Yup. The Sox have won 12 games in row, capping off the final 3 against the best team in the NL. This is the longest win streak for the Beantown Boys since 1995, the last time they won the AL East. We also have tied the record for consecutive games without an error(16). One more and we ARE the record, haha.
Speaking of sports.....my favorite athlete of all time, Patrick Roy, is being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this November. This was his first time on the ballot, but it doesn't come as a surprise to anyone that follows hockey. I will not go into all the awards and records he holds, but you can follow the link on the right and see for yourself. The man was a freakin' machine. I can't wait to see his speech! Matt and I both agree he should go to the ceremony wearing full pads and helmet.
Again staying with sports....my girl Sharapova(as well as Wimbledon's new favorite sweetheart) is still in the tournament. What's really funny though is the last opponent she beat. The opponent's name? Anna SMASHNOVA. How cool a tennis name is that? I mean seriously. SMASHnova. With that name you either grow up to play tennis or be a boxer.
We saw the late late late showing(got home around 1:30) of Superman Returns last night. I liked it alot. It was a great homage to the older films, which were the movies I basically grew up on(as well as Indiana Jones and Batman). A little bit of cheeziness, a few inside jokes(Gotham City is mentioned in a news broadcast), and a ton of action really add up to a great Superman movie. As if all that wasn't enough, the opening credits of the movie are done EXACTLY like the old movies, but they combined the old credits with a schnazzy opening showing the explosion of a star on its way towards Earth. It was incredibly nostalgic, especially with the orginal score composed by John Williams played more bombastically than before, and I loved it. I can honestly say that that was the first time I have ever had goosebumps for the first 3 minutes of a movie. Granted, the movie skipped and jumped around some of the older movies, but I don't mind that at all. Much like the latest Batman movie, when the movies are now based on the comic book licenses, I think they can throw out the rule books set by the older flicks.
Tomorrow is Eric's birthday, so I think we're gonna try to throw him a party. It's almost like we are required to because he is set to go on console at Mission Control Sunday night, so he has to begin sleep shifting, which means he needs to stay up to AT LEAST 3:00 am tomorrow. I think we can handle that :)
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Y'all Come Back Now...Ya Hear!
Funny thing happened today. On my way back to work from my lunch break, I stopped at the Post Office in Nassau Bay, which is just across from JSC, to get some stamps. I pulled my Jeep into a parking space, and I noticed the parked van beside me had a Mississippi tag, a Washington Co. tag to be specific. I thought that was kind of funny, but didn't think much beyond that. I then strolled into the building and got in line. I wasn't in line for more than 3 minutes when this bald guy wearing a Hawiian shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals popped his head into the main post office room(where you get service). He talked as if he was calling out the winning BINGO number: "Anyone in here from Mississippi??"
After looking around for a second, I casually raised my hand and said, "I am."
The guy asked me if I was the one driving with the Madison license, and I confirmed his guess. He asked me if I lived here and what I was doing, and I told him. He then went on to tell me where he was originally from(Greenville) and what he's doing in Houston, now that he lives there. Then he left. All of that was in a 30-second span, if that. Then he told me to take care, and he was gone. Poof. Like that.
It just goes on to prove that Mississippi is home to some of the most friendly people on this Earth, and THAT'S why I love my(2nd) home state.
After looking around for a second, I casually raised my hand and said, "I am."
The guy asked me if I was the one driving with the Madison license, and I confirmed his guess. He asked me if I lived here and what I was doing, and I told him. He then went on to tell me where he was originally from(Greenville) and what he's doing in Houston, now that he lives there. Then he left. All of that was in a 30-second span, if that. Then he told me to take care, and he was gone. Poof. Like that.
It just goes on to prove that Mississippi is home to some of the most friendly people on this Earth, and THAT'S why I love my(2nd) home state.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Treasure Hunting
Once again...David Ortiz comes to the rescue in the clutch. ANOTHER walk-off hit today against the Phillies. His second game in a row and 3rd in the last 8 home games at Fenway. To quote Trevor: "Papi(David Ortiz) is the shit!"
Walker and I are addicted to this new show Treasure Hunters on NBC. Granted, we don't have great reception on our tv(that will change on Wednesday), but we can get the basic idea of what's going on. Best of all, we can play along online with these "brainteasers" that lead you on a parallel path with the show. Each episode there is a different online challenge, and with each successful completion of the online challenges you are given another clue as to the whereabouts of the treasure. So far the first two clues make no sense, but we're working on it. We want that $10,000, haha.
Jennifer is bringing me Curse of the Bambino tomorrow. She says I'm not a true Sox fan until I have completely understood the past miseries of the team. She has a point, so I feel obliged to read it. I'm actually looking forward to it. I finished Angels & Demons, which was awesome. I need another bedside book.
Walker and I are addicted to this new show Treasure Hunters on NBC. Granted, we don't have great reception on our tv(that will change on Wednesday), but we can get the basic idea of what's going on. Best of all, we can play along online with these "brainteasers" that lead you on a parallel path with the show. Each episode there is a different online challenge, and with each successful completion of the online challenges you are given another clue as to the whereabouts of the treasure. So far the first two clues make no sense, but we're working on it. We want that $10,000, haha.
Jennifer is bringing me Curse of the Bambino tomorrow. She says I'm not a true Sox fan until I have completely understood the past miseries of the team. She has a point, so I feel obliged to read it. I'm actually looking forward to it. I finished Angels & Demons, which was awesome. I need another bedside book.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Interesting Stat
Oh yeh, I forgot. At Roger Clemens' return to baseball last Thursday, we(my group and the rest of Houston) set the all-time record for attendance at Minute Maid Park: 43,769!! That's more than any of the World Series games last year! Go figure...
Don't Forget to Pack Your Launch
Well if you are(were) a USA Soccer fan, that World Cup sucked, didn't it? Bleh. VERY disappointed in our boys. No explosiveness, apparently no chemistry(which was our problem in '98), no stamina. We were outplayed every which way during our 3 group games, and it was just painful to watch. I expect Arena to be on the chopping block for this affair, but then again, he was probably on his way out after this World Cup anyway. Lots of our guys probably wont be playing anymore(Reyna, McBride, Keller), so we either get younger or we don't get anywhere at all....I guess I'm an England fan now(Richard's team).
Thursday was Roger Clemen's return to baseball, as well as the Astros, and I was there to watch history. He wasn't overly awesome, but it was definitely vintage Roger. Unfortunately, it was also vintage Astros, which means ZERO run support for their ace. Of course it also didn't help that they were batting against the rookie phenom pitcher of Liriano on the Twins. The 'stros lost, but it was a good time hanging out with alot of people from work(we got group seats). I had never seen Minnesota play before, so I got to knock them off my list :)
Speaking of baseball, the Red Sox are freakin' BALLIN. Eight in row, baby. Papi had a walk-off homer today, which is just becoming the norm for him. I swear, all of his RBI's have come in the bottom of the last inning when the score is either tied or they're behind. That man is a machine.
The launch schedule was released earlier this week. (NOTE: the shuttle mission is designated STS-121 and the related ISS Flight is designated ULF 1.1. I'll be using those in my posts from now on...just to let you know). I'm gonna OJT(on-the-job training) with the Orbit 3 shift with Tarik in the Blue MPSR(pronounced "mip-sir"), which is the ISS backroom. Orbit 3 is from 7:30pm-4:30am, and while I know you think that that timeframe sucks, it really doesn't. See, since Orbit 3 is within that timeframe, it is usually the planning shift, where timelines are laid out for the next day, maneuvers are discussed, as well as any other items for the shift. The crew is usually asleep in this shift, but alot happens here on the ground, and it will be a great oppurtunity for me to learn hands-on and ask many questions.
