tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71808562024-03-12T21:20:27.965-06:00bigblueglobeChange Your Socks...Change Your AttitudeTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.comBlogger1684125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-124462679169483562017-06-23T16:25:00.000-06:002017-06-23T16:25:12.109-06:00Yes, It Gets Hot.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I get frustrated about this time of year when watching the news, listening to the news, or seeing the news on the internet. It's also a malady that I have in November or December. Why, you ask? Because the people that report the news/weather act like it's something completely new when it gets hot (especially in places like Arizona) in the summer, and cold (especially in places like Minnesota) in the winter. Do people have 6 month memories?</span>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com70tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-64352775954484000852017-06-16T23:27:00.000-06:002017-06-16T23:27:02.300-06:00You Are At Your Very Best When Things Are Worst<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've watched a few movies the past couple of weeks that have had quotes in them that made me think a bit about humanity and what path our history is taking us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Y<span style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #333333;">ou are at your very best when things are worst"</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #333333;">"</span><span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333;">You're capable of such beautiful dreams, and such horrible nightmares"</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f6f6f5; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #f6f6f5;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are both quotes from alien species, spoken to singular humans. Is it a sign of getting older, or am I just becoming more cynical over the years? I've always been a cynic, but it's getting harder and harder to be optimistic these days. I see people who I thought were good-hearted people wishing ill will to others and blatant hatred spewing from their electronic pens on the internet. Somehow, this makes me feel stronger, in my beliefs, but sometimes it makes me feel that we really are fighting a battle of good versus evil. Not a physical battle (yet), but one about what ideology will win the day. This song that I've attached is from one of my favorite movies, Henry V. In it, the good (in this case, the English army...the righteous , fights the evil (the French army)...the unrighteous. The English win despite overwhelming odds. I feel a bit like these are the odds being cast against those today that are good. Now, I'm rambling a bit, but I truly feel nervous for the future of my nation and my world. </span></span><br />
<br />Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-34427664048779934032017-06-15T13:19:00.000-06:002017-06-15T13:19:14.299-06:00Sometimes You Just Need to Take a Drive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes you just need a change of scenery. Looking at the same four walls every day can drain on anyone, even if they enjoy their home. Lynn and I were running some errands today, and instead of going straight home, we took a circuitous route around Colorado National Monument, which we can see from our backyard. Lynn decided she wants to live on a very small street named Wildwood Drive, which butts up to the park. We feel SO fortunate to live in a place when you can hop into the car and within a few minutes, to a couple of hours, can be at so many places in the American West that are only dreams or trips of a lifetime to others. We are blessed.</span>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-7372692375617370512017-06-14T16:57:00.000-06:002017-06-14T16:57:57.839-06:00Happy Flag Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A friend of mine, that I worked with in Antarctica wished me a Happy Flag Day this morning. It's the 14th year straight that he is done so. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am a flag nerd, and I'm ok with that. During a recent job interview, I was asked what my passion was. I told them it was Vexillology (The study of flags). I probably should have said something canned, in a very Miss America pageant-way like "I love helping people", or "I want to save the Earth". At the very least, I probably taught them a new word for that day and something they might have talked about at the dinner table. No. I didn't get the job. