Happy Midwinter's Eve!
Jun. 21st, 2006 11:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
funraniumTo another round of souls now half through the Long Night.
Midwinter is an important Antarctic day. Though it is just as dark and cold as the predeeding two and half months, and likewise the two and a half to follow, it is the day that everything changes. From here on out, you know that you are drawing nearer to sunlight once more. Some people were excited by the prospect; personally, I was enjoying the endless night but that's just me and I ain't quite right.
More importantly, it marks that half the winter is done, that from now on you are coasting toward First Flight. The escape that brings green grass, the smell of humanity (sewage), and new people in lovely Christchurch. Some people just sort of kicked back and enjoyed the ride. Others went plummeting into the depths of despair as they realized "Fuck, this winter is only half over" and drank, moped, or raged their way through the next four months.
Pessimism versus optimism, fortitude versus adaptability. Midwinter broke people.
It was also a fantastic party. We had 70% of the station population in the bar for a shindig that was rocking, including many people that hadn't set foot in the bar the whole year up until that point, some of whom that didn't even drink or smoke.
The Puritans had tried to organize a karaoke night up in the galley. It wasn't exactly a big hit and it failed completely when everyone headed down to the bar after a drunken expedition was made by certain brave souls to retrieve frozen burritos willing to brave the Sober and Unfun. I was one of those souls, as was my good friend and electrician extraordinare Mark (AKA Handy Crotch).
Mark checked the songbook. One of the available songs was Sammy Davis Jr.'s "The Candyman Can". Mark dragged me and another poor bastard up there to sing a rousing rendition of "The S&M Man". The plug got pulled on the speaker after the fourth verse when it appeared that we had no end of verses in sight. Oh, how we offended the Puritans.
I raise a glass to the Frozen Chosen on this most special night. Steady on through the Long Night and don't spill your drink.
"...the S&M Man, the S&M Man, cause he mixes it with lust and makes the hurtin' feel good."
Midwinter is an important Antarctic day. Though it is just as dark and cold as the predeeding two and half months, and likewise the two and a half to follow, it is the day that everything changes. From here on out, you know that you are drawing nearer to sunlight once more. Some people were excited by the prospect; personally, I was enjoying the endless night but that's just me and I ain't quite right.
More importantly, it marks that half the winter is done, that from now on you are coasting toward First Flight. The escape that brings green grass, the smell of humanity (sewage), and new people in lovely Christchurch. Some people just sort of kicked back and enjoyed the ride. Others went plummeting into the depths of despair as they realized "Fuck, this winter is only half over" and drank, moped, or raged their way through the next four months.
Pessimism versus optimism, fortitude versus adaptability. Midwinter broke people.
It was also a fantastic party. We had 70% of the station population in the bar for a shindig that was rocking, including many people that hadn't set foot in the bar the whole year up until that point, some of whom that didn't even drink or smoke.
The Puritans had tried to organize a karaoke night up in the galley. It wasn't exactly a big hit and it failed completely when everyone headed down to the bar after a drunken expedition was made by certain brave souls to retrieve frozen burritos willing to brave the Sober and Unfun. I was one of those souls, as was my good friend and electrician extraordinare Mark (AKA Handy Crotch).
Mark checked the songbook. One of the available songs was Sammy Davis Jr.'s "The Candyman Can". Mark dragged me and another poor bastard up there to sing a rousing rendition of "The S&M Man". The plug got pulled on the speaker after the fourth verse when it appeared that we had no end of verses in sight. Oh, how we offended the Puritans.
I raise a glass to the Frozen Chosen on this most special night. Steady on through the Long Night and don't spill your drink.
"...the S&M Man, the S&M Man, cause he mixes it with lust and makes the hurtin' feel good."
