Made it!

Hi all,
leaving was very interesting, I'll give my two cents shortly. But in the above photo, I am having a Double White Chocolate Latte @ Coffee Culture. (they are just around the corner from Hotel So, right before you pass Subway.) I must say the coffee was excellent, great for the start of a beautiful day in Christchurch. The weather is perfect, not too hot with a balmy breeze; wonderful.

So, just for kicks I'll give ya the skinny on my departure. The most important mistake I made was not getting some sandwiches and/or food from the galley. At 140 they gave us these box lunches, which were awful; and most of you know I'll eat almost anything. But those box lunches tasted like crap and gave me heartburn. Do yourself a favor and pack some sandwiches and goodies, you'll be glad you did.

We took IVAN to Pegasus, but then had to hang around and wait for about 2 hours. The plane had to land, they had to unload it, then reload it; then finally they let us on. Extra food would have been nice. Dress warm. After we got in the air, most everyone took off their ECW gear and put on their street clothes; so Keri was right on when advising to pack shoes and a pair of clothes in your carry on.

The flight takes some time, but then when we landed in Christchurch it was dark. That was totally weird, I just stared for a few moments at the darkness. Getting back into NZ takes a bit of time, don't lie on your form. They were busting people left and right, mostly little stuff; but they were earning their keep last night. I saw one guy get his boots taken away. They were all over peoples shoes, so take a few moments and use a brush on them.

From there I walked over to the CBC where I was expecting some kind of check in, but no; they just told us to throw all our gear in a pile in the middle of the floor. Then they give you your shuttle passes and a patch. I was entirely grateful to get a patch, it looks like the ones on the jackets. I had heard mixed stories of the patches; that they had quite giving them out and so on. But everyone got one...too bad Lan wasn't there to sew that one on for me too; lol.

Off to the Hotel So, where it was going on. There were a handful of McMurdo people partying in the bar; it was nice to see familiar faces. Leaving is unique, I have worked at remote camps in Alaska before and missed people when it was over; but mostly just wanted to buy them a beer or do coffee. The feeling from McMurdo and my fellow Jano's is more family oriented. I feel like I just left a family reunion. God bless you all!

It was so strange to sleep in a room by myself. I sleep soundly and awoke about 05:00. A nice hot shower woke me up and then I went over to Christchurch Square. Unfortunately, none of the coffee shops were open; but the weather was perfect. I sat in the Square, the wind caressing me like a thousand little angels giving me a massage. Loud obnoxious Seagulls flew around, making a caw that sounded like Jeff blowing his nose. It was different to see birds all around, white tops, Windows gray bottoms, with orange feet and beaks...the same color orange as Whitney's sweat shirt.

Flowers are blooming everywhere, soft and pretty; their fragrance wafting in the breeze. Then I smelled coffee and good coffee at that. (Only a few of you knew that I was a coffee aficionado and had my own private stash from a buddy who makes his own beans; I really enjoy good coffee.) And I found it at the Coffee Culture, mmmm goood! I then went to Micky Dee's and got two Massive McMuffins for a great breakfast.

Back in my room I came up with a great idea for a prank. There are plenty of hip kool people staying at Hotel So, and I wanted to make an impression too. So I took about 7 or 8 condoms, unwrapped them. Then I took the milk cartons in the fridge (hey, did you know that refrigerator does not have a 'd' in it, interesting.) anyway, I took the milk cartons, poured them in the sink, dipped all the condoms in them, then scattered them across the room. Making it appear that I was outrageously wild and had partied all night. Yep, bet I'm popular now.

Oh don't forget, the Money Changers may not be open when you arrive, you might need to wait till the next day to get Kiwi funds. In case you've forgotten, from the Hotel So there is a grocery store about a block away, go right out the door, take another right at the corner, and you'll see it eventually. Take a book to read on the flight from McMurdo to here. Make sure you dispose of any non-sealed foods before leaving the plane. Clean those shoes, they'll be inspected.

In case you didn't know why I was able to leave, here is why. I have arthritis, which I already knew; but it makes little cracks in your joints and my joints are filling up with gout. So it's kinda of a double whammy. Sometimes it doesn't hurt at all, other times it is awful. But that's the scoop in case you wanted to know. The rumors that I was pregnant are false, though I will admit I gained 45 pounds at McMurdo.

