MsD
Ms. D Joined: May 30th 2008
Logged in: November 24th 2011
Logged in: November 24th 2011
Travel Blog Posts
Our school trip to DC started mad EARLY! And by that I mean it pretty much started in the middle of the night. My alarm was set for 3am! Mrs. Bailey, Andrew, Chloe and I left from Tampa at 5:20 even though Chloe was not permitted to check in at the kiosk because her name is on a watch list. LOL!! If you know Chloe, then you know she's the least shady member of our 4 person party! After a shortish layover in Atlanta,we arrived to dc at about 11 and proceeded to pick up a school from NY at the train station, and then off to lunch. After lunch at the reagan center, We visited the pentagon 9/11 memorial which was very beautiful and touching, and then the air force memorial. We had some extra ... read more
Off to Kansas
It is hard to believe that this week is coming to an end. At the same time, it feels like I've been here for 3 weeks because of all the information and experiences that I had in this short time. I'm ready to go home & see my sister, grandparents, kitties & friends, but I'm really sad to be finishing Space Camp (and already trying to figure out a way to come back next year.) Before breakfast we took the hot air balloons we all made the other day & launch time in front of the patfinder shuttle... it was awesome. To think that we could create such beautiful & effective flying machines out of tissue paper and glue sticks was unreal. It was really exciting to see our balloons fly and neat to see them ... read more
Space Walking
I finally added some pictures to yesterday's blog, so take a look if you have a chance. This morning we got to "sleep in" and had breakfast at 8AM instead of 730. It was a much needed extra 30 minutes of sleep. After breakfast we headed to the auditorium for a presentation on the future of NASA. As the shuttle program is being shutdown after only 2 or 3 more flights, NASA will begin to focus more on robotics. NASA is still hoping for a consideration to continue the shuttle program, but with budgets the way they are, that remains to be seen. It was very interesting to learn about the robotics programs that will begin to take place on the moon starting in the next few years. After that we attended a class called "Toys ... read more
Bottle Rockets
After breakfast (cereal, tater tots & a banana) today, Columbus group started with training for our 2nd (and last) mission - this time in the Atlantis orbiter. I was very excited to learn that this time I got my 1st choice in jobs - Mission Specialist. This means that I will be on the orbiter AND I will get to leave and do an EVA (Extravehicular Activity) - basically a Space Walk. My partner, Chris, and I will be suiting up in white space suits and getting into microgravity chairs to try and experience the sensation of weightlessness. Then, we'll have to try to stay connected to a structure and build a 3 dimensional tower. We had some time to practice without the microgravity & suits today & it was totally easy. Something tells me tomorrow ... read more
On the Moon
Today started bright and early again with us leaving the dorms at 7:30A.M. and we only just got back at 9:30P.M. Now, that's a long day!! Our team leaders took the Columbus group through a tour of the Davidson Center which actually has the original Saturn V rocket in the museum as well as the teeny tiny space probes that the astronauts sat in. The rocket itself is absolutely HUGE and some segments are actually suspended from ceiling. It just amazed me that we were actually walking under these enormously heavy pieces of equipment that were hung from the ceiling. I was awed (and a little nervous if I'm honest). After that our group participated in a 2 hour Discovery mission which was a huge success. Well, except for the part when the Mission Scientist in ... read more
My Flight Suit
At about 12:15 this afternoon I started my journey to do something I've dreamed about since childhood... I came to Space Camp. I headed off to Orlando to catch a direct flight to Huntsville, Alabama where I was greeted in baggage claim by an lovely older woman in a full NASA flight suit. All I could think of was... I SOOOOOO want one of those. We waited for a bit for another camper & then the two of us headed on a bus to the dorms at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. (The kiddo campers stay on-site at the space center, but we adults stay in the dorm.) I learned that the other camper, Tony, lives in Orlando and does astronomy outreach programs to schools. He is like an ambassador to the galaxy. Interesting fella. ... read more
Space Shuttle Orbiter Pathfinder
WOW! Today was full of information & adventure. It started bright & early with the alarm going off at 6:30A.M. We had to be dressed & on the bus for 7:30. We had a great breakfast & orientation where we got the opportunity to socialize with other teachers. In my dorm there are 4 of us... Stacy from L.A., Melissa from Alabama & Kathy from Virginia. (Kathy is the only one not in my mission group.) In orientation I was assigned to mission group "Columbus" with 14 others & we did some icebreaker activities to get to know each others. We have some folks that are a laugh riot & I'm sure they're really fun in the classroom. After all that team building we went to the auditorium for a 1 hour Shuttle Orientation lecture. I ... read more
Roseland Cottage
Our 2nd stop today was Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, CT. Roseland Cottage was built in 1846, as we learned on the tour provided by Gloria, a Historic New England tour guide, by Henry Chandler Bowen. Bowen was born in Woodstock and then headed to New York to make his gajillions and hob-nob with politicians. He was quite involved with the Abolitionist movement and apparently used his clout and $$ to help Lincoln in his presidential bid. As a thank you, Lincoln assigned him the post of Tax Collector in New York. Anyway, he built this "cottage" in Woodstock so he could have lavish 4th of July parties each year. All other times during the year they lived in NY. The architecture is considered "Gothic Revival" - basically, Gothic with then-contemporary New England American flair. I only ... read more
Sharpe Hill Vineyard
Very cool day today. I looked through an old Frommer's travel guide for New England my mom picked up on one of her many yard sale jaunts, and found some local attractions that I didn't even know existed. So, we spent today visiting a couple sites located in nearby towns. First up, we headed out to the Sharpe Hill Vineyard in Pomfret, CT for some wine tasting and a walk through their grounds. Their tasting was quite reasonable...$5 per person to taste 5 of their wines, $10 to taste all 12. As it was early afternoon and we had another stop, we decided to go with the $5 option each (and share tastes) so we could try 10. Although mom "forgot" to share one with me, so I only got to try 9...hmmmmpf. Their most well ... read more
The Fairy Princess Dance Circle
So, the KooKoo Review...it just happened. I thought we were going to the supermarket, but mom had other plans. She claims to have told me, but I'm skeptical. Anyway, on our way to a "car cruise" (which is not where you go to pick up hot guys in even hotter cars) I received a message from my cousin, Beth (who lives in the same town as my mom) asking if we wanted to meet up in a park downtown for a children's concert. Now, let me rewind a moment, mom had presented me this option earlier in the day and anyone who know me knows that my prompt reply was, "hecks (edited) nah!" However, I also didn't want to miss the opportunity to see Beth and her girls...so, that's the story behind the KooKoo Review. And ... read more
