This has been the month of nature at it's best. We are in full blown summer and the temp is warming up to 40 degrees. This means sunning on the laundry loading dock in shorts and a T-shirt with beers and food. Of course we're hiding it from the Skuas that are now circling McMurdo at all hours of the day, ravenous over the warmed food waste that is less of a frozen mess and more of a seeping pile of rot now.
The animal encounters have become a day to day. With the ice thinning out and the penguins beginning their migration, it's easy to see seals and birds bobbing in the water and scattered across the ice. Even Crary Lab, where the scientists have their offices and labs, is sporting a full aquarium of giant Antarctic fish, octopus, and a touch tank filled with creatures from the bottom that resemble aliens. One is called a giant sea lice, because it's exactly what it is. Imagine a flea and a lobster producing something. The only problem with the touch tank is the water is kept around 20 degrees, so keeping your hands in it long enough to grab a starfish, sponge, or .... thingy, tends to be painfully cold.
With the ice breaking, the seal studies are at an end as they are too dangerous to get to now. The scientists dropped off the seal bags that are used to house equipment, and sometimes to put over their heads to calm them down. I didn't think much of this until I opened the bags to wash them. The fur and smell that came out was impressive. After washing and drying, the laundry room was filled with the acrid aroma of seal. This can also be called cat pee/wet dog/fish oil. With the doors open to keep from puking I let the dryers run their cycle and enjoyed the cool breezed and sunshine streaming in.
MAAG, held on Christmas Eve, was a success. I was featured in the "Men of McMurdo" slide show, posing in laundry bins and proving that sexual stereotypes can eat it. Also, my sculpture was a part of the PT's entry educating on hand injuries, having the Stewards do paraffin treatments and using the cooled wax to sculpt anything. Mine, of course, was a tree. Lastly the Stewards, having been working on our Sexy Stewi Calender, featured four of the months. This calender will be a collection of photos of individuals posing in scenes around our jobs. To make it sexy, we ordered matching pink undies from the unisex line of American Apparel. It should turn out to be most entertaining.
Also this month was Prom. Because the first two times weren't painful enough, Antarctic Prom included hidden flasks, bad sport coats, dancing to the late 90's and early 2000's, a photo booth, and after parties. In conclusion, it was just like all the other times.
The VMF Christmas party was held in the giant hanger where they tend to every machine. Decked out with lights, inflatable snow men, and giant snow flakes, it almost felt like Christmas. There was a slide show for people to submit pictures of things that remind them of the holidays and home. It turned out to be a slide show of pets, cars, and random pictures of grass... Turns out, over their loved ones, people miss the small things in life.
For now we are gearing up for Ice Stock. This year, instead of drinking bubbly out of the bottle, I'm bar tending. I'm expecting hard work, and a good pay off, but will be missing out on the live music and shit show that is this party. As last year ended me with a two week long crud and unexplained hickeys, I'll take the money this time.
Hope your holidays are great,
Chris
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