Whew! What a weekend and what a start to the week! I made the drive from Orlando to Homosassa, where my friend Michael lives, and so began the Natural Florida Adventure! And by natural, I mean I ended up driving through the backwoods of Florida! I've always thought of Florida as the North of the South. They say y'all on occasion, but it's always been my experience that they are definitely not the stereotypical "Southern", despite their geographic placement. But ph my goodness! If there had been more hills and less Spanish moss, I would have thought I was back in Tennessee! People seemed friendly, drove trucks, smiled, carried huntin' rifles, and some had front porches. And I had a baffling realization: I am NOT comfortable driving or passing on two-lane roads! I think I've just gotten so used to public transportation and 4-12-lane roads that I was just a little bit claustrophobic driving on a two-laner!
But I digress... First stop: Suban Sandwich Spontaneous Food Adventure (SFA)! Michael and I got his snorkeling gear all together and hit the road! He took me to a cute local place that was a cafe and museum--a printing museum! He said they have excellent Cuban sandwiches, and I must say I agree! There was also a delicious Spanish bean soup. See the pictures. :)
So we ate and looked around the museum part. Of course I took lots of pictures because it was all about printing--old printing presses, die-cut machines, typewriters, etc. It was so cool! Again, see pictures. :)
Next stop--the old sugar mill! Just across the street from the restaurant was a stone sugar mill left over from before the Civil War. It's an historical site with markers and stuff. Michael laughed and made fun of me for being so facinated and for taking pictures of the historical content on the signs. And so I took more pictures! Mwahahaha.
And then the real adventure began... Snorkeling! There's this place called Three Sisters Springs, and it's a natural spring that's 72 degrees all year-round. It's where a lot of manatees go in the winter time. We suited up (yes, mine was about two sizes too big--better too big than too small!) and jumped in! The water was so clear, we could see all the way down to the bottom. The water made the bottom look a lot closer than it really was. Despite a bit of a struggle with goggle seepage, it was so cool! I saw little fish swimming around under there, and there were a lot of MASSIVE tree roots under the water along the edge of the spring. I think the tree roots were what fascinated me the most. They just looked cool under water. =)
So we swam around and explored that for a couple of hours, then went home to clean up and grill out! While we were waiting for the chicken and veggies to cook, Michael introduced me to something unique and delicious... boiled peanuts! Sounds nasty, looks gross, but they are oh so good! I like soft things. Regular peanuts are too hard. hehe.
After a most delicious supper, we watched Blindside and ate ice cream. It doesn't take much to make me happy... especially after such a crazy few months! It was so nice to sit and talk with a friend and absolutely not have to think about work and moving and vacation and all that wonderful but stressful stuff of life!
The next morning we headed to church! I liked Michael's church a lot. The lesson in class that morning focused on fundamentals about how to decide what to believe (it was a little more in-depth than that, but that's the jist of it), and it was exactly what I've been wanting to hear and study lately. He left us with some verses that I intend to study on the flight home to DC tomorrow. :)
After church we ate at a cute restaurant right on the water! The inside looked like an old wooden boat, and the seafood was fantastic! We got stone crab for an appetizer and I got broiled tarot and scallops for my meal--I was in seafood heaven! (All this was fully cooked--I know I need to clarify that!) Their hushpuppies were good, too! Gotta love it.
And then for the main event--manatees! Michael works at a manatee refuge and saves them for a living. How cool is that? So we went to Homosassa State Park and got to watch the manatee show--which consisted of them eating and rolling around at their leisure while a lady talked about them. Oh, to be a manatee! They're so precious--and these were BIG! My friend Val, who has her degree in Marine Biology, also loves the manatee. She told me to just watch them because they're "majestic". And she's RIGHT! It was calming just to watch them. :)
So after getting lots of pictures of them, we walked around the rest of the park, which is basically a zoo for native Floridian wildlife. Can anyone guess what my favorite thing was...? The FLAMINGOES! Haha. I wish I could be pink and eat shrimp all day, don't you? And twist my neck all the way around and scratch my tail with my nose--great life, huh? teehee. ;)
Among other things, there were gators, snakes, turtles, tortoises, an eagle, a hippo (not native, just an honorary resident of the state of Florida), and lots of other cool things, too. Did you know Florida has red honeysuckles? Again, it doesn't take much to fascinate me!
