and cool air created a fog that slowly rolled up the landscape trying to catch me before I made the top of the hill to see the gorgeous ocean on my right. Back in McMurdo I don’t have the luxury of a marsh but I have a snow-covered volcanic rock parking lot affectionately named “Derelict Junction.” I see to my left the wind has indeed picked up a bit. I see a newly created whirlwind coming from the alley between a few of the buildings. The snow and dust create a fog so that I cannot see the person’s face just 50 feet to my left but only the silhouette of their “Big Red” jacket. It is trying to chase me, just like the fog used to on those cool spring and summer mornings back on Cape Cod. It does end up catching me, so to speak. It seems to have lost its momentum right at my feet. The tenaciousness of the wind to find me, get to me, and hold me is futile since I take that fateful step up the stair, effectively putting myself out of its reach. I make a quick left at Gallagher’s and then a quick right behind Medical and I have only 50 feet to go up a snowdrift-covered volcanic rock hill, over some power cords that are keeping our fire apparatus warm and tidy, past four vehicles that I will surely be out to check on in less than an hour, and then to the man door at the fire station.
As I step inside the fire station, I take a minute to think and catch my breath, being as it is -15 degrees out. In the three minutes it took me to get to work this morning, it brought back so many memories of being a kid again: walking around in shorts on a brisk and balmy 40-degree day before school, riding my bicycle in the rain just because the rain was warm, seeing the waves crash on the flooded beach parking lot while there is a hurricane coming up the East Coast.
Who knew that the wind could bring back so many memories?
Stay Frosty
-C
P.S. The picture is a "Sun Dog." It is a rainbow that forms around the sun when there are a lot of ice crystals in the air. They are better seen through polarized lenses, either sunglasses or camera, but with the naked eye you can still see the truly beautiful ones. You just have to work a little hard at it. <(")
03 March 2010
I am from the future! (Said with weird computer voice)
Do you know that I like about being down here? That I am from the future! No not like I know the lottery numbers future or Quantum Leap future but from 18 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time. I have the ability to be the first to comment on people’s birthdays or to be late on anything with the excuse of “sorry you were not open when I was trying to call…. from Antarctica.” What I do also like is the fact that the communications equipment can, and in fact did last week, become disabled and give us that isolated feeling. The drawback to this is that I missed my dad’s birthday. I did not actually miss it to be technical, I Facebooked him saying Happy Birthday since I was working, but on his actual birthday the communications equipment decided to take a “union break” and there were no communications, for the laymen town folk anyways.
I called him once the antenna array got fixed but it still wasn’t the same. I know that I have excuses and valid ones at that but I still feel like crap since I missed it and I am the one son that never, usually, misses his birthday. So when I finally did get to call, he completely understood. He completely understands since he spent time in the Air Force in Alaska over the winter, while Mom was in Iceland with the Air Force. But still that was 30 years ago almost and you would think that with all the technology it just wouldn’t happen. His response was something to the effect of “at least it was only down for 18 hours instead of days.” I guess that is the upside to being experienced and being able to look outside the box at stuff.
I called him once the antenna array got fixed but it still wasn’t the same. I know that I have excuses and valid ones at that but I still feel like crap since I missed it and I am the one son that never, usually, misses his birthday. So when I finally did get to call, he completely understood. He completely understands since he spent time in the Air Force in Alaska over the winter, while Mom was in Iceland with the Air Force. But still that was 30 years ago almost and you would think that with all the technology it just wouldn’t happen. His response was something to the effect of “at least it was only down for 18 hours instead of days.” I guess that is the upside to being experienced and being able to look outside the box at stuff.
Ok so about the picture. It was taken while the C-17 is taxying in after landing. It is currently blowing 8-10 knots and -8 degrees not including wind chill. It is the wonderful Natasha, my personnel photographer (one of anyways), right before she is going to board that plane to leave the ice for traveling fun in New Zealand. It is funny sitting on the runway while we are standing by for aircraft fire protection and watching everyone take pictures of the plane and then hearing them say “I wish there was a sign here to make this picture better.” When there is and all they have to do is look for the 2 4x4 beams sticking out of the snow with the sign attached. But they don’t and very few people ask us to takes pictures of them while we are on standby. So they don’t get this wonderful shot that Rob got of us two.
