Cleaning house

That plane did arrive and take back off for McMurdo the other day (photo below).  In the time since then we have had a Twin Otter crew arrive, spend one night, and then take off for McMurdo.  We also have had a Basler here the last couple days that is waiting for weather to clear at the Davis Australian station before it heads there, with a planned departure early this afternoon.  If things go as planned, we will have another Basler/Twin Otter arrive here from Rothera today.  Weather is supposed to deteriorate at Pole for late today and the next several days, with higher winds/lower visibility, so it is uncertain whether station opening with the first LC-130 flight from McMurdo will happen on time.  No sweat on this end of things; it happens when it happens.

Cleaning has been eating up a lot of time the last several days.  Monday was the big station-wide MEGAMOUSE cleaning, though some cleaning had been going on the week previous.  I have been working on a lot of straightening up in the science lab, and finally spent some time cleaning my berthing room last night.  I currently do not have to change rooms to make space for an incoming summer person, which is different than years previous, but I wanted to have only touch-up cleaning to do since I will have to wait until the last minute with packing since I will need some of my stuff right up until the post office opens for winterover outgoing package mail.  I prefer to carry as little with me on the (however circuitous) long road home.  Some of the cleaning of public spaces always has to be done right before folks arrive, since those areas easily look dirty with minimal traffic.

I'm still hanging in there on the whole "what's next" on the travel and career (including astronaut candidate selection) fronts.  Patience is definitely a virtuous skill I've been forced to hone doing this sort of deployment, and I think it is probably a good skill to have with how uncertain life is in general so much of the time.  I'm not really beset by any uncontrollable cravings for food, as usual, but there are definitely some movies I'd like to see from the past year (dollar theater, here I come) and yet to open.  It will be interesting to see what seems remarkable or different in the world once I return yet again.  The

“Finally, there is this to be said for seasonal work of any kind.  Whenever the hours tend to drag, the customers become tiresome, you have that most wonderful event of all to look forward to and comfort yourself with: termination day.  End of the season.  Out of work again at last and free to starve or thrive, as you make it, in your own style."

~Edward Abbey, Cactus Country