Tue Jul 26, end of the day - Space Amazement

(First Man on the Moon: 7/21/1969) I was alive but not old enough to have watched the early space walks. So for me, we've always been in space. I never really had a sense of overwhelming wonder at the accomplishment.

And for years, I didn't see what the hubbub was about for each and every shuttle launch. We always got into space just fine.

Of course, until the two disasters. Now today I finally felt some of the jitters and worries about the launches. And since I listen to AM talk radio, I get the news loops repeated for hours, and so I was hanging on the launch this morning.

The actual countdown and liftoff happened at the exact moment that I left the freeway and came to a stop at the red light at the end of the freeway ramp. As the talk host continued interviewing a former pilot of Discovery, they talked about how it takes only eight and a half minutes to get into orbit. I drove those 8-9 minutes up the hill to my work place. At the point where they were announcing that Discovery had successfully hit orbit (and "zero gravity") I was at my last turn off to my building. It took me as long to drive up a hill from the freeway to my office as it took the shuttle to launch and take orbit around the planet.

This parallel was astonishing for me.

Of course, when you look at my odometer you might wonder if I wasn't driving my car like a space shuttle. *grin*


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eBay Rocks

I don't know why I was sort of intimidated by eBay before, but I thought it was too hard to bid and get things. Once I started thinking of it like my "lottery ticket resumes" where I don't put any emotional commitment into any item, now it's starting to make sense and be kind of fun.

I've been "watching" some spinning and antique items that would replace some of the losses from this weekend. And I just might be pleasantly surprised to win a few items. I'm finally seeing the fun of browsing the auctions. If I miss one bid, maybe it will come up again later. No skin off my nose. No stress, all fun.
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Final Evening Adventure

Lilya's husband is actually a sailor by trade, so when he gets a job, he has to be able to go on a moment's notice. He needed to catch a flight near my house, and have a safe place to leave their truck, so I met him at home and gave him a lift to the airport. I called her to tell her that he got off safely, and she sounded much sadder than usual.

So I just hopped up the freeway and spent my evening "entertaining." We went for a middle eastern chicken place for dinner in Westwood, sat around fixing notions in her sewing basket, and just generally chatting. Her entire evening was greatly lightened, and worth every moment.

I managed to leave around 11 or so, and when I got home I still had to do "one new thing" to keep the apartment improvement going. So I moved all the bookcases and desks that were on their sides in my room. Now they're all placed where they'll probably go, and I've dropped the mattress in the middle of the room for sleep. Time to sign off for the night.