WhereIzMegan

Quick update...

2012-02-18T20:21:00.000+01:00

I am currently traveling around New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii on my way home. I have been composing these posts on plane rides. I'll work on more soon! Thanks to all my followers for not abandoning me! :-)

Farewell McMurdo!

2012-02-18T20:17:00.000+01:00

As I write this post I am sitting on the C-17 that ismid-flight back to Christchurch. This is mostly going to be a stream of thoughtpost. So I’m sorry if I ramble or don’t make sense.

McMurdo is a strange yet special place and will always havea little piece of my heart. I have made some friendships that I hope will lasta lifetime. Before I got here I was excited and nervous because I didn’t reallyknow what to expect. I knew 2 other women that I worked in Germany with butdidn’t know anyone else. I had a pretty good idea of what my job would be likebut I had no idea how busy I would be. I knew I would be working a lot, but Ialso figured that my down time would be quiet and peaceful. From the outsidethat is a common thought. But in a place where 1,000+ people eat, sleep, andwork and it’s the harshest continent in the world there are only so many placesto go. And when you think you can retreat to your room you have to think areany of my roommates asleep, at work, having friends over. It’s a veryoverwhelming place. Solitude for me never happened. There are some people thatI think get swept into a lonely place due to alcohol or social anxiety, butmost people here are active and full of life.

My coworkers this year were what made this harsh place amore bearable. Strength in numbersso to speak. I met a handful in Denver during orientation and the rest were Icefriends. We have laughed together, danced our butts off, cried during the hardtimes and bonded to levels I never expected. When you eat, work, play andsometimes sleep in the same room as these people they become more than friendsor coworkers, they become family. Every member of our galley family broughtsomething unique and special and that made our bond so much stronger. No onereally knew each other before we took this Antarctic adventure but none of uswill ever forget the time we spent here. Summer 2011-2012.

As I sit on this plane I think back to the last severalmonths and wonder what my life will be like from here forward. I will betraveling with my boyfriend for the next few weeks. We met on the Ice and thiswill be a test of our relationship, living and traveling together. We will partways at the end of the month and go to our respective homes then we will reportto work at opposite ends of the country. I will be back in the Florida Keysscuba diving and he will be in Alaska working on a trail crew. If all works outI will visit him in May and then we will work together back on the Ice forsummer 2012-2013.

I have dreams about working a winter in Antarctica and alsovisiting the South Pole, which I didn’t get a chance to do this year. Maybe oneday this will happen but if not I am content with my time on that harshcontinent.

We were just told we are about an hour away from landing. Ihave my customs card filled out and my ECW gear packed in my orange bag. I amso excited to see darkness and smell fresh organic things! It will be a strangeadjustment back into the real world from our Antarctic snow globe. Please bearwith me as I adjust back and realize that I might need some space. I haven’tdriven a car, gone grocery shopping, went to the movies, gotten a hair cut,played with a dog, etc since I left Vermont back in September.

I am thrilled to have hadthis Antarctic experience and hopeful that I will be able to go back.

Hi, are you Megan?

2012-02-18T20:15:00.004+01:00

Who would have thought that a girl from a small town inVermont would meet one person from the next road over and the father of a highschool classmate. Well, ithappened!

In early January Heidi Smith walked up to me as I wasworking at the deli line and said, “Hi Megan, do you remember me?” It took me amoment to realize that the girl that I did ballet with for years in my youthwas standing in front of me in Antarctica. Heidi and I attended school togetherand often got rides to ballet practice together. Her mother was a biologyteacher at our high school, though never my teacher. Heidi was there for herthird year in a row collecting samples for research. She comes down for about 3weeks and then takes the samples back to Montana to analyze. I don’t think I’veseen Heidi in 8 years!

A few weeks ago a man in uniform walked up to me as I wasworking the breakfast line and asked me if I was Megan. It turns out he is KadeEtter’s father. Kade and I attended Essex High School from 2000-2004 together.I think we had a few classes together but we were never really close friends.She has been following me silently on Facebook and possibly here on my blog andfound out that her dad was going to McMurdo Station for a few days. So she toldhim to find me, which he did through the aid of my co-workers. At the time Imet Mr. Etter I didn’t think much of the fact that he was in uniform. We have alot of guys that come through McMurdo in uniform as we arrive and depart on USAir Force planes. So a day or two go by and several co-workers tell me a man inuniform is looking for me. So I find him and it turns out he was headed backhome that day. I said my goodbyes and we chatted briefly. A few days later I’mon the phone with my parents and I ask my dad(retired Air Force) what 2 blackstars mean on the AF uniform. For those of you like me who don’t know theranks, that’s a two star General! So I met Major General Etter who happened tobe at McMurdo as one of our distinguished visitors. After a little Googlesearch we figured out that he is the Deputy Director of the Air National Guard.

Then, just to twist the story a little more…

Major General Etter’s wife was in some way my brother’ssupervisor at the Vermont Air Guard base. Ready for it to get even more weird!My brother and sister in law are going to Washington DC next month and aregetting a tour of the Pentagon through the Etters!

McMurdo's Inner Workings: DA Style... What exactly do you do all day?

2012-02-18T20:13:00.003+01:00

I’ve had some questions about what my day to day life islike here at McMurdo Station. Well, first and foremost I am here to work andsupport science. My job title is a Dining Attendant, DA, so that means I workin the kitchen/dining room serving meals and cleaning up after them. I have worked both the evening andmorning shifts here and been on a 5 ½ day and 6 day work week totaling 54 hoursper week. The shifts are 2 meals each, either breakfast and lunch or lunch anddinner. There is also an overnight shift(nicknamed midrats) that serve a mealat midnight and breakfast. We also have the added challenge of working on theholidays so we get a random day off around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and NewYears.

I was also selected to work out at the NASA/ ColumbiaScientific Balloon Facility called the Long Duration Balloon site or LDB forshort. My shifts there include about an hour and a half round trip of traveland serving and cleaning up from lunch served for about 45 people. This was aspecial honor, only 2 DAs work there at a time splitting the 6 day week. I wasselected when Jean, my roommate, was promoted to a cook. Because I worked outthere I received snowmobile training incase I needed to help with a launch. Ialso was film crew for the STO payload launches. Yes I said launches. Therewere multiple attempts before we had a successful launch.

What does a day in the life of a DA look like?

Well, I’m on mornings currently so I’ll describe an averageday…

I wake up at 5 am, get myself ready and am downstairs by5:20. Long commute! Remember I work in the same building as I live! I grab abite to eat and am ready to work at 5:30. Our leads(aka supervisors) have atasking sheet or schedule prepped for our days. Our time is broken up aroundmeal times. Sometimes you work the whole meal period doing the same task, butoften the meal is split in half. Then we have cleaning chores between meals andwe do it all over again. We also have breaks through the day, as well as timefor stretch breaks so we reduce the risk of repetitive motion injuries, and afew minutes to allocate or log what we did for the day for some HR type personsomewhere to see and file away. So for example my 9 hour day(6 day schedule)might look like this…

Dishes from 5:30 to 6:30

Wash pots and pans from 6:30 to 8

Half hour break

Cleaning chore for an hour and a half

Stretch break for 15 minutes, allocate for 10 minutes

Family meal where all the cooks and DAs eat before we servethe meal

Restock the hot food(aka line) for 2.5 hours

Stretch again for 15 min

Half hour break

Cleaning chore for 1 hour 15 min

After work I generally relax and play on the computer, workout, or nap then shower and go eat dinner. My evenings are filled with thingslike travel talks, science lectures, tours, movies, dances, hikes, etc.

My day off has been Sundays which allows me to go out onSaturday nights(our big night out due to the 6 day work week). I enjoy Sundaybrunch with my Vermont Maple Syrup, do laundry, call home, catch up on computerstuff, etc.

It’s a Harsh Continent

2012-01-09T03:45:00.000+01:00

The title of this post is a sayingthat I hear almost daily here and it’s very accurate. It’s usually said inreference to something that you want that you can’t have because we are here atthe bottom of the world. For example we get planes in with our prized“freshies” usually once a week on Wednesdays. A freshie is usually a fruit orvegetable that hasn’t been packaged or frozen, fresh eggs, ultra pasteurizedmilk, cheese, etc. These are very special to us and make us all very happyhere. But the planes sometimes can’t make it due to weather or mechanicalissues and people freak out that we are out of fresh eggs, or we run out oflettuce. Our response is usually “It’s a harsh continent.” I think the sayingoriginated with the conditions outside like the snow, wind, and temperatures,but now it’s more our whining about what we don’t have. These are also oftenreferred to as our “first world problems.” This is things that make our liveseasier that we often take for granted that. The most recent time I heard thiswas in reference to the feeling of being so full post meal that our stomachshurt. Definitely a first world problem.

Living here has been many thingsthat I expected, but also many things I haven’t expected, and adjusting oradapting can sometimes be a challenge. As our time here ticks on and we areplanning for our post ice lives we are talking more about things we miss so Ithought I would compose a list.

Things that I miss(other than myfamily and friends that I hold near to my heart) and brief rants of why orexplanations of them.

Real milk- our milk is powdered andone of my tasks at work is occasionally to make it which is gross and annoying

Sunsets- this in conjunction withthe next 2 items. Having 24 hours of sunlight is strange. Plus I have a roomwith no windows so I had a freak out a few days ago when I napped in theevening and woke up at 5:48 not knowing if it was am or pm. It was pm.

Darkness

Stars and the moon

Swimming and diving- really water!Going from my last job where I was in the ocean every day of the week, multipletimes a day to a desert where we conserve water. Also I see the large cookingkettles filled with water or the sinks and know that I want to take a bath orsit in a hot tub.

Animals especially dogs! People arefun but animals will always hold a special place in my heart. Penguins andseals are cool but we can’t touch them. I just want to cuddle with Hermes, orwalk Shadow, or play fetch with Molly

Nature smells- dirt, grass, leaves-the lack of smells here is amazing, I think it has really heightened my senseof smell. I can’t wait to go to the park in central Christchurch as soon as Iget to New Zealand and roll in the grass and smell dirt and flowers

Grocery shopping- again this goeswith the next item, deciding what I want to eat, when I want to eat it. Havinga menu set by someone else and no place to go if you want something differenthas been challenging.

Ordering what I want to eat from amenu- having someone make something I want to eat just for me and serving it tome, then not having to clean up after myself. I will miss not having to pay forfood though! That will be tough to go back to. I haven’t carried a purse sinceearly October and I don’t miss it!

Going to see a movie- seeingsomething that has been made in the last year rather then VHS tapes from 10years ago

Having quiet time in a space of myown- living in the same building where I work in a room with 3 other women andsharing a bathroom with about 25 other women is wearing on me. Plus I see thesame faces every day. Everyone wants to know everyone else’s drama andhappenings. When you don’t see someone for a day it seems like a week and youhave to have a meal with them to catch up

Walking around bare foot- I coulddo this more frequently except for it’s usually kind of chilly and there arerules for safety purposes about wearing shoes

Being in better communication withpeople- aka technology- This is more of a I wish I could receive phone calls. Idon’t really miss my phone like I though I would, but it is defiantly moreconvenient having a smart phone. It’s been refreshing to not have to carrytechnology in my pocket all day.

Having different clothes- I am sosick of my outfits here. I feel like a total girl when I say I have nothing towear. I want to go shopping so badly or at least raid my storage unit and getdifferent clothes.

Ok, end of rant!

Happy 2012 from the bottom of the world!

2012-01-09T03:31:00.000+01:00

So what does a group of a thousandor so people do in Antarctica for New Years? Keep in mind we’ve got 24 hours ofsunlight plus the Antarctic Treaty to disturb wild life, so fire works are outof the question. That only leaves us one option… to party the night away IceStock style! So that translates to a chili cook off, lots of live bandsperforming original music and covers of some tunes you might recognize, lots ofdancing like you just don’t care, drinks and debauchery Antarctic style.

My day started out with full day ofwork from 5:30am to 3:30pm which included serving a special Saturday brunchrather than the standard breakfast and lunch. (We normally only have brunch onSundays) I then went to my room and napped for a couple hours to prep for thenew year. I then met up with a group of friends and enjoyed a few brews overdinner before heading out to buy a few bottles of champagne and dancing thenight away. I missed out on the pig roast that was going on during theafternoon and didn’t test any of the chili(but I did get a commemorative mugwith chilies forming the shape of the continent). Then the night was spentdancing around to music ranging from rock and roll to blues to pop covers. Atalmost midnight(still bright as noon time!) father time made an appearance onstage, champagne bottles were popped and the 2012 baby made everyone laugh.Kisses were exchanged and lots of drunken hugs and well wishes for the new yearwere made. I was pretty tired at this point so I finished my drink andretreated to my warm bed for the night.

Sunday we had mimosas at brunch andenjoyed lots of food and of course Vermont Maple Syrup!! I am very thankful forall the great friends that I have made here. They are the best McMurdo Family Icould have asked for!

What does the future hold for me?Well, at this point I don’t have many concrete plans. I will finish my contractout here on the Ice, travel for a bit, work at Sea Base, and hopefully returnhere for another season. And no, I don’t know what position I’ll come back to.

New Years photos can be found at… https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.708642947139.2146542.44801562&type=1&l=7a2838816f

Christmas in a desert... in summer

2011-12-27T08:51:00.004+01:00

So Christmas has quickly come and gone for us here in Antarctica. We in the galley had a random extra day off during the month as our "Christmas." Mine was a few weeks ago. I remember the day. I spent the whole day in my pajamas. Relaxing was the whole agenda.
Christmas for the rest of the town was a totally different story. Everyone on "Town Schedule" (work Monday-Saturday and Sunday off) got an extra day off, Saturday which was the day we celebrated the holiday. My day had a slow start because of a late night the night before. The Town Christmas Party at the Vehicle Maintenance Shop was a crazy mix of photos with Santa, a slide show of pictures from home, caroling by the choir, snacks, drinks, and dancing the night away. Back to work... My work day was from 9am to 7 pm and included helping setting up the dining room, washing pots and pans, and goofing off. The day went by pretty quickly and included being "adopted" again like Thanksgiving so I got an hour and a half off mid afternoon which I used to nap. I got off work just in time for the last dinner seating and sat with a group of friends and enjoyed some conversation and a few bottles of wine. The night was spent at the Carpentry shop which was transformed into an art gallery for the night. MAAG, McMurdo Alternative Art Gallery, happens once a year and is a showing of everything from interactive art to paintings and a fashion show. The night ended again with dancing the night away.
Sunday was a morning to sleep in. Again a group of us met in the galley this time for brunch and mimosas. We parted ways after stuffing ourselves again. I called home and then went for a walk out to Hut Point and happened to see 6 penguins!! They were way off in the distance so the pictures aren't very good. Then I went to see a group of people put on Charlie Browns Christmas play which was cute and then went outside and saw the CREST LDB balloon up in the sky. Overall a great Christmas weekend.
Up next... New Years and Ice Stock, McMurdo's Woodstock!

My new gig

2011-12-17T04:18:00.000+01:00

So I was selected to be the new DA(dining attendant) for the Long Duration Balloon facility run by NASA here just a few miles from McMurdo Station. I have only spent 2 days out there training so I don't have all the info and stats on it and only limited pictures but I am so excited to share the news about it.
Monday will be my first day out there post training and to add to the excitement there is the possibility of a launch! There are several projects going on here in our few buildings one of which is a large balloon with a payload of 7,800 lbs that will be looking at the particles that hit the Earth from Super Novas.
To watch it all happen check out the "real time video" on this site... http://www.csbf.nasa.gov/antarctica/ice.htm
I hope it works!
The window of opportunity that I was told about is from 11am-4pm on Monday here in Antarctica. So that would be Sunday from 5-10pm eastern time. This is subject to change due to weather conditions.
Some more info about the projects...
http://stratocat.com.ar/bases/41e.htm
http://icecube.wisc.edu/info/neutrinos

Mc Murdo’s Inner Workings: Water Plant

2011-12-06T12:44:00.001+01:00

Howthe heck do we get water in a desert? Well that's what I went to find out.

Lastweek I attended the Ross Island Yacht Club meeting and happened to sit downnext to a guy that works at the Water Plant, so I set up a tour! I told a fewfriends and 7 of us ended up going. So we walked down the hill to the water/power plant building. It turns out that the Blue Ribbon Panel that is here onstation was touring the plant too. So we waited.

Whenit was our turn we had Paul(who I estimate is in his mid 60s, maybe more) showus around the plant and explain what did what.

Theprocess is basically take water from the Ross Sea, heat it from 28 degrees to38 degrees, remove the salt, filter it, treat it with chemicals, store it anduse it! You may be wondering about the temperature. Salt water freezes at lowertemps than fresh. It's not special Antarctic water or anything!

Sowe walked around and saw all the pumps and filters and holding tanks and feltthe pipes to get an idea for how cold the water is. It was pretty loud so Ididn't hear everything but I got the gist of it all.

Aninteresting stat: we use about 60,000 gallons per day on an average summer day.There are about 1,100 people on station. We have experiments going on, laundryto be washed, food to be cooked and cleaned up after, smelly hard workers...Lots of water used.

Neat Place... now what to tour next?

Pictures...
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.695955767349.2144599.44801562&type=1&l=850cfb4a8f

Some time outside the Galley and the Craft Fair

2011-12-04T11:04:00.001+01:00

So a couple days ago I got to get out of the kitchen and do a special project. This is the first special project I've gotten to do since I arrived so I was very excited. I had the honor of spending about 2 hours helping out a very sweet lady named Peggy who is in charge of the food for the field camps. She has a room upstairs in this storage building that is basically a grocery store. But you don't pay.
I arrived at Peggy's after our afternoon break to see what my task would be. I've heard stories from other DAs that they make trail mix or repackage things and that Peggy offers you tea and listens to good music. This sounds very exciting and all... right? So my projects included repackaging baking powder into smaller bottles and labeling them, mixing and repackaging tortillini, and dividing up some sort of burrito chili thing. All in all not exactly thrilling tasks but it was very nice to be able to work on something that I don't do every day. It was also a beautiful day out so the walk to and from the galley was a treat.
Today the galley was transformed into a craft fair and what a time we had! I wish I had thought to bring my camera with me, but none the less it was great. I ended up spending about a hundred bucks on everything from earrings to a t-shirt to a wallet/passport holder. Now you may be wondering what the heck we are doing having a craft fair in Antarctica. Well, we all have to pass the time somehow. Some drink, others sew, or knit, or fold things. What did I purchase? Well, I got a pair of feather earrrings, a passport holder/wallet, a t-shirt stating "You don't have to be crazy to work here. We will train you.", a small fish mobile, some pins/buttons and 2 magnets, some wool gloves, and I think that's it.
Now I've never attended a craft show in Antarctica before but based on the turn out I'm going to say it was a hit! The number of people streaming in and out was great and I think people made some great purchases. A hit in my book!