So those are the "work" reasons why it's gonna rock. Here are the "fun" reasons....Orbit 3 in the backroom is pretty much the party shift. Yup, I said it: party. Eric has told me from experience that there will be grilling, footballs, ESPN on the tv's, and more; only after the Station work has been done, of course, haha. It's gonna be awesome. I'll be sitting in with my boy Tarik, and Eric is also on Orbit 3, so it's going to be a blast. Even better is that I get home at 5:00am, which means I sleep until around noon. That leaves me the afternoon to sit by the pool and soak up some rays every day during the mission(2 weeks!). Helllll yeh. I'm actually excited to totally flip my sleep schedule; it should be a fresh experience, especially considering the work I'll get to do. So starting on July 2, be looking for me on NASA TV when I roam into the control room!
Thursday was Roger Clemen's return to baseball, as well as the Astros, and I was there to watch history. He wasn't overly awesome, but it was definitely vintage Roger. Unfortunately, it was also vintage Astros, which means ZERO run support for their ace. Of course it also didn't help that they were batting against the rookie phenom pitcher of Liriano on the Twins. The 'stros lost, but it was a good time hanging out with alot of people from work(we got group seats). I had never seen Minnesota play before, so I got to knock them off my list :)
Speaking of baseball, the Red Sox are freakin' BALLIN. Eight in row, baby. Papi had a walk-off homer today, which is just becoming the norm for him. I swear, all of his RBI's have come in the bottom of the last inning when the score is either tied or they're behind. That man is a machine.
The launch schedule was released earlier this week. (NOTE: the shuttle mission is designated STS-121 and the related ISS Flight is designated ULF 1.1. I'll be using those in my posts from now on...just to let you know). I'm gonna OJT(on-the-job training) with the Orbit 3 shift with Tarik in the Blue MPSR(pronounced "mip-sir"), which is the ISS backroom. Orbit 3 is from 7:30pm-4:30am, and while I know you think that that timeframe sucks, it really doesn't. See, since Orbit 3 is within that timeframe, it is usually the planning shift, where timelines are laid out for the next day, maneuvers are discussed, as well as any other items for the shift. The crew is usually asleep in this shift, but alot happens here on the ground, and it will be a great oppurtunity for me to learn hands-on and ask many questions.
So those are the "work" reasons why it's gonna rock. Here are the "fun" reasons....Orbit 3 in the backroom is pretty much the party shift. Yup, I said it: party. Eric has told me from experience that there will be grilling, footballs, ESPN on the tv's, and more; only after the Station work has been done, of course, haha. It's gonna be awesome. I'll be sitting in with my boy Tarik, and Eric is also on Orbit 3, so it's going to be a blast. Even better is that I get home at 5:00am, which means I sleep until around noon. That leaves me the afternoon to sit by the pool and soak up some rays every day during the mission(2 weeks!). Helllll yeh. I'm actually excited to totally flip my sleep schedule; it should be a fresh experience, especially considering the work I'll get to do. So starting on July 2, be looking for me on NASA TV when I roam into the control room!
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Hooray for Presents
So my birthday rocked. You all know that from my last post. My birthday celebrations continued into this last weekend when Mal and I went to see the Sox sweep the Braves. She did a great post about our trip, so just go over to her blog to read the recap. Yeh I know, I'm lazy. But it is a good post with good pics.
My birthday extended even beyond my two trips. I got some awesome gifts from everyone. Shall I review?
Mom and Dad got me a $100 e-gift certificate to Target. Awesome! I'm using that card to buy my new camera, but I forgot that it is an electronic gift certificate, so I can only use it online. That means I have to order my camera online, so it will take a few days. I'm still doing some last minute research, so this may be for the better that I didn't buy it today.
Carolyn and Richard bought me birthday dinner as well as birthday drinks. They also drove us around D.C. all weekend, got us Nats tickets, got us into the Smithsonian museum, fixed us food, provided entertainment, etc. etc. My siblings kick soooooo much ass. Thank you C and R!!
Will got me a blue Red Sox tee with Papelbon and #58 on the back, but you already knew that. Nevertheless, it's still awesome.
Mallory also got me a Papelbon Red Sox shirt. She also got me this uber-uber comfy Red Sox throw. It's my new favorite blanket. And yes, it's on my bed. Mallory also carted me ALL around Atlanta this past weekend, including a trip to the always-crazy Atlanta Hartsfield Int'l Airport and 3 forays into post-Braves traffic. It's safe to say that she sacrificed the most for my birthday, haha.
The Red Sox gave me a sweep of the Braves, which is exactly what I asked for!!!
so as you can see, my 21st birtday = awesome. That's pretty much it.
Ran across a great article on my boy Papelbon today at work......CLICK HERE TO READ IT.
Tomorrow's the big game, folks. The return of Roger. This city is going absolutely bonkers over it.
Oh, and one more thing. Today I saw the first of what is sure to be an onslaught of television reporters broadcasting from Johnson Space Center. They were standing in front of the big NASA/JSC sign right off NASA Rd. 1. There's gonna be a bajillion of these reporters on and off-site, especially beginning next week. It's gonna be pandamonium. I can't wait!!!
My birthday extended even beyond my two trips. I got some awesome gifts from everyone. Shall I review?
Mom and Dad got me a $100 e-gift certificate to Target. Awesome! I'm using that card to buy my new camera, but I forgot that it is an electronic gift certificate, so I can only use it online. That means I have to order my camera online, so it will take a few days. I'm still doing some last minute research, so this may be for the better that I didn't buy it today.
Carolyn and Richard bought me birthday dinner as well as birthday drinks. They also drove us around D.C. all weekend, got us Nats tickets, got us into the Smithsonian museum, fixed us food, provided entertainment, etc. etc. My siblings kick soooooo much ass. Thank you C and R!!
Will got me a blue Red Sox tee with Papelbon and #58 on the back, but you already knew that. Nevertheless, it's still awesome.
Mallory also got me a Papelbon Red Sox shirt. She also got me this uber-uber comfy Red Sox throw. It's my new favorite blanket. And yes, it's on my bed. Mallory also carted me ALL around Atlanta this past weekend, including a trip to the always-crazy Atlanta Hartsfield Int'l Airport and 3 forays into post-Braves traffic. It's safe to say that she sacrificed the most for my birthday, haha.
The Red Sox gave me a sweep of the Braves, which is exactly what I asked for!!!
so as you can see, my 21st birtday = awesome. That's pretty much it.
Ran across a great article on my boy Papelbon today at work......CLICK HERE TO READ IT.
Tomorrow's the big game, folks. The return of Roger. This city is going absolutely bonkers over it.
Oh, and one more thing. Today I saw the first of what is sure to be an onslaught of television reporters broadcasting from Johnson Space Center. They were standing in front of the big NASA/JSC sign right off NASA Rd. 1. There's gonna be a bajillion of these reporters on and off-site, especially beginning next week. It's gonna be pandamonium. I can't wait!!!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
We Are GO For Launch
The head managers have given the go-ahead. All supporting facilities are cleared. The viewing areas have been designated. Houston is ready to be in control at liftoff.
