Week one in McMurdo required a lot of adjustment and adaptation. In seasons past I didn’t experience much jetlag or fatigue right off the bat. This week I was wide awake by 4 AM and dead tired by 6 PM pretty much every day. I had a hard time getting back into the swing of things at work. My mind wanted to ponder other issues and concentrating seemed like a foreign word. I spent a few nights at the Coffee House catching up with folks and tried to watch a band at Gallagher’s. I didn’t stay for long, though, as the band turned out to be quite rowdy and I just wasn’t in the mood. I tried a yoga class with Tami. I got up and did aerobics about every other morning. It was a mellow week without too much excitement, although I don’t think I could have handled any more excitement.
It’s hard to work after taking so many months off. You wonder if you are doing it right. I seem to have a strong and motivated crew, though, so I am not too worried.

:: CLICK TO SEE ALL PHOTOS FROM MY STAY IN CHRISTCHURCH ::
Christchurch welcomed us with mild 60-degree weather and clear skies. The locals said it was the first nice day they saw in months. Not sleeping so much on the plane caught up with me and I snoozed most of our first day there. I did meet a group of folks to eat dinner at our favorite Christchurch spot for classy sushi, Tokyo Samari. We got there at 5:30 and they told us they weren’t open yet, which was fine because we just walked over to a nearby bar and had a drink (I love the hard cider in New Zealand). But to our surprise, the chef gave us free appetizers when we got back as an apology for not being open yet! They were so good! Kiwis are so nice!
The next day we got our ECW together. I was in a bit of a fret because I couldn’t find one of my checked bags. I gave the bag to someone at the airport to take to the CDC as I wouldn’t need it while I was in Cheech. However, it never made it to the CDC. I searched everywhere, called the airport, and even ended up calling the police. Luckily my bag showed up that evening. It was a bit of a strange story as it showed up on a conveyor belt at the airport! How it ever got there is beyond me! All the contents were intact, but the outside was really dirty. I didn’t try to hard to figure it out, I just decided to be happy.
Food was difficult the second day. Many restaurants we tried were not open. The one that we finally settled at had nice outdoor seating over the river. I ordered a chicken sandwich but it was so huge I could barely walk for hours afterward. One strange thing happened as we sat outside and ate. Several gulls wade by the river and scrounge for food. One flew up by the building and got it’s wings caught in a string that was hanging from the side of the building. I guess the string blew up and got caught on the building just like the gull did. It started squawking and flapping in effort to get free. As it squawked flocks of other gulls swarmed in around it. The grass was white with gulls, the roof top was lined with gulls all squawking in a row and the sky around the trapped bird was filled with circling gulls. We weren’t sure if all these birds came to the area in support of the stuck bird or to scavenge it. I decided they came to help. It took some effort of the restaurant patrons to get up to the bird and cut the string free from the side of the building. It was quite a site. But in the end, the bird was set free and we all finished out meals happily.
That night we ate at “Two Fat Indians,” a highly recommended Indian Restaurant. The servings were small, but the food was so good I could barely handle myself. The previous lunch left me pretty full even though I was nearly ready for bed by the time dinner came. It was so incredibly tasty, though, I won’t even bother to try to describe it.

My third Antarctic expedition started with a trip to Denver. I arrived a day before training so I could spend some time with Heather. We walked up to the reservoir in Fort Collins and caught up with each other’s daily dramas. We ate dinner at a Mongolian place and watched a movie with her roommate, Beth. The next day we drove to Denver to watch the Colorado Rockies play the Chicago Cubs. It was a pretty close game and got about as entertaining as baseball gets. We had dinner with my newly pregnant aunt and uncle, Jo and Brian. I watched another movie with them, “8 Below”, and thus began the Antarctic adventure.
I enjoyed Denver. Each season I know more people and have more fun. Orientation greatly improved from the previous seasons as well.
The flight went well. The food was so good on the Quantas flight to Auckland, I considered asking for the recipe! We were served a white bean salad that amazed my palate! I enjoyed how the movie selection changed to ‘on-demand.’ Unfortunately, I picked a bad movie to watch, “Crash.” It was too sad. I stayed up later than I normally do on airplanes, talking to my seat neighbor, Dave the dog musher. He lived near me on the ice my first season. All in all, I had a good, fun drama-free trip.

I started out the MS 150 2006 with a big helping of an all-American breakfast provided for the riders. Then I met up with Zoe, her husband Brian, their kids, and Nadene (Brian’s mom). This year Brian rode, which was extra exciting since he hadn’t done an MS bike ride in years! He rode a shorter route, but he pulled the kids on a trailer, a difficult feat.

I enjoyed doing the same route as last year- Oregon’s northern wine country on day one (from Forest Grove to Hag Lake and then to Gaston) and scenic forests on day two (Forest Grove to Vernonia and back). The first day got a little too warm, but thankfully we hit the last rest stop just in time. They had ice and a misting tent. It made the rest of the ride a breeze! The second day was warm, too, but luckily much of the ride was in the shade. Although this is the hilliest ride I do all year, it really was pleasant.
We saw a bald eagle. I haven’t seen a bald eagle in years, and Zoe and I had to really look at it to make sure what it was. We also saw some interesting road kill (I know, I know, but it’s a long ride!), two baby raccoons died right next to each other. I saw a snail on the road (where did that come from?) We also saw the usual fare of wildlife, and some interesting signs. My favorite is one out front a residence at the crest of a hill; “Slow! Children! Horses! Grandmas!” We rode through Vernonia days again. A guy on a motorbike turned around in the middle of the road and nearly smashed into me! We also saw some suspicious looking yard sales. They were so big! They were almost like businesses!
Zoe and I were quite evenly matched on cycling speed. I quite enjoyed having a buddy the whole ride! I didn’t raise as much money as in past years, but it was still a great time. There is nothing better than crossing that finish line, I swear it, it’s the best. You are hot, tired, and wondering why you do it. And then you see the faces. It really brings about a sense of purpose. I’m sure a lot of people enjoyed Elliot, nearly 3, cheering on and clapping “yea bike riders!” all day long!

Mari donated to the MS 150! Mari is one of my aunts, an image of stability. She is probably the only person in my family who has lived in the same house for over 20 years. I remember her watching me when I was just a little kid. I remember her getting a son, a little baby. Now he is all grown up and graduated from college. My, how time flies!
I look up to Mari, as she was the first person I knew to be a “business woman,” using papers, files, pens, typewriters, and eventually computers. It was always so fascinating to me! It’s a great ride this year, so I am so glad Mari was able to give!