And that was that. We rode back to Michael's place in his convertible--I LOVE the convertible, especially in the Florida sunshine! I finished packing up my stuff and we watched part of an America documentary on the History Channel (ok, we're both nerds), and that was that! Fun filled, exciting, relaxing, educational, filled with new experiences (and new foods!)... yes, it was a good weekend!
Next time, my goals are to watch the mermaid show, swim with manatees in the wild, and eat more boiled peanuts. =) Oh, and have sushi.
And then came the drive back to Cocoa Beach for the rest of my work responsibilities. But that's another adventure for another blog post!
In the meantime, here are the pictures!
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/577693438AoOExR
Monday, May 17, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
GO ATLANTIS!
The fun and adventure have not stopped yet! Thursday morning I had to take care of a few things... namely I took a walk on the beach and took pictures before getting a misto coffee and having a peanut butter and honey bagel for breakfast. =) THAT is how the day gets started off right!
And we got VIP treatment at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (KSCVC)--i.e., we got in free! We got a special packet of information with bus passes for the launch and fact sheets, then went to a mission briefing for the STS-132 mission (STS stands for Space Transportation System--just learned that yesterday!), and it was excellent. They talked about Space Shuttle Atlantis's history since its first mission in 1985 (it's as old as me!); this is its last flight, which is, of course, bittersweet for all NASA workers, but especially for those at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) since Constellation got cancelled.
But that's a whole 'nother can of worms. :)
Anyway, the first speaker at the briefing was a retired Marine Colonel--he was a fantastic speaker! It's so nice to listen to someone who is so articulate and personable, especially who is able to talk about NASA stuff, you know?
The final speaker was someone who was actually in one of my meetings at work on Tuesday! I went and talked to him afterward and gave him my card. It was so nice to talk to him because he has it right--as in, he gave facts, not speculation or false assumptions. But I digress... I love meeting people--you never know when you'll run into them again!
After the briefing, we got to go all over the Visitor Complex and I got to "work". (I had to try out the new Constellation exhibit there!) It was actually kind of sad. All the pictures of Ares, Orion, Lunar Rovers, etc., that were canned as part of the Constellation Program were labeled as "early concept vehicles" or something similar.
This is me on my soap box: It's not a concept when you have hardware. We have hardware and successful tests behind these vehicles.
And now I'm off the soapbox. =) I also got to meet one of my co-workers from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville! She was there as part of the Space Flight Awareness, a prestegious award that gives honorees THE VVIP (Very Very Important Person) treatment at a launch. They get to take special tours of different facilities at KSC as well as see the launch from the best viewing spot! Anyway, I'm on weekly telecons with this lady, Twila, so I know her voice (and am friends with her on Facebook!) but had never met her in person. When I found out she was going to be down here, I e-mailed to tell her to call me so we could meet up! I met her and her husband and gave her a hug and all that. She's always to kind, and I'm very thankful she's on the team with me. :)
So that was great! And you know what else is great? I had a big soft pretzel for lunch. Woohoo! Yum yum. It really doesn't take much to make me happy! Jared and I had a good time and got to see a lot of cool stuff at the Visitor Complex. I really do have a cool job! Oh, and I was able to talk with the travel agent and get a hotel in Orlando for Friday night--whew! Relief is spelled S-H-E-R-A-T-O-N S-U-I-T-E-S!
After we got done there, Jared and I went to a great seafood place I knew about right on the water. There were pink hibiscus and a breeze and fresh seafood. We loved it! Jared got some sampler platter and I got raw oysters. MMM MMM!!!! =)
We went back to the hotel after that (thank goodness we were able to get the same one both nights!), and Jared took some time at the beach while I made a couple of phone calls while laying out by the pool. =) I took a walk over to the Winn-Dixie across the street for some fresh fruit and came back to the hotel to sit in a rocking chair by a water feature and read for a little while. I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging or all I did was take it easy--I did work in the room, too!--but I can't tell you how nice it was to have the change of pace.
