More excitment...

as if the shuttle landing today was not enough excitement in my life, MiB called and wanted us to come and watch as he was tasered today...well, I don't think this sounds too incredibly fun, but I am usually a good sport on such things so off we went to watch...I would not classify it as fun, as it really looked liked it kind of hurt and I definitely wasn't going to do it even though they offered.

He did it and we watched it and here are the pictures, how sick are we?!?

I don't know what we are planning for this evening but I don't think I can take much more excitement then this :)

Their down!!!!!!!

It was such an exciting moment to hear the sonic booms as the shuttle broke through the earth's atmosphere and then landed at 10:48 a.m. this morning, wow! We were able to see the "speck" shortly after the booms as they lined up for the landing. They were very quiet as they made their way down the runway and then the crowd cheered as they quietly made their way gliding into view in front of us. While the landing runway is only visible for a few hundred yards to the gathered spectators it was enough to make you thrilled you came. What a great experience, well down Endeavour crew!

Thursday Thoughts!

Wowsa, what a week it has been! Again, it has been a full and productive week. Tomorrow we will go to see the shuttle land, another first for us and we are pretty excited. Things are still going full speed and while it looked like they would slow down, I think it will be a bit longer, perhaps until we get LilBlue off to school. Not sure, it may get even worse after that, we will see.

Thoughts are:

• I like A/C!
• Manatees rock!
• The water is way awesome!
• Florida heat can be oppresive!
• Summer is going by too quickly!

I will hopefully have pictures of the landing tomorrow. Then I hope I will be able to upload them...maybe blogger is done being quirky, I have not had any trouble this week getting in and so I am hoping it is a glitch that has been fixed!

Night

Saturday Summary...

I don't know about you, but I have been having mucho difficulty getting "in" to post, on some occasions I have not even been able to view my page. Not sure what is up, but I don't think it is just me because I also tried to read other pages and had trouble as well, I even tried on our desktop and MiBs laptop no go. So anyway, I am in now and going to try to get a post posted :)

It's been a great week in our world, lots going on and it's all been good! PTL! We finally have all the changes done on "the street" and we are gearing up to WOW some higher ups with our exceptional Airmen here; blow them out of the water with a launch experience and then show them how we do all other facets of our mission right! It's going to be long days, longer nights but a rewarding end when it's over...

In other news of note, I have been cleared to enter the "I Dream of Jeanie" building! :) Not sure of the date and of course I doubt I will have pictures since it is a most secure facility but I will share when I do. I really do not know what they do in there, but I know it is very important, their motto is "In God we trust, all others we monitor!" I am honored they are going to arrange for me to enter :) Thanks LAO!

Highlights from the week:

• MiB used the new surfboard!
• LilBlue tried surfing...remains to be seen if she likes it!
• Poolside was lovely this week
• The "shirts" here are an AWESOME bunch
• I got a haircut :)
• Housing privatization is not as great as they try to make it sound :(
• New SNCOs have big shoes to fill...
• Brunch x2 with the "street ladies" was so much f u n!

I tried to upload some pics from this week to no avail...oh well! Life is good, God is great!

My little Surfer Boy...

SURF's UP dude...

The new board!

Putting the fins on!

Loading it on the car for the ride home in it's very own travel bag!

A week or so ago MiB was able to go surfing with a "new friend" who we will now call LAUNCH...mind you he has wanted to do this for years...well, he got up and rode a wave and now he has the bug and a board. So there are many surfing adventures ahead for him and his "new friend" :)

More surfing pictures to follow as I plan to go witness this new venture for myself in the very near future with camera in hand! In the meantime the surfboard is very nice looking and will even get to hang on the wall inside our home if he gets some nice looking hangers for it!

HANG TEN!

Shuttle BLAST OFF!

Since we needed to pick up LilBlue at the airport we really did not think we would see the launch at all...however, we did make it back to CCAFS and watched the lift off just outside the gate. While it was an awesome thing to see, I am looking forward to the next one and being much closer!

NO GO...

Getting our directions from the DIrector giver!
MiB in front of the countdown clock when we arrived!
Me in the Apollo/Saturn V Center

Well, unfortunately the FL weather just did not cooperate this evening for the launch of the Shuttle. However, we did make it further then yesterday, we were so close, we almost made it, then it was scrubbed, maybe tomorrow, if not they will try again on Tuesday. If it is Tuesday we will be watching it from our home as we have a gathering at our home and it would be best not to change it.

We were at the Apollo/Saturn V Center for the launch today, it was an awesome spot to get to be in. Neat facility with lots to look at while we waited for the launch and it was a nice retreat from the heat. This is the best place to stay updated on the Shuttle launch if you are interested.

Shuttle Update

The launch for this evening has been scrubbed, right now they are aiming to try again tomorrow around 7:15ish. Weather is the issue, there were lightening strikes very near Endeavour in a nasty storm that moved throught yesterday afternoon so they are rechecking lots of things to make sure all is well with all systems.

So since our plans for the day have changed we are getting some household chores accomplished and planning to do Saturday services this evening.

Until we know more...

