Happy Halloween
We came back from the field yesterday just in time to fire down some dinner and head over to the McMurdo Station Halloween Party. Halloween is effectively a high holiday here, with most people preparing months in advance, and many even packing costume elements and special materials with their weight-limited baggage when leaving the U.S.
I was on the wrong end of the preparedness spectrum, but managed to piece together a “Fun Police” costume that ended up being quite enjoyable. Because of the sunglasses and mustache, many people didn’t recognize me, even in conversation. I issued citations and written warnings for things like “excessive style”, but found it was most fun to issue “written commendations” to people with excellent costumes and “meritorious service citations” to people like the DJs, bartenders, and galley staff.
David, one of the Crary Lab Assistants made himself an excellent ARTEMIS costume, complete with thrusters, spooling fiber, docking slot, and headlight. Those of us on the project were really impressed by it, and really happy to hear the uproar of applause he got during the costume contest. He was the landslide winner of the Antarctic Theme round. One of the rec office folks was dressed as the ARTEMIS docking rod, covered in front & back lines of flashing blue LEDs. It is a great feeling to have other people on station getting excited about our project.
Britney made some waves when she stepped up to the DJ booth, got them to play California Love, took the mic, and rapped the lyrical entirety of that song from memory… an excellent night for the SIMPLE squad.
Reporting by Peter Kimball