Stuck in McMurdo

Hello Friends,

So today I was supposed to fly south to the pole, but they canceled my flight at the last minute due to some weather that is supposed to hit Mcmurdo later today. Since I have been here at Mcmurdo I've been helping out in the kitchen, which has been fun and it makes it super easy to meet lots of people. But because i was supposed to fly today I was not expected to go into work so I have been mostly hanging out with a friend and trying to stay occupied. Tonight there is a haunted house and some Halloween festivities. I hope that I will leave for the South Pole tomorrow but who knows at this point, as the schedule (and the weather) changes very quickly here. Last night I did take a hike over to the New Zealand station, Scott Base, for "American Night". There was a shuttle going from Mcmurdo over to Scott base, but myself and some friends decided to walk the few miles instead. It was a pretty windy walk but with "big red" on (what we call out big jackets" you barely notice the wind. The New Zealand base is much much smaller than Mcmurdo, but it was fun to visit another place and other people working down here on the ice. I am sorry i do not have more pictures to post yet, I have still just felt so overwhelmed that I am here that I have not actually taken too many pictures yet. And it also takes a very long time to upload pictures because the internet is super slow, but maybe in my next post.

In answer to some of your questions from previous posts I will do my best to answer some of them now:
Dale-I am not sure why our jackets are red, I think its so that we can be seen easily in midst of all the white. Some of the other counties, like New Zealand have Black jackets so i don't think it has to do with attracting the sun.
David- I have not seen any penguins yet, but I know they are around. most of my time has been spent right on the base at Mcmurdo station and Not to many penguins wonder in here.
Jeff- Since I have been here the weather has stayed around 12-14 degrees Fahrenheit. As the summer season progresses it will warm up even more then that here at Mcmurdo. At South Pole however its much much colder. Right there now it is -59 Fahrenheit, and when the wind is blowing its over -80 Fahrenheit!
Evan- I do not know how thick for sure the ice is, but I know it must be very think as the plane from my last post has to be able to land on it. At the South Pole its on a very thick covering of ice over 9000ft high!
Paige- At Mcmurdo station (where I am right now) the snow does melt because it can get as high as 40 Fahrenheit,and it will snow every now and then like it does at home in Maine. at the south pole however the snow never melts because it wont ever get above 0 Fahrenheit, and it rarely snows. The snow that is there gets blown around so it looks like its snowing more, but it really isn't.
John-I have no idea how much the bus and planes weight, but i think it must be tons! Right now planes are not going to the south pole very often. That is why i am still here at Mcmurdo station and not at the pole where i should be. As the summer season progresses sometimes planes will come and go to the pole at least once a day. Sometimes there may even be more than one plane going to the pole a day so that they can bring necessary supplies and things to all of us working down there, and to re-stock everything for the people who will live there all through the winter!