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for our flag. It's more than a piece of cloth. It's a symbol of a people. E Pluribus Unum. Although I see American flags flying much more predominately here in the United States, than in many other countries, I think a lot of people have forgotten what people have given over the years for the ability to fly this flag. Up to, and including, giving their lives. It truly is one thing we can all rally around, no matter our differences.</span><br />
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<br />Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-23503750298192560692017-06-14T16:30:00.000-06:002017-06-14T16:30:22.916-06:00Writing What I Want To Write<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The world is a different place. When I started writing on bigblueglobe, I maintained the site for people who wanted to know what I was doing, and not what I was saying. My love will always be travel, and I will comment on that frequently, as this is primarily a travel blog. However, I want to talk, and anyone who knows me knows that that won't be a problem for me. Talk about current events, local and global issues, my wife's burgeoning business and how I'm contributing to that, etc. In general, a mishmash of human interest topics. I will probably be making some visual and structural changes to the blog as well. I hope it will be fun for you to read, and I hope that if you're reading this now, you will continue to read in the future.</span>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-20997744416737808382015-11-09T20:40:00.002-07:002015-11-09T20:52:37.437-07:003:03 Sunset<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7ClnnkQ4isvmqWp43kztetCsuKBUFurMYUJ2gAKncwPi1t5KAUjOx2cwvdumcRT-7VRCu7ghcfT8WTBUBSv2pt5mgkAL9AuYnZ7k_mVk36QdUNzfiK-B6tH4eUXxafWCEcHWQw/s1600/sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7ClnnkQ4isvmqWp43kztetCsuKBUFurMYUJ2gAKncwPi1t5KAUjOx2cwvdumcRT-7VRCu7ghcfT8WTBUBSv2pt5mgkAL9AuYnZ7k_mVk36QdUNzfiK-B6tH4eUXxafWCEcHWQw/s320/sunset.jpg" /></a><br />
Today's pretty sunset was at 3:03 pmTomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-56323378531490266552015-11-08T19:54:00.004-07:002017-06-14T23:18:21.642-06:00Getting Dark<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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It's getting darker and darker here on the Slope.<br />
We're down to about 4 hours of daylight. Within<br />
the next month the sun will set for a while and<br />
won't return.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-44701526710344282492015-01-01T15:47:00.000-07:002015-01-01T15:49:08.897-07:00It's Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I start 2015 traveling. In fact, I'm writing this from a small cafe in the Phoenix, Arizona airport on my way to Deadhorse, Alaska. You might be wondering...What?!?!?<br />
Lots of things have happened since my last blog post long long ago. For example, I stopped going to work in Antarctica. Yes. It was time. I worked for six months with the National Park Service as a Visitor Use Assistant at Colorado National Monument. I loved the job, but it was only a six month seasonal position. After leaving the NPS, I worked for a while at a small winery in Palisade, Colorado. I also liked that position a lot. However, the money was not great. So what do I do? After a long time of saying I wouldn't get back into the hotel business, that's what I'm doing. In Alaska. On the North Slope. Almost as far north as one can go in the United States. It's a good gig.<br />
I get paid well and like my job well enough. I do have to work 21 straight days, 12+ hours per day.<br />
However, I then get 21 straight days off. That part, I definitely like. That's why I'm in the airport in Phoenix on New Years's Day...headed back to work.<br />
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So there you go. I want to start blogging again. It's time. Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com7Sky Harbor Circle, Phoenix, AZ 85034, USA33.4359968 -112.043270533.4227458 -112.0634405 33.449247799999995 -112.02310050000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-43036813792313108932013-07-10T23:25:00.000-06:002013-07-19T13:28:49.617-06:00Tru Vu Drive In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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It's been over 25 years since I've been to a drive in theatre.<br />
