Christmas Eve Dinner at Willy Field Pictures!

A TopHat Christmas Carol
December 24, 2000

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the lab scientists scurried about with no time to gab.

TopHat was inside being prepared for the flight. We bent to the task under Antarctic light.

James measured biases from amp number one with Grant hovering over asking when he'd be done.

Tom fussed with dewars, the refrigerator ... not the drink, and Dave wrote more software, it's his job to think!

Jeff re-assembled the bearing close to his heart, saying, "this is the last $%#& time this thing comes apart".

Steve looked at old data, a frown, then a smile ... "have we killed those microphonics that were there all the while?"

All round the lab, people prepared TopHat to fly load curves, transfer functions, noise tests - it's now do or die!

This was our Christmas Eve in the beautiful Antarctic but being away from our homes did bug us a bit

but we came here to fly, this fate cannot be ducked and fly we shall ...
or careers will be (in a really big rut)!

By Grant Wilson