A Day In The Shadow of An Astronaut

Monday was a BIG day in our little family life. We started the day at the sunny beach just mere feet from our porch. Boogie-boards in hand and great wave action made for a super fun day, hooray! Showers and new clothes meant a drive to the local Cocoa Brevard Community College Planetarium to the Astronaut Memorial Center. We attended Dr. John "Danny" Olivas' family reception complete with a movie only seen by astronaut families. An inside look at becoming an astronaut by iWorks. We met Dr. Olivas' previous crew member Dr. Steve Swanson. Took in the sites and then did another wardrobe change for the big launch night which started at 7 pm. We showed up at the Kennedy Space Center fully burdened with umbrella chairs, umbrellas, blankets, jackets, bags of contingency items, etc! From 7pm until midnight we toured around the Center taking in robot shows, shuttle walks, and even a shuttle simulator ride. We took the shuttle to the specially designated viewing area; the closest anyone can get at 6-miles. Yep, got to be that far away to be safe! Alas despite the waiting, the storm clouds rolled in full of lightening. Launch scrubbed at 1:15 a.m. Everyone quickly raced to the waiting buses. Got home at 3 am. Sad but happy experience an amazing, amazing adventure!