anxious

that, folks, is what i am.

why? because i'm nearing an important birthday? because i'm nearing an important assignment's completion? because we're having meatloaf for dinner?

nope. although meatloaf's pretty special...

i'm anxious because this weekend, i'm going to encounter the great blue beyond up close and personal.

i'm going to see the last space shuttle launch.

for years, space was a cool thing to me. this, perhaps, was because children love all things associated with astronauts, shiny suits, and little green men. aliens, to me, were nothing more than basketball-playing mon-stars or strange brown wrinkly things. i was not afraid.

then, when i got all old and stuff, things got creepier. big, black, endless space full of danger and the unknown was all i thought of when i thought of nasa, and that ben afleck movie didn't help things much (and did you see those weird looking, disguised-as-humans aliens in men in black?). space was just empty space, ready to make you implode with one wrong breath.

but, i think i've gotten better. i'm really excited to see what could be the most historical thing i'll ever witness (with my own eyes, standing right there in front of it, i mean). seeing a metal bus full of humans blast off into the sky might be thought provoking, awe-inspiring, tear-jerking, what have youl. i'll try my best to post interesting photos and all that for your viewing pleasure. maybe a few poems will fall out of the sky when the shuttle goes up.

here's to a long-awaited escape from reality and a good shuttle launch!

until next time,

a.

UPDATE: won't have photos because i won't be there. staycation it is!