Furniture and Icebreakers, or the lackthereof

CINCINNATI, OH

It turns out you should not wait 5 years to upgrade the operating system on your laptop. 

While waiting for my computer to be brought into the modern era, I wandered the mall, finding myself in stores I seldom visit. In Renovations Hardware, I admired a desk made of riveted metal, made to look like a part of an airplane. One of the staff came over to tell me about their current sales, and pointed out that much of the display furniture is half off, and a great opportunity to pick up a few pieces. I thanked her for the information and meandered towards the back of the store. As I walked away, I thought, "well, thanks for thinking I'm actually together enough to own a house, and have enough money to drop a grand on a dining room chair." Of course that couldn't be farther from the truth. 

I don't exactly live paycheck to paycheck.....it's more like season to season. I work ungodly amounts of hours for six months, and then spend the rest of the year spending all of my income. Yes, of course, working in my off-season would be a better choice, but the world hasn't exactly smiled on me in recent years in terms of being paid to do meaningful or enjoyable work. So instead I do that work for free. Last year, I spent my summer with Solar Energy International, learning heaps about renewable energy of all sorts, and this year I spent my summer with Red Feather, building a straw bale house. It's not a bad arrangement, though it certainly leaves me in the position of desperately needing to get back to work come August. 

The guillotine of program cuts hangs over my head, threatening to take my job with the U.S. Antarctic Program away. I am of course completely powerless to do anything about the situation other than curse the powers-that-be that failed to come up with a backup plan for the most important part of the program. Good, bad, or ugly, a fuel tanker is our lifeline at the bottom of the world, and if said tanker cannot get into station because there is no icebreaker to clear the way, well, that presents a bit of a problem for life at the bottom of the world. 

So I'm crossing my fingers, hoping for the best, while mentally preparing for the worst. In addition to doing laundry, repairing my winter coat, and packing, my to-do list also includes updating my resume. Just in case.