Hi Denise. So ... no image-downloads, again! This is getting tiring.
Anyway, I read your article. Very interesting and very well written.
I'm a history buff, especially military history, but your explanation about the Blackbird fuel leaking on the ground to allow for metal expansion when heated, and ditto for the corrugated skin ... I'd never heard any of that. Utterly fascinating.
My daughter and I also attended the last Shuttle flight. We camped out in our mini-van in a parking lot in Mosquito Lagoon (which I can assure you is aptly named) and the next morning we paddled out into the lagoon in an inflatable kayak purchased for the purpose. We were both struck by the palpable "history of the moment." I recall seeing a man, overcome by emotion, openly weeping as it flew skyward. No one, myself included, thought anything less of him for it.
Greta post.
Quill
We knew someone working for NASA, so we were lucky and were in the gate. It was amazing. Remember how many scrubs there were for that flight?
@dswigle,
We were terrified it was going to get scrubbed. We live is Sarasota, the other side of Florida. And, I can promise you, hanging out in Mosquito Lagoon is not something you want to do for days at a time while you wait for the next launch window.
I recall cursing people like you ... sitting on your cushy chairs, sipping on Mint Juleps as we were being eaten alive by mosquitoes the size of herons and gulping down water the temperature of tepid tea. :-)
Although it sounds crazy, the "adversity of the adventure" actually made it very memorable for both of use. In the end, we had EXCEPTIONAL seats and Dad and Daughter were like Louis and Clark in our kayak. It made the memories all the more vivid and the story that much more interesting in the re-telling.
Quill
Absolutely~ But who was I to tung down premium seating that you couldn't even buy?? I was usually across the way at the park or in a kayak, but, I came from DC and I needed to make sure this time!
And yes, some of my best times were in the worst conditions,
You are the only one not getting the pictures.I can send the to you another way. What a gyp!