Blogs from Alabama, United States, North America - page 21

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

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

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

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

Culture Culture Everywhere.Wednesday, June 16. By 10 AM Sunny and I are wandering through the 70 acres of plants, flowers, and trees that comprise Birmingham’s Botanical gardens and that takes up most of the morning. In the afternoon we visit the Art Museum which houses floor after floor of wonderful artifacts, including a huge Wedgewood collection. By the time we get back to the house I’m a limp rag. It‘s a special treat that Michael has heated up the dinner that Sunny had prepared earlier. In the evening we watch a video of the Carlsbad caverns which they had visited that year. And then I’m ready for bed. Past ready really. Although I had planned to stay until Friday, once the Realtor calls to say the carpet still smells like smoke, I realize I have to ... read more