20 November, 1999

McMurdo Station, Ross Island, Antarctica Saturday

It was snowing this morning when I left for breakfast! By the time I exited the galley and headed toward the lab, the snow had stopped, but not before a fine powder covered the dirt roads and hillsides.

Bess, Mark, and Maite were scheduled to helo out to Lake Bonney today, but because of poor visibility, their trip was cancelled. They busied themselves in the lab while Julie and I continued our pursuit of perfect replication on the gas chromatograph (GC)! For every sample vial (refer to the photo from the journal 11/18/99), we shoot twice into the GC. The numbers should be close to the same value. It can be tricky sometimes because there are a few manipulations that have to occur. After injecting the gas, you must count to one one thousand, turn a lever, and hit the start button! Every so often, the start button sticks and your timing is off! Once you get into the routine, it's easy.

Bess finished our injections after supper so that Julie and I could relax. We spent a couple of hours talking with friends and eating M&M's (thanks Debbie, I'm so popular!). I went to bed early. It had been a long, tiring week and I knew that I was going to play and sing at Mass tomorrow. That's our day in a nutshell! We worked, ate, slept, and visited. Tomorrow we have the day off!

Answer to yesterday's question: Only the United States and New Zealand have research stations on Ross Island. The U.S. station is called McMurdo Station and that is where I am living. Scott Base is the Kiwi station, a few miles away. Tomorrow, we are going to walk on the sea ice to Scott Base.

Today's question: What is a skua?

Polar Profile: I will continue the Polar Profile section periodically. Look for interesting stories about firemen, fisherman, galley workers, welders, computer specialists, military personnel, healthcare professionals, physicists, geologists, survival specialists, and communications coordinators.

Sharon

JUST FOR KIDS!!!!! It was snowing this morning when I left for breakfast! By the time I left the galley and was walking toward the lab, the snow had stopped, but not before a fine powder covered the dirt roads and hillsides.

Bess, Mark, and Maite were scheduled to go to Lake Bonney today, but because of the blowing snow, their trip was cancelled. They busied themselves in the lab while Julie and I continued to work on the gas chromatograph (GC). It can be tricky sometimes because of all of the levers and buttons! After injecting the gas, we count to one one thousand, turn a lever, and hit the start button! Every so often, the start button sticks and your timing is off! Once you get into the routine, it's easy.

Bess finished our injections after supper so that Julie and I could relax. We spent a couple of hours talking with friends and eating M&M's (thanks Debbie, I'm so popular!). I went to bed early. It had been a long, tiring week and I knew that I was going to play and sing at Mass tomorrow. That's our day in a nutshell! We worked, ate, slept, and visited. Tomorrow we have the day off!

Answer to yesterday's question: Only the United States and New Zealand have research stations on Ross Island. The U.S. station is called McMurdo Station and that is where I am living. Scott Base is the Kiwi station, a few miles away. Tomorrow, we are going to walk on the sea ice to Scott Base.

Today's question: What is a skua?

Polar Profile: I will continue the Polar Profile section periodically. Look for interesting stories about firemen, fisherman, galley workers, welders, computer specialists, military personnel, healthcare professionals, physicists, geologists, survival specialists, and communications coordinators.

Sharon