What's Your Date?

This is what our life has become. About a month ago, we all got our dates. Our departure date. The day we leave the land of seals and penguins. Departures of science support folk started on January 30th. Almost everyday, depending on weather, a flight takes away more people. All the field camps have been closed. People not wintering at the Pole have returned and then sent on their way back to Christchurch. My date is February 22. So, for like the last month, the conversation eventually falls on, "Hey, what's your date?" And you talk to so many people everyday, that you forget what their date is, so you have the same conversation evey time you see them. It's wierd. It's kind of sad. Kind of exciting. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to see a tree.

Vessel Evolution

Once a year, in January, Vessel arrives. Why it's called Vessel Evolution is beyond me. First, the icebreaker comes. The Oden, from Sweden. The icebreaker breaks up the ice to clear a path for the Fuel Tanker and Vessel. So, first the Fuel Tanker comes ashore and unloads enough fuel for all the stations for the next year. Then comes Vessel. 150 extra people are flown into the station to help unload the Vessel which holds the next year's worth of supplies for all the stations. It gets a little crazy around here. And that's it. The ships come, and then they go. We're all set for another year at the bottom of the planet.