Oh-dark-30 AM

I don’t really have much to say right now, but I feel the need to share my pain with the world (or at least as much of the world that reads my blog) when I’m up all night at sims. Tonight is doubly bad because I have nothing to do on this shift and I have to get on a plane as soon as I get off at 9AM. So, I don’t even get to sleep in a bed until tomorrow night (tonight? Depends on what you count today as).

I actually slept from 5pm until about 9 tonight, so I’m not nearly as bad off as I was afraid I would be. The dogs were really good and let me sleep until they got hungry. Then they went back to sleep, but I couldn’t. They got really excited when I let them come in the car at 12:30AM, but then they got left at Becca’s where they riled up Bennett and Apache and woke up the entire house.

Busy, busy, busy, busy, busy

I haven't been very good about posting recently. This is because I'm busy at work, busy at home, and busy in between. :) This posting inconsistency will probably continue until Yuri's Night is over. After that, I should be able to post more regularly again.

Today was not a great day. I managed to totally forget that I had a sim this morning. I mean, I knew when I left work yesterday, but then it didn't occur to me again until 1/2 hour after it had started this morning. That would have been bad enough, but the FDO that I was working with had to come in late - which I knew - so there was NOBODY AT THE CONSOLE! Then I proceeded to have one of those days where nothing I do goes right. I messed up everything I touched. At least there was a party after work for a departing coworker, so I got to have a drink on my way home.

The rest of the week is going to be busy. I'm going in to work early tomorrow. At lunch, I have a Yuri's Night meeting. At 2:30 I have to go to the doctor. I get to go home and try to nap at 5pm, and then I have to come back to work at 1AM Thursday. I work until 9AM, when Becca is picking me up to take me to the airport. I'm then flying to Nashville to see Gavin get his Spaceflight Awareness award at 6PM. Then Friday at 9AM I get back on a plane to come back to Houston. I am going to try to fit in a couple hours of work before going to the store and home to get ready to go camping on Saturday morning. We're camping Saturday night and coming home Sunday afternoon. Then next Monday night I'm flying to Colorado Springs for a work trip. I'm there until Thursday night. Then Friday I get to try to put everything together for the Yuri's Night event at the museum on Saturday. Then I turn to the Yuri's Night party final plans for Tuesday. If you don't hear from me for 2 weeks, now you know why.

Status

It is finally Friday. I don't know how this week went so fast, and yet so slow. I spent almost all day today at work coding. Fortunately, it is actually getting to the point where I'm accomplishing a bit rather than just banging my head against a new language. So, that was fun.

Tomorrow, we're going to the Cheesecake Factory for Sarah's birthday. That will be the second time this week. Whoohoo!

Nothing Much

Today started before 6AM. I had to be at work at 6:30 for a sim. Gavin, the psycho, decided to come in with me. The sim was good - I haven't done a rendezvous in a while. I got out a bit early, which was cool, but I "squandered" the nice weather by going to the bank and then coming home, eating, and falling asleep. I did drag myself back up to go swimming at 8PM, though. Now I'm tired, but at least I feel like I worked for it.

The weather has been wonderful for about a week, but I haven't taken advantage of it yet. It's apparently snowing in Casper tonight. March and October are the two months that the weather in Houston is nicer than other areas that I watch. Pretty much the rest of the year is sucky.

I got new glasses for the first time since my freshman or sophomore year of college, I can't remember which. The lenses are much smaller than I'm used to, but it's not too bad. Everyone got a big laugh out of my huge lenses when I wore my glasses at night in Whistler. Becca called them "Mr. Magoo" glasses.

Tatoos

I had a really weird dream last night. I dreamt that I got a tatoo on my butt. This is weird for a few reasons.

1. I don’t like needles and would never voluntarily allow someone to use a needle to draw on my skin.
2. I don’t really like tatoos.
3. If I were to get a tatoo, I really doubt I’d allow someone to tatoo my ass. Nervous about needles and then let’s drop the pants? I don’t think so.

Anyway, in the dream a bunch of us were getting tatoos. You know, the kind of thing where normally thinking, intelligent people get together and their collective IQ drops to about the level of a doornob and all of a sudden you’re doing something stupid and probably dangerous. I really don’t remember who I was dreaming was in this group except Becca, and that’s probably because of the earring thing.

OK, here’s the thing. I vividly remember what this tatoo looked like. It was HUGE. It looked like this. Where did that come from?! I think I’m seriously disturbed.

