Well, I took the plunge

Yes, I took the plunge. The Polar Plunge that is. I will be picking up my patch on Thursday when I go to Scott Base for American Night.

No, I didn't go naked...I was wearing clothes. Shorts and a T-shirt in fact. Even though it is actually warmer to go naked (the wet clothes start to freeze when you get out of the water), I wanted to make sure you all could (and would want to) view.

I got someone who owed me 4 hours of shift to cover for me from 3pm till 7pm. So I headed over to my room, packed shorts, a t-shirt, towel, dry undies and my Crocs and headed over to meet the ANG guys who were nice enough to take me with them so I didn't have to wait on a shuttle. I wore my flannel pants and a t-shirt over, and had brought a sweatshirt, in the thought that if I acclimated to the cold air, the water wouldn't be so bad.

So we got there, and I changed into my shorts and T-shirt and got in line to go. Yes, there is a line. Most of the Kiwis had already gone, as had the firefighters who went over to do the standby. There was a huge hole in the ice, about 10' x 6'. I could see the bottom of the hole, and there was a couple of starfish down there. There was a ramp from the dirt over the interface of land and water/ice to a platform above the water with a ladder. They put a belt around your waist so that they can clip a carabiner and rope to you, in case you freak out and can't climb the ladder, they can pull you up.

So there I am, in line with a bunch of naked firefighters wrapped in wool blankets, and other people in various states of undress. I got the belt on and went down the ramp, and got the rope clipped on. I remember standing there thinking If you don't jump now, you never will. I held my nose (holding my nose makes it easier to remember not to breath in through my mouth) and jumped. I remember thinking, while I was underwater, that it wasn't that cold, and then I broke into the air. And then I realized just how cold it was. It was really hard to catch my breath, and I was shaking as I climbed up the ladder. My T-shirt started freezing just standing there. Once I got the belt off (at the start of the ramp) I headed straight for the hot tub they had going and climbed in. My fingers and toes were immediately tingling when I got in, and I stayed there for a few minutes to thaw out. Then I climbed out and went into the trailer to change into my dry clothes.

My Crocs actually had the honor of being dipped in McMurdo Sound not once, but twice. I let another girl borrow them since she only had flip-flops, and the liklihood of those staying on your feet is pretty slim. We hung around a little longer and then I headed back to shower and change back into my uniform to go to dinner and back to work.

Fun times. I have a couple pictures of me, some of the people I was with, and of the group of ANG people who I went with. There are more pictures, and even a video that the 1st Sgt took. I'll post those once I get them, either tonight or tomorrow. All of the firefighters who went went mostly naked. The other female firefighter was wearing a skirt of some sort (not that it mattered once it got wet). I was the only one fully clothed, but I take solace in the fact that ALL the ANG guys wore clothes, and that now you can see my pictures, where as the others can't show their pictures past their significant others.

Here's a couple, just before I jumped in and I think that's me jumping in.




Just before I left for the Plunge, we started doing a drill called the Denver Drill. Back in 1992, a firefighter in Denver was killed in the line of duty after getting caught in a confined office space. The 2 other firefighters couldn't figure out how to get him out of the area and out the window in time, and he suffocated. Someone down here built a drill box, that simulates the space the firefighters then had to work with. There isn't any specific way to get the person out, but it's good to try out different ideas. I didn't get a chance to do it, but I got some pictures.



Earlier today, we did inspections, and we had to do the greenhouse, so I finally got some pictures. Here's only one of the several trays of...something. I think it's either basil or cilantro.