Time in Saddle: n/a
Distance for the Day: n/a (Still in Cape Canaveral, FL)
Accumulated Trip Distance: n/a
Altitudes: n/a
Speeds: n/a
Weather: 75° in AM, mostly clear, getting to 90’s w/thunderstorm
Expenditures: $23
They closed the Kennedy Space Center at 5am, so I just sat outside with a few handfuls of others still there, and read my book (Atlas Shrugged, which I got from Lynne) until 9am, when they opened up, again. I then spent almost the entire day experiencing and doing practically everything there was to do, before I called Kim at about 4pm to ask for the ride back. I nodded off at few brief times during the two IMAX films I attended (Space Station 3D, and Magnificent Desolation 3D), but held up very well the rest of the time. I would have seen and done *everything*, but I missed a few items in the brochure, and didn’t get to see them, Demitol. Once back at Kim’s, she fixed a dinner of tuna casserole, corn on the cob, and broccoli (mm-mm! – good stuff!) Her son Justin came home, and we recognized each other from a brief encounter we’d had earlier in the day. He was waiting at a bus stop, and we made eye-contact and nodded greetings to each other as I passed. What were the 
chances? Well, Cape Canaveral *is* a pretty small town, but still: I’d managed to meet the son before meeting the mother – peculiar! After dinner, Justin put on the movie, “The Count of Monte Cristo,” so we watched that while an energetic thunderstorm raged outside for about 45 minutes during the movie. Kim the hay at about 10:30pm; I went to sleep at about 11pm, and Justin was the last one in not long afterwards. It had been a long day for me, filled with fun and interesting activities, but also hugely disappointing. I came *this* close to seeing a shuttle launch up close and in person – probably the best chance I’ll ever have to see one. Oh, well. There are a few more to go before
they retire the entire shuttle fleet sometime in 2010 – perhaps I’ll try to make it out to see one of them. NASA is planning to replace the shuttles with a hybrid design that takes some of its design elements from the re-useable shuttle system, and a larger version of the old Apollo ‘space capsule’ designs; they’re calling it the Constellation Program. Cheaper, less complicated, but will get the same job done – sounds like a pla
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2 comments:
Alas, the shuttle launch is delayed until Wednesday to fix a hydrogen line. I suppose you'll be too far away by then--who is John Galt?
Hi Vince: I thought about trying to hang out for that Wednesday launch, but even on Sunday, it didn't look very good, so I took off north. Good thing, as it turns out - they had to scrub the Wednesday launch, too. Who indeed, is John Galt? ;~Don
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