Boondoggling (I'd never heard of it either) has assumed further meaning in McMurdo. As well as expending resources on an unnecessary activity, it can also imply someone is simply being lazy or wasting time. McMurdo site staff going to snow school is an example of boondoggling in the first sense. They don't need to learn how to build a quinzy or snow wall, but they go anyway (in this case for their own enjoyment, rather than being set the task needlessly). Having been called a boondoggler yesterday, though, I'm pretty sure the second definition of the word was being used.
It's Thanksgiving weekend, and on Friday there was a mini festival - Freezing Man (in reference to the Burning Man festival in Nevada) - held in the big gym on site. I went along and ended up drinking a little too much whisky and going to bed a little too late. Seeing as almost everyone has the weekend of work apart from us out at the balloon facility there were no regular shuttles out to work. My only option yesterday was to get a bus at 7:30am. As I'm sure you've guessed, I missed it, slept until 11 and then boondoggled my way through the day. Ryan (my supervisor) was not amused. Luckily for me the weather got bad by midday, forcing everyone back to McMurdo for the afternoon, so at least I only missed a half day of work.
Condition 2: pretty windy!
Other boondoggles I've taken part in:
- Hanging out in the McMurdo "greenhouse"
- Getting Ivan The Terra-Bus to work (painfully slow ... excellent for having a nap)
- Playing MANY games of cards
- Eating too much, hanging around in the canteen to avoid boredom
- Taking photos of outhouses, just to give people an idea of the full Antarctic experience
Non-boondoggle exercises:
- Cabling up ANITA
- Going to the gym, TWICE!
- Not a whole lot else (still gets a bullet point though, makes me feel better)
Blogging in bullet point form, efficient and easy. Blog done!
Oh, and my uncle is here! He's in McMurdo for a few days before going up Erebus to get cold for a month.
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