So, I’ve been racking my brain about what to write about over the past few days. Then I realized I forgot to include super important information in my last post:

I can see again!

After going approximately one month without glasses, I now have not one, but two pairs! Thanks to the amazing medical department, and the folks at T&S, located in Christchurch, NZ, I am once again bespectacled.

Despite the fact that I was able to successfully play horseshoes and navigate around town without glasses, I do enjoy being able to see things clearly. Of course, I haven’t seen any auroras since getting my glasses, but I’m sure I’ll have more opportunities this season. Having glasses is also helping me with other things I’ve started taking on here, like giving haircuts. I was asked the other day exactly how I fell into the position of barber, and truth be told, I’m not sure. I volunteered to cut some peoples hair, but I’m not sure why I did it. I have little experience (other than with my own hair and a few very trusting souls). People down here get desperate during the winter. I guess the job that I do with peoples lovely locks is better than nothing. I did give several people haircuts without glasses, and it turned out okay, but it took an insanely long time. And despite telling people that they don’t need to pay me for cutting hair, the barter system has been working greatly in my favor. I was given a bottle of wine and a fruit and cheese platter for my last haircut.

Other than getting my glasses, other things have been happening.

The firehouse is getting a bit of a facelift. One of our firefighters has been working hard at painting accent walls in different rooms around the station. The captain has been replacing the ceiling tiles with the help of our on-duty crews…

And speaking of on-duty crews… I’m sure in my last post I mentioned that we got three additional firefighters. The relief around here has been fantastic. The morale has been boosted. People in town are feeling more at ease about the capability of the department should there be a fire. I know there are probably some people who are curious about the working relationship of Rick and I, and quite plainly – We’re fine. He and I are still good friends and we work well together. I’m happy to have my friend back.

Also, I’m pretty sure I mentioned being excited about the freshie cargo that came in on this last medevac… However, after not having fresh fruits or vegetables for a few months, you don’t know how your body will react until you actually consume said food.

Fact: Your body reacts in ways you can’t imagine if you don’t eat fresh fruits and veggies for several months. However, it is worth it. I won’t go into detail, I’ll let you use your imagination (or not).

The food has been amazing with the influx of freshies. One of the cooks surprised me with a mango (I had told him a few weeks before that I was craving a fresh mango). You don’t realize the difference in taste between fresh and dried herbs until you have fresh ones for the first time in ages.
Okay, I’m drooling, I’ll stop talking about food.

Let’s see… Other things.

We’re starting to get ready for Mid-Winter dinner! The planning/decorating commitee is getting into full swing, and since we work long hours, Marsha and I were volunteered to help make decorations for the soiree. No problem there. But after 20 hours in a 24 hour shift, I don’t know how good the decorations that I make will look…

But at least I’ll be able to see what I’m doing.

Stay safe!

Greetings!

Over the past month, we’ve had two medevacs. Right now I’m not sure how many people we have on station. What I do know, is that we no longer have four firefighters. We now have seven. And that is a good thing. I’m posting a link in this blog to another winter-over’s blog. Ben Adkinson took some amazing photos of the medevac, as well as write an informative blog about the whole situation. I’m sitting here in my room chuckling about the nickname of the flight – OOF – Operation Old Flame. I wasn’t the only person who had an ex arriving on this most recent flight.

http://whynotgonow.blogspot.com/2013/05/antarctic-medevac-2013-take-2.html

Above is the link to his site. I highly suggest you read his posts.

I want to dye my hair blue. Not like Marge Simpson blue, but a light shimmery blue.

If you have never listened to Lindsey Stirling, I suggest you check out her music.

I’d love to have a mango.

I’m thinking about spending the summer season down here.

I’m not as good at Halo as I once thought I was.

I’d like to learn how to dance.

I am sure that I have the best family in the world.
I also know for a fact that my friends are the best, ever.

I’m hoping I get some glasses soon because I miss seeing clearly.