No, I'm not talking about those 2 solid rocket boosters, orbiter, and external tank sitting on Pad 39B at Cape Canaveral. I'm talking about a totally different Rocket. The 43 year old, 6' 4" Rocket. The one that can bring the heat in the mid-to-upper 90's. I am, of course, talking about Roger Clemens.
Roger is set to return to the Astros on June 22 here in Houston against the Twins in an interleague matchup. When this date was announced about 2 weeks ago, I suggested to everyone here that we get group tickets, as this game was sure to sell out. We bought 20 group seats a few weeks ago, and sure enough, I went to the Astros website today, attempted to order tickets to the game, and what seats were available? Just Standing Room Only, folks. That's all. That would indicate a sellout. Hell freakin' yeh. On top of that, ESPN(again, as I predicted they would) has picked up this game, airing at 7:00pm CT Thursday evening. So I'm going to be there, along with a horde of other baseball-lovin' fans, watching history. What's more, I'm gonna have my new super shiny digital camera with me to capture the moment. My new camera, which I am buying tomorrow, is totally badass. For example, it has this special "rapid fire" mode, where it will snap full resolution pics just as fast as I can press the trigger. HOLY SHIT, that's cool. The boys over at CNET clocked 143 shots in 110 seconds onto the memory card. Aw, hell yeh. I'm gonna have fuuuuun with my new toy :)
No, I'm not talking about those 2 solid rocket boosters, orbiter, and external tank sitting on Pad 39B at Cape Canaveral. I'm talking about a totally different Rocket. The 43 year old, 6' 4" Rocket. The one that can bring the heat in the mid-to-upper 90's. I am, of course, talking about Roger Clemens.
Roger is set to return to the Astros on June 22 here in Houston against the Twins in an interleague matchup. When this date was announced about 2 weeks ago, I suggested to everyone here that we get group tickets, as this game was sure to sell out. We bought 20 group seats a few weeks ago, and sure enough, I went to the Astros website today, attempted to order tickets to the game, and what seats were available? Just Standing Room Only, folks. That's all. That would indicate a sellout. Hell freakin' yeh. On top of that, ESPN(again, as I predicted they would) has picked up this game, airing at 7:00pm CT Thursday evening. So I'm going to be there, along with a horde of other baseball-lovin' fans, watching history. What's more, I'm gonna have my new super shiny digital camera with me to capture the moment. My new camera, which I am buying tomorrow, is totally badass. For example, it has this special "rapid fire" mode, where it will snap full resolution pics just as fast as I can press the trigger. HOLY SHIT, that's cool. The boys over at CNET clocked 143 shots in 110 seconds onto the memory card. Aw, hell yeh. I'm gonna have fuuuuun with my new toy :)
Monday, June 19, 2006
Rewind
Okay, I guess it's time I get you all caught up on my last few weekends.
So 2 weekends ago was my 21st birthday, but you already knew that. Friday afternoon Trevor and I began our voyage to D.C. When we arrived, it took us a minute to realize we were in the ghetto-wing of Reagan airport. After a few phone calls back and forth between me and Carolyn, we were finally picked up and on our way back to Fairfax. Friday night we just drank some wine and sat around the apartment, talking and whatnot. Carolyn used my 21st birthday weekend as a perfect time to educate me on the ins and outs of various wines.
Saturday started off early. Richard made is world famous chocoloate-chip pancackes while Carolyn made us some fabulous mimosas. Then we all donned England-themed soccer attire(yours truly reclaiming my beloved Newcastle jersey) and watched, as you might guess, England play soccer in the World Cup. Richard was happy, as England walked away with a 1-0 lead over Paraguay. EN-G-LAND!
The next event of the day was a baseball matchup of the Philles and Nationals at RFK stadium. After navigating through the crazy traffic and the orange cones of fury, we arrived at the game. I really didn't have any affinity towards either team, but it just great to see a new stadium, see two teams I have never seen play before, and just hang out with my family and friends. I mean, it's baseball, so what's NOT to like?
After the game we cleaned up at the apartment and headed out to celebrate the greatest day of the entire year. We began with dinner at this awesome tapas restaurant called Zengo. It was quite possibly(and Trevor concurs) the best dinner I have had.....ever. Seriously, I have had time to reflect on it, and it was the tastiest, most filling, most diverse meal that has ever met my mouth. We also had a great bottle of wine to go with our supper, and it was yet another oppurtunity for Carolyn to share her wealth of wine knowledge with me. Sufficiently full, we made our way to our next destination: the Childe Harold Restaurant and Bar.
With a very Daves-like atmosphere, the Childe was just gettin busy when we arrived. By a stroke of luck, they started checking I.D.'s at the door about 10 minutes after we arrived. Score! We(Richard, Caro, Trevor, and I) arrived around 10:30pm, but our group started showing up around 11:00, and a steady stream of our friends were arriving after that for about an hour. I started the night off with 2 pints of Samuel Adams' White Ale and a pint of Bass Pale Ale. Next, Tyler(Katie O's fiance) bought me a rum and coke, which consisted mainly of rum and just a pinch of coke. (NOTE: Tyler wanted to get a much more awesome mixed drink, but the bartender was such an ass and told Tyler that it was stupid drink. Tyler could have kicked the bartender's ass, but he opted to just get me something else instead of bloodshed, haha.) Then Trevor bought me a whiskey sour, which was also tasty.
As the clock hit midnight, I was officially 21, and things officially got crazy. For my first drink as a 21 year old, Richard bought Trevor and me shots of Sambuca, which basically tasted like black liquorice. Yum yum. Following suit, Tina got me a glass(I'd say about 2 and half shots worth) of Grand Marnier. Now, I didn't know that you are supposed to just sip on Grand Marn; I figured you just shot it. Ryan advised me to just sip on it like I should have, but her warnings fell on deaf ears, haha. Tina pressured me into downing it, saying, "Com'on, Henry, be a man." Well, I couldn't very well turn down that kind of a challenge on my 21st birthday, could I? So I took the Grand Marnier and shot ALL of it. Later I would realize that to be a bad, bad choice. Shortly thereafter, Leann bought me a shot of Jagermeister at the bar; she of course couldn't let me drink alone. Supposedly after that, we all had tequila shots, but I honestly can't remember that. And I think there were more drinks, but again, not much recollection of them, haha. The rest of the night was rather eventful, but I'll spare most of you the gory details. If you REALLY want them, just lemme know, and I'll give you the full story.
My birthday actually ended up being our detox day. Richard fixed an amazing breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, and juice. After food, we headed to the Udvar-Hazy hangar of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, which is located near Dulles airport. Man, it was AWESOME. They had the test Space Shuttle Enterprise, an SR-71, the Enola Gay, a Concorde, as well an amazing array of space artifacts, satellites, and equipment from the past and present. I'm so glad we got a chance to visit this portion of the museum. Definitely a memorable experience.
Sunday night we dined out and ate dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. For a place called a "factory," this place was VERY posh. We all got different types of cheesecake, and I had a cappucino. DIVINE!
So that was my 21st birthday extravaganza in D.C. Trevor and I left Monday morning, but we both agreed that we will be returning to D.C.(or wherever Caroly and Richard are located) to party it up with my sister and Richard again. They were absolutely awesome on my birthday, and I hope I can return the favor to them in the future.
