Update and upcoming changes

Hi all, I am back from the Antarctic, and what a trip it has been. I promise pictures (there's lots) and some stories soon. But first I think there's going to be some changes to my blogging service. It's been a long while since I've blogged, mostly because I did not have internet access on the ship. We do have a limited email account, and it would have been easy and awesome to send the occasional update and small photo to my own blog and not depend on the project blog to do the storytelling for me. That blog is great to see how we are doing, but some of you want to know how I am doing, and that can be quite another matter. So I think I am going to switch to Blogger. I considered them when I started this blog, and in reading the reviews, Wordpress seemed to be the winner. However, I did not read that carefully - the opensource and free content manager at Wordpress.org is great when you have your own webhost setup at your cost. The free (and therefore graduate-student-budget-friendly) Wordpress.com comes with a slough of limitations and lack of features. Blogger allows you to send an email to post to your blog. Wordpress.com does not. Blogger is very Picasa friendly (I use Picasa way more than Flickr), Wordpress is not. Anyway... expect to update your bookmarks soon. I know... it's flakey to change midstream, but it's the blogosphere and flakeyness is sort-of the status quo around here. I am working like a dog to get all my samples running. That means 12 hour days in the lab with lots of concentrated acid and benzene to keep me company. Anyway, it may take me a week or so to get my pics and new blog up. Enjoy the anticipation.

Flamethrower Storage

This is posted on  a cabinet on the R/V L.M. Gould, my soon-to-be home for 4 weeks.  If you don't know the connotations of this, you should take the opportunity to watch the '80's version of The Thing. Kurt Russell is sooooo awesome in that movie.

Chile

Made it to Chile! After only around 20 hours of travel time, we have arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile. The local news this morning included Territorio Antarctica in their weather report. 3 degrees celsius and showers. Balmy! The group is quite fun and we went to a local pub to try the local drink. Pisco sours. Waaayyyy too easy to drink. Here's; a photo of a few of the group at the Santiago airport. (I'm behind the camera). I will have internet access for a couple more days here at the hotel. After that, it will be very sparse, but keep checking http://antarctica-ncsu.blogspot.com for updates from the ship...

T-minus 3 1/2 days

Sunday evening I'll be getting on a plane bound for the southern-most city in Chile. Then, on Valentine's day no less, I get on an ice breaker and take a romantic, albeit bumpy, cruise to the continent of Antarctica. Wow. Who would have thought a snot-nosed kid from Amarillo, Texas would have made a trip like this. So here's a rough schedule for the planning minds out there. 11 Feb 08 Arrive by Air Punta Arenas, Chile 14 Feb 08 Depart Punta Arenas aboard R/V L.M. Gould 18 Feb 08 Arrive Palmer Station 19 Feb 08 Leave Palmer Station [Work like dogs penguins] 12 Mar 08 Arrive Palmer 13 Mar 08 Leave Palmer 17 Mar 08 Arrive Punta Arenas 19 Mar 08 Fly back to Raleigh After getting on the ship, I'll have extremely limited access to the internet and email. We connect twice per day via a satellite, and the bandwidth is about what you used to get on Compuserve ca. 1994. However, we are required by NSF to keep up a daily blog of our activities for outreach purposes. This will be the best way to keep track of what we are up to, writings from the science crew, and the ever so popular photos. Penguin cuteness is bound to be bountiful. So I may add a few posts here before I leave, but once I'm south, check here for updates: http://antarctica-ncsu.blogspot.com/

Why being an oceanographer is awesome (one reason)

Wicked shark photos

A great little photoset from the Telegraph..  I would like to see a shark flying though the air... from the safety of a large boat, of course.

Polar lions

Excellent video on Intelligent Design

Found this on YouTube and it's excellent.  It'll eat up a couple hours of your time, but if you are interested in the controversy regarding Intelligent Design, it's worth the watch. At some point in the future, I may write about my feelings regarding the influence of modern politics and religion on science.  Sneak peek - most of those feelings are negative.

Made it to Raleigh.. (and photos of the continental crossing)

I have arrived. The entire trip could be distilled into 5 hard days of driving, but luckily I stopped in Denver, Texas, and Oklahoma to be with family. Turned out to be pretty relaxing actually. Maybe I should move across the country more often... mmm, not so much. I don't have many photos of the actual trip (I was busy driving...), but I do have a few of my stay in Oklahoma over Thanksgiving. Definitely very thankful to have had the time to spend with family this time around. I've got more photos on my Google page (Link to album) and the obligatory YouTube of a cute nephew: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTIUrV0-1x4] And one more of redneck heaven... [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOnaBJs6cYY]

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..