Luckily, we have two drive ins within driving distance in<br />
Delta and Montrose. Tonight, we visited the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tru-Vu-Drive-In/228149240625380" target="_blank">Tru Vu Drive In</a><br />
in nearby Delta. Everything was very familiar, including the<br />
old-time speakers available for you to place on your window.<br />
However, there is now an option to tune your car stereo into<br />
the soundtrack of the movie. Also, most people here seemed to<br />
set up their chairs in front of their cars to watch the show. As it<br />
was pretty warm at showtime, this was a great idea! As for the<br />
movies...meh! We saw The Lone Ranger and World War Z.<br />
Both kind of disappointing, but it was the Tru Vu Drive In that<br />
was the real star of the evening!<br />
<br />Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com10Delta, CO, USA38.7422062 -108.068958238.6431507 -108.2303197 38.8412617 -107.9075967tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-5257941273107365512013-05-20T23:02:00.000-06:002013-07-19T13:38:18.320-06:00Tragedy in Oklahoma<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A tornado tore through the small city of Moore, Oklahoma. It's<br />
a suburb of Oklahoma City. We are always worried when we<br />
hear of tornadoes in Oklahoma because we have family that<br />
live there. In this case, my nephew Matt works at Bob Moore<br />
Ford (noted by the red circle on the map) which was only a<br />
few miles north of the tornado's path. This particular disaster<br />
reminded me a bit of the earthquake a few years ago in<br />
Christchurch, New Zealand. Lynn was in the middle of the<br />
Central Business District during the quake and Facebook<br />
became a valuable tool to help find people. My sister Terri,<br />
who is in Indiana and me were both trying to find out if<br />
Matt was ok and both of us were using Facebook. Luckily<br />
our friends Marta and Sara (who are originally from Norman)<br />
are in Norman this week and were posting updates on Facebook.<br />
I asked Marta if anyone had heard anything about the area around<br />
Matt's dealership since at that time, we didn't know the path of<br />
the tornado. A friend of Marta's was able to report that her friend<br />
worked at the same dealership, she had spoken to Matt's boss and<br />
Matt was safe! It turns out much of the area's cell phone and<br />
internet was down due to the storm and Matt couldn't contact<br />
anyone. What a small world it is that a friend of a friend of a friend<br />
was able to tell us Matt was ok. As much as social media can be<br />
a headache...in times like this, it turns out to be a great thing!Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-43257674709302917352013-05-16T23:16:00.000-06:002013-05-18T23:17:21.555-06:00Helping The Library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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When you're not working, there's a fair amount of down-time.<br />
I took advantage of this today when Lynn and I went over to<br />
the <a href="http://www.firstcongregational-ucc.org/" target="_blank">First Congregationalist Church</a> to help set up the twice yearly<br />
<a href="http://mesacountylibraries.org/support-us/friends/" target="_blank">Friends of The Mesa County Libraries</a> sale. Books are sold for<br />
either $1.00 or $2.00. When we arrived at 9:00, much had already<br />
been set up the night before. However, Lynn was able to help<br />
set up the children's section and I was able to bring lots of books<br />
in from storage. Almost all of the books were donated and we<br />
probably could have held two sales with the amount of books<br />
there wasn't room for. I overheard that these leftover books might be<br />
taken over to the Clifton branch for a sale there. Because we helped<br />
out and Lynn is a member of the Congregationalist Church, we were<br />
able to put a couple of books aside that we were interested in. The<br />
