International hip-hop superstar Ice Cube and his very large and raucous entourage were on my flight from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand to do a show in Wellington.  Ice Cube traveled first class, of course, but his entourage was back in coach with me.  It was very entertaining, to say the least.  The couple sitting in front of me on the flight had talked to Ice Cube at the gate in Los Angeles.  They were, as they put it themselves, "from an older generation," and didn't know who he was, and asked him. They said he was very nice.
Ice Cube was right in front of me going through customs in New Zealand, and so I got to see first hand what a hip-hop mega-star wears to New Zealand (answer: the largest diamond stud earrings I've ever seen).  I did not talk to him about our traverse, but I'm sure he would have been interested.

I met one of the Raytheon field camp managers while trying to find where to check into for our flight from Auckland to Christchurch, and we had a quick bite to eat and caught up on all the latest Antarctic gossip.  She figured I was going to Antarctica based on the amount of luggage I was carrying (not as much as Ice Cube!) and my Carhartt work pants.  I guess it was pretty obvious that I wasn't part of the entourage, so that could only mean I was heading down to the Ice.

I checked into the Windsor Bed and Breakfast in Christchurch, a nice homecoming of sorts as I spent quite a bit of time here my last time I had been to Antarctica.  I met up with Tom, who along with Einar, has been busy rounding up the last bits of things we need to take along with us.  The last bits including two 15 foot ladders, 400 loaves of bread, 4 propane cylinders, and 12 batteries for the radar and living modules.  I had a much-needed nap in the afternoon and felt very much refreshed.

Tom planning (Photo: Lou Albershardt)