18 - 24 September
Well, what can I say? This really has been a week in hell for me.
Today isn’t too bad as the sun has actually showed itself all day and the skies have been very blue, though the wind hits you like needles of ice! But it has been a crap week to date.
Recently I had to say goodbye to the man I would spend the rest of my life with. This was my decision and it wasn’t an easy one, but it is the only one I can make. So I have said goodbye and he has let me go and that is over, but it has left me totally gutted. Another place; another time: who knows how different things would have been for us. I don’t think I am destined to ever have the happy ever after ending. As if that wasn’t bad enough I had a fight with my best friend that left me very upset. I cried myself to sleep that night and I am rarely prone to tears. But we are buddies again, so all is good now.
The Blizzards keep rolling in here day after day and quite frankly I am sick to death of the weather here. Someone needs to tell Antarctica that spring is bloody well here!
It is a tough life for a girl down here on their own. Over at the other Antarctic stations there are a number of girls and I think that would make life a lot easier. The blokes here are lovely and I do have a couple of good mates, but it is not the same as being home amongst close friends when you need one. This week my fabulous mate Deb told me a very good saying:…” friends are those you call when in jail, great friends are sitting beside you saying "Man that was fun' :-)))” So TRUE!! Ha ha
My friend Lisa, who is a sparkie (and who would definitely be next to me in jail! ;o]), turned down a winter here at Casey next year. Frankly, I think her decision was the right one. I would not recommend this place to a girl. It is tough down here. I am no shy, retiring wallflower. I am a pretty tough and gutsy chick, but I have to say, even I am being pushed to my limits in this place. It has been a very long year.
I don’t regret coming here, it has been an incredible experience: - but I will never come back again. This place and the people I have met have changed me, beyond recognition, from the person I was when I arrived in Kingston to begin this journey last August. Some of those changes however have been tough in the making. But you get that. What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger … and all that crap hey? Not so sure I need to be much stronger though thanks very much Karma Fairies, if you are out there listening to me at all.
I was slushy this week and that was good. Robbie gave me chef lessons on how to de-bone a chicken so I was left with nothing but a pair of floppy chicken shaped pajamas when I was finished. He also showed me how to do a number of different cuts for various occasions and dishes. I also learnt how to make perfect steamed rice and the perfect Béchamel sauce. The Mars bar slice turned out fabulous. The boys devoured those like seagulls on a hot chip! So it was a good two days in the kitchen.
However, right now, I would give a lot to be curled up on my huge snoozy couch back in my lounge room in Newcastle. Sun streaming in the window: Maxy curled on his bean bag asleep having his little doggy dreams beside me on the floor, with his legs twitching as he chases birdies along the beach in his dreams, while I watch a DVD and just relax.
14 weeks to go!!!
Robbie is away at the moment so I did Saturday night dinner. I made a Chinese banquet with deep fried ice-cream for desert. All good - Except for the part where I cut off the end of my left thumb while preparing the chicken! This one is going to take a long time to heal and is very painful. I was almost sick with the pain while changing the bandages today. Add one more injury to the list!
Anyway … This week’s pics were all taken on Wednesday morning during a brief few hour respite from the crap weather. I needed to do some work at the IPS hut so I took my camera and headed out on foot and had a bit of a time out as well as working for a few hours. On the way I found a beautiful Weddell seal. She was pregnant and laying sunning herself on the ice. She was just lovely. So I guess in the end, even the worst week in the world down here is not totally tragic. It is still a magical place and nowhere else in the world could you do and see what I do every day.
Till next week ….
T :o]
Today isn’t too bad as the sun has actually showed itself all day and the skies have been very blue, though the wind hits you like needles of ice! But it has been a crap week to date.
Recently I had to say goodbye to the man I would spend the rest of my life with. This was my decision and it wasn’t an easy one, but it is the only one I can make. So I have said goodbye and he has let me go and that is over, but it has left me totally gutted. Another place; another time: who knows how different things would have been for us. I don’t think I am destined to ever have the happy ever after ending. As if that wasn’t bad enough I had a fight with my best friend that left me very upset. I cried myself to sleep that night and I am rarely prone to tears. But we are buddies again, so all is good now.
The Blizzards keep rolling in here day after day and quite frankly I am sick to death of the weather here. Someone needs to tell Antarctica that spring is bloody well here!
It is a tough life for a girl down here on their own. Over at the other Antarctic stations there are a number of girls and I think that would make life a lot easier. The blokes here are lovely and I do have a couple of good mates, but it is not the same as being home amongst close friends when you need one. This week my fabulous mate Deb told me a very good saying:…” friends are those you call when in jail, great friends are sitting beside you saying "Man that was fun' :-)))” So TRUE!! Ha ha
My friend Lisa, who is a sparkie (and who would definitely be next to me in jail! ;o]), turned down a winter here at Casey next year. Frankly, I think her decision was the right one. I would not recommend this place to a girl. It is tough down here. I am no shy, retiring wallflower. I am a pretty tough and gutsy chick, but I have to say, even I am being pushed to my limits in this place. It has been a very long year.
I don’t regret coming here, it has been an incredible experience: - but I will never come back again. This place and the people I have met have changed me, beyond recognition, from the person I was when I arrived in Kingston to begin this journey last August. Some of those changes however have been tough in the making. But you get that. What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger … and all that crap hey? Not so sure I need to be much stronger though thanks very much Karma Fairies, if you are out there listening to me at all.
I was slushy this week and that was good. Robbie gave me chef lessons on how to de-bone a chicken so I was left with nothing but a pair of floppy chicken shaped pajamas when I was finished. He also showed me how to do a number of different cuts for various occasions and dishes. I also learnt how to make perfect steamed rice and the perfect Béchamel sauce. The Mars bar slice turned out fabulous. The boys devoured those like seagulls on a hot chip! So it was a good two days in the kitchen.
However, right now, I would give a lot to be curled up on my huge snoozy couch back in my lounge room in Newcastle. Sun streaming in the window: Maxy curled on his bean bag asleep having his little doggy dreams beside me on the floor, with his legs twitching as he chases birdies along the beach in his dreams, while I watch a DVD and just relax.
14 weeks to go!!!
Robbie is away at the moment so I did Saturday night dinner. I made a Chinese banquet with deep fried ice-cream for desert. All good - Except for the part where I cut off the end of my left thumb while preparing the chicken! This one is going to take a long time to heal and is very painful. I was almost sick with the pain while changing the bandages today. Add one more injury to the list!
Anyway … This week’s pics were all taken on Wednesday morning during a brief few hour respite from the crap weather. I needed to do some work at the IPS hut so I took my camera and headed out on foot and had a bit of a time out as well as working for a few hours. On the way I found a beautiful Weddell seal. She was pregnant and laying sunning herself on the ice. She was just lovely. So I guess in the end, even the worst week in the world down here is not totally tragic. It is still a magical place and nowhere else in the world could you do and see what I do every day.
Till next week ….
T :o]
posted by Tracey in Casey - Antarctica at 8:10 pm
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