By the way, do you know how many books I've bought this month? One. That's right. One. And I've read eleven[*] (including that biography of Albert Einstein I've been intending to get around to since approximately 1905), which means my total To-Read Pile has gone down by a nice, round ten. Which is still a drop in the bucket, but, you know, it's a biggish drop. I might just kick this addiction yet!
To celebrate, I'm going to take myself to the Friends of the Library sale on Saturday.
[*] Twelve, if I finish the one I'm currently on today, but that seems unlikely, as I'm not very far into it, and I do need to do things other than read today. Sadly.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Insert Blasphemous Joke Of A Subject Line Here.
Happy religious holiday/fertility festival/excuse for eating a lot of chocolate/whatever! Me, if I'm celebrating anything, I think it's Walking Dead Season Finale Day. (Which seems kind of appropriate now that I think about it. Heh. Sorry.) And yesterday was Doctor Who Return from Hiatus Day, which was certainly cause for celebration for me. (Gosh, that show is fun. Sometimes I forget, and then it comes back and reminds me again, and my life feels much the better for it.)
I went to AMC's website, by the way, and took their Walking Dead "Which Character Are You?" test. It told me I was Rick. I don't really want to be Rick. Although I'm not sure if most of the alternatives are much better. After all, no matter who you are, you're still stuck in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, and that is pretty much guaranteed to suck.
I went to AMC's website, by the way, and took their Walking Dead "Which Character Are You?" test. It told me I was Rick. I don't really want to be Rick. Although I'm not sure if most of the alternatives are much better. After all, no matter who you are, you're still stuck in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, and that is pretty much guaranteed to suck.
Monday, March 25, 2013
My First World Problems
And now my iPod's frozen on me. And I spent all my money on a new coat because my old one needed replacing, and plumbers because my toilet was leaking and my kitchen faucet was coming apart, and an attempt to pay down my credit card bill a little after charging my entire January vacation, leaving myself about $100 for the week for groceries and sundry expenses, only to discover today that this stupid book club I belong to sent me a $70 textbook I didn't want because apparently I never got their "respond to decline your featured selection" e-mail and have charged my debit card for it, so now I have essentially no money at all until I either get paid or get the book returned, unless I want to dip into my savings, which I don't. And my iPod has frozen up on me and will not reset, and and my three most comfortable pairs of jeans all got holes in them at once, and my new favorite TV show just went on hiatus, and I still need to go to the eye doctor so he can tell me I need bifocals after all, which I'll also have to charge on the credit card.
Please send chocolate. Also large piles of cash, an iPod expert, someone to fix the scratch on my car, and a new piar of eyeballs. Thank you.
[ETA: Hey, I got my iPod working again! My life is suddenly looking up! Slightly. Hooray!]
Please send chocolate. Also large piles of cash, an iPod expert, someone to fix the scratch on my car, and a new piar of eyeballs. Thank you.
[ETA: Hey, I got my iPod working again! My life is suddenly looking up! Slightly. Hooray!]
Sunday, March 24, 2013
I Guess Nothing Stays New Forever
Gaah, we had ridiculous high winds yesterday, and my trash bin, even though it's sheltered from the wind on three sides, still managed to tip over into my driveway and hit the side of my car, and now the rear driver's side door of my lovely, shiny new vehicle has a small, scuffy little scratch on it. I find that I am disproportionately distressed about this.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
It's Been A Long Time Since I Did A Random Links Post. So, Here!
Free Advice for the People in These Stock Photos Who Are Grappling with Technology: Hilarious and clearly badly needed advice.
25 Perfectly Timed Cat Photos: Because however many great cat photos you've seen on the internet, there are always more.
6 Fun Bookish Cartoons: I particularly liked the science fiction one. And the one after that hits a little close to home.
Doctor Who: New Series Trailer: Who returns on March 30, both in the UK and on BBC America. I am excited!
DIY Tardis looks bigger on inside with augmented reality: This is very, very, very cool.
25 Perfectly Timed Cat Photos: Because however many great cat photos you've seen on the internet, there are always more.
6 Fun Bookish Cartoons: I particularly liked the science fiction one. And the one after that hits a little close to home.
Doctor Who: New Series Trailer: Who returns on March 30, both in the UK and on BBC America. I am excited!
DIY Tardis looks bigger on inside with augmented reality: This is very, very, very cool.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Geeky As It Is, I'm Probably Not The First Person To Make This Joke. But..
