wells, this last week has been quite full and full on feels like much longer than a week. the big things have been starting work in the shop which rocks actually. peoples there are really great and fun and the work is much more manageable than i was imagining. at this point i am only working on light vehicles (trucks and vans) that get folks around town and the area. i have my own toolbox full of tools with many more to access in the tool room. all the other mechanics are super friendly, funny and helpful, which makes it an awesome place to work. and the boss is a total crack up and a little crazy (in the good ways).
actually, at this point i've only worked 2 full days because of all the trainings. the most amazing so far was the snow school training! it was a 2-day course, where we camped out in an area away from town, to help adapt to antarctic weather and get a sense of what we need to do if we were to get stuck out somewhere. it rocked! i'm gonna give the details in the next entry though because it is actually the middle of the nite here and i can't sleep but i need to.
so, i will add some other details...the food isn't too bad actually and there's a greenhouse so we are getting some "freshies" off and on. i'm on the VMF (vehicle maintenance facilities-where i work) volleyball and soccer teams and it's a riot, mostly because mechanics aren't always athletes. i'm meeting tons of people and it's disorienting to meet someone and realize that when i say "see you later" i will actually see them later, in moments probably, at breakfast, lunch, dinner or some event that nite. the weather is already getting nicer, in other words, i can go outside without "big red", the giant, warm and cozy parka we're issued. it's only when the wind picks up that the chill hits in some, but the views of mountains around here are spectacular! also, after the snow skool training, i tried out for the SAR team (ps there are so many TLA's (three letter acronyms) down here it's absurd) any the Search And Rescue team, which the try-outs were esssentially the next level in the snow skool trainings. it was totally fun and involved practicing rescuing someone from a crevasse (a pseudo-crevasse, they made it by digging into an area they know is solid and safe), so working with climbing equipment and such. we also did some glissading (sliding down a steep snowy incline on your butt) and self-arresting (using your ice-axe to stop your slide or fall down the incline. ANYHOW, i made the team! i'm really excited about it and somewhat surprised but not entirely. mostly the surprise comes from the fact that there were many applicants, many folks who tried out and only a few who were chosen...so what it means is i'll be continuing the trainings once a week (oh, we're the secondary team, so will fill and support the already established primary team) and i'll really get to know the area and outdoor environment here. i'll obviously be learning search and rescue techniques and skills for extreme cold weather which will be applicable to any mountain adventures i have back home or out in the rest of the world for that matter...it rocks!
oh goodness, i do need to go back to sleep, my new schedule starts tomorrow. oh, i'm working dayshifts instead of nights, and i'm working 5 days of 12 hrs a day (1hr for lunch), this way i get 2 days off instead of one, which is superb.
more soon and lots of love, shawntel
