South Pole (II)

Richard W. Frank

South Pole (II)

Back to Antarctica

Back to South Pole (I)

From: FRANKR@cyprus.spole.gov SMTP

uhhh "Dear Dad,

Have some news. Was offered and accepted a winter-over position at McMurdo Station as a cook. We leave on Tuesday from pole and then I will have a seven-day R&R in New Zealand to buy new shoes and clothes and music. Will be there probably until the end of October. After that I can take a lonnnnggg time off. I always am a sucker for a challenge. It is a great opportunity to write my magnum opus and watch lots of TV and reread War and Peace. We do have phones in our rooms, a TV, and a bathroom (down the hall) ! A little better than a Jamesway. Write me before I take off, and I will try to call on the weekend. Stay cool and keep in touch...

Your only son at the end of the world,

Rich

The holiday season is upon us. It appears that one cannot escape its powers even at the South Pole. The dinning room looks like a Martha Stewart nightmare. I am living my own right now. My breakfast and lunch cohort Karol quit last week because her marriage was falling apart over e-mail. Now I have the dubious honor of a pay raise and promotion to try to make up for my impending nervous breakdown. Cooking for 180 is something I never thought I would ever want or be able to do 3,000 mile south of New Zealand. I am up to double digits in the coffee intake. At least it is the good stuff.

Cooking up Christmas dinner in the South Pole kitchen

I have the third Jamesway one the right of the inferno-blue building. They are insulated and heated, but the floors get rather cold. Someone left a heater in the room. There are around twelve people in each. The hallway is down the middle, there are never any hall lights on because only curtains separate one from the hall and plywood from my neighbors. you can see peoples boots walk by and sometimes the curtains blow open. so, privacy is sacrificed because of necessity. The cells are about eight feet by seven feet.

The galley isn't much bigger than what you saw except for behind you is the pantry and to the right the ovens. We do have a small gym, a weight room, a sauna, pool table, game room, bar, and library. That is about it. Today is Sunday and everything is crowded. It is around noon and I am going to take a nap so that I can see the Science lecture about the 2km python holes they are drilling into the ice at 8pm and still be up for work at 3am tomorrow.

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, a wonderful b-day and enjoy the rains and sunshine.

‘til next,

Rich

Onwards to Wintering Over (I)

Me with the Pole in the background

Had the day off and went hiking polar style to the ski shack an hour's walk from our little home. For the first time I have experienced the awful silence and indifference of the polar plateau. There is absolutely nothing but white, white, white snow and blue, blue, blue sky. The ice is so dry and sparkles like the pavement of Hollywood Blvd. Exercising at altitude reminds me of our little trip up Whitney. All part of the adventure. Spent the last two hours writing out my menu for the next week and pulling hamburgers and buns for tomorrow. Whee!

Ski Shack

Me and my pet game hen

South Pole Departure Terminal

Hank and Sandi liked my cooking

Hammering in the new South Pole on New Years with a dude from NASA