Fly Away

Countdown again.  This time I am waiting for my flight out of Orlando back to Houston.  The shuttle was delayed once again, this time because of weather.  I’m not familiar with the history of shuttle launches, so is this constant delay-thing common? 

I completely understand that this whole business is risky, and that everything needs to perfectly align, but how many days can they play with people’s emotions/plans.  I’m not just thinking about me; the emotional rollercoaster the astronauts and their families are riding is surely out of control at this point.  Say your (hopefully not final) goodbyes, I love yous, be carefuls, prepare yourself emotionally, physically, mentally……. Annnnnnnd…. Just kidding, delayed 24 hrs.  And again.  And again.  And again.  Surely sleep is hard to come by not only for the families, but also for the astronauts.  But then again, maybe this is exactly what they are trained for? Expect the unexpected. 

As soon as we found out at 7:00 am, I was on the phone to change my flight (againnnn) to one departing today.  Mom is staying around for one more day.  I really really hope that everything works out for a launch tomorrow.  She has been so excited to witness this piece of history for a long time, and I want her to experience the thrill of seeing a rocket blast off into space.

So a couple days ago, which we thought was the eve of the launch at the time, we played a little game.  How many different license plates can we spot while driving out the of KSC parking lot.  In only three rows, we spotted 14 different states’ plates: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia.  Just another testament to what a big deal this is!

This whole scenario takes me back to the first day in my MBA program’s stats class… We started with a relatively simple problem analyzing numbers/statistics.  All we knew was that we had to decide whether or not to perform “the task” based on a certain collection of variables.  Aside from numbers, we were to take into consideration the fact that people had traveled from all over the world to see “the task.” It was all or nothing because lives were at stake.  My group decided not to, it wasn’t safe enough.  Turns out we were given some of the same data NASA officials analyzed to launch the Challenger that exploded upon entry into space.  It was a solemn ‘aha’ moment. 

Unlike the problem, though, NASA officials are currently confident that all hardware and software is functioning properly for this mission...  Just waiting on Mother Earth to agree that it is good timing…

It's been a long couple weeks for me.  I'm just ready to sleep in my own bed.

xoxox

The Waiting Game

Again, I'm in our hotel in Orlando... This time I sit here, two different flight/hotel alterations later.  The shuttle has now been delayed from Monday to Tuesday to Wednesday to (currently) Thursday.  There have been a few different things malfunction, so we are hoping and praying for a safe launch tomorrow afternoon.

Yes, I'm in Florida, but it isn't quite as glamorous as one would think.  We've based our plans solely around the shuttle launch, hence, we haven't been able to really be 'tourists.'  Saturday we showed up at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for VIP check-in, only to find that the shuttle will take off Tuesday.  Since we took our time getting the KSC by watching a little of the air show in Cocoa Beach (from afar), that was one semi-wasted day.

We decided last minute to go to Epcot (wooohoo) Sunday, so I can't say we didn't do any touristy stuff.

Epcot is currently hosting the food and wine festival, so mom and I thought we hit the jackpot.  Little did we know that $14 in parking and $165 in tickets only gave you the opportunity to purchase various wine/food samples from around the world.  Goodness.  I knew things were pricey, but I thought we'd get at least a couple samples free?!  We saw a lot of really neat things.  I had been there once before, but only for a quick walk-thru and had really been wanting to go back to explore all the different countries.  It was perfect for me and mom because none of our guys (Eric, Stevie, Dad) would have enjoyed this park as much as we did.  Too much walking/shopping for their taste.

Not that I was surprised, but even their DRAINS were branded:

These are a few of the pics I liked from the day:

'Mexico'

 'Japan'

 'Morocco'

 Disney!

And finally... drumroll please... a picture from the grand firework finale Sunday night:

OH!! I almost forgot to mention... I got Eric and my toasting glasses for our wedding day.  Since we were at a Disney park, and you've seen the Disney figurines we've already purchased, I bet you can guess what they have on them.  Don't worry, they are super tasteful (I think, anyway) and have our names engraved.   They are also currently wrapped in a box, so no pictures available yet...

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Monday and yesterday we went to the Kennedy Space Center to check in for the launch.  We received access to the visitor center, so we got to do that sort of touristy stuff too.  (OK, so maybe it isn't soooo bad here.  It's just tough for me not having plans/organization on this trip.)

The 3D shows were incredible!

The shows really gave me a whole new appreciation for the entire space program.  I think I may have been taking for grated that I (hopefully) get to the see the shuttle launch, but I definitely have a new perspective on the entire program.  Here we are at the KSC:

Countries involved in creating the ISS

 The Rocket Garden

 Mom checking out the rocket.  It's pretty big.

 The mission we are hoping to see launch!

 Mom snapped me reflecting at the memorial wall.  Rest in peace.

And I just really thought this was a neat picture.

We have definitely spent our fair share of time (and money) at the KSC, so here's praying for a safe launch tomorrow!

xoxox