thermodynamics reminder

Metal has a higher conductivity for heat than, say, air. Thus, when holding a drill with a big steel auger bit for making holes to set flags (navigational aids to be used in the dark of winter), take care that your hands are properly insulated. I froze my hands pretty quickly this morning when I was setting up some bamboo-poled flags to help me find the vault for one of my magnetometers, should any work on the equipment be necessary on it this winter. I've been saving my pair of mittens for winter, and I guess for activities like this I'm going to have to start using them as they're so very much warmer than gloves. I've still got a really long flag line to erect out beyond ARO to a bunch of the antennas for my space science experiments, so that will probably take a few trips with the drill and a whole mess of flags. It's better to put in a bit of work now to set up the infrastructure that will help keep me from wandering off into the pitch black void of the Antarctic plateau this winter.

I got to do some training today for another of the emergency response teams (Team 1: Hasty Response Team). I went through fire extinguisher operation and inspection with them, as well as covering the role of Accountability Officer that one of their number must fill at an emergency response. This person checks the firefighters in and out of the safety perimeter, getting names, time of entry/exit, and the air pressure when they enter the scene. This helps us keep track of who is in the scene for how long, which can help mitigate danger to the firefighters from unnecessarily running out of air while still in an IDLH (immediately dangerous to life and health) environment. I guess I'll be giving the same training to the entire station at the next all-hands meeting, so it's probably good I've had practice in reciting the litany of do's and don'ts a couple times in the last week.

Tonight I finally got back in the band room and practice real guitar for the first time since I found out that my friend/guitar teacher had to change to the night shift and probably wouldn't be in the band. It took only a little bit to get the fingers to remember the movements, so that's good that muscle memory has already set in pretty solidly for the songs that I've been practicing.

That sun just keeps on falling lower to the horizon, and the shadows just keep on stretching out. It's going to be quite something to "see" this place in the dark after so many months of light.