22 October, 1998

This morning we woke up to a beautiful day, ate breakfast around 8:00 am, and went to get coffee. My team has a need for caffeine. As we found our way to the Java Cafe, we stopped at various shops-- an old book shop, an outdoor gear shop (to pick up ice climbing boots and hiking boots), a watercolor shop (I'll explain this in the next paragraph), and various other shops to pick up a few gifts.

Ed Adams, one of our team members, bought a palette and 4 tubes of watercolors because he thinks that maybe the patterns formed under freezing conditions might be most unusual. He studies ice physics, among other things, and the way that the paint (dissolved in the water) might behave interests him. We'll make some predictions, and I'll take some pictures when he does this. Scientists are always thinking of new and interesting venues.:) I told him he could be the Picasso of science.

We had to go the the Clothing Distribution Center (CDC) at 2:00 pm today to collect and pack our cold weather gear-- many pairs of gloves, bibbed ski pants, polar fleece shirts and pants, parka, wind breaker, gaiters (go around the neck), caps, many socks, and bunny boots (air-insulated boots for cold weather). We were given two orange bags of gear, one labeled "hold" in which we packed all things that we wanted to go ahead of us to McMurdo, and one labeled "hand-carry" in which we packed our gear that we are required to wear on the departure flight from Christchurch and anything we wanted with us (in case our flight was delayed and we had to spend more time in Christchurch). We had to try on everything to make sure it fit. Of course, most of my stuff was XL because of my height.

Our scheduled flight for tomorrow, Friday, has been cancelled to allow another group to go. Our new time will be Saturday or Sunday.

With all the errands and running around, we forgot to eat lunch, so we went to the Dux Lux, met several of John's friends that he has been working with for many years in the Antarctic or on the way down, and had dinner. Another day has passed, waiting for the day we fly to the coldest continent on the earth.

Clothing Distribution Center, Christchurch, NZ

Cold weather gear

The womens

John (left) and his friend, Clive, who has been involved in Antarctic programs extensively

Ed Adams (left) and Chris Fritsen (right), team members

Nina (John's grad student) and me