Last but not least, sincerely if you pass through Anchorage; let me know. And one more thing, I didn't really do the condom prank, just thought it would be a good one. Probably against some seminary rules, so I didn't do it. lol

Love ya guys,
Carlton

Happy New Year !!!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

I must mention that the Christmas Caroling was excellent. Two of our Jano's, Lavonne and Lan participated. I was able to hear them at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, and they sounded beautiful. Kudo's for sharing the joy!

I was in the the Smoking Lounge and observed one of our female Jano's defeating one of our male Jano's in a wrestling match. While I won't mention names as to not embarrass anyone...I would encourage everyone to stay on the good side of anyone they might know whom is named after a tree.

Today, at ICESTOCK, our very own Jano's Justin, Sparky and Nathan will be the opening act. Adam will be on stage later as well. Make sure to hoot and hollar for our fellow Jano brothers and sisters; after all we are representing!

Oh, I was asked if graveyard has a gang sign...well, YES we do. However, if I were to show it to any one other than a graveyard teammate, I would be in danger of gang violence. AND yes we have gang nicknames...why? BECAUSE WE ARE FRICKIN GANGSTER, day shift better just respect. Highway 1 and Crary are our hood and we will cap anybody with our 9mm if we see them leaving dishes or trash lying around. Word Up!

See if you can identify the graveyard gangster with their cute lovable gangland moniker. Momasita C or Queen B; G.B. or Gangsta B; Phattie or Fatty (no, it is not Carlton); and High-C. Don't ask me to tell you who is who, cause I would just have to cap ya. Mudda Bucka

Anywho, I just wanted to share the love and wish you all the best. Have a great time at IceStock and be SAFE! Flash me a gang sign if you dare...and NO Chelsea, the middle finger is not a gang sign!

PS: Chad, don't forget I know where you live!!! Mind your P's & Q's stud, or me and my homies are gonna pay you a gangland visit, gangster style, wearing hoodies and speaking unintelligible sentences, flashing our 9mm's and our skua bling; you get the picture!

Love you all,
Carlton

(If I have offended anyone, please blame Jeff for starting this blog; without that action I wouldn't be posting. As always, I remain innocent!)

It's no fun when you go home alone.......

I sit here at Christchurst and search all the places.... i look at the crowds and try to find familar faces.....the crowds are laughing and having a good time ....but to me their all strangers...and no friends of mine ...my friends are at Mcmurdo , doing what they do.....damn i miss all their faces and i know this to be true...when you make friends in a place as harsh as the '' Ice'' ....your friends stay with you forever ....and forever for life............i am heading home because i have to but i will always remember the time that i met some of the toughest , hardest working, life loving, fun having people, on he face of the planet.........there is a saying that ''You have to go to the Ends of the Earth to find a better deal".........well let me tell you....i have been to ''The Ends of the Earth''..........and you will never find a better bunch of people ..........God i miss them .........but i will never forget then................''See you all down the road''..............Your friend Always........Eddiebear

Glad it's finally over...

Well, the Jano Olympics were something else...it appeared a good time was had by all; and that was the point. I didn't mind losing the fitted sheet folding competition to such fabulous fitted sheet folders; way to go.
Chad was outrageous the way he tossed that bag, he is a natural. I was impressed with his TP stacking as well, he better get ready to stack blocks for his upcoming baby. The PPE beauty contest was great too, all three looked safe, Safe, SAFE!!!
All in all, it was a great time. The judges were fair and just and the events were well balanced. Great job fellow Jano's.

PS: If it ain't against the rules, it ain't cheating.

TEAM VACPAKISTAN ROCKS !!!

Hello Again

Sorry i took so long to write again, i finally got the knots loose and was able to untie myself, boy some people can not take a joke.
Things are going well here , we stay pretty busy work wise , and when we do get our day off we tend to live it to it's fullest...what i like most about this place is the fact that we are all part of a family and mcmurdo is our house ...if one of my fellow workers had a wild night ..i will be there with an asprin and a bottle of water...if one of my fellow workers WANTS to have a wild night ..i will be there with a beer and a smile ...if one of my fellow workers comes up to me and says '' I am in some really deep Do-Do... i will be there with an understanding ear to listen ..or a mop to help clean it up...we watch out for eachother...some day this will end and we will all go home to those we love...and miss us...even Jeff , he will go back to his little ranch home and relax ...him and his pet goat, Little Nervous...........may we all live our lives as we should ......helping those that need help..........Always..Eddiebear

"It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn't matter who gets the credit. "

How do you write a blog about people you don’t know? You can’t you have to get to know the people you are writing about. We did a survey this week, full of dumb questions. Every one asked “what is the point of these stupid questions”. What is the easiest way to get to know people? You ask questions, you listen to the answers. With the people that have turned in the survey we have learned in one day we take out 144 trash cans, in one week we sweep 1996 steps, in a month we scrub 2640 toilets. That is for the half of the crew that has submitted the information.

