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Showing posts from February 4, 2007

100 and Done! (Countries that is...)

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We are back! This last trip brought the total countries visited to 100! It is a crazy milestone. It is difficult, time-consuming and can be (IS) expensive. After I got back from Antarctica in 2007, I started thinking about it. After 2010 I was thinking about it more (as I moved from NY to Georgia) and in 2014 it had become a real goal. Between Angie and I we have been to 109 Countries. We are tied at 100 countries each. We have 9 countries different in our lists. For example, I have been to San Marino. She has not. She has been to Israel. I have not, yet. There has been some fun competition in this area. That's why we had to establish rules. 1.) Must be listed (as a country) with the US State Department 2.) Being in an airport doesn't count. You have to get through immigration somehow and not in a DMZ or a no-mans-land 3.) A passport stamp is not required. I have been to Canada, Paraguay, and Uruguay without getting my passport stamped. There are friendly borders in many places...
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I am hanging low. There seems to be a lot to think about. Certainly I have a lot of projects either that need to be started, have been started and need finishing, or new ones to dream up. I feel the need to throw some stuff away. I shall list a whole bunch of stuff on ebay this afternoon. That will cure that itch just fine. There are reports of 10 feet of snow up in Oswego today. They have been getting some serious lake effect snows to be sure. Here is a pic a friend sent me from the ice from atop Mt. Erebus today. The sea ice really moved out this year. It is absolutely amazing. The helos stop flying today until next year and the station is getting ready for another winter.
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I was asked "Now, does it REALLY get cold in Antarctica, or is that hype?". I think that is a great question. For those familiar with the blog have seen open windows, fans, van heaters not on etc. Yes, it does really get cold in Antarctica. Yes, there is hype about the cold in Antarctica. The coldest temerapture on earth was recorded in Antarctica http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/YongLiLiang.shtml . It routinely gets below -100 degrees F at South Pole Station each winter. At South pole it never gets above 0 F (it may have one or twice in the last 50 years we have been watching.) However, Antarctica is a big place, larger than North America. It also has seasons. So there are extremes, especially in microclimate areas. The warmest teperature ever measured in Antarctica (supposedly)was + 59 F http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215022/climate.htm . The Peninsula is a lot different than most of the interior of Antarctica. I understand it rains there a lot in the summer. I hav...
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Trying to Reacclimatize in Upstate NY Winter right after return from Antarctica

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Today here in NY it was -12 F with a pretty good wind. It didn't feel very cold to me. The cold air as it comes into the lungs is quite familiar. The air is much more damp here and the snow is not as crisp as it would be at the same temperature in Antarctica. Even at -12 it feels damp. I do have to get some better winter clothes though. I respect the cold more than I used to. I see folks around here not preparing for the cold at all before they go out into it. I understand that the car will be warm in a few minutes and all that and it it is only a short walk between buildings. I guess the question is why suffer? Not dressing and getting cold even for brief periods is self imposed. If you get cold and you don't want to be cold something is wrong. I wish I could summarize the last 4 months on the ice but that just won't be happening. I guess it was too big of a deal, too much to summarize. I will be trying. I am off concentrating on some financial plans, aviation plans, a...
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I am glad I am home. I am getting used to all the people, activity, darkness and otherwise real life. I seem to have gotten ill between here and the ice. I will be spending more time in bed than I "oughta". Bonnie seems to have saved Calisto the llama' life.
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