biggest reward though, was being able to help out for a worthy cause!Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-50706642286987717642013-05-07T17:07:00.000-06:002013-05-07T17:07:41.948-06:00Lousy Economy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9cslVU5NckT55fwLl7qRI-cIBGVIHbeAOdl9ScK5wNv6AOfGq3hVaNgAUQHNqPFLaYWqpVQy1fa2A-IvdsgQrEQ7voi9q6V6dBhEyqO0Zg24-AY8-c-ksB6PGjb8yGQJebGjCw/s1600/Dollar+Tree+Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9cslVU5NckT55fwLl7qRI-cIBGVIHbeAOdl9ScK5wNv6AOfGq3hVaNgAUQHNqPFLaYWqpVQy1fa2A-IvdsgQrEQ7voi9q6V6dBhEyqO0Zg24-AY8-c-ksB6PGjb8yGQJebGjCw/s320/Dollar+Tree+Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
How do I know that the economy is really lousy here?<br />
I stopped by the nearby Dollar Tree store this afternoon<br />
and it was packed! I've been there in the past and was<br />
just about the only person there. Today, there must have<br />
been 50 shoppers inside the store. I had to actually wait<br />
in line. I think that dollar stores are great since one can<br />
usually get a bargain. However, if it's that busy, it's<br />
saying something about the economy.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-67987163732213331182013-05-06T19:13:00.000-06:002013-05-07T17:22:15.834-06:00Back Together Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52UN8cOA0MOWSmjc4buGfOkRTsRNsaKrxXhgohBCex-n038fkSZYqr0eO7VFxO5HBD7zldCCNj7gtfivNeJiAb_z20IFNwfk_pqLeOGcTTLmy3R32KKXhgW5Psyby3Duk-WXfXA/s1600/Kitties.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg52UN8cOA0MOWSmjc4buGfOkRTsRNsaKrxXhgohBCex-n038fkSZYqr0eO7VFxO5HBD7zldCCNj7gtfivNeJiAb_z20IFNwfk_pqLeOGcTTLmy3R32KKXhgW5Psyby3Duk-WXfXA/s320/Kitties.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
While Gina and Leslie are out of town, we are lucky enough</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
to kitty-sit Prometheus. He lived here for a bit a few years ago.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
He's teamed up with our kitty, Basia just like before. However,</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
since Basia has had a few health problems lately, they can't</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
be together to annoy each other! Even so, it's nice to have</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
two cats back in the house again!</div>
<br />Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-24741559270301340612013-05-03T22:15:00.000-06:002013-05-05T22:16:11.280-06:00Headed To The Sun<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nB9DsgVSiN9I6WUlDQfdJ0Yt4LpzU7ziCAPG-CRnV9vf71HmW7eSon6BBsd48RRg9kCqeot5-2J091vBJJ7P3ypyB25J5DmYmqwyToO-LXlR3WtVtZlPD2dVC0LBoycppyuC8w/s1600/Gina+and+Leslie.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1nB9DsgVSiN9I6WUlDQfdJ0Yt4LpzU7ziCAPG-CRnV9vf71HmW7eSon6BBsd48RRg9kCqeot5-2J091vBJJ7P3ypyB25J5DmYmqwyToO-LXlR3WtVtZlPD2dVC0LBoycppyuC8w/s320/Gina+and+Leslie.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Gina and Leslie are headed to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for
Gina's niece's<br />
wedding. This morning, we took them to the <a href="http://www.gjairport.com/" target="_blank">airport</a> for their flight. <br />
Usually they are giving Lynn or me a ride to our flight, so it was a nice<br />
change of pace that we could return the favor. I'm slightly jealous since<br />
they are going on a trip to a foreign land, while we are at home. However,<br />
we get to watch their kitty, <a href="http://bigblueglobe.blogspot.com/search?q=Prometheus" target="_blank">Prometheus</a>, while they are gone and that's a<br />
treat.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-13288571255321002292013-05-03T03:52:00.000-06:002013-05-05T21:55:57.872-06:00Visiting With Susie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanrLG7JRcHVVmNi8FAXmICove2KkCQCCtZPABhPb3VzhINuQAbxiIONQ7mcdW2RjIYC2Wlwm1cvg08IoF5Xhul9bcmI_4A_7MpOuqYHUDPZeU2K1AQkJcchhAkBKCz568T6kOWg/s1600/Susie+and+Lynn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanrLG7JRcHVVmNi8FAXmICove2KkCQCCtZPABhPb3VzhINuQAbxiIONQ7mcdW2RjIYC2Wlwm1cvg08IoF5Xhul9bcmI_4A_7MpOuqYHUDPZeU2K1AQkJcchhAkBKCz568T6kOWg/s320/Susie+and+Lynn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Over the last few days, we've been having a nice visit from our friend,<br />
Susie. She stopped while driving through the area since she has old<br />
ties to Grand Junction and we've gotten to do a number of fun things<br />
with her. Earlier this evening, she and Lynn attended a function at the<br />
<a href="http://www.gjartcenter.org/" target="_blank">Western Colorado Center For The Arts</a> and then we all stopped by<br />
