3-2-1 Blast-Off?

Countdown

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1…..

Today SpaceX and Nasa send a rocket into space

after a 9 year hiatus 

from launching astronauts from US soil to the International Space Station.  

During that time we’ve been hitching a ride from the Russians.  

It’s nice to have our own wheels or wings, for a change 

and not depend on someone else's schedule.  

There's always someone who wants to make an extra stop for a pack of smokes 
or something.

At 4:33pm ET on Cape Canaveral 

the astronauts will blast-off 

on a wing and a prayer.

The countdown begins...

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1….WAIT ....

HOLD everything …

Houston we have some rain.

The FL forecast is for clouds and rain.  

Maybe a thunderstorm.

Come on Nasa… 

seriously?

First of all, 

you have to plan for rain.

Afternoon thunderstorms in FL are the norm.
The 10 day forecast shows thunderstorms for all 10 days. 

And

Secondmost of all...

I would think a rocket 

blasting off with 9 engines of fuel and a payload of 50,000 pounds

and traveling at speeds of 24,610 mph

could clear clouds that make weather.

I might, however, suggest RainX for the capsule….

it works like a charm on my car’s windshield.

Anywhoooo…

When I think of Nasa and astronauts 

I ALWAYS think of my Bro. 

When I was a babe. 

Not a babe, never a babe... but a young girl  

everything was about space, NASA, 

landing on the moon, etc.

My brother had said one day he was going to be an astronaut or work for Nasa.

  Being the pain in the neck, older by a year sister, that I am…

I razzed him and said if you are so sure then bet on it….

so he bet me a whole 5 dollars.

I wrote it down on paper and had him sign it so he wouldn’t squelch.  

That guy still owes me 5 bucks.  

I’m probably not the only sibling trying to collect on a decades old debt.  

Bro is actually smart enough to have worked for NASA 

he just went in another technical/computer space path.

But I'm pretty sure he could figure out the rain thang.

Maybe Nasa should have chosen the state of AZ instead of FL 

for lift off.  

AZ gets less rain...and my brother lives in AZ.  

And he wouldn’t owe me 5 bucks.

Whenever they give the all systems go,
I am rooting for a successful mission

and

wishing God speed 
warp factor speed
to our brave astronauts.

ps.  After I wrote this, I may have learned why 
the blast-off is a delicate dance
may I suggest the macarena

but blogger's have embellishment rights.
It's right there in the Blogger's Bill of Rights.

Just Do It - Part 2

That time I took the 
Nike tagline

Just Do It 

ran with it 
and

scored.

Anywhooo…

I was visiting my parents in Burlington, Vermont.  

My Dad, in his early 80's with a cane, 

was not getting around very easily.  

He had given himself and the rest of us 

a few too many health scares.  

Gerald "Jerry", my Dad…

the ultimate optimist.

A guy with a happy disposition, 

a gift of gab, and a love for all things people. 

Colin happened to be playing a show with Dustin Lynch 

at a casino in New York state about 3 hours away  

which was the closest they were going to get to my parents.

My dad expressed how much he 

really really really wanted to see 

his grandson, Colin and the band play a live show.   

I really really really wanted him to see it. 

However, there were a
load of reasons why I poo-pooed the idea...

The show was 3 hours away via an
extremely windy 2 lane truck route. 
The show wouldn't start until 9pm, so we'd be getting back v. late
and driving in the pitch black.

The casino would be crowded and hard for my Dad to navigate. 

Blah blah…..just more reasons that my Dad wasn’t buying into.

But he did have his medication with him.

To distract my Dad,

 I decided to take my parents to a nice lunch 

south of Burlington, down route 7, on a 

gorgeous Vermont day.

But after lunch, as we headed back home...
he kept on...keeping on with...
Wouldn’t it be great to go? 
We can do it.
Lets do it.  Come on.

That was it.  

I was done thinking about it.

No more putting up obstacles.

I immediately pulled the car into a dirt parking lot, 

backed it up 
and turned the car around.  

When my father realized what was happening 

he yelled, "Yahooo.  We’re going to the show." 

Seriously he said yahooo.

His look of utter joy is something I will always remember.

Such an amazing memory…

We met up with Colin for a nice dinner before the show.  

yellow shirts 😃

The casino was packed, but there was a balcony for good viewing. 

As we slowly made our way through the huge crowd…

a crowd of young people cleared a path for him…
saying "old man coming through."  

Dustin Lynch gave a shoutout to my parents 
and dedicated his song "Cowboys and Angels."