Just as a show of how much fun was had, here's the picture that really sums up our weekend. It was taken near the tail-end of our night at the Childe Harold. Unfortunately, several of our friends had left, but we still managed to get a great picture.
You are probably wondering why I haven't included many pictures lately. Well, the plain truth is my current camera is now considerably out-of-date. It has served me VERY well over the past 4 years, but now I'm looking to upgrade. I know exactly what I want, and I'm going to get it. Probably within a few days. I'll let you all know when I procure it, and I'll take some pictures to prove it, haha.
-H
So 2 weekends ago was my 21st birthday, but you already knew that. Friday afternoon Trevor and I began our voyage to D.C. When we arrived, it took us a minute to realize we were in the ghetto-wing of Reagan airport. After a few phone calls back and forth between me and Carolyn, we were finally picked up and on our way back to Fairfax. Friday night we just drank some wine and sat around the apartment, talking and whatnot. Carolyn used my 21st birthday weekend as a perfect time to educate me on the ins and outs of various wines.
Saturday started off early. Richard made is world famous chocoloate-chip pancackes while Carolyn made us some fabulous mimosas. Then we all donned England-themed soccer attire(yours truly reclaiming my beloved Newcastle jersey) and watched, as you might guess, England play soccer in the World Cup. Richard was happy, as England walked away with a 1-0 lead over Paraguay. EN-G-LAND!
The next event of the day was a baseball matchup of the Philles and Nationals at RFK stadium. After navigating through the crazy traffic and the orange cones of fury, we arrived at the game. I really didn't have any affinity towards either team, but it just great to see a new stadium, see two teams I have never seen play before, and just hang out with my family and friends. I mean, it's baseball, so what's NOT to like?
After the game we cleaned up at the apartment and headed out to celebrate the greatest day of the entire year. We began with dinner at this awesome tapas restaurant called Zengo. It was quite possibly(and Trevor concurs) the best dinner I have had.....ever. Seriously, I have had time to reflect on it, and it was the tastiest, most filling, most diverse meal that has ever met my mouth. We also had a great bottle of wine to go with our supper, and it was yet another oppurtunity for Carolyn to share her wealth of wine knowledge with me. Sufficiently full, we made our way to our next destination: the Childe Harold Restaurant and Bar.
With a very Daves-like atmosphere, the Childe was just gettin busy when we arrived. By a stroke of luck, they started checking I.D.'s at the door about 10 minutes after we arrived. Score! We(Richard, Caro, Trevor, and I) arrived around 10:30pm, but our group started showing up around 11:00, and a steady stream of our friends were arriving after that for about an hour. I started the night off with 2 pints of Samuel Adams' White Ale and a pint of Bass Pale Ale. Next, Tyler(Katie O's fiance) bought me a rum and coke, which consisted mainly of rum and just a pinch of coke. (NOTE: Tyler wanted to get a much more awesome mixed drink, but the bartender was such an ass and told Tyler that it was stupid drink. Tyler could have kicked the bartender's ass, but he opted to just get me something else instead of bloodshed, haha.) Then Trevor bought me a whiskey sour, which was also tasty.
As the clock hit midnight, I was officially 21, and things officially got crazy. For my first drink as a 21 year old, Richard bought Trevor and me shots of Sambuca, which basically tasted like black liquorice. Yum yum. Following suit, Tina got me a glass(I'd say about 2 and half shots worth) of Grand Marnier. Now, I didn't know that you are supposed to just sip on Grand Marn; I figured you just shot it. Ryan advised me to just sip on it like I should have, but her warnings fell on deaf ears, haha. Tina pressured me into downing it, saying, "Com'on, Henry, be a man." Well, I couldn't very well turn down that kind of a challenge on my 21st birthday, could I? So I took the Grand Marnier and shot ALL of it. Later I would realize that to be a bad, bad choice. Shortly thereafter, Leann bought me a shot of Jagermeister at the bar; she of course couldn't let me drink alone. Supposedly after that, we all had tequila shots, but I honestly can't remember that. And I think there were more drinks, but again, not much recollection of them, haha. The rest of the night was rather eventful, but I'll spare most of you the gory details. If you REALLY want them, just lemme know, and I'll give you the full story.
My birthday actually ended up being our detox day. Richard fixed an amazing breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, and juice. After food, we headed to the Udvar-Hazy hangar of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, which is located near Dulles airport. Man, it was AWESOME. They had the test Space Shuttle Enterprise, an SR-71, the Enola Gay, a Concorde, as well an amazing array of space artifacts, satellites, and equipment from the past and present. I'm so glad we got a chance to visit this portion of the museum. Definitely a memorable experience.
Sunday night we dined out and ate dessert at the Cheesecake Factory. For a place called a "factory," this place was VERY posh. We all got different types of cheesecake, and I had a cappucino. DIVINE!
So that was my 21st birthday extravaganza in D.C. Trevor and I left Monday morning, but we both agreed that we will be returning to D.C.(or wherever Caroly and Richard are located) to party it up with my sister and Richard again. They were absolutely awesome on my birthday, and I hope I can return the favor to them in the future.
Just as a show of how much fun was had, here's the picture that really sums up our weekend. It was taken near the tail-end of our night at the Childe Harold. Unfortunately, several of our friends had left, but we still managed to get a great picture.
The last supper(or drink)...
And just for a comparison:
My birthday week, including this past weekend, was awesome. Mallory will probably blog this weekend pretty soon, and since she has all the pictures, you might wanna stay tuned to her site. She got some great shots. I'll go into detail about presents I got, things I did, and places I visited next post.
You are probably wondering why I haven't included many pictures lately. Well, the plain truth is my current camera is now considerably out-of-date. It has served me VERY well over the past 4 years, but now I'm looking to upgrade. I know exactly what I want, and I'm going to get it. Probably within a few days. I'll let you all know when I procure it, and I'll take some pictures to prove it, haha.
-H
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
No Time
Well, this week has just been crazy. I got back from D.C. Monday afternoon, dropped Trevor off at the airport on Tuesday, and I have been/will work 10 hour days until Friday so I can take off early on Friday, which is when I fly to Atlanta to meet Mal for the Red Sox vs. Braves series. There's so much to talk about, I know, but I just don't have the time to post right now. I'm washing clothes, running to WalMart, and trying to get things in order for my trip this weekend. I'm gonna have to wait until Tuesday to post, but I promise I will detail everything from my 21st birthday and the Sox series. Just don't have time right now.
Speaking of Sox, our freakin' middle relief is F'in PISS POOR! And it's showing at this very minute. Grrr. We best pick up some talent come July 31(trade deadline), or things could get very bad very quickly.
-H
Speaking of Sox, our freakin' middle relief is F'in PISS POOR! And it's showing at this very minute. Grrr. We best pick up some talent come July 31(trade deadline), or things could get very bad very quickly.
-H
Friday, June 09, 2006
Farewell 20...Helloooooo 21
Well, by the time you read this, Trevor and I will be either en route to the airport, at the airport, on an airplane, or in D.C. I am absolutely stoked about this weekend. All I can say is I hope that Trevor and I survive, haha. Just think, the next time I post, I will be doing so as a 21-year old. Let the good times roll!!!
Henry the 20th
Henry the 20th
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
"It is going to be HISTORIC..."
