Aging Gracelessly

Welcome to KSC

2011-11-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

Finally, the time has come after all the long hours, hard work and endless meetings, it's November. We're here at Kennedy Space Center...and we all hope we're ready. Looking around the room in the meeting today, people are serious, but not panicked...not yet.

The JPL staff is neatly tucked away in a building called the MOSB (I have no idea what that stands for).

Today was about finding my way around, checking in with everyone who needs me, and getting settled. Fred Battle was kind enough to show me the local facilities on base, and Bob Koukol gave me the end-to-end tour of Cocoa Beach (all 5 miles of it). Got my cube (near one end of the farm) and I'm ready to go.

Got my first glimpse of the local fauna, too. KSC sits in the middle of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge...plenty of birds: osprey, vultures, egrets, countless shore birds, and these funny lizard-like creatures. Pretty cool.

The wind was blowing out of the north, not suitable for launch. Tropical Storm Sean is out to the east, kicking up some good waves.

The viewing gallery won't be this one, I'm told. Too close for our payload. Too bad, this one has a nice view.

Tomorrow, I'm going to the little white building you see through the bleachers. Hope I'm not afraid of heights.

Trail Review - Sycamore Canyon

2011-03-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

One of the few MTB trails in the IE with multiple sections of singletrack riding, Sycamore Canyon is tucked into a semi-urban setting in Riverside. There are several access points, the main parking lot on Central Avenue is at the bottom of some heart-pounding climbing right from the start. For the hucker crowd, riding from one of the access points off Allesandro will keep you from having to turn the pedals too much. The terrain at Sycamore features steep climbs and descents over firm but sandy decomposed granite. Some rock outcroppings have been incorporated into short sections of slickrock that many will find challenging.

Pros: Singletrack riding, good variety for all skill levels. Terrain is rideable year-round in almost any conditions; it never seems to develop deep sand, only a few spots are muddy in the rain.

Cons: To make this one of the best riding parks in California, more trail work is needed with emphasis on tight, twisty, turny trail that puts some emphasis on cornering. But maybe that will happen, there seem to be groups in the are devoted to trail-building.

Bottom Line: 4 out 5 stars.

Trail Review: Claremont Wilderness/Cobal Canyon

2011-01-29T07:38:00.000-08:00

Overall: 1 out of 5

Location: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=3814%20N%20Mills%20Ave,+Claremont,+CA+91711

Description: 5 mile fire road loop in the Claremont Wilderness Park. Approximately 1000 feet of climbing.
Pros:
Easy access at the parking lot on N. Mills Avenue, great vistas.

Cons:
98% fire road riding, this ride is not technically challenging; most of "trail" sections are featured in the video. There are lots of hikers on this trail, so fast descending is NOT recommended.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYMfuRbzH0s

A few moments from a long drive...

2010-09-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

After a couple of weeks, it seems like time to breathe again. The trip across the country took 6 days, thanks to crosswinds that blew us all over the road. 2500 miles later, we made it to RC, where I immediately began my life sitting in traffic. The drive to work is about 40 miles; taking anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.

So here's a quick video clip from the trip out. I only took out the camera twice, first in Iowa, then at Meteor Crater in Arizona. Meteor Crater is a giant hole in the ground into which unsuspecting tourists open their wallets. Enjoy the video...it cost me $46 in entry fees to shoot it!

WORS Flair

2010-04-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

WORS gets stuff right about 99% of the time, so for the most part I forgive them for getting out in orbit every now and then. This is maybe one of those times.

Check out the current article on "WORS Series Racer Flare."

This really looks like something for the FB'erds.

Don't they mean FLAIR?

You know where I'm going with this...

CSI Easter

2010-04-04T07:35:00.001-07:00

Bad/Good News

2010-03-26T08:40:00.001-07:00

At first, you may say...how could spilled beer ever be good? Obviously, to the casual observer, this is DREADFUL news! Not only are a few precious milliliters of God's liquid missing from the bottle, but the obligatory attempt to retrieve some requires putting one's face on the table in a hopeless effort to slurp a few drops.

The only good news to be gleaned from this pathetic (though necessary) action is knowledge that the cause of spill in the first place (a vibrating shelf in the beer fridge) portends the return of summer. Winter means lining the snow on the back deck with bottles like so many missiles in their silos ready to nuke the Kremlin into the Stone Age, or...when it gets too cold (as it often does here in Eastconsin), parking the 12-pack in the garage where a faint smell of gasoline leaks from the lawnmower. But summer means the BEER FRIDGE is in full glory!

Fail

2010-02-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

And now my thumb hurts...

Could I get some cheese with that whine?

More NM

2010-02-19T07:41:00.001-08:00

A few more images from the National Museum of Nuclear Science...

K patiently waited and pretended to be interested. As a coworker, she has to do that a lot.

The Atomic Cannon is just within range of the Atomic Cafe, where the coffee is really strong.

Nukular

2010-02-17T17:58:00.000-08:00

Every now and then, I get to do something cool for work. For this winter's adventure, I visited the National Museum of Nuclear Science in Albuquerque.

Here's what the IAEA folks play when on vacation in the Axis of Evil.

In case they fail, we'll be ready.

A B-29, similar to the Enola Gay; no rants, please. It was a good day and a bad day all wrapped up in one. Ultimately, I'm glad I wasn't there, but these planes were amazing.

Insignia on a B-52.

February

2010-02-13T14:36:00.001-08:00

It's still not safe to go outside.

Grumpy Old Man

2010-02-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

It's February already, and I'm my usual 10 pounds overweight. Must be time to ride.

We ordered the parts and frame for Sam's new ride: Ventana El Comandante...Nice! Hope he keeps growing so I can keep this one.