A Thought or Two on a Late Friday Evening at Camp.

Hello Troops, and you to Jon (Jon is waiting for this post as he chaperones on the Voyager's Bridge with Abram).

The picture above is funny in several ways. It shows our helpless condition as infants and reminds us of what lies ahead if we live long enough. I see myself standing near the stop light outside Orem's Costco a few decades from now, derelict, unshaven, unkempt, nearly toothless, still wearing my once blue Space Center shirt - heavily stained with large white blotches testifying to my frequent memory lapses concerning bleach and colors. In my shaking hands I hold a cardboard sign reading "Can't speak, can't walk, no teeth, no job, full diaper. God Bless".

I see you before you see me. Our eyes meet. You look confused, wondering if I'm really the person you think I am. You drive up and stop at the red light.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen," you mutter in disbelief to your firstborn beside you. "He was something else in his day. Now look at him."

"Gross," he replies and returns to his texting.

You roll down your window and wave me over. I struggle to my feet. You notice my black tennis shoes, split open at the toes. I approach as you search your wallet for spare change. You wonder if I'll spend the money on food or liquid comfort. You take out a $5, thinking its enough to purchase a candy bar, but not enough for something refreshing at the PG pool hall. Seeing the $5.00 bill in your hand adds pep to my step. I reach your window and smelling distance. Your firstborn pulls the collar of his t-shirt up over his nose to block the smell of damp rot.

"Mr. Williamson, how are you?" you hope my answer short, considering the light might change any moment. I look confused. I'm searching my memory.

"No ma'am. You got Tex," I reply. I take the money from your outstretched hand. "This is real American money?" I ask holding it up to the light to see the watermark and security band. "It ain't that phony Canadian stuff?"

"Can we go? I'm going to ralph!" your child inserts into the dialog. The light changes and we say our farewells. You to your life and me to the company of senility.

Yes, that's what crossed my mind when I saw that picture above. Life is one great cycle.

Speaking of old age......... How many times have you heard someone of advanced years say "Back in my day?" Well,





Something else from the Imaginarium, a triangle diagram worthy of a passing glance. I tried and tried to prove it more wrong than right but couldn't. Of course that means only one thing - emotional stability and beauty! Right?



I used to stststststst stutter as a child. Certain words sent me into a tongue spasm. The worst was "Victor". Yep, anytime I had to say my name I'd barely get through the first consonant.

They had me in speech therapy in first grade to help with the stuttering and helping me pronounce the letter "r". I spoke my "r" as "w".

And finally, a new sign for the Space Center. Please be kind enough to comply. Those of you who use the Force on those of us born lacking any connection to the supernatural is down right inconsiderate and, frankly rude.

Have a great night.

Mr. W.

Letting the Children Enter. The Simulators Open Today for Field Trips.

Hello Troops,
Today is the day we open the curtain and take down the "Keep Out" partitions. The Space Center opens for our first school year 2011-12 field trip missions. We start with Central Elementary School's fifth graders. They are very excited and have been peeking in on the simulators and asking questions for weeks now. Their patience will be rewarded. We are ready to go!

Yesterday Lorraine, Aleta and Megan spent the day teaching the science curriculum and briefing the students on their mission. I spent the day answering calls and emails and getting acquainted with the new Voyager Control Room lay out. Last month, Bracken spent several days changing things around - all of which takes some getting use to. He threw out my CD players forcing me to modernize and use iPods instead. That alone will be a bit of a challenge - but nothing I can't handle, after all, this will be my 21st year of flying missions in the Voyager. If I haven't got it down now, I never will :)

Today we will be telling "A Cry from the Dark". It will be a bit rough, considering I haven't sat in the Flight Director's seat for three months and missed it.

Yesterday we held our second Open Mission (read the top of the blog's right side bar) in the Phoenix, flight directed by Megan Warner. Brent Anderson and Matt Ricks taught the first lesson for this year's Revolution Programming Class in the school's computer lab. We had a good turn out; you can't beat a free class!

Let's get this day started with a couple items from the Imaginarium.

From the Space Center,
Mr. W.

Advice I'm taking to heart. I'm a bit worried about my first day back in the Flight Director's chair after three months.

I'm tempted to issue this as Space Center currency. Pretty cool.

One Epic Library!

Back to the Flight Director's Chair.

Hello Troops,
Nearly time to crank up the old Battlestar and head to the Space Center. Today will be spent answering emails, booking schools, researching where to put another simulator and registering students for Super Saturdays, Overnight Camps, Academy Classes, Computer Classes and Parties. Mrs. Houston, Megan Warner and Casey Voeks will work in Discovery on this year's Field Trips lessons and Starlab Planetarium presentation. I've also got to spend a little time in the Voyager reacquainting myself with the ship in preparation to fly at the end of this week. Yes, Mr. Williamson will be back in the Flight Director's Chair for another season of chills and thrills.

Before I lumber down the hill to school, I thought I'd share a few things from the Imaginarium to get your day either started or ended correctly (depending on when you read this).

See You in the Trenches,
Mr. W.

Behind every good Storm Trooper is a good woman

Every day is a challenge. Attitude determines the outcome.

Attitude determines whether failure defeats you or teaches a lesson. Failure just means you, like the rest of us, are human. We try, we fail, we learn and go on. Give yourself a break. Do you think the success we've had at the Space Center was the result of pure genius!? What you see is twenty years of trying, failing, succeeding, trying, failing, succeeding, frustration, victory, and then all over again.

Here are the results of the question. Sad isn't it.

The Perfect Book Sandwich