Castle Rock: A Rock That Looks Like A Castle But...Like...Better

"Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures."
    -Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers 

Anyone who knows what it feels like to put hard hours into a location will tell you that they don't want to hang out where they work. Well in Antarctica, work, home, and social gathering points are generally the same place (especially if you work in the Galley). The only way to solve this problem is to "get out of town" which is a limited device but one worth the while. 

Hazards of the Antarctic Wilderness:
Antarctica is constantly trying to kill its inhabitants, that's sort of why no one really lives there (also no one is allowed to). That and the fact that if we were to adjust the land to suit our needs, we would destroy it quickly (but let's not get into talk about the Treaty). 
There are many things items that are in play when it comes to Antarctica's homicidal desires. The ozone layer above the continent is nearly gone making the air very dry and the rays of the sun more harmful than in other areas of the world. 
There is a lot of wind convergence across the continent making the weather difficult to predict and sporadic. 
The place is covered in snow, making it extremely cold (I know, duh, right?)but it also makes surfaces slippery, the snow can suck the heat out of your body, and there are crevasses EVERYWHERE (giant cracks in the ice that go down hundreds of feet/meters).
With all of that said you can guess that hiking and getting away from station is very hard and pretty dangerous. There are a few hikes available to the general public and the one that gets you the furthest away is known as Castle Rock Loop. Castle Rock is 7 miles round trip or 6 miles if you go out to the rock and come back (very popular option). There is a flagged route and two "Apples" which are round, red shelters that have blankets, food, reading material, and a book to write a quick blurb about your hike. 
Being that this hike will take a few hours there are certain procedures that must be adhered to before departing.
1. The hike must be cleared to be hiked by the firehouse (which is easy to find out).
2. You must bring at least one friend, no solo hikes out there.
3. Each party must have at least one radio to communicate with the firehouse
4. You must check out with the firehouse, giving them how many people are going, when you are leaving and coming back, and who is leading the trip.

Once everything is squared away you can pack and head out on the hike! People bring a lot of things that makes it seem like a multi-day hike but it's only like 4 hours. You want to dress in layers due to the changing weather, bring plenty of water and food, hand and toe warmers, eye protection, gloves, neck gaiters, hats, extra socks, sturdy boots, and a camera.

Unreliable Friends Can Make For Memorable Nights
After a few grueling nights of closing down the Galley and getting drunk immediately afterwards we desired to alter our schedule for our general health. Being that I was restricted to working as a PM Galley slave I had a lot of time to talk to Morgan Seag, the Galley's captain and fearless leader. This girl is accomplished in many aspects of life and still answered the call to captain a ship full of dirty dishes and a group of not-so-willing, soggy individuals. After a few conversations we decided to try and put together a group of people to run out to Castle Rock to brighten moods and experience the Antarctic wilderness. We alerted the troops during a stretch break and gave times with details of equipment needed for our multi-hour outdoor excursion. Once we were done with work, Morgan and I ran to our rooms and began packing. I realized that I had no idea what to pack for and started doubting everything I put on and decided to just bring it all. Once somewhat packed and ready to leave I ran over to Morgan's room and the news began of people dropping out. Her roommate is a lovely being known as Alicia Sutherland and though she is extremely social and a hell of a singer she was the first to abandon us. After a short discussion about gear we left for our meet spot of the hand washing station in the main building. The two of us were late and thought there would be a group waiting on us and we could leave immediately but after waiting for 15 minutes we decided that it would be best to just go without any of the lazy unappreciative sacks of Stewards who failed to show up (only joking, you guys are alright). 

Okay, now it's Morgan and myself with entirely too much gear trying to hustle our way up to the trail that will lead us to Castle Rock. Cool, right? Well mostly. I had no idea which direction the trail began and was a little bummed to see that it was up the only steep road in McMurdo Station. But you know, sometimes you gotta keep it cool and be like, "I'm new here, this person's cool, don't be a bitch." So after about 15 excruciating minutes of climbing up a 45 degree angle we reached the trail head. 