Social Melding

Today, I participated in a girls' math and science day at a local elementary school. I had to get up really, really early on my Saturday morning to do this. As always, when I was getting up I was really questioning my motivation for signing up for stuff like this in my free time. And, as always, by the time we were done at 2PM, I had remembered why and was totally fulfilled by the experience. It's great.

Becca's friend Karen is in town for a few days, and it is really great to see her again. Even though everybody is very amused by watching me do a double take every time I see her because she looks so much like Anna. Julia, a friend we had staying with us for a month a couple years ago, was also in town this week. I think the theme for the week is social melding. By this I mean the expansion of my social circle from the usual people to the usual people plus others that I don't get to see very often. That's good for me. I don't do it enough.

Tomorrow is very busy as well. It's all fun, though. Well - except for cleaning the house which I mostly took care of tonight.

Stop the Flames

Last night, I really couldn't think of anything to say, so I didn't update. I did go to bed before midnight, though, which is a really good thing. I still had trouble getting up this morning, though. The adjustment from Pacific time to Central time is really hard for me. It's just enough to throw off my internal clock, but not enough to force me to make a rapid adjustment. So I've been getting to work at 9:15-9:30 all week.

What is it about the internet that makes people mean? I've always been a bit suprised by the flame phenomenon. Why would someone tear into another person via an electronic format in a way they never would in person? But, it's not limited to e-mail and blogs. There's letters to the editor, the way people behave on the roadways, etc. I guess in the end, it's just any time people are somewhat annonymous. It's interesting, though. Doesn't what you say and do when you're faceless really say more about you than what you say and do when you can be called to account in person? That being the case, I'm dismayed at humanity's capacity for cruelty to others in respect.

Wow, that was a bummer. You know what else is a bummer? Drilling in ANWR passed the Senate yesterday.

Back from Vacation

Well, it's over. I spent hours working on a photo album of our trip to Whistler tonight when I should have been working on Yuri's Night stuff. The fruits of my labour are here. I'll write up more of a narrative about this trip in a couple weeks. Some of the pictures are labeled and some aren't, but I think you will get the idea. If you're on a modem (Mom and Dad) you may have to wait a while for the page to download. There are over a hundred pictures on it.

I'm right back into the swing of things here. Work was busy today. The desk that I ordered a couple weeks ago came and I assembled it while dinner boiled (BBQ meat in a bag is a lovely thing). I really like it. Maybe I'll get a picture posted of it tomorrow - it's much too late to start another project like that tonight. Yuri's Night is less than a month away, and this is where I start freaking out because there's so much left to do and not much time left.

So it's past my bedtime. It's hard to pull myself away from my laptop, though, with all the associated fun of reliving my vacation in a wonderful, gorgeous, non-polluted, nearby country. I was seriously depressed getting on the airplane to come back to Houston. Gavin wasn't really helping by trying to convince me (pretty seriously) that we should apply for jobs at Blue Origin and move to Seattle.

I'd love to move back to Seattle, but I don't feel like I've accomplished what I came to NASA and Houston to do. And I just don't have the kind of personality that can walk away from a job I don't feel is complete. I think I need another 5 years or so. I'd really like to work as Lead for a flight before calling it quits on my flight control career. Because, no matter what anybody says, I'm not going to find this job anywhere else, and I really don't anticipate liking anything else as much as I do what I'm doing right now. Yes, it sucks that it's in Houston. Yes, I thought I might need an anti-depressant to get me onto the airplane that was bringing me back. Yes, I would love my life outside work if I got to be somewhere more in line with my leisure desires. I can't quit on something that I decided to do, though. It is really not in my nature. So, oh well. I guess we're here for a while.

On, On

In a few minutes I leave the dogs in the backyard, and leave to meet the others for the airport. I'm looking forward to exploring Vancouver for a couple of days and then finding what Whistler has to offer. It'll be my first experience skiing somewhere else besides Colorado or Washington. The Washington experience at Squawhatever Pass east of Seattle left some to be desired... I'm hoping Whistler is much better. I mean, it's further north! And it's taller!

And there's forecasted rain at the base. We'll see.

I went running last week with Buzz and Sarah with my new shoes. They rock. I did six miles and then a quick 800m to cap it off. My knees ached for a few days afterwards, but no biggie. Yesterday I did a shorter run with Buzz, and then a half mile with the dogs when I got home. My left knee hurt quite a bit last night, not so much this morning. Hopefully some knee exercises will strengthen it up and this will pass. We have a marathon relay in a week or two that I would like to do well at, I'm running 1/4 of it.

