Getting engaged at sea

Well, yesterday was technically my last day as President of Ericsson Indonesia. From today, Mats is in charge and I no longer have signing authority. But sitting here thousands of miles away it does not really matter. But I do start to think about getting back to Jakarta and wearing shorts and tee shirt again! I think I will take one last trip to Bali when I get back sometime before I leave at the end of March, just to get warm for a few days and lay down amongst the tropical palm trees. I can think about that when I look out my cabin window and see miles and miles of snow, ice, and cold seas – though it is beautiful, it has been a long trip, starting with the Cannes/Nice and Stockholm portion and I think I am ready to go home, right after running in the Fin Del Mundo Marathon.

We did another Zodiac run in the morning in the driving snow. We saw more (surprise) penguins, leopard seals and whales and great shapes of icebergs. After lunch there was one last Zodiac tour which I (and others) boycotted in the interest of staying warm.

We had an auction before dinner and I ended up winning some patches and then a really great signed book about Frank Hurley, the photographer on the Shackleton voyage that was signed by the author and two of the surviving members of the family. I ended up outbidding Thom, who was not too happy, but it was for a good cause (the Albatrosses).

Dinner included a choice of kangaroo or crab cakes. Mike ordered the roo, but later turned in sick as we started the run up the Drake Passage and the waves shook the boat side to side.

One big news is that Wendy told me that Ron had proposed yesterday to her and showed me her ring. I feel a little responsible since I got her on the trip and she was really happy, though she did not want it announced yet, but maybe today.

It was a long night as the ship rocked and rolled. I had strange dreams about flying and being crushed depending on how the ship was rocking!