So that was Thursday! =)
And Friday was Launch Day! After another perfect morning (beach, prayer time, coffee, PB&H bagel!), Jared and I headed back to the Visitor Complex to get on the bus and head out to the Banana Creek viewing place! (With a quick stop at Subway to go!) We got there about 11:45 that morning and got some good seats. We met several interesting people, but particularly a woman named Rose and her husband Hank. They let us sit on their blanket and were great to talk to! They're Christians and have a daughter who lives in Nashville. I gave Rose my card and told her to e-mail me so I could send her some NASA stuff for her school class--I think she said she teaches 5th grade. I love my job and the things it allows me to do! :)
And then it was time! The National Anthem was sung, the clock restarted, and the countdown to launch came over the loud speakers! With my camera at the ready, we watched the engines ignite, and STS-132 rose from the cloud it created. It was loud, it was BRIGHT, it vibrated inside my chest, and it was amazing! I am officially an American!!!!! =) I loved it! I feel so fortunate to be able to witness one of the final three shuttle launches. Jared seemed to like it, too--sort of a sensory overload, but definitely a worthwhile experience!
And then the real trek began--bus back to the Visitor Complex, walk to the Mazda 3 (WAY in the back of the parking lot!), and the three-hour drive in HEAVY traffic to Orlando. If I thought I loved metro and walkability before, this definitely heightened my appreciation for both! The 3 is fun to drive (ok, so it has no power locks), but I'll be excited to be back to DC and fabulous public transportation!
So once we FINALLY made it to the hotel in Orlando--the most fabulous Sheraton I've been in!--we checked in, dropped our stuff in the room, and made a beeline to the best sushi restaurant in the area! If you're ever in Orlando, go to the Tokyo Japanese Restaurant. It's fabulous!
When we got back to the hotel we just relaxed for a couple of hours--Jared watched TV and got on the computer, I worked out, showered, worked (had to check and respond to e-mails, etc.), and went to BED! Despite a bit of a sunburn (inevitable!), I slept so well!
This morning we took advantage of free breakfast (hooray fresh fruit!!!), took our time getting ready, and we're about on our way. Jared is already at the airport getting ready to go home (he leaves for China on Tuesday!), and I'm about to check out of the hotel and head over to my friend Michael's! I know him from church up in VA, and he moved down here to work at a manatee refuge (what a cool job!) in Crystal River last year. I get to catch up with him, see his church, go swimming, and see manatees! Hooray!
So that's the next phase of this adventure. Pictures of the last couple of days (including the launch!) to come soon. Love y'all! E-mail me or leave a comment and let me know what you're up to!
And we got VIP treatment at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (KSCVC)--i.e., we got in free! We got a special packet of information with bus passes for the launch and fact sheets, then went to a mission briefing for the STS-132 mission (STS stands for Space Transportation System--just learned that yesterday!), and it was excellent. They talked about Space Shuttle Atlantis's history since its first mission in 1985 (it's as old as me!); this is its last flight, which is, of course, bittersweet for all NASA workers, but especially for those at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) since Constellation got cancelled.
But that's a whole 'nother can of worms. :)
Anyway, the first speaker at the briefing was a retired Marine Colonel--he was a fantastic speaker! It's so nice to listen to someone who is so articulate and personable, especially who is able to talk about NASA stuff, you know?
The final speaker was someone who was actually in one of my meetings at work on Tuesday! I went and talked to him afterward and gave him my card. It was so nice to talk to him because he has it right--as in, he gave facts, not speculation or false assumptions. But I digress... I love meeting people--you never know when you'll run into them again!
After the briefing, we got to go all over the Visitor Complex and I got to "work". (I had to try out the new Constellation exhibit there!) It was actually kind of sad. All the pictures of Ares, Orion, Lunar Rovers, etc., that were canned as part of the Constellation Program were labeled as "early concept vehicles" or something similar.