I sometimes feel like my life is one long demonstration of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle: when I have the time, I don't have the energy, and when I have the energy, I don't have the time.
(And, yes, that is also going to be my excuse for not blogging more lately.)
(And, yes, that is also going to be my excuse for not blogging more lately.)
Saturday, March 09, 2013
Albuturkey!
Apropos my current TV watching, since I'm now making my way through season 5:
Unlike the Doctor Who guys, the Breaking Bad cast can actually bowl. And are also hilarious.
And, man, now I really want to go bowling...
Unlike the Doctor Who guys, the Breaking Bad cast can actually bowl. And are also hilarious.
And, man, now I really want to go bowling...
Friday, March 08, 2013
Still Not Dead. Have Some Currentlies.
Current clothes: Weird Al Yankovic "White & Nerdy" t-shirt. Because I am. Gray sweats. Black socks. Giant bearclaw slippers.
Current mood: Reasonably good. I've finally had a few days off after working stupid, stupid hours for the last couple of weeks, and I've gotten at least a little caught up on housework and stuff after neglecting it all horribly, and I am thus starting to feel considerably more relaxed.
Current music: More random shuffle tunes on the iPod. I'm not even sure what it played last. I remember a lot of Rush, though, and some embarrassing nerd rap.
Current annoyance: Credit card bills.
Current thing: Obviously not blogging, that's for sure. Seriously, I don't know how it is that it's been almost two weeks since I checked in here. It feels like I have done absolutely nothing in that time. I know it's not quite true, but it sure feels like it.
Current desktop picture: It's still Rumplestiltskin. I really ought to change it soon, though. He's weirdly distracting.
Current book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, which so far is very good.
Current song in head: For days, it was "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty. Then for about a day and a half it was Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." Now I think Nicks & Petty are making a bit of a comeback, which, frankly, is something of a relief.
Current refreshment: You know, I was going to put the kettle on and make tea. But I have no tea, and can't remember whether I actually heated up the water or not. (It's an electric kettle, so it doesn't whistle, it just shuts itself off, and it's not unheard of for me to wander off and forget about it multiple times in a row.)
Current DVD in player: I'm still making my way through the hour-long Twilight Zone episodes, but it's taking me a while, because I don't always want to spend an hour at a time on the treadmill. Most recently watched on the other machine was Frankenweenie, which was very cute, in that dark, Tim Burton-y kind of way. I've also just recently finished season 4 of Breaking Bad. I know some people have already heard me say this, but it bears repeating: This is one of those rare cases where I've heard a show praised to the high heavens, and when I finally get around to watching it, it actually exceeds my expectations. Absolutely everything about it is top-notch. The cinematography is great (and shows off our starkly beautiful New Mexican scenery to good effect). The writing is amazing: all dark and twisty and subtle and complicated and shocking. But more than anything, I'm impressed by the acting, which is phenomenal. Every single major actor just seems to knock it out of the park every single episode. And it's only getting better and better the more of it I see. I am definitely going to have to catch up with what's been shown so far of season 5 so I can finish watching it as it airs.
Current worry: I'm trying not to, thanks.
Current thought: Hey, apparently I left off the current thought last month!
Current mood: Reasonably good. I've finally had a few days off after working stupid, stupid hours for the last couple of weeks, and I've gotten at least a little caught up on housework and stuff after neglecting it all horribly, and I am thus starting to feel considerably more relaxed.
Current music: More random shuffle tunes on the iPod. I'm not even sure what it played last. I remember a lot of Rush, though, and some embarrassing nerd rap.
Current annoyance: Credit card bills.
Current thing: Obviously not blogging, that's for sure. Seriously, I don't know how it is that it's been almost two weeks since I checked in here. It feels like I have done absolutely nothing in that time. I know it's not quite true, but it sure feels like it.
Current desktop picture: It's still Rumplestiltskin. I really ought to change it soon, though. He's weirdly distracting.
Current book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, which so far is very good.
Current song in head: For days, it was "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty. Then for about a day and a half it was Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." Now I think Nicks & Petty are making a bit of a comeback, which, frankly, is something of a relief.
Current refreshment: You know, I was going to put the kettle on and make tea. But I have no tea, and can't remember whether I actually heated up the water or not. (It's an electric kettle, so it doesn't whistle, it just shuts itself off, and it's not unheard of for me to wander off and forget about it multiple times in a row.)
