Monday, April 16, 2007

How many words do the eskimos have for "hydrography"?

Found out my next assignment is going to be in Alaska. More on this breaking development later.

Update: The title of this post is a nod to the original snowclone. I'm a big fan those wacky linguists over at Language Log and had to throw it in.

I finally talked to CDR Glang last friday after playing phone tag for a couple of weeks. He's the technical liaison officer to the assignment board for NOAA's National Ocean Service. I believe he was gearing up to sell me on the idea of going to Alaska to be FOO on NOAA Ship Fairweather when I politely interrupted him by saying that I want to go to Alaska. He said it could be a done deal but they're going to have me go through a newly formed official process in which I get vetted by a board of "Senior Hydrographers", in other words, the proverbial smoke-filled room.

NOAA Ship Fairweather is based in Ketchikan, Alaska, a city reachable only by sea or air. Or maybe doglsed. The ship conducts hydrographic surveys all throughout Alaskan waters.

I'm looking forward to my new adventure.

3 comments:

Gretchen said...

Awesome!! That's almost Antartica, isn't it? I want to come see you and see if they're growing oranges there yet.

Becki Sue said...

My stepdad's sister lived in Ketchikan for a long time, so a lot of my extended family has gone up there to visit. It's apparently amazingly beautiful. You're going to LOVE IT, no doubt.

Anonymous said...

Matty, so I am a little behind, but you know, biking through Mexico for a few months kind of puts a damper on reading friends' blogs. So I have been in Ketchikan, on this trip as a matter of fact (if you consider the whole saga since leaving Skagway "this trip", which I do), and it kicks ass. I stayed in my friend Morgan's house on the water. I thought about looking for a job there. I'll come visit. Take a raincoat. And some bikes.