Introducing Erika "The Tool Girl" Bribiesca

Well hello again!

It has been 2 weeks since the last time I wrote and wanted to update y'all on life here. The week before last brought a condition 2 storm. We even got to leave work early. Woo hoo!! A condition 2 storm is defined as when any one of the following happens: Wind speed is greater than 53 mph but less than or equal to 60 mph, or visibility is greater than 100 feet but less than or equal to 1/4 mile, or windchill temperature is greater than -100°F but less than or equal to -75°F. Quite a blustery day! The wind actually picked me up off of my feet and I landed on the ground hard! But I was okay. Eric was there to pick me up, but he wasn't quick enough to catch me. It just threw me for a loop. The strongest recorded wind gust so far this season was 78 mph! Eric says that this is some of the more typical weather at WAIS Divide and to pretty much get used to it. We should be heading there this week depending on weather. The Put-In crew hasn't even left yet for WAIS and they don't want us (the carpenter Put-In crew) to come for 3 days after they've arrived so they can groom the runway. They are about a week and a half behind schedule. We'll see what this week brings. Pray for lift off.

I do have some fun news for this past week though. I was able to do some actual carpentry work up at the shop. I assisted a carpenter in making a bookshelf as well as cut up some plywood boards to lay down as flooring. I used a table saw, circular saw and a router!!! Can you beleive it? I even got to wear a tool belt with tools in it and everything. It was quite heavy but as a few of the carps have called me "Muscles," I seemed to have done okay with it. I've always said that I'm stronger than I look. So that was quite a fun couple of days for me. I'm still learning a lot, a little more everyday and having a great time.

One thing I did forget to mention last time I wrote has to do with Happy Camper. That was the 2 day outside "Survivor" style course that everyone down here has to partake in. So during the introductions of about 20 of us, 3 people who worked with the BBC introduced themselves. It turns out that they are down here filming a series called "Frozen Planet." It's the same team that brought us the very popular "Planet Earth" series that Sir David Attenborough narrated. He will do the narration for this new series as well as possibly be here in McMurdo this coming January. My father is very jealous!

The six-part series will focus on life in the Arctic and Antarctic. The production team were interested to film a comprehensive record of the natural history of the polar regions, because climate change is affecting landforms such as glaciers, ice shelves, and the extent of sea ice. I was able to get to know one of the directors for the series named Dr. Chadden Hunter. Aside from being quite easy on the eyes (Eric knows that I think this and is fine with it :) ), he also presented a program for McMurdo showing us never before seen clips that will be in the series. It was fascinating and has added an additional level of "coolness" (pun intended) in being down here. The series is hoping to make it's premiere in Januray of 2011.

I wanted to give you a little bit of insight into a typical day for me down here in Antarctica:

6:30AM-7AM- Wake up at typically 7 because you know how I need my 9+ hours of sleep!

7:30AM-Report to the carp shop. Overalls (Carhartts) and all.

7:30AM-8AM- Morning meeting and stretching. After this I usually eat the breakfast snack that Eric is kind of enough to bring to the carp shop so I can sleep in another 45 minutes or so.

8AM-10AM-Work on whatever project they decide to put me on. For the first couple weeks this didn't even involve so much as a hammer.

10AM-10:15AM- Break, This usually involves eating fresh popcorn that the materials shop next door to us makes.

10:15AM-12:00PM- Continue working on whatever they tell me to.

12:00PM-1:00PM-Lunch with Eric

1:00PM-3:00PM-Continue with work

3:00PM-3:15PM- Break; Yeah!!

3:15PM-5:30PM- Finish up work for the day

5:30PM-6:30PM- Nap time!

6:30PM-8PM or so- Dinner time!

8PM-9/10PM- Rest, watch movie, go to the Coffee House and play cribbage and drink their yummy hot chocolate

9:30PM-10:30 PM- I'll be in bed anytime between these times. Good night!

I do this 6 days out of the week with Sundays off. On Sundays I do any or all of the following- sleep in, go to church, eat brunch, nap, read, catch up on the blog, take a hike, nap again, listen to a Science lecture, go to the coffee house, nap some more and get ready for another long work week. I've never enjoyed naps so much!

So thanks for continuing to read the blog. I should have some more interesting things to write about once we're at WAIS Divide. I'll let you know when we finally get there. I hope that everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween and has a super Sunday!!

McMurdo facts:

71% males on base
29% females on base
1032 people in mcMurdo now
Good odds for females, not so great for the guys...

Average age here- approximately 36 years old

We recycle almost 60% of everything here.

Love,
Erika