Current DVD in player: I'm still making my way through the hour-long Twilight Zone episodes, but it's taking me a while, because I don't always want to spend an hour at a time on the treadmill. Most recently watched on the other machine was Frankenweenie, which was very cute, in that dark, Tim Burton-y kind of way. I've also just recently finished season 4 of Breaking Bad. I know some people have already heard me say this, but it bears repeating: This is one of those rare cases where I've heard a show praised to the high heavens, and when I finally get around to watching it, it actually exceeds my expectations. Absolutely everything about it is top-notch. The cinematography is great (and shows off our starkly beautiful New Mexican scenery to good effect). The writing is amazing: all dark and twisty and subtle and complicated and shocking. But more than anything, I'm impressed by the acting, which is phenomenal. Every single major actor just seems to knock it out of the park every single episode. And it's only getting better and better the more of it I see. I am definitely going to have to catch up with what's been shown so far of season 5 so I can finish watching it as it airs.
Current worry: I'm trying not to, thanks.
Current thought: Hey, apparently I left off the current thought last month!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Also, Why Isn't It Spring Yet?
Dear Weather Channel Website,
Dammit, you said it would maybe rain around 1:00, not, "It'll start snowing like a son of a bitch at 10:30."
No love from me or my on-the-line laundry,
Me
Dammit, you said it would maybe rain around 1:00, not, "It'll start snowing like a son of a bitch at 10:30."
No love from me or my on-the-line laundry,
Me
Monday, February 18, 2013
Obligatory "I Aten't Dead" Post
It's been long enough since my last update that I probably ought to post something here, but, man, I feel like I have absolutely nothing to say. Seriously, the single most exciting thing in my life in the last couple of weeks has been getting to watch new episodes of The Walking Dead and Once Upon a Time. The Walking Dead is, I freely admit, a flawed show, but I'm enjoying it, anyway, not least because Daryl is enough to make the whole thing worth watching all on his own. And Once Upon a Time... Well, it has become impossible for me to deny that this thing is kind of a magical soap opera, but, after an uncertain start, I've fallen ridiculously in love with it, anyway. It certainly helps that it features one of the best examples I've ever seen of the character type TV Tropes refers to as the "jerkass woobie": the guy you want to punch in the face for being such an asshole at the exact same time that you also want to give them a great big hug and tell them how sorry you are that their life is so awful. Apparently I'm a total sucker for those.
In other news, Nova was supposed to go in for his dental cleaning tomorrow, but when the woman at the vet's office told me I'd need to come in and pick up the antibiotics he'd need to take on Friday or Saturday, she apparently forgot they were closed this Friday and Saturday. Oops. So now he's rescheduled for Thursday, which might actually work out better with my schedule, anyway. (See, I told you. Not very exciting. Hey, just be glad I'm not devoting multiple paragraphs to complaining about said work schedule. Because I could.)
In other news, Nova was supposed to go in for his dental cleaning tomorrow, but when the woman at the vet's office told me I'd need to come in and pick up the antibiotics he'd need to take on Friday or Saturday, she apparently forgot they were closed this Friday and Saturday. Oops. So now he's rescheduled for Thursday, which might actually work out better with my schedule, anyway. (See, I told you. Not very exciting. Hey, just be glad I'm not devoting multiple paragraphs to complaining about said work schedule. Because I could.)
Saturday, February 09, 2013
Me vs. Batman
I... I totally fail at superhero movies. Possibly the time has come to admit that. I keep trying to like them, and a lot of the time, I succeed. I mean, I liked The Avengers a lot. For instance. But sometimes the genre just defeats me.