Well anyways, I am supposed to be doing something besides typing right now so I have to jam out of here.
Stay Frosty
-C
Shenanigans! In Phil McCully Speak "Wa Waa WAAAAA!"
So the winter season is unofficially officially here. Now if I were to rewind to August 2009 I would think that that statement make absolutely no sense. But after being here on ice for the last 191 days it makes complete sense. What I mean is that officially the winter season starts after the last flight leaves. But this year we have an extended season. So instead of the last flight being on the 20th of Feb 2010 it is on the 5th of March 2010. Not a huge deal but with all the winter-over personnel being on station they keep acting like winter is here. 
And so I digress back to the topic of shenanigans and thus the topic of this post. While at the wonderfully beautiful and desolate South Pole there were many interesting people that I met and interacted with. On of them is a Ms. Shelby Handlin. She was, not necessarily the head of but a good portion of, the activities committee. So they would plan things like bingo, and trivia and what not. So since the fire department couldn’t necessarily play completely, due to flight coming day and night, the games we would attend and play but usually not finish. Now working at the South Pole there are some very smart people. It ranges from astrophysicist to rocket scientist to PhD students to engineers to well everything you would find to make a town run. The trivia was very popular since beer was given out as prizes for each round. But since 60% of the station has 1 bachelor degree at least it was difficult for some to have fun at trivia. Well one night the star finally aligned and we were able to do trivia. But not just as participants, we were the ones that made the questions. It was so fun that night at trivia and towards the end Ms. Shelby Handlin shows up which is an absolute surprise to the regulars at trivia since it was always “past her bedtime.” Now at this point everyone that is playing trivia is laughing and dancing and having a grand old time, so much different then the usual trivia night. You see when we put of the fliers to announce that the fire department was running trivia we put “make sure you brush up on” US international policy, foreign made cars, US history prior to 1844 and Costa Rica. Those are the real topics that we put but they will suffice for the point of this blog. We had about 15 people come up to us and say “you really want those topics for trivia?” and our response was “do you really think that we know that shit either. Make sure you bring plenty of beer it is going to be fun.” Well the word got around to the 40% of the station with 1 bachelor degree or less so when everyone got to trivia they were prepared for a good time, well a good time commenced. We had 140 possible points and out of the 8 teams the ones that were doing the best were the 40 %ers by a landslide, like 120ish points to 50ish. So I was the 3 of 4 to give my questions.
Sorry I got off topic, so Shelby walks in and everyone cheers. With a little banter back and forth, between all 6 of the firefighters and her, the topic comes up that I, actually Danielle and I, will be leaving in 5 days and that “our time is limited now so we should make the most out of it.” Now you throw in my "glorious smile" my stunning physique and a joking wink and Blam-O! Right there in the middle of the galley in front of 40ish people that are on there way to being “3 sheets to the wind” Shelby, not to be out done, drops to her knee and proposes to me. Then of course Megan, who could possibly be the female version of me and who was coincdently on the microphone, announces it to everyone and the cheers begin.... again. Now I know you all are thinking “that is a funny story but unless the galley is outside what is the point of the story?” Well this picture is of her “actually breaking my heart and ‘demanding’ a divorce” on the day that I was leaving, well supposed to leave. I was lucky to get a 3 day furlough extending my time at the South Pole to the 30th of December 2009. The picture was thought to be lost but it mysteriously appeared on my Facebook and I just couldn’t let the story go untold.
So now that it is out there, everyone can enjoy it. I do enjoy it immensely when I remember the shenanigans of the night. It really is a highlight of my wonderful time at the South Pole.