Hurrayyyy. Already sweaty and tired we were able to begin our hike. Keep in mind that we were on the cusp of summer so we were experiencing multi-hour sunsets and darkness for a short time. The horizon ahead of us was dark and full of stars but the scenery behind us was a miraculous view of a mountain range with a strip of light beaming across it. We stopped every few minutes to peer behind us and stood in awe of the scene. Seeing McMurdo Station from a distance put our lives back into perspective. Our little plot of land was a pin prick in the canvas of this continent and we were microbacteria on it's skin. There was plenty to talk about but we kept walking in silent contemplation, reflecting on what brought us here. The first apple shelter is about a mile from the trail and we took a moment to explore the insides. The shelter is a simple, red dome with a pile of stuff inside of it. Simple as that. We found the journal log inside and started reading other people's entries while thinking of our own. I can't remember what I wrote but I can guarantee it was unremarkable or just bad. 


The hut offered us shelter from the slight wind outside so we got ourselves to an appropriate temperature and headed back on the trail. After a while Morgan became very concerned with a cloud up above, saying it looks like an aurora. I looked at it and was fully convinced that it was a cloud and disregarded (I was under the impression the time had passed for auroras). Luckily, Morgan was very insistent and made us stop to fully investigate her suspicions. There was a long, wispy cloud that sat just above our heads that seemed to stretch for miles and after staring intently for a few minutes we saw the colors shine through and wrap around in a way that could only be an aurora. Not only was this my first aurora but I was now it the small group of people who have actually seen the southern lights. Of course they dissipated after a while and we were back on our way, gushing about how cool it was. But after a half hour or so the lights came back but this time it looked like a spotlight was shining from Castle Rock itself. No words were exchanged for a moment but we both were halted, mid-step, arms our as if we were going to protect one another from something bearing down on us. The only sound that could be heard was us gasping over and over again with words trying to be whoas and wows but coming out as elongated vowels. Once again, the light dissipated and we continued, now almost screaming about what had just happened. 

By now we were just about to the second apple shelter and stopped in for a quick refuel since the rock itself was within spitting range, looking all kinds of glorious. Later in the season there is a cleared and roped route that leads to the top of the rock but we were satisfied with wandering around the base, marvelling at the world before us. The last leg of the journey is at a slight incline that lets you see more of Antarctica than you could ever hope for. At our backs stood an enormous precipice looming above us while a wide horizon peppered with mountains on fire at one end by the sun, peaking from just below sight.

After a victory dance and a few cheesy, staged photos we began our return to station. The walk back had our typical bouts of silence but with a new energy. We were bouncing around on the inside with everything we had just seen and how alive we were feeling. McMurdo Station laid ahead of us the entire walk back but it didn't bring us any negative emotions about how hard we have been working and how much would be asked of us in the next coming weeks. We only spoke in excited tones about how cool it was that we were there and how we couldn't wait for the next adventure, living in the afterglow of our current endeavor.

Antarctica wasn't done with us just yet. On our way back Morgan asked for us to hold still for a few moments and not make a peep. It didn't take long to understand what she was trying to experience. The wind had completely settled and we were far enough away from anything that there was zero sound. The term "deafening silence" began to make more and more sense. As we stood there our ears began to ring; at first, very faintly but with every second it began to grow to a point where I had to make some noise to keep from going deaf. We repeated this a few times to make sure we weren't just crazy. Hearing nothing was one of the most interesting things to happen to me in my lifetime (thus far). 

Continuing, we looked to our left and saw another amazing site, nacreous clouds. We first couldn't tell where the snow ended and the sky began but then we saw that the clouds were rippling low across the sky, looking like someone was actively causing brush strokes in cream colored paint with accents of pink and green. I've been a big fan of clouds for a while now but I never knew they could dance with so much color and beauty. 

Just before we made the walk down Antarctica's steepest road, we took one last photo of how happy we were. 

Angry hikers, 2012.

Hut Point: The Coolest Place When I'm Drunk.

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."
-Ernest Hemingway

While Winfly is still in effect there are the perfect amount of people on station, everyone pretty much gets along, and everyone kind of wants to hang out. It's a wonderful thing but it can keep you from getting out and seeing the scenery because the bars are fun, people are fun, and drinking is fun. The ideal situation would be to combine these two right? Not quite, well, at least it isn't good in theory. We're talking about someone intoxicating spending at least 30 minutes exposed to the harsh conditions of Antarctica. That's a recipe for disaster, for sure but it doesn't stop any of us.

The first time I decided to go to Hut Point was a suggestion from someone else. We were having a 5:31 Break (work ends at 5:30) where we tried out the first ever Shot-Mop. Someone had attached 4 shot glasses to the side of an unused mop giving the rare opportunity of janitor-themed group-activity drinking. So, needless to say, we all got annihilated before even getting to the bar. The details aren't all there but I don't think we actually made it to the bar and just hung out in a lounge putting some mileage on our new favorite drinking implement.

