My Sabbath Birthday Year. Don't Expect Much from Me. Be Warned!

Hello Troops,
I start this post by thanking everyone for the many kind birthday wishes and expressions of hope that I'll make it to 55.  My staff and volunteers at the Space Education Center were the first to remind me with cake, cookies and a nearly tone deaf song that another year has been added to the staggering digit used to describe the number of revolutions I've spent circling our sun on this blue marble in space. There were other messages of sympathy sent by my friends in the National Sarcastic Society.   Yea, like I need them too.....

My birthday fell on Sunday this year.  I call birthdays which land on Sundays my Sabbath Birthdays.  When you birthday falls on a Sunday you should proclaim to your friends, family and business associates that you are officially in your Sabbath Birthday year.  They should regarded you as "resting".

 Here are my plans for my Sabbath Birthday Year of Rest:

• I'm considering changing my shaving routine from daily to weekly.  I think I'll do the same for showering, deodorizing, and brushing my teeth.
• On your Sabbath Birthday it is totally permissible to wash clothes monthly.  No one will object to the smells if they understand it is your Sabbath Birthday Year.
• I won't wash my car during this special year of rest.
• I'll show up for work right when I'm suppose to and clock out a few minutes before I'm suppose to leave.  Employers are typically more tolerate of laziness during your Sabbath Birthday Year.  I have the Department of Labor's toll free phone on speed dial if my administrator gives me any guff.
• I'll exert less.
• I'll eat more.
• Exercising is limited during your Sabbath Birthday Year.  Running, jogging, swimming, bicycling, etc. are all to be avoided.  How can you honor your year of rest if your heart is beating excessively and your sweat glands are sweating?   Elbow and hand exercises are allowed as you reach for food, scoop up food and deliver food into your mouth.

I'm in negotiations with our local Gas Station / Convienience Marts on the issuing of special Sabbath Birthday Year Cards entitling you to half price 32 or 44 ounce Gut Buster Sodas delivered to you as you fill your car.   I'm also preparing a letter to National Council of Churches seeking a special dispensation for all Sabbath Birthday Celebrants giving them one year off from all religious obligations.

Its a far shot, but I'm asking for an appointment with my United States Senator.  I  hope to persuade him to join my crusade by sponsoring a bill giving all Sabbath Birthday Celebrants one year off from Federal taxes.

To summarize, this is my Sabbath Birthday Year.  Expect nothing from me of consequence until June 24, 2013.

Thank you for understanding.

Mr. Williamson

And Now, to start my Year of Rest, I give you PICTURES with little commentary, as one would expect from a member of the Sabbath Birthday Congregation.         

 Megan Left.  Chelsea Right.  Shirt - Flight Directors.  Chelsea celebrates.  She fly Phoenix.  

Big Celebration.  Smiling not uncommon.  Chelsea work hard for this.  

Devin Left.  Bronson Right.  Bronson get Odyssey Pass.  He happy. Devin confused.  Can't remember Bronson's name.  Kept calling him "Yo Dude".   Bronson not happy.  Responds with

"Yo Rude!"

Devin left.  Nolan Right.  Nolan get Odyssey Pin.  "Yo Dude," Devin say.  Nolan confused. 

"Its Nolan," Nolan say.

"Chill," Devin respond.

Jon Left.  Joseph Right.  Joseph get Voyager Pin. Work hard for it.  Jon proud.  Joseph prouder.

Mr. Williamson left.  Allie right.  Allie get One Year Pin.  Allie tired.  Say, "Overworked and Underpaid!".
Everyone agree.  Throw shoes at Mr. Williamson.  Mr. Williamson run for library and lock door.  He come out someday.

And From the Imaginarium.  At the Imaginarium we celebrate the creations of Human Imagination.

Yes, I want!

I question everything I know because I can't remember anymore where I learned it.

Your Steam Punked Computer.  Tell me you wouldn't want one of these on your desk.

I didn't believe them when I was your age either. 

Go on, keep thinking everyone has your best interests at heart...... :) 

 My kind of Synagogue.

The Hobbits, playing in a town near you!

Descriptive Word Art found only at the Imaginarium...

The coolest Pens every created.   How could you ever go back to your Bic?

Star Wars University.

And from the Creepy Magazine Ads of Yesteryear......
Frankly, I may be mistaken, but I'd swear we've had these people's children at Camp this year....
Creepy.....

What is this kid thinking?   Who enjoys their Orange Juice this much?

 

He shot his eye out, his mother's eye, his father's eye and his pastor's eye before the police arrived.
 We get the same look on the faces of our campers when we had them our toy phasers and say "Aliens".