As we left the casino and made our way to the parking lot…
 ....we heard a voice.

Colin had climbed a tall fence and was yelling over it
"Bye Nana, Bye Papa."

It could not have been more perfect.

The scary drive home was as expected...
pitch dark...no lights except
the headlights of the Mack Trucks coming towards us 
on the narrow two lane road.
My parents stayed wide-eye awake
while 
I held my breath, 
held steady

and carefully navigated us home.

Should you get an opportunity to do something
but you come up with a million practical reasons

why not to do it...

but 

your heart says..."do it"...

Just Do It.

No regrets

Just Do It - Part 1

The Nike tagline…

Just Do It 

is a great slogan. 

It's a perfect rallying cry and words to live by.

And because the Nike shoe  fits…

I’m stepping back in time 

swoosh 

and reliving a memory...

a memory of a time when I should have gone ahead and 

Just Done it. 

You could call it a teaching experience 

or a 

learning experience.  

I’m not sure if I was the teacher or the student

but I was definitely taken to school. 

Anywho…..

I'm remembering a time when the 
3 musketeers 
were taken to school...
to learn some
readin', ritin' and 'rithmetic

cuz they weren't gonna git any home schoolin' by this Kat.

On the way to the elementary school...
we would drive by a nursing home
where we could seen an elderly woman 
through the window 
sitting in her chair.

Each morning, 
we would look for her...
talk about her... 

and wonder about her.  

Then we would wave to her. 

She probably couldn’t see us waving, 

but we sure hoped she could.  

We even named her.  

"Her" became Helen.  

A name that was

sweet, classic…

and grandmotherly 
like we imagined she was.

Seeing Helen in the window, 
meant we were gonna have a good day. 

I envisioned us meeting Helen.
I remember saying out loud to myself and to my family…

One day soon we are going to the nursing home 

and ask to meet Helen..

the woman 

who brought a bright spot to our morning. 

Tell her how we looked forward to seeing her
and let her know
 just how special we thought she was.

But then life got in the way…

or so I let it...

sports, conferences, school projects, concerts…

you name it….there was always something.  

There is always something.

Then one morning, we didn’t see Helen.  

Maybe Helen was taking a shower?

but then that got to be…

a long shower. 

And then a very long shower.

After a couple of weeks…

we knew we weren’t going to be waving to Helen anymore. 

So whenever I think about this memory….

I always say to myself…

 why didn’t you

 just do it? 

So, 

if the shoe fits…

and there is something you’ve been thinking about doing,

don’t think about it anymore….

Just do it.

To-Do List

I love a 
To-do List. 
It keeps me 
-organized, so nothing falls through life's sidewalk cracks
-gives me a plan of attack, so I stay focused  
-makes things more manageable and less overwhelming...
so I don't 
make a mountain out of mole hill.
(-order mole traps from Amazon ASAP)

My To-do lists sometimes have mini-lists and midnite-lists.
I will wake at 3:11 am and form lists in my head...
which keeps me awake for hours…

trying to memorize lists. 

Now I keep a pen and paper by my bedside so I can 
unpack my thoughts…

declutter my brain into 
a manageable carry-on

and get some sleep. 

Plus a EUREKA moment for the best blog ever written 
can come at anytime. 

I’m ready... 

still waiting.

As we all know...
the best part of a To-do List is crossing items off.
So much so, that we will add something we've already done

just to cross it off.
Guilty as Listed.

Plus a long To-do list makes you look busy…

in case anyone has their eyes where they don’t belong...
on your list.

There is so much satisfaction gained from 

physically crossing something off a To-do List.

I think we are born with special 
Check-off endorphins✔

that travel through the body
tickling our 

'Who's more accomplished than me?" 
psyche.

Anywho...

This shut-in existence we are living
greatly affects my To-do List. 

My 
To-Do List 
has become my...

 What to-do List?

   -Wake up  (Oh, I’m awake…cool. I  can cross that off.)

  -Drink coffee (last drop gone…cross it off. getting lots done today)

-Eat something for breakfast

Write a bonkers blog

-Power walk or power through a walk

-Watch PaulA clean the garage

-Eat anything for lunch


-Watch PaulA trim the hedge

-Eat everything for dinner
Dinner time already?

There are a few things on my To-Do List 
that are so nasty and rotten
they forever remain on the list...
getting musty and moldy.

-Make a root canal appointment

-help PaulA do chores

-Stop entertaining the procrastination monkey

Anywho you lookin' at?