Mt. St. Helen's been smoking a bit the last day or two. Hopefully it won't hamper our flight plans to Vancouver. To being emphasized. I wouldn't mind being stranded in Vancouver for a day or two when our vacation is done. :)

I Guess

You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

The Similarity Between Volcanos and Computers

We are leaving work in less than 4 hours to go to Whistler! I’m so glad - I need to get out of here. The last two weeks have all been about last-minute requests, software that doesn’t do what it should, and futility in trying to figure out some code I want to pick up and expand. I have never been so jealous in my life as when my husband casually remarked last night - “Well, I’m not going to go in to work tomorrow. Maybe I’ll take the dogs to the park.” Me, I was coming in at 8AM sharp to do paperwork for the simulators. :P

Sarah sent out a link this picture of the Mt. St. Helens eruption yesterday. The guy that took this has AWESOME other shots at http://swamiphoto.homeip.net. I would like to take landscapes like that. A lot. Maybe someday I will find time to take a photography class or something. And, volcanos are cool.

Things are broken, broken, broken right now. I can’t think of anything more frustrating than sitting by a phone waiting for a tech help person to call me back with (hopefully) some idea what’s wrong, all the while knowing that I have a bunch of stuff due before I leave and am not doing it while I’m waiting by the phone. Insert Jeapordy theme here.

Funny how volcanos and computers have similar characteristics...

No Ski Pants

It seems like it's been a lot longer since I've written than Friday. Working those night shifts last week rather messed me up. I've shifted back to almost normal time, but as I've been saying I'm on Pacific Time now. :) Since we're leaving Wednesday afternoon for Whistler to go SKIING, that's probably not that bad a deal. I'm sort of packed, which is good because I'm working until 10:00 tomorrow night. I'm backseating Becca on her first sim as TRAJ - congrats Becca!

We went out to look at Sun and Ski Sports to see if they had any good deals on snow or shell pants. I didn't find any, but Sarah did. So, I'll end up either wearing my small ones all weekend in Whistler or finding some to buy there. Oh for the days when winter clothing was available at more than one local store. Otherwise known as the days when I lived in Wyoming - or Washington.

Space Shuttle Fishing

Nearly 5:00 AM. I am so much more tired tonight than I was last night. I am also less busy than I was last night. This shift has seemed really, really long. I amused myself for about an hour by creating a cartoon of the Shuttle with the long inspection boom hanging over the side dangling a fishhook into an ocean with a fish eyeing it. :) It now graces the top of our handover sheet for the next shift. There are less productive things I could have done - honest.

Tonight (today) I hope to sleep more than four hours. That’s all I got yesterday night (morning). I hope I’ll be able to leave a bit earlier today, and that should help. I didn’t get home until about 8AM yesterday, and it’s hard for me to sleep much past noon these days. What happened to that college skill?

Phew

I just had a bit of a scare with my laptop. I bought a refurbished E-Machines laptop from Tiger Direct in October. The first one they sent had a bad backlight on the screen. The next one came and worked until Thanksgiving weekend when it inexplicably wouldn’t turn on. I sent it in, and they replaced the harddrive and the battery under warranty. So, when I came back from lunch today and couldn’t get it to wake up, I was nervous. It was plugged in and had been all morning. I pushed the power button several times, and nothing happened. I checked the connection to the back of the laptop. I changed outlets. I pressed the power button again. I started wondering if the power had surged and fried my drive, but I didn’t think that was likely because this building is pretty well protected. I finally noticed the battery light was blinking. I checked the connection in the middle of the power cord and found the loose connection.

Phew.

I think I’m going to be really tired tonight. I haven’t been able to adjust my sleep schedule as much as usual. Bummer.

It's All Greek to Me

Nothing is more frustrating that picking up a piece of code that someone else started and trying to figure out how to continue the project. Especially if that person is a very good programmer and you are barely competent. I'm sure that I'm missing something really simple. I just don't have a clue what that may be.

Yesterday I took the dogs to the vet. They are really getting more and more difficult at the vet. They sat in the corner of the room and wouldn't come out, even for treats. After I pulled them out, they both tolerated the examination with muscles tensed and tails tucked. Roxy was holding still until they did the bit where they put the drops in her nose. At that point she pulled away, and they decided to give her the injection version instead because needles apparently don't bother her as much as dripping things in her orifices. Last year, the vet gave us some ear drops to use on her, but the two of us together are not enough to restrain her to use them.