Well, after however much time had passed I told a friend that I hadn't been out to see any of the scenery yet and she thought that was completely unacceptable and told me to run to my room and get some warm clothes on. I obeyed these commands like any good boy would and we started trekking away from Station. See, this is where things get bad because once you leave station you realize what the weather is really like but when you're drunk there's no turning back. The winds were tossing us back and forth, we were cold IMMEDIATELY, and it was dark (the sun didn't set until 11pm so you know it was late). This is EXACTLY how people lose toes to frost bite and why you're suppose to let someone know you're going out. We were lucky on this adventure and didn't lose our natural balance to the weather and snow.

Getting to Hut Point should have made the adventure worth the risk but not today! We got to the spot and couldn't really see much. There was a small strip of light in the distance but the sky was covered by clouds, restricting our vision to nothing. It was also windy, so windy! There's a huge cross set out to commemorate someone who had lost their life in Antarctica and we sat underneath it to hide from the wind. It really didn't help at all so we just sat on the ground shivering and unable to see anything.

This journey only takes about 20 minutes of walking to get to Hut Point and became a regular occurrence in my drunk adventures.

A Hole In The Ice: A Guide To Staying Happy

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where -"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go."
-Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland 

I'm gonna go ahead and stress this now so I don't have to do it later. The only way to stay happy and jolly at work is to stay busy and stay interested. It doesn't really matter how you reach these parameters but you can tell who isn't meeting them. Those people have no fuses and get mad about EVERYTHING. They can't take a joke, they don't smile, and they do weird things like smuggle WAY too many cookies out on cookie day or get super pissy when you sit at "their table" despite the fact that we have over 30 different tables in the dining room.

There is an unspoken expectation that everyone must take care of themselves (and those around them to a certain extent). There's countless opportunities to get involved in the community such as yoga class, knitting circles, movie nights, open mic night, and everyone's standby: drinking at the bar. And if group activities aren't your thing you can always go hiking, running, skiing, watch movies by yourself, read, paint, or the old standby (which isn't encouraged whatsoever): drinking alone. But sometimes people get so caught up in work that they need a little help from management to make them remember why they are where they are and to get the appreciation they need/deserve. This is where Boondoggles come into play.

Boondoggle: Make A Happy Smile!
I have no idea where they got this word or what it means but I'd like to think it's Russian for, "Quit being bitchy and get back to work." In reality it's a working morale trip where they take you out of work for the day and let you do something fun but pay you anyway. Pretty sweet deal for sure. There's a few different items of interest involved with Boondoggles, all of which are pretty exciting. There's Happy Camper which is Antarctic wilderness survival training, Room With A View which involves taking a snow mobile group out to the volcano Mount Erebus, and there's a handful of others. The first one I got to go on was Dive Tending.

Communication in McMurdo works in odd ways, being that despite the fact that it only takes 5 minutes to get ANYWHERE on station we still rely on email for most information exchanges. I'd like to think its because no one can remember anything for any amount of time because there is amnesia inducing drugs introduced to the powdered milk we consume but it's probably because email can't be argued with or something lame. Well the urgency of the email can be seen with what statement someone uses when they tell you they've sent you something. "Have you checked your email today?" Means it's something that can wait. "When was the last time you've checked your email?" Is more time sensitive and should be checked within the hour. "What are you doing? Can it wait until you check your email?" Means, "Go check that shit right now!"

I got all of these one day from my supervisor. I didn't know the different meanings of these things at this point so I kept putting it off. It was kind of cool that I did so I wouldn't be thinking about it all day because it was to tell me I was going Dive Tending the next morning! Hurray! It was an official email detailing my day of what I would be doing, where and when it would happen and all other bits of information needed for this day to be awesome.

I woke up, dressed warm and headed to the Diving Shack to meet the dudes I'd be kicking it with for the day. My supervisor made it very clear that I shouldn't show up late because the guys are very punctual and wouldn't accept tardiness. I will admit, I got a little confused as to where this building was so I showed up a little late but she was over-exaggerating entirely (I'm calling you out Jess Palen). I showed up about 7 minutes late, short of breath, fully geared, and over-apologetic. The three guys gave me that look you give new people who are freaking out and said, "It's cool, we actually are just getting geared up. You can toss your stuff over there, it might be a while." We probably sat around for another 20 minutes talking while they put on their wet suits and whatnots.

