And we have LIFTOFF!!

On it's way to the Assembly Building two weeks ago

 So here's a few more pictures.  To the left we have the fairing, with RBSP inside, making its way to the Vehicle Integration Facility

Below we have the Rocket on the pad last night at sunset, August 29, 2012.  Beautiful, huh?

Sunset at the Cape

And here we have the best part.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On time and everything!  4:05 AM I was sitting at my dining room table, watching the picture on my laptop (www.spaceflightnow.com if you want to see the replay).  My cat was outside.  I was so excited when we actually launched on time!!!!!  Now, of course, it's time for the real work to begin :)

 

 

Liftoff!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trying it again

Nice picture, huh?  Well, the rocket's back out on the pad, Hurricane Issac decided to visit Louisiana (sorry Louisianans!), and so far we have a 60% weather possibility that we'll launch tomorrow morning (4:05 am Eastern).

Meanwhile, I spent the last week doing more food prep--two more meal types in the freezer, more of the fresh stuff cut up and frozen.  I'm thinking I'm REALLY not going to want to cook after a 12-hour shift, and I really need to stop doing the fast food thing (curse you, Chick-Fil-A for being so yummy and so close to work!).  I mean, I have a hard enough time after a regular days' work without having to deal with a 12-hour shift.  Actually, since I want to keep my meal-times somewhat normal, I'll probably be bringing in breakfast, lunch and dinner so I can eat at 8:00am, 12:00 noon, and 5:30pm.  My shifts will be 7:00am - 7:00pm, so packing the meal bag the night before might be important.  And frozen works really well for keeping everything nice and cold until time to reheat.

I also managed to do some cleaning while I was at it.  Ani's room has been in dire need of cleaning for a while, and it finally worked its way to the top of the list (the bathrooms were first).  So I cleaned and reorganized and now he has a great big play space.  He was so fun last night, while I was giving him skritches.  Have I mentioned that he would rather have skritches than eat his treats?  He was wrapping his paws around my hand to make sure I kept giving him skritches.  What a cutie.  Sorry he's sideways-- I can't figure out how to rotate it, and it looks fine from where I added it from.

Can't leave Kitty out, though.

I caught her making out with the (as yet unwashed) costumes from Play On. She really liked the ones Lady Margaret had been wearing.  Kitty's actually been very good lately.  She's not all that happy when I try to go to bed around 9:00pm and won't let her outside, but she loves when I sit and watch tv (on my new couch--did I mention I have a new couch???).  She climbs up next to me, puts her paws on my thigh, and watches with me.  She really likes the "My Cat from H---" from Animal Planet.  I think she's trying to show me that she's much better than those cats.  She still scratches my legs when she's unhappy with me, though.  And I still can't leave her and Ani alone unsupervised.  He likes to run at her, which freaks her out (understandably).  I can't figure out how to block off sections of my main floor so they can see each other but not interact.  Then I can put down food by the partition and Kitty can begin to realize that the other cat isn't so bad.

And yes, I have a new couch.  I needed some shopping therapy last month, and Roomstore is going out of business (sad for them, but the prices are really good).  So I finally bought the sectional with chaise that I've wanted for a long time.  I can't have large pieces of furniture in my tiny house, but this one fits (I measured it first to be certain).  Still needs to have the feet put on, but my home teacher will help with that when he gets a chance--and our schedules match up.  That's going to be interesting over the next couple of months.

Here's hoping we launch tomorrow!!

Holding pattern

Ok, so the first delay was actually last weekend when they--the builders of the rocket--found a problem with a different but similar rocket at their facility in GA.  That slipped us a day.  Then this morning we all got up and got prepared for launch, and there was a problem down at the Range--a homing beacon was acting up.  Since it's kind of important to know when and where the rocket remains will be dropping from the sky, they kind of need that beacon to function.  So we slipped to tomorrow.

I'm at work, having finished the preliminary scheduling, and now just waiting to hear back from the schedulers for the SN so we can finish that particular schedule.  then I can go home.  And sleep.  man, I'm tired!!!  Here's hoping we launch for real tomorrow morning!!!

Pretty, huh?  This is from when the fairing was being shipped to the rocket.  Our little spacecraft are in the fairing.

One week to Launch!!!

So exciting!!!!!  Getting busier and busier, but at the same time, all the testing is winding down--after all, there's only so much testing we can do--we either have tested it or we don't have time.    One week from today it all begins!

So of course, I had to get a new haircut.  A lot of people I know have been getting new hair cuts in the last month or so.  I had a hair appointment on Thursday, and really just thought it was time.  I'd been growing it out so I could braid it or do other fun things with it, but I've been so busy the last month all I would do is put it in a ponytail or a clippy and then go to work or church or rehearsal.  I talked it over with Michael, my hair stylist, and decided I wanted it up off my neck in the back but still longish in the front so I could still pull it back if I wanted to.  And this is the result.  Cute, huh? 

I did mention rehersal, too, didn't I?  I just did costumes for the Drama Club production this summer, but that was stressful enough.  It turned out really well, though.  If I get a picture I'll post it, but in the meantime...

It's really funny.  The first two acts set up the third act, and I just laugh the whole way through.  Two more performances if you happen to be in the area! :D

So time for another meeting.  Just wanted to check in since it's been a while.  I'm getting really excited!!!