Pegasus Crash Site Trip

2011-11-29T23:22:00.001+01:00

Monday night I was a part of a group of 21 people thatheaded out to the site of the plane nicknamed “Pegasus” that crashed about 40years ago. We had to bring or wear all of our extreme cold weather gear andwere loaded up into a vehicle called a Delta for the hour long trip out to thesite. Vehicles here are only allowed to travel at a speed of 20 mph because ofthe temperature and “road” conditions. That translates into an hour to go about17 miles via gravel road and permanent sea ice road. It was very bumpy but wehad a good time. Once we arrived we were told the ground rules and set free toroam around and on the plane. Yes, I said on the plane. It’s mostly coveredwith ice and snow except the tail and about 2 feet of the top of the plane.There were two shovels that came with us that were used to attempt to dig outthe words written on the side of the plane that read United States Navy. Theydidn’t get to far. 40 years of snow and ice is hard to move. We took lots ofpictures and explored the plane thoroughly as best we could. No one died in thecrash incase you were wondering. We then loaded up and headed back to McMurdo. Atabout 12:30am we arrived back at the lovely blue building, Building 155, that Icall home.

Some info about the crash…

"In October 1970, a C-121J super constellation called "Pegasus" crashed into an airfield near Mcmurdo. A storm had blown in from the south, as they're known to do, and completely eliminated visibility. The flight had already passed PSR (point of safe return), therefore lacked fuel to turn around and was left with no choice but to 'put the girl down.' After circling the runway for hours without getting a visual, they caught a quick glimpse on the last pass and set 'er down, sliding into a heavy snowdrift caused by the storm and spinned the connie around while flinging off a couple propellers, a couple engines, and the entire right wing. Nobody died."

Pictures from Facebook…

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.692783534529.2144260.44801562&type=1&l=07d1cce602

Thanksgiving for real this time!

2011-11-29T23:04:00.001+01:00

So Thursday the 24^th was actual Thanksgiving butit was just a normal day at work for me. My schedule here was the same as anyother day. Not too exciting, right?

Well, Friday morning was Thanksgiving back in the States soI did call my family and wish them well, but otherwise it was just a normal dayfor me again!

Saturday is when things get interesting. Due to the projectsthat go on here we couldn’t take a day of during the week so Thanksgiving waspushed to Saturday and all the townie folks got a two day weekend. So I had aphone date with my brother because I had extra time in the morning due to thespecial Thanksgiving schedule. We spoke for a while and then I grabbed somebreakfast and got ready for work. My day was a unique schedule because ratherthan having lunch and then one dinner we had lunch and then three dinners. Tostart out right we set up the dining room with white tablecloths, falldecorations and lots of food! We set up a bunch of tables so that we could have“family meal.” What is family meal you may ask? It is usually who ever isworking that shift, both cooks and dining attendants, eating what we are goingto serve before we serve it. Since Thanksgiving is so big no one had the dayoff, which meant we had a family of about 65! And to make it extra special wegot a full hour to eat instead of our normal 25 minutes. Lots of laughs, we allwent around the table and said what we were thankful for, and generally enjoyedeach others company.

We had a special visit from 3 guys dressed as turkeys thatdid a little morale boost. They had a cute sign for us and then did a pop quizwith questions like what is a group of turkeys called. Those that answeredcorrectly got gift certificates to our burger bar. I got a question right!Thanks guys!

We then set out to serve over a thousand peopleThanksgiving. I worked the 3 and 5 pm dinner seating and then as a specialtreat all the DAs were “adopted” by a community member. This translates to theycame in and worked for us for one hour. So this combined with my half hourbreak meant I had from 6:30 to 8pm free. So I got to eat with some friends…meaning 5 guys! JThey were all very sweet and talked surprisingly little(I hope because the foodwas so good!) during the meal. I then changed clothes and went back to work foranother 2 hours before we were done for the night.

A Happy Thanksgiving was had by all here at McMurdo Station.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.692554857799.2144247.44801562&type=1&l=bf4a496aaa

Rewind!

2011-11-29T22:55:00.001+01:00

Three weeks ago I went out to the ob tube for the second tolast time before it was removed. I saw the same small jellyfish looking thingsfloating around as I had seen on previous trips but the new thing was these twosmall fish sitting on the outside of the window frame. They were each smallerthan my finger, one about the size of my pinkie. They didn’t move much, justturned their head to look around. There was no wind that day either so I took a360-degree video clip of the area. (Available on Facebook.)

Two weeks ago I took a tour of the Crary Laboratories hereat McMurdo. We met at 8am and were showed through the building starting withthe display cases at the entrance, then going down the 3 phases or levels ofthe building. Each level is for a different type of experiment or science. Westarted at the top and moved down. We looked at things like the skulls of theseals found on the continent, marine creatures like giant sea lice, stuffedpenguin vs skua, diving gear, maps of the continents, weather, volcanic rockfrom Mt Erebus, and lots more. We ended the tour with my favorite part… theaquarium and touch tank. We got to touch and pick up different marine creaturesthat are found around the continent. The tank was a lot smaller than I expected.Only a few inches deep and about a foot and a half square. Still it was reallyneat and I was so excited I forgot to ask about the things I’ve seen in the ObTube and have no idea what they are.

After this I went to the Ob Tube for the last time before itwas removed from the ice. I went with a co-worker, Grace, and we got to spendsome time watching a seal sunbathe while the other was in the Ob Tube. Neitherof us saw anything we hadn’t seen before but the seal on the ice was prettyneat.

My day was then to be continued with a hike. The weather wastoo nice not to! I did the Hut Point Ridge Loop with 3 co-workers, Kira,Michael H, and Bria. The loop took us about 2 hours including stops for waterbreaks and to take pictures. We saw 4 seals out on the ice below Hut Point,otherwise no wild life. The view was amazing looking out at nothing but ice andmountains for miles and at another point back at McMurdo.

Pictures of all this can be found at….

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.692546409729.2144243.44801562&type=1&l=2642c1611e

And my 360 video tour…

Happy Thanksgiving from Antarctica

2011-11-24T21:58:00.001+01:00

Just wanted to wish you all well on Turkey Day. Officially yesterday was thanksgiving here but we are actually celebrating tomorrow. Just called home, now off to work a regular day. Tomorrow... turkey!

Friend's Blogs

2011-11-23T03:17:00.001+01:00

I have enjoyed writing my blog over the years now but here seems to be the hardest to find time to write! I have been keeping busy and making time to sit down and write seems to be a challenge. Then when I do write I seem to forget details that I should include!
So since I've arrived here on the Ice I've met lots of new friends who are becoming my McMurdo Family. I have slowly been finding more and more blogs written by friends and co-workers. Such talented people!
So because I haven't uploaded pictures from my last hike on my day off last week I will leave you with some URLs of other blogs. Interesting how the same place can have so many perspectives.
Here are a few...
Kira- Fellow DA, who I worked with at Edelweiss in Germany with- http://mynameiskira.wordpress.com/
Gwen- Fellow DA- http://gwenshoemakerblog.com/
Julie- Roommate and cook- http://juliebuggs21.blogspot.com/
Tessa- Cook- http://growmeaboat.blogspot.com/
Bill- Cook- http://chefbillmorris.blogspot.com/
Alyx- Friend, hobby: photography, his website, not a blog but still cool!- http://www.alyxbowen.com

Inside Bertha

2011-11-14T10:41:00.001+01:00

So as part of my usual tasking at work I was scheduled to deep clean our large dishwasher, nicknamed Bertha. Now this is like the 3rd or 4th time doing this for me so nothing that new. An average Sunday afternoon. Now every other time I was one of the ones removing everything from the dish room, scrubbing the floors and walls, etc. What was new about this time was the I was going inside Bertha. Bertha is a large conveyor style dishwasher and has 3 compartments that need to be scrubbed from the outside and inside. The inside part is my turn this week. We first removed all the sprayers and the curtains dividing the compartments and then the cleaning begins. This involves laying on your back, inching through the machine wiping down all the surfaces. Now, this means the sides and inside top of the machine so the chance for splatters is there so a face mask, safety goggles, and a soapy rag. I kept fogging the goggles so I tried to wipe ahead of where I was to reduce the risk of direct face spray. This worked until the very end... the dirtiest part. Mold seems to be pink and goo like here. Don't ask why because I have no idea. Things got very sticky very quickly and I wanted to be out of that machine! I never really felt claustrophobic but I definitely wanted out at the end there. Friend Alyx captured me inside of Bertha. I will post it soon as I am on a public computer without my usb thumb drive.

Mc Murdo’s Inner Workings: Waste Barn

2011-11-09T03:37:00.001+01:00

Ok let’s Trash Talk!

This isn’t what you’re probably thinking. I’m not writingabout gossip or being mean. This is how intense the waste management system ishere on the ice.


Ben, our tour guide, sorting some mixed paper

Plastic compactor and recycling bins

On Monday I went to the Waste Barn where one of my former roommates, Vicki, works sorting our recycling and trash. Vicki works at the Waste Barn with a handful of others diligently sorting out all the bags of stuff we throw away. This is all sorted into several categories and is usually then packaged up as small as it can be and then shipped back to the US via boat in January.

Vicki(left) and co-worker reassembling a bin to be brought out back around base

The cardboard conveyor to the compactor

Vicki and I

Some of the joke bins around Mc Murdo

The real bins


Another joke bin.


A set of sorting bins in my dorm

The janitors take the bags from the bins inside to the large boxes outside which are taken to the Waste Barn.

Depending on what the item is dictates what happens to it...

Clothing scraps- sold to China

Returnable bottles- refunds from California

Metal- sold at auction

Wood chips- sold for heating

Paper towels- landfill

A very neat place to learn what happens to our stuff that we throw away.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-09T03:15:00.001+01:00

So here at Mc Murdo the kitchen staff all work on the holidays that everyone else gets off so Monday was my "Thanksgiving." I spent the day doing laundry, going on a tour of the Waste Barn, going to the the ob tube again, and while we were there got to do some fishing(I'll explain more in a minute), came back had dinner, lowered my bed to a height I can easily climb onto without the aid of my nightstand, vacuumed and chatted with friends. A great holiday! I am very thankful for many things and many people. I am so glad to be here at Mc Murdo and to have a job. I'm thankful for my health. And I'm very thankful for the new friends that have become my family and support system here. Most importantly I am thankful for my family and friends at home supporting me in my travels around the world.

Ok this fishing you are wondering about... as Grace, Baxter, and I walked to the ob tube we noticed that there were people in the fishing/diving hut nearby the ob tube. When we looked in the window we were invited inside. A scientist that goes by the nickname of Sandwich was fishing with the aid of two gentleman.

	One a cook that I know, Matt, and the other a guy I've never met. We took turns fishing and going down the ob tube. The view was the same down the tube as before and you couldn't see the fishing lines. The catch was just one for the day. The lucky pole was the Barbie pole! We stayed for about an hour fishing and chatting. And yes, just fishing, no catching while we were there.
the fish caught by the Barbie Pole

Matt, left and Sandwich, right. Fishing away

Matt and I fishing

More Ice as seen from the Ob Tube

Brr!!

Tuesday I walked around the Crary Labs for a little while and signed up for a tour next Tuesday.

Inside Crary Lab.

Scott’s Discovery Hut Tour and Hut Point

2011-11-09T02:55:00.001+01:00

8:30am I am waiting bundled up for the tour to begin.Presented by one of my co-workers, a group of 6 of us headed out towards theice pier and Hut Point. It was a sunny day with a bit of wind but picturesque.After walking for about 15 minutes we arrived at Scott’s Hut which is a prefabstructure built in February of 1902. Our greeter was the carcass of a seal thatis roughly 100 years old laying outside the hut.

The hut was untouched from 1917 until 1956 when US explorers dug it out and found how well preserved it was. It has remained much the same. There is a New Zealand team that is refurbishing some of the artifacts found inside. We had to clean our boots off before entering and we were issued flashlights. We saw things like dog biscuits, pots and pans, mittens, socks, tools, and some really old meat hanging on the walls. After signing the visitors log we headed up Hut Point to the a wooden cross erected in 1902 to commemorate Seaman George T. Vince, the first man to lose his life in McMurdo Sound, following a fall into the water from a steep, icy slope nearby during a blizzard. Also above the hut is the Our Lady of the Snows Shrine, a madonna statue that commemorates Richard T. Williams, a Seabee tractor driver who drowned off Cape Royds in January 1956 when his 30- ton tractor broke through the sea ice. I visited this yesterday when I walked back out here for the second time.

A little history about the hut...

In January 1902, the British Royal Navy's Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his crew of 50 men arrived aboard the 700-ton vessel Discovery. During this expedition, Scott's party built the "Discovery Hut" (often called Scott's Hut) near the site of McMurdo Station as a land base for sledging treks on the island and onto the ice shelf. Scott also named many prominent features including Mt. Discovery and the Royal Society Range (for his sponsors). An attempt to reach the South Pole by sledge accomplished a farthest south of 82o71' on 30 December 1902. Before the polar attempt, a three-man party made a 6-week mid-winter sledging journey around the south side of Ross Island to Cape Crozier to collect emperor penguin eggs.
The next occupants of the "Discovery Hut" were Ernest Shackleton and three companions in 1909. In 1907 Shackleton arrived aboard the Nimrod at the Bay of Whales on the Ross Ice Shelf to begin an expedition to the South Pole. Decided this location was too dangerous for the approach, Shackleton sailed further south. On 3 February 1908, he landed at the Cape Royds where he built his base. After an exhausting man-hauling sledge journey of 17 weeks that included discovery and ascent of the Beardmore Glacier, he and his three companions came within 97 nautical miles of the Pole; to have gone farther with their depleted rations would have meant death on the return trek. They returned to the "Discovery Hut", barely reaching the site in time to catch the Nimrod on 1 March 1909 as it prepared for the return to England.
Scott returned to McMurdo Sound in January 1911. Unable to get to his former base at Hut Point because of the ice pack, he landed at a point 20 kilometers to the north, which he named Cape Evans in honor of his second- in-command. The objective of his expedition was again both scientific and to reach the Pole. During this expedition (British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913), the "Discovery Hut" served as a supply depot for the journey south. An advance sledging party placed supply depots along the way, as far as the polar plateau beyond the head of the Beardmore Glacier. Shetland ponies and Siberian huskies were used during the first half of the journey. One by one, the ponies were shot and used for meat for the dogs and men. The journey was completed by man-hauling the sledges. After 2-1/2 months, they reached the Pole on 18 January 1912, only to find that Amundsen's party had preceded them by more than a month.

A great quick tour before heading to work. As I mentioned I went out again yesterday to Hut Point and visited the Our Lady of the Snows Shrine.

Pictures can be found at... https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.682778010679.2143181.44801562&type=1&l=e2a7b5abca

Mc Murdo’s Inner Workings A Series of Tours… Waste Water Treatment Plant

2011-11-09T01:42:00.001+01:00

Just down the hill from most of the buildings at Mc Murdo isbuilding 199, the Water Treatment facility where there are 3 employees workinghard to take care of business… our business.

The cast of characters: myself, Levi, Julie, and Jason.

We met Rick, one of three waste employees, at one of thebars the night before and arranged a tour of the facility to see what exactlyhappens after you flush here.

We arrived at 3pm sharp, greeted by Rick and our tourstarted with an overview presented via a poster created to help one understandthe process. We then gloved up and started at the beginning, the Muffin MonsterMasticator.


Muffin Monster Masticator #1 and #2

Now, you might be thinking I am making this up but it is thetrademarked name! And technically speaking we actually have two. This is usedto break up any solids. Officially this is all we have to have according to theAntarctic Treaty, but we have much more! Next is the flow meter which measurethe volume of incoming waste which leads to the aeration tanks which separates the clarified water from the solids which go to the digester.

Aeration Tanks

From there the solids go through the belt filter press which mixes some goo in to help bind things and it gets placed in a box to be sent back to the USA.

Belt Filter Press

A "cake" all boxed up ready to be sent to the USA

The clarified water goes through a set of UV lights and then through another flow meter and out into McMurdo Sound.

UV lights at work

Rick showed us around to all of this and then took us to the lab where we looked at some samples from the process to make sure everything is working right. Seeing the worms, which are normal in the samples, was enough to make me squirm.

The whole tour was very interesting and I'm glad to know that everything is taken care of.

More pictures available at...

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.682782272139.2143184.44801562&type=1&l=2b69d748e6

Quick Preview!!

2011-11-03T10:34:00.005+01:00

Two posts coming soon...
Yesterday's visit to the waste water treatment plant

and
today's trip inside Scott's Discovery Hut and to Hut Point.

Great day off...

2011-11-01T00:40:00.000+01:00

Now I knew it was scary outside today but we are the only place at condition 2 and I think that might be because it's lunch time!

Fata Morgana

2011-10-30T10:08:00.001+01:00

What the heck is a fata morgana? According to the Wiki... a Fata Morgana is an unusual and very complex form of mirage, a form of superior mirage, which, like many other kinds of superior mirages, is seen in a narrow band right above the horizon.
This afternoon I was told to quickly go outside and look at the mountains across the sea ice. What did I see but a mirage that looked like a butte at the base of the mountains. I didn't have my camera handy but Kira came through once again...

If you look where the white snow of the sea ice meets the darker mountain formation you can see a long rectangular thing which is the mirage.
So cool!

Drinking on the Ice

2011-10-30T09:55:00.000+01:00

There is something about the climate here or maybe it's really something in the water but holy smokes this place is intense. I have heard stories of how intense hang overs can be since before I even got here. Its kind of crazy. I've been doing very well pacing myself but water is so vital here I can't stress it enough. One has to drink one water for every drink otherwise disaster will occur! We have 3 drinking establishments here at McMurdo. I'll go in order of proximity to my dorm. First, Gallagers, which is the home of many events such as Bingo, Kareoke, live bands, and many a Saturday night dance party. Generally plays more up beat music, dance type. Next is Southern Exposure, more commonly known as Southern, which is for more the serious drinkers, more pub style. There is a pool table, shuffle board, TVs etc. Third is the Coffee House, very ski lodge- esque. Serving coffee, hot chocolate, wine, and limited liquor drinks. I am currently plugged into the internet here. None of these establishments have windows. All are closed on Monday nights.
These places have such a range of people in them every night that it amazes me, there are young, old, male, female, gay, lesbian, straight, every education range... it's incredible. All here together in this harsh place.
So the moral of the story is, drink lots of water!! And well, enjoy the people watching.

