Jake & His Friends

We gathered today to say goodbye to one of my classmates/our friends with other friends from church as they prepare to move to Pennsylvania/Delaware for Residency. As we were celebrating their move for Residency, the party was medically themed and we all dressed up in scrubs...Clint & Jake borrowed some of mine...Jake wore Christmas Cookie Monster & Clint wore lovely pink flowers...I think pink is a good color for him :)

Spring

We have had an uncharacteristically Spring-like Spring season here in Houston...with very nice weather...but its all too quickly coming to an end. This year I convinced Jake to build a planter for me to plant zucchini in; I also received an Earth Box for my birthday, which is supposed to grow fabulous tomatoes.

Then when my mom was here I convinced her to help me plant everything :) We planted tomatoes, green peppers, basil & zucchini...and now the zucchini has sprouted, so hopefully it will grow well in its new planter.

And a few pictures of the dogs looking at me quizzically as I talk to them from behind the camera

NASA x2

This week I had the opportunity to go to NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) twice. On Wednesday I went as a chaperone on an exclusive tour with Baylor's Saturday Morning Science program--a program Baylor sponsors each spring for middle & high school students from the lower income Houston schools--to encourage their interest in science. We listened to talks about what projects are currently underway at JSC and were able to meet a few astronauts and get up close tours of an area where the astronauts train and the different Mission Control areas. It was very interesting, especially getting to see it all up-close. Then my mom came into town for the weekend and had never been...so we went on the traditional NASA JSC tours.

Full-size Shuttle Mock-up on the training floor.
An Astronaut showing us the inside of a shuttle mock-up & the TINY living area where 7 astronauts live for 2 weeks on shuttle missions. Behind him are the sleeping hammocks where they strap themselves into sleep.The shuttle toilet...apparently both men & women stand to urinate in space...and each are assigned a personal funnel.
My mom in front of a plaque for the Apollo Mission Control Center.
As part of the exclusive tour we were able to go into the Historic Apollo Mission Control Center...from where all the Apollo Missions to the moon were controlled. Here I am sitting at the desk Apollo 11 & 13 (as well as many others) Flight Director Gene Kranz sat at during those missions.

My mom in front of the Orion at the JSC Visitor's Center- the next spacecraft that will take man back to the moon
The Orion Mock-up on the astronaut training floor

International Space Station (ISS) Mission control--with live pictures of ISS on the screens.

with former NASA astronaut General Charles Bolden...who incidentally will also be the speaker at my graduation in May.