Like Batman. Apparently I just don't get Batman, or something? I found Batman Begins, which everyone else seems to think was brilliant, to be unbelievably boring. I did enjoy The Dark Knight a heck of a lot more than I expected to, though, I think largely because it made the Joker into a really scary and interesting villain. So I just sat down to watch The Dark Knight Rises on DVD with fairly high hopes, and... I made it a little over an hour in. Seriously, guys, what the heck am I missing? As far as I could tell, it was pretty much all blah, blah, blah, angst, blah, blah, I'm supposed to feel sorry for Bruce Wayne but he's just kind of annoying, blah, blah, more angst, blah, blah, really sloooooow plot stuff that I suppose might make more sense if I remembered anything at all from the last two movies, blah, blah, a few one-liners that would actually be funny if delivered with any charisma, blah, blah, Catwoman in lots of slinky outfits, blah, blah, awkward vaguely political commentary about rich people, blah, blah, gadgets that are supposed to be cool but aren't, blah, blah, villain who might or might not be cool if he ever eventually gets any decent amount of screentime.... And then it got to the point where we hear all about how Annoying Angsty Bruce shut down his awesome new energy-crisis-solving fusion reactor because he found out how someone had an idea about how you could use nuclear fusion to make bombs and... and... I'M SORRY, I TRIED, BUT I JUST CAN'T DO THIS ANY MORE. I know, I know that it's the stupidest thing in the world to expect or even want decent science in a superhero movie, but I AM CRYING INSIDE NOW, AND IT HURTS ME.
I feel as if I ought to apologize to Batman fans, and to the world. I feel as if somehow not liking Batman is... is un-American? More than that, possibly un-human. But I just can't.
If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go and watch some old British sitcoms now, instead. That will make me feel better. Yes. That will help.
Like Batman. Apparently I just don't get Batman, or something? I found Batman Begins, which everyone else seems to think was brilliant, to be unbelievably boring. I did enjoy The Dark Knight a heck of a lot more than I expected to, though, I think largely because it made the Joker into a really scary and interesting villain. So I just sat down to watch The Dark Knight Rises on DVD with fairly high hopes, and... I made it a little over an hour in. Seriously, guys, what the heck am I missing? As far as I could tell, it was pretty much all blah, blah, blah, angst, blah, blah, I'm supposed to feel sorry for Bruce Wayne but he's just kind of annoying, blah, blah, more angst, blah, blah, really sloooooow plot stuff that I suppose might make more sense if I remembered anything at all from the last two movies, blah, blah, a few one-liners that would actually be funny if delivered with any charisma, blah, blah, Catwoman in lots of slinky outfits, blah, blah, awkward vaguely political commentary about rich people, blah, blah, gadgets that are supposed to be cool but aren't, blah, blah, villain who might or might not be cool if he ever eventually gets any decent amount of screentime.... And then it got to the point where we hear all about how Annoying Angsty Bruce shut down his awesome new energy-crisis-solving fusion reactor because he found out how someone had an idea about how you could use nuclear fusion to make bombs and... and... I'M SORRY, I TRIED, BUT I JUST CAN'T DO THIS ANY MORE. I know, I know that it's the stupidest thing in the world to expect or even want decent science in a superhero movie, but I AM CRYING INSIDE NOW, AND IT HURTS ME.
I feel as if I ought to apologize to Batman fans, and to the world. I feel as if somehow not liking Batman is... is un-American? More than that, possibly un-human. But I just can't.
If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go and watch some old British sitcoms now, instead. That will make me feel better. Yes. That will help.
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Currently, It's Somehow Already Well Into February.
Current clothes: A bluish-purplish-gray t-shirt from Disneyland with a picture of Mickey on it. Even though I'm kind of pissed with Disney ever since I realized they still hadn't released the last two seasons of The Muppet Show on DVD. Oh, and also tan jeans. I initially forgot I was wearing pants, that's how upset I am about the Muppets.
Current mood: Very mildly cranky. I just got back from the dentist a little while ago, and that never puts anybody in a good mood.
Current music: Nothing, really.
Current annoyance: A big, giant, fat, numb lip. Also, the new filling on the inside of my incisors feels a little bit rough, and my tongue just keeps coming back to it, like I have to constantly keep checking whether it's still annoying. Which it is.
Current thing: Various kinds of medical appointments, it seems like. Last week, I had a cleaning at the dentist's, and on Monday I get to go back in for another filling. And I have to go and get my blood tested to check my thyroid function again next week sometime. Meanwhile, the cats had their checkups, and then I had to haul Vir back in for a glucose test -- he still doesn't have diabetes, which is good to know -- and Nova has a dental cleaning scheduled later in the month. And I'm still putting off going to the eye doctor. Stupid physical bodies. Who needs 'em?
Current desktop picture: It's still Once Upon a Time's Rumplestiltskin. Oh, I do love me some of those well-acted evil-yet-strangely-sympathetic characters (see also "current DVD").
Current book: Just finished The Curse of the Blue Figurine by John Bellairs, a fairly fun little kids' book. Next up, Stephen Colbert's America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't.