Halloween Mc Murdo Style

2011-10-30T09:33:00.000+01:00

I am quickly learning that parties Mc Murdo style are pretty wild!
Last night I attended our Halloween Party as a trashy pop star(think Ke$ha or Lady GaGa) complete with a low cut shirt, skin tight pants and a gigantic blond wig. The party was held down the hill from my dorm in the gym building which is home to the basketball court decked out in Halloween decorations. We took a brief "Occupy" photo outside before dancing the night away to various songs played by a DJ. There was a costume contest that I didn't get to see as I got out of work and was getting ready when it occurred. We had a great time dancing and carrying on. To walk outside at midnight and it being as bright as 4 pm is still mind blowing to me.

Weather Conditions

2011-10-30T02:11:00.001+01:00

So we have some pretty serious weather to contend with here in Antarctica. The folks here have come up with a rating system that allows us to see just how harsh it is and what can go on here.
Here is what our official intranet says...

Severe Weather Condition I

Winds greater than 55 knots sustained for one minute, or
Visibility less than 100 feet sustained for one minute, or
Wind chill greater than -100°F sustained for one minute.

Severe Weather Condition II

Winds 48 to 55 knots sustained for one minute, or
Visibility less than ¼ mile, but greater than or equal to 100 feet sustained for one minute, or
Wind chill -75°F to -100°F sustained for one minute.

Weather Condition III

Winds less than 48 knots, and
Visibility greater than or equal to ¼ mile, and
Wind chill temperature warmer than -75°F.

The other day we got to a condition two here in town and condition one in most other locations(ie the runway, roads, New Zealand Base)

While this was happening it was my day off and I was sitting in the dining area enjoying some lunch and we watched as building seemed to have disappeared. It was pretty wild.

Our activities are restricted as well when this happens...

Restrictions:

Severe Weather Condition I

Severe weather is in progress. All personnel must remain in buildings or the nearest shelter.

Severe Weather Condition II

Restricted pedestrian traffic only between buildings is allowed. Vehicular travel is only allowed in radio equipped, enclosed vehicles, and check out with the Firehouse, ext. 2555, is required.

Weather Condition III

Unrestricted travel and activity are allowed.

Luckily I work and live in the same building so I don't really every have to worry about whats going on outside.
Well, just a little info. Back to work.

The Pictures I Promised

2011-10-24T10:51:00.001+02:00

So the pictures that Kira took on our trip to the Ob Tube are here....

The Observation Tube!

2011-10-19T09:56:00.002+02:00

My adventure yesterday was quick but thrilling! Where do Istart!

Ok so yesterday was day off #2 since I arrived and the skyhad cleared and not much wind, so perfect in my book! I have been trying to goout for a walk or hike of some sort but the weather has always turned outpoorly when I planned something. So score 1 for me!

I started out at about 1 after finishing lunch with theprocess of dressing to go out. The temp was about -5 F with little to no wind.My layers went something like this, sock liners, wool knee socks, toe warmers,thermal underwear top and bottom, fleece pants, snow pants, thicker thermaltype top, fleece pull over, big red(the famous jackets we are issued), fleeceneck gator, fleece hat, hand warmers, mittens. And since it’s so sunny, myshades, water bottle, and camera!

We have to check out with the fire station for certainhikes, this was one of those adventures. We have to sign out, get a key, aradio, and authorization, list a contact person staying back and then we wereoff. The walk takes about 20 minutes I’d guess. This included one fall for methat was evidently a domino effect because Alicia and Kim promptly fell andalmost slid into me already on my butt! No injuries just lots of laughs there!We had to detour to the newer ice runway road because the older part was veryicy.

We arrived at the ob tube, which is a cylindrical pale greencolored metal tube about 30-40 feet tall(or deep I guess) and about 3 feet indiameter. The process of installing it involves cutting a hole in the ice andplacing this tube down the hole and installing two horizontal beam likesupports that lay parallel to the ice on the surface and are about 20 feetlong. The top of the tube has a plywood cover

Said cover

on it which is locked(thus thekey we got from the fire house). The “ladder” is rebar that’s bent to make aladder like series of hand/foot holds until you are in the observation partwhere it switches to a rope ladder.

Alicia on the ladder

I was the first to descend from our group!

ME!

Once down there I sat on the wooden box, which is used as a seat. The viewingarea is smaller than an airplane bathroom with rectangular windows providing a360-degree view.

What exactly does one see from the ob tube?

Ice Crystals on the outside of the window

Well, I’ve heard stories and seen pictures of people seeingdivers(there is a dive hut near by that I could see the hole in the ice for),seals, penguins, and jellyfish. On this trip all we saw were these small(approx2 inch I’m guessing) tadpole looking things. Maybe a type of jellyfish. Thebottom of the sea ice was neat to see. There were icicle like things hangingdown I could see and a rocky bottom towards land that quickly drops off. I planto go back now that I know how to get there. I will post more pictures. I havesome already on Facebook(https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.676653798649.2141778.44801562&type=1&l=ae43600e4b) and will get the ones the other girls Iwent with took of me!

New Zealand vs Australia World Cup Rugby Match

2011-10-19T09:43:00.001+02:00

Sunday night I walked the approx 2 miles to the New ZealandBase, Scott Base, with Grant, firefighter here at McMurdo, and Julie, cook herethat I arrived with. This was the first time I went out on any sort of outdooradventure since I arrived. The view was amazing!! The weather had cleared andthere wasn’t much wind. I got off work just before 8 pm and it took us about 40minutes to walk there. You might ask what kind of a view I could really seebetween 8 and 9 pm… well remember that we have almost 24 hours of daylight.Technically the sun still sets but it’s always light out. The last sunset ofthe summer will be in just a few days.

We walked past the 3 large wind turbines that are just overthe hill from McMurdo and down to Scott Base. Their base is set up with almostall the buildings connected via enclosed hallways. Very smart those Kiwis are! Wewatched the match in the bar and New Zealand won!! There were a few Aussiesthere who work at the base so the rivalry was even stronger! After the matchwas over Julie introduced me to some of the Kiwi cooks(who greeted me not witha hand shake but a hug!) who gave us a tour of their kitchen and dining areawith the seating room attached. Their view is AMAZING!! They look out over thesea ice which has several pressure ridges(areas where the ice has buckled) ashort walk away and two seals were laying out. They can also see Mt. Erebus thevolcano. Words can’t describe it! And I was too stunned to take a picture! Wegot an invitation to go back(we can’t just visit their base and they can’t juststop by ours. Invitation only.) and tour the pressure ridges. They arranged fora ride back for us and of course hugs goodbye!

Pictures from the walk and my trip to the Ob Tube(next post)can be found at… https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.676653798649.2141778.44801562&type=1&l=ae43600e4b

The first week on the ice

2011-10-11T03:56:00.000+02:00

So today is my first day off and I am so ready for it! I slept in until 10 this morning and it felt great.
A recap of the week...
We arrived Tuesday evening and I got settled(pictures and info in the previous post). Then Wednesday I worked from 8-6 which included alot of information and quick tour around the base then some hands on stuff. My normal schedule is 11am-9pm except for Sundays when we have brunch so our schedule is moved up an hour to 10-8. Our days are scheduled into blocks by our leads(supervisor like folks) so our time includes a mix of tasks to avoid boredom and repetitive motion injuries. The day includes some mix of doing dishes, washing pots and pans, refilling food(either hot food or cold food and desserts), cleaning and deep cleaning, and prep of milk, juice, or helping the cooks. We also have mandatory stretch breaks, meal breaks, and other short breaks in our day.
We have gotten in 2 flights since I arrived and the new folks are going through the same training. I feel like I have a pretty good handle on where things go and when to do them. Still learning little things that seem to change.
My free time has been spent at my new favorite place, the Coffee House, which is currently only open in the evenings but has a great ski lodge type feel and is usually a bit quieter. They also serve wine and limited other alcoholic drinks. I also spent parts of Saturday night(the night off before the day off for almost everyone else on base) at the two bars, Southern and Galagers. The gerbil gym is in the next building and I have been in to use the elliptical etc.
I live in the main building(Building 155) which is great for my morning commute, all inside! In our time off we can walk around in slippers and not worry about the elements outside. The lounge in this building is directly above my room which has proven to be a bit annoying due to the thinness of the walls.
Well, thats all I have for now. Hopefully I will be able to get out and take some pictures. The weather has been a bit varied since I arrived and today isn't looking too nice out.
Oh and if you're interested in sending me mail or a package please email me and I will send you my address.

Welcome to McMurdo!

2011-10-05T21:50:00.000+02:00

I made it! What a journey, but well worth it.

I didn’t sleep very well last(Monday) night because I was worriedabout missing the phone calls we got the previous night about delays andcancellations so I was looking at the phone and clock frequently. I got up at5:30am and got myself together. The shuttle arrived at 6:15 and we were off tothe Antarctic Terminal and Clothing Distribution Center. We had some lastminute bag sorting to do and then dressed in our extreme cold weather gearbefore heading to the check in line where we sent our checked bags away alongwith our boomerang bag to be then weighed with our carry on bag and all ECW.Holy kilos!! Our boarding passes were yellow laminated cards on a necklace, whichwe would later turn in so no souvenir there! Erin and I then went to have ourprepaid breakfast just a quick walk through the rain away. Up next was our whatto expect briefing done by a Kiwi including a video and then we went throughsecurity and on to a bus. The bus brought us out to the runway where we boardedthe C-17 run by a great crew from Washington state.

We were issued a bag lunch and then boarded and picked outour side facing seats. Let the adventure begin! Erin and I ended up sittingnext to the mechanic type guy for the plane so we got to learn about all theboxes and hoses all over the plane. Once we were in flight we got a chance totour the flight deck and meet the pilots and crew. I read a bit, chatted withErin and our new Air Force neighbor. Once we got closer we could see the icethrough the small door windows(no window seats on this plane!).

Landing was kind of strange because there is nothing to reference your location to. The blast of cold air when the doors were opened was refreshing. The view when I stepped off the plane was breath-taking. The group of us that has been hanging out together were taking pics of each other with the plane and snow in the background. (Thus the pic in my previous post.)

Erin, Levi, and Julie

One of the transport buses. Not the one I took.

Me and Sheila

View back to the plane. In Crary Lab warm!

We were then loaded on to an awkward bus type vehicle for the drive to McMurdo about 10 minutes away. We unloaded at the Main Lab and had some orientation like talks and then got our keys for our rooms.

Doors into Crary Lab. Looks like a walk in freezer!

We got our linen(provided for us) and then collected our bags from the post office. Dinner was next then a talk about outdoor safety followed by some serious unpacking and getting settled. A shower was the last order of business and then sleep!!

My bed in my new room with all my stuff!

Made it to McMurdo!

2011-10-04T20:48:00.001+02:00

Just have time to say I made it. Will post more soon!

Monday: Flight day

2011-10-03T11:12:00.000+02:00

Last night I spent some time repacking and prepping for mydeparture. We had a 6:15 shuttle departure. I got a call at about 4:30 amsaying our flight was delayed 3 hours. So I reset my alarm clock and slept abit more. By 7:30 I was awake and got myself together, called mom on Skype andthen got another call saying the flights for the day are cancelled. We stillhad to catch the 9:15 shuttle to get more per diem money as well as shuttlevouchers. The rain tapered off during the day allowing us to enjoy the park abit more. The rest of the day was spent eating, bowling, and walking all overtown. I didn’t bring a plug adapter so that plus some TimTam cookies were on myshopping list. I have been charging my laptop and composing before I use myallotment of free internet provided by the hotel.

We will try again tomorrow on the same schedule.

My time in Christchurch, more preparations

2011-10-03T11:11:00.000+02:00

I have been staying at the Ashley Hotel, which is a fewblocks west of Hagley Park, a large park that includes a botanical garden andlots of trails and playing fields. Co-worker Erin and I went for a run/walkthrough the park to celebrate being off the planes! Erin, Levi, and I walked for about an hour and a half tryingto find some other Antarctica people but failed. We had dinner at Sophie’s Caféand took a free bus back to near our hotel and collapsed for the night.

Yesterday morning we headed to the CDC, ClothingDistribution Center(not Centers for Disease Control!) and were issued our ECW,extreme cold weather gear. The process included lots of information and tryingon so many layers! We had to try every zipper, snap and item to ensure it fitsand works properly.

We will have to wear most of the ECW on the plane and therest packed in our bags. Our bags fall into 3 categories: carry-on, boomerangbag, and checked bags. The first and last your are probably familiar with but aboomerang bag is the one we get back in the event our plane takes off but can’tland on the ice.

Some pics of the gear issue process…

Examples

My Bags

Work uniform

Julie with the hats

Holy Hot!

Bunny boots!

Feeling my inner Vermont child

My name tag on "Big Red"

After all this a group of us kitchen rats spent time walkingaround the botanical gardens(signs of spring everywhere!) and then touring theedges of the devastated downtown area that was damaged by the earthquake and isnot fenced off. Very scary and sad at the same time.

Beautiful flowering trees

Lots of flowers!

Some damage

An example of one of many buildings.

Goodbye USA, Hello New Zealand!

2011-10-03T10:54:00.002+02:00

Here I go again, leaving the United States for a whileagain. The flight from Denver was beautiful when I wasn’t napping! We flew overthe Grand Canyon which was beautiful. The time we spent in LAX was marked by myco-worker, Heather, leaving her ticket and passport on the plane. Oops! She gotit back, thank goodness. We spent some time walking around and then dinner #1at Chili’s. The big group of us Polar folks spent time chatting and playinglittle games as we waited through some delays in boarding. Once on board myseat neighbor was Zac, a fuel guy at McMurdo, we shared lots of laughs andwatched a documentary about a man that worked at McMurdo and came back crazy. Ihope that isn’t a sign! We had dinner #2 on the plane before tiredness set in.

Zac

I took my drugs so I could sleep some. At that point it wasafter midnight so I had some natural help with the sleep. I did wake up a fewtimes but got some shut eye. Breakfast was so-so. We enjoyed some more tv timebefore landing and Zac forgetting his wallet and passport in the seat backpocket! There seems to be a theme here!

Customs and immigration were pretty easy. Not a huge linewhich was nice and then showed my boots to ensure they are clean. We then hadto cart our luggage to the domestic terminal, recheck, bag tag and ticket forthe last flight of the day. I slept most of the flight to Christchurch butawoke in time to see some snow capped mountains as we made our descent into thearea.

We were greeted at the airport by a couple of the USAntarctic Program folks and we got some info and collected our bags. After weloaded up the shuttles we made our way to our respective hotels.

My room in the Ashley hotel

The Next Leg

2011-09-30T06:52:00.001+02:00

As I sit here in Los Angeles waiting for my flight to Auckland I am looking forward to many adventures! We had some training today and they spoke of some potential things we can experience. The clocks that are posted on the wall at Raytheon made me think of these possibilities...

We may or may not be able to do things such as visit the South Pole, go to field camps, tour the research vessels, etc. I am stoked! I just hope my camera survives the cold! They also told us about the rules, well laws actually, about photographing and interacting with the penguins. With some creative thinking I'll hopefully have some really neat pics.
On the flight from Denver we flew over the Grand Canyon which was spectacular! I have visited the south rim with my family before and it was breathtaking but the over head view was even better! I sat next to a guy that is a firefighter. He grew up in Utica, NY and now lives in Colorado but we had some serious discussions about the fact that I didn't bring my own Vermont Maple Syrup! He had done some bike trips through New England and we compared notes on the cute small towns and Vermont facts. I also met an electrician from southern Vermont who is a repeater as well. Again comparing stories and places we knew and frequented.
Well, I need to walk a bit before the 13+ hour flight. Next stop, New Zealand. I will be sure to take pics of the extreme cold weather gear issue! My internet access may be limited until I get on the Ice as there is still significant destruction from the earthquakes that have continued to plague the area. I'll post when I can.

Welcome to Denver!

2011-09-29T01:04:00.000+02:00

Monday was travel day, once I got to the hotel I spend some time relaxing before having dinner and heading to bed. Tuesday was the first day of orientation. It included getting a flu shot, needles aren’t exactly my thing but I did very well! I also got travel money!!! The rest of the day was spent doing ServSafe training and some quick paperwork. Today was information overload day. It started with a welcome speech that was not so helpful since it was our second day, plus the guy that was giving it was taking pity on all the returning staff and skimmed over so much that we had no idea what was going on. We then moved on to a session of just NANA Services employees which is all the chefs, dinning attendants, and janitors. We got a good idea of what NANA is all about and then did our paperwork to get refunded for our medical, dental, eyewear, safety shoes, baggage fees, etc. It was then lunch time. After lunch we had a gap in our schedule because the supervisors were meeting. We then had a very helpful meeting about traveling, our flights, the baggage, our time in New Zealand, and our ice flight. Raytheon has really helped us prepare incase of a natural disaster like the earthquakes in both South America and New Zealand. We were also issued our luggage tags!! So cute!

I also had my computer checked over by the IT people and it passed inspection. I have been getting to know the other kitchen people and it looks like we are shaping up to have a great group. I’m going to go hang out with them by the pool then we are headed out to dinner.

What exactly does one pack for Antarctica?

2011-09-25T03:27:00.001+02:00

I've had many people ask me what I'm bringing with me on this adventure. I have gone by the packing list that I was given and probably over packed. How does one fit their whole life in two suitcases? It's basically how I've been living for the past 3 years but this is by far the coldest adventure so lots more sweaters than bathing suits.

My bags

The packing list given to all Raytheon Polar Service Company employees like myself is as follows...

Boots or shoes; work, climbing, hiking, insulated as needed

Glasses; eye and sun, extra pair, record of prescription

Gym clothes and shoes for athletics

Holiday attire

Jacket; pile and windbreaker

Neck gaiter

Pajamas/robe

Pants/jeans

Shirts; light wool or cotton

flannel, long-sleeve (machine washable)

Slippers for indoor wear

Sock liners; polypropylene or Thermax

Socks; heavy

Sweaters; heavy and light

Swimsuit (for sauna)

Towel and washcloth

Underwear, thermal top/bottom

Underwear, regular

Flip flops for shower

Alarm clock

Batteries, rechargeable/charger

Camera/camera batteries

Coffee mug (nonbreakable)

Day pack

Hair dryer

Hobby, craft items (small)

Laundry bag

Lock, combination or key

MP3 player/extra headphones/

AC adaptor

Musical instrument/spare parts

Prescription medications

Sewing kit

Skis; skate/cross country

Plastic food containers with lids

Toiletry articles; toothpaste,

dental floss, comb, razor,

shave cream, deodorant, soap

and skin lotion for dry skin,

tampons, a carrying case

Vitamins

Water bottle

Ziplock® bags

You might say a jacket isn't going to keep me warm in these harsh conditions...
I will be issued extreme cold weather gear when I arrive in Christchurch, New Zealand and orange bags to put my things in as well. The ECW gear is loaned to every employee for our stint on the Ice. Pictures of course as soon as I can!
Now, how much of things do I really need was my next question. We are talking 6 months here! There may not be a Wal-mart or CVS on the continent but I can get things via mail. As well, we have to bring out everything we bring in so empty bottles of shampoo, vitamins, etc. So its recommend to placing things in reusable containers like ziplock bags or food containers. Lots of planning here!
I wish I had thought to take a picture of all of my clothes laid out on my bed and my mom's as I was packing and debating on what to take and what not to.
So I am all packed. Hopefully I've got it all.
I was asked today if I'm nervous. Honestly, it hasn't really hit me yet. I've planned and prepared for another adventure. I'm more excited to actually be there. I want all the flights to go by quickly, as I'm not looking forward to sitting for ~12,000 miles! The circumference of the earthat the equator is 24,902 mi... ok half way around the world here I come!!

