We stopped in at the Cryogenics Lab and (weather) Balloon Inflation Facility first. It was great to see fellow fire fighters Chris and Victoria in their natural work environments. They were able to tell us where all the HazMat and dangerous equipment was located in their work areas. From there we toured the "Summer Camp" areas. This is an area where people live and work in Korean War era tents. These are heated with diesel boilers. They're surprisingly comfortable.
Lastly, we headed over to ARO. ARO is NOAA's Atmospheric Research Observatory. This is the building where the webcam is located that provides the picture at the top of this page. My friends Amy and Ethan work there. ARO is about 1/4 mile northeast from the elevated station. In the video, the camera starts looking northeast at ARO, then we swing around to head back toward the New Station. Along the way, we pass Kimber walking back from ARO (it was an open house tour day at ARO), the South Pole marker (a lovely shot of Old Glory there), the north side of the elevated station, then we go around the west end of the station to arrive back at Destination Zulu. Dave and Cathy were our chaufers for the trip.
At this point in the day, I thought I was to begin my new shift hours at work. So, I headed down stairs and logged in at my desk. Within a few minutes, I was informed via telephone that my hours weren't to go into effect until the next day...so take the rest of the day off! Can do.
Now my sleep schedule is really in for a rude awakening (pun intended). It was the middle of the afternoon, so I watched a movie, and then took a nap. When I awoke, a bunch of my friends were watching "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" in the TV lounge. I'd heard of this show, but have never seen it (I haven't watched any network TV shows since The X Files in the late 90's). I was surprised by some of the freedoms they took with the language since this show was broadcast on regular TV. Still, there were some pretty funny bits.
By now, it was time for Mid Rats. Back to the galley for roast beef and mashed potatoes...how can you go wrong with that! Over the meal, it was suggested that those of us working the swingshift should play a game of "The Settlers of Catan". I never heard of this board game, but my friends agreed to teach me. We found an empty conference room to set up in (this was pretty easy at 1am). It took a while for me to understand some of the finer points of this game, but it was very fun. It is basically a strategy game where you try to "build" settlements and cities. The board layout is different everytime you play. Add the randomness of rolling dice, and you get a different game everytime it's played. With luck and guidance, I ended finishing in 2nd place; not bad for a first attempt. I look forward to the next game.
ARO at The South Pole.
