'Best Birthday ever' was how AJ described today. It was a special day on the Arctic Ocean as AJ turned 29 today. Lacking cake, candles, wrapping paper, cards, ribbon and pretty much every other Birthday acutrement, we made do as best as possible. Darcy wrapped up six oreo cookies and I presented a tin of sardines I had been saving for today. Happy Birthday AJ!

Day 37. We have settled into this life and routine. How do you determine what is important in life? Remove everything. Besides an extra Clif bar, there is little that I personally want - at least foodwise. Tent, skis, clothes.. our needs are relatively simple here. Perhaps our goal should be to take some of this simplicity home with us. However, we'll most likely change underwear when we get off the ice. We've been wearing the same Terramar base layers for over five weeks now. We all have been pleased with the amazing performance of such a few thin layers in this extreme environment. And if they smell, we can't tell.

We have stopped talking much of other places, people and things - although we keep friends and family close to our hearts. Still, thoughts creep in. My latest fantasies: sitting on a couch with Maria watching a movie and a hiking trip with my nephew Tyler.

It was another ping pong day with the wind. Northerly in the morning (we drifted south during the night) and overcast then whiteout. There was a distinct lack of rush to leave the Big Kev (Sierra Designs tent) and start the day. Around four in the afternoon, the wind died completely then switched to the south. For a half hour, it was calm and quite warm. I got a little careless relieving myself at one break until Darcy said, 'your peeing all over your leg.' I looked down. So I was. Normally, my Madshus skis face the brunt of the wind and my desire to be 'finished'. Adventures come in all different shapes and sizes out here.

We seemed to be pushing the margin of acceptable risk today more than usual We crossed several leads through increasingly dangerous methods. The first, a short catamaran of sleds. Next, an unstable ice jam. Third, semi frozen blocks and a relay. Fourth, a small very wobbly raft of ice and make shift ferry. Another on very, very, very rubbery ice and a last crossing that found us running to span a series of small gaps before they opened too far.

There is a lot of improvisation that goes on during these manuevers. To successfully cross these hazards, we have to come up with clear and concise plans. I am pleased with how are team has been working together and communicating and under all this stress and fatigue.

Image: The Birthday Boy floating on a chunk of ice with Eric operating the 'ferry'. If you have time, please visit ww.350.org and sign the People's Petition to Cap Carbon Dioxide Pollution at 350 Parts Per Million. Thank you!

The Save the Poles expedition is sponsored by Bing with major support from the University of Plymouth, Terramar, Seventh Generation, Goal0, Atlas, Sierra Designs and Optic Nerve.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

For more information, please visit www.ericlarsenexplore.com

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