25 December 2011 Merry Christmas from the South Pole!

Christmas Dinner

Last night we had an amazing Christmas Eve dinner. There were three different meal times and ours was the last one, starting at 7 p.m. Before entering the galley for our dinner, we had appetizers and hot apple cider in the hallway. When the galley was ready, we were ushered in to beautifully decorated tables. After a welcoming speech from the directors of the South Pole Station, we enjoyed a delicious meal that included beef wellington, lobster, ragout, and truffle or garlic mashed potatoes. The AGO team sat together and made many toasts throughout the meal celebrating the holiday, our project and our team spirit.

Breaking Records on Christmas Morning

When I walked out of the Jamesway this morning, it felt unusually warm. At first I thought my tolerance for the cold was starting to go up, but when I arrived at the station I learned that today's temperatures were the highest they have ever been at the South Pole! It is 9.3 degrees Fahrenheit which beats the previous record of 7.5 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the warmest temperature ever recorded at the South Pole!

I arrived at our lab table to find stockings filled with goodies. This was no surprise to me--Susan and I made them a week ago in the craft room. Although we had expected to hang them in the AGO, they still helped foster Christmas spirit!

In the galley, a gingerbread house sat on top of the counter and a pile of Christmas cookies were available for anyone who wanted them! The flight schedule announced Christmas caroling too! This is a tradition where the South Pole staff sings Christmas carols to the staff at McMurdo Station, and they reciprocate. Norwegian skiers who are camping outside of the station came in and sang as well!

Happy Holidays!

So far it has been a wonderful Christmas. I was able to call my family and fiance and wish them a Merry Christmas Eve. I am looking forward to a day of relaxation and celebration! I wish everyone a wonderful holiday and feel so lucky to be at the bottom of the world celebrating with wonderful people!

Questions

Have you ever been away from friends and family for a holiday or special day? What are some things you could do to still celebrate?

What gifts would you make or buy for someone in the South Pole?

Math Connection

If each stocking contained two twix bars, a bag of peanut M&Ms (which contains about 30 M&Ms), a roll of chocolate Rolos (which contains about 10 candies), a small chocolate bar, and about 15 hard candies, how many individual pieces of candy did each stocking contain? How many total pieces of candy were in all 4 stockings?