So we have the go-ahead

So we have the go-ahead for launching the shuttle on July 13! Very exciting to think that we will soon be flying again, and that I will soon be training to help fly. Hooray.
The biggest news among our little work group is that Jo is leaving; she got a job as a flight attendant for Northwest. Yay Jo! We ironically noted that in 2+ years of working for the manned space program, she never got to see anything fly.
Jen posted a hilarious photo of Segway tourists on her photoblog today. In addition to making me laugh, it also made me ache a bit. I can’t believe it’s been three years since leaving Stanford and I haven’t gone back yet. The August AIAA conference in San Francisco cannot get here fast enough.
I can’t believe Cari let two Scotsmen (with kilts and bagpipes!) run off with her car for a “jaunt” around Texas. She is so incredibly trusting. And that’s why we love her.
Jen and Gavin return from their anniversary trip to Hawaii on Monday. I can’t wait to see all their photos! They sent me a picture phone message showing lava a few days ago, but for some reason I can’t get it to send to Flickr. 🙁
Softball last night was great — we beat maybe the best team in our small league! They seemed to be having a bit of an off night (their shortstop especially), but we were having an on night. Everyone was hitting well and playing good defense. I went 1-for-3 with a run scored (and would’ve been 2-for-3 if the pitcher hadn’t managed to snag a speedy line drive). I also made an out in left centerfield, and did a good job of quickly getting the balls that rolled to me on the ground.
If you are interested in photoblogging and live in or around Houston, check out the new Houston Photobloggers site, a joint effort between myself, Laurie, and Aninda. It’s very cool, and we can’t wait to see it grow over the next months and years.
One of my coworkers is retiring today after 38 years of working at JSC. He is very quiet, and I often wonder what he thinks of those of us in the group who are young and loud. He doesn’t say much on his own, but if you start asking questions, he can talk for days. His brain is like an incredible fountain of knowledge about astronomy and space, and he’s worked on so many different interesting projects over the years that he seems to know at least something about everything. He is probably the smartest person I know. We’re going to miss him.
He told me where to look for the space station flying over last night. It’s currently in continuous sunlight, which happens once a season or so. It came over right at 9:00, when I was in the outfield at the top of the first inning of softball. Between pitches, I watched it pass. I pointed it out to my fellow outfielders: “There’s the space station!” “Really?” asked Darby, not believing me at first. “Yep,” I said. He works here every day, but he was still impressed.
I think it’s hard to realize how incredible it is that we can fly in space until you actually see something tangible, like the space station as a pinpoint gliding past in the night sky.