<a href="http://hottomatocafe.com/" target="_blank">The Hot Tomato Cafe</a> in nearby <a href="http://www.fruita.org/" target="_blank">Fruita</a>. We had wanted to come here<br />
for dinner for some time, and having Susie in town was a great excuse!<br />
Susie's headed out of town tomorrow and has big travel plans for the<br />
next couple of months. We hope to see her when she gets back!Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-48546107072496935922013-04-27T23:01:00.000-06:002013-05-05T23:13:18.157-06:00Fruita Fat Tire Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICInPQoYtYLLO9XWxyKFXXdQ4kEFc8FBDXAKxXyR_6dixCk2ovp6gjjlE-j7rm659jcsALeXbF9tehzhDP7p0RZ6QuFBAnjoEvJRl2YxWBkybmm6mh0n0ARMbsgZXTVJdtLV7Jw/s1600/Fat+Tire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICInPQoYtYLLO9XWxyKFXXdQ4kEFc8FBDXAKxXyR_6dixCk2ovp6gjjlE-j7rm659jcsALeXbF9tehzhDP7p0RZ6QuFBAnjoEvJRl2YxWBkybmm6mh0n0ARMbsgZXTVJdtLV7Jw/s320/Fat+Tire.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Sometimes, even though you've lived in an area for a while, there<br />
are things you've never done, even though they are right near your<br />
home. One of those things is the <a href="http://fruitamountainbike.com/?page_id=6" target="_blank">Fruita Fat Tire Festival.</a> <a href="http://www.fruitachamber.org/" target="_blank">Fruita</a><br />
is one of the largest meccas of mountain biking in the nation, if<br />
not the world. I used to mountain bike quite a bit in the Chicago<br />
area and would like to start again, so it was quite interesting to<br />
check out the booths of the different manufacturers. We visited<br />
during the middle of the day, so there weren't many riders about,<br />
but it was fun to stroll the festival grounds regardless. We also<br />
took time to visit the new <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChowDownPetSuppliesInc" target="_blank">Chow Down Pet Supplies</a> on Aspen Street<br />
as well as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Turn-the-Page-Used-Bookstore-LLC/270666019286" target="_blank">Turn The Page</a> used book store. It was a beautiful day<br />
to be out.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-76088781013814994422012-11-30T19:33:00.000-07:002012-12-02T14:43:45.375-07:00A Sad Loss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6E38xWddzQCztaCmMytiPT8io7aEt3_V1TuRxULWSFP6NqE6-nefGLVQLE3EmalwKaMINnSXmFGg7yuxgkZ4JDLbyA_CrCo9xnRDkJY_DB5N7sl9maltz_DHTUKMnfC0TNUZb3w/s1600/Nick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6E38xWddzQCztaCmMytiPT8io7aEt3_V1TuRxULWSFP6NqE6-nefGLVQLE3EmalwKaMINnSXmFGg7yuxgkZ4JDLbyA_CrCo9xnRDkJY_DB5N7sl9maltz_DHTUKMnfC0TNUZb3w/s320/Nick.jpg" tea="true" width="227" /></a></div>
Lynn and I, as well as much of the U.S. Antarctic Program were shocked today to find out that we had lost a good friend and co-worker. Nick Johnson took his life a few days ago. Nick was known as the author of the book, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0922915997/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0922915997&linkCode=as2&tag=bigdeadplace-20" target="_blank">Big Dead Place</a>" as well as a ambitious <a href="http://www.bigdeadplace.com/" target="_blank">blogger</a>. He was smart, funny and an all around nice person. We will miss him dearly. <br />
<br />
<b><i>"You may believe that you are only going to Antarctica for one season. Though that may be true, it is not. Antarctica will pierce you in the heart, and even if you don’t come back, you will think about it off and on, probably for the rest of your life." Nick Johnson</i></b>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-18211321707895688712012-10-30T16:55:00.000-06:002012-11-01T16:56:07.641-06:00What I Do<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UFqO_9qbZ9o/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UFqO_9qbZ9o?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UFqO_9qbZ9o?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
I put people on airplanes in Antarctica. Much of the time, it's on planes like this C-17 that landed here recently.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-32325348307210173742012-10-17T00:46:00.000-06:002012-10-21T20:47:54.886-06:00Hut Guide<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjOeb5CoOGwjMfhZgJ9X095TMhkUSP567dYBTypEF8S6udVglz8jopmFQEimtGEc4YVr7MG2nhgH5xfNV6OeRzrqEJlYU1tKbYXPKPitpo5VgISNu6OnljoOhyv-O_Rpmw8co7g/s1600/Antarctic+Heritage+Trust.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjOeb5CoOGwjMfhZgJ9X095TMhkUSP567dYBTypEF8S6udVglz8jopmFQEimtGEc4YVr7MG2nhgH5xfNV6OeRzrqEJlYU1tKbYXPKPitpo5VgISNu6OnljoOhyv-O_Rpmw8co7g/s320/Antarctic+Heritage+Trust.gif" width="140" /></a><br />
