List #1

A Few of My Favorite Summer Things:

1. shorts and sandals
2. tank tops
3. long, warm days
4. strawberries
5. thunderstorms
6. backyard BBQ’s
7. summer rain
8. Shakespeare in the Park
9. lemonade and iced tea
10. outdoor movies and drive ins

Sadness

On Saturday night, while I was out enjoying the company of good friends in Denver, a very dear friend of my family’s was rushed to the hospital after complaints of stomach and back pain. He died the following night. Jack Drumb was the second half of my other set of parents growing up. Our families were neighbors in Buffalo, NY from when I was age 0 to 11, and we attended the same neighborhood church during those years and for many afterward. They have a daughter, who’s a few years older than me, named Kimberly also.

I received the news seconds after I hit the “publish” button on this blog’s last post. I cried a little less hard when I heard, through the phone, the many familiar voices of my extended family–they had all come to comfort Jack and each other, as family do in such times. I was later told that as he passed, in the company of those who loved him, a content, peaceful smile came to his face.

When I was a young girl, I remember peering out of my parents’ dining room window into Jack’s and his wife’s kitchen. I could barely reach my eyes above the sill, so often I’d have to hop up into a chair to get a good look. Jack was usually there in the mornings, as I waited for my mom or dad to take me to nursery school, sitting at his table, reading the morning paper, drinking his coffee. He’d wave at me, eyes bright, and I’d wave back. When I got older, if my parents ever had to wonder why I wasn’t running around the house making a racket, it was because I was next door dancing or singing to my heart’s content in the Drumb’s living room instead.

When I grew into a young adult, Jack became a source of inspiration as well. As a young man, Jack enlisted in the Navy and served in Vietnam; he had never finished college, but always wanted to. Finally, in his late 40’s, he enrolled in college, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Buffalo. He went on to administrate the largest rehabilitation center and homeless shelter in Buffalo. On most days, when I think back to why I’ve stayed in school despite the challenges, I believe that Jack’s encouragement and urging for me to finish what I started helped me see beyond any disappointments I’ve faced. When I’d come home for holidays and vacations, I was more afraid of disappointing him with a bad grade or poor effort than I was of the failure itself. You see, his standard of achievement was one of the many that made me believe it could be done, no matter what. I could imagine him saying, the only thing that would stop me is if I gave up. I wanted him to be in the crowd watching me as I walked across the stage, as much as my mom and dad. I wanted him to be proud of me too. And deep down, because I stuck with it, I think he was. The memory of him will be close in my heart always, but especially on that day.

You are deeply loved and greatly missed, Jack.

“It was the most profound experience of my life.”

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of visiting with friends in Denver. It all began innocently enough when I suggested to a couple of my girl friends that we go to Denver and check out the latest art exhibits showing in the local galleries. A few days and emails later our little group grew to include a few other enthusiatic art fans. It was a shiny autumn day as we gathered inside the Denver Art Museum on 13th Street near the Civic Center. We had the pleasure of viewing several exhibits, ranging from Contemporary art to ancient Japanese art, that spanned 4 stories. We saw paintings by Monet, a modern artist’s version of the Mona Lisa and a rather buxom-looking anime statue that, according to the little girl next to us, looked just like someone name Misty.

Oh man, how I wish I’d remembered to bring my camera.

After viewing all of the exhibts at DAM, a few of us decided to head over to the new site for the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver at 15th Street and Delgany, near downtown. That was a hysterical time, as we got lost on the way, had trouble seeing the building even after we’d got the directions by phone, and then walked in to find only one exhibit showing. But wow, what an exhibit it was. It’s titled Fade, by artist Erwin Redl, and it’s a wonderful mix of light, texture and space. We sat in the middle of the room, our heads and faces crowned with small halos from the wall of red light that surrounded us, and quickly found ourselves sharing stories from our day to day and taking a few moments of reflective pause. We jokingly decided to tell the others in our group that they’d missed the most profound exhibit any of us had ever experienced. Ironically, though, I really hadn’t seen anything like it. Profound, probably not, but unique and beautiful, yes. It had a presence that made me want to sit and watch for what came next. The exhibit came to be more than something to just look at, that was for sure.

