Pumps, cables, spares and supplies for the equipment at Pole, an aethalometer to measure pollution levels in the work environment at McMurdo. From past experience I use giant bags of miniature candy bars in place of packing filler. We paint boxes. In 1997 I used several cans of aerosol paint and asphyxiated myself while simultaneously producing only blotchy designs on the cardboard. This year it's a quart of Best Matte Black, two brushes and an assistant.
Life speeds along.
I pack my bags a week in advance, knowing that the pressures of everyday life will not release me until the last moment. I envy Shackleton his heroism, partly for the attendant recognition and build-up. Shackleton couldn't say THAT to his family. I am surrounded by eager young men talking into cellphones. We fly, yet there is no sensation.