Several years ago, I volunteered as a Hut Guide. Being a Hut Guide involves a fairly small amount of actual training, but a larger amount of knowledge about the historic huts themselves. In the Ross Sea, there are historic huts located at Hut Point, Cape Evans and Cape Royds. I'll be certified again this season to lead tours of all three. Because of ice conditions, we probably won't be headed to Cape Evans or Cape Royds, which is disappointing. I've been inside the Hut Point Hut and Cape Evans. During my Santa Ride, we saw the outside of the hut at Cape Royds, but it was closed. I'm looking forward to leading a tour. More people who come here should know more about the history of the area.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-4137127286647988932012-10-15T01:20:00.000-06:002012-10-15T15:59:17.954-06:00The Italian Shuffle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcCtgYP_Eqqvy71nCLmKJSM54JIEYQ3fK0C9daxfkvSyVI3ukEYCdt0uhNQlKjBHjLcJ7DOcUlQ10-qTqHfydde5scJWKvaqvpmn36YwJ_JolvcDsxx04OeiFmFA3Z8LPPzgqSA/s1600/Italian+Shuffle+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcCtgYP_Eqqvy71nCLmKJSM54JIEYQ3fK0C9daxfkvSyVI3ukEYCdt0uhNQlKjBHjLcJ7DOcUlQ10-qTqHfydde5scJWKvaqvpmn36YwJ_JolvcDsxx04OeiFmFA3Z8LPPzgqSA/s320/Italian+Shuffle+1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
McMurdo Station not only is a scientific station in its own right, it also serves as the logistical hub for much of this part of the continent. This means that other Antarctic programs such as the New Zealand, Australian, Italian and sometimes others, will transport through McMurdo on their way to their own stations. Today, Pegasus Field received twenty-two members of the <a href="http://www.pnra.it/pnrahome.html" target="_blank">Programma Nazionale di Ricerche in Antartide</a> (The Italian Antarctic Program) arrived on a C-17 and transported to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zucchelli_Station" target="_blank">Mario Zucchelli Station</a> at Terra Nova Bay. It would be interesting to go there some day, as I hear the food is wonderful (how could it not be with Italians doing the cooking?), but I'm not counting on it ever happening. My friend, Carly in Fleet Ops took these photos of the operation out at the airfield. We will probably have more Italians (and a few Koreans that work with them as well) transiting through here in the next few weeks and then later in the year, we reverse the process. It all gives this place a more "international" flavor.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOnetOwBJ9u5vZNQSWznWh77-um9BNgvSbZXvCW_1-phXG6_XQMG_avgCrDLqG6XB1qpQwBE0tTwGX5pt8_PTX3UTuueirCtNWAItb6AvCLOWkYbJsmNKAgMnlETwReaORX1Q5w/s1600/Italian+Shuffle+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOnetOwBJ9u5vZNQSWznWh77-um9BNgvSbZXvCW_1-phXG6_XQMG_avgCrDLqG6XB1qpQwBE0tTwGX5pt8_PTX3UTuueirCtNWAItb6AvCLOWkYbJsmNKAgMnlETwReaORX1Q5w/s320/Italian+Shuffle+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5464/1213/400/Itali%20Antartide.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5464/1213/400/Itali%20Antartide.jpg" width="379" /></a>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-49193278391309012742012-10-10T21:30:00.000-06:002012-10-15T15:54:38.252-06:00My Three Pillars<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZrgibbS8FiZkQ0PNqrC9HlYmBpXJ4hD_hG2HYStE65lAt2O6N4iieDspLYaS9DipSOU0K0oTp0dKN81aqqB3yFjG2VYED634oXDXd6gtecvmITQ-pc44eca5j0d1E5s5cbbWqw/s1600/Treadmill.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZrgibbS8FiZkQ0PNqrC9HlYmBpXJ4hD_hG2HYStE65lAt2O6N4iieDspLYaS9DipSOU0K0oTp0dKN81aqqB3yFjG2VYED634oXDXd6gtecvmITQ-pc44eca5j0d1E5s5cbbWqw/s320/Treadmill.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
I came south this year with three definite plans. My three "Pillars" to a successful season. <br />
<br />
1. Get regular exercise <br />
2. Get enough sleep <br />
3. Drink enough fluids <br />
<br />
In the past, I planned to read more, learn a language, socialize more, etc. etc. <br />
<br />
1. Blah <br />
2. Blah <br />
3. Blah <br />
<br />