I don't think I'd sleep well at night if she were in my home.  I'd keep a cross above the bed and wear garlic.  It wouldn't hurt to keep a wooden stake and hammer next to the bed - just in case.  I think we had her daughter at the Magellan Engineering Station two months ago.   

Ginger,      Of course.  That explains it  :)

"Gee mom, mushy spaghetti dumped on my plate for Sunday Dinner.  I couldn't think of anything I would rather have.  We love you mom!"

  

Yep, she's a meat eater.  I don't see a vegan lifestyle in her future, do you?

"I'll be eatin these here beans then I'll be a waitin cause we all know what's a comin after I eat these here beans." 

Is it me, or is she looking longingly at the sandwich or her mother's fingers?  Cannibalism has been known to spring up even the best of families.


Have a Great Week Troops!
Mr. W.

Back to Earth from Space Camp

Greetings fellow Troubadours!

My name is Tyler Gardner.  You may remember reading about me on this very blog last August.  At that time, I had just been awarded a scholarship to Space Camp.  Even more recently, you may have read about the benches that I made for the Space Center as my Eagle Scout Project.  Well, one week ago, I arrived home from the week long Advanced Space Academy at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama..  This academy is one of the multiple programs that the U.S. Space Camp runs weekly and is considered to be one of their ‘top tier’ camps.

I plan to post in three or four parts so that I can share most of my experience while keeping my posts fairly short.

To start off, let me talk some about the U.S. Space and Rocket Center for those of you less familiar with it.  “Home to Space Camp, and Aviation Challenge; The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is recognized as one of the most comprehensive U.S. manned space flight hardware museums in the world. Facilities [there] include Spacedome Theater, Rocket Park, the Education Training Center, which houses NASA's Educator Resource Center, and more” (USSRC website).  For anyone who loves technology, NASA, or space, the USSRC is an amazing place to visit even if you just walk around the museum and rocket park.

The Pathfinder Space Shuttle is located in the center of the Space Camp campus.

 

A model of the massive Saturn V rocket that stands outside.

An actual Saturn V which lays on its side inside the museum.

Much of the magic of Space Camp, however, comes not only from the space travel history around you, but from those things which you get to experience in the simulators.

Pictures of the Enterprise Orbiter simulator.

Enterprise Mission Control.

 The following are pictures from inside the shuttle simulator and Mission Control.

Other aspects of the camp.....

 

Space Shot, the USSRC’s ‘launch and free fall simulator’.

You also get the opportunity to familiarize yourself with Mercury and Apollo program astronaut training (or maybe it’s just to have fun!).

1/6th gravity chair.

 

Multi Axis Trainer.

Those who chose to take the Mission Specialist track have the opportunity to scuba dive in the Underwater Astronaut Trainer.

Underwater Astronaut Trainer (Scuba tank).

Pilot Track campers fly fighter jet simulators and experience elevated g-forces in the centrifuge.

Fighter Jet Simulators.

Centerfuge.

That is a good overview of many of the things I experienced at Space Camp.  Next post, I’ll cover Area 51, Space Camp’s ropes course and teamwork/leadership development area.

EdVenture Camp 3. First Report

Hello Troops,

The boys and girls are settling down in their sleeping quarters.  The 19 girls are with their chaperons in the new addition of the school.  They are using two rooms.  Nineteen girls is the most we've had on a single camp this summer.  Mrs. Houston and Metta Smith will earn their chaperoning money tonight, considering our last camp had seven girls total!  The 26 boys are in the Voyager.  I'm on the floor in front of my desk.

This first night of camp has gone well.  We've got a great group of kids.  Pleasant Grove's Strawberry Days Fireworks show at the rodeo grounds was the highlight of the evening for me.  I heard several loud bangs and booms in the hallway on my way to set out the bed time snack.  I thought Ben was getting carried away with his Galileo sound effects.  I turned down the cafeteria hallway to tell Ben to turn down the sound effects when I realized the booming was coming from outside the school.

"Strawberry Days," I remembered.

It was an impressive fireworks show for a small town like Pleasant Grove.  I'm hoping they don't plan on increasing my property tax to pay for the extravaganza.  Between the booming and banging I could hear the screams and shouts coming from the city park.  The Strawberry Days Carnival was in full operation.

There isn't a peep coming from the boy's sleeping areas.  The boys are cooperating by not trying to stay up all night.

I told them, "If you sleep, we sleep.  If you stay awake and make noises, then we stay awake and plot revenge once we get you in the ships tomorrow."  Nine times out of ten it works.  The boys go to sleep, letting us sleep.  That makes us all Happy Campers!

Good Night.

Mr.  W.