There was Andrew, Rory, and Rob who were taking me out to the sea ice to do a little underwater frolicking. All three guys were incredibly nice and very talkative. We all got along immediately and had a good time cracking jokes and asking questions to get to know one another. It's always surprising when you meet scientists because they have such a reputation surrounding them even though there are many different kinds of science. People often forget that scientists are regular people with a title and thorough education on a precise subject. These guys were cool.

I stole this photo from the internet because it's way better.

Once the crew was stocked and ready to go, we jumped into a Pisten Bully and started down the icy road. We drove straight out onto the ice at a roaring 8 mph so it took a little while but once we got there it was quite a sight. There was a little shack that had been thrown out onto the ice where we were expected to conduct SCIENCE! The shack was about 10X15 feet and had a sturdy door, which was good because the winds were kickin'. Inside, there was a small stove, a floor made of ice, and a hole that may have been 5 feet in diameter but about 12 feet deep (roughly). The guys and I loaded in the equipment and they told me about the arduous task of dropping their rope ladder into the water once they were in and periodically scooping ice from the top of the water so it won't freeze over. I helped them get their gear on and secured their gaskets and whatnot and they all sat, flippers towards the water.

They dropped in one at a time and left me for about 30 minutes to do whatever so I took some photos and a couple videos and felt how cold the water was. At a random moment one of the guys popped out of the water and began talking about what was down there. Apparently it typically incredibly beautiful everywhere under the ice EXCEPT for the one spot where we were. The coolest thing they had photographed was a sea cucumber and extracted some sort of crustacean. After reloading the equipment we went back to McMurdo Station and the adventure ended where it began but with high spirits and a few new friends.

Hut 10: Where Restraint Is Like Your Shoes, Left At The Door. A.K.A. Knuck-Tats

“I have Social Disease. I have to go out every night. If I stay home one night I start spreading rumors to my dogs.”
― Andy Warhol

After getting settled into a proper work routine and facing the exhaustion of working nearly 60 hour work weeks, the need of a good time was beginning to become more apparent, not only with me but with my coworkers. So the nearing of one of our coworker's birthday was quite the pleasant event to look admirably to the future. With the paperwork filed and anticipation high we prepped ourselves for a night at Hut 10.

The Magical Time Machine Hut 10:
There are many things that can be found around station that are both entertaining and time consuming; but nothing comes close to the wonders that lie within the walls of Hut 10. This is a space primarily reserved for the most important of Distinguished Visitors (D.V.'s) of the likes of Ex-Mr. President William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton. It is essentially the only separated "house" in McMurdo Station. All of the other building are dormitories or work centers of some sort. Hut 10 has it's own plumbing system with working sinks, showers, and toilets. There are about 3 bedrooms including a master bedroom with a King-sized bed set up. There is a living room with a big screen and couches, a dining area with a table that can seat roughly 10 people, and a kitchen with everything you need to make food for said 10 possible people. It's a cozy little spot that all of us would LOVE to have for an entire season.

When we are not entertaining the likes of the honorable Billiam Clinton in this lovely home it can be "rented" by anyone in the community for a day/night. The people in the Rec department keep a list of all of the people who have requested Hut 10 for what night and why. It has to be approved by the station manager and various supervisors but once it's yours it's a wonderful feeling.

At this point you can plan fun events that involve the three d's: dinner, drinks, and dancing. Of course, it's always fun to make a theme for the night. Costumes are ALWAYS encouraged! Sometimes people have certain viewing events where they watch Arrested Development, eat frozen bananas, and take sips of hot ham water "With just a smack of ham!" (This actually happened one night. Big ups Grace Graham).

So back to the story of our first proper Hut 10 party.

It was Morgan's birthday, we just finished work, and we were all returning home to get dressed and ready for the night. My roommate, Sarah Leonetti, and I were extremely excited to finally do something social with the people we were becoming close friends with. Once we were ready we walked to Hut 10, excited for our first chance to see our friends outside of work with only the slightest of nerves. Upon entering we found a mish-mash of various workers from the Galley and Jano-Land talking and sipping on their beverage of choice. We were greeted with smiles as we shed our coats and shoes at the door, gave a fine happy birthday to Morgan, and then stood around awkwardly making bits of small talk with those who were around.
After a while, people began to loosen up and there was laughter from wall to wall in Hut 10. Being the person of importance that day, we wanted to know what Morgan wanted to do and she requested that we played a board game or two.
We first played a simplified version  of Taboo which was a lot of fun and encouraged more joy and laughter within the group. Afterwards, we found a Jenga set that had all of it's pieces so we set it up and began our attempts at stacking the tower. Early on we discovered that most of the blocks had things written on them such as, "Take a drink." "Give a drink." or my favorite, "Slap somebody!" making for an interesting few rounds.