Following me just got easier

2011-09-21T19:10:00.002+02:00

and I don't mean literally(sorry Dad, no visitors allowed at McMurdo!).

I have changed some formatting here and added two ways to follow the blog.
I hope these work for you depending on your preferred method.

See the menu on the left side to sign up.

You're going WHERE?!? You may or may not have heard right!

2011-09-21T17:10:00.000+02:00

I have had many people ask me about my next adventure and I'm not sure if people are just confused or don't fully hear what I'm saying. To clarify, I'm going to Antarctica. That's the continent where the South Pole is. It still puzzles me that people think I'm going to the North Pole which actually has no land, it's all ice. Or strangely enough, Alaska, which is one of the 50 United States. Please don't be confused! :-)
A little bit about Antarctica for you...

Antarcticais the highest, driest, windiest, emptiest, coldest place onearth.
Eskimos and polarbears are found in the ARCTIC, not the Antarctic.
Thereare lots of penguins, whales, seals, krill (the main food for whales),and evenfish in Antarctica's waters, but there are no land mammals and, as faras scientists know, no native peoples.
Themean annual temperature at the South Pole is minus 56 degrees F. Duringthe AustralSummer, temperatures at McMurdo base(where I will be!), on the Ross Sea, may get as highas 40degrees F, while at the South Pole, at the Amundsen- Scott station,temperatures may reach 0 degrees F.
Theseasons in Antarctica are the opposite of the seasons in the Northernhemisphere--summer is October through February. Winter is March throughSeptember.
Thecontinent is roughly 14 million square kilometers (5.4 million squaremiles).The USA is only 9.36 million square kilometers (3.6 million squaremiles).

What exactly will I be doing there you ask?
I will be a support person at Mc Murdo Station. Mc Murdo is one of 3 US owned stations on the continent and the National Science Foundation sponsors scientists to work there.

What the heck are these scientists doing or studying?
Scientistswork on all kinds of unique projects in Antarctica, includingpenguins, Antarctic cod (they have a special antifreeze agent in theirblood!), whales, seals, global warming, climatology, meteorites,glaciology,astronomy, volcanoes, UV radiation, and more. Scientists also studyhumans inAntarctica, doing research on how the human body adapts to cold and howthehuman mind and heart react to extreme isolation.

So where on the continent will you be?

If you look at the lines that form a plus sign (+) follow the vertical line down from the middle and you will see Mc Murdo (USA) at the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf and Ross Sea.
I will be flying from New Zealand. My total journey will include 6 flights: Burlington, VT to Philadelphia, PA to Denver, CO to Los Angeles, CA to Auckland, New Zealand to Christchurch, New Zealand to McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The mileage I've roughly calculated is 12,324 miles.

I have expressed to many that I have a dream of living on every continent and this is my next step toward that goal. Where else have I lived you may ask? First, born and raised in North America, in college I lived in Australia, and I lived in Germany while working as a civilian contractor for the Army. So continent number 4 here I come!

I am still trying to figure out what to pack. I will be issued over 20 pounds of extreme cold weather gear in New Zealand as well as my work uniforms of blue polo shirts and black pants. My job is a dining attendant which means I help prep, serve, and clean up the meals in the cafeteria. I will work six 10 hour days a week. I leave on Monday for Denver where I will spend a few days doing training and will continue on from there.

If you have questions please feel free to ask. I'll try to answer them as best I can.

The Next Chapter!

2011-09-16T17:40:00.000+02:00

So much to catch up on!

I had an amazing summer aboard the Schooner Conch Pearl sailing the waters of the Florida Keys. Capts Holley and Denny made my life easier and my belly happy! Thanks again for all the snacks and listening to me rant. And a special thanks to my "boyfriend" Hermes for spending quality time with me lounging on the deck.

After the last group left my mom arrived and I got to spend two nights on the Pearl before we headed north. We had planned to take the Amtrak car train but due to Hurricane Irene the train was canceled so we ended up just driving... and driving more. We had to alter our route to avoid the damaging path that Irene had taken. Due to the storm my dad was stuck in Chicago and was able to get a flight into Albany. We picked him up and did some rearranging and made it to Vermont.

I got my own storage unit and got myself arranged there. Dive gear maintenance completed.

My next adventure was driving with my mom and aunt to Madison, WI to watch my brother do an Ironman Triathlon. Two long days later we arrived. Saturday we spent shopping and enjoying the Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Sunday was race day. This was a long day for us spectators but even longer for Ben. I think he was up at about 3 am after we got back from dinner at about 10 pm the night before. Then he did a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and finally a marathon, 26.2 mile run. 13 hours and 2 minutes later Ben crossed the finish line. We packed things up so we could drive back the next morning. Monday night we spent in London, Ontario and then on to Niagara Falls where we rode on the Maid of the Mist. We returned to Vermont on Wednesday and I headed off for two nights of babysitting.

Now I have time to pack and get my things together for my next adventure... Antarctica. I have my tickets booked and training arranged in Colorado. I will be posting here about my Antarctic adventures. Check back to read on!

Troop 31 from PA Luau Rap!

2011-06-25T13:05:00.001+02:00

Video Tour of the Conch Pearl Below Deck

2011-06-25T03:39:00.002+02:00

My First Quarter Century

2011-06-23T15:01:00.001+02:00

So yesterday was my birthday aboard the Conch Pearl. It was an average Wednesday for us but ended with a little celebration back at the dock. Check out Capt Holley's blog... http://schoonerconchpearl.com/?p=466

Scuba Liveaboard FAQ

2011-06-20T03:16:00.002+02:00

Q: Do we get dive computers?
A: Dive computers are not provided. The standard setup is a regulator set with depth gauge, pressure gauge, and compass. Most groups have their tables but because our dives are generally less than 30 ft for an hour or less no calculation of surface time is necessary. I would bring your table with your logbook.
Q: Part of out crew can arrive earlier than the rest. Would you advise them to do so since you ask us to arrive around 2?
A: I would actually recommend they not come early. We dont have any activities they can do. Its easier to do everyone at once.
Q: Do we need wetsuits?
A: The water temp as of June 19th is about 82-83 degrees. We haven't worn wetsuits yet this summer. A rash guard or dive skin might make your dives more comfortable.
Keep the questions coming!
Megan aboard the Conch Pearl

Liveaboard Photos

2011-06-18T18:38:00.001+02:00

Thanks to Mark Rist, Adult leader from 2 weeks ago please follow this link to his photos of their adventure...
http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/2XCSwIvC/1/5156376

Florida Sea Base Scuba Liveaboard Packing List

2011-06-18T18:30:00.001+02:00

Hello again adult leaders-

The current crew says the packing list that they were given isn't the most accurate list. So in light of that I have put together this list.

First if you can pack in a soft sided bag because the locker(no lock provided bring your own) to leave your suitcases in while on the boat isn't huge.

As far as what to pack in that bag...

2 pair of swim trunks
Towel
Sunscreen (not the spray kind)
Sea sickness pills (Bonine)
Hat, sunglasses, maybe a buff or bandanna
Shorts and t shirt to sleep in and wear on land for shore leave day
A couple t shirts(or fishing shirts with built in UV protection) to wear on deck to keep the sun off or wear during the dive
Toiletries including shampoo/camp soap(we have fresh water on board), toothpaste, tooth brush, deodorant, etc
A headlamp is nice for anchor/night watch.
A book to read- we have some cards and board games on board.

A dive watch or dive computer with a time keeping function-atleast one per buddy pair
All of the above items will go in a bag provided by Sea Base.

Sleeping stuff- light sleeping bag, sleeping pad, pillow and a flat sheet. This will give you flexibility to sleep on deck or down below on the mattresses. This can be separate from the bag of clothing.

The crew needs a first aid kit that will come on the boat. Also maybe a bottle of bug spray to share amongst the crew because some nights there isn't a breeze to carry the mosquitoes away.

Any dive or snorkel gear you may have is welcome and will be packed separate from the personal gear. I recommend purchasing a mask fin snorkel set on your own that fits well. Sea Base provides all of the equipment but it is the most basic model and some times it isn't the most comfortable or best fit.

Feel free to look at the Conch Pearl website. There is a special page for Scouts. It can be found at schoonerconchpearl.com

I plan to post all the info I have emailed and more on my personal blog which can be found at gonediving99.blogspot.com

See you all soon!

NOTE: I failed to included that a water bottle (Nalgene style) with a clip or carabiner. and to clarify the lock only needs to be one per crew.

Florida Sea Base Scuba Liveaboard Info

2011-06-18T18:24:00.000+02:00

Hello Adult Leaders-

My name is Megan Ware. I will most likely be one of your Sea Base
Staff members for when you and your crew will be here on your scuba
liveaboard trip.
First off I believe Capt Denny has emailed you all. If you have
additional questions please feel free to ask me as well.

There are some things that I feel you need to be aware of or help
orient your scouts before they arrive here.

The first is if you can arrange to arrive at Sea Base closer to 1pm
than 4 pm that would be ideal as we have several hours of prep to do
Saturday afternoon/evening so we can leave Sunday morning. I know for
many of you your flights or transportation can't be changed at this
point but if at all possible please work toward an earlier arrival
time.

Your crew is expected to be able to tie some basic knots. Examples are
cleat hitch, bowline, sheet bend, and how to coil a line/rope. Please
practice with your scouts! Everyone will work as deck crew and need to
be able to tie these. I will have lengths of rope and cleats to
practice with because Capt Denny WILL be testing everyone!

Also, everyone will be working in the galley preparing and cleaning up
from our meals. Capt Holley tries to ensure that we are sanitary
because we are in a small space and germs travel quickly. So, please
show your scouts (or ask your wife or mother) how to wash dishes in a
sink with a dish rack and kitchen towel. They will be expected to wash
dishes at every meal and if it isn't done well enough it will fall to
the adult leaders. A scout in clean, thus this should be a vital skill
to have in life.

Every buddy pair is expected to have a dive watch. To elaborate this
is a waterproof watch that has some sort of timer (either stopwatch or
bezel style) that is a vital piece of dive equipment whether at Sea
Base or any other dive operation. This does not need to be a $100
item. A basic model from a Wal-Mart style store for about $15 that is
rated to 60 ft+.

I personally recommend bringing a pillow, sleeping mat, light weight
sleeping bag and a flat sheet. This will be enough to give you
flexibility between sleeping on deck and below deck on the bunks.

Finally we will need a youth crew leader and assistant youth crew
leader. Please speak to the scouts about this and have 2 people
designated for these by your arrival.

I plan to call each of you and confirm your have received this email.
I look forward to meeting you all!

Summary!

2011-06-18T18:21:00.000+02:00

So lots to catch up on! I’ve been here working away at Sea Base since December. I was a conference mate for January, February, and half of March which means I did everything and anything for conferences and retreats. Many, many loads of laundry, cleaning bathrooms, making beds, preparing and serving food, boat mate for snorkel excursions… the list goes on.

March and April I was either scuba instructor or divemaster. So lots of classroom time and some cool ocean dives. We had some excitement when we were headed out on a night dive and ran aground. That was a first for me! It was a long night of struggling unsuccessfully to get the boat free. We transferred all the kids to another boat hoping that would help which it didn’t. Finally first thing in the morning the boat was able to be pulled free.

May brought the Tarpon Tournament, which is a huge fund raiser for us. There was a lot of preparation and for good reason. Base sparkled and we got lots of money! It was several long days but the reward at the end was worth it. Stephanie, Deanza and I went on a Carnival Cruise! We spent way too much money but thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

When I got back from the cruise my mom was waiting in Fort Lauderdale and we spend 5 days together. We took a day trip out to the Dry Tortugas, visited the Turtle Hospital and other touristy stuff.

I then got drafted to go out on the Scuba Liveaboard Conch Pearl. Initially I was hesitant about whether I would enjoy it but Holley and Denny won me over! So my new home 5 nights a week is a bunk on the Conch Pearl.

I plan to post a fair amount of information relating to the Conch Pearl and the Florida Sea Base Scuba Liveaboard program. This will be focused on adult leaders that will be coming this summer but will service as a great reference for crews researching Sea Base and what program they want to do.

As a side note I will be posting my adventures because I recently accepted a position to work in Antarctica this winter(their summer)! Stay tuned!

Road Trip South

2010-12-21T20:38:00.003+01:00

So now there I was back in the USA and the lease on my parents rental place was quickly coming to an end so the only natural thing to do would be drive to Florida... right? Well maybe only a crazy person would do that but work had to be found. So my mom and I packed up the Subaru and started our journey south. We had a serious itinerary planned with stops on our way south.
We started with a stop to see my grandmother in Massachusetts and stopping for the night in Connecticut. Next we were in New York City where we went to the Museum of Modern Art and then met my childhood friend Kara who lives and teaches in the city and then headed across town to have dinner with Fred and Adria, Club Med guests I met while working there. We then drove to just outside Philadelphia and the next day toured Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and other historic sites in the Old Town. We had heard about the Longwood Gardens which are about 30 mile west of Philly so we got tickets and toured the 4 acres of indoor gardens and the outdoor fountains with music and lights shows. What a beautiful experience!
The next stop on our tour was Washington DC which included seeing the Phillips Collection Art museum, tours of the Capitol Building with tickets for Senate and House viewings, Supreme Court, and White House(which was fully decorated). We also had dinner with one of my former co-workers from Sea Base who is attending college in DC as well as an afternoon at the Smithsonian American History Museum.
We heard about all kinds of weather happening and decided to get as far south as we could so we made a quick stop in Richmond, VA to have lunch with one of my cousins, Laura, before heading on 95 to Fayetteville, NC. We awoke to reports of bad weather just north of us so we headed south in rain and slowly increasing temperatures to stop just north of Jacksonville. The next morning we drove to Kennedy Space Center and toured around for the day. Saturday we drove in torrential down pour for several hours to the Fort Lauderdale Miami area and went to the mall where I used to work to by a new suitcase for my mom. Sunday we visited Fairchild Gardens and toured the grounds before heading to Sunny Isles Beach to Fred and Adria's apartment for drinks and to meet their son and to watch the sunset. We then enjoyed dinner at a local Mexican restaurant before packing up our things. Then the final leg! Monday morning I brought my mom to the Miami airport for her flights to Phoenix and I continued south to the Keys and arrived at Sea Base before lunch.
A week and a half later I had arrived!

Pictures from the trip can be found here... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2117675&id=44801562&l=94038be142

Espania!

2010-12-01T20:33:00.001+01:00

So my last European adventure was to Spain again. I packed up my life again and mailed boxes home in preparation to return to the good ole US of A. I left Garmisch with the others I arrived with and as they went home I went to Madrid via Mallorca. When I arrived in Madrid I took the Metro to Hostal Lido near Sol only to find that everyone was asleep. You're probably wondering who "everyone" is! Well... My father(this would be our second time in Madrid together), one of his students Brittany, and two family friends Anne and Shawn. Due to the time change and the long flight they were all tired. I woke them up so we could walk around a little and then go to the English Speaking Group that meets every Friday night to practice their conversational English. We got some drinks and participated in the group activities and then moved to the bar area to continue to chat before walking back to our hostal with a pit stop for some pizza and beer.
The next morning we walked around some before heading to Mercado San Miguel for some tapas and drinks with some Spaniards my dad has met on previous trips to Spain. We then had to go across town for the reception for the English immersion program that we would be attending for the next 6 days. We met several of the other Anglos who we would be participating in the program with, had a drink and a snack before heading back to Lido to pack up and get some rest.

Sunday morning we were up early and in a taxi to the bus pick up point to begin our Vaughan Town English immersion experience. We made our way by coach bus to a small town about 3 hours west of Madrid. Once we were there we had lunch and did introductions. Through out the 6 days we spoke with Spaniards that were usually sponsored by their company to improve their English. The range of careers was interesting and all had atleast a bachelors degree, many with masters and more.

During our Vaughan week we did a range of activities and skits for entertainment(see video clips!) as well as one to one conversations and telephone sessions. At each meal we were also sitting at tables of 2 Anglos and 2 Spaniards, so the English never stopped!

It was a fun, interesting, and entertaining week, but it was also exhausting! I had several people ask me if I would do the program again and I said yes under two conditions… first I would like it a day shorter and second in a different country to experience another culture. I met some amazing people that I want to keep in touch with and also met some that I would be fine with never seeing again.

Once we returned to Madrid we went to the Friday night English group again and had dinner near Sol. Saturday Anne, Shawn and I took the high speed train to Toledo for the day to tour around and do some shopping. That night we went to Casa Patas for dinner and flamenco show. This is the same place we went to on my last trip but each week is a different dance group so it was a different experience. Sunday we went to an outdoor flea market with some of the other Anglos from Vaughan Town then had some paella in some LARGE pans before visiting the Thyssen Museum.

Monday we flew back to the USA which was a strange feeling after being gone for more than a year.

To view some pictures click...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2116765&id=44801562&l=dbd199cd94

What's Next?

2010-11-16T00:02:00.004+01:00

That's a huge question. Sooo many people have asked what the next adventure I have in store. That is partly decided but also flexible. Some of you may know that a goal of mine is to live on every continent. I consider "living" to be about 6 months or more. The idea behind this is to get a more inside look at different cultures and lifestyles and to have a base from which to travel. Thus far I have North America, Australia, and Europe done. I have applied to a range of jobs from National Parks within the US to a research station in Antarctica to cruise ship jobs. We will have to wait and see what happens. I am excited about the idea of starting a new life somewhere. The specific location is still yet to be determined.
As of now my plan is to leave Germany on Nov 19th and spend 10 days in Spain. I'll then be in Vermont for a week or two before I drive south to the Florida Keys with my mom as co-pilot. Once in Florida I have a job for a few weeks at the camp I've worked at previously, then nothing for several weeks and then back to camp for the Spring season. If something else comes up we will see how things go.
What are your suggestions for places that I should work?

13 months later...

