On Saturday, after another 6-hour troubleshooting session at
the end of another week of troubleshooting, we finally restored basic operation
to the instrument in question. It can
currently only take data from directly overhead (zenith), but it is
running. I imagine it will be some time
before we finish investigating the cause of the interruption, as well as (with
luck and some considerable effort) restore full pointing capabilities to the periscope
mechanism that gathers the light for the interferometer.
While I was doing that and my other regular duties, the kids
were having their long weekend with associated festivities. The dinner event started at 3:30 PM, which
was the earliest I can recall for this sort of fancy meal in the winter. Furniture and A/V equipment were set up in
the gymnasium to watch movies. They did
end up showing “The Shining” on Friday evening, so that ritual act was
performed yet again. By the time I went
in to get some leftovers for dinner, the galley was being used for a dance
party, but I didn’t see too many folks cutting a rug. I was pretty tired, so did not join in the
fray.
In the interest of visually imparting some of the little
details of this place I intermittently call home, I’m going to start sharing
photos of the little things that make fill in the gaps between the grand “Pole”
topics. Maybe it will be interesting,
maybe not, but I’m going to do it nonetheless.
First up are the little metal disks on a sub-floor access hatch on the
way into/out of the galley. If you hit
them with your heel just right, they ring like a little bell. See, that’s trivial, but part of the
experience.
"I think the real reason so many youngsters are clamoring for freedom of some vague sort, is because of unrest and dissatisfaction with present conditions; I don't believe this machine age gives full satisfaction in a spiritual way, if the term may be allowed.”~Robert E. Howard
3 comments:
The details of life in another place and culture are an important part of the human experience. ( Can you tell I was a geography major?) Looking forward to the details.
I definitely like reading what you write Ethan. It opens up new 'adventures' and experiences for me. Almost like reading a virtual book. You definitely allow me to gaze into your world from afar and I don't have to experience the extreme temps. :)
except the 100 degree heat of Oklahoma right now. Want to trade?
Thanks, Tony, I'm doing my best to keep things fresh in a very familiar surrounding. Temperatures aren't that bad with proper gear. They just take some adaptation. I wouldn't mind some summer heat, for sure.
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