Novice blogger moving into the 21st Century and dragging her Hedgie with her, kicking and screaming the whole way

Now, don't get me wrong...I am not some technophobe who is hiding under their desk repeating the mantra "If I ignore it, it will go away" in regards to technology in general. I teach medical classes, am an Academic Dean at a local college and am able to tell my right from left shoe. Alas, however, I am just now wetting my toes in the pool of Blogging. Never fear, though, as I am soon to dive in fully. I was recently hired on by Raytheon Polar Service to fill their 8 month winter-over contract in Antarctica and figured (thanks to the subtle cajoling and not always so subtle nudging by a friend - Thanks Tel, this is all your fault!) that the new and exciting world of blogging (all of you stop laughing at the backward, ancient techno-anarchist!) that this would be a grand way to keep everyone back in the States up with my adventures.

Now, I am no slouch to travel or to taking chances since I have been out of country often and serve on Larimer Country Search and Rescue, but living in Antarctica for the winter is a new one on me. Normally they do not allow first term contract personnel to do overwinters. One can only assume Raytheon prefers that if you are going to be driven crazy bu the isolation and the weather that you should do it when it is daylight down there - all the better to entertain your coworkers when you run about naked on the ice screaming "I can't take it!!". Let's face it, this spectacle would not be as good a laugh to non-competitors if they had to strain their wrists holding flashlights. Either way, Raytheon, through an extensive profile and four hours of psych testing has found me sane enough (or just insane enough) to send down for an overwinter right out of the gate. I leave you to draw your own conclusions about my sanity, lack there of, and the Raytheon selection process over the next months as this blog develops.