This is me on my soap box: It's not a concept when you have hardware. We have hardware and successful tests behind these vehicles.
And now I'm off the soapbox. =) I also got to meet one of my co-workers from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville! She was there as part of the Space Flight Awareness, a prestegious award that gives honorees THE VVIP (Very Very Important Person) treatment at a launch. They get to take special tours of different facilities at KSC as well as see the launch from the best viewing spot! Anyway, I'm on weekly telecons with this lady, Twila, so I know her voice (and am friends with her on Facebook!) but had never met her in person. When I found out she was going to be down here, I e-mailed to tell her to call me so we could meet up! I met her and her husband and gave her a hug and all that. She's always to kind, and I'm very thankful she's on the team with me. :)
So that was great! And you know what else is great? I had a big soft pretzel for lunch. Woohoo! Yum yum. It really doesn't take much to make me happy! Jared and I had a good time and got to see a lot of cool stuff at the Visitor Complex. I really do have a cool job! Oh, and I was able to talk with the travel agent and get a hotel in Orlando for Friday night--whew! Relief is spelled S-H-E-R-A-T-O-N S-U-I-T-E-S!
After we got done there, Jared and I went to a great seafood place I knew about right on the water. There were pink hibiscus and a breeze and fresh seafood. We loved it! Jared got some sampler platter and I got raw oysters. MMM MMM!!!! =)
We went back to the hotel after that (thank goodness we were able to get the same one both nights!), and Jared took some time at the beach while I made a couple of phone calls while laying out by the pool. =) I took a walk over to the Winn-Dixie across the street for some fresh fruit and came back to the hotel to sit in a rocking chair by a water feature and read for a little while. I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging or all I did was take it easy--I did work in the room, too!--but I can't tell you how nice it was to have the change of pace.
So that was Thursday! =)
And Friday was Launch Day! After another perfect morning (beach, prayer time, coffee, PB&H bagel!), Jared and I headed back to the Visitor Complex to get on the bus and head out to the Banana Creek viewing place! (With a quick stop at Subway to go!) We got there about 11:45 that morning and got some good seats. We met several interesting people, but particularly a woman named Rose and her husband Hank. They let us sit on their blanket and were great to talk to! They're Christians and have a daughter who lives in Nashville. I gave Rose my card and told her to e-mail me so I could send her some NASA stuff for her school class--I think she said she teaches 5th grade. I love my job and the things it allows me to do! :)
And then it was time! The National Anthem was sung, the clock restarted, and the countdown to launch came over the loud speakers! With my camera at the ready, we watched the engines ignite, and STS-132 rose from the cloud it created. It was loud, it was BRIGHT, it vibrated inside my chest, and it was amazing! I am officially an American!!!!! =) I loved it! I feel so fortunate to be able to witness one of the final three shuttle launches. Jared seemed to like it, too--sort of a sensory overload, but definitely a worthwhile experience!
And then the real trek began--bus back to the Visitor Complex, walk to the Mazda 3 (WAY in the back of the parking lot!), and the three-hour drive in HEAVY traffic to Orlando. If I thought I loved metro and walkability before, this definitely heightened my appreciation for both! The 3 is fun to drive (ok, so it has no power locks), but I'll be excited to be back to DC and fabulous public transportation!
So once we FINALLY made it to the hotel in Orlando--the most fabulous Sheraton I've been in!--we checked in, dropped our stuff in the room, and made a beeline to the best sushi restaurant in the area! If you're ever in Orlando, go to the Tokyo Japanese Restaurant. It's fabulous!
When we got back to the hotel we just relaxed for a couple of hours--Jared watched TV and got on the computer, I worked out, showered, worked (had to check and respond to e-mails, etc.), and went to BED! Despite a bit of a sunburn (inevitable!), I slept so well!
