Good day,

Well folks, the time has come (finally) for me to join the part of the world called: (trumpet fanfare) the workforce. That is correct. I am finally going to be moving to Fairbanks to start my position.Just to bring everybody up to speed: I was offered, and have accepted, as position as a research technician for Dr. Gerd Wendler at the Alaska Climate
Research Center.

The ACRC is a cooperating arm of the Atmospheric Sciences Group of the Geophysical Institute, a major earth science research facility at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. I worked for Dr. Wendler while I was in Fairbanks last summer as a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) intern. After he learned that I had been awarded my degree at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, he offered me a permanent position. Dr. Wendler is an expert in Arctic and Antarctic climate as well as sea ice. My specific job will be to continue research in these areas. The research from last summer is ongoing, and
is being prepared for the publishing process. Our research has shown a curious vertical temperature structure of the troposphere. It was thought that the troposphere was warming as a whole, single energy structure. Our findings, along
with similar studies by NASA and a Russian team, have shown that temperatures near to the Earth are warming over time, but the levels higher in the troposphere are actually cooling over time. Implications of this are as of yet unknown, but could speak to more-complex-than-previously-understood energy transfers and physical mechanisms within the atmosphere.

I am leaving tomorrow (May 23) from Nebraska. I will be flying to Seattle for a week with my brother, Keith, and his family. No doubt, much of my time will be spent playing with my nephew, Parker, who just turned a year last month. I will continue to Fairbanks on Wednesday, May 30, to move in and get down to work. I have an apartment in Fairbanks (the mailing address is below) and am looking forward to seeing the place. I have shipped most of my vital stuff (books, music, camping stuff, bike, stereo, and, OF COURSE, drum corps videos) to Fairbanks and most of it should be waiting for me when I arrive. Moving is
an interesting endeavor (Interesting defined as painful) and as I was surfing through my favorite news site, The Onion (www.theonion.com), I noticed that their weekly feature of helpful hints was on the subject of moving. So, here they are:

Moving can be a major hassle, but with proper planning, it doesn't have to be.
Here are some tips to make your next move as smooth as possible:
-To avoid breakage, glass items should be melted down, then re-blown after
moving into your new home.
-Six weeks before moving day, fill one small box with books, seal it tightly,
and write "books" on top in permanent marker. Then do nothing more until the day
before your move.
-If using friends to help move, show your gratitude by buying them a pizza.
Don't mention that a professional mover would have cost about 300 times more
than a pizza.
-It is heartless and cruel to leave a pet at the humane society because of a
move. Smother it in the bathtub and bag it up for trash day.
-Throw smoke grenades into every room of your new home to flush out any possible
Viet Cong.
-Get a jump on things by canceling electricity and water service several weeks
before moving.
-Move to Portland. It's a really cool city. They've got all these awesome parks
downtown.
-Waiting until the truck is pulling away to say goodbye to neighbors will make
moving day a very moving day, indeed.
-Instead of writing "Fragile" on boxes containing breakables, place a copy of
Yes' Fragile on top.
-Boxes are an unnecessary expense. Place all possessions in the truck and fill
to top with packing peanuts.
-Don't get too excited when you see a U-Haul truck that says "Moves Only $19.99"
on the side. These signs are only intended as a joke.
-After relocating to your new home, remember that you are legally obligated to
go door-to-door informing your new neighbors that you are a convicted sex
offender.
-Rushing the previous tenants out of the apartment you're moving into is a great
way to score free toiletries.-For the love of God, don't ever move.

Well, I hope that this helps everybody, if they ever have to move. Anyway, I have to go finish packing now. I hope that this email finds you in good health.

I will be writing periodically, though not as often as last summer.
Here is my contact information:

Email-Remaining the same ([email protected])
Mail-Brian Hartmann, 1500 4th Ave. Apt. #1, Fairbanks, AK 99701
(be aware, I will not arrive until May 30th, so don't send a
package of anything perishable, such as halibut, or a puppy)
Phone- Unsure, as of yet. I will let you know.

Peace,
Brian "Thank You, Mr. Travel Reimbursement!" Hartmann