...so go the words of my brother-in-law(or just my "bro," as I call him. He's part of the fam now; no need for that "in-law" stuff) in regards to this coming weekend. In an email sent to Trevor and me just the other day, Richard spoke on behalf of the Sewells and answered a couple of questions I had about wardrobe for this weekend. He also mentioned the phrase that is the title of this particular blog post. Put simply, I cannot wait for this weekend. I really can't. Trevor and I sincerely believe that Carolyn and Richard are more excited about this weekend than we are...and we are REALLY excited(up there with Cedar Point excitment levels). And trust me...that ain't a bad thing.
Adding to this excitment, my other brother Will came through today; I received my first birthday present of the year from him. The man who lives in the Heart of Red Sox Nation can feel its pulse, as well as mine. He got me a blue(with red lettering) Red Sox tee with quite possibly my new favorite player's(next to Varitek, of course) name on the back: Jonathan "beat 'em with high heat" Papelbon. Yup, that's right. "Papelbon" and his number 58 are on the back of the shirt. I absolutley LOVE it. Despite the Sox/Yankees game being cancelled today, I wore the shirt to BJ's tonight as Eric, Trevor, and I had a farewell dinner for Eric. He is heading to KSC tomorrow to do some testing on the P3/P4 truss MDM going up on the next assembly flight(in August). Now I have TWO bitchin Red Sox tees and a jersey. That means I am good-to-go for the Red Sox series in Atlanta.
Obviously, we have internet now in the apartment. We also have furniture, which was GREATLY appreciated after a week and a half sleeping on the floor. It's good to live civilized now, haha.
Tomorrow we(save Eric) are going to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the Sox game. Schiller needs to deliver for us so we can stay in the chase. GO SOX.
-Henry
Adding to this excitment, my other brother Will came through today; I received my first birthday present of the year from him. The man who lives in the Heart of Red Sox Nation can feel its pulse, as well as mine. He got me a blue(with red lettering) Red Sox tee with quite possibly my new favorite player's(next to Varitek, of course) name on the back: Jonathan "beat 'em with high heat" Papelbon. Yup, that's right. "Papelbon" and his number 58 are on the back of the shirt. I absolutley LOVE it. Despite the Sox/Yankees game being cancelled today, I wore the shirt to BJ's tonight as Eric, Trevor, and I had a farewell dinner for Eric. He is heading to KSC tomorrow to do some testing on the P3/P4 truss MDM going up on the next assembly flight(in August). Now I have TWO bitchin Red Sox tees and a jersey. That means I am good-to-go for the Red Sox series in Atlanta.
Obviously, we have internet now in the apartment. We also have furniture, which was GREATLY appreciated after a week and a half sleeping on the floor. It's good to live civilized now, haha.
Tomorrow we(save Eric) are going to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the Sox game. Schiller needs to deliver for us so we can stay in the chase. GO SOX.
-Henry
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Temporarily Out of Service
We aren't getting internet in the new apartment until Tuesday. I'm posting right now from Eric's house, as we are watching the Mavs game while hoggin' down on some Little Ceasars pizzas.
Just wanted to keep you all up-to-date and let you know I hadn't dropped off the face of the earth.
Tons to talk about when I come back!
-H
Just wanted to keep you all up-to-date and let you know I hadn't dropped off the face of the earth.
Tons to talk about when I come back!
-H
Thursday, May 25, 2006
In Papelbon We Trust
Damn that Mississippi(State) boy is good. Save #16 for the big guy. And that makes him 16 for 16 in save chances(leads majors) with a 0.39 ERA. B-A-D-A-S-S.
Jason Hopper appeared in the form of a savior today. Turns out he posted a listing on Mississippi State's Co-Op email server today looking for a place to stay this summer. Enter yours truly. I am definitely not wanting to pay TWO rents this summer, so Jason is going to help out in a HUGE way. He and Trevor know each other, and I KNOW Jason would make great use of our extensive video game library, so I'm thinking this is going to be a good fit. He hasn't given me an absolute YES yet, but I told him to just get back with me tomorrow. It sounds like he's gonna do it.
I'm quickly approaching the end of my stay at the Maier household. Saturday Walker and I move into our apartment, although we will not have any furniture yet, haha. For their generosity over the past fortnight, I am taking Eric and Jennifer out to eat at this nice restaurant tomorrow night. Before that I may join(around 4:45 or so) some co-workers of mine as we go see X-Men 3.
Go Sox...
Jason Hopper appeared in the form of a savior today. Turns out he posted a listing on Mississippi State's Co-Op email server today looking for a place to stay this summer. Enter yours truly. I am definitely not wanting to pay TWO rents this summer, so Jason is going to help out in a HUGE way. He and Trevor know each other, and I KNOW Jason would make great use of our extensive video game library, so I'm thinking this is going to be a good fit. He hasn't given me an absolute YES yet, but I told him to just get back with me tomorrow. It sounds like he's gonna do it.
I'm quickly approaching the end of my stay at the Maier household. Saturday Walker and I move into our apartment, although we will not have any furniture yet, haha. For their generosity over the past fortnight, I am taking Eric and Jennifer out to eat at this nice restaurant tomorrow night. Before that I may join(around 4:45 or so) some co-workers of mine as we go see X-Men 3.
Go Sox...
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
I Wanna Go(Back) to Europe
Anne, one of my 32 mentors I have at work, has been talking nonstop about her trip to Europe. Everyday over the past week she has had a new "something" to tell me about where she's going and what she's gonna do. She and her husband left today around 1:30, and they're going to hit France, England, Italy, and Greece, all over a 2-week span. I'd SO go right now if I had the time and money......*looks to the sky*
Monday, May 22, 2006
Top 10 Tuesday(kind of)
Hopefully this is the beginning of a summer trend this year. I'm going to try to start doing Top 10 Tuesdays, where I'll present a different Top 10 List every week. This week is slightly different for a few reasons. One, today is Trevor's 21st birthday, and two, today is not a Tuesday.
So without ado, I present to you the Top 10 Henry & Trevor moments of all time. Enjoy!
#10)
Moving into Avalon apartments this past January. No one can deny that we have the most bitchin' of all apartment setups among our friends. We have the best chair(the Rally), the best sound system(ONKYO...although none but me and Trevor have witnessed it's true power), and the best video setup(two tv's placed perpendicular to each other, allowing maximum sports coverage). And it will only get better this fall. Trevor and I are eyeing a 42" HDTV Panasonic plasma flat-panel tv to be installed hopefully near the time we get a Wii. Can you say "Red Sox in High Definition"?
#9)
It was a gloomy day as Mrs. Howe's 7th grade Pre-Algebra class was set to begin. Everyone had just begun to quiet down in anticipation of the teacher's instruction. Without thinking about it much, I began to tap my foot in a catchy rhythm. Before I know it, Trevor has added his own foot-tapping rhythm to my own, and the music had begun to catch on. When it was all said and done, about 5 of us were each contributing his own beat to the overall "song." The ENTIRE class got a good laugh out of it. It was actually some decent music; we should have recorded it or soemthing. And so began our incredible ability to be spontaneous...AND funny at the same time.
#8)
Getting invited to go to Six Flags St. Louis with the Grenada Band...a year AFTER we had left Grenada.(we accepted the invitation, btw)
#7)
During the same summer as Cedar Point, Trevor and I visited my brother in Boston. The trip included our first games at Fenway, a Black Eyed Peas concert(of about 200 people), and Trevor's infamous "bringin the bitchin'"
#6)
The summer I moved to Paris was a rough one. No friends, no car, no idea what to do. Trevor comes up to Tennessee, and our days consisted of this simple formula: MDK2, frisbee, food, and more MDK2. Monotonous? Yes. Boring? Hell no.
