Yesterdays

MEMORY ROAD: I don't often lead with ancient news, but it is also not often that it's the anniversary of us watching a space shuttle leave Planet Earth.

It was on this day four years ago that we sat on the Causeway at Kennedy Space Center and watched Atlantis thunder into the clear blue skies.

We learned that today also marks the anniversary of Skylab's launch back in 1973. How 'bout that?  (Cool photo via NASA, of course.)

Speaking of space stations (and scientific saber rattling), there is word today that Russia plans to abandon ship (well, station) in 2020. We'll see how this plays out. Lots of tough talk back and forth re: the space programs lately.

SUNDAY-MONDAY: Busy weekend here. We spent a sunny Mother's Day at Safeco Field, watching the Mariners make 5 errors along the way to losing. Sounds like fun, no? Actually, it was. As the saying goes, the worst day at the ballpark is better than the best day not at the ballpark.

It was nice the Mariners' Moose brought his mom along for the day.

We were sitting out in left field. Say 'hi' to Ms' left fielder Dustin Ackley.

On the way out we explored a fairly new plaza kitty-corner from Safeco Field's Home Plate entrance. 

Monday, we drove down to P-Town. We arrived early enough to have a light lunch at the art-rich Kennedy School, a McMenamins property. Here are the kids in front of a painting honoring the location's namesake. Love how he's riding a book out into the cosmos!

Christian went to the Blazers' game that evening, and the kids (mostly) enjoyed some swim time in a small, cold hotel pool. 

THE MEN WHO FELL TO EARTH: Yesterday evening, NASA astronaut Rick Mastraccio, Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astro Koichi Wakata and Soyuz commander Mikhail Tyurin of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos)  fell out of the sky and plunked down in a dirt patch southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan at 6:58 Pacific time, having completed a 188-day mission on the ISS.

MEANWHILE, IN SHORELINE: We headed up north for the kids' classes in Shoreline today. Annabelle's art class included a little (harmless) graffiti time in front of the school. Thanks to Annabelle, the sidewalk has been ponified.

ROCK 'N' ROLL 4 EVER:  We've just started another Coursera class, cause you know how we love us some Coursera classes. This one is The History of Rock 'n' Roll Part 1 (not to be confused with Gary Glitter's Rock 'n Roll Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xd44PWZGzg

The class is taught by Dr. John Covach of the University of Rochester, our prof from the fabulous class all about The Beatles we completed a few weeks back. 

Care to join us? Check out the overview here: https://www.coursera.org/course/historyofrock1