Dinner

Insalata Caprese

Thanks to a new Sam's membership, we bought some pretty decent mozzarella cheese, then a BIG thanks to CG for the homegrown GA tomatoes that provided our dinner tonight. It was sweet memories of Italy. We also had some baked sweet onions that were yummy as well. I love summer and home grown tomatoes. Can't wait to try the seedless watermelon in the next couple of days that was left on the porch with all the other garden goodies.

Looks like we will head to the movies tonight, if we can stay awake. It's been a long, busy week and I am glad for the weekend to be upon us so we can just sit back and relax for a bit.

Right now the shuttle launch is only a 40% go due to weather, so we shall see, we are supposed to leave around 4:00 p.m. to head up to the viewing area.

Thursday Thoughts

It's time again to get some thoughts...

• I am going to be glad for Friday...
• LilBlue drives up to NE tomorrow
• Looking forward to the shuttle launch!
• Being around Airmen can be exciting and exhausting.
• Standards are important and if you don't think so, ask MiB

Tomorrow will be a welcome day, I am ready for the weekend! I have spent this week with our newest Airmen to the base and while it has been fun, it has been a long week and I will be ready for the break of the weekend.

With the scheduled launch of Endeavour, we will be at the KSC and I am pretty stoked about that :) This is closer then the usual viewing area so how cool is that? I will hopefully have pictures to post when we return. I have been told traffic will be crazy up and down the A1A and it will take hours to get home but I think it will be worth it.

First Run

MiB is running in a racing series this year as he preps for the Disney Marathon in January. The first one was over the 4th weekend, can you say hot and sticky. A couple hours before race time it is pouring buckets, then it tapered off and at the the gun it was a light sprinkle to nothing and humid. Did I mention humid? as in just breathing you were getting a drink of water...but fun times are built on memories such as these!

He took 2nd in his age division which garnered us a way cool red, white and blue beach towel and the team he ran with took 2nd in the open teams division! Way to go CAV Runners; what a great way to start off the season!

All done!
The humbling picture with the grey haired gentleman finishing before MiB!

Accepting 2nd place for CaVRunning Team

Enjoying a tomato and onion pie after the race!

Happy Birthday America!

It's the 4th of July, however you choose to celebrate be safe and take a moment at least to be thankful that you live in a great and free country. Freedom is something we take for granted, but we shouldn't it has come at a very high cost and it continues to cost our nation much. I am proud to be married to the MiB who serves our nation!

Boom, Boom, Ahhhh...God Bless America!

Thursday Thoughts!

Big week this week in our house, lots of things going on, meeting new people, finding new places to eat and shop, all in all the settling in has been pretty good and it still continues. Still need a hair stylist, haven't found a really good dry cleaner and still need a favorite Mexican Restaurant, cause the ones we have tried haven't been to our liking, but we have several more to try so we are still hopeful! On the plus side we have found a church, a tailor and we really like the French Cafe just down the street!

Thursday Thoughts!

• Beach clean up IS very necessary!
• Walgreens is literally on every other corner here...
• I am hoping to snag some home grown 'maters for the 4th!
• I am learning to learn names very quickly and I am good with names but this is insane~
• Getting soaked in the rain is not fun, but at least when everyone gets soaked you can all laugh together!

Until the next entry, enjoy your day!

Sea Turtles are AMAZIIIING!!!

Last night we got to have the most amazing adventure we have had in a while...we were guests on a permitted turtle walk on the Cape Canaveral coast. There was a very informative program in which we learned a lot about the various species of sea turtles. The really amazing thing is that it just so happened that the turtle patrol had that morning found a hatched leatherback nest in which two hatchlings had not made it out and into the water so we were treated to seeing them, and holding them, it was sooooo cool. They were very soft and felt like velvet; it was neat, neat, neat! This is only the second time they have had hatchlings on hand for a scheduled turtle walk. Only two permitted turtle walks are held per year and we were thrilled to get this unique opportunity!

It was then time for the waiting game. We waited for the call on a nesting turtle sighting and we waited and waited and waited... And then the phone finally rang; a loggerhead sea turtle had come ashore and was beginning to nest and dig her clutch for depositing her eggs. In the next twenty minutes or so we would be able to go out and watch as she deposited the eggs, on average around 120 of them. They are about the size of ping pong balls. So we went to the 16th causeway and made our way down the beach waiting a safe distance until Martha, our guide, got word from Angy the turtle spotter, to proceed. Before we could approach the nesting turtle she had to be in the zone and laying the eggs or she would return to the sea without nesting, but once she has made the nest, dug the clutch and starts depositing eggs she will finish. This loggerhead was on the top end of her species size scale, she was 3.5-4 feet long, she was huge IMO!

Getting to receive the leatherback hatchling!
Oh, I am so amazed and thrilled to get to cuddle the hatchling!

MiB got to hold the hatching too!

Not a great picture, we could not use flash or flashlights, except for a couple turtle friendly ones, but this is a picture of the loggerheard as she is depositing her eggs in the clutch that she dug! INCREDIBLE. I already thought sea turtles were awesome, loved the ones in Finding Nemo, Crush and Squirt, but this was over the top amazingly coolio!