r a major aerospace company. He was a very interesting guy, I only wish that I would have gotten his name or email...Richard if you're out there reading my blog...send me a comment with your email! Besides being interesting...he helped me to learn how to use manual settings on my camera to improve my photo's! This proved to be immensely helpful! Here looking across the Indian River we have the Vehicle Assembly Building to the right, a future launch structure in the middle, and if you enlarge the photo by double-clicking on it, launch pad 39A and Endeavour on the left!
The sunset was quite nice as many pelicans flew by, and the sky was perfectly clear, no "issues" at all! We were sittin' pretty....well for 10 more hours anyway. We passed the long hours of the evening chatting about different adventures that we had throughout our lives, outer space, UFO's, God, whatever came to mind. I think these were some of the most personal and deep conversations that I had ever had with anyone let alone a total stranger! Like I said, 12 hours, make the best of it. Richard was a brainiac! Quite possibly one of the most intelligent people I had ever met, by 2am literally my head started to hurt from all the deep thoughts! Anyway, he even makes his own telescopes using used military grade optics that are auctioned off! He even had an adapter so that he could screw his camera onto the telescope for a super zoom lens! He let me peer through the telescope throughout the night to look at the shuttle, Mars, Jupiter (I saw 3 of its moons), Saturn (yes I even saw the rings!), and the Orion Nebula! It was beyond cool! Now, whenever I look into the night sky, I am able to locate the constellation of Orion and I remember.....He even had a scope that was night-vision! I wish I had such toys! I was scanning the area around...looking for alligator eyes...thank God, I didn't see any! About midnight we walked to Walgreens to use the facilities...never have I been so happy to be in a store of the competition! It was midnight....snack time! I was also quite happy that I had thought to pack my fleece!
Sometime in the middle of the night, xenon's bathed Endeavour in bright light. I am thinking that might have been about the time that the 6 astronauts may have started loading into the shuttle.
About 2am, we mutually decided to return to our respective vehicles to get a little shut-eye. My shut-eye was not very rest full...A few minutes into my shallow slumber I was awakened my gram, gramps and a teenager, they stayed at waters edge on the outskirts of my left bumper, that was ok with me. To soon later, a family of four from Apopka crowded in between my rental car & Richard' s SUV. I would have been fine with this except the 2 teenage girls kept laughing and giggling in the 38 degree weather, and every time they giggled they would bump my little car and I would awaken. Once would have been fine, but every 2-3 minutes (remember my alarm clock was on my dash) of being awakened wore on my nerves. When 6 folks tried to come up on the other side, that was IT! I flung opened my doors and told them to MOVE OUT they were in my way! By this time it was 3:45 am and after 25-2 minute naps I was VERY cranky and figured I might as well get out in the cold and suffer there since I was not getting any sleep. The "Apopka's" had tried to be polite, asking where I was from, had I done this before, my name, stuff like that. Ordinarily I would have gladly enjoyed the conversation, but after 2 days of sleep deprivation and going on 22 hours of wake fullness, I was NOT in the mood...and unfortunately it showed. The next day I really felt bad about how rude and inhospitable I was to the Apopka's...Apopka's if you're out there...I am so sorry! I'm really not a mean cr
abby wench, and I hope you don't think all of us Michigander's are that cranky.When I thought it couldn't get any worse, about 4:15am I turn to look to my left and some broad is SITTING on the HOOD OF MY RENTAL CAR! I exploded! She was rather unconcerned. I exploded again after she kept inching closer..and began kicking the legs of my tripod! THAT DID IT! After threatening her with my mag lite (which was now in my hand waving at her), she moved arms length away, and did not sit on my car either. Can you even imagine the kahones! I was NOT having a pleasant time! In fact, I was almost
relieved when at 4:30am the launch was scrubbed due to the thick cloud cover that had rolled in only a few hours earlier. I envisioned my photo's being of the backs of people's heads! I mean come on..pay your dues. I would not have expected to get such a prime spot by arriving 1/2 hour before a launch when the others had been there for more than 12 hours. I envied those sitting atop their motor homes! Great view, no pushing, no unwanted guests, unobstructed shots!As I
left, at 5am, I noticed launch pad 39A aglow, astronauts probably disembarking. Perhaps tomorrow I will see what I have been waiting for....3rd time's a charm right? (counting last year's failed February attempt). I felt as if I had paid my dues over the last 12 hours and had earned the chance to see a liftoff, and the holy grail of lift off's at that....a night launch..... I would have to wait 23 hours to find out....until then, I had to concentrate on staying awake for another 2 hours to fight traffic to get to the hotel. yawn...
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