First lot of stabby results in...

And the Mantoux test came back negative- I've never been exposed to tuberculosis! Yay! I'm not sure how much of a TB hotspot Madagascar is, but I was pretty concerned for a bit about the possibility of exposure through the Australian fur seal work. My secret? Don't give them mouth-to-mouth. It's not just the TB risk, they have HORRIBLE breath.

Look at that attractive face. Nom nom nom.

t= -27 days

Amongst all this getting ready to get on the boat, I’m a little bit sad that I’ll be missing summer. I love summer smells and textures and food and clothing. We’re going to miss the summer music festivals. We’re going to be away from our families for Christmas and New Years. Hopefully it’ll be such an amazing time that we’ll feel like a new type of extended family, celebrating community and sharing at the ends of the earth.

t= -28 days

I've just had a quick look over the Expeditioner's handbook, and found the most important part which is the section that describes alcohol rations (we have to keep warm somehow... in addition to hundreds of layers of micro fleece)! For people heading down for around 4 months, it's allowable to bring 14 cartons of beer/cider or the equivalent. I'm staying somewhere between 4-6 months, but after writing down my preferences (shopping list)- it works out as quite a generous portion of alcohol per week, so 14 cartons it most likely is!

1 carton of beer/cider= 3.5 x 750ml bottles of wine = 1.5 x 700ml spirits

My list:

700ml Amaretto liqueur + 700ml Baileys + 700ml Frangelico = 2 cartons
500ml Chambord + 500ml Creme de Cacao + 500ml Creme de Menthe = 2 cartons
2 x 700ml Bombay Sapphire + 700ml Absolut Vanille = 2 cartons
3 x 700ml vodka = 2 cartons
2 x 568ml Magners cider 12 packs= 2 cartons
1/2 doz 750ml red wine + 1/2 doz 750ml white wine= 4 cartons

Total- 14 cartons (or slightly under).



Candy Store recipe

2 ozChambord® raspberry liqueur
2 ozamaretto almond liqueur
1 ozcreme de noyaux
1 scoopice cream

Add all ingredients to a blender with half a cup of crushed ice. Blend until smooth, and pour into a highball glass.


Chocolate Raspberry Delight 

1 1/2 ozBailey's® Irish cream
1 1/2 ozChambord® raspberry liqueur

Serve on ice or blend for a milk shake effect.


Purple Dream recipe

1 ozChambord® raspberry liqueur
1 ozwhite creme de cacao
1 ozcream

Pour ingredients into a stainless steel shaker
over ice,shake until completely cold then strain into a chilled stemmed glass or a Rocks glass filled with ice.

Raspberry Trouffle recipe

1 ozChambord® raspberry liqueur
1/2 ozamaretto almond liqueur
cream

Pour in chambord into an ice-filled glass. Add amaretto, and balance with cream. Shake and serve with a straw and a cherry garnish. Good with desserts.


Wet Lips recipe

1 ozChambord® raspberry liqueur
2 ozIrish cream
6 ozmilk

Pour the chambord, irish cream, and milk or cream into a shaker with ice. Shake, strain and pour into a champagne saucer.

Flying Grasshopper recipe

1 part Creme de Menthe

1 part Creme de Cacao

1 part Vodka

t= -32 days

So in the last week or so, we've had our swim assessment (ok, I have to re-do one section, but it was pretty much a pass...), kitting out with our in-water gear (500 layers, a dry suit, and 3 fingered gloves that are reminiscent of teenage mutant ninja turtle physiology), and an oxygen provider course. On top of that I've come back up to Melbourne to make sure my teeth are not going to fall apart while I'm away (they're not) and I've done a refresher Level 2 first aid course, just to make sure. On Thursday I have the first medical appointment, where blood will be drawn, injections will be administered, and a chest x-ray will be done. Still need a dive medical appointment though, and a kitting appointment for the survival gear...

Following this we have the boat course which is 3 days of getting comfortable handling the IRBs we'll be using for fieldwork around Davis. My psych assessment is scheduled for the first day of the boat course, unfortunately, but hopefully it shouldn't be too much of a problem. It's the same psych assessment they use for recruits in the armed forces, and it's meant to take hours. Can't say I'm really looking forward to it, but it's one of the hoops that we've all got to fly through.

On top of all this are a motherload of assessment tasks, which I should continue working on. By the time we get on the boat, I'll be ready to sleep for a week!