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.