Are we there yet?

Well, we’re still chugging along toward Cape Shirreff [on Livingston Island] and Palmer Station. Still a day to go before we get to Shirreff. There isn’t much to do except wait at this point, and try not to roll out of bed at night with the waves that started picking up more last night.

So here’s a tid-bit about life on the Gould for everyone reading. In case you didn’t know, the handles on the toilets aren’t like normal flush handles. They’re more like valves that you have to hold open while the toilet flushes, and if there’s one thing that I’ll remember about being on the Gould it’s that when you’re done on the toilet, MAKE SURE THE VALVE IS SHUT!  They drill that one into your head from day one. You see, when the valve doesn’t close all the way, the water just keeps running and messes with the ship’s plumbing, so they have to turn the water OFF and barge into every bathroom on the ship until they find the source and close it, which isn’t fun for anyone.  So remember kids, when you gotta go on the Gould, make sure to close the valve!

: Every toilet has a sign next to the valve as a reminder, so there isn’t much of an excuse for forgetting, but people still do!

Melissa M