So, anyways, since you guys last heard from me, I graduated (took long enough!) and accepted a job working with United Space Alliance down at Johnson Space Center. I know, you are thinking: I recognize JSC…but who is this company you work for? USA is a government contractor for NASA…all the joys of being a civil servant…but I still get Christmas off.

I am in training to be a flight controller for the international space station as a part of the electrical power systems group. More popularly known as PHALCON (Power, Heating, Articulation, and Lighting CONtrol officer)

In other words, my job kicks ass.

I also have somehow managed to convince some of my superior that I actually know something about computers (yea…I didn’t think so either, but they do, so whatever)…and I am one of the Group Administrators (GA) for Phalcon…which translates roughly to: sys admin / computer wench.

I get to fix / create / edit anything related to the software and tools my group uses to commune with Station…and given that power is a major system, that is not a small amount of stuff to play with.

Lots to learn, though…especially since a variety of people have been GA over time, and NASA doesn’t have any guidelines on what you code in, so long as it works and doesn’t break other things (and we do extensive tests to avoid such calamities). Most everything runs presently on Dec Alphas, and we are in a complicated process of stepping up to Linux right now. We have been updating the software and testing it to death over the last few months…and the actual step up date is shortly after Endeavour lands. (Undock is Monday, IIRC.)

So wish me luck…this is going to be an interesting adventure, that’s for sure…I’ll be sure to keep you guys posted.

And in other news, I am engaged! Shawn and I have not set a date for our wedding yet, but we are thinking very seriously about June 2009.  I keep you guys posted on that as well. (I know only a few of you care, but it sure as hell is big news for me!)

So…if any of you find yourselves in Houston, email me…I will gladly offer backdoor tours of NASA as incentive!

Peace to all you crazy people. I hope you are happy and well, where ever you may.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go kill a couple of Daedra, seems I took a wrong turn into an Oblivion Gate.  Oops. ^_^

I am moving to Houston on May 26th. If you have any interest in seeing me, please do so before then.

So why can’t I get my shit together…why does school depress me so much? I think it is because miss Kendra and Micah so much

I am not the kind of person who makes friends easily..and I don’t have very many really good friends…the kind who would consider me amoungst their top 10…the first person they would call if they were bored…their closest amigo…in fact, I can count the number of people that that applies to on one hand. three. Shawn, Micah, and Kendra.

and poor Shawn…since Kendra moved to CA at the beginning of the month and Micah has been there for two years, he is the only person that I am really comfortable being completely open with..or who is completely comfortable with me being open with them…I am a lot blunt far to often..

and yes, I know I haven’t lost my best friends…but it is really hard when two of the three most important people in your life are in CA.

and I am lonely and sad. I miss my best friends. and talking to them helps, but what I miss is being able to just show up at Kendra house or bang on the closet and walk over to Micah’s room…there really aren’t places that I can “just show up” too anymore…

…so I am on my own…and while loner’s may have few friends, they still need some…and I miss mine…

and I know…none of you care…all Jen does is whine…ok, you are right…but if I don’t let it out sometimes, it drives me crazy.

What causes the panic that makes you feel like your stomache and heart switched places? Why is it that you feel that way sometimes and can not think of the reason? Does being stoic really remove you from all that? Or do you still get scared and choose not to share it? So many of these journals are so completly impersonal. Do we lose who are in what we are trying to be? and why is it so hard to be yourself anyways? Is what you are really so hard to live with?

Why do people choose to lie? Why do they “gloss” over the truth to make is “easier”? Have you ever looked around, thought about your life and thought to yourself: “what the hell am I doing…and why? I don’t get it.”

I am not lost. I am not confused. I know who I am, what I want, who I love.

and yet still. When I least expect it. My heart and stomache switch places.

why?

and in other news, let’s start at the end:

I hate last weeks. In fact, in general, this summer has been overly, irritatingly, disgustingly difficult, and I am fed up with it all. Enough already, I’m done, I want to go home. Yesterday.

Well, I am going home Friday, that will have to be soon enough.

Bad Things:

Heh. Bad isn’t the word so much as “disgusting” or “disturbing”, and somehow, I really don’t want to tell the story. I mention it because of course I want to tell the story, because it is oh so much fun to tell it and totally gross people out, but I don’t want it to disgrace the “pages” of my journal…Let’s just say it was an experience no-one should have. ever. I did get to share it with the very lucky Tess and Cory, but somehow, I really don’t think they consider themselves so lucky. I am sure I am not the only one to experience this, but I am certainly glad I can’t think of anyone else who has off the top of my head.

and in that line of thought: Room-mates suck, and I seem to find the golden eggs of nasty roomies.

Good Things:

So many, I can’t count. Job at Digitialglobe, offered a delegate’s position on the Space Generations Congress, offered (and accepted) a job at Boeing (ok, act suprised, I dare you.), and in general, life is just pretty awesome right now..

barring the desperate need to get the hell out of here. grumble.

and very first: Photos from Tess and Cory’s Wedding are up…at least the ones I took and the one’s Mr. Stewart took..

I certainly hope you are enjoying your internship experience so far. I have a fun opportunity to offer, and you are the first group I’m approaching. As you may know, or heard, Seafair is the highlight of the summer season in the Puget Sound region. The summer-long festival of community events culminates in the Torchlight Parade in Downtown Seattle, featuring the famous Seafair Pirates, and the hydro races and airshow on Lake Washington.

The Seafair organization has offered us an unusual opportunity as longtime sponsors of the celebration. They would like us to “escort” one of the giant balloon characters in the parade. The theme is “Bucaneers of Yesteryear,” so we’ll be handling the giant pirate flag.

Aye, you know you be jealous. I mean, who wouldn’t be? We the pirates o’ the world, despite our dwindlin’ numbers, call out t’ Boein’ o’ all places t’ represent, argh! boo-yea, argh!

Sadly, thar will be no Pirate flag escortin’ for me. Some crazy friends o’ mine decided gettin’ married was more important then bein’ pirates. (I tell ya, some folks have just got some screwed up priorities!) But alas, I shall be helpin’ two o’ my good mateys walk the plank in Colorado on the day that the good ole’ Jolly Roger is t’ be escorted down the streets o’ Seattle by Torchlight. (Not that I am upset about the plank walkin’…Arrr, this particular party has been a long time comin’.)

aye well..maybe next year.
but until then, I will just have t’ salute our belo’ed skull and cross bones from afar. Gar, Where can I find a bottle o’rum?

(Aye, as a side note, if ye be needin’ help understandin’ the entry abo’e, check out the Pirate Translator I dinna think it t’will help ya none, but tis fun to look at, none the less. Gar.)

Pain is temporary, Failure lasts for ever.
~Lance Armstrong

“Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love.”
~Albert Einstein

“My chronic nastiness and obdurate refusal to look on the bright side of things goes far beyond garden-variety misanthropy.”
~Joe Queenan, My Goodness “

“and THAT is the most interesting part about hemophila” ~Yulia (in response to Nikki handing her a folder)

“Hold on, I am crossing i and j” -Yulia
“No, no, you don’t cross i’s and j’s , you dot i’s and j’s…You cross t’s.” -Nikki