Top Tens

Where has the time gone?  With the approach of summer, new people are showing up all the time here, and a common question is when did you arrive.  I usually answer, "I came on the first flight main-body.... you know, a few days ago."  Somehow, a few days has now turned in 18, so my answer is not quite accurate anymore.  Wow.  I feel I have been here long enough though to come up with top 10 lists for the good and bad at McMurdo. (Note: both lists are in no particular order)

TOP 10

My stash for field work

Touch tank... watch out for scary orange spider

1) The #1 rule of the Arctic/Antarctic (courtesy of Don): Eat as much as you can, whenever you can.  I don't go into the field without my pockets overflowing with chocolate.  They say you need 6,000 calories a day just to maintain your energy/weight if you are out working on the ice all day.  SWEET! 
2) The scenery:  Photos never do it justice, but hopefully I've been able to share at least a glimmer of what it is like. Unlike anything I've ever seen before.
3) The people: As they say down here, "You don't need to be crazy to work at McMurdo.  We'll train you."  Just the way I like it.... Overall, some of the most interesting, kindest, helpful, and fun people I know.  You don't come here for the creature comforts.  
4) No cell phones: Oh it's lovely, but I do always feel like I'm forgetting something when I leave my room without my keys/cellphone/wallet.
5) Seals: How can you argue with those photos?
6) The weather, particularly the snow: Well maybe that one is just me since I melt when it gets above 65 (and there is actually not that much snow).  However, we didn't have winter last year in VT.  I was seriously suffering from withdrawal.
7) The lifestyle: Someone to cook all 3 meals for me a day.  No chores.  No real credit card bills.  Kind of like college all over again.
8) Frosty Boy: I'm not a huge dessert person, but it's part of the experience.  Huge lunch with chocolate cake and brownies?  Still need Frosty Boy for 2nd round of desserts.  Dinner with pie and pudding?  Soft serve can top that off too.  Breakfast?  I've seen him there.  When Frosty Boy breaks for a few hours, I swear there are near riots in the dinning hall.  How else can you get those 6,000 calories?
9) So much science: We are still early season, but there are already so many incredible projects going on.  Scientists studying seal population dynamics, volcanic eruptions, penguins, climate change, sea urchins, sea ice physics, astronomy, atmospheric chemistry, etc.  Nonstop conversations with some of the most brilliant people in the world.  My favorite is the petting zoo/touch tank aquarium with some of the strange gigantic marine life that lives here, except for the gigantic (8-10 inch) orange water spider... he is not my friend.
10) The experience: I'm in friekin Antarctica!  I thought this was the coolest place on Earth ever since 4th grade when I found my name on the world atlas.

NOT-SO TOP 10 
1) Getting dressed/undressed: The 30-minute process of dressing and redressing yourself gets quite tiring.  Being inside for even 2 min and you roast to death under all those layers.  Do work outside and you sweat.  Take a break and the sweat freezes.  Burn in the sun while shivering in the wind.  No matter what you do, you are a "thermal idiot."
2) Doing things in mittens: Sucks

Trying to (kinda watch) the one Pats game that we've had

He is actually Top 10, but wouldn't look for photoshoot

3) Breakfast: I love the dining hall and admire those folks dearly.  But seriously, breakfast from 5:30-7:30?  I am not a morning person.
4) Crevasses: Yeah, I don't care to fall into one of those. 
5) Beer selection: It says something when Milwaukee's Best is the "quality" beer choice.  Thankfully the Kiwi's have a better selection at Scott Base.
6) Mother may I?: It seems you need permission for everything here, particularly if you want to step food outside.  Safety is important and you understand why, but there can be a bit of a "Big Brother" feel to it.  We spent hours/days on the paperwork just to collaborate with our colleagues at Scott Base.
7) Nearly no sports (on TV):  Considering the (lack of) success for the Red Sox and my fantasy teams, this might be a good thing.  However, I do miss football season. 
8) Getting shocked all the time: Gets real old, real quick.  Since it is so dry, charge builds up very quickly and you feel it every time you touch anything metal.
9) The (good) weather: I have the curse of the good weather (if such a thing exists).  My research wants the nastiest, windiest, snowiest weather there is.  So far (and last winter in Alaska and during testing in VT) the winds have been dead.   When it does get windy, the helicopters won't fly.  Ugh.
10) Breathing, seeing, and not getting frost bite...only allowed to choose 2: Another one of Don's sayings.  Thankfully this is only true on the worst days, which we haven't really experienced so far (although was very true in Barrow, AK).