The skinny kid in the picture missing his shirt, rocking the amazing hair, and crushing Jenga one-handed is me.

At one point the tower loomed so high that it seemed to sway on it's own accord. It was Morgan's turn and after pulling her block the structure began to fall towards her and she pushed it with her torso and arms to regain it's position. She claimed "Birthday Save!" and left the blocks in disarray but still standing.
Something that no one expected was that the blocks were built higher and higher without falling. The blocks were so imperfectly placed that it balanced perfectly on it's own.
The game began to get so intense that the entire party was completely captivated by our attempts at removing and replacing blocks. After many breathless moments and screams of disbelief the structure finally found itself toppling over in my arms and across the floor around me.

I was missing my shoes, sock, and my shirt and I knelt in disbelief at what had happened to me. You could feel the room breathe a sigh of relief, unable to withstand much more of this spectacle. Following the sigh came hoots and hollers. Boos and claims of victory from the other participants. It was definitely the greatest game of Jenga played that I've ever seen/been a part of.

At this point we no longer needed games to have our fun. We abandoned them and simply danced and socialized on our own around the room. As various people left throughout the night, the party grew stronger despite their absence.

Before I really knew what was happening my hands were taken by two people with markers and I was told not to move. After a little giggling and scribbling I got my hands back and was told to make fists and place them side by side and show everyone. "Poop-Lick" was written across my knuckles and a roar of laughter came from the room. At this point I was explained the fine art of Knuck-Tats where two people take your hands (without discussion) and write a four letter word on each area of the finger between the knuckles. The likes of which may include: Shit-Fart, Lick-Nuts, or Slap-Dick (They're really never this coordinated).

I'm not sure why but clothes began to get swapped between the men and the women...pants in particular. And at some point we had an intermission without pants at all but did not last long due to the palpable awkwardness felt int he room due to the fact that we did not know each other well yet.

After we had our fill of dancing, humility, and singing "Happy Birthday" at sporadic intervals we decided that the night was old and, despite the laughter, we needed to leave. Understanding that we had an entire season to recreate nights like this made the departure simple and we left after rigorous cleaning and long good nights.

Understanding The Job Part 2 Jano Land

“I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints.”
― Billy Joel

The life of a Janitor is quite a stellar event for everyone on station in my opinion. These are people who appear to be permanently happy, fun, and extremely contagious.
Janos come in every shape, size, and personality. We have those solemn ones who greet you with a smile and a head nod but leave the initiation of conversation up to your discretion.
There are those found singing away the workday while working to sterilize the many doorknobs around station.
There are some which you don't even notice because they are quick on their feet and direct in what they are cleaning and have a list of other items on the docket leaving them no time to "dilly-dally."
And then there are those who have a hearty laugh that is heard through the halls. These are usually found dancing up the halls with mops and brooms or playing pranks on clueless victims.

A Day of the Fabled Jano:
Our Janos begin our day just like the vast majority of the workers at McMurdo Station, slow, quiet, and at 7:30am. At 7:25am you can usually point them out because they'll be the ones grabbing a cup of coffee with a pastry in their mouth making their way to the second floor to attend "Morning Meeting." Going to Morning Meeting is a great way to start the day if you ask me. You get to see friendly faces and discuss any odd events that may have happened in the last while since your last morning meeting such as what happened at the social gathering the previous night. My favorite days are when you're sitting next to someone who was up entirely too late the night before when someone walks in with a "Shit-Eating Grin." (As it's been known as). The person, upon entering, immediately looks at the person of concern and, with a slight hesitation for dramatic effect, asks something like, "How ya feeling today?" or "How much of last night do you remember?" or "You guys won't believe what this guy/girl did in the Galley!" This always starts the morning with a good, much needed laugh.

