The chronicles of Mark and Karen's deployment to Antarctica for the 2004/2005 Summer Season.
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October 28, 2004

Happy Birthday, Karen!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAREN! She celebrated her second 16th birthday yesterday. I organized a bunch of folks to meet us out at the local wine bar for some birthday libations in celebration of her big day. Turned out to be a pretty fun evening.

We are starting to assemble a good little crew here and we continue to meet more fascinating people every day. Sure there's a couple folks that have probably come down to Antarctica one too many times and tend to drift off into space mid-conversation, but for the most part, everyone is extremely friendly and very outgoing. We have found that showers are optional for some folks, and there are probably more people with beards than without, including myself - that is, up until last night when the incessant scratching and itching nearly drove me crazy when there upon my shelf I found a friend in my MACH 3 Razor by Gillette (blatant product placement in hopes that a Gillette rep reads this and sends me free ones. You'd sell out too if you've ever priced those razors!) I'm once again beard free. However, Karen still has her goatee.

Mark & Karen on Ob HillOn another note, we saw the last of the sun sets earlier this week. Yep, from here on out it is 24 hours of sun. To be honest, I love this all day sun thing. Take for example this last Saturday night. Bill, Karen and I weren't feeling up to the bar scene so we went on a hike instead...at 10pm. Think of all the alternatives to a typical Saturday night that are suddenly made possible when it is always light out. Sun tanning at midnight, going for a jog at 3am, or simply making Corey Hart proud with a little wearing of the sunglasses at night. What the three of us chose to do, was go on a hike to the top of Observation Hill (Ob Hill, for short). Ob Hill is the big hill just south of town. It's an easy 15-30 minute hike up to the top and is a great place to escape because it is close and the views from the top are incredible. Browse through the October Photo Gallery to see what I mean. On top of Ob Hill is a large cross that exists in memoriam of the people who died during the early days of exploration in these parts.

Sleeping hasn't been too much of an issue for either of us. The nice thing is that the days are so packed with work and activities in the evening that falling asleep is pretty easy once you pull the shade on the window and convince your brain that even though the sun is still out, playtime is over. Karen is a professional sleeper, so she has NO problem sleeping. Seriously, you know the theory that everyone is extremely talented at one thing? I sometimes think that sleeping is that one thing for her.

Well this entry was a bunch of rambling. I'll be sure to reel it back in on the next one and bring some fresh new facts about Antarctica. But before I go...I'd like to take a moment and congratulate the Boston Red Sox on ending the 86 year curse. Gotta love October baseball! – This message provided by the Major League Baseball Association. Any re-use or re-broadcast of this message is strictly prohibited.

Posted at 05:00 PM | Comments (43)

Comments: Happy Birthday, Karen!

Hey Mark and Karen!!! Awesome pictures! Happy Halloween! We're sitting here with Grandma looking at your website. Nice work! Looks like your having a great time. We are all looking forward to your next update. Happy Birthday, Karen! Love from us all.

Posted by Pikes at November 1, 2004 04:35 PM

Happy Birthday Karen! What a great adventure for the two of you. How long does it take you to get all those clothes on each morning? And if you take some of them off at the office, how pissed do you get if someone on the other side of the station need you to come over and fix their PC? Love the photos and the narrative - keep up the good work... and Mark, you could take a tip or two from Karen on office organization.

Posted by Fun Johnny at November 2, 2004 11:44 AM

Hey guys -
Happy Birthday (laaaaattee) Karen!
The site is awesome Mark, I finally got to see it. My computer at home is sooo slow I had to see it at work. I'm glad you guys are doing well - we miss you and look forward to more good stuff from way down under !!!!

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Recent Entries
» One continent down. Six more to go.
» 77 South Studios presents: Waiting for Burt Bacharach
» Paroled on February 11th
» B-15a vs. Drygalski update
» Balloons and Plunges and Legends, oh my!
» Merry Christmas!
» Attack of the Giant Icecube
» Happy Thanksgiving!
» Sleeping on a shelf: A lesson in pragmatism
» Day in the Life of an Antarctica Dispatcher
» I'm not a terrorist, I'm a Canadian
» Halloween - McMurdo style
» Happy Birthday, Karen!
» Snowboarding South of 60
» Greetings from Antarctica

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