lookin for a place to party

More photos that don't fit the blog entry, but are cool. Full 2-pi panorama of the South Pole.

"It's friday night, and we're hanging out, looking for a place to party…"

Well, it is friday night, and we are getting ready to make our place a party for tomorrow. It's going to be the "Cheese and Cheese Party" with the SPT team! Wine, cheese, and lots of cheesy music - should be awesome! So we are hanging out in the Science room, looking through Gigs and Gigs of cheesy music. My esteemed colleagues are drinking Corona, and I'm drinking root beer… Good times.

"I'm the operator of my pocket calculator..."

It's a good change from the week. My brain is fried from writing on my paper (see earlier blog); I've read those 5 pages so many times I don't read any more - I scan the words and my sub-conscious fills in what it thinks is there. The paper is coming along very well - we agreed to submit it early next week. But cheesy music is just the break that I need.

"Very Superstitious… writing on the wall"

Man, I've missed reporting some good times on this blog! Last weekend was the South Pole International Film Festival, or SPIFF for short. Short, home-made films by people here at pole. One standout film was a pseudo-western filmed by my friend on the BICEP2 project. He found "a Device" and a bunch of people (firefighters) hunted him down. He survived and never found out what the Device was. All in 7 min! The other exceptional film was a slideshow of compiled photos of the old South Pole Station. It was buried under the snow, and every winter people would go out and climb down into the labyrinth buildings. Many people in the audience had been to old pole, despite it being explicitly not allowed. Last year, those in charge decided that it was too dangerous, and they dynamited the whole thing. People in the audience who had been there were visibly moved, and very bitter about that whole situation.

"Cups and cakes, cups and cakes, Oh what fine things mother makes..."

After the film festival, we all piled on our coats (remember, it's -25 deg F outside) and headed out to Summer Camp. There they had set up a stage for a rock band. We danced the night away to three different bands of Polies playing classic rock. The first band was a trio with my friend playing lead guitar. Man, he was smokin' good! Really good rock and blues guitar player. Then a classic rock band, followed by a Grateful Dead cover band.

" Hey, I'm feeling glad. I've sunshine in a bag. I'm useless, not for long. The future, it's coming on"

It was the usual Pole party - most people mildly drunk, a few very drunk, everyone having a good time blowing off the week. The 15% girl population could get as much attention as they wanted from the 85% guy portion of the population. This leads to great people watching - and mocking - with (and of) my friends. My meringue dancing skills came in handy, and I got to make a fool of myself on the dance floor. I talked to one guy who turned out to be from Missoula, MT. He apparently makes "swords for the apocalypse" or something? He told me I could come up and visit, and we would drink whisky and play with swords all night. Hmm, think I'll pass... It is absolutely hilarious watching people try to dance in insulated carhardt overalls and heavy insulated boots. About all people dressed like this can do is rock back and forth and hop up and down. We hung out until 3am.

"I'm a lumberjack and I'm ok, I sleep all night and I work all day "

"Caught by the fuzz, when I was, still on the buzz"

Last week I needed a break from writing the paper, and went out to play a round of frisbee-golf. No matter that it was super windy. I was doing awesome, and still on par by hole 7. Problem was that was all down-wind. Things went downhill real fast when the course turned around and I started going back up wind. Ended up +13: ouch!

"Everybody, needs somebody, Everybody, needs somebody - somebody to love"

"Stand in the place where you were, now face the place where you live. If you are confused, check with the sun. "

Well, that's it for now. I'm going to go back to my root-beer and cheese - music that is. Till next time.