Ice time

I thought it was worth commenting about the time difference between here and where most of y'all are. I have not been changing the time stamp on my blog postings so even though I say it's Sunday afternoon here, the time stamp on the entry will say Saturday at 10PM. We are on New Zealand time, so right now it is Monday night here, but still early Monday morning for most of you.
We are having a little going away party tonight, one of many. This week I will be waving goodbye to a few co-workers. Peter and Adam are leaving tomorrow (weather permitting). Kelly and I traveled here together on Oct 19. He will be leaving at the end of this week. I was feeling fine until he started talking about learning how to surf while he is in NZ and I am looking forward to another 11 to 12 weeks of ice time, primarily lab work. Don't get me wrong, I do like McMurdo and I do enjoy my job and the people here. There is a mass exodus of beakers in December to make room for a new batch arriving in January. It's always a little strange to say goodbye.
People here do keep track of such things as ice time, months on ice, seasons worked in Antarctica... Some people want to know whether or not you've wintered (no, that's crazy), been "on continent" (yes, Dry Valleys and South Pole) or if you are "bi-polar" (yes, Summit Greenland). McMurdo is on an island and most people never make it across McMurdo Sound to the continent. Here is a picture of McMurdo taken a few days ago from Hut Point. Scott's Discovery Hut is in the foreground, and well, there is McMurdo Station, my home away from home.