Space Shuttle Atlantis is in orbit!!!

ThurFri and FriSat were crazy workdays for me, so I didn't get a chance to blog the glorious news...

Space Shuttle Atlantis LAUNCHED FRIDAY!!!

It's set to dock with the International Space Station at 3:38 pm today (Sunday)!!! (Since both Kennedy Space Center, Florida and Houston, Texas are in the Central Time Zone, I'm assuming that's Central time. I could be wrong.) (Also, that would be 9:38 pm Gnomey Time, hehe.)

The significance of the shuttle going up is that it was meant to go up in April, but a hail storm grounded it. And there were supposed to be an extraordinary FIVE shuttle missions this year to deliver components necessary to complete the ISS's full growth by 2010, when shuttles missions will cease.

I want an International Space Station orbiting our planet, so that while huge corporations are conducting scientific research for purely commercial purposes, the ISS can house scientific research for purely SCIENTIFIC purposes! Knowledge wants to be FREE!

Blah.

So anyway, when the Atlantis didn't launch a few months ago I was afraid that something might happen to postpone it AGAIN this month, and the shuttle program wouldn't be able to make all 5 scheduled missions to complete the ISS.

But the Atlantis DID launch! And it's up there, and it'll be docking in 10 hours, 3 minutes!

YAY!!!

Let's see, other stuff going on...

Well, my life sort of went on hiatus when I came back to work, lol. That's kind of the way it goes: I have this rich, exciting life on my 3-day weekend, then during the 4 days I work nothing too big happens, usually. I go to work, go to sleep, and that's more or less it.

Back in my SecondLife days I tended to do quite a lot before and after work, but I honestly don't mind the slower pace at which I'm currently living. (For now.)

Tommy's work is jetting him all over the nation for the month of June, so our short is in a hilding patern. I discovered this when I asked him not to freak-out, then told him I was partaking in Script Frenzy. He then said "Then I guess I don't have to feel bad that my company is sending me out of town all this month".

That worked out rather tidily, wouldn't you say?

I'm ready, too! I've got 3 days of serious writing to do. By my own calculations, I need to have 5,838 words written by the time I come back to work next week in order to be on schedule. (At about 167 words per page, that's 35-ish pages. Or just over half an hour of screen time.)

TOTALLY do-able!

You know why? Because I put in the time to outline my script scene-by-scene already! If I hadn't done that I'd be a bit concerned. But by thoroughly "breaking" my story first, I know what I'll be sitting down to write, and I don't have to worry as much about not knowing where I'm going next!

Very groovy!

So yay!

And after I've made my word count for the day, I have the first series of MI5 (aka SPOOKS in the UK) and EXTRAS at the casa for my viewing pleasure! So that's something to look forward to!

Then there's my FAVORITE sport: Gnomey watching!!! (Where will the Pink-Breasted Munts Munts be spotted THIS weekend? And what will her plumage be like?) :D

Okay, I should get back to work so I can begin my weekend on time!

PEACE!!!