How do you read a blog about a group of people you don’t know? You can’t you have to know them. If you don’t know who you are reading about there is no reason to take time to read it.

This is the first part of introducing the people of the Jano department. No one person is more important then the other person, no one person works harder then the others. We all do are part to help each other out. We are a team if we lose one, and then our team is incomplete. We don’t complain about it, we just change are schedule around to get the job done.

This is the first part of the crew.



This person has been described as a true gentleman. He is a savvy individual that has earned the respect of many with in our department, with his easy going personality and intelligent commentary. Soon to be a new father, Chad is valuable player to the team.

He never has anything serious to say. Always trying his best to make people laugh, smile and like him. And we all do just that. If there is something that needs done we can count on Eddie to get the job done.

She is the department smile. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t make a statement that will surprise you. If you’re having a bad day, talk to Chelsea guaranteed she’ll make you smile.

A team is only as good as their leader. Always having something positive to say about you, statements like “big fan and you are a rock star”. You can tell when you talk to her, she truly cares about your safety. With out Keri this department would not run the way it does.

Mr. Olympic, Mr. Competitive he is the one always trying to win. If it’s not folding fitted sheets at the Jano Olympic, it’s bowling the best at are fun day at the bowling alley. When it comes to doing Jano work Carlton is a true winner.

She’s not seen much, only once or twice a day. She works in a dungeon, but she does it with pride. She is an adventurous spirit that lives free and has traveled excessively. If you call her Barb instead of Caitlin she might shove you in a washing machine.

He’s been here the longest. He knows the ins and outs of being a Jano. If we have a question we can go to him to get the answer. With out Steve our vacuums would never get repaired.

With being the newest member of our team she has cut the work load for all of us. LaVonne has made our job easier.

Always helping others out, he is a true team player. He has discovered a world of cool people hidden in the depths of a frozen continent. He work hard, play hard, and interact willingly. Adam has a good view of life and living, the same views we all should have.

Watch out what you say to this person she might just run you down. With good work ethics she will not stop until the job is done. With her sarcastic answers, Cedar always has something to say, but it is always worth listening to.

She is always going above and beyond her duty as a Jano. She also spends her lunch hour working in the store, always with a friendly smile on her face. Tiffany is a strong member of the Jano family.

With the personality she possesses, she is the life of the party. She has her own style and she makes it work. It’s always fun to have her around. She is one of a kind. With out Sparky, the job would be boring.

Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success.

By the way...

First and foremost, I need to retract what I stated about our drinking, dancing comrades. A friend of mine informed me that a seminary student shouldn't be calling anyone hot, except God or his wife/girlfriend; and that it could even be construed as sexist. I did not mean it offensively and would restate it as so: "Our co-workers, freed by the consumption of spirits, danced liberally; each a artistic expression of grace and wholesomeness." (I mean it too.)

I volunteered today to cover Chad's duty in the laundry and boy am I glad I did. I was able to share with Caitlin and Tiffany some of the fitted sheet folding skills I have learned over the years. They were floored with my sheet folding skill set. Here is a excert of their reaction to observing me whilst folding.

Caitlin: "Oh my goodness, I've never seen such grace and perfection expressed in the simple act of fitted sheet folding!"
Tiffany: "I can't believe it, I never knew fitted sheet folding could be so beautiful!"
Caitlin: "His hands, they are flying like a conductor leading an orchestra..."
Tiffany: "Yes, yes; and each fold is like each instrument playing it's unique sound..."
Caitlin: "Culminating into a glorious perfection of fabric manipulation."
Tiffany: "Resulting in a folded fitted sheet beyond our imagination."
Caitlin: "I can't believe that I have been fortunate to witness this with my own eyes."
Tiffany: "Let's keep it a secret and have him come and fold a sheet for us, when we need to be happy. "
Caitlin: "Sigh"
Tiffany: "Mmmm"

At that point I dared not fold another fitted sheet before them, lest they went into a euphorical trance. I had shared enough...which is all I really want from my sheet folding. Yes, I am not in it for the glory or the fame; I simply want to share love and help achieve world peace. And if I can do that with my folding, then God bless me I will fold until I can't fold any more.

Peace!