This morning we took advantage of free breakfast (hooray fresh fruit!!!), took our time getting ready, and we're about on our way. Jared is already at the airport getting ready to go home (he leaves for China on Tuesday!), and I'm about to check out of the hotel and head over to my friend Michael's! I know him from church up in VA, and he moved down here to work at a manatee refuge (what a cool job!) in Crystal River last year. I get to catch up with him, see his church, go swimming, and see manatees! Hooray!
So that's the next phase of this adventure. Pictures of the last couple of days (including the launch!) to come soon. Love y'all! E-mail me or leave a comment and let me know what you're up to!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Operation Launch Adventure Pictures! =)
Check it out! Pictures as promised! Not one of the Mazda 3 yet. It'll come soon!
http://community.webshots.com/album/577658550uKldKL
http://community.webshots.com/album/577658550uKldKL
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Operation Launch!
I have finally started a blog! Adventure Whit is at it again. And let me tell you, this has certainly been an adventure already!
So, I have the coolest job ever. They sent me down to Kennedy Space Center as a special guest to view one of the final three launches and work down here for a couple of meetings. I was able to bring one guest to the briefing and launch, so I thought it would be fun to bring along my big brother because he just got his MBA. =)
So here we are! I flew in and worked from the Orlando airport (I love public wi-fi and the capability to telework!) and waited for Jared to fly in. We found the rental car place with minimal difficulty, and I got to pick out my car--MAZDA 3! If I didn't love my Civic so much, I'd have gotten a Mazda 3. :) I get to drive a cool car! It's the little things in life that make it worthwhile, you know.
And we were off! Once the GPS recognized we were in fact located in FL and no longer in VA, we were on our way! We inadvertantly avoided the toll road, which is ok by me because I never have change, but it ended up taking us WAY longer to get to our "hotel".
Once at said "hotel", I turned to Jared and said, "This is way sketchy." He seemed to agree. And so I started making phone calls! The travel agency searched and couldn't find anything closer than Orlando (and absolutely nothing for the givernment rate!), so while they continued their search I opted for making a few more calls myself. I called a couple of friends who are local to see what areas are GOOD and what hotels are around, and they were very helpful. So I started calling non-shady hotels. Once again, thank God for wi-fi and a computer! The first four or five places I called said they were booked solid (due to the shuttle launch and a couple of other conferences around), but a couple of them were helpful in directing my search.
The last place I called was the Comfort Inn (not that it was my last choice, it was my first available choice!), and once again I said a prayer of thanks--they had an open room for us! Indeed, there was room at the Inn. :) So I gave the girl my information and got it all reserved, and off we drove again--in the awesome Mazda 3 with no power locks. =) But I still get a kick just driving it!
We got to the Comfort Inn, and of course there was construction everywhere! But who cares? Shannon said it right--my middle name is disaster! Hahaha. I laugh and move on in the face of disaster. I'm learning to roll with it, and I like it just fine! So anyway, I thanked the girl profusely for her help and said I would never stay at said hotel in Cocoa again, and the look on her face said it all--Cocoa is not the place to be! The city of Cocoa Beach is good, the city of Cocoa not so much! Just so you know.
So we got our room keys and found our room--WAY at the end of the building, but closer to the beach! And although it had that old lady-hotel room smell, we were just glad to be there! Jared and I set our stuff down and rested a bit, then went off to find supper! A trip to Publix was just the ticket--I even have peanut butter and mini bagels for breakfast in the morning! And a pear. :)
Jared ate and watched a bit of TV, I went out for a run--thank God for a fully functioning body! Back feels good, hip is pain-free, feet don't hurt. Now if I can just get these teeth to stop being so sensitive... but I'm not complaining! I'll take sensitive teeth over the other injuries any day of the week!
Got back, ate a salad with salmon and raspberry vinnaigrette (gourmet from Publix--hehe), showered, worked on a spreadsheet for one of my bosses, and here I sit--unable to sleep because the A/C is so very loud, but happy to be "safe and secure (no longer to linger, leaving my sin and strife..." name that tune!). Still working on hotel rooms for Friday, as well as for Sunday night and Monday night (for a different work trip), but I'll cross those bridges when I get there! Comfort Inn said something may come open with them for Friday. If not, I'll make a few more phone calls. =)
"Be not dismayed whate'er betide, God will take care of you-ou..." One of my most favorites. :)
And I'll leave you with this one: "For I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day..." --2 Timothy 1:12 (and a great song!)
