Making the crossing..

I have departed the left coast and am slowly making my way to Raleigh.  My truck is loaded and the trailer is full.  Even though it's a slow slog, the old truck is doing okay.  I got from Portland to Dever in two days, and Oklahoma in one more.  Right now I am writing from my birthtown, Amarillo, TX, in the library where I spent quite a bit of time when I was younger.  Everything seems a lot smaller than it did then... I'll be visiting family and on the road to Raleigh till Dec. 1.  I'll also be starting my work preparing for the Antarctic.  Look for more updates and photos from the trip then.  Happy trails.

Raleigh visit - success

I flew out to Raleigh to check out the town, meet my advisors and the department, and find a place to live.  Operation successful. I think I really lucked out finding a place to live.  My criteria were cost, proximity to campus, and good landlord.  I have never liked apartment complexes and the management firms that run them, so a private landlord is my preference.  Here's what I found.  It's a cute duplex that's right next to campus.  Check out the map: (Click to enlarge) The place is well laid out, has parking, a washer dryer unit in the unit, and the landlord is a mellow dude who runs his own electrician biz.  There's food/drink and library (my staples in the next few years) in easy biking distance.  I hope to give the old truck some well deserved rest. My advisor is also a very mellow guy who I think I can work well with and learn a lot from.  He's well established in the field and seems to care a lot about the well-being and future of his students.  I think it's going to be a productive couple of years at least. So now my goal is to get my poop in a pile and loaded up to drive across the country to my new home.  My last day at work was Friday, so I have no more good excuses to procrastinate on my packing.  Anyone want to buy a drum set?

Drake Passage - a preview

Been checking out YouTubes of Drake Passage. Let's just say, I'm happy I have a prescription for Scopolamine.
This one's not so crazy... taken from a cruise ship. You can hear some old fart bragging in the background about how big the seas were when he was in the navy. Snow covered and uphill both ways, eh old timer...
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This one (link - embedding disabled) is huge.. good thing they are heading with the wind. Wouldn't want to hit those suckers head on.
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I like this one best, especially the crazy sounds below deck as stuff gets clanged about in the shifty seas. The lady walking sideways down the passageway is awesome too.
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Coming in Feb/March - my own video of the passage. Hope my camera - and the seasickness meds - will hold up..