Stay Frosty
-C
And so I digress back to the topic of shenanigans and thus the topic of this post. While at the wonderfully beautiful and desolate South Pole there were many interesting people that I met and interacted with. On of them is a Ms. Shelby Handlin. She was, not necessarily the head of but a good portion of, the activities committee. So they would plan things like bingo, and trivia and what not. So since the fire department couldn’t necessarily play completely, due to flight coming day and night, the games we would attend and play but usually not finish. Now working at the South Pole there are some very smart people. It ranges from astrophysicist to rocket scientist to PhD students to engineers to well everything you would find to make a town run. The trivia was very popular since beer was given out as prizes for each round. But since 60% of the station has 1 bachelor degree at least it was difficult for some to have fun at trivia. Well one night the star finally aligned and we were able to do trivia. But not just as participants, we were the ones that made the questions. It was so fun that night at trivia and towards the end Ms. Shelby Handlin shows up which is an absolute surprise to the regulars at trivia since it was always “past her bedtime.” Now at this point everyone that is playing trivia is laughing and dancing and having a grand old time, so much different then the usual trivia night. You see when we put of the fliers to announce that the fire department was running trivia we put “make sure you brush up on” US international policy, foreign made cars, US history prior to 1844 and Costa Rica. Those are the real topics that we put but they will suffice for the point of this blog. We had about 15 people come up to us and say “you really want those topics for trivia?” and our response was “do you really think that we know that shit either. Make sure you bring plenty of beer it is going to be fun.” Well the word got around to the 40% of the station with 1 bachelor degree or less so when everyone got to trivia they were prepared for a good time, well a good time commenced. We had 140 possible points and out of the 8 teams the ones that were doing the best were the 40 %ers by a landslide, like 120ish points to 50ish. So I was the 3 of 4 to give my questions.Sorry I got off topic, so Shelby walks in and everyone cheers. With a little banter back and forth, between all 6 of the firefighters and her, the topic comes up that I, actually Danielle and I, will be leaving in 5 days and that “our time is limited now so we should make the most out of it.” Now you throw in my "glorious smile" my stunning physique and a joking wink and Blam-O! Right there in the middle of the galley in front of 40ish people that are on there way to being “3 sheets to the wind” Shelby, not to be out done, drops to her knee and proposes to me. Then of course Megan, who could possibly be the female version of me and who was coincdently on the microphone, announces it to everyone and the cheers begin.... again. Now I know you all are thinking “that is a funny story but unless the galley is outside what is the point of the story?” Well this picture is of her “actually breaking my heart and ‘demanding’ a divorce” on the day that I was leaving, well supposed to leave. I was lucky to get a 3 day furlough extending my time at the South Pole to the 30th of December 2009. The picture was thought to be lost but it mysteriously appeared on my Facebook and I just couldn’t let the story go untold.
So now that it is out there, everyone can enjoy it. I do enjoy it immensely when I remember the shenanigans of the night. It really is a highlight of my wonderful time at the South Pole.
Stay Frosty
-C
13 February 2010
Anticipation
So here I sit at “The Deuce” and it is snowing and blowing out where the airplanes cannot take off or land. The wind is howling around town creating snow drifts 8 to 12 inches high and I am just looking out the window admiring the scenery and how beautifully innocent and yet so desolate it is at the same time. The people in town are itching to leave and the new ones that came in are itching to settle down. Town is a cornucopia of people wanting something better but selfishly it is for them alone and not for the betterment of the town or the population. Most want to leave the wonderful landscape of the “mining town” they have so much animosity for due to the lousy food or the lack of night or the lack of smell or the lack of dreams. I on the other hand am content with the “mining town” right now. I know that in 10 days the population will go down 825 people to about 200 and then in a little over 3 weeks the population will be down to 170 or so. I look forward to my fellow firefighters leaving to go on their vacations or to go back home to see family or fix their flooded basement. But for some they are looking forward to going home so that they can start their life into a new track. One firefighter is already on his way home to propose to his girlfriend and hopefully she says yes. I truly am looking forward to them all leaving so that I can work 7 days straight covering the airfield for their departure. To seeing the South Pole firefighters coming back into town and to see “Cap’t Howie” for what will be the last time in months. I look forward to getting settled into a routine, and to becoming bored, and to learning my Italian language, to getting my beach body back, to…. Well I look forward to it all. I did not take a vacation that was offered to me so that I could have the whole experience of being on the ice for 14.5 months, from August 24th 2009 to October 15th 2010. I will keep in touch with some, some others that I want to keep in touch with will undoubtly become causilities and finally some I will just plan old not talk to at all.