However, this year I WILL be more successful. I've committed myself to work out at least five days a week and have been getting 8-9 hours of sleep every night. It's not hard for me to get fluids as I drink lots of water throughout the day. So this year, it's all about being healthy and not doing unrealistic things that I won't be able to commit to. Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-6361036595136208012012-10-08T20:17:00.000-06:002012-10-15T16:04:06.381-06:00The Weather Outside...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUcmRDAEsgAw_eOvmLSG0yEQALFLJ7sDVj5vnIf3QbWxCUR4VbgJarczU65C6CZuW8w-pDCquUH9SfUDkt3sqXjrxXoADmD9zJwwycg5w9RbNhaPRikdq1aWDOpjs2otRk3YG3g/s1600/Ugh.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUcmRDAEsgAw_eOvmLSG0yEQALFLJ7sDVj5vnIf3QbWxCUR4VbgJarczU65C6CZuW8w-pDCquUH9SfUDkt3sqXjrxXoADmD9zJwwycg5w9RbNhaPRikdq1aWDOpjs2otRk3YG3g/s320/Ugh.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
...is frightful! <br />
<br />
Why do Monday mornings have to coincide with really crummy weather. It's hard enough walking up the hill to work, but have to fight this kind of weather just adds insult to injury! Luckily, I ran into friends Moose and Josh who have a pickup, and they gave me a lift to work. The commuting gods were definitely smiling upon me! Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-1914457134283572652012-10-02T20:32:00.000-06:002012-10-08T22:34:55.143-06:00Riding In The Kress<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEu6jj142DlM-AaKLKWfspeBc1d0tjDNhKwg_6ZXHRVbOlCFdBz03JI1Wfh8MO0AJqxTmX4nzsW1NokBCIbzEqWVMSsqT4R1_3SnmA6aKq5ARdzJWbkKBSMy9jrhJvkwQTf-RTA/s1600/Kress+1.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIEu6jj142DlM-AaKLKWfspeBc1d0tjDNhKwg_6ZXHRVbOlCFdBz03JI1Wfh8MO0AJqxTmX4nzsW1NokBCIbzEqWVMSsqT4R1_3SnmA6aKq5ARdzJWbkKBSMy9jrhJvkwQTf-RTA/s320/Kress+1.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Yesterday, when I got off the A-319 Airbus, there were two vehicles ahead of me. Ivan the Terrabus; an old, sometimes trustworthy friend which was full of people, and The Kress Vehicle. It turns out that Ivan was full of folks that were headed north to Christchurch. I would be taking my first trip on the Kress. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJOvtQZycu6slezokG7Jlie1JCQRvyIDql6BONiYRUUj7KrRqw6P59TFNVpT6SKIwGu4tThEOdfWuhy2kjqlrgZylR8rom7xije1RGRKzj9uiStPveB07vZQyVZHFkNLgENFFtA/s1600/Kress+2.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJOvtQZycu6slezokG7Jlie1JCQRvyIDql6BONiYRUUj7KrRqw6P59TFNVpT6SKIwGu4tThEOdfWuhy2kjqlrgZylR8rom7xije1RGRKzj9uiStPveB07vZQyVZHFkNLgENFFtA/s320/Kress+2.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
I first wrote about the <a href="http://bigblueglobe.blogspot.com/2011/02/kress-vehicle.html">Kress </a>a couple of years ago when it was delivered via the cargo vessel. It's actually a pretty impressive vehicle. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsRHxlPWfBJ4D5EP07YoADNdo23zj878TRWOvianqZk6rAIMjmR2_SPVbAfdlWcEgauwlXscncZLb7LaWfR8J_jHX-fsOVRDf59Oj-9HTmRN2VF2PN33t1Ayg8MeNm9bp1dOLbw/s1600/Kress+3.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsRHxlPWfBJ4D5EP07YoADNdo23zj878TRWOvianqZk6rAIMjmR2_SPVbAfdlWcEgauwlXscncZLb7LaWfR8J_jHX-fsOVRDf59Oj-9HTmRN2VF2PN33t1Ayg8MeNm9bp1dOLbw/s320/Kress+3.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Inside, it seats 59 passengers and feels like a movie theatre. The ride was one of the smoothest I've had from any of the runways here. I was even able to have the ability to have a nice conversation with a past fellow winterover I hadn't seen in many years. Count me as a big fan of the Kress! Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-23303260075713375462012-10-01T19:04:00.000-06:002012-10-08T22:08:57.317-06:00Southbound<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8afyVYkZz6cCinMwImykpcCeq65j5am71HUoTjO9nazq1GAQtYMti8C2cXiaQ9z0J0CXGIMT7Kx7V1OfBMmh2z2IlxZoHjpdPK_2VimkFzoQMXW7pDTMDgaUfeIub-dDRGlZ-MA/s1600/Ice+1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8afyVYkZz6cCinMwImykpcCeq65j5am71HUoTjO9nazq1GAQtYMti8C2cXiaQ9z0J0CXGIMT7Kx7V1OfBMmh2z2IlxZoHjpdPK_2VimkFzoQMXW7pDTMDgaUfeIub-dDRGlZ-MA/s320/Ice+1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
I'm beginning my 13th season on the Ice and my 11th journey south. Every season's flight is very different, and this year is no exception. I would have preferred to fly on the C-17, but instead I arrived on the A-319 Airbus. It's funny though how a little experience helps one have a better flight. I lined up where I needed to after the safety briefing in Christchurch and got a good seat on the bus to the plane, which in turn, got me<br />
