ANSMET

Although their search has just ended the ANSMET (ANtartic Search for METeorites) blog makes fascinating reading, especially how their search has given them insights into the trilas of the first antartic exploreers like Shackleton and Scott. This season they've netted over five hundred metoerites for study and collectors. I'll quote the post about being a tent slug here. I belong to the related familly of bed slugs some mornings:

The fine art of being a tent slug
January 23, 2009
Last night John got the disappointing news that we had been bumped from the primary to the alternate mission for today. It turned out not to matter. In the morning we were in white-out conditions, and a plane could not have landed anyway. The temperature was -21 C (-5 F) and John estimated the wind speed at 65-70 kph (40-45 mph), putting the wind chill temperature at roughly -50 C (-60 F). Not a pleasant day. Quite a contrast from earlier in the week when we had no wind and a warm day.
We have absolutely nothing to do except wait for our ride to McMurdo. We have become tent slugs. Herewith, a day in the life of a tent slug.
06:50: Wake up when John's alarm goes off. Go back to sleep.
08:00: Wake up when my alarm goes off.Go back to sleep.
09:45: Wake up for good.
09:45-11:30: Stay in the sleeping bag hoping the winds will die down.
11:30: Get out of the sack and go outside for necessary "business." Hard to stand in the wind while taking care of "business."
11:35: Vow never to do that again.
11:45: Listen to Pole-bound plane go overhead. Fantasize about being on that plane.12:00; Make breakfast, lunch, whatever it is. Yum. Lunch meat on Rye Krisps. The breakfast of champions.
12:15-14:00 Have coffee. Work on cryptograms and update daily journal.
14:00: Have more coffee. Continue working on cryptograms:14:45: Get back into the sleeping bag.14:45-16:15:
Stare at the tent walls. Consider desperate measures to get plane to come pick us up. Who might be willing to take one for the team?
16:15: Go outside again to take care of "business" and chip ice for water. Man, I've really got to stop doing that! Consider bringing a two-months supply of "astronaut diapers" the next time I come down.
16:30-18:00: Have Hot Cocoa and work on cryptograms.
18:00: Time to make supper. Yum, yum.
18:35: Go outside to take care of "business." Hey, not so bad this time. The winds have decreased. There is no more blowing snow. The sun is visible.
18:40-20:00: Have more hot cocoa. Work on blog.
20:00-21:10 The team mates gather for the daily reading of Shackleton's and Scott's expedition journals. Oh boy! Amy brought chocolate! Discuss our bleak future. General kibitzing.
21:10: go outside. More "business" to take care of. Not too bad; didn't put on the wind pants this time.
21:15-21:30: Post blog.
21:30-23:45: Get back in sleeping bag. Read.
23:45: Go outside to take care of "business" one last time for the day.
24:00: Turn in for the night. Prepare to do it all over again tomorrow.

ANSMET haiku
We are just tent slugs
We have nothing more to do
Take us Basler, please

100 years ago this date: Shackleton's daily entry was very short with little information. Shackleton must still have been suffering from his falls of a few days before.
Cheers,LYANduck