Back at the Pole

It's that time of year again. After a whirlwind of Redeployment Meetings (8 of them in 3 days) at McMurdo, I'm back at the South Pole to help conduct the meetings there. Janice from the Christchurch Travel office is here as well and we'll both be helping South Pole do-everything-extraordinaire Katie to put on the meetings here. I like it at Pole, but I don't think I would like to be here for a whole season. Three days is enough!

Happy Independence Day!

I've heard from several people today that they don't
celebrate the 4th of July. They celebrate Independence
Day. Independence from our rule by Britain. To be
honest, I didn't think most people gave it that much
thought. Apparently some do. We went to the 4th of
July...I mean Independence Day, party at the MEC and
generally had a good time. I was a chili cook-off
judge and there were some pretty good entries and one
that tasted somewhere in between excrement and excrement
on one's shoe. Not a good choice. After watching many
younger and braver (or dumber) than I, stand on up to
ten crates at a time while harnessed to the ceiling,
we watched Moose and Barb conduct the annual auction of
stuff (mostly crap). Although Lynn entered a couple of
knitted hats and they fetched $20 and $25. The money
then went to a big pot where tickets were randomly drawn
for cash prizes. Alas, we were not big winners, but it
was fun to watch. The highlight of the evening though for
me was celebrating my Independence from being Corn-Dog-Free.
The cooks made homemade corn dogs for the event and after
many months of jonesing for a corn dog...I left satisfied.
Now if they can somehow find a way to replicate a Taco Bell
Bean Burrito!