I am sad that my friends are leaving, some a few more then others.
Take care,
Stay Frosty
-C
I am sad that my friends are leaving, some a few more then others.
Take care,
Stay Frosty
-C
12 February 2010
Radio call sign "Pegasus Fire Station"
Well the weather outside is frightful,
And the season is so delightful,
I have no other place to go,
So let it snow
Let it snow
Let it snow.
I hope you all enjoyed that little poem that I just completely made up. Ok, I borrowed some from a Christmas song but I made it my own and that is what counts.
-Firefighter Corey Walsh with axe in hand talking to "Fuelie Eddie"
-Firefighters Cory Casarez on left, Corey Walsh and Rob Weidman (inside van)
-Firefighter Corey Walsh picking up after everything is all done
And the season is so delightful,
I have no other place to go,
So let it snow
Let it snow
Let it snow.
I hope you all enjoyed that little poem that I just completely made up. Ok, I borrowed some from a Christmas song but I made it my own and that is what counts.
-Firefighter Corey Walsh with axe in hand talking to "Fuelie Eddie"
-Firefighters Cory Casarez on left, Corey Walsh and Rob Weidman (inside van)So last Monday, the 8th of February 2010, I'm working out at Pegasus Runway at station 2, commonly called “The Deuce,” when a radio call comes in for “Pegasus Fire Station” and I immediately jump up and start getting my gear on. So, I am in my turnout boots and pants and have picked up my coat before anyone else in the station is even up to answer the radio. Then over the radio I hear, “Go ahead for the fire station” and the reply is, “We have a van on fire at pit 2! Can you come help? Please?” So Rob Weidman, one of my personal photographers, and I jump into our vehicle and speed down there. We arrive on scene as the 2nd vehicle, due to over-exuberance on my behalf, and begin doing what we have been trained for. For those of you who don’t know, I mean putting out fires not lounging on a beach. Rob takes the attack line from the 1st arrival vehicle and makes initial knock-down of the interior in an attempt to locate the hood latch for what looks like an engine fire. After opening up the engine compartment he realizes that the vehicle, a 2006-ish Ford E-350 van 4x4, is still running. So he proceeds to turn the vehicle’s ignition off. All the while I begin gearing up and begin ventilation of the rear and passenger side of the van via the main doors, after feeding more attack line to Rob. 
-Firefighters Corey Walsh & Jeff Kennett (well his right sleeve, anyway)
-Firefighters Corey Walsh & Jeff Kennett (well his right sleeve, anyway)
-Firefighter Corey Walsh picking up after everything is all doneNow after I ventilate we -- Rob and I -- notice that the fire is indeed inside the vehicle and looks to be coming from the vent system, as evidenced by the fire coming directly from a vent. So Rob, having the nozzle still, “put some wet stuff on the red stuff” attempting to extinguish it while I go to the driver's side to see if there's anything I could do about horizontal ventilation. Horizontal ventilation is a perpendicular wind source that helps with lateral movement of smoke or fire in an attempt to better locate or extinguish the source. So since the wind was coming directly perpendicular to the passenger side I figure it will greatly help with ventilation. This, however, does not work as planned. The smoke is still getting bottle necked at the windshield. Light bulb! Take out the windshield! So Rob and I decide to extricate the windshield from the van’s A pillars. Voila! The fire is vented and the smoke is 85% gone. Dang, we are good. So, after some extricating of the dashboard and a little more foam on the fire, the fire is out and we saved a two million dollar LC-130 that was 200 feet away. 
-Firefighters Walsh, Weidman and Robert "Jason" Royer investigating
So to the moral of the story: If you need a firefighter, just be polite on the radio when calling and we will get there and do what it is you want us to do.
