Day 25

Thursday April 28th 2011
Orlando, Florida

What a day, when I said it was hot yesterday I should probably have waited until today had happened.  It was gross hot today, my shirt was soaked and the steering wheel hurt to hold.  But as we looked at the forecast for the rest of the trip we noticed that the rest of the East Coast was being hammered, which wasn't good news.   We were supposed to be joined today by two fantastic people, 11 am rolled around the time they were supposed to be on the ground in Orland, still in New York.  1:15, still in NY stuck with weather.  2:30 yup, no flight with that kind of storm.  4:40 boom, no flight at all as the delay turned into a cancellation.   So now we are missing our navigator and systems engineer for the launch tomorrow.

Speaking of which, I read the news and the rough estimate of how many people will be there is still growing, the heat and the weather isn't turning anybody away.  We are getting up super early and hitting the road in an attempt to get to Titusville with at least 5 hours to kill, way better than trying to do it with 10 minutes.   As we stood in a massive line to check in to the hotel tonight, everybody was talking launch related talk.  This is a huge event for many people, I am too young to really get a grasp on the whole space program, the shuttle program itself is almost 9 years older than I am.  But to think that in those 30 years of active duty, the shuttles have been to space 133 times, orbited earth 20,710 times and docked with the ISS 34 times amazes me.  

I was thinking today of what it must be like sitting strapped in to the seats, listening as the final systems checks are going on.  You are sitting on over 1.6 million pounds of fuel, waiting to push you with 7 million pounds of thrust straight up into the sky.  Think of how scary/ amazing that would feel!  5.... Oh my goodness what have I signed up 4... I think I might get out, the can fly these with just 3...nope, missed my chance to get out whats that peaceful song by U2.... Okay heart is exploding it is beating so fast I think i need a new 1... and there is it.  

We just went for dinner in Celebration, FL.  If you don't know about this town let me just say it is both awesome and very strange.  It is almost too perfect.  The streets are spotless, the people friendly as can be, the houses are perfect in every way.  But after being on the road for a month, you realize that isn't what places look like.   Still it was amazing to sit out on the patio of the Tavern enjoy a Labatt Blue and watch people go wandering about.

I'm pretty excited about tomorrow, so I am off!

Song of the day - Black River Killer-   Blitzen Trapper