But this past friday I graduated to the next level: I completed a work order all by myself! Yeah! Sure, I only had to find and replace the sink stoppers in the women’s bathroom at MMI, but you gotta start somewhere. So, I walked on over and checked everything out: the stoppers were just sitting there next to the sink, but they needed chains attached to them so that they could be pulled out. Unfortunately, one of the stoppers had lost it’s handle and I had to fashion a new one.

I figured the easiest way was to put a bolt through it and secure it with a nut on the other side, but then how would I attach a chain to the bolt? This is when it comes in handy to share a shop with the welders. A few minutes (and a little bit of silver solder) later, and I had this little piece of work, custom made.

We hiked up the hill to the women’s can at the Carp(enters) Shop. We snaked it and plunged it and snaked it and plunged it until we couldn’t snake it or plunge it any more. It was time to get our hands dirty. We pumped out the excess water, unbolted it, and removed it. Hot water ran like butter down the drain line, so the clog had to be inside the toilet.

We tipped it on it’s back side and I put on some rubber gloves, but when I went to reach up inside the thing I found a round piece of plastic flush against the exit hole. It took a fair bit of finagaling and a pair of channel locks to rescue the culprit: the lid to a coffe mug. I was rolling!

Somehow this thing had worked its way OFF someone’s coffee mug and INTO the toilet, then it wiggled itself perfectly into position to completely block the exit hole. It’s like that’s what it was made to do. It didn’t matter how many times we snaked it or plunged it because it just worked it’s way right back into position everytime we flushed it.

I cleaned the lid off and brought it with me to 10 o’clock break, but the first thing that everyone said when I showed them was, You kept it? That thing’s filthy! I thought that was an interest first reaction, so what I gathered from this experience is that everyone thinks I’m a moron. They think I’m the kind of guy that would pull something out of a toilet, covered with shit and piss, and then just throw it in my pocket and lick my fingers clean.

Did I keep it? Of course I fucking kept it. That shitty coffee mug lid is a better souvenir than anything I could buy in the store. Sometimes we forget that kitchen counters are dirtier than toilet seats.

That’s right. I’m back for another season on the Ice. This year I’m a General Assistant to the Plumbers, which is SO much better than working in the Kitchen. If you feel like sending me a postcard or something, you can send it to the following address:

Eli Duke, RPSC
McMurdo Station
PSC 469 Box 700
APO AP 96599-1035

If you’re sending a package, use a padded evelope (it’ll get here faster) and don’t use packing peanuts. If you’d rather communicate with me electronically you can keep an eye on this blog, follow me on twitter, check out my photos, or chat with me online at 5pm on Saturdays (PDT).

UPDATE! I got a pager! You’re probably wondering what’s so cool about that (I mean, it’s almost 2010 for crying out loud). Well, first off, it lets my friends around town find me if they need to, but more importantly it allows people back home (like you) to send me little messages. Just fire up a new email and put your message (200 characters max) in the subject line only (nothing in the body) and send it to 738@pg.mcmurdo.usap.gov.

One source of concern for me before I arrived was my living situation. Last season Meredith and I lived in MMI and I totally took that for granted. It was so awesome having a window and only 1 roommate to deal with rather than 3, which would have been the case if I lived in 155. This year I’m flying solo, so I thought for sure they would throw me in 155 with the rest of the rabble rousers. When I finally got my room assignment after the arrival briefing, I sorta freaked out a bit: I was SO excited. The craziest part, though, is that I don’t even have a roommate. MMI is usually reserved for couples, and they threw me in there by myself, at least for now.

Another thing I wasn’t to sure of until the day I arrived was what I’d actually be doing this season. Sure, I knew I was gonna be an FEMC GA (Facilities-Engineering-Maintenance-and-Construction General Assistant), but what exactly would I be doing? Turns out I’m gonna be a plumber (at least for now), and it’s awesome. I’ve had 2 days of work so far: it’s really laid back and the rest of the plumbers are a bunch of hilarious, crusty old men (Walter, Doug, Tim, Tom, etc). I’m really enjoying being the new guy.

They should have sent a poet.

Also, I think I had an epiphany tonight: we are science-fiction. It ties together so many of the thoughts. I really think that THIS is the book that I will right. I know that I’ve said that before, and I really hope I’m not calling sheep here, but this time I feel a closer connection with this concept because it is one that is based in reality. It’s not a story of make believe, it is a look at truth from a different perspective.

We arrived around 11am this morning and we’ve got the rest of the day to relax and let some of the stress out. I unpacked a bit at the YMCA, took a shower, and then got sushi with 2 deployment buddies. From there we stopped by New World to get a few groceries and I ran into Evan (you know, from before), and he and I walked back to the Botanic Gardens and had a picnic by the river (hummus, avocado, and tomato sandwiches; apples; tangelos).

Tomorrow afternoon we’ll all shuttle back to the CDC (clothing distribution center) to be outfitted with our ECW (extreme cold weather) gear. The rest of that day is ours as we see fit (maybe we’ll hit up Sumner Beach), and then, if all goes as planned, we’ll be shipped off to the ice the following morning (the 13th).

It’s a short stay here in CHC, I’m gonna do everything I can to appreciate the stars while I still have them.