2010-11-15T22:12:00.004+01:00

So last night was my last night of work at Edelweiss and I've had lots of people asking me what did I wish I knew before that I know now. So I've been thinking and here's what I've come up with...
1. Make a budget for yourself. Figure out how much to spend on food each month, how much you can spend on clothes, etc so that you can have enough money to travel.
2. Don't buy too many things because it is hard and expensive mailing home lots of boxes and suitcases.
3. Watch what you eat and drink... be careful shopping for yourself and of staff cafe. Exercise.
4. Buy things second hand to help save money. People are leaving all the time, talk to them and buy stuff off of them.
5. Use as many of the free resources as you can. Request movies from the library rather than paying to rent at the PX.
6. Research trips ahead of time and double check dates before you click confirm! And don't forget your passport! (Sorry Elizabeth!)
7. Enjoy Garmisch, it's a beautiful town with alot to offer... you just have to search sometimes.

Other notes and ideas...
Calling in sick when you aren't... isn't worth it. Someone will see you and tell and it will come back to bite you. Plus you are just screwing over your co-workers.
Get to know someone from every department because if you need help with something you have a person to contact. Know who the bosses are so you don't make yourself look like a fool.
Be careful what you post on Facebook! From pictures of you doing questionable things to negative comments about your boss or co-workers, just don't. It makes you look bad.
If you have an idea on how to make something better let your boss know. Not only will it make you look good, something might get done.
Be careful of what you say to people. Whether at work or in the Abrams. This place is a gossip mill and word will travel. Also guests can hear alot more than you think so if you're going to complain about them do it far enough away that they don't hear.

So in summary Edelweiss isn't perfect and it has it's issues. I have learned that first hand. But it is still a job that you can put on your resume and you should take advantage of all the opportunities that are offered. Your specific job may not be the most glamorous but guess what, that's life.
Travel, and learn from your experiences. Grow as a person. Mature into a worldly citizen. Appreciate the soldiers and remember that freedom isn't free.

Fest Season?

2010-11-14T11:32:00.007+01:00

So I realized that I never posted about fest season! How could I!
So back in August the first fest was Garmischerfest located just around the corner from where I live. The experiences included lots of beer, umpa bands, and lots of friends. A new experience for me was witnessing people standing on tables and having everyone at your table lift you up and drink a beer... I didn't try it because 1: I couldn't chug a liter of beer and 2: I was nervous about falling off the bench which was on the ground and the idea of standing on a table that's about 8 feet up in the air, no way!
There were a few nights where there was an entrance fee and many reserved tables. One of those I was able to go early and saved a table for friends that were working and had dinner before the band started playing. It's lots of fun when almost everyone in the giant tent is standing on a bench singing and jumping and dancing to the music.
Next was Partenkirchenfest which was in the other half of the city so a taxi ride each way was required. Similar events happened here but one exception was a stone lifting competition. It was an interesting spectacle! We had no idea that one of our co-workers, Joel from accounting, was participating. The competition was broken up into different weight classes. Joel put in his best effort but didn't win. From the name you'd think that they were lifting a large rock but this was actually a weight with a handle on it. Very interesting to say the least.
I also got to go to one of the band nights at Partenkirchenfest as well which was lots of fun as well. I still don't understand why Germans love the song Country Roads so much.
Next was Oktoberfest which was held in Munich. I only was able to go once but it was a blast. It was a girls trip with Holly, Haley, and Morgan. We went on several rides and then enjoyed some beers both in the beirgartens outside and inside the tents. We had a great time and made lots of great memories.
I have posted some pictures on Facebook... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2116024&id=44801562&l=e7d6f56b03
The album also includes Morgan's going away party.

Egypt and Jordan Trip: Reactions

2010-10-11T23:54:00.002+02:00

Overall I loved this trip and think it was the best trip I've ever been on. My feelings about Egypt were that the natural beauty was breath taking and the amazing history was mind boggling. The cities were very dirty in my opinion. Lots of garbage in the streets and in Dahab there was lots of rubble on the sides of the road. In comparison Jordan was very clean which we didn't expect at all. We always felt welcome and had no issues with language barriers.
The issue of safety that I'm sure many of you wondered about. We never really felt unsafe. Sometimes it was frustrating that our drivers were delayed but we never felt like targets. Our blond hair and light skin was often stared at and we had requests for pictures once.
Otherwise we all had an amazing time and made lots of great memories.
We had some tummy issues once we returned to Germany but those resolved themselves and we are back to normal.
In summary... great trip!!

Egypt and Jordan Trip: Day 4, 5, 6, and 7

2010-10-08T00:38:00.011+02:00

Day 4
We woke up and had breakfast sea side at the Penguin Restaurant which was AMAZING. For about 15 Egyptian Pounds we got pancakes(more like a crepe) eggs, toast, and fruit. After inhaling it all we got ready for the beach and our day exploring Dahab.
We set off in a Jeep that was older than almost all of us for the Blue Hole. We stopped to pick up the manager of the hotel, Emad, on his day off so that he could go with us for the day. We arrived at the Blue Hole and got our snorkeling gear. Mohammed and Emad were surprised to know that I am a scuba instructor so they told me where to go and let us go off on our own. Haley had never been snorkeling before and is terrified of sharks but she jumped right in and did great. We swam around for about 30 min and dried off before heading out on a 2 hour hike... in the sun... in Egypt...
We should have picked the camel option. We hiked next to the water with the sun beating down on us in flip flops for about 2 hours to get to the Abu Galum Protected Area. Once we arrived we had tea(surprise surprise!) and then found our hut. We went out for a snorkel just in front of our hut and then returned and had some lunch before chatting for a while about life in Germany and the US versus life in Egypt. It was an interesting afternoon.
We then went snorkeling again before packing up and getting a ride to the Bedouin camp area and the Lagoon with the sun setting in the distance. We had more tea and a quick photo opportunity before heading back to our hut and getting on camels to take us back to the Blue Hole under the stars. It was a beautiful night and an adventure! Kelly's previous camel experience made her a bit nervous, mine stood up and started walking away before everyone else was on their camel... it was a sight to see. For a minute or two the camels were walking in the water! We made it about 4/5ths of the way back but the last part was too dangerous for the camels to go in the dark so we walked by the light of the moon and a little flashlight. I ended up kicking a rock and scraping my toe which bled everywhere and making my foot slippery. (It's all healed now.) We then hung out and star gazed while we waited for our ride to come.
Day 5
After a very short night we awoke at about 3 am to get ready for our day trip to Luxor. Our ride arrived about 15 minutes late but we arrived at the Sharm el Sheik airport, got our tickets and boarded the plane for a quick 30ish minute flight. We met our tour guide for the day "John" and we were adopted into his "family" for the day.
We had an action packed day! From the Colossi of Memnon statues(the wind going through the rocks makes a "singing" noise) to the Valley of the Kings(no photos allowed) to Hatshepsut Temple and finishing at the Karnak Temple. We had stops for Alabaster shopping(and no dad we didn't buy anything!), lunch, and a ferry ride on the Nile River with a stop for some mini bananas and watermelon. After some more tea and a walk through some shops we headed back to the airport, got some dinner and boarded the plane for Sharm. Our driver was waiting for us when we arrived and we got back to the Penguin around 11pm. Back at the hotel we hung out on the upper level of the restaurant and had more tea. Mohamed and Haley danced for us. Haley was a it reluctant but shook her money maker!
Day 6
We got to sleep in finally to about 11am which was amazing. I think we would have started to get really cranky otherwise. We had breakfast at the hotel and then Kelly and I got fitted for our Scuba gear while Lisa and Haley got their snorkeling gear. We some how fit dive gear for 4 of us, snorkel gear for 2 plus 7 people in yet another old Jeep for the short drive to the Lighthouse Dive site access point. Kelly got her briefing and Mohamed and I set up our gear then we headed for the water! My first dive in the Red Sea! So excited for this.
Kelly did her skills and headed off with her instructor while Mohamed and I went to about 20 meters together. After about 45 minutes we surfaced again and took some pictures with the cheap little disposable waterproof camera before getting out and breaking down our gear. We loaded our stuff back in the Jeep but decided to take the trip back on foot which took about 15 minutes. After washing our gear we headed out for the afternoon to an area called the Lagoon where we relaxed while Mohamed and his "cousin" cooked us a feast. We took lots of pictures and enjoyed some music performed by Mohamed and his cousin before packing up and heading back to the hotel to wash up and pack up before our overnight van transfer back to Cairo. Mohamed heard us gush over the tea and how much we liked it and where could we get some that he went out and got us each a plastic shopping bag of the herbs! Thanks again Mohamed!
We had many more van-mates this time so we were even more uncomfortable and we had the same random stop in the middle of the night for the driver to eat breakfast...
Day 7
We arrived in Cairo at about 7 am. Checked in and checked my bag with our perfume packed inside. We had some breakfast and explored the airport while we waited for our flight. The flight home was uneventful and we were all exhausted. Lisa's boyfriend Hannes picked us up at the airport and drive us home.

Egypt and Jordan Trip: Day 1, 2, and 3

2010-09-24T14:36:00.006+02:00

Day 1
We departed Garmisch via bus due to the construction to the train tracks then caught the train in Murnau and then the bahn to the airport. Our flight was uneventful and we arrived in Cairo after our direct flight from Munich. We were picked up by a guy named Farag who drove us through Cairo to the Museum View Hostel where we would stay for the night. Farag had learned some English from working with tourists, and somethings are lost in translation. One of his favorite quotes is "Life is Delicious!" which he yelled out several times during our ride. We found that traffic laws are alot more loose than we are used to in the US or Germany. For example, there were 3 lanes on most roads we were on and there were usually about 5 cars wide. Also honking is acceptable and flashing headlights. These practices are usually used to warn the car in front of you to get out of the way or for the car straddling the lines to move over so you can pass. When we asked "Why does everyone honk their horns?" Farag responded that it's how they power the cars. If you don't honk the car can't drive! We also experienced people just walking out into the road and holding up a hand to get people to stop so they can cross. As well whole families would ride a moped together... Dad, Mom, kids together. And yes I said kids, plural!
We arrived at the Museum View hostel and got our rooms with 2 beds in each. We got ready for bed and fell asleep(or tried) to the sound of the honking horns outside.
Day 2
We woke up and got our things together and had a breakfast of long skinny white bread rolls with some butter and some sort of cheese and tea. The first of many cups of tea during the trip.
Hanna was our tour guide for the day. We found out later that Farag and Hanna are married and have a 10 month old baby boy. Hanna showed us around old Cairo. We saw some burial grounds and some very old buildings and mosques and tried to visit a floating church but due to the 4 day feast after Ramadan there were prayers going on and things were closed for holiday.
We then went and got camels to take us around the 9 Pyramids in Giza. We each had our own camel and our guide was on a horse and we had a guy leading our camels which were all tied together in a line. We stopped to take pictures of us with the pyramids in the distance and our guide took some pictures but his timing wasn't the greatest. Some how the other 3 girls got individual photos but I didn't. We kept going and Kelly's camel had a freak out moment and tore the rope off it's nose and bucked up on his hind legs. It was quite the sight to see. We regrouped and continued on to the Sphinx and then back to the base camp. From there we stopped at a perfume shop for a lesson on how Egyptian perfume is made and of course made some purchases. We also stopped at a papyrus shop for another lesson but didn't buy anything. Hanna got us lunch of rice and noodles with some beans along the way. We were to then go to the Egyptian Museum but of course it closed early due to the feast. So we were back to the hostel until Farag picked us up for a Nile River Cruise that Mohammed arranged because our day had been so messed up. The cruise included a belly dancer(who turned out to be 52 years old) and 2 male spin dancers(one midget and one average sized man) and a buffet dinner. We ordered Egyptian beer and then found out that it was non-alcoholic... fail!
Next was a typical cab ride by Farag back to the hostel to wait for our driver for our overnight transfer. Typical for our trip... we waited for the driver to show up. He came around 11:30 and we were on our way. Horn honking and all. The ride was very bumpy and we didn't sleep much. We were awoken at about 2:30 in the morning when we picked up Mohammed's brother and sister-in-law who were just married. We were then dropped off in Taba at the ferry port to Aqaba, Jordan where we begin Day 3...
We found our tour guide for the day and went to our tour bus which was waiting a 5 minute walk away. Jordan is a beautiful country and much cleaner than what we experienced in Egypt. We drove about 2 hours to Petra where we had a guided tour through the gorge and carvings. The route of the tour was in and out the same way so we got commentary on the way in and at our leisure on the way out. I was in awe of the natural beauty of the stone and the abilities of the craftsmen of years and years ago to create such beauty. We took lots of pictures and tried to stay cool on the walk back out and to the bus. We then had lunch at the Marriott nearby and drove back to the port only to find out that the wind caused waves that the Ferry couldn't travel in so we waited not knowing when we would be able to leave. The tour guide gave us some time to walk around the city of Aqaba and stop for some sunset photos before boarding the ferry. On the ride back all coffee, soda, water and juice were free due to the delay in the ferry and it was a sight to see the people racing to get in line for their free drink(s). After arriving back in Egypt and going through security again we waited for our driver to pick us up and take us to Dahab. After about 2 hours we arrived in Dahab and met Mohammed, had some tea at the seaside restaurant at the Penguin Village, and then went to our rooms. Our names were spelled out with toilet paper and flowers on our beds which was a nice surprise... but really we just wanted to sleep!

To be continued.

Egypt Trip: Introduction

2010-09-19T13:41:00.003+02:00

I'm back!! I think it is safe to say this was one of the best trips I've taken in my life. I went with my roommate, Lisa, and two friends, Kelly and Haley. We left on Saturday September 11th and returned Friday September 17th via Munich. We booked our week with a guy named Mohammed who lives in Dahab and has booked tours for almost everyone from the Abrams(my building) that has gone to Egypt in the last 3 years. We had some issues with the drivers being late, but otherwise we had a great time and learned alot about the Egyptian lifestyle and history with a brief day trip to Jordan to visit Petra.
To see all my pictures click on the link below...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2112342&id=44801562&l=426500752c
So far Kelly posted an album as well. Check my profile for the link to her album.

I'm officially Bavarian now!

2010-07-14T17:30:00.003+02:00

I just purchased my dirndl. For those of you who may not know, a dirndl is a traditional Bavarian and Austrian dress that women wear for special occasions. Generally it comes in 3 parts, the blouse, dress, and apron. I got a more traditional style, but there are shorter ones that are more common now. I got 2 aprons so I can mix it up. I plan to wear my purple Birkenstock sandals for the up coming fest season.
Pictures!! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098835&id=44801562&l=026a67cef7

Florence, Italy

2010-07-10T20:53:00.003+02:00

On July 5th I headed off to Florence with Morgan and Elizabeth in our rental car. I had to work until 1130 but by 1230 we were on our way. At our first pit stop the cashier at the gas station cafe thought we were beautiful and wanted to know if we had babies. I think that really meant did we have families. Lol. It was interesting. We arrived in the city around 8pm got settled in our hotel and parked the car in a secure lot. We then explored the city and got some gelato because we were dying from the heat.
On Tuesday we walked around the city, did some shopping, ate some delicious pasta and risotto, and explored. Morgan and Elizabeth both got leather bags as well as some sandals and other gifts. I got some scarves and a leather belt as well as a painting. We went inside the Duomo and Elizabeth had to wear a blue smock type thing because she was "revealing" her shoulders.
We enjoyed some wine with dinner and sat outside at one of the squares and chatted.
Wednesday morning I forgot about the step in our room and kicked it super hard. I thought I broke a toe or two, but it turns out after a visit to the ER here in Garmisch on Thursday and 2 x-rays nothing is broken. We drove home in time for Morgan to work at 4 Wednesday afternoon.
It was a quick trip but fun.
Pictures... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098548&id=44801562&l=c645461f04

Paris

2010-06-29T20:47:00.001+02:00

So I just got back from almost a week in Paris for my birthday and had a great time exploring the city and seeing the sights. The weather was warm and sunny with hardly a cloud in the sky every day and beautiful sunsets every night.
Morgan and I flew out Monday morning and arrived in Paris around 12:30, took the train into the city and dropped our bags off at our hotel room. We then walked up to the Sacre-Coeur and walked around inside, then went down to the Moulin Rouge. After a quick trip on the Metro we arrived at the Centre George Pompidou to take some pictures and then went down to the Notre Dame, Berthillion Ice Cream Shop for a couple scoops of the famous glace. We then trekked down the Seine towards the Tour de Eiffel, had a snack under the tower and then met up with Cat and went across the river to Trecado Square. We spent the evening talking and watching the tower light up. The World Cup was going on so there was a big viewing screen in the square and after the game we were surrounded but yelling fans. We saw the tower sparkle at 11pm then caught the subway back to our hotel.
Tuesday was my actual birthday and to celebrate my parents got me a gift certificate for a Segway Tour which Morgan and I had prebooked. So we headed out to meet up at the South leg of the Eiffel Tower taking pictures and grabbing a bite to eat along the way. The Segway Tour was an interesting experience to say the least. It was the last day for our guide so we got his last tour. We practiced a bit in a small paved parking lot next to the tour office before heading out to see the sights. Along the way another person in our group had a little mishap. The mother-daughter pair were cruising along and had a small crash mid-crosswalk and the mom fell off her Segway. We weren't immune to the mishaps either... Morgan misjudged a small pillar and fell off her Segway as well. Other than a bruised egos both the mom and Morgan were fine. We had lunch at a cafe near the Louvre and I got a chocolate brownie with ice cream as my birthday cake. The Segway group sang to me as well as our waiter, but only in English. Once the tour was over we headed up to the L'Arc de Triumphe and walked down the Champs Elysee with stops in Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Laudree, and then a park to enjoy our little sugary creations from Laudree. Then it was back to the Tuilleries Garden and we had some dinner in the park, then some ice cream before heading back to our hotel.
Wednesday Morgan and Cat flew home in time for work that evening and I kept on touring Paris. I started my day after locating a new place to sleep at the l'Orangerie Museum which is home to Monet's Waterlilies paintings. I then went to the Rodin Museum and enjoyed some lunch in the gardens at the museum, then did part of the d'Orsay Museum before taking a nap, grabbing a bite to eat and going to the late night opening of the Louvre. Found Mona Lisa who is smaller than I expected.
Thursday I went out to Versailles but was very disappointed that the buildings were all closed. It was mass confusion because the official word was that it would open in an hour, and then the next hour and so finally I rented a bike and rode around the gardens for a while. I then caught the train back into the city, took yet another nap, and headed to the d'Orsay for late night which happened to be canceled that night. So I headed to the Eiffel Tower and waited in line to buy my ticket and took the elevator up to the second level. Initially the top was closed due to congestion but then it reopened and there was another massive line so I just got some Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and watched the sunset. I watched the tower light up and then took the elevator down, purchase my mini Eiffel Tower and then went to my hostel.
Friday I packed in the rest of my to-see list starting at the Louvre seeing the Venus de Milo and several other sculptures, then to the Flower Market, Sainte Chapelle with the breath taking stained glass windows, touring the Notre Dame, then to the Deportation Memorial. The remainder of the afternoon I spent in the Luxembourg Gardens sitting in the green chairs with my feet up watching kids play with toy sail boats in the fountains and people walking by. I must've looked like a real Parisian because I was asked multiple times for directions and did my best to respond in French. I then went back to my hotel to pack my things and get ready to head home. The shower in my room had the hottest water ever and I couldn't physically handle it.
Saturday I got up early and headed to the metro to head to the airport. No major issues on the trip home, and then headed to work at 430.
It was an amazing trip that I'll never forget. I want to go back and enjoy the city more and eat some more amazing pastries. Overall one of my favorite trips.
As always check out my pictures at... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2097655&id=44801562&l=991e9e5328

