Rollin Down the Strip

Tuesday October 4^th, 11:00

Rollin Down the Strip:

As much as I love New Zealand I have to admit that I am quite glad to be leaving it. We enjoyed our time there, and filled it with as much fun stuff as we could find, and afford, but we are all here for a greater goal, Antarctica.

We meandered around Christchurch for the first few days, got issued gear, did the normal stuff, and upon the 615 bag drag were informed that we were delayed another 3 hours. 3 hours later we were told our flight was canceled. One more day to entertain ourselves.

Our kitchen crew, plus one (an electrician), all went out to breakfast, were treated like rock stars, went whiskey/scotch tasting, then went bowling. Good times. Grabbed some dinner, went back to our hotels where we once again went over our bags, started movies respectively and probably passed out 15 minutes into them.

This morning we made it.

Now I find myself on a forward facing seat in the second row of a C-17. A bag lunch has been issued to each of us, including the reserve crew who is operating the flight. With a very entertaining safety display, much like that on a commercial airliner, but with some goofy ginger exaggerating every movement, we found ourselves rolling down the flight line. I held back the desire to start singing C-130 Rolling Down the strip. So, we are at cruising altitude, reading, writing or sleeping, and eagerly awaiting our destination, meanwhile, with the best seat in town because the radio man is sitting right in front of us, facing towards us, and man is he hot. Haha

The kitchen so far though seems like it's going to be a very eclectic and fun group of people that really should have no issues at all getting along. Hopefully that is the case and we don't find ways to bother each other to new levels.

So, I suppose I will just kick back, find a way to entertain myself, and pray we don't boomerang, which is get all the way there and have to turn back due to some unforeseen event that we weren't aware of until we attempt our decent. The record of boomerangs is 7, that's 7 ten hour flights, no thank you. But like I said, at least I have a good view.