24 SEPTEMBER 2008--Lost a Day

Arrived in New Zealand and was greeted in the Christchurch, New Zealand Airport by the designated Air Force liason, Chief Hoffman. It was at this point that she told me that the budget for the program was cut so bad that I would be only one of 4 military personnel on the Ice for over 3 weeks. My mind wasn't engaged enough to realize just what that meant. She delivered me to my hotel the Copthorne Hotel Commodore which is about the nicest hotel anyone could ever imagine staying in, and has won numerous international accolades for being the number 1 hotel worldwide! This is the very same hotel I stayed in last year on my way to and from the Ice. They remembered my name as soon as I walked in the door and within an hour of checking into my room they had delivered a fresh fruit platter along with a special selection of New Zealand cheese and chocolates and a hand-written note from the owner of the hotel--he took me to watch a rugby match in his private box the previous season. I forced myself to stay awake until around 9PM New Zealand time to try and get my body's internal clock in order since I crossed the International date line and have lost a day.

22 SEPTEMBER 2008

The day was spent running through airports because of cancelled and delayed flight originating from Pittsburgh. I just barely made my connection from LA to Auckland, New Zealand. Four of the Security Forces guys from New York were on my flight, it is amazing how we military types stick out like sour thumbs! The plane was relatively empty and I shared a 4 person row of seats with one other person. I was actually able to get comfortable enough to sleep for a number of hours. I am already running out of books to read--2 books down, 2 more to go!

Quality TIme

Some much needed quality time was spent as a family before I left. We spent some afternoons hiking and shooting our bows.

The target is from my own very own Anne. She is quite the shot. I thought about posting the picture of her with the target but that evening she was shooting in her pajamas. You never know when you might need to shoot a bow while in your sleepwear! She would figure out a way to kill me from home if I posted the picture. I have been married long enough to know not to make that mistake!

21 SEPTEMBER 2008--Leaving Home

We loaded up the boys and delivered them to Grandma and Grandpa Rank so that Anne and I could head to Pittsburgh. It is hard to believe that I am leaving the house with the flowers still in bloom and I will soon be in the surround by the well-below freezing temperatures and snow and ice all around. Here we go again!

A New Antarctica Season--Life as the Frozen Chosen

I am beginning today to record the journeys of my second season in Antarctica on the Blog. The next articles will seem like they are all being posted on the wrong days but I am playing catch-up with the posts since I wasn't able to post to the Blog as well as I would have liked while in my travels.

For the second year in a row I am in Antarctica from September through December. I am here with the Air Force but I primarily function in a civilian capacity. I was completely overwhelmed this year when I was told I was coming back. I was deploying for a combat rotation to the Afghanistan AOR when the chaplain that was coming to the Ice backed out last minute…the director of the National Science Foundation requested me by name…and so quicker than anything I went from 6 months of dodging bombs and bullets to 3 months in one of the most beautiful, peaceful, and austere places in the world! God is GOOD! I very much felt like Abraham with his son Isaac, I needed to show my willingness to do as God asked no matter how hard it would be…to stand tall and proud in the face of sheer and utter adversity and pain…only to be spared the actual act of plunging forward at the last moment.

ANTARCTICA ARTICLES BY YOURS TRULY

This first link is for an article that I wrote for the international paper of my religious denomination.
http://www.umportal.org/main/article.asp?id=3610

This second link is for an article that I wrote for the Pennsylvania's paper of my religious denomination, although it was edited pretty poorly by the paper.
http://www.wpaumc.org/files/uploads/14652008-05-09interlink.pdf