Once all of the possibly embarrassing stories are out of the way the actual stories begin. The Lead Janos are amazing people. They are constantly thinking of fun things to do for the plebeians who have to follow their orders. One thing they do for morning meeting is find fun little books that are silly in every way. For example, "People Who Deserve It" by Casey Rand. A book about crappy people in society who giggle on their cell phones while you're trying to tell them a funny story or eat with their mouths open, allowing you to smell the process of their digestion.
Another book is, "I wish Daddy didn't drink so much"by Judith Vigna. Where a young girl spends Christmas hoping her father didn't do such silly things like dressing up like Santa and spilling beer on her bedroom floor.

Once the fun is over we take a moment or two to actually discuss topics involved with work such as safety concerns, cleaning techniques, and actual work schedule for the day. It may seem like this is a good way to waste the first 1/2 hour of work everyday but it is crucial for morale and general happiness. Without starting the day out with laughter the entirety of station would suffer greatly.

So at this point we go to the Galley one more time to get our hydration on and refill our water bottles. Afterwards, we break off on our own to handle our various tasks. At the beginning of the day we all have our dormitories to clean. This is a large task and definitely takes a lot of the day. When we are done here it is usually time for lunch after our appropriate stretch break and break break. Once we are back on duty it is time to clean Highway 1. This is the busiest part of station because it leads to the Galley and on the way has various offices for Human Resources, Housing, and Recreation along with our small store. So naturally this place is going to get filthy with people tracking in mud and snow along with spilling coffee and food bits all over the floor. This is a fun event because it's the only part of the day where you are teamed up with other Janos. The four of you tag-team clean the two bathrooms, two hand sinks, and sweep and mop the floor with the assistance of the Zamboni.

The Zamboni:
This pleasant little vehicle makes a Janos life much easier but also a little more exciting. It looks like a regular zamboni got pregnant and aborted the baby a bit on the late side resulting in a miniature blue thing that with a handle that is too low for most people to operate and barely has the capacity to suck the dirt off the ground without spreading more of it around. But as they say, "It's the little victories." Yes it is small and does not do it's job well but damnit, it's a change up from a push broom! Plus, you can "ghost ride the whip" which means you let it gently pull itself forward while dancing around it to the music that you can only hear because you're wearing headphones.

After another stretch break and one more break break we come to the home stretch of the work day where we just start tackling work centers around station. At this time the other workers get the pleasure of running into random Janos around station. We walk into where they work and close down their bathrooms for cleaning. A lot of people get pissy about this but whatever, if it doesn't get cleaned now then it never will so dance around for a little and let us do our thing.

So now that you understand what we do work-wise, let's discuss the important part of things. Recreation!

Understanding The Job Part 1 The Galley

“I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I'll go to it laughing.”
― Herman Melville

Currently I am employed as a "Steward" here on The Ice. What that entails is a dual position job consisting of a Dining Attendant (D.A.) and a Janitor (Jano).

The life of a Dining Attendant in McMurdo Station is a wondrous thing. It has similarities to that of normal restaurant work but with numerous differences. For one, we conduct under the classic "Mess Hall" procedure where people can help themselves to the available food (so long as we have enough). D.A.s work in the Galley, a beloved part of everyone's life here on the ice.

The Galley:
In Building 155 there are many useful things to find within these hallways. There's H.R., Housing, the store, the recreation board, but most importantly there's the Galley. This is where we all get to eat, hang out, and for some of us, work.

When walking through the hallway and following the aroma of the finest dining, you will reach a trophy case on your right containing numerous interesting scientific objects and pictures. Once at the end of this hallway the room opens into the main part of the Galley. Immediately on your right you can pick up your tray and a plate for today's meal. Just on the other side of these trays you will find the entrance to the Dish Room. This is a strange land where food is magically removed from dishes and given back to the community for reuse. There's usually a lot of singing and dancing coming from this room and is a place where you can either get a friendly smile or a stern look followed by a half growled, "Excuse me."

On the other side of the room, however, you can see something that will truly make you happy. There are two stations where hot food is served and "The Action Station" where cooks have prepared a special something for all of us to enjoy. Here, people will line up single file around the side of the Galley. If you are waiting in line and look to the right you will see Bakery Island. This is where you can find fresh baked bread for dinner but most importantly, where you can find dessert. The desserts are, quite literally, something to write home about. There are smoothies, cakes, pies, and many other exotic kinds of goodies to be had depending on the theme of lunch or dinner.