#5)
Riding some of the world's best roller coasters at Cedar Point, Ohio, and making a classic video of all our shenanigans during that trip. I mean, how can you not like VH1 Storytellers, Robot Wars, a terrential flood, and a Bad Word Booboo? It's brilliant stuff, that summer of 2003.
#4)
Watching the greatest comeback in the history of baseball, nay, the history of SPORTS, with Trevor in the very cramped confines of his Glen Hollow apartment. As Bellhorn made the last out to send the Yankees packing, Trevor and I celebrated with, as you would expect, a bottle of Samuel Adams each.
#3)
What started as a simple trip down to Madison to hang with Trevor over Christmas break 2002 turned out to be the starting point of our crusade. After introducing Trevor to Eternal Darkness, quite possibly one of the most underrated games for the Gamecube, Trevor became addicted to it, even necessitating his purchase of a Gamecube shortly thereafter. From then on, he and I became the torchbearers of the Big N's cause. Oh yeh...we also decided to go Mississippi State and stay in Hull Hall.
#2)
Beating the Facility level in UNDER 2 min 6 sec during our 7th-8th grade years, thereby achieving the Holy Grail of the N64-Playstaion era of videogames: Invincibility in Goldeneye 64.
#1)
And the #1 Trevor/Henry moment of all time!?! Well.....it hasn't actually happened yet. It will no doubt occur during our trip to D.C. in a few weeks as we celebrate both our birthdays in STYLE with none other than Mr. and Mrs. Style themselves: Richard and Carolyn Sewell.
So without ado, I present to you the Top 10 Henry & Trevor moments of all time. Enjoy!
#10)
Moving into Avalon apartments this past January. No one can deny that we have the most bitchin' of all apartment setups among our friends. We have the best chair(the Rally), the best sound system(ONKYO...although none but me and Trevor have witnessed it's true power), and the best video setup(two tv's placed perpendicular to each other, allowing maximum sports coverage). And it will only get better this fall. Trevor and I are eyeing a 42" HDTV Panasonic plasma flat-panel tv to be installed hopefully near the time we get a Wii. Can you say "Red Sox in High Definition"?
#9)
It was a gloomy day as Mrs. Howe's 7th grade Pre-Algebra class was set to begin. Everyone had just begun to quiet down in anticipation of the teacher's instruction. Without thinking about it much, I began to tap my foot in a catchy rhythm. Before I know it, Trevor has added his own foot-tapping rhythm to my own, and the music had begun to catch on. When it was all said and done, about 5 of us were each contributing his own beat to the overall "song." The ENTIRE class got a good laugh out of it. It was actually some decent music; we should have recorded it or soemthing. And so began our incredible ability to be spontaneous...AND funny at the same time.
#8)
Getting invited to go to Six Flags St. Louis with the Grenada Band...a year AFTER we had left Grenada.(we accepted the invitation, btw)
#7)
During the same summer as Cedar Point, Trevor and I visited my brother in Boston. The trip included our first games at Fenway, a Black Eyed Peas concert(of about 200 people), and Trevor's infamous "bringin the bitchin'"
#6)
The summer I moved to Paris was a rough one. No friends, no car, no idea what to do. Trevor comes up to Tennessee, and our days consisted of this simple formula: MDK2, frisbee, food, and more MDK2. Monotonous? Yes. Boring? Hell no.
#5)
Riding some of the world's best roller coasters at Cedar Point, Ohio, and making a classic video of all our shenanigans during that trip. I mean, how can you not like VH1 Storytellers, Robot Wars, a terrential flood, and a Bad Word Booboo? It's brilliant stuff, that summer of 2003.
#4)
Watching the greatest comeback in the history of baseball, nay, the history of SPORTS, with Trevor in the very cramped confines of his Glen Hollow apartment. As Bellhorn made the last out to send the Yankees packing, Trevor and I celebrated with, as you would expect, a bottle of Samuel Adams each.
#3)
What started as a simple trip down to Madison to hang with Trevor over Christmas break 2002 turned out to be the starting point of our crusade. After introducing Trevor to Eternal Darkness, quite possibly one of the most underrated games for the Gamecube, Trevor became addicted to it, even necessitating his purchase of a Gamecube shortly thereafter. From then on, he and I became the torchbearers of the Big N's cause. Oh yeh...we also decided to go Mississippi State and stay in Hull Hall.
#2)
Beating the Facility level in UNDER 2 min 6 sec during our 7th-8th grade years, thereby achieving the Holy Grail of the N64-Playstaion era of videogames: Invincibility in Goldeneye 64.
#1)
And the #1 Trevor/Henry moment of all time!?! Well.....it hasn't actually happened yet. It will no doubt occur during our trip to D.C. in a few weeks as we celebrate both our birthdays in STYLE with none other than Mr. and Mrs. Style themselves: Richard and Carolyn Sewell.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
So Long the Con of Man
Today was dreary(in Houston terms), so that means it was overcast and slightly on the windy side. I slept in late only to wake up as Eric and Jennifer were headed out to the Galleria to do some shopping. I opted to stay home and finish The DaVinci Code. I finished the book around 3:00, and shortly thereafter I received a call from my host; his car had broken down, and after two tries and jump-starting it, they had no luck. I was called in to pick them up. I made the voyage downtown, and after a minor ordeal with the tow guy, we returned to the house in my jeep.
We went to see the film adaptation of The DaVinci Code tonight, but it wasn't your usual movie-going experience. Instead, we opted for the Star Cinema Grill, which was pretty awesome, to say the least. You basically go in, and every other row of the theater has been removed and replaced by built-in-the-ground movie "trays." Waiters and waitresses come in and ask for your beverages(like your normal restaurant), and while they are retrieving your beverage you fill out an order card. Every food type is named after a part of the movie; it's kinda goofy, but it's also well done. The order card has every kind of food you want, and you just select what you want and when you want it. They bring you your drink(coke, water, any of a plethora of mixed drinks, tons of beer, many kinds of wine) and you give them the card. That's it. Throughout the movie you are brought everything, and they waiters are very unobtrusive. If you need anything extra, there is a small beacon button you can press to get extra service. Then they bring you your tab at the end of the show. It was all VERY cool.
Speaking of the show...the movie was pretty decent. Granted, there was SO much information in the book, so I can see how it would be difficult to translate all of it to the screen. Howard deleted a few things as well as do some parts COMPLETELY different from the book, but I can understand why. Despite the removal of several parts, the movie was a solid 2.5 hours. VERY long. The movie did stay true to many parts of the movie, though, which is rare for the book-to-film conversions you see today. I've been told to read Angels and Demons next, so I guess I will have to continue this whole reading-for-fun thing :(
Yankees at Red Sox starts tomorrow, baby. Will is going to the game, as well as a co-worker of mine. How they get these tickets I will never know. Colin has tickets to the Rangers game at Fenway on my birthday; he has stated he is going to make a "happy birthday" sign for me to display on NESN. You hear that, Will? Set your TiVO for June 11 :)
We went to see the film adaptation of The DaVinci Code tonight, but it wasn't your usual movie-going experience. Instead, we opted for the Star Cinema Grill, which was pretty awesome, to say the least. You basically go in, and every other row of the theater has been removed and replaced by built-in-the-ground movie "trays." Waiters and waitresses come in and ask for your beverages(like your normal restaurant), and while they are retrieving your beverage you fill out an order card. Every food type is named after a part of the movie; it's kinda goofy, but it's also well done. The order card has every kind of food you want, and you just select what you want and when you want it. They bring you your drink(coke, water, any of a plethora of mixed drinks, tons of beer, many kinds of wine) and you give them the card. That's it. Throughout the movie you are brought everything, and they waiters are very unobtrusive. If you need anything extra, there is a small beacon button you can press to get extra service. Then they bring you your tab at the end of the show. It was all VERY cool.
