From Permafrost Land to Cube Land

Well, I'm finishing up my third week as a full-timer here in Raytheon Polar Services Corp's (RPSC's) Denver headquarters. It's quite an adjustment after living like a gypsy, roaming from the south pole to the dog park. I started looking at houses as soon as I got hired, but it's too early for that. I want to save up some cash, and get settled into my job before I make that kind of financial commitment. I asked a coworker from the ice if he knew of anyone who might be looking for a housemate. Turns out he and his wife just bought a humongous house on a golf course in Parker, not too far of a commute from work. They had intended to have housemates, so I came along just at the right time. At the moment, they are renovating another property they own after work, so I almost never see them. I have a whole floor of this 5600 square foot house to myself. The floor is set up like a "mother-in-law flat", so I even have my own kitchen. It's a really nice house, and very reasonable cost, so I'll be able to save up a ton of money over the next six months or so.

The only downside to the new arrangement is that I'm a single guy living way out in the 'burbs. Very little opportunity to meet new friends and do fun stuff. Another bummer is that poor Conan is sitting in a big, empty house for ten hours while I work. Immediately after I get home, we go to the dog park. The only decent one around is a half-hours drive from my new digs-- things are very spread out in the extreme-southeast-Denver 'burbs. I can't wait to get my own place, where Conan can play in the yard while I'm work.

In my new job, I'll probably be deploying to the ice every year, but it won't be for four or eight months like it was before. I won't have the ability to travel as freely as I did when I was unemployed, but I will get out. I deliberately sought this job out so that I wouldn't have to leave Conan with (his) family for nine months at a stretch.

I'll still post on my blog, but my life will not be quite as sexy as it was on the ice and travelling. I think I'll probably post links and pictures of different science projects that I'm involved with and hear about. The Antarctic Program is as busy as it's ever been-- there is a ton of stuff going on, on and off the ice.