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November 27, 2004

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Belated. Belated for folks up north, but not belated for us. We here in McMurdo have Thanksgiving dinner the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and have that Saturday off, so it's a two-day weekend. I should be writing the entry entitled "Thanksgiving" tonight or tomorrow, I suppose, after our actual meal, but maybe I'll have a "Thanksgiving Part II."

Part one is about the current state of affairs.

I'm sick.

I went out in the field to the Dry Valleys Monday, moved to a different project and different camp on Wednesday, and was supposed to move to the camp at Lake Hoare for their Thanksgiving feast on Thursday, but cam home sick instead. Thanksgiving at Lake Hoare is quite a to-do for the folks working in the Dry Valleys, specifically in Taylor Valley, because everyone working up and down the valley hike to the camp at Lake Hoare to congregate for the big meal. I don't know how long this has been going on, but long enough for it to be a tradition. I believe there's a (posed) shot of it on one of the specials on Antarctica. So I was pretty excited about getting to partake. However, when I awoke on Thursday morning, I thought two things: 1) I don't want to give anyone else out doing field work what I have, because I now feel like crap; and 2) I want nothing more than to be at home in my room in McMurdo. So I was very happy when, after a weather delay, the skank (fog) cleared enough for pilot Barry to come on in in an A-Star (the sports car helicopter) and pick me up. Hooray, Barry. Hooray, weather. Hooray, room with warm cozy fleece throw and couch and my two roommates.

But that's all about being sick.

I spent all of Thursday night and all of Friday (yesterday) staying home sick, napping and watching movies ("Greece" and "Dogma"), and today I'm still sick, but I've moved on to a new stage. I've moved on from plugged stage to faucet stage. I think my nose will be rubbed raw before the end of the day.

Still, I will be social. At least a bit. We (friends and friends of friends etc.) are signed up for dinner at 7 (the dining hall capacity is, I think, 350, and we eat in three shifts) and we (roommates) are having folks over to make hand turkeys and have drinks beforehand. We straightened our room and everything.

Hope you all have had lovely Thanksgivings with friends and family.

Posted by beth at November 27, 2004 2:03 AM

Comments

We like your website; your commentary is interesting and educational. The pictures are also great.

However, we know quite a few people who fly the LC-130's (the ski hercs) and are wondering if you have something against them. They have some of the best jobs in the world, but it isn't easy. It seems like some of the comments are anti-109th people, especially in the blog about Greenland. Just wondering what you have against them. I happen to be married to one of pilots and I guess I'm alittle offended by the naive and narrowminded attitude towards them. I guess I'd try a little harder to understand where they are coming from instead of calling this guy weird or it sucks flying on one of those things, yadda yadda.

Posted by: Some crazy polar people at November 28, 2004 3:34 AM

hope you feel better.. your package is going the mail tommarrow if you need anything now is the time to ask. we had a big turkey dinner at staion 11 down town the guys and gals and I made lots of good stuff. we had over 25 for dinner and we even got to eat before we got calls.. take care . force fluids and rest..
Rob and the guys at the lucky's 13 house

Posted by: rob at luck's 13's house at November 28, 2004 9:54 PM

Nice pics, Beth! The seals look cool, are you able to make friends with any of them? I can't help but wonder if they have personalities or not. Get well soon, and thanks for posting!
Tony and Clyde

Posted by: Tony and Clyde at November 29, 2004 1:37 AM

Happy Thanksgiving to you, Beth! Take care of yourself as best you can and rest up.

Posted by: bill & jess at November 29, 2004 8:17 PM

It might do you all some good to read about how the LC-130's have contributed to Polar Science. Read the Antarctic Sun for the week of November 28th:

http://www.polar.org/antsun/documents/pdf/2004_11_28antarcticsun.pdf#page=1

Posted by: Anonymous at December 1, 2004 2:52 PM