Speaking of the show...the movie was pretty decent. Granted, there was SO much information in the book, so I can see how it would be difficult to translate all of it to the screen. Howard deleted a few things as well as do some parts COMPLETELY different from the book, but I can understand why. Despite the removal of several parts, the movie was a solid 2.5 hours. VERY long. The movie did stay true to many parts of the movie, though, which is rare for the book-to-film conversions you see today. I've been told to read Angels and Demons next, so I guess I will have to continue this whole reading-for-fun thing :(
Yankees at Red Sox starts tomorrow, baby. Will is going to the game, as well as a co-worker of mine. How they get these tickets I will never know. Colin has tickets to the Rangers game at Fenway on my birthday; he has stated he is going to make a "happy birthday" sign for me to display on NESN. You hear that, Will? Set your TiVO for June 11 :)
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Dynamite
The first week of work went smoothly. I JUST got computer access and a login on Friday, and by Monday I should have email access. It wasn't that bad, though; it gave me plenty of time to do some reading for my training.
Last night was pretty fun. Tarik(my former mentor) and his roomate Seth threw their monthly party at their place. And speaking of their place...wow. When they bought it, it was just a warehouse pretty much. Since their purchase, they have added a whole second floor as well as added on to the building width-wise. I'm hoping to get pictures from the party soon. Their place is truly remarkable. It's like one third Italian villa, one third club, and one third studio. Un-freakin-believable. I want a place like that.
Today was my first experience at a Houston Dynamo soccer game. They lost 1-0, but they had many oppurtunities to score; they just didn't capitalize on those chances. The game was a blast, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing some more upper-tier teams coming in to Robertson Stadium(their temporary home) this summer.
More soccer goodness
Last night was pretty fun. Tarik(my former mentor) and his roomate Seth threw their monthly party at their place. And speaking of their place...wow. When they bought it, it was just a warehouse pretty much. Since their purchase, they have added a whole second floor as well as added on to the building width-wise. I'm hoping to get pictures from the party soon. Their place is truly remarkable. It's like one third Italian villa, one third club, and one third studio. Un-freakin-believable. I want a place like that.
Today was my first experience at a Houston Dynamo soccer game. They lost 1-0, but they had many oppurtunities to score; they just didn't capitalize on those chances. The game was a blast, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing some more upper-tier teams coming in to Robertson Stadium(their temporary home) this summer.
I sat with the lower-class folk the first half, haha. We had friends in these seats.
My season ticket seat :)
My season ticket seat :)
More soccer goodnessEric and Jennifer found these two beagles wandering around their yard the other day. They had collars, so we called the owners. They eventually came to pick them up, but I had a few moments to snap some pictures, although they were moving pretty fast.
Beagle #1
Beagle #2
Beagle #1
Beagle #2Oh yeh. Turning 21 in 21 days. Three weeks, baby :)
Monday, May 15, 2006
Access...Granted
I safely landed in Space City yesterday afternoon despite having about 4 cumulative hours of constant rain/drizzle to deal with. It wasn't completely bad, though, as Mal made me a new mp3 cd to listen to on the way down. Mp3 cds are awesome; you can put 3.2 bajillion songs on each one. No need for cd changing :)
To my surprise, when I arrived at Hotel Maier, Eric and Jennifer greeted me with a couple of steaks being cooked on the grill. Dinner that night was great. I also became indoctrinated into the dramas that are The West Wing and The Sopranos. Granted, it was the West Wing's last episode, but I enjoyed it. I really like the Sopranos too. We also dabbled in Big Love; Eric was correct in his diagnosis: it's more interesting than it is entertaining.
Work today was great. The whole gang was here, and it was good to do the "welcome back" tour and see everyone again. It looks like I'll be pretty busy this summer; they have alot of work for me this tour(I'm in ADCO again, for those of you keeping score). I also learned that the government has finished my background check, and I have been cleared for access to all the cool places on site. It goes without saying today that once my badge was activated, I played around with the proximity-sensitive card readers to Mission Control for quite some time. Now when you come visit me this summer(and you KNOW you want to!), I can give you my personal tour of JSC.
I've been here less than 48 hours, yet this week is already starting to get hectic. The Sox game was tonight(OWNED the Birds 11-1), tomorrow we're going to Minute Maid in an attempt to see history made by Bonds, Wednesday is the UEFA Championship Final between Barcelona and Arsenal(we're recording it and watching it at Colin's that night), Thursday we're prolly going to see the new GOAL! movie, Friday I'm sure something entertaining is going to happen(DaVinci Code anyone?), and Saturday will be my first experience of a Houston Dynamo game. Unfortunately I wont get to sit in our bitchin' season-ticket seats, but I will be there nonetheless. Eric knows a guy who knows a guy, so we were able to score about 10 free extra tickets. We're planning on tailgating all afternoon until kickoff. Hell yeh!
Next post I'll divulge all the details of everything that I'll be doing(and hope to do) this summer while in Houston as a 21-year old. I'll make it a top-10 list or something.
TWENTY SIX DAYS!!!
To my surprise, when I arrived at Hotel Maier, Eric and Jennifer greeted me with a couple of steaks being cooked on the grill. Dinner that night was great. I also became indoctrinated into the dramas that are The West Wing and The Sopranos. Granted, it was the West Wing's last episode, but I enjoyed it. I really like the Sopranos too. We also dabbled in Big Love; Eric was correct in his diagnosis: it's more interesting than it is entertaining.
Work today was great. The whole gang was here, and it was good to do the "welcome back" tour and see everyone again. It looks like I'll be pretty busy this summer; they have alot of work for me this tour(I'm in ADCO again, for those of you keeping score). I also learned that the government has finished my background check, and I have been cleared for access to all the cool places on site. It goes without saying today that once my badge was activated, I played around with the proximity-sensitive card readers to Mission Control for quite some time. Now when you come visit me this summer(and you KNOW you want to!), I can give you my personal tour of JSC.
I've been here less than 48 hours, yet this week is already starting to get hectic. The Sox game was tonight(OWNED the Birds 11-1), tomorrow we're going to Minute Maid in an attempt to see history made by Bonds, Wednesday is the UEFA Championship Final between Barcelona and Arsenal(we're recording it and watching it at Colin's that night), Thursday we're prolly going to see the new GOAL! movie, Friday I'm sure something entertaining is going to happen(DaVinci Code anyone?), and Saturday will be my first experience of a Houston Dynamo game. Unfortunately I wont get to sit in our bitchin' season-ticket seats, but I will be there nonetheless. Eric knows a guy who knows a guy, so we were able to score about 10 free extra tickets. We're planning on tailgating all afternoon until kickoff. Hell yeh!
