Friday, September 14, 2012

Stormy, as ever



It always seems like around sunrise and station opening here at Pole that we get a bit more energetic inclement weather.  Though our temperatures are a bit warmer, the wind has increased and the visibility decreased the last couple days.  It always has to happen, probably due to uneven solar heating of the atmosphere over the continent emerging from the winter night, but also to keep the Tripod of Flight Delays on its feet and functioning for the early season.  What might the three legs of said Tripod be?  Here they are:
1)      Weather delays (due to weather here and/or McMurdo)
2)      Mechanical issues with the planes
3)      Crew rest cycle conflict
 It seems usually there will be a period during early summer when these three issues randomly and cyclically occur, which can have a deleterious effect on the unprepared/unseasoned winterovers’ peace of mind/sanity.  To me it feels like the end of winter, and delays will undoubtedly happen as a matter of course.  It’s a while yet until planes start winging their way Poleward, but it is certainly beginning to look a lot like that time of year here.

No other news regarding that very cool topic of several weeks ago.  I gather only ~2 weeks of notice are generally given, or have been given in the past, before scheduled to go interview.  So, I’ve got a month or so before some contact could legitimately be expected for the earliest interview group.

“For over a long period of time there’s little in life so disheartening as constant cold-not deep enough to kill, mayhap, but always there, stealing your energy and your will and your body-fat, an ounce at a time, I’m afraid we’re in for a very hard stretch.  You’ll see.”
~Roland Deschain, “The Dark Tower”

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