Today was primarily an off day for the crew. We spent our time relaxing and catching up on our individual research except for a small EVA by Simone and Elia to retrieve some of their biology experiments.

Sitting around the Hab today I thought about how different the normal MDRS routine is from the one I follow at home. For one thing, here we are only allowed to shower every other day at the most. Sometimes this stretches into 3 days with preference given to those who went on EVA. But MDRS showers are not like the normal showers we take at home. Being in simulation mode means we need to conserve water and so we take what are called navy showers.

With a navy shower you run the water just long enough to get yourself wet and then turn it off. You scrub yourself and then turn the water on again to rinse yourself off. Those of us who are good at it use only about 3 gallons of water to get clean. It is really not that bad.

The rest of our personal grooming habits are not what they would normally be either. Thankfully there are only a few mirrors at MDRS - and none are full length. Clothes are usually worn until they smell worse than you.

For the men, shaving is very infrequent. First of all there is the water restriction and second there is not a lot of time for primping. I've chosen to use the circumstances to grow another goatee. Its something I always do now during major Mars-related activities. I did it for the first time during Mars Polar Lander operation simulations like the rest of the imaging team. We had watched our boss, Peter Smith, grow one during Mars Pathfinder and since that was successful it seemed like the thing to do for good luck. I grew one at FMARS. I'm growing one here. And I will grow one for Mars Scout mission operations in 2007 if NASA selects the right proposal in August. I hope my wife still recognizes me.

Going to the bathroom here is also different. We have two toilets. One is for liquid waste only. It is a normal flush toilet like the ones we have at home but the output goes to the GreenHab for processing.

For solid waste we have what is called an Incinolet. Now some may deride it, but I think the Incinolet is a terrific invention, especially when one realizes the alternative is a camp toilet. To use the Incinolet you place a special liner inside the toilet before you sit down. When you are finished you step on a pedal that drops the contents down into a pan. Next you push a switch and start the incineration process. The pan's coils heat up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit and burn everything into a fine, harmless ash. The smell can be interesting at times but it does a good job.

The Mars reference mission we are following has a 1 hour exercise protocol required everyday when not on EVA and we have been trying to follow it as best we can. The Hab is not really set-up well to do it but people find space in both the upper and the lower decks. Since today was our day off, we didn't have to perform anything but usually people do calisthenics, stretches, jump rope, lift weights (actually heavy things found around the Hab) or martial arts. We are finding it difficult to meet the 1 hour requirement.

Dinnertimes are always spent together and usually our staff of 3 cooks, Dave, Simone and Joan, mix-up something fabulous for us. Tonight, being in relaxation mode, we are on our own. Something out of a can sounds good.

Our brief group relaxation time is usually spent listening to CD's, playing games or talking. There is quite a nice library of DVD's here but no DVD player! Four of us brought our own laptops but none of them can play DVD's. It is just as well I guess. We can watch movies any other place. Tonight will be an exception though. I have brought along home movies from my FMARS experience and tonight at 9:00 pm will be the international premiere, highlights include Charles Frankel's Carl Sagan impersonation and a crew commander falling asleep during the evening meeting he is leading.

Life at MDRS is different but I would not call it difficult. It is significantly easier than a hard-core camping trip. The temperature is comfortable. It is dry. And we do not have to sleep on the ground. I know I could live on Mars like this for a year or two. And I am willing to bet the rest of the team would too.