More Space Center Awards

Hello Troops,
Why is Ben looking so pleased? He successfully attached a Galileo Pin to James' lanyard without drawing blood. James is please because he earned his Galileo Pin.

Rachel is congratulating Spencer for earning his Galileo Pin. Ben wanted to do it but Rachel insisted she get a chance since Ben already got to give James his pin. Ben sat in the corner sulking.

We all agreed Ben could give out the next Galileo Pin. The sulking we could live with. The combination of tears and copious amounts of nasal discharge were more than we could handle. Daniel is happy to receive his Galileo pin from Ben as seen in his spontaneous reaction above. The click of the camera's shutter caught Ben off guard (as seen in his spontaneous reaction above). Ben jumped. The staff and volunteers laughed. Ben went back to his corner to sulk.

Ben's sulking we could live with. We ignored the next bout of facial fluids. It was the banging of his head against the wall that got to us.

"Rachel is it OK for Ben to give out the next Galileo pin?" I asked. Rachel glared at Ben. Her eyes shot daggers. Ben stopped banging his head against the wall.

"If I say no?" Rachel asked. Ben dropped to the floor and began kicking the brown classroom chairs.

"Enough Already!" she shouted. "Go ahead. Give out the next pin. See if I care?" Rachel crossed her legs, took out a nail file and sharpened her fingernails.

Ben jumped to his feet and ran to the front of the classroom.

"I award thee thy Galileo Pin," he said as he attached it to Nathan's lanyard. His expression of complete victory was noticeable to everyone, including Rachel. There was a scratching sound. Rachel sat in the back of the room testing her nails on the sheet rock wall. They cut straight through. Ben stayed next to me for the rest of the meeting. Rachel sat in the back picking her teeth.

The tension was broken when Brittney rose to award a Magellan pin to Emilie. They laughed. We laughed. Everyone laughed. Then a scream.

"Gross!" someone shouted after the last echo of the scream died away.

Rachel was alone with her right index finger pointing into the wall.

"She's speared a spider right through with her fingernail," a volunteer explained. Rachel asked for a photo.

Ben bolted for the door, being deathly afraid of spiders. Rachel saw her chance and followed with finger and spider held high overhead. We all laughed and laughed, but none laughed louder and longer than Odval and her camel. It was just another day at the Space Center.