White Water Rafting in Austria

2010-06-29T15:35:00.003+02:00

Wow! It's been a while since I last posted and I'm a little behind.
So on June 8th I went white water rafting as part of a staff appreciation type activity. For the amazing price of $10 we got a packed lunch of pasta salad, fruit salad, wrap sandwich, brownie, juice and water, plus the bus ride to and from Austria, the rafting trip, and bbq after the rafting. It was a great adventure. Having been rafting twice before in my life it wasn't as exciting as the previous runs I've done but it was still fun.
After rafting, showers and dry clothes we went to the new base camp of the rafting company and enjoyed a relaxing bbq. They had a trampoline, slack line, hammocks and a nice porch with chairs to sit back and enjoy.
It was a relaxing day with a little excitement on the water!!
And some pictures... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2097658&id=44801562&l=39f3e924c0

Soldier Awareness Training

2010-05-16T22:42:00.005+02:00

This past Tuesday I was honored to be part of a group of Edelweiss employees that traveled to Hohenfels, Germany to the Joint Multinational Training Center to learn about the training that American, NATO, and troop contributing nations receive before heading down range.
A group of about 30 Edelweiss employees and I made the three and a half hour drive north to the training area. The training area is the largest in Europe and the second largest in the world at about five by seven kilometers. After our police escort to the headquarters building we got a welcome from a civilian and several Army leaders which included history of the bases in Europe and their locations based on the wars but to the development of the training center. We then got back on the bus and headed to the IED School where soldiers learn about different technology that is used to make these bombs and the military tools to detect and disarm them. We got to set off 4 IEDs using different types of triggers as well as viewing a suicide bomb vest and small car bombs. The training center has several small "cities" that are used to simulate conditions down range. We visited a building that is used to train soldiers how to clear a residence and again got to make things go boom. When I say we set off these bombs a charge when off, but nothing got blown up. We then got to climb in some tactical vehicles to see what they are like then it was time for lunch at the chow hall. There were more options than Market Station and the consensus was that it was better than Market Station as well. After stuffing ourselves we went to the computer simulator facility where we were broken up into teams of 3 and assigned to a vehicle for our "mission" of a presence patrol through the computer rendition of one of the "cities" in the training center. Lets just say we needed some more practice! We then toured the actual buildings that make up this city as well as one of the camps where the soldiers live for their 3 weeks of training that is almost identical to what they will find down range.
The whole experience was very eye opening and interesting and I am even more grateful for what all the soldiers endure during their tour.
Pictures... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2094991&id=44801562&l=7bafb40124

The Ware Geriatric Traveling Circus visits Europe

2010-05-12T14:05:00.003+02:00

So another adventure with the family began on April 28th as my mom and brother finally arrived in Garmisch after delays from the Icelandic Volcano and we walked around Garmisch and then had dinner at Zum Wild Schutz before a quick tour of my building and new room and then bed time.
Thursday morning we went to the Kronner for breakfast which was yummy as usual and then headed out to Zurich, Switzerland. We arrived at the hotel my dad had gotten us 2 rooms at and met up with him then took the train into the city. We got some sandwiches for lunch and sat out by the river to eat them. We then took this low riding ferry type boat on a little tour around the river and lake. Then it was off to the Swiss National Museum for some history. We then walked around until we found a good place for dinner and Dad and I each got a fondue. Yum! Dad also managed to talk to some other people eating at the restaurant that are from Barcelona and got some seafood restaurant suggestions. After dinner we headed back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.
Friday we set off for Cinque Terre. We intended to stop at Lake Como on the way but time did not allow it. When we stopped for lunch at a gas station/restaurant I saw a 5 kg tub of Nutella!! Heaven!! It was 66 Euros so I didn't get it but Hey a girl can dream! We arrived in town #2 of the Cinque, Manarola only to find out that the main street(aka all of town) was closing in 15 minutes and we had to get our stuff down and unloaded and the car back up to the parking area. We made it and got settled into our cute apartment that you had to climb about 100 stairs to get to. Bellies were hungry so we headed out to Rick Steve's suggestion that was at the bottom of about 75 stairs and enjoyed some seafood antipasto, risotto, local wine, and a few desserts.
Saturday we spent the day hiking between towns 1 and 3 and got some food at a little store and made some dinner in our apartment. Some delicious pasta with pesto and a nice salad.
Sunday it was raining and raining some more. We walked around some but the wet cat look wasn't my style so I got a few souvenirs that I wanted and headed back to dry off at the apartment. Mom and Ben walked up into the hills through some tall grass to find the olive oil factory/farm all closed up. Ben gave mom his thank you/ Mothers Day present, a new iPod Nano which she spent the afternoon learning about and playing with. It was another dinner in the apartment, and packing and cleaning up.
Monday we lugged our bags up to the car in the parking lot above the city before heading to Nice.We stopped at a botanical garden in Italy just before the border and saw some amazing flowers and plants. We drove by Monaco and found our hotel in Nice that was a block away from the waterfront. We found another Rick Steve's suggestion for dinner followed by more dessert.
Tuesday and Wednesday we spent the day walking around the town watching a freak storm form that destroyed all the restaurants on the beach and closed the promenade. As well we visited the Chagall and Matisse Museums and explored the remains of the sea side hill top castle. And of course oogled the yachts in the marina and got Ben a bike jersey from a local shop.
Thursday morning we went to the flower market and had breakfast which was highlighted by our waiter spilling orange juice all over me. Good thing I was wearing my rain coat.
We then made our way to the airport and I caught my two flights back to Munich and then the train home to Garmisch.
It was a great week off from work and I was really glad to be able to spend it with my family.
The new Volvo is beautiful and Mom and Dad are now back in the States safely and the car will be delivered in a few weeks.
Thanks again for everything Mom, Dad, and Ben!
Pictures on Facebook... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2094332&id=44801562&l=adcc1ef5c0

Cirque Du Soleil Verakai

2010-04-24T14:55:00.005+02:00

I had seen an ad on the side of a bus or train last week that Cirque Du Soleil was in Munich. I've always wanted to see them live since I was a kid watching them on Canadian TV. So I had been toying with the idea, looking at ticket prices, trying to find other people to go with me... and then my day off came and Lisa convinced me to go by myself. I found out about a special offer for 60% off the best seats so I grabbed my stuff, printed out my e-ticket, got a ride from Hannes to the bahnhof, and was on my way.
After jockeying with school kids to get a seat on the train I made the hour and a half trip to Munich and then took the U-Bahn up to the Olympic Park. I got there early and got an ice cream bar at the ridiculous price of 4 euro(should have read the sign first!) and looked at all the stuff for sale in the gift shop area. Then once they opened the main tent I found my seat in the 5th row(Thanks to the 60% off offer for that) and waited for the show to start. The show was a total of 2 hours long with a half hour intermission in between. I found Youtube videos for some of my favorite acts...

These guys were amazing!

The Russian Swings were my favorite part. I was in awe!

It was totally worth it and I'm so happy I went. It was a dream come true!!
Another show is going to be in Munich again in September and I might have to go then too! :-D

The Volatile Volcano

2010-04-20T16:44:00.003+02:00

So I've been getting some questions about how the Iceland Volcano has been impacting my life. So far personally I haven't had any issues. The air is fresh, the sky(other than the rain) is clear, nothing is gray. My roommate and friend went on a trip last week to Scotland and have been stuck there for a week and counting. My mom and brother were supposed to fly to Sweden on Saturday but are still in the States. So people around me have had their plans disrupted. The restaurant that I work at is closing for dinner for a few nights because the occupancy rates have dropped because so many people can't get here. This doesn't really impact me because I usually only work mornings. The only other thing I can think of is that our mail is flown in so we haven't gotten anything new. So that's about that. Life goes on.

New Room!

2010-04-10T19:15:00.004+02:00

So I moved yesterday to my new room with Lisa. We now are about 30 steps from the bathroom rather than 3 miles and we have a sink in our room and a balcony! Sweet! We're still arranging things and decorating. Pictures to come soon. So excited! :-)

ok so now that we've made it to Ikea and back, assembled and rearranged the room it's ready. It took me a while to get the pictures up but here they are... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2097658&id=44801562&l=39f3e924c0

Hola Madrid!

2010-03-07T11:07:00.004+01:00

Alright, more adventures!! This time to Madrid, Spain. On Friday the 26th I worked from about 6-1130 and then did a couple quick errands before heading back to my room to finish packing and changing clothes, then it was the 3pm train to Munchen and then the bahn to the airport. It turns out because of the air traffic controllers strike in France that our plan had been delayed getting to Munich because they couldn't fly through French air space. So the 5 of us girls(Lisa, Marissa, Melissa, Elizabeth, and myself) enjoyed some dinner and window shopping, well and we actually purchased some chocolate while waiting for our plane. We boarded around 9:15 for our 7 something pm flight. Now, I'd never flown on Iberia Airlines, let alone heard of them before this trip. They have the least amount of leg room I've ever seen even on a little 4 seater plane! So not only was I tired from having been up at 5 am and at work for the morning, but I had to sit straight up with my knees literally molded into the woman's seat back in front of me. Then to add to it the flight was completely full and the air wasn't on so I was sweating and crammed into my seat. I managed to sleep for about 20 minutes I think. We landed around midnight I think and then had to wait about an hour for our bags to come up on the carousel. So at about 1:15am(now Saturday morning) I got to see my dad and Terry and Marissa got to see her high school friend Nick who lives in Madrid. So since the subway stops running at 1:30am we had to take a cab to our hostal and I was in bed by about 2 am.
Ok, so the rest of Saturday... I got up and unpacked, showered and felt like a real person again, had a little breakfast and was ready to go by about noon. Dad brought me a hot chocolate(thanks so much!) to my room and I reviewed my Spanish phrase book while he and Terry finished getting ready. We walked through Plaza Mayor to Mercado San Miguel and met several former Pueblo Ingles and Vaughntown Spaniard participants that my dad knew. We had tapas and wine and spoke English for several hours before heading to a mojito bar for more drinks. I then got a call from the girls and Nick and met them and brought them to the bar and I then went to meet Justin at the hotel as he had just arrived from the airport. We had a siesta and then had dinner reservations for 10pm and then a flamenco show at midnight at Casa Patas which was literally just around the corner from our hostal. The food was yummy(and wine as well) and the show was great. We had a table that was touching the stage so we were right in the action.
Sunday we got a walking tour from Tour Guide Tom Ware of several plazas and sights and then went to the Prado Museum during their free admission time that evening. Terry and Dad were thoroughly engrossed in the paintings and both purchased books about the paintings housed at the museum.
Monday Terry, Justin and I got tickets for the hop on hop off tour bus around the city and saw lots of sights, walked in Ritero Park, then met dad and Inma, a Spaniard that was in the Pueblo Ingles week that Terry and Dad had just finished on Friday. She took us to a little place and we shared about 6 dishes and several bottles of wine. Justin and I then made our way to the Real Madrid Football(Soccer) stadium for a self guided tour, then the metro back to our hostal. Then the four of us went to a cafeteria a block away from our hostal for an early dinner. We then happened to see the girls outside on the sidewalk and Justin joined them for a movie in english at a theater just next to our hostal and the cafe. Terry, Dad and I enjoyed some ice cream and talked about life and met an American couple visiting their daughter who was studying nursing in Madrid. We then went back and I packed up my stuff and headed to bed.
Tuesday we checked out and went to the Real(Royal) Palace for a self guided tour and then some lunch, a stop to purchase a paella pan, before picking up our bags and taking the metro to the airport for our flights home. I got a manicure at the airport spa before some dinner and then met the girls at our gate for our flight back to Germany. I got an exit row seat this time and none of us checked our bags so the flight was a little better and we were able to catch the bahn to the main train station, grabbed a snack, and then caught the train to Garmisch, arriving at 1 am to snow falling. Then it was up at 5 am to work 6-2:30. Ahh the life of a jet setter! :-)
I thoroughly enjoyed being able to see my dad and Terry as well as exploring Madrid. It was a great break from the grind. Thanks again Terry and Dad for everything.
Pictures on Facebook...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2090174&id=44801562&l=604cb5e02e

Ben and Martha's Visit Part 2- Germany

2010-03-07T10:04:00.002+01:00

Once we were back in Germany the adventures didn't end. Tuesday morning I worked from 6-11 and then met Ben and Martha and went on the Bavarian Brotzeit and Ettal Tour. This included us going to a cheese making factory to learn about the process and sampled 5 of the 15 or so varieties of cheese that are made there. We shared 2 cheese plates between the 3 of us as well as a couple sausages, and some amazing cheese soup. Then for dessert, cheesecake! Yum! We then had the opportunity to buy some cheese which I did as well as some yogurt. We then walked next door to the Ettal Monastery and got a tour and some history, then more shopping, at the shop across from the Monastery and then to a local wood carver where I purchased a cutting board, bowl, and spoon. We then went back to my building and gave the 50 cent tour to Ben and Martha before we walked to the resort for our evening Griesbrau Brewery Tour. I had already done this tour once with Lisa just after we got here 4 months ago so I knew what to expect. We got the info and our samples and enjoyed some good food, and of course, dessert. One of my co-workers, Haley, was on the tour with her parents who were visiting, so we chatted with them. We got our certificates for passing the written test, and of course a visit to the store.
Wednesday I had to work, but Ben and Martha went up the Zugspitze in the morning and then did the Partnach Gorge Tour in the afternoon. That evening Justin and I met up with Ben and Martha in the Marienplatz and went out to dinner. Of course, more dessert!
Thursday we went on the Neuschwanstein Castle Tour which included a few stops along the way at a more touristy wood carver and souvenir shop, then a church, cafe, and then to the Castle. The walk up was picturesque and the tour was shorter than I had hoped, but seeing that it was never finished because King Ludwig II died first I can understand. We ate at a restaurant at the base of the hill and made our way back to the resort and I then worked from 5-10 that night.
Friday morning I worked 6-1130 and then went to base so Ben and Martha could mail some things home and we then walked to the Marienplatz and ate at a great little place with a confectionery shop attached so our desserts were amazing. Ben then went off in search of a Garmisch bike jersey and Martha and I window shopped before heading to the bahnhof for our train to Munich. We dropped our bags at their hotel and then headed to the Hofbrau Haus for dinner and BEER! I was exhausted and took the train home to rest for the day on Saturday while B&M went to Nurnberg for the day. Sunday I took the train to Munich and we toured the Munich Residence and Treasury before lunch at the Ratskeller Restaurant. I then took the train back Garmisch to get ready for work Monday morning. Ben and Martha toured the Deutsches Museum and went to the Weisses Brauhaus, both of which they enjoyed and would recommend. And finally on Tuesday they made their way to the airport for their journey back to the States.
It was great to get to see them both and spend time together touring some amazing sights and enjoying some delicious food and drink. It was a pleasure to show you my life here and be able to share in the adventures of traveling Europe.
Much love to you both.

As usual the pictures can be found on Facebook. See the link in my Part 1 post.

Ben and Martha's Visit Part 1- Vienna and Innsbruck

2010-03-06T09:49:00.004+01:00

So this is much overdue but here it is as best as I can remember!
The snow storms in the Eastern US, their flight schedule was pushed back a day so the story starts on Friday February 12th. I got up and took the 8:04 train from Garmisch to Munich anticipating meeting Ben and Martha by the florist at around 9:30am. Well, there was some delays and phone issues, but they arrived and we went for some lunch at the Augustiner Haus and planned our route for the next few days. We had a hard time with the phone and language barrier, but with some remote assistance from "Travel Agent" Tom Ware we got a place to stay booked in Vienna and caught the train(which was quite a nice clean, smooth ride) to the Vienna Westbahnhof and made our way to the Schweizer Pension to drop off our bags. We then went down the street for some dinner and then back to the room for some rest.
Saturday we got up and following Rick Steve's book we got on the tram and did a little self guided tour around the ring loop. The weather wasn't the greatest and we were all a little cold so we made our way to the Kunsthistorisches Museum. We saw lots of coins, paintings, and an exhibit on Vermeer and the Art of Painting. We then visited the cafe at the museum and had a bite to eat before venturing out to walk around and figure out tour times and take some pictures around the city. We went to dinner at a place recommended by Rick Steves. We had yummy things that we shared, as usual, but for dessert Martha ordered some peach schnapps. It turns out that its made by a local man who is somewhat famous for his schnapps. Well, the guy recently died and fell into a vat of the schnapps, so what Martha had was probably some of the last.
Sunday morning we made our way to the State Opera House for the 10am tour in English. The Opera House had been closed for a few days because of a ball that was held there once a year and they explained how the main hall was set up for the ball as well as the intermission rooms, and the normal shows. After that we walked over to the Hofburg Palace and toured the Treasury and then walked up to the St Stephans Cathedral in the center of the old city. After a short rest in the room we went to another Rick Steves recommended cafe, the best in the city, just across from the Rathaus(city hall). We thoroughly enjoyed dinner, dessert, and warm drinks and then headed back to pack and get some sleep
Monday morning we got up early and made our way to the train station and took the train to Innsbruck. We arrived around lunch time and again Rick guided us to another wonderful meal at a place just next to the Golden Roof. After a few(ahem, dozen!) photos of the Golden Roof we made our way up the Stadtturm(Old City Watch Tower) for a beautiful view of the city and surroundings and then to the Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum and Court Church with the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I. We then walked to the Triumphpforte(Triumphal Arch) for some more photos then some train station food and the train ride to Garmisch. Ben and Martha got checked in to their hotel near the Marienplatz and off to bed!
Pictures of their whole visit can be found at...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089586&id=44801562&l=9e492122bf

Some things to smile about

2010-02-06T09:23:00.002+01:00

Justin and I have each had some exciting things happen in the past week.
Justin has been training after work since he arrived and took the Level One final exam on Wednesday for his ski instructor certification. Congrats! So proud of you!
For myself, I have been working hard at work with several co-workers injured and home sick we've been short staffed. On one occasion we were short and had to stay late and thanks to the help of the cooks and dishwashers we were able to serve over 300 guests. We were given coins to recognize our hard work called "you've been caught doing something good" coins. The deal is you then are recognized at the next Staff Salute(recognition party held monthly) and given a pin to put on your uniform. I had my invitation to the party thinking that was it... but I was also nominated as employee of the month from Market Station. I was not selected, but as a nominee I get a $200 bonus on my next pay check, 10 tickets to our staff cafeteria, and 2 tickets for dinner at the Pullman Place restaurant in the hotel. I was very surprised and happy to have my work acknowledged. I'd also like to say thanks to my co-workers for working together as a team so we can serve those who are serving our country.