a great seat on the flight.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZE2pB-Wr09yCuk_EcYmGabWd1b1od0Xur4kBfY5rdkEHYnTgnFuCvHnRiv7GQMPCjSxiMqhCMdJ4g5p1T84m0bjyf2qhs2qeFh_n8qhAtcMduA3lsv9504miXzY07HRbYZpEag/s1600/Ice+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSZE2pB-Wr09yCuk_EcYmGabWd1b1od0Xur4kBfY5rdkEHYnTgnFuCvHnRiv7GQMPCjSxiMqhCMdJ4g5p1T84m0bjyf2qhs2qeFh_n8qhAtcMduA3lsv9504miXzY07HRbYZpEag/s320/Ice+2.jpg" width="320" /></a> <br />
About 3.5 hours into the flight, we started to fly over the Transantarctic Mountains, which form the spine of the Antarctic continent. I never tire of this view of the mountains and glaciers. There is a Qantas flight that makes a similar route to ours on New Years Eve and that costs approximately $10,000 per person. Yes, I get paid to make this flight! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQR_XOd5DTWLgzF0KVgUT0lF0ofYDS_8KjOVmun7-wf9W1-tDl_h7pnsd1c7UTLNJNYGZWBHEvfj2PJ4laOZoCCSdBd9kSC522ynPLsAL2h6Lg-7EDg19f1wcmbbi_Of064AHWA/s1600/Ice+3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQR_XOd5DTWLgzF0KVgUT0lF0ofYDS_8KjOVmun7-wf9W1-tDl_h7pnsd1c7UTLNJNYGZWBHEvfj2PJ4laOZoCCSdBd9kSC522ynPLsAL2h6Lg-7EDg19f1wcmbbi_Of064AHWA/s320/Ice+3.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Once we start veering toward Ross Island (where McMurdo is located) we start flying over McMurdo Sound. There are lots of icebergs this season. Although they look smallish, each of these is probably about<br />
the size of a city block.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihguZ7h4VYBrbBAyeXSIuFP3D4CK0sRQvJeJu67JWnAExeQknD29JS5fSNPqSwbMV9PN07sj4YtZeqdTGk9DlYdEqzi5ete26viSTVZHok1FbAIIjI21_CTf0hHCYB8aRappP88A/s1600/Ice+4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihguZ7h4VYBrbBAyeXSIuFP3D4CK0sRQvJeJu67JWnAExeQknD29JS5fSNPqSwbMV9PN07sj4YtZeqdTGk9DlYdEqzi5ete26viSTVZHok1FbAIIjI21_CTf0hHCYB8aRappP88A/s320/Ice+4.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
I've seen this view many times, being on the ramp, (this would be called the tarmac at regular airports) but I don't get to see it often from inside a plane. It doesn't look that much different from last year, although I believe the Ice Runway is a bit closer to Scott Base this year. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagw7UaqgVJcJAjTgI7IwxJ3gr_eDNj-vxojdQWhr5E04Cmjb7Dms0gYzVpCWHlivytp0OSWBgan5Re8xhtJgceEQUsOyQykD0MU_OFxA6JVy-_KD6RvOg68VAhl85-owdgwPSHQ/s1600/Ice+5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagw7UaqgVJcJAjTgI7IwxJ3gr_eDNj-vxojdQWhr5E04Cmjb7Dms0gYzVpCWHlivytp0OSWBgan5Re8xhtJgceEQUsOyQykD0MU_OFxA6JVy-_KD6RvOg68VAhl85-owdgwPSHQ/s320/Ice+5.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
This is the typical shot of folks leaving the plane after arriving from the Ice. I was contacted by a representative from the NSF (National Science Foundation) for a photo just like this for one of their early season documents. I submitted it, so I hope it gets used. Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180856.post-55207898315964141512012-09-30T21:04:00.000-06:002012-10-07T22:06:14.012-06:00The Travels of My Bag<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBrf8hJQ1E9RBl_JYmNaTKFDrkeG-d_E2x8p0DNksD4wJFpbeng3YoKvPavf1pa5_IRjArkYPME7uOqYcTWCPD7AJhIkKYVSSSQMaAQ_4EqCjf2t21nvdPQ4lbtJZScY_2v5Kbg/s1600/Missing+Bag.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBrf8hJQ1E9RBl_JYmNaTKFDrkeG-d_E2x8p0DNksD4wJFpbeng3YoKvPavf1pa5_IRjArkYPME7uOqYcTWCPD7AJhIkKYVSSSQMaAQ_4EqCjf2t21nvdPQ4lbtJZScY_2v5Kbg/s320/Missing+Bag.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
Presumably, after galavanting around the South Pacific, my missing bag decided to show up. I was watching television at my hotel (The Elms) at 8pm tonight and the phone rang. I was very excited because I thought it would be the front desk telling me my flight tomorrow would be cancelled. Ha! No such luck. However, I was lucky that they had my bag at "Reception" and I should come pick it up. Upon dragging this 51.5 pound monster to my room (I already had my 70 pound duffle bag) it looked no worse for wear, but had many new tags on it. I have no idea where it went, but I was glad it found its way "home"! Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16696967458525375416noreply@blogger.com3