Current song in head: I think a few minutes ago it was Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Or maybe one of the many, many covers thereof. Or possibly it was just me singing it. In my brain.
Current DVD in player: I've just finished season three of Breaking Bad, which was excellent. Especially the end of the season, which had me going, "Holy shit, Walter!" kind of a lot. On the treadmill, I've just started season 4 of The Twilight Zone, which includes seldom-seen hour-long episodes. Which seems like it ought to be a bad idea, but the one I've watched so far was actually pretty good.
Current refreshment: Nothing. I would like some refreshment, but I am still waiting for the novocaine to wear off. WAAAAH!
Current worry: Entropy is going to eat everything.
Current mood: Very mildly cranky. I just got back from the dentist a little while ago, and that never puts anybody in a good mood.
Current music: Nothing, really.
Current annoyance: A big, giant, fat, numb lip. Also, the new filling on the inside of my incisors feels a little bit rough, and my tongue just keeps coming back to it, like I have to constantly keep checking whether it's still annoying. Which it is.
Current thing: Various kinds of medical appointments, it seems like. Last week, I had a cleaning at the dentist's, and on Monday I get to go back in for another filling. And I have to go and get my blood tested to check my thyroid function again next week sometime. Meanwhile, the cats had their checkups, and then I had to haul Vir back in for a glucose test -- he still doesn't have diabetes, which is good to know -- and Nova has a dental cleaning scheduled later in the month. And I'm still putting off going to the eye doctor. Stupid physical bodies. Who needs 'em?
Current desktop picture: It's still Once Upon a Time's Rumplestiltskin. Oh, I do love me some of those well-acted evil-yet-strangely-sympathetic characters (see also "current DVD").
Current book: Just finished The Curse of the Blue Figurine by John Bellairs, a fairly fun little kids' book. Next up, Stephen Colbert's America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't.
Current song in head: I think a few minutes ago it was Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Or maybe one of the many, many covers thereof. Or possibly it was just me singing it. In my brain.
Current DVD in player: I've just finished season three of Breaking Bad, which was excellent. Especially the end of the season, which had me going, "Holy shit, Walter!" kind of a lot. On the treadmill, I've just started season 4 of The Twilight Zone, which includes seldom-seen hour-long episodes. Which seems like it ought to be a bad idea, but the one I've watched so far was actually pretty good.
Current refreshment: Nothing. I would like some refreshment, but I am still waiting for the novocaine to wear off. WAAAAH!
Current worry: Entropy is going to eat everything.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
YouTube, Some Days I Love You.
The one major downside to finally having a decent, stable internet connection is that I find myself wasting way, way more time on YouTube than I used to. On the upside, though, that means I sometimes stumble across things like this awesome fan-made Doctor Who "50th anniversary trailer." It's like the pure distilled essence of 50 years of Who, concentrated down to seven minutes:
Didn't They Used To Use Fake Versions Of These Things?
Today's moment of utter surreality: watching TV and having my local tv channel break in with a special report, only to experience a brief moment of complete disorientation as I remember that I'm actually watching a DVD.
Man, Breaking Bad really messes with my head.
Man, Breaking Bad really messes with my head.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Sorry, Commenters, It's Back To Proving Your Humanity, I'm Afraid.
Well, that lasted, what, five days? But the spammers have found me, and I'm now getting multiple spam blog comments per hour, some of which Blogger's spam filter catches and some of which it doesn't, but all of which I have to check on. Needless to say, this has crossed the annoyance threshold very quickly, so the CAPTCHA is back on. My apologies for those who have trouble with it. Of course, family and friends can always e-mail me if they have something they want to say but can't or don't want to post here.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Life Is Hard When You're A Crazy Cat Lady.
Today's fun activity: taking the cats to the vet! Aargh. Vir now weighs 29 pounds, which is just freaking ridiculous. No doubt part of the problem is that while I was away on vacation he had the opportunity to eat too much and to steal Nova's regular cat food on top of his diet stuff. Which means that, much as the possibility pains me, I think next time I leave -- which will be in June -- I'm going to have to board him as well as Happiness. Except that he's at high risk for a condition whose name I forget, but which basically amounts to: "cat gets stressed and stops eating for a day or two, cat's body freaks out about the lack of food, and cat's liver goes into lethal shutdown." So I'll actually have to put him in the kennel a couple of days early and check with them to make sure he's eating before I leave. Joy. Oh, and I also need to bring him back in for a glucose test, but I have to do that sometime when he hasn't been eating. Hopefully, he still doesn't have diabetes.
