Lessons Learned:
1. Never take a functioning toilet for granted again. Ever.
2. Peanut butter, Nutella, and honey keep a crew happy
3. Wearing a space suit through the plastic flaps separating the two parts of GreenHab is difficult

So I haven't taken a shower since about six EVAs ago. Today was an unusual day at the Hab. We all woke up a little late this morning after our late night EVA to save the GreenHab. Kyle and I suited up around midnight and headed to the GreenHab to check on a pump in tank 5 and the TST (toilet supply tank) level. After messing around with the system for a while, replacing two filters, and fiddling with the jumper we were able to get the pump to work. For all the gruesome details report, check Kyle's EVA 09 report.

This morning we awoke to the History Channel team and a non-flushing toilet. Well, that's not entirely true. The toilet worked first thing in the morning. We had a random spike of 4 toilet flushes within the first hour we were awake... don't ask me how. Anyway, the toilet ceased flushing and wreaked all kinds of havoc. So as part of our APRS testing EVA, Rebecca and I took a stop by the GreenHab.

Before we could actually start our GreenHab/APRS EVA we had to suit up in front of the History Channel cameras. We've recently become space suit experts, so it wasn't too strange to be recorded. Once we finally were able to get to the GreenHab we put in a fuse to replace the existing jumper, and the pump started working again. Within a few minutes the TST filled up. Everyone was excited, so we decided to do a test flush for good measure. Well wouldn't you know it, the tank didn't fill up, and the pump stopped working. Rebecca and I looked everywhere in the GreenHab for anything that could possibly have caused a problem... but it was to no avail. The investigation of this issue was moved to later in the day.

The second part of our EVA was to test the APRS system. We roamed around outside the Hab and found some scrap metal in the engineering piles near the generator for Kyle (he needed the metal to set up one of our radio antennas). The weather suddenly took a freakish turn and it began sleeting (the precipitation was definitely not delicate enough to be snow). Hab Comm called us back inside. We were disappointed, but we followed orders. We were consoled with lunch.

The afternoon was packed with a long range EVA. Rebecca and I once again suited up and took the ATVs out to Family Crest with Jan and the History Channel representatives. The weather was somewhat crummy on the way out, but on the way back the clouds started to clear and the contrast between the red rocks and the sky was stunning. While driving back we created two new waypoints: Mount Nutella (in honor of our most prized food staple) and Rebecca's Ridge (in honor of our fantastic IT expert). We had a lovely time, but it was still really cold. We were happy when we made it back to the warm Hab for dinner.

We walked in, and the guys were in the process of baking some phenomenal pizza. We ate, and then wrapped up our recording segments with the History Channel. While Jan, Rebecca, and I were out lots of things were accomplished back at the Hab. Doug was able to easily fix the TST/flushing problems simply by flipping a switch that had been turned off, and Kyle installed his radio antennas at the top of the Hab extending our ham radio range. John is currently baking an apple cobbler, which will be a great end to a great day. All I can say is that I look forward to my shower tomorrow... and another week of fun and craziness at the MDRS.