Once you pass Bakery Island you will see the entrance to the Dining Room. There are two levels to this area. There is the lower part which is known as the "Republican Section" where you will find more of the older crowd consisting of many people who have seasoned multiple times. There isn't a name for the rest of the Galley dining room. When looking for a place to sit, people might ask if you'd like to sit in the Galley or the Republican Section (which is a question that has never been asked by anyone who sits in the Galley).

Once you've finished with your meal you now head to Trash Alley. Here you can discard all of your remains into "Food Waste." Afterwards, on the adjacent wall, you have the dish window where you have to separate your dishes and silverware. There has been a large debate over this process but that's for a later tale.

Duties of the infamous Dining Attendant:

There are multiple shifts that are worked throughout the day by our Dining Attendants but I mostly have worked the PM shift so I'll walk you all through what that's like.

Our day starts at a prompt 10AM in the galley. There is a tasking sheet with the assignment for the day and is ALWAYS subjected to change at any moment. There are 4 different things that you can typically be tasked for.

Dish: This is where we get to man the dish machine known as Bertha. She is a large, old, sassy machine with many issues that are immediately apparent. She is an inanimate object with more personality than many people you'll find in the world (inanimate being a relative term that I have fought with myself back and forth and have decided that, "It's my blog; fuck it, I don't care if it's correct."). This is a duty that can be performed with 1-3 people at any given time. We take the cups, mugs, plates, bowls and silverware from the dish window, wash them off a bit and send them through Bertha for her to do her wondrous magic. On the far end of her conveyor belt, dishes emerge (most of the time) clean for the person on that end to "catch" and sort into it's proper area. This process is ALWAYS accompanied by loud music. The accompaniment of singing, dancing, and laughter is up to the discretion of the current D.A.s and volunteers.

Pots: This is within the same vein as Dish but drastically different. Behind the doors to the kitchen there is the "Pot Room."

"I don't even know why they call it that. I've looked everywhere and I can't find weed ANYWHERE."
-Brad Geer Winfly September 2012

When standing in the doorway, on the right, there is shelving with many different types of clean pots and pans. On the left side is the end of a bench where clean pots come out of our other washing machine known as Slim. He is a single compartment washing beast who is very seasoned but very reliable, unlike Bertha. On the other side of Slim you'll find three sinks for washing and rinsing our various pans. At the end of the sinks there is a bench that protrudes perpendicular to the rest of the washing area. This is the beginning of our system. Here, there is a hose that comes from above the person who is designated as, "The Sprayer."

This person is the one who gets things going; the person who controls the pace of the Pot Room which is very important. On either side of the sprayer there can be either a few pots and pans or an evil, unmanageable pile of shit. I've personally seen sheet and hotel pans inches away from the ceiling.

I stand at 6'2ish and have long extremities and have had trouble reaching the tops of these mountainous stacks. But once those piles have reached such heights things start piling on the ground; objects of all shapes and sizes that make life seem superfluous and unfulfilled. But with the help of your coworkers, some extra loud, pump-it up music, and a little time, you will soon see the floor and hope reappear.

Needless to say, this could be the funnest or the worst room to be in on station.

Line: This job can be very frustrating at first but will ease up as it is practiced. This person is responsible for refilling the various dishes in our two hot lines and our vegetarian line. The reason this can be frustrating is purely on the community as they cue up to fill their plates. When you're holding a 4" hotel pan with about 12 pounds of potatoes that are at roughly 175 degrees waiting for someone to move out of your way who is simply weighing whether or not they want to get another pork loin can be a little annoying (hah). But once you get the hang of the job you begin to adopt an attitude where it's more like, "You can either move or I'll make you move!"

Floor: This activity can be a cake walk or a frantic messed up situation. This person has many responsibilities, most of which just involve keeping things stocked. You can imagine that it would probably take a while for 14 liters of milk to run out. WRONG! Once we have the bulk of our community here they, for some inexplicable reason, like to come in herds. When a few hundred people come in at once and all need a fork, knife, and spoon then shit runs out fast! When we have the ability to serve salad you'll see a D.A. full-stride power-walking across the room to grab more salad containers throughout lunch or dinner (helpful tip: GET OUT OF THE WAY).

In between meal periods, D.A.s will go on their own designated breaks for food and stretch break where we keep loose and limber to avoid repetitive motion injuries (ideally). Beyond that we also clean up the mayhem that previously ensued. We'll restock napkins, wipe down tables, and vacuum the dining area. Clear the garbage out of trash alley, sweep and mop the floors, and do laundry. And somehow we'll also remove the food from the hot lines and other places around the galley to make it look presentable again.