Happiness' blood thyroid levels were great, which should be awesome news, except that they tested it when she was about due for her daily pill but hadn't had it yet, and under those circumstances they'd have expected it to be higher. The vet is a bit confused by that. And worried, because her heart rate is very high, which is a symptom. Although her weight is holding steady, which is good. Basically, who the hell knows? The vet is going to cogitate on it some more and get back to me.
Nova, meanwhile, needs a dental cleaning and might or might not have a bit of a gum infection. But at least he's the right weight.
And while the cats are getting all this awesome medical care, here I am putting off going to the eye doctor because I don't want to spend money on new glasses. Sigh.
Happiness' blood thyroid levels were great, which should be awesome news, except that they tested it when she was about due for her daily pill but hadn't had it yet, and under those circumstances they'd have expected it to be higher. The vet is a bit confused by that. And worried, because her heart rate is very high, which is a symptom. Although her weight is holding steady, which is good. Basically, who the hell knows? The vet is going to cogitate on it some more and get back to me.
Nova, meanwhile, needs a dental cleaning and might or might not have a bit of a gum infection. But at least he's the right weight.
And while the cats are getting all this awesome medical care, here I am putting off going to the eye doctor because I don't want to spend money on new glasses. Sigh.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
And Two More Pics, Just For The Hell Of It.
It occurs to me that none of my pictures have any people in them, so here's a couple of pics from my dad in which I actually make an appearance.
Although I may regret showing you this one:
Well, after all that serious space stuff, I guess we needed some goofy space stuff, right? Right? The kid, by the way, is my step... nephew? That sounds kind of funny, but I think it's right.
And here I am feeding a giraffe at the zoo:
Giraffes, it turns out, have very long prehensile tongues. And they like fruit.
Although I may regret showing you this one:
Well, after all that serious space stuff, I guess we needed some goofy space stuff, right? Right? The kid, by the way, is my step... nephew? That sounds kind of funny, but I think it's right.
And here I am feeding a giraffe at the zoo:
Giraffes, it turns out, have very long prehensile tongues. And they like fruit.
Florida Pics, Pt. 2
More pictures from Kennedy!
Here's a sign proving I really was in the place where all this historic space stuff happened:
And a marker commemorating the Mercury program, and the "Mercury Seven," America's first group of astronauts:
This next photo is one of the two launch pads that were used for the space shuttle. It's sitting idle now, alas, but hopefully it will see action again one day in the not-too-distant future.
Kennedy still maintains two active launch pads. If I recall correctly, this one here is used for Delta IV rockets, while the other launches the still-popular Atlas:
And, much as I hate to end on a downer, this is the site where the Apollo 1 test pad fire happened, killing astronauts Grissom, Chaffee, and White, and setting the moon program back significantly before it had even gotten off the ground:
The pad was, of course, never used again:
I'm not sure why that "abandon in place" is so haunting, somehow, but it is.
And, oh, what the heck. Let's not end on the downer note. This picture was nothing to do with Kennedy, and will probably mean nothing to most of you, but for my former Philly-area peeps... Did you know Florida now has Wawa?!
Truly, I was stunned!
There may still be more pictures to come, as my dad also gave me copies of a whole lot of photos that he and my stepmother took, and I haven't even had the chance to look through them yet. But when I have, I'll very likely share some here, so stay tuned!
Here's a sign proving I really was in the place where all this historic space stuff happened:
And a marker commemorating the Mercury program, and the "Mercury Seven," America's first group of astronauts:
This next photo is one of the two launch pads that were used for the space shuttle. It's sitting idle now, alas, but hopefully it will see action again one day in the not-too-distant future.
Kennedy still maintains two active launch pads. If I recall correctly, this one here is used for Delta IV rockets, while the other launches the still-popular Atlas:
And, much as I hate to end on a downer, this is the site where the Apollo 1 test pad fire happened, killing astronauts Grissom, Chaffee, and White, and setting the moon program back significantly before it had even gotten off the ground:
The pad was, of course, never used again:
I'm not sure why that "abandon in place" is so haunting, somehow, but it is.