Well, here I am, a year later and hours away from reliving that experience from the other side of the coin. This year I’ll be one of the veterans, I’ll be the one telling the fingies [newbies], “Yeah, I was a DA last year,” and they’ll be the ones thinking, “Man, what was it like last year? What would it be like to come back for a 2nd season?”

It will be surreal for a few days, just like it was last year, but within a matter of weeks I’ll have settled into a routine and things will seem totally normal: just another summer in Antarctica.

just tears.

and then i distance myself even further because i know that if i get any closer i’ll completely break down and start sobbing, uncontrollably. then i won’t even be able to see their faces one last time because my vision will be clouded with tears. so, i say what i can, hold back the rest, and hope that it’s good enough for them.

* * *

last night, just before bed, i saw the sun set again for the first time in 117 days. it was only for a few seconds, but it was exactly what i needed. i watched it glide past Mt. Discovery, swinging low on the horizon, as meredith and i climbed Ob Hill once last time. it hugged the edge of Black Island, as it swept south of the station. then, all of a sudden, it disappeared behind the tallest peak right in the middle of Black Island. for a moment it was gone, for only a moment. i tried so hard to remember all i could at that point, to remember everything about this place and why i love it so much. and then, before i even had a chance to think, it poked it’s head around the other side. i won’t see another one of those for a long time.

* * *

we’re all packed, our room is in order and we have a shuttle to the airfield in about an hour. we just ate brunch for the last time, and right now i’m sitting down in the computer kiosk on Highway 1 for the last time. all day yesterday we kept talking about our last “this” and our last “that”. our last dish and our last crap… in Antarctica.

i really hope to come back here again next season, hopefully in the Carp Shop, but maybe somewhere else if that doesn’t work out. i hope that my friends make it back as well.

i know that my departure date has been changed twice now, but this time i truly believe that i’ll be leaving on the 17th. lots of dates have been switched for a lot of people, but things have settled down a bit around here. that said, i won’t leave until i leave, so don’t go getting your hopes up.

people do leave, though…

morgen left two days ago, and alex leaves tomorrow.

it’s weird to think about actually leaving this place. so many things that aren’t normal have become normal since i’ve been here: i can’t imagine not washing dishes 6 days a week for 10 hours a day; i can’t imagine seeing darkness and stars and the moon, seeing sunsets and sunrises, eating sushi, holding and peting an animal; i can’t imagine walking barefoot with grass poking up between my toes, paying for food, paying rent, or talking on a cell phone.

but leave i will, and leave will my friends, so many friends. i’ve met so many amazing people down here i have no idea how i’m going to keep them all straight. sure, i’ll get email addresses and phone numbers, but…

there’s still over 1,000 people living here right now. in the next 12 days they’ll all be shipped out and replaced by the “winter-overs”. it’s getting colder, the sun’s getting lower, and it’s gonna set again (for the first time in 4 months) in about a week. that’s gonna be weird.

i’m tired. like, really tired, and i’m rambling.

my life in antarctica has been amazing: i’ve met amazing people that i hope will continue to be in my life for years to come; i’ve seen and done amazing things that i will never forget; and i know that next season will be even better (if i get that carp shop job). i consider myself lucky in that regard; others certainly have not had it as good as i have.

it’s been almost 4 months, and i’ve only got 3 weeks left.

one of my friends down here (shuttle joe) is the oldest person on the continent, and he’s 78 years old. he and i got to talking one night at gallagher’s (the non-smoking bar) about how fast the time flies around here, and that was only after 3 weeks. i told him that the first 3 months would fly by just as the first 3 weeks, and sure enough, they did. when i told him that we’d hit the 3 month mark he said, “and do you wanna know the craziest part? before you know it, 60 years’ll’ve gone by.” nice, joe. real nice.

but the next 3 weeks are gonna be jam-packed craziness. Oden, the swedish ice breaker, is here. it’s job is to break a channel in the sea ice from the open ocean to the McMurdo loading dock. it arrived about 2 weeks ago and it’s been chugging back and forth clearing out the sea ice. the oil tanker and the supply vessel will follow, bringing with them a years worth of fuel and supplies; once it’s been unloaded (know as “off-load” around here) it will be re-loaded with a years worth of trash. during this entire process (about 2 weeks) the town goes a little crazy because no alcohol can be sold and the bars are closed. i guess there were too many fights in years passed.

my tentative re-deployment date is feb 11th 13th 17th, the second third fifth flight out at the end of summer. i absolutely love this place, but the thought of leaving excites me. the thought of NOT washing dishes 6 days a week excites me. the thought of lying down in a field of green grass and feeling the warmth of the sun all over my body almost brings me to tears. i know i’ll be crying when i get on that plane.

but those will be tears of sadness and joy, for it will be the beginning of the next stage. it will be the beginning of my summer travels, which are going to jam-f-ing-packed! here’s the super-duper-simple break down (obviously, subject to change):

• mid february to mid march – south island, new zealand
• 3rd week of march – eastern australia
• end of march to mid april – thailand
• end of april – seattle / portland
• most of may – recording in denver
• first half of june – indiana
• 2nd half of june – hitchhiking from indy to seattle

all of that makes all of this worth it.