Needless to say, the life of a D.A. can be very rewarding but can also make you hate people more than you should be allowed.

And then there's the life of a Jano which is drastically different...

First Events With A Familiar Face

“The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.” -W.M. Lewis

Once we disembarked the vehicle night had somehow crept upon us and it was significantly darker than before but not all the way dark. We were let out at what is known as Derelict Junction which sits between the various dorm buildings and 155 which is the main building. We then were led to our science building known as Crary for our debriefing. Crary is a bright, welcoming, multi-level building (by that I mean 2 levels). We threw down our large jackets on any hook available and proceeded upstairs to a large room with a pedestal at the front of it. We were welcomed by the acting station manager and a few of the other people of importance and were given instructions on how the next few hours should be taken. It essentially meant that we had to pick up our room keys and then report to our supervisors. They, in turn, gave us a pocket books (known as a green brain due to it's color) with various notes and then instructed us to get some food and sleep because we would be working first thing in the morning.

Once we were released we walked outside to a pitch black view of the sky and went to the Galley for dinner with a few people, one of which was Camille and she showed us a few areas of interest on our way to dinner. Once we were fully fed and the nerves had calmed a bit we picked up our bed linens and went to the post office to pick up our bags to bring to our new rooms. My bags were heavy and stifling after our long journey but luckily there was a shuttle service to make the trip significantly shorter. Once I got out of the shuttle I was on my own. I walked slowly up the stairs to the third floor of building 206 with my mind escaping to an innumerable amount of places. I waddled down the hallway gawking at the room numbers wondering where mine would be. 316...317...319? Wait a minute! Where's my room? After a few more steps I realized it was the next down due to the odd arrangement of doors.

I opened the locked door expecting my roommate to be there waiting for me but was disappointed. Her things were arranged on one side of the room signifying that she had arrived yesterday. I then began to tear my bags open and arrange my set up to suit my needs. With the blankets on the bed, toiletries in their appropriate areas and clothes tucked away in the closet I sat for a moment and marveled at my current situation. In the last few days I have flown partway across America, flew across the Pacific Ocean to Australia, then to New Zealand for three days, landed in Antarctica and am now waiting to start work the next day. Talk about an action packed week!

In the few moments while I was considering all of this I heard a key jostle in lock of the door and in walked my roommate Sarah Leonetti!

The History of Tom and Sarah:

May 4th, 2012 Cinco de Mayo.

I met up with my friends Andy Christopfel and Jodi Birkofer at a bar in Denver to have a few celebratory drinks on behalf of our freed Mexican friends to the south. After a beer they told me that our friend Rocco Sucato would be arriving with a friend of his from Chicago. The two of them arrived shortly and this is the first occasion I shook hands with Sarah Leonetti. Conversation progressed as it will and at one point my friend Jodi asked how my Antarctic application was going and Rocco lit up before I had a chance to answer. He turned to Sarah and said, "Oh! This is the Antarctica guy!" And she lit up in return. She then explained how she's been trying to get into the program without much luck. I explained that it's probably because the company had switched over to Lockheed Martin and she needed to reapply. I then told her that I knew two people who worked for the headquarters there in Denver and it might help to send them an email notifying them of her interest. After a few more drinks and more information being exchanged we parted ways promising that we would email each other within the next few days to ensure maximum possibility of her acceptance. This was the last time I spoke with Sarah for the next 3 or so months in person. We kept to our word and exchanged emails inquiring about each other's process and as luck would have it, we both got our offer letters to join the program! We then filed the proper paperwork to be each other's roommates.

I sprang to my feet to greet Sarah as she walked through the door in her big red. We had so much to talk about and not enough night to do so. Sarah then alerted me to an Outdoor Safety Lecture happening that night. This was important to attend so we would be cleared to do the various hikes around station. So it was back to Crary to the upstairs room for another lecture. The sign in sheet made me laugh because it asked me for information I did not know off the top of my head. Department? I think it's GSC...I'm going with that...Supervisor...shit...I have no idea...Well they have my name and room number, if they really need this stuff they can find me, people are waiting for this clipboard. Lucky for me there were two clipboards and so I snagged up the second one and signed it as well and also found someone else who worked for GSC and copied their information. I realized later that it unfortunately, was the wrong information.

Once this was over we went back to our dorms and though I was anxious for the next day I was also incredibly tired and fell asleep almost immediately. Now it was time to really get McMurdo life underway!