Next post I'll divulge all the details of everything that I'll be doing(and hope to do) this summer while in Houston as a 21-year old. I'll make it a top-10 list or something.
TWENTY SIX DAYS!!!
Friday, May 12, 2006
4 semesters down...4 to go
Damn. Sh*t. How they hell can you completely OWN the #2 seed in the conference one week and then turn around and get swept? I have no idea, but the Avalanche do. Grr. Today was so awesome with the Sox winning at the Stadium(Papelbon got save #13!), but that great feeling quickly evaporated into a painful gut sensation. Bleh. They just couldn't get the offense going. I think the Avs were 0-for-124 on the power play during the series. Or something close. Grr. Sure, I'll probably get over it in a week or so of watching baseball, but damn. Com'on guys. Four games in a row? I was really looking foward to wearing my "2006 Stanley Cup Champions" t-shirt as I walked off the airplane in DC next month. You're lucky Richard...verrry lucky. I normally don't cheer for the team that defeats mine, but I'm gonna do that this year. Go Ducks. I hate Jersey(they're almost gone anyways), don't care about Buffalo(I hate Hasek), and absolutely loathe San Jose(knocked Avs out a few seasons ago), so they're the only logical choice.
I've begun reading The DaVinci Code in preparation for the motion picture of the same name coming to theaters next week. I still can't believe I bought the book. If you know me, you know I enjoy reading fiction as much I like eat lima beans. I was also pretty skeptical that the book was as awesome as everyone and their child was saying it was, but I should not have been. I'm only 15 chapters into the novel, and I'm completely hooked. I'm all about some secret codes. Bring on the movie!
E3 was this week in Los Angeles, and just as Trevor and I predicted, Nintendo freakin' owned. Let's just say you ALL will be hearing alot more about the Nintendo Wii in the coming months. Just google it or something. Or go to IGN. Everyone is talking about it, and with good reason. This baby is sa-weet. Yes, Richard, I'll have one before Christmas this year. Now we can fill that void between eating and sleeping during the Christmas break, haha.
Exams are done. I leave my cozy corner of Starkville for home tomorrow, and I venture to Houston on Saturday or Sunday. Yours truly is still sportin the big FOUR POINT after 4 semesters :)
-H
I've begun reading The DaVinci Code in preparation for the motion picture of the same name coming to theaters next week. I still can't believe I bought the book. If you know me, you know I enjoy reading fiction as much I like eat lima beans. I was also pretty skeptical that the book was as awesome as everyone and their child was saying it was, but I should not have been. I'm only 15 chapters into the novel, and I'm completely hooked. I'm all about some secret codes. Bring on the movie!
E3 was this week in Los Angeles, and just as Trevor and I predicted, Nintendo freakin' owned. Let's just say you ALL will be hearing alot more about the Nintendo Wii in the coming months. Just google it or something. Or go to IGN. Everyone is talking about it, and with good reason. This baby is sa-weet. Yes, Richard, I'll have one before Christmas this year. Now we can fill that void between eating and sleeping during the Christmas break, haha.
Exams are done. I leave my cozy corner of Starkville for home tomorrow, and I venture to Houston on Saturday or Sunday. Yours truly is still sportin the big FOUR POINT after 4 semesters :)
-H
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Welcome(Back)
First of all, for those of you that were redirected from my old site...Welcome!
The SIHL banquet went well. I got our Sewell Cup trophy for the Championship, but that was all I expected to get. Totally out of nowhere, Richard presented trophies for milestones reached this season for goalies. I was awarded with a plaque for reaching the 25-win mark in the SIHL. Only one other goalie has that many wins, and it took him 50 games to get 25 wins. It only took me 35 :). Attached to the plaque was the actual puck that used in the game in which I got my 25th win. It's quite possibly my most cherished trophy now. There were pictures taken that evening, but Richie has yet to send them to me. I'll try to post them when I get 'em.
This one goes out to Tarik. It seems you made this comment before the game yesterday:
"The red sox blow and they will get their asses handed it to them tomorrow evening."
So tell me Tarik...what happened last night? Damon went 0-4. Papi went deep. Mirabelli was as if he never left. Sox won. Aren't you so looking forward to having me as a mentee again this summer? hahaha.
I have finally registered for Fall classes. I had to wait for this one class to become available, but now it's good. Here we go. I opted to just use the MSU Course Catalog descriptions of the courses:
Mechanics of Deformable Structures
Introduction to structural materials and loads. Deflection analysis using energy methods, flexibility-based matrix method, and the finite element method. Influence of design on deflection and vice versa.
Aerothermodynamics
Energy; First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics; Entropy; Properties of Ideal Gases; Mixtures; Gas Power Cycles; One Dimensional Compressible Flow; Introduction to Heat Transfer.
Orbital Mechanics I
Two-body orbital mechanics;geometry of spatial orbits; fundamental orbits determinnation;orbital maneuvers; introduction to rendezvous and interplanetary trajectories.
Electrical Engineering Systems
Definitions and laws relating to electrical quantities; circuit element descriptions; development of techniques in network analysis; semiconductor devices; integration of devices into digital networks.
Vibrations
Fundamentals of free vibration, energy methods; forced and damped vibration, single degree of freedom; two degrees of freedom.
The only class I am not excited too much about is EE Systems. I absolutely hate electricity and magnetism, so I can expect to loathe them even more come this Fall.
The SIHL banquet went well. I got our Sewell Cup trophy for the Championship, but that was all I expected to get. Totally out of nowhere, Richard presented trophies for milestones reached this season for goalies. I was awarded with a plaque for reaching the 25-win mark in the SIHL. Only one other goalie has that many wins, and it took him 50 games to get 25 wins. It only took me 35 :). Attached to the plaque was the actual puck that used in the game in which I got my 25th win. It's quite possibly my most cherished trophy now. There were pictures taken that evening, but Richie has yet to send them to me. I'll try to post them when I get 'em.
This one goes out to Tarik. It seems you made this comment before the game yesterday:
"The red sox blow and they will get their asses handed it to them tomorrow evening."
So tell me Tarik...what happened last night? Damon went 0-4. Papi went deep. Mirabelli was as if he never left. Sox won. Aren't you so looking forward to having me as a mentee again this summer? hahaha.
I have finally registered for Fall classes. I had to wait for this one class to become available, but now it's good. Here we go. I opted to just use the MSU Course Catalog descriptions of the courses:
Mechanics of Deformable Structures
Introduction to structural materials and loads. Deflection analysis using energy methods, flexibility-based matrix method, and the finite element method. Influence of design on deflection and vice versa.
Aerothermodynamics
Energy; First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics; Entropy; Properties of Ideal Gases; Mixtures; Gas Power Cycles; One Dimensional Compressible Flow; Introduction to Heat Transfer.
Orbital Mechanics I
Two-body orbital mechanics;geometry of spatial orbits; fundamental orbits determinnation;orbital maneuvers; introduction to rendezvous and interplanetary trajectories.
Electrical Engineering Systems
Definitions and laws relating to electrical quantities; circuit element descriptions; development of techniques in network analysis; semiconductor devices; integration of devices into digital networks.
Vibrations
Fundamentals of free vibration, energy methods; forced and damped vibration, single degree of freedom; two degrees of freedom.
The only class I am not excited too much about is EE Systems. I absolutely hate electricity and magnetism, so I can expect to loathe them even more come this Fall.
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