And, oh, what the heck. Let's not end on the downer note. This picture was nothing to do with Kennedy, and will probably mean nothing to most of you, but for my former Philly-area peeps... Did you know Florida now has Wawa?!
Truly, I was stunned!
There may still be more pictures to come, as my dad also gave me copies of a whole lot of photos that he and my stepmother took, and I haven't even had the chance to look through them yet. But when I have, I'll very likely share some here, so stay tuned!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Florida Pics, Pt. 1
I took quite a few pictures at Kennedy, so I'll break them up into a couple of posts so as not to overwhelm you all. Here's the first batch!
This is the Vehicle Assembly Building, which is exactly what it sounds like: the building where space vehicles are assembled and readied for launching. It is impossible, looking at this picture, to get a sense of just how big this building is. Hell, it's difficult to really process that even when you're right next to it. So I'll just say that you can see this thing from miles and miles away, and even then, it still looks big.
Here's some shots of the inside of an old control bunker:
Look at all that wonderful old-fashioned technology! Actually, those old reel-to-reel tape recorders -- or at least, ones somewhat similar to those -- are very familiar to me, as we were still using them at NRAO much more recently than you might expect.
And here's the place where I went all, "SQUEEEE!":
That's a replica of Alan Shepard's Mercury-Redstone, on the actual spot where he launched on his historic flight as the first American in space.
More to come later!
This is the Vehicle Assembly Building, which is exactly what it sounds like: the building where space vehicles are assembled and readied for launching. It is impossible, looking at this picture, to get a sense of just how big this building is. Hell, it's difficult to really process that even when you're right next to it. So I'll just say that you can see this thing from miles and miles away, and even then, it still looks big.
Here's some shots of the inside of an old control bunker:
Look at all that wonderful old-fashioned technology! Actually, those old reel-to-reel tape recorders -- or at least, ones somewhat similar to those -- are very familiar to me, as we were still using them at NRAO much more recently than you might expect.
And here's the place where I went all, "SQUEEEE!":
That's a replica of Alan Shepard's Mercury-Redstone, on the actual spot where he launched on his historic flight as the first American in space.
More to come later!
Monday, January 21, 2013
Home, Florida, Blog
I have made it home in one piece! The house did not fall down, and the cats are alive, so that's all good. (Well, two thirds of the cats are verifiably alive. I have to go and pick Happiness up at the kennel soon. But I'm pretty sure if she weren't still alive, they would have called me.)
Despite a good night's sleep in my own bed, I am still tired from traveling, not to mention backed up on all those things that inevitably seem to pile up when you're away, so here's just a few additional comments on my trip:
Florida does have quite a lot of wildlife, even if you're not traipsing through the swamp. I saw several alligators, and caught a brief glimpse of a manatee. (I was able to get a better look at some later in an aquarium.) Also lots and lots of birds, including ibis and ospreys. And a giant eagles' nest on the grounds of Kennedy Space Center.
When the temperature drops below 70 degrees, people start complaining that they're cold. Even people who used to live in New Jersey. This amuses me immensely.
I was able to correct a 31-year-old disappointment this weekend! My family went to Disney World when I was ten -- my only previous visit to Florida -- but Epcot was still under construction at the time, so I missed out on it. Of course, geeky little kid that I was, I thought Epcot sounded like the best part of the park, and felt rather cheated. Well, it may have taken me three decades, but I finally made it! Needless to say, I probably would have enjoyed it more when I was ten, but it made me happy, regardless.
And I know I promised pictures. They will come later. I haven't even had the chance to sort through them yet.
On a different note: My dad complained that he can't ever seem to be able to prove to Blogger that he's human, so for the moment, I've disabled the CAPTCHA for comments here. Since Blogger now has some spam filtering, leaving it off might just be tolerable, but if things get too bad, I reserve the right to reactivate it. So enjoy it while you can, commenters!
Despite a good night's sleep in my own bed, I am still tired from traveling, not to mention backed up on all those things that inevitably seem to pile up when you're away, so here's just a few additional comments on my trip:
And I know I promised pictures. They will come later. I haven't even had the chance to sort through them yet.
On a different note: My dad complained that he can't ever seem to be able to prove to Blogger that he's human, so for the moment, I've disabled the CAPTCHA for comments here. Since Blogger now has some spam filtering, leaving it off might just be tolerable, but if things get too bad, I reserve the right to reactivate it. So enjoy it while you can, commenters!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)