Bayerische Motoren Werke Welt aka BMW World

2010-02-01T13:51:00.003+01:00

Yesterday Justin and I took the train to Munich and then the subway up to the Olympic Park and the BMW World. We took a tour of the Welt(World) building which had a show room like area, 3 restaurants, a learning/technology section, a teen area, and the delivery area. We got a chance to see a brief motorcycle demonstration which included one driver going up and down the stairs and along the catwalk suspended overhead. The only area that we got to access as part of our tour that wasn't open to the general public was down one level where we watched a video of some of the cars and motorcycles driving around and then an animation of what the delivery process entails and then a view of the holding area which has an oxygen level of 14% to reduce risk of fire due to all the cars having full tanks of gas. We then went into the double cone section and ended our tour. Justin and I then walked around for a few min and then headed across the street to the Museum. The building is nicknamed the salad bowl because of the shape which we decided it's appropriate. After several hours looking at cars and motorcycles I'd had enough and we headed back via subways to the main train station and got a bite to eat before the train back to Garmisch.
As usual, some pictures...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2088294&id=44801562&l=a010cf4860

The Faces of Edelweiss Lodge and Resort

2010-02-01T13:40:00.002+01:00

As a thank you to the employees the management of the resort put on an appreciation party for us right here in our building. The buffet was Bavarian style foods and there was a slide show through out dinner with quotes from guests thanking us and snapshots of employees making funny faces. There was a short presentation of the Employee of the Year award and then it was time to dance. The DJ played a mix of songs and we danced until they closed down just before 11pm.
Holly and I hiked up to the Halfway House on our day off and had some lunch at the restaurant before making our way back down. On the way up we were so warm we took off our jackets and had on t-shirts. The Germans were looking at us funny as they were hiking with their sleds all bundled up. The way back down we were freezing though.
Then we went out to celebrate a birthday and to have some fun. The owners of the restaurant that the birthday was at gave us some free shots and beer in glasses that are shaped like a knee high boot and almost big enough to wear.

Some pictures... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2088293&id=44801562&l=5768bb15a1

24 hours in Innsbruck

2010-01-18T09:55:00.002+01:00

On Saturday I worked from 7-noon and then Justin and I packed up and headed to the train station. We caught the 2:04 train to Innsbruck, and an hour and 20 min later we were there. We found a tourist info stand and the guy booked us a hotel room, and bought two Innsbruck Cards which got us free access to almost every tourist attraction and public transport. We headed out to the ski jump as the sun was setting. The lift from the base of the viewing area up to the jump tower was having issues so we were taken by taxi on a wild ride up the back hills. We looked around and took some pictures and looked down in awe of the height of the jump. We then took the taxi back down the hill and went in the stadium viewing area. We just barely missed the bus so we had to wait about 35 min for the next one. We walked around for a little and caught the next bus that took us back to town, then walked across the bride over the River Inn or Innsbruck. Our hotel was off this little single lane street just off the bridge. We had a little room on the first floor(American 2nd floor) dropped off our things, stopped by the movie theater two doors down from our hotel and found out Avatar was playing in 3D and in English that night so we got tickets and then went out to Magic Pizza for a bite to eat. We walked down to the Golden Roof which is one of the most photographed sights in Innsbruck and went back to the hotel for a 2 hour nap so we could stay awake for Avatar. The movie was good, we both enjoyed it and then went back to our room and slept. We got up and ate breakfast at the hotel and then checked out and walked across the bridge and got pictures of the Golden Roof and City Tower during day light, stopped at the St Jakob Church and then up to the Congress House train/cable car station and went up to the top of Hafelekar Mountain which is at 2256 meters. The stops along the way were breath taking rising up above the clouds. Once at the top we watched a group of people climb over the wall and make their own trail down the mountain. We rode down to the Alpine Zoo and again used our Innsbruck cards for free entry. We walked around and looked at the bear and lots of birds and the fish, as well as many others and then took the train back down to the Congress Center. We walked through town making a stop at the Triumphal Arch and then to the train station, grabbed a bite to eat and made it to the train for the ride home.
Slightly chilly but a great trip.
Check out some pictures at...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2087488&id=44801562&l=5eab7592e8

SC Riessersee Ice Hockey Game vs Munich

2010-01-09T10:11:00.001+01:00

Last night Justin and I went to the Olympia Eissport Zentrum here in Garmisch for the local hockey team's game against rival Munich. We joined about 6000 others in the arena and found some seats in section Q in the second row. The game started with introductions with lots of lights and flame and many of the local fans lighting sparklers.

We had been told that there wasn't much contact in the German style of ice hockey but it seemed pretty similar to what we've seen in the States. There was a section to our right behind the goal that was filled with standing Munich fans and their drums and flags and at the opposite end of the ice was a section of Garmisch fans and their flags and drums as well. Due to our proximity to the Munich fans they seemed louder but I'm sure our Garmisch supporters were equally as loud if not louder. The score was 2 to 4 with Munich winning and Justin and I decided that with 4 min left in the game we were cold and the score most likely wouldn't change. The arena wasn't heated and we weren't prepared for it to be as cold as it was so a sausage as a snack and some jumping during the breaks warmed us some but not enough. We walked to the taxi stand at the Mc Donalds and paid the 5 euros to get us home the rest of the way. Fun but cold night. Next time we'll dress warmer.

Pictures of course....
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2086824&id=44801562&l=3a957cca54

2,962m

2010-01-04T17:24:00.019+01:00

This past Sunday Justin and I woke up to a beautiful day and decided to make the trip up to the top of the Zugspitze. We got ourselves together and had a quick breakfast and walked to the train station. We found out that I had to get my ticket at the Zugspitze Bahn Station which is separate from the regular train station. So we walked under the tracks to the Zugpsitze Bahn and talked to the ticket lady, paid my 37 euro and got my ticket. We got on the 12:15 train and worked our way along the tracks at the base of the mountains. We had to switch trains once along the way and we snaked our way up and through the Zugspitze in a dark tunnel up to 2600m and the Zugspitzplatt. We walked around outside the Zugspitzplatt area and walked up to the highest church in Germany. Justin picked up a postcard of it for his grandmother. We then went back inside and waited for the cable car up to the top. We elbowed our way in and I got a spot next to the window for some pictures as the car worked its way up the last ~360m to the top. We walked around inside the lodge at the top which has a little history museum area and a restaurant and cafe. We then went up to the outside viewing area which is basically the roof of the building. The view was amazing! We took pictures and tried to stay warm. There is a walkway over the border with Austria which we went through and I took some pictures of the mountains to Italy and Switzerland. So pretty. We then went back inside and had a hot drink and snack at the cafe and then caught the Eibsee-Seilbahn cable car down the mountain which took only 10 minutes. We then waited for the next train(we missed the 3:15 one by about 30 seconds) and made our way back to the Hausberg stop where Justin works and walked home from there. Beautiful day with a spectacular view.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2086451&id=44801562&l=f37a327eff

Prosit Neujahr! Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T20:10:00.002+01:00

New Years Eve Justin and I both had to work, he during the day on the slopes and at the resort for the kids night out program, and I just for the evening at Market Station. We both finished at about the same time and we biked into town together while dodging the locals' fireworks and crackers they were shooting off in their driveways and on the sidewalks. I'd been warned about how intense it would be with everyone shooting fireworks everywhere, but wow. We met up with other Edelweiss people, had our drinks at midnight, then went into the fenced area where people were dancing to a DJ for a couple hours of fun times. We danced the night away.
Good times with great friends and an exciting way to ring in 2010.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2086159&id=44801562&l=b8ec67a4f7

The Russische Nationalballett

2010-01-02T19:49:00.001+01:00

Justin and I both had Sunday off and I had seen signs around for the Russian National Ballet for that night. It's been a while since I'd seen a ballet, let alone been in one so I was excited to go. Justin had never been to a ballet I think so he wasn't as excited but still it was something to do and how many chances would we get to see the Russian National Ballet in Garmisch? So we walked down to the Kongress Hall which is a facility with several conference/show rooms. We were 45 min early for the ticket sales so we walked around the Marienplatz for a while and then returned and got in line for the tickets. We realized when we were second in line that the tickets weren't 10 euro like we thought and the cheapest ones were 26 euro each. This meant we were 2 euros short. We happened to see Tom and Anna(Ski and Snow board instr that work with Justin) in like behind us. Justin went to talk to them, got two Euro, and gave them the heads up on the price because they didn't have enough either so Anna ran to the atm. Once all of our tickets were purchased we walked to the gleuwein stand and had a drink while we waited for the show to start as it was still another 45 min. The show was great. I hoped there would be a theme like The Nutcracker or something but I couldn't figure it out if their was one. There were some really cute local girls and one little boy that danced too. It was a great night.
On Wednesday afternoon the Jura City Biathalon was happening in the Marienplatz. After work I went to base to get some groceries then walked to town and watched for about a half hour as the racers warmed up. I brought the food home and then went back into town for the evening. I met up with Justin and several of his coworkers and we watched the races and then some ATVs race at the end. We went to the after party for a little while before going to Rambutan, a local asian place, for dinner. Interesting decor inside the restaurant. Lots of fun and very interesting couple of days!
Check out the pictures...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2086160&id=44801562&l=f51bd6c500

Merry Christmas

2009-12-27T11:02:00.000+01:00

On Monday I started my preparations for our Abrams "Family" Christmas dinner and made two chocolate marble cheesecake pies. I also found out that we didn't have a ham for the dinner that were were having the next day. So on Tuesday after working 6-230 I went to the commissary and searched for hams. They were all frozen. So I got a 10 pound Hillshire Farms ham and walked it home like I was carrying a baby. Should have taken a cab. Oh well. So fortunately it was a precooked ham so since I had only a few hours before we ate I put it in the oven at a low temp and slowly turned it up as it thawed. At 730 when we were ready to eat the middle was still frozen so I sliced off some of the outside and microwaved it. I also made some honey glazed carrots and creamed corn while the ham was cooking and helped make many of the other dishes. It's a small kitchen and we had lots to get done. We all sat down and ate around 8pm and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. There was probably about 20 of us sitting at the table and another 10 or so that trickled in and stood around or sat on the floor. Lots of laughs and great food. We cleaned up and went to bed, then off to work again at 530.
Christmas eve Justin and I went to St Martin's Church just off the Marienplatz for midnight mass that actually started at 11. The place was packed and we found to seats that I think was really just the railing for the stairs because it had no back and if you leaned too far you'd end up rolling down the stairs. Everything was in German of course but they sang some songs we recognized. It was neat to see but a bit long. We were outside at 12:40 walking back to the Abrams. Christmas morning was the usual chaos at work, then we closed for lunch and helped prepare for the Christmas buffet in the conference rooms. When we got home Justin and I skyped with our families to say Merry Christmas and we had a quiet evening watching Dexter on his computer.
Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for the New Year!

Munich Twice in One Week? Yep!

2009-12-27T10:44:00.001+01:00

So this past Sunday Justin had the day off and it was my second day off so we decided to venture up to Munich for the Christmas Markets. It was a picture perfect day with hardly a cloud in the sky. The bad part was that such clear weather means it's COLD. We walked to the train station and got our ticket. We didn't look to see what track we were supposed to be at and we nearly missed the train because we had to go from 1 to 4 which involved going under the tracks in between. Anywho, we made it and it was actually a really nice train going through Munich on to other big cities in Germany so it didn't stop at all the usual little stations on the way. Justin slept for part of the ride both to and from Munich while I watched the scenery fly by the window. Once in Munich we walked to the food stands next to the ice rink where I skated just 6 days before and got some sausage sandwiches for a snack/lunch. We watched the zamboni drive around while we ate and tried to stay warm. The big disadvantage to our trip this time was that being Sunday all the stores were closed so we couldn't go inside to warm up. We walked around the Christmas Market stands for a while and went to St Peters Church, a Roman Catholic Church, and also the oldest in Munich. We looked inside for a few minutes and warmed up a little and I remembered from the Munich City Tour I took through Alpine that you could climb the bell tower for a great view. With the nearly cloudless sky I figured today would be a great day. For the student price of 1 euro Justin and I started the climb up the 299 steps to the top. Now, these steps were very narrow and winding so we not only got a workout, were nice and warm for the windy top, and got to brush shoulders with many others. We made it up and took pics of the 360 view of the city. You could just barely make out the Alps with polarized sunglasses on off in the distance. Sweet! So then back down the stairs and a little more walking around then a hot chocolate at Starbucks to warm up. We wandered some more streets and then went back to the Hofbrauhaus for Justin's first beer in a beer hall in Germany. We shared some sausages and potato dumplings then headed back to the main train station. Once we found a working touch screen we found out the train to Garmisch was leaving at that exact moment. So we had a full hour to wait for the next one. So we walked around all the shops and restaurants in the station and caught the next train. It was very crowded and we had 2 police officers sitting across the isle from us. They looked to be a couple headed home for the holidays but then they took off their winter jackets and reveled their uniforms and guns. Atleast we were safe! So then it was back to Garmisch and back to work.

Pictures!! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2085540&id=44801562&l=c4c96c249d
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2084653&id=44801562&l=6f56143c2d

View from my window

2009-12-19T14:49:00.000+01:00

So the clouds finally lifted and the snow stopped for long enough to get some pics of the beautiful mountains outside my window. And yes literally out my window. I've added them to an existing album.
Enjoy... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2084653&id=44801562&l=6f56143c2d

Munich Christmas Market and ice skating

2009-12-19T13:29:00.001+01:00

So this past Monday I had the day off and took my first train trip here in Europe. I went to Munich with Haley(Market Station), Morgan(Pullman Place), and Mike(Bell Stand) for the day. The train ride was nice and full of lots of beautiful scenery passing by the window. It took an hour and a half from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to the main station in Munchen. We got the Bayern Pass which allows up to 5 people to travel together on the same ticket for a day within the Bayern region for 28 euros. Not a bad deal. We went to Starbucks because of the need for coffee(as usual I had hot chocolate) and then paid 80 euro cents for the bathroom and we were on our way. We walked around for a while window shopping and drinking some gleuwein while watching the skaters before we found a place for some lunch just off the marienplatz. I had a Jagerschnitzel and a Helles. Yum! Our timing on the ice skating always seemed to end up with us arriving a few minutes before they closed down for the zamboni. So we did some shopping and more drinking. Apple strudel and beers at the Hofbrau Haus(Mike's first time). I got two hand panted glass ornaments(Check! for my to do list). One for myself and one for Justin's grandmother. Both have "Munchen 2009" painted on it. Then a little durndel for Morgan's Niece. So cute! Nice memories. We finally paid our 10 euros for skates and entry to the outdoor rink and got our skate on! The music was an interesting selection. From Sexual Healing to Bringing Sexy Back it seemed not so family appropriate but it's Europe. I was issued ice hockey skates not figure skating skates so I wasn't as confident in my abilities so I made friends with a bear(see the pictures to understand). We had a great time. After we got some spiced nuts and crepes and made our way back to the train for the ride home. A great day and missions accomplished for all of us.

Pictures... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2084998&id=44801562&l=031d59af6c

Dachau Concentration Camp Tour

2009-12-13T09:56:00.000+01:00

Last Sunday Justin and I went on the Dachau Concentration Camp Tour that the Alpine Adventures Office offers through the resort. We arrived at the resort after a brisk morning walk just after 8 am and boarded the bus for our 830 departure. We rode on the tour bus up through Munich to the camp which is northwest of the city. We arrived just after 10 and did a walking tour with our gude and saw the 30 min video summary of the history. It was very moving and interesting. Took lots of pictures. It was kind of a grey day which matched the mood. A very interesting view of history.
View my pictures here...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2084657&id=44801562&l=d2ee7a5748

Christmas Preparations and more snow!

2009-12-13T09:01:00.000+01:00

So in the last few weeks we've gotten a little more snow then it melted and snowed again. We had the December Staff Salute where Justin and other new arrivals were recognized. The resort has been decorated and is in full holiday spirit. Work has been good. Getting paid and trying to save my money for future trips. I got approval for time off for part of when Ben and Martha come to visit and when Dad and Terry are in Madrid. I'll be booking flights for Madrid soon.
Check out some more pictures...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2084654&id=44801562&l=1e5d9746dd

Thanksgiving, Justin arrives and SNOW!

2009-12-05T10:13:00.002+01:00

So I haven't posted in a while because I haven't really gone anywhere. I've been working hard and trying to save some money. The resort put on an Employee Thanksgiving dinner on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving with a coach bus to transport us to and from. I went with a few girls from work and we had a blast. We laughed and laughed and enjoyed some great food.

I then worked Thanksgiving Dinner for the guests. We served approx 1500 people from 2-8pm. I worked with Jackie, a server who normally works at the Pullman restaurant. We worked hard and had fun.
We've also gotten two snow falls in the last week. Yesterdays had stuck and the snow is still on the ground. The first melted within about a day. The resort has also started a shuttle from the Abrams to the resort at 5:30am for those of us that work the early shifts.
Justin arrived on Monday with about 15 other new employees, mostly ski and snowboard instructors. He went out with me and my girl friends for half price pizza at Peaches Monday night. Thursday night we went out with 45+ people that work at the Hausberg Lodge to a bar that's owned by the same woman that owns the restaurant and bar at the Hausberg. We had a great time. The shots weren't exactly great but they were plentiful.
Check out some of the pictures...
The Alps... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2084653&id=44801562&l=6f56143c2d

Friday the 13th and another 13...

2009-11-17T11:15:00.000+01:00

So Friday the 13th was an interesting one for us at work. During breakfast I was hustling around as usual trying to make sure everything was stocked and cleaned and not run into a guest at the same time. A woman pointed out that there was water coming out from the cabinet below the coffee makers. We have 2 giant coffee makers and a hot water dispenser in Market Station that are about 15 feet away from the doors that exit to the lobby. I realize that it's something to do with the pipes and not the actual makers so I run in back and find Fred, our manager and acting shift leader. He was doing the order for the day and I said, "Fred, there's water coming out of the coffee maker!" He thought it was just a trickle or something. I ran and got a mop and bucket. I come out with the mop and he's standing there on his cell trying to get some help before he runs off to try and turn off the water and find a plumber. So there I am in the middle of the restaurant at about 9 am mopping an ever increasing flood of water. Luckily I'm a scuba instructor so I'm good with water(the running joke) so I just kept mopping to try and make a path for the guests to walk around the flood. Finally the water was turned off(granted we then had no hot water and would soon run out of coffee) and the giant wet vacuums showed up. The manager or head of almost every department in the resort was standing there watching the clean up. Then it was realized that the water had not only gone into the lobby but leaked down through the floor and was dripping in the game/casino room down stairs. More fun! So we got it cleaned up with the help of maintenance and housekeeping and our day went on. Fred now understands that when I speak about water it's not a trickle, I'm serious. :-) That was more than enough excitement for us for one day.
On another note, Justin's package of sheets and toiletries arrived in the mail yesterday and he will be getting here in 13 days!

