THE MORNING AFTER: I'm dragging today. Stayed up way too late last night and woke up too early and couldn't go back to sleep. I had to come downstairs and read my email from NASA again, to make sure the news about getting accepted for the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity rover) Tweetup (that's a mouthful!) was true. Turns out I didn't dream it. Nice. :)
In case you were wondering, per NASA's Web site, in the photo above (taken on June 3 during testing inside the Spacecraft Assembly Facility at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.): "The turret at the end of Curiosity's robotic arm holds five devices. On the left (downhill) edge of the turret in this view is the percussive drill for collecting powdered samples from rock interiors. On the edge toward the camera is a brush device named Dust Removal Tool. Farther to the right is the Mars Hand Lens Imager. Not visible in this view are the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer and a multi-purpose device named Collection and Handling for In-situ Martian Rock Analysis (CHIMRA), which includes a soil scoop and a set of chambers and labyrinths for sieving, sorting and portioning samples of rock powder or soil for delivery to analytical instruments."
Super cool!
UP NORTH: Thursday is our long out-and-about day, starting with music class in the morning. As we pulled up to the school, the kids asked if we were early. I told them class didn't start for about 5 more minutes. They both said, "Good!" and told me they wanted to go to class early so they could play with the musical instruments there. I liked hearing that - and I also love that the kids are allowed a chance to have some free time to explore and play with the instruments. That wasn't usually the case in the former music class.
MALL RATS: After music, we had just over three hours to kill. The kids did some math online at the library. (They love CoolMath-Games.com, and so do I.) They also got some vitamin D outside on the playground. But the highlight of their day was a trip to (gasp/gag) THE MALL. Specifically, Alderwood Mall, in Lynnwood. We went there because they both practically begged to go. I was going to say, "I don't know why," but I do know why. It's because we never go to malls because, well, I can't stand them. (There's a reason I do almost all my shopping online). Our first stop was the food court, where they each got an incredibly greasy and overpriced piece of pizza from Sbarro. They loved it.
And then we did some obligatory mall strolling, stopping only in two stores - Spencer's and Game Stop. We bought nothing. The kids also checked out a Pokemon themed kiosk.
It had a couple of touch-screen games, which they enjoyed. All the while I'm just ITCHING to get out of the place. And so, our entire mall experience lasted about 30 minutes. That got us back to the library in plenty of time for me to watch and listen to the NASA Tweetup that took place today in Washington D.C. with two of the STS-135 crew members. I have to admit, it's kind of funny watching people in the audience typing on laptops and texting on phones while the astronauts are talking. In most instances, I think that would be considered poor form, but at a Tweetup, well, it comes with the territory.
LEFTOVERS: Forgot to include this earlier in the week ... I'm thinking perhaps CJ has been hanging out too much with me in the kitchen and/or watching too many Food Network challenges. On Sunday night, teams were crafting alien themed cakes and CJ was alarmed at their lack of progress. "The clock is ticking guys, ding ding!" He yelled at the TV.
Curiosity certainly has the tools. Thanks for the intro.
ReplyDeleteThe worry about the time on a FOODTV show is reflected in the concentration on the time remaining in the AR test rather than the remaining tasks.