Take Care All
Stay Frosty
-C
31 January 2010
Castle Rock
Castle Rock is a nice little 2- hour hike from town. While only 2.7 miles, once you get to the trail head it is 2 miles up a gently sloping, snow-covered hill on Ross Island. I have had the pleasure of hiking the trail twice. The first time was at the end of September when it was -40ish outside with 5-10 knot winds bringing the temp down to -50ish. We (team Rob, Jeremy, Shayne Dombrowski, Scott Hiser, Gina Carina and myself) all thought that we could handle the weather. In retrospect we all did handle the weather extremely well. We all had our ECW (extreme cold weather) gear on and had plenty of water and food.
The trail is broken up at the 1 and 2 mile markers by these "apples" which are red emergency shelters that have sleeping bags, a stove and food in them just for use in emergencies. Then you have to hike to the base which is another .5 miles and then ascend the rock for .2 miles of trail. When we did the first hike, Castle Rock wasn't roped, meaning the vertical elevation wasn't stable enough for hikers. So at Apple 2 we turned around and made our way back up the saddle to the 1st apple. The first picture is just leaving the 1st apple walking back toward the trail head so we can make dinner. It was a real nice hike because we still had sun sets and we caught one right as we made it back into town from the trail head (the 2nd picture).
The next pictures are from my last and most current hike up to Castle Rock. On this hike I actually made it all the way to the top. The views are absolutely magnificent. The 3rd picture is of my hiking partner and also one of my personal photographers, Natasha, standing halfway up the actual rock. The picture is real nice since I actually took it with the help of her 30-second camera timer, but it has Mt. Erebus in the background. Mt. Erebus is one of the few open-top volcanos in the world. The 4th picture is of Mt. Erebus again, just unobstructed. The next picture, the 5th, is of the climbing rope that marks the trail going up. The next is me at the bottom of Castle Rock at the trail sign showing the route up. Then there is a picture of the "apple" at mile 2 and then just another picture of the gorgeous background. Then, of course, what can a blog be without a second picture of its host. So, we have a picture of me with Castle Rock in the background about 0.5 miles away.
Well, anyway, time to go. Stay tuned for pictures from The Ross Dependency Beach Party.
Stay Frosty!
-C
The next pictures are from my last and most current hike up to Castle Rock. On this hike I actually made it all the way to the top. The views are absolutely magnificent. The 3rd picture is of my hiking partner and also one of my personal photographers, Natasha, standing halfway up the actual rock. The picture is real nice since I actually took it with the help of her 30-second camera timer, but it has Mt. Erebus in the background. Mt. Erebus is one of the few open-top volcanos in the world. The 4th picture is of Mt. Erebus again, just unobstructed. The next picture, the 5th, is of the climbing rope that marks the trail going up. The next is me at the bottom of Castle Rock at the trail sign showing the route up. Then there is a picture of the "apple" at mile 2 and then just another picture of the gorgeous background. Then, of course, what can a blog be without a second picture of its host. So, we have a picture of me with Castle Rock in the background about 0.5 miles away.
Well, anyway, time to go. Stay tuned for pictures from The Ross Dependency Beach Party.
Stay Frosty!
-C
29 January 2010
Personal Photographers
OK, so I wanted to give a shout out to every one of my "personal photographers." These people have unknowingly given or taken photos for me. I have then, coincidentally, after publishing them, asked if I could use them and of course they have said, "Yes." I know that some people have taken more then others and some probably will not see this blog but I did want to at least make an attempt to give them credit. If I am in the picture then you can credit one of these fine people for taking it: well, except for one which was on a timer that I took and will be posted soon. Also, I have purposely not used a picture from Antarctica so that I can show them in their true element: well, except for Royer. There they are: Rob Weidman, Robert "Jason" Royer, Natasha Shields, Phil "my brotha from anotha motha" McCully, Jeremy Hirschhorn, Rob "Robbie" Gancarz, and Megan Branson. So, anyhow, enough with the sweet talk.
-C
-C
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