Quick trip to Switzerland!

2009-11-08T23:38:00.000+01:00

So today I went on a quick day trip to St Gallen Switzerland with 3 other Edelweiss employees. Jennifer, Jessi, Mike and I met up around 730 and headed out for the approx 3 hour drive in Jennifer's new to her car. We had a quick pit stop to add oil and get a sticker for the car so we can drive on the autobahn in Austria. We drove through mostly rain with a brief time in snow soon after we crossed into Austria. We arrived thanks to Lee the gps voice and found some parking and set out for our Sunday self guided walking tour. We found an ATM and got some Swiss Francs and then some public bathrooms. With lots of window shopping along the way and some scenic photographs we made our way to a cafe/ bakery. With warm drinks and food we sat down and dug in. We all then got a dessert and shared it between the 4 of us and then Mike and I each got some yummy treats to go. I got a selection of truffles which are eying me through the box as I write this. We walked around the Abbey of St. Gall, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. So spectacular. The pictures I took do not do it justice. We walked around and explored a park, and saw the last of 11 original gates to the city. We then took a scenic road and stopped by Lake Constance on the way home. The rain was kinda gloomy but we still had fun. I would love to go back to Switzerland and explore more and have some fondue! Check out the pictures... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2082582&id=44801562&l=e454410d33

Staff Salute

2009-11-08T23:03:00.001+01:00

So all the new employees that I came with were invited to the October Staff Salute which took place this past Thursday. Three of the seven of us were in attendance as well as probably 30 other Edelweiss employees. We were introduced and given a welcome gift of an Edelweiss mug and some candy. They awarded the "Caught doing something good" pins to about a dozen people, the nominations and naming of staff employee of the month, and the length of service awards. It was a good event and nice to meet some other people.
Officially welcome to Edelweiss I guess!

Munich and Griesbrau Brewery

2009-11-04T17:25:00.001+01:00

So Lisa and I left the Abrams around 745 yesterday morning and rode our bikes to the resort. We signed in and got on the tour bus for our Munich City Tour through the Alpine Adventures Office at the resort. Our tour guide was Jim who is originally from Boston but has lived in Germany for over 20 years. He jokingly told the whole bus over the loud speaker that Lisa and I were Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The whole bus laughed and cheered. It was about an hour and a half drive with lots of beautiful views. We drove past the Oktoberfest grounds as well as some other sights before being dropped off at Maximilian Square. We walked up to the Royal Residence of the Wittelsbach which is a huge complex built between the 16th and 19th centuries. The symbol of this family is the Lion and there are many seen throughout the area and it's good luck to rub the noses. You'll see us in the pictures getting our share of the luck. From there we walked by the Theatine Church and the Felderrnhalle on our way to the Marienplatz. We saw a statue of Marien this the name and the Rathaus "Town Hall" Complexes, both new and old. Then at 11 the Glockenspiel (play clock) did it's chiming and we watched the dancers and jousting knights(blue and white won). From there we walked through the Vikualien Market which was still open despite the cool weather and occasional sprinkle. We ended our walking tour at the HofBrau Haus, one of the city's oldest breweries. Lisa and I stayed for lunch. We each got our own beer and shared some homemade sausages with sauerkraut and a Bavarian meatloaf with german potato salad as well as a bread basket. (Part of the menu is pictured) The meatloaf wasn't what we were expecting, it turned out to be more like spam we think. We then went to H&M and the C&A stores near the Marienplatz and found a place popular with celebrities evidently that Jim said served a non-carbonated beer. Couldn't remember what it was called and didn't have much time left until our meeting time. We stopped in the Spatenhaus for apple strudel(AMAZING) with fresh whipped cream(YUM!) and Lisa had an espresso. We met up with Jim and saw the crown jewels of the royalties of Munich past which was interesting but not as exciting or awe-inspiring as we thought. We then piled back on the bus just after 3 pm and headed back to the resort. We both fell asleep for a little bit but also spent some time talking to guests and getting advice on places to travel. Lisa and I then waited in the lobby in the rocking chairs in front of the fireplace for about an hour until the brewery tour. Most of the people that went in our van/bus had already been drinking. When we arrived we got a tour and explanation of the process and where everything is stored. We sampled 3-4 beers I think and a Beer Liquor. I'm not sure how to describe it but I liked the beer liquor. I assume that's the best translation as it says bierlikor, anyways, I bought 2 bottles. We tried the Christmas beer with the owner, his first sample of this years batch with us! The brewery is a part of a small hotel and we ate at the restaurant they had, again see the plate of food pictured. Everything was yummy, and I'm not sure what everything was but I'll keep it that way. We then returned to the resort a little before 11 and rode our bikes home in the cold rain. Long day but worth every minute!!
Pictures... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2082359&id=44801562&l=fa5763427c

The New Market Station

2009-11-01T11:32:00.000+01:00

So here at Edelweiss I work at Market Station which is the buffet style restaurant. We are open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The first two days I worked in the restaurant, then from Monday through lunch Friday our whole operation was moved to the General Patton Ballrooms while the restaurant was getting a makeover. I was part of the team that set up the first meal(Friday dinner) for our grand reopening. This just so happened to be right after the 5th anniversary celebration of the resort and we had a line snaking through the lobby with an estimated 400+ people for dinner. We were running around like crazy trying to make sure everything was running smoothly. Only two full trays of food were dropped and every highchair and booster seat in the place was used. So the rags and broom were my friend. We are all starting to get a hang of things and how it's all set up. I don't have any before pictures but I'll try and get some afters.

Halfway House Hike

2009-10-29T19:33:00.003+01:00

On Tuesday just after noon one of the girls I arrived with, Lisa, and I left the Abrams Complex for the Halfway House on Kramer Mountain. The German translation I believe is St Martin Hutte on the Kramerspitz. It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze. We started on the steep paved path just outside the complex and after about 15 minutes came to a clearing with a chapel and memorial to fallen soldiers. A perfect picnic spot with an amazing view. After exploring for a few minutes we continued up the trail on the steep path that turned from blacktop to gravel after a short distance. There were lots of switchbacks the further up we got. We had to stop several times to catch our breath. About an hour after we left the complex we arrived at the Halfway House. We made use of the bathroom and found a table outside. Almost everyone of the 20 or so people there had a beer and some were eating a range of German cuisine. Lisa got a beer and I continued to chug my water. We took some pictures and took in the awe-inspiring view. I had to work from 5-10 that night so I didn't stay for more than a half hour before I left Lisa with her beer and started my trek back down the hill. It was alot cooler so I put my fleece back on and made the decent in about 40 minutes. Wednesday and today my glutes and shins are sore but I've been stretching and taking some meds to help. Will definitely make that hike again. Some of the pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd like because the sun was sooo bright. And you'll find one picture with the small amount of snow on the side of the trail. Click for the pictures.... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2081665&id=44801562&l=7f67e9886c

My Address...

2009-10-25T11:28:00.001+01:00

For those of you that actually know me send me an email or comment here and I'll give you my mailing address. It's an APO address so its the same postage amount as if you were sending something to New York.

Garmisch, Germany!

2009-10-21T15:49:00.003+02:00

So I made it to Germany! I left New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon, flew to Washington DC and then took the overnight flight to Munich or "Munchen" and arrived almost an hour early thanks to a tail wind. I sat next to a gentleman who I believe(what I could hear over the roar of the plane and my half asleep memory!) works for the Army and had lived in Germany for a total of 12 years and was last at the Edelweiss Lodge about two years ago for a conference. So we chatted about Edelweiss for a little bit. My mom paid for me to upgrade to Economy Plus so I had some extra leg room which was nice and made sleeping a bit more comfortable. Once I arrived I had no issues with my passport, they didn't ask to see any of my paperwork. But once I got to baggage claim and waited for about a half hour I figured out that one of my bags was missing. So I filled out the paperwork and took my other bag out through Customs and waited for Jay and Ben from the resort. We got a bite to eat and waited for 5 others, Melissa, Merissa, Lisa, Caitlin, and Nicolas, to arrive on the flight from Chicago. One more, Mike, would arrive several hours later because of missed or delayed flights. Ben took us in one van for the 2 hour ride to Garmisch. Most of us fell asleep for atleast a few min and evidently my eyes were half open which I was sleeping! Creepy! We awoke to see the snow capped Alps around us. It was cloudy for the tops of most but still awe inspiring. We were brought to the dorms which are called Abrams and were given some rules and our key. My roommate, Melissa and I went to our room but our bags were in the other van still at the airport so we couldn't unpack or anything. We then got a tour of Garmisch and stopped at a grocery store for some things for our dinners. Trying to figure out the types of cheese with everything written in German was interesting! We were then brought back to Abrams and had the afternoon free. The 7 of us that all arrived together went downtown at 430 in search of a place for dinner. We wandered around and finally found a local place. I had Wiener Schnitzel! I think it was the first time I'd ever had it. We then walked back and unpacked a little, took a shower, but my missing bag still hadn't arrived and wouldn't until 9:55pm. I made my bed with the sheets that were in that bag when it arrived and promptly went to sleep. I got up at 6:45 to get ready for orientation. We had breakfast and lunch at the resort and lots of paperwork, meeting the General Manager, a tour, sizing for uniforms, etc. We got back to the dorm mid afternoon, unpacked a little, then we were going to walk around downtown but one of the older staff that lives in the building picked us up and drove us around, we went to a bar and had beer(yes I had one) and then he showed us where some key stuff was and then went back to Abrams, hung out, and went to bed. Today was up nice and early again and to the resort for breakfast, then we went to the actual base and did ID cards, bank account setup, shopping at the commisary and px. When we got back we did room inspections and finished unpacking and sorting out items we bought from another staff member that's leaving. Tomorrow morning I work at 6am. I will be a "waitress" at the Market Station restaurant. It's a buffet style that's open for 3 meals a day. We get 3 sets of uniforms that are laundered for us on site and lockers.
Some pictures on Facebook... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2081230&id=44801562&l=12a6e25656

Geo-caching

2009-10-14T05:13:00.002+02:00

So mom and I have been out with my gps on all kinds of adventures lately. We've started geo-caching after Justin and Emma introduced me to it. So far we've found 13 caches around New Hampshire and Massachusetts. We took Shadow with us the first time and found the cellar of what used to be Marchmont Castle. Mom researched alot of history behind it and the people that owned it. We went biking along some of the rails to trails some parts still had the large wooded ties in the ground making it very bumpy. The second half was nicely paved. Our most recent trip was on the rails to trails in Rindge and one cache was set way back in the woods and we had to cross several streams. Luckily we didn't bring Shadow on that trip and neither of us got wet.
I plan to bring my gps to Germany and will see how it goes in Europe!

Well the summer is over...

2009-08-28T16:36:00.003+02:00

So the season at Sea Base is coming to a close and I am back home in New Hampshire. I left Sea Base on Wednesday morning and flew to Newark and then on to Louisville KY for a job interview with Edelweiss Lodge in Germany. I did the interview and got the job. I'll be starting out as a hotel attendant and after 3 months I can transfer or get a promotion. If a recreation aid position opens before I arrive I'll go straight into that position. Edelweiss is a US military resort and conference center located in southern Germany. The contract is for 13 months and they fly me there and back. I am very excited to be selected because of the opportunities to travel and experience Europe. I'll be home for a few weeks visiting friends and family before I leave around the first of October. Look for posts about my travels right here and links to photos on facebook. Germany here I come!!

Mayday Mayday Mayday... This is Scout About

2009-07-27T19:43:00.003+02:00

So I'll start by saying that everyone is ok and no one got hurt.
It all started on Saturday morning the 25th of July 2009. I was getting ready to take my certification crew out on Scout About, a 26 foot Dusky, with Capt Ted with Divemaster Paul as my assistant. We checked the radar and decided to go to a site called Labyrinth. The ocean was literally like a lake, the water was so calm I could see my reflection perfectly. We did Open Water Training dive 1 which was just a tour and returned to the boat with no incident. We raced another Dusky back to base and got back with plenty of time to change our gear over before lunch. After lunch we met back at the boat at 12:45, did one last radar check and went out to a site called Pillars of Atlantis. The water was still calm but there was some thunderstorms in the distance. We did training dive 2 and when we came up the large black clouds were between us and land so we decided to take our time and let the storm pass. So we did a few surface skills and Capt Ted got a call on his cell from Capt Alex about the radar and which way we should go. We got back on the boat as the wind picked up and the storm started towards us. We pulled anchor and headed towards Tennessee Lighthouse. On the way the wind and waves picked up nothing out of the ordinary, the kids were laughing and having fun. Paul, Ted and I put our masks and snorkels on because of the waves splashing in but no big deal. There was a break in the storm and I pulled out my cell to check the radar and it wasn't looking good. We started going again and the waves increased in both frequency and intensity at first it was not bad, I had seen more water in a Dusky. Then Ted pulled out the bilge pump and I started pumping and the participants were using their water bottles and our staff mugs to bail the boat. Over several minutes the water level kept rising with more waves and we weren't making much headway. The boat was listing over to the starboard side and the waves just kept coming. I asked Capt Ted if we should put on lifejackets and he said yes. So I opened the hatches which were full of water and began pulling the jackets out and giving them to the kids. They all had them on and I looked back at Paul who was pointing at himself. I had one jacket left which was a child size and most of the foam appeared to be gone. I gave it to him and he put it on and then realized that there was one more adult sized on the deck of the boat. He put that one on. It turns out that one was for Ted and there was one more in the hatch that I didn't see. Within about a minute of everyone putting on the jackets the boat capsized. Paul's gear bag got caught in the propeller as we went over and we were floating. Gear everywhere. We huddled near the boat and started gathering some gear. Ted got the backpacks of the adult leaders, Paul's BCD and tank and mine as well. We sang a couple songs at first and then I started to use my Dive Alert Plus which is an airhorn attached to my gear. Between that and our waving signaling devices we got the attention of a fishing boat and we saw the Coast Guard go by in the distance. The fishing boat came and we got 4 or 5 of the scouts onto their boat and then Coast Guard boat came up. The rest of us were hauled up onto the CG boat and we transfered the kids from the fishing boat over. At that point two of the big dive boats from Sea Base were on the scene and helping to pick up floating gear. We were transfered over to one of the Sea Base dive boats because the CG got a call of another boat in the area needing help. We stayed in the area looking for gear and collecting floating items. The other dive boat put some divers in the water to pull out gear and electronics still on the boat. All of the tanks and BCDs were recovered and most of the snorkel gear but not all of it. Several pairs of sunglasses and some other small items including my cell phone were water logged or missing. One of our other boat captains works for Sea Tow as well and he came out and after a few attempts flipped the boat back over and it was towed back to base. The cost for Sea Tow to come out like that is about $7000. The motor on the boat isn't usable and the electronics are in various states of disrepair, the canvas top is ripped but the hull is fine. We had alot of paperwork to fill out and Ted, Paul and I had to get alcohol swabs and urine drug tests but all in all not too bad. I have a sweet bruise on my right thigh that is lots of pretty colors. Well, life goes on. It was a very interesting experience and I'm proud of my participants and how well they listened and we all worked together. Thank you to everyone for their love, support, and well wishes.

Scuba Certifications

2009-07-10T14:48:00.002+02:00

So this is week 5 of my teaching scuba here at Sea Base and all is going well. This week my crew already watched all the videos before they came, finished the knowledge reviews, and learned how to use the dive tables so we are flying. Today we only have to do 3 pool dives which won't take long but I'll find stuff for them to do. It has been extremely hot with temps around 90 and the heat index regularly over 105. We haven't had the massive rain fall in a few weeks that caused flooding. No hurricanes yet(knock on wood!). I've met more friends and am having a blast. I think that I might take a week off from certifications and just Divemaster otherwise it's the same routine until mid August. Well, gotta go check to see if the dorms are clean then to the pool.

The Vandenberg Sinks!!

2009-05-27T22:54:00.004+02:00

So a bunch of us from Sea Base were going to drive down to the Brinton Center and take the Scoutmaster to Key West to watch the Vandenberg sink but there were too many people from the Brinton Center so the boat was full. Instead we loaded up on the BSA Adventure(Newton) at 6 am and Capt Carol drove us down the ~3 1/2 hours to watch. It was a long ride but certainly memorable. We arrived about 9:30 and anchored just outside the 1 mile radius safety zone with our front row seats. We pulled out our cameras and binoculars to check it out and watched all the other boats there to watch as well as the planes and helicopters flying over head. At about 10:20am the first charge went off and she started to sink but just as it was going down the Key West Express drove right between us and the boat and totally blocked our view. We thought ok it will be out of the way in a minute and we'll still be able to see it as they predicted 3 minutes for it to sink. Well, by the time the huge Key West Express moved the boat was gone. 1 minute and 45 seconds and it was done. It was still neat to see but the gosh darn Key West Express was in the way!! There were tons of people yelling at the boat on the radio and evidently people were trying to throw things at it and shoot water at the boat because they were equally as mad about the view being blocked but evidently the Coast Guard came to their rescue. So it was neat to see, well what we could see of it, and I won't forget it.
Pictures on Facebook...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2070577&id=44801562&l=28f3bef598

Recap

2009-05-25T22:42:00.000+02:00

The past few months have flown by. I left Club Med on Saturday May 2nd and flew to Burlington to stay with my brother and sister in law for a few days, drove to New Hampshire to get my things from my parents place, visit Helen and Phil and my grandmother, back to VT for a few more days then flew to Phoenix on Mothers Day to visit mom and dad for a few days. We went to the Desert Botanical Gardens and saw the glass exhibit by Chihuly, as well as had dinner with Anne and Shawn. Then on May 15th I flew to Miami and took the Keys Shuttle here to Sea Base. We had staff training for a week which included too many practice rescues to count and a few 20 minute dives. It's strange going from 60-130 foot dives to here where our absolute maximum is 60ft and most dives in the 20-30 foot range. I've been catching up with many old friends that are back for one more summer of fun in the Keys. Many have graduated from college and had real jobs or couldn't find a real job and are back at Sea Base. It's good to be back .

Happy Birthday from Under the Sea

2009-04-05T00:28:00.001+02:00

For my mom's birthday today!! Much Love, Megs