Mission is a go

They call it a "Bucket List" these days because of the movie by the same name. It's supposed to be a list you make of all the stuff you want to do before you die. My list includes

1) See a Space Shuttle launch
2) See a proper Aurora Borealis
3) Visit the Devil's Racetrack in Death Valley

I should have gone to see the Devil's Racetrack while a friend of mine was living in the American southwest. I didn't.

I tried to go see a Shuttle launch back in 2002. I even flew the previously mentioned friend to Florida so I wouldn't have to go alone. But you know NASA and their flight schedule. It ranks right up there with Santa Claus, the Weather Man, and the DC Bus Schedule in the realm of pure fiction. There were delays and we didn't see the shuttle go up.

But now... now I'm going back. There's a launch scheduled for May 31. I'm going down there and I'm going to stay until I see 4.5 million pounds of steel, explosives, and people fire off into the sky on trail of barely controlled flaming accelerant. This could take a few days or it could take a few weeks.

I bought a new laptop Friday. I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. This laptop is to travel to Florida with me loaded with work. I'll get a hotel with a good internet connection and telecommute from Orlando.

The big hurtle was getting the office to work with me. I was planning to go regardless of what they thought. But we do have a few books that I'm working on at the moment and more on the way. Bruise has proven he gets a little stupider each day and we're just trying to keep him from doing damage until he retires. My manager picked up layout pretty quick but she's really an editor and has paperwork eating her time. Some damn fool wants to modify his contract so he can telecommute for a few weeks. It's all me, baby.

The breakthrough came yesterday when we did enough rules lawyering with the contracting company to allow us to follow the letter of the contract if not the spirit.

Now to arrange a hotel and rental car.