Nearly There

One-and-a-bit orbits left before the deorbit burn, and "perfect" weather at KSC according to NASA. After the plodding of yesterday once the live video stopped, it's getting exciting again.

The end of the mission means I'll have no excuse for not doing my Uni work. I made a start earlier today, I watched some more of the course DVD that I should've watched last week, but NASA TV won out there. It's odd that whatever short course I'm doing, I get interested in some other area of science rather than the one I'm studying. When I was doing my Astronomy and Planetary Science courses, I was getting really interested in human biology. Now I'm studying Genetics, and my mind is full of physics. Yesterday I received my welcome pack from the Institute of Physics, so I need to go through that properly as well as catching up on my Genetics course. But it's all super fun.

Welcome Home Discovery!

Discovery has landed! I've been watching NASA TV the whole time, it was so awesome.

It was very quiet at Mission Control once the Go was given for de-orbit burn - I did hear the cheer from the Discovery crew at this call, other than that it was quiet and businesslike and a little bit tense (or maybe that was just me) but everything went well. And it was so exciting getting the first glimpse of the orbiter as it approached KSC. And I was smiling so hard when it landed on the runway and Wheels Stopped was confirmed.

They now have to check round the orbiter, ensure it's safe for the crew to disembark, and then it will be towed home in a few hours. NASA TV meanwhile have started replays of the landing.

Race For Life

Never put something away 'in a safe place' - you will not be able to find it again.

In other words, has anyone seen my Race For Life medal from last year? I was sorting through my old goodie bags from last week and from previous years, and found all the medals apart from last year's one. I've looked in all the safe places I can think of (jewellery box, pencil tins, the zippy-thing that holds my USB sticks) but I can't find it anywhere. The bag from last year's goodie bag is now the wet kit bag I use for the gym, but no sign of my medal anywhere around the gym bag. I must have put it somewhere 'safe' when I was sorting that out earlier this year.

I'm pretty sure it had a dark blue ribbon, in contrast to the various shades of pink of the others. When I find it, I'll post a pic of all my medals together. I just sorted out my recent photos for backup, but I don't like the pic of me from this year's event - to be honest, I look like a bit of a short pink lump. Not good. But accentuate the fact that I completed the race well and raised £100 in the process.

A Photograph

Four posts in a day - I think that's a record :)

Instead of the pic of me at Race For Life, here's something nice to look at - a photo of my beloved teddybear:



*cuddles*