We Survived. And Now, the Weekend.

Hello Troops,
What an awesome staff!
Earlier this week I wrote about the perfect storm due to hit the Center on Wednesday and Thursday. It came, we stood firm and it blew through without so much as a single sail ripped from the Voyager's masts.

The wind started picking up around 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, quickly followed by sheets of nearly vertical rain. The boiling gray ocean threw itself against the Center's hull. We felt the deck give way beneath our feet, tossing us like rag dolls port side and nearly over the banister into certain death. The ship pulled itself from the brink, straighted out long enough for us to get our footing and bunker down for 48 hours of unrelenting turbulence. The alert was sounded and it was all hands on deck.
My thanks to everyone for their efforts, especially Lorraine and Sheila in the classroom and everyone in the simulators. Our work was appreciated by our visitors.
We gave them near perfect performances (near perfect because I wasn't running every mission ;)

So, as a reward for two days of going above and beyond, I present a bit of fun to help us unwind and relax for the overnight camp tonight and a full slate of missions and classes tomorrow.

Enjoy,

Mr. W.

Horror flicks on Planet Zlob. Bleck finds the sight of humans so disgusting he hides behind the Concession Stand to avoid looking at them.

Moss is the poster child for all IT nerds. I know many of the Space Center staff love the British comedy "The IT Crowd". If you haven't seen it, I suggest you give it a try.

The Empire is looking for a few good Clones! Join Today and Save the Empire from the Rebel Alliance. (We sound do a poster like this for the Orion Pirates with Bill as Mad Dog in the place of Darth Vader).

A quiet moment as dad leaves for work.

They are out there, many lurking in the nation's graveyards waiting and watching for the unsuspecting teenagers out looking for a good time in what they think is a deserted place (for you Dr. Who fans).

And finally, a quick stop on the way home from work for a coffee and a warm sticky bun. Join us the next time you're in town.

And finally a 'steam driven' retro computer. Wouldn't you like one of these sitting on your desk at work or home?

Pure Imagination

Insanity or Imagination? Don't know, but wouldn't you rather see this rolling through your neighborhood than the 100 or so identical unremarkable minivans that bland our countryside?

And yes, I'd love to have the Addams Family as neighbors

Imagination is the guiding force practiced by those of us with the good fortune to be employed at the Space Center. It is the intoxicant that drives us day by day to motivate students to look beyond the here and now and gaze into the world of what may be through hard work, education and the spark of imagination, the very thing that makes us human.

Imaginists (my word for those of us that dabble in the art if imagination) toil to nourish the sense of wonder that provides the rich soil from which imagination grows. The fruits of which are seen all around us in our creations and the creations of our fellow travellers through this mortal sphere.

I challenge you to do every assignment in school and work creatively. Do it differently than anyone else. Put a bit of yourself into every task. Suddenly you'll find yourself standing out of the crowd. Opportunities will come because you took the risk to shake up the norms.

Of course, sometimes you'll fail. I'm use to flops. I'll take them any day over the mind numbing repetition of doing everything exactly like everyone else. I'll take the risks and the flops to create something from time to time that garners applause - but more importantly, something I can be proud of and unique to me.

So, to sum everything up, I challenge you to live your life so that you can say on occasion, "I did that".
That's the power of imagination.

Today I'd like to pay tribute to the creative work of certain individuals who have inspired my sense of wonder. Please sit back and partake in a feast of Pure Imagination.

Simply,
Mr. W.

A Test of Wills

Hello Troops,
Today will be a true test of our ability to juggle multiple events at once. Some might say we stand ready to challenge a perfect storm without regard for life or limb, yet here we stand - ready for whatever may come.

The following events are swirling in the darkest of clouds over head.

1. We have our normal field trip from 9:30 - 1:30. One of the classes will be 35 students. This requires a full teaching staff and four simulators.
2. We have another 2 classes coming for a field trip from 2:00 - 6:00 P.M. Again, the staff will be staying late to accommodate this extra field trip.
3. Central Elementary has parent teacher conferences today between 4:00 and 7:30 P.M. The halls will be choked with parents and students.
4. Mr. Schuler finishes his Aviation Merit Badge Class tonight starting at 5:30 P.M.
5. Mrs. Clegg will be starting her Nuclear Science Merit Badge Class tonight at 6:30 P.M. This will prove to be interesting because both merit badge classes and the field trip require the Discovery Room. How we will juggle that is yet to be determined.
6. Another concern is keeping children from crawling all over the Galileo in the Lunchroom. Several teacher hold their conferences in the lunchroom. Their children run loose while their parents talk, and of course, the Galileo is a child magnet. They are drawn to it like flies to fire.
7. Another concern is keeping children away from the Starlab Dome while we teach the Starlab lesson to the field trips. I'll have to post guards at the Galileo and the Starlab.

The wind is blowing and clouds swirl overhead. But, never fear, we are the staff of the Space Center. We will prevail as we always do because we are good, adaptable and flexible. It's that simple.

Thanks Troops for the extra effort today and tomorrow will require.

Mr. W.