First Official Console Experience

Late Thursday night, early Friday morning was my first official console experience flying the International Space Station. It was somewhat surreal. Things were familiar, yet so unfamiliar. The task at hand was performed without a hitch. The Russian Progress vehicle, which is a disposable cargo vehicle, undocked from the station.

My next duty will come late monday night, early tuesday morning for the upcoming EVA. It's going to be a very busy day, so if you have NASA TV, and you are an insomniac, watch some footage of the EVA early Tuesday morning.

In other news, Finding Reason got together last night, for the first time in what seemed like ages, to continue work on our music. I must say, i'm very rusty and need to go back and learn some of our stuff. I suppose I've purged that part of my memory during the past few weeks so i could get certified. Oh well, we're reworking a lot of it anyway.

Those of you out there looking for a new acoustic/electric guitar, I highly recommend buying an Ovation. I absolutely love my Ovation...and so do my bandmates. Be on the listen for it when it comes out on our next song, "Blue Devils". As always, I'll post a message to let you know when the song is out there...

Live well...

Ten Years...

Where have I been, you might ask?  Well, i've been busy.  We were in Pennsylvania a couple weekends back attending our Godchild's baptism.  I've been working hard at work trying to complete my certification (which I successfully did).  But most recently I attended my 10 year highschool reunion!  Man, has it been 10 years already?  Sure has...

We had a little tour of the school...which has changed a little since we've last been there.  Added a few new classrooms, a new cafeteria, and a new gymnasium.  The smell was still the same...many decades of pubescent teens and cafeteria food, with a hint of floor lacquer make for an interesting but distinct smell.  It was a bit eerie too, to be back in the halls i once roamed.  Those were simpler times, good times, bad times, highschool times...

It was great seeing all our old classmates again.  Some changed drastically and some changed not at all.  Most personalities were the same though, which, depending on how you look at it, was a good thing...or a bad thing.    It was definitely great catching up with everyone.  We should do it more often...or not.  Here's to another 10 years...

Lightning Strikes...

Saturday afternoon mother nature graced us with her electric touch. A lightning strike hit very very close to the house, if not hitting the house. Damage done, so far: several electronic components including--cable box, two cordless phones, and a hair straightener; cosmetic damage to a mirror; water heater element; and a copper water pipe. Yep, that's right, the copper pipe fed water to our whirlpool tub. The pipe happened to be touching the metal case of the whirlpool tub heater. Simple physics says that electricity takes the path of least resistance...so, somehow, the electricity traveled from the cloud to my house, and down the copper pipe to this metal case...well, the electric current zapped a hold in the copper pipe, nearly flooding the master bath and master bedroom. Luckily the leak was noticed about 30 minutes after the strike. Not too much was damaged...the carpet got a little wet and has since dried nicely. Eleven dollars fixes the leak. Thanks for the help dad!

Now, the water heater is the newest problem to crop up. Noticed when i took a shower this morning that the water was merely lukewarm instead of hot. Took the cover off of the water heater and noticed the charred remains of one of the heating elements. I'll have to do the repair on that as soon as I get the replacement part. For now, we'll be taking lukewarm baths and showers.

Hmmm...should I be investing in a lightning rod? Well, I suppose it could've been worse.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!

Ok, bro, I didn't forget your birthday. I tried calling you tonight (at your new place) but you aren't there. Can't leave a message, you don't have a machine. So, as proof of me not forgetting, i put up this post. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! You'll be getting a card soon. I didn't have your address in time to send it out early. But you'll get it. Hope it's a good one!?!?

I'll try calling again later.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...