Orion and Pluto

SCENTSATIONAL: Every time we drive through Sodo (the stadium district, south of downtown), we roll down our windows on Fourth Ave S. at Lander in hopes of catching a whiff from the Franz factory. 

This morning, on our way back from Kent (yes, there again!), we drove by Franz and the kids knew the drill. 

"Can you smell it?! Can you smell it?"! Annabelle urgently asked CJ as they powered their windows down.

Fortunately, the ovens were on, and we got a great big whiff. Mmmm ...

As we sat at a red light next to it today, we noticed a sign in the building's window that said he production of bread at the Sodo factory in one week would span 17 miles if the loaves were placed end-to-end. That's a lot of bread.

I've heard that Franz gives bakery tours. I'd definitely like to check that out some time. 

PLOP PLOP!: Today, water impact testing continued on the Orion capsule. An 18,000-pound (8,165 kilogram) test version of the spacecraft was dropped in a pool at NASA's Langley Research Center this morning.

                                                                           Image Credit: NASA 

Last summer, we watched Orion's swing drop testing at the Hydro Impact Basin. During those tests, the capsule slid down into the water in a lateral  motion.  In these latest tests, Orion is being dropped vertically into the pool for the first time.

The capsule needs to pass the tests as Orion and the (heavy launch) Space Launch System are NASA ticket back to manned spaceflight. Hopefully in the not-too-distant future, SLS and Orion will expand human presence beyond low Earth orbit and enable exploration across the solar system.

Here's a short video of today's test. 


In other space-y news, for the last couple of nights we've enjoyed watching nice long bright fly-overs of the ISS. 

BALANCING ACT: We took another field trip to Kent this a.m., tagging along with Rick on yet another job interview. While he got grilled, we shopped at a WinCo!!! We used to shop at a WinCo all the time in Vancouver, and I miss WinCo desperately. (Well, really, mostly I miss WinCo's prices.) So my heart sang when we spied the Winco sign near our destination. We shopped for 45 minutes and $125 worth. Then, to kill the time while waiting for Rick, we amused ourselves in the parking lot, having balancing competitions, finding pennies and so on. Good times.

SAD ANNIVERSARY: Today is the fifth anniversary of Pluto's "Dwarf Planet" reclassification.  As Neil deGrasse Tyson Tweeted today, "May the little fella RIP (Revolve in Peace)." 

My reaction surrounding this reclassification tragedy was captured nicely on this TeeFury design: 

STUFFED: Once again this year I headed up the ticket orders and distribution for the Puyallup Fair's educational ticket program for the Seattle Homeschool Group. Mercifully, the (free!) Puyallup Fair tickets arrived today, so this evening we stuffed order envelopes as we bounced back and forth between watching the Mariners (lose) and the Seahawks (win).

It's very generous of the fair to donate these tickets, and we send them a thank you note every year. 

I sure am glad to have this commitment/project over with. Now I can concentrate on my parents' 50th anniversary party.