A lot of people think that the most awesome thing I’ve done is the whole going to Antarctica thing. It’s not. The most awesome thing I’ve done is becoming an Aunt. And I didn’t even have to do anything to achieve that.

I miss dispatching police officers. I miss a good training day, evening shift with multiple traffic units out. I don’t miss it enough to go back to doing that full time though.

I just had to get those out of my head. Yeah, I know that this is basically a “filler” post, but I’m trying to do better with my posting at least once a week.

I promise to post more interesting things next week.

On Wednesday, April 24th, 2013, two vans filled with happy winter-overs took the 14 mile ride out to Pegasus Airfield to watch the last sunrise/sunset until August.

We laughed, we played, we enjoyed the glorious weather and bid adieu to the evil day star.

Enjoy!

This past week has been a bit stressful around the firehouse. Six weeks into the actual winter season and we’ve had a medevac. Hopefully our only one this winter. For the fire department, medevacs mean that we have to have our ARFF vehicles taken back out to the airfield, and since they were “winterized” it meant a lot of work for the guys here and the workers at the VMF. *The VMF is the vehicle maintenance facility*. It also meant that every other department was busy with various tasks getting ready to safely get the patient out of Antarctica.

The big stress for the fire department also came with the abrupt departure of two of our firefighters. This means that we are down to 1 captain, 1 lieutenant and 2 firefighters for the foreseeable future.

Also, another stressor that occurred this week, was that it appears that staffing levels for the fire department for next winter may be changing. The big change for me, is that the number of dispatch positions may be cut from three to one. No final word on this, but it’s something that is now a reality that we are going to have to face and decisions must be made.

We’ve all been a bit stressed out. Understandably, in my opinion.

And what do you do in Antarctica when you’re stressed out? You find the closest slope and go play in the snow/ice. Luckily we have a nice little snow/ice hill right outside of the firehouse. We’ve all been eyeing it for a few weeks now, and yesterday was the day we decided to tackle it. After brunch, I ran to my room, switched out of my lightweight jacket to my big red, grabbed my wind pants and camera, and went back to the firehouse. Marsha was working in dispatch, so Raymond and I decided to attempt to slide down the hill. At first, we didn’t use anything extra (if you watch the video, the outtakes portion shows us attempting to slide without the plastic sheet). Then we discovered that it was SO MUCH BETTER with the lack of friction that the plastic sheet provided on the ice. So myself, Raymond, Marsha and Wes all took turns sliding down the hill. After a while, we started doing fancy slides (head first), but of course my camera froze right before we attempted those.

Next time, I’ll bring my bigger camera since the battery lasts longer.

Hill slide!

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No zombies, yet.  I have a sneaky suspicion that before long we’ll see a few of the suckers.  Not real ones, of course.  McMurdo would be a poor place for real zombies to be.  Not because we’re lacking in richness of brain matter, but because they’d run out pretty quickly.  Then what are they going to do?

Fact:  We have some people with amazing intellect on this continent.  We have several people with master degrees, ph.d’s and other various levels of education.  I know one person with several different bachelor degrees in addition to his masters.  And we have some very “street smart” people.  The few of us who don’t have college educations.  

The thing I love the most about this place is the way everyone treats each other.  We are all equals.  Race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background… who cares.  It’s an extremely tight knit community.  We all look after one another.  We all care about one another.  

Next Sunday, the 28th, is the 34 Social.  The 34 Social attendees will be the women of McMurdo.  There are 34 of us, hence the name.  It looks like it will be an excellent time, and both Marsha and I will be able to attend.  I’ll post more after the get-together.  I’m hoping that I’ll be able to talk some people into doing photo-shoots because my creative side needs an outlet.  

All in all, I’m doing pretty well.  My emotional post a few weeks ago let me get a lot off of my chest and I’m feeling much better.

Stay safe!

Tori

Auroras 04/12/13 between 0230 and 0530.  Some of the most amazing ones that I have seen!