More to come on our "out of this world" adventure! And pictures will be posted soon. There will probably be one of me in the Mazda 3. =)
So, I have the coolest job ever. They sent me down to Kennedy Space Center as a special guest to view one of the final three launches and work down here for a couple of meetings. I was able to bring one guest to the briefing and launch, so I thought it would be fun to bring along my big brother because he just got his MBA. =)
So here we are! I flew in and worked from the Orlando airport (I love public wi-fi and the capability to telework!) and waited for Jared to fly in. We found the rental car place with minimal difficulty, and I got to pick out my car--MAZDA 3! If I didn't love my Civic so much, I'd have gotten a Mazda 3. :) I get to drive a cool car! It's the little things in life that make it worthwhile, you know.
And we were off! Once the GPS recognized we were in fact located in FL and no longer in VA, we were on our way! We inadvertantly avoided the toll road, which is ok by me because I never have change, but it ended up taking us WAY longer to get to our "hotel".
Once at said "hotel", I turned to Jared and said, "This is way sketchy." He seemed to agree. And so I started making phone calls! The travel agency searched and couldn't find anything closer than Orlando (and absolutely nothing for the givernment rate!), so while they continued their search I opted for making a few more calls myself. I called a couple of friends who are local to see what areas are GOOD and what hotels are around, and they were very helpful. So I started calling non-shady hotels. Once again, thank God for wi-fi and a computer! The first four or five places I called said they were booked solid (due to the shuttle launch and a couple of other conferences around), but a couple of them were helpful in directing my search.
The last place I called was the Comfort Inn (not that it was my last choice, it was my first available choice!), and once again I said a prayer of thanks--they had an open room for us! Indeed, there was room at the Inn. :) So I gave the girl my information and got it all reserved, and off we drove again--in the awesome Mazda 3 with no power locks. =) But I still get a kick just driving it!
We got to the Comfort Inn, and of course there was construction everywhere! But who cares? Shannon said it right--my middle name is disaster! Hahaha. I laugh and move on in the face of disaster. I'm learning to roll with it, and I like it just fine! So anyway, I thanked the girl profusely for her help and said I would never stay at said hotel in Cocoa again, and the look on her face said it all--Cocoa is not the place to be! The city of Cocoa Beach is good, the city of Cocoa not so much! Just so you know.
So we got our room keys and found our room--WAY at the end of the building, but closer to the beach! And although it had that old lady-hotel room smell, we were just glad to be there! Jared and I set our stuff down and rested a bit, then went off to find supper! A trip to Publix was just the ticket--I even have peanut butter and mini bagels for breakfast in the morning! And a pear. :)
Jared ate and watched a bit of TV, I went out for a run--thank God for a fully functioning body! Back feels good, hip is pain-free, feet don't hurt. Now if I can just get these teeth to stop being so sensitive... but I'm not complaining! I'll take sensitive teeth over the other injuries any day of the week!
Got back, ate a salad with salmon and raspberry vinnaigrette (gourmet from Publix--hehe), showered, worked on a spreadsheet for one of my bosses, and here I sit--unable to sleep because the A/C is so very loud, but happy to be "safe and secure (no longer to linger, leaving my sin and strife..." name that tune!). Still working on hotel rooms for Friday, as well as for Sunday night and Monday night (for a different work trip), but I'll cross those bridges when I get there! Comfort Inn said something may come open with them for Friday. If not, I'll make a few more phone calls. =)
"Be not dismayed whate'er betide, God will take care of you-ou..." One of my most favorites. :)
And I'll leave you with this one: "For I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day..." --2 Timothy 1:12 (and a great song!)
More to come on our "out of this world" adventure! And pictures will be posted soon. There will probably be one of me in the Mazda 3. =)
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