Tunnel end lights coming up brilliantly

You have my apologies for not posting in so long a time.  Since I last wrote, the glow from the sun has been waxing, and there is definitely a discernible amount of illumination it provides whilst working outside. 

I also got an interesting, if murky (no tripod and holding breath while standing in the wind wearing bulky clothes), shot of some auroras over ARO.

There has been plenty of work to do, and I have had some extracurricular distractions (more on that below).  We still have no details about our redeployment flights, but it seems to be becoming pretty clear we probably will not be dealt with by the travel department until probably sometime in October, or until the main body folks for summer are all booked.  So, that definitely puts a damper on making plans for any sort of vacation/travel after finishing here.

Now I will address that previously-mentioned extracurricular distraction.  A week ago on Tuesday I got word from home that NASA had requested I get a physical exam done as a prerequisite for consideration to be selected for an interview.  It is specifically stated that doing the physical is not a guarantee for inclusion in the interview process, but I feel pretty confident about my chances of selection.  As I understand it, this interview is quite the week of interviews and medical/psychological tests and a general massive influx of information whilst meeting lots of people at Johnson Space Center that work there or (like me) hope to work there.  So, today I got my physical done by our doctor here at South Pole, and we will be forwarding the report/paperwork on ASAP.  Come what may, I will already have made it deeper into the process than my previous application, and having this to look forward to certainly has changed the timbre of my thoughts for the pending termination of employment once this contract is finished.  I will naturally keep you up to speed on what WILL be one of those (like the title of my blog) vivifying adventures I’ve been working on for…oh…23 years or so, now.

"To know a thing well, know its limits. Only when pushed beyond its tolerances will true nature be seen."

~The Amtal Rule, "Chapter House: Dune" by Frank Herbert