A Distant Wind Blows

It’s a gorgeous fall day outside today–clear blue skies, bright yellow, red and green trees, temps just above freezing your bum off, and lots of strong gusts to remind us of the raging battle between the late autumn and early winter air. I just took a look out of the window (right now I’m in one of the computer labs at the Engineering Center) and in the middle of the courtyard I saw what looked like a dust cyclone! It was fun to watch the dried leaves and loose earth dance and swirl around each other. I love this time of year, I find it enchanting.

The cooling temperatures also signal the upcoming close of this semester. Four more weeks and we’re done. This semester has been a really busy one. As if I didn’t already have enough to do, last week I began to volunteer on a Lunar Surface Access Module (LSAM) project.

The module is at the top, surrounded by the gold-colored fuel tanks below. The LSAM (or lunar lander) is one many of parts that comprise NASA’s latest exploration vehicle in the Constellation program, whose goal is to move forward in the Vision for lunar and Mars exploration in this and the next decade. The other main components are the Orion crew exploration vehicle (CEV), which docks with the lander, and the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles. The following photos are courtesy of NASA’s web pages (if you click on the images, the link will open another window and take you to a high-res photo)–

In the picture above, the LSAM is aboard the ARES V cargo vehicle, preparing for its rendezvous with the Orion CEV in orbit around the moon.

Once Orion and the lander are in synchronous orbit around the moon and the CEV is docked, the crew transfers to the lander which lands on and re-launches from the moon’s surface. In essence, the LSAM functions as a temporary surface habitat.

Several graduate students in the aerospace program are building their version of the LSAM as a pet-project and asked for student volunteers interested in learning more. I thought this would be a great way to see a bit of space life support engineering in action. When I arrived, the team members were in the middle of an emergency design change, so there wasn’t much to do besides ask questions and assemble small pieces of PVC (amazingly, I got PVC-certified 2 years ago, which basically means I know how to spread chemical solvent evenly around a joint and no longer pass out from the ungodly-awful smell of the fumes). Since I’m the newbie on the project, several things are over my head right now. For starters, there isn’t a specific design we’re working from, only a few specific dimensions, and the module is the largest I’ve seen. Also, when I left for the day, adjustments were being made to the support frame inside the airlock and only two-thirds of the main structure had been pieced together. The other third is a conceptual zygote, if you will, so I don’t know what it will look like yet. Hopefully this week’s building session will be a bit more interactive.

November 3, 1976

Yes, I’m 30 today! I’ve never been one to pay much attention to my age (just everyone else’s), but hearing myself say “I’m turning 30″ came loaded with expectations. It’s supposed to be a milestone, an event. It’s THIRTY for goodness sake!! When I put my head down to sleep last night, I half-expected to wake up a new woman–like somehow with the passing of the midnight hour I’d find my “Aha!” moment, much like the quarter I hoped for from the tooth fairy as a child, and probably right under my pillow, too. I thought I’d wake up wiser, taller, a little more in tune, a little more profound, a little more distinguished. I waited for the glow, from the light bulb that was supposed to go off, to illuminate my bedroom. But that didn’t happen. I awoke this morning in the knowledge of who I am, and all the usual expectations that come with that. I thought about what I have to do today, the same as any other day. I stretched my legs, took a deep breath and got out of bed, just like every day before today. I still love the same people, still wish they were close to me, loving me, and sharing this day–any day–with me. Turning 30 didn’t change that. Today I am still me, all day, all week, all year. The milestone has come, and tonight at midnight it shall go. And maybe that’s the point: that for another year I’ve gotten to live, laugh and love. And that’s a very good thing.

It’s Mostly Over.

The move was a complete success, and practically effortless (Thank You Cam!). I now reside happily in a nice little town home with two happy Labradors. The part I dread is all the unpacking. I’ve managed to get my book cases set up, and my bed. I’ve even put away most of my clothes. I still have to organize my smaller things, such as notebooks, kitchen and bathroom stuffs, etc. The new house has plenty of storage space, though, so it’s really just a matter of time (and energy) before I get it all sorted.

For now, I haven’t got access to the internet because my old computer is painfully slow and I’m too impatient to drag its carcass out and set it up. The major agenda item for this month is a new laptop.

It’s my birthday tomorrow! Geez, it’s difficult to fathom that another year has gone past. Actually, I’ve been missing home lately. This always happens around this time of year. November is the beginning of the holiday season and I look forward to being with my family.

I’m off to study for Monday’s exam.