Thursday, September 21, 2006

November 18, 1975: Tuesday

What they’re going to do is go to a smaller size rod and drill through what’s stuck in the hole, old core rod, bit, and all. The helo that came out this morning brought new parts, plus Art DeVries, Ed, Dr. Flynn, Gene Valentine, Dr. Treves, six helo crewmen, a guy I’d never seen before, and the Times reporter, Frank Golding, a well-meaning, nice enough fellow. He helped vacuum at the South Pole.

They wanted to take the truck out to the fish hole, but Leon came running over and said they couldn’t have it because they need to talk to Martin about brining more things out. He was very vocal about it.

So I sat in the truck and monitored the radio while Dr. Treves showed Golding around. All this time the flag of Antarctic Oil flew proudly from the mast.

They let a helo co-pilot try to drive from the rig to the helo in 590, after Leon talked to Martin and they decided to take both helos.

Anyway, Gene wanted to know what we did for “yuks” out here. I told him we let unsuspecting pilots drive 590. We let Golding drive with him, of course.

When we got to the mess tent we were laughing and everyone looked to the front door. On the white paint splotch the mysterious words “No Reporters Thanks” appeared. It was a bit of a surprise.

But someone laughed and they went on in. They were showing a movie. Rich brought out a projector last night but forgot the plug-in. So they brought it today.

The door opened and everyone yelled, “Shut the door!”

Tensions were very high after the reporter left. Peter called at noon and suggested to Jack that they move the drill rig over. After the problems they’ve had, the rush, rush, hassle, hassle, that was not the kind of question to ask. So when Jack came in for lunch, we had to stop the movie. Jack and Jim hurled veiled insults at each other. I hope it helped by getting things cooled off.

The movie is The Mechanic, a cheaply done, poorly acted mobster movie with zero or less plot. Who for? Charles Bronson lovers, idiots, and drillers. Rating? 37½.

At six we go out in the truck and someone gives us the figures for the salinity and alkalinity of the core. We think it’s Henry. The core is more saline than ocean water near McMurdo.

But Calvin and Martin still don’t believe it’s good solid rock. Jack and I think it is. Here four intelligent people come to two different conclusions on the same evidence.

They show The Mechanic, again, and at nine o’clock we see the Feature Movie, Woody Allen’s Everything you wanted to know about sex*

*but were afraid to ask.


The best two are What’s my Perversion? And the last one with Tony Randall and Burt Reynolds. And of course, Daisy.

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