Got up at 4am this morning after getting to sleep somewhen around 2am. Ugh. Do you know how hard that is?
Got up at 4am this morning after getting to sleep somewhen around 2am. Ugh. Do you know how hard that is?
Showered, grabbed a banana, tossed the camera in the car and headed north to Titusville, FL where I was told a good view of the shuttle launch could be had.
I get there a little after 5am (I had to stop for gas and caffeine), parked at a, um, park, and as I grabbed my camera I realized I left the tripos at my mom's house. Ugh.
So, I start following people to the viewing locations only to bring the camera out of the bag and realize the batteries are dead. Ugh.
I traipse back down the street about 3/4 of a mile away from where I was going to the only place open at 5:30am, a CVS. Inside is super busy and I buy some AA batteries for the camera, install them and start the haul back up the street and to the bridge.
As I crest the apex of the bridge I start looking for a place to hangout for the launch, a cool 5.5 hours away. I finally stop at random to change lenses out of the camera and start talking to the guy sitting there. As it turns out, he was down from Fayetteville, N.C. He left yesterday after work, drove down and arrived at 1am and had been hanging out on the bridge since about 3am. We start talking and he's an Army captain on leave before being deployed to Afghanistan.
He tells me the chairs he's been sitting in belong to other people who left and should be returning. After we exchange war stories for a while the other people show up: Patrick and Evelyn from Franfurt, Germany who came to Florida for this event.
Patrick starts handing out the beers. It's been a long long time since I started drinking at 7am. Having people to talk to definitely made the time go faster.
Even though the sky was overcast and there was a slight breeze I still acquired a fairly decent sunburn. I look like a Florida native.
We watch the shuttle launch and everyone's clapping and a few people are crying. It's the end of an era, for sure.
I'm supposed to drive over to Tampa this afternoon and spend the next few days with my brother, but damn I'm tired. No sleep, booze, sun equals rundown. I can't even type in complete sentences. :D
Unfortunately, it was really hazy and we were a good 10 miles from the launchpad so my pictures aren't great, but I will share them when I feel like getting them off my camera.
Showered, grabbed a banana, tossed the camera in the car and headed north to Titusville, FL where I was told a good view of the shuttle launch could be had.
I get there a little after 5am (I had to stop for gas and caffeine), parked at a, um, park, and as I grabbed my camera I realized I left the tripos at my mom's house. Ugh.
So, I start following people to the viewing locations only to bring the camera out of the bag and realize the batteries are dead. Ugh.
I traipse back down the street about 3/4 of a mile away from where I was going to the only place open at 5:30am, a CVS. Inside is super busy and I buy some AA batteries for the camera, install them and start the haul back up the street and to the bridge.
As I crest the apex of the bridge I start looking for a place to hangout for the launch, a cool 5.5 hours away. I finally stop at random to change lenses out of the camera and start talking to the guy sitting there. As it turns out, he was down from Fayetteville, N.C. He left yesterday after work, drove down and arrived at 1am and had been hanging out on the bridge since about 3am. We start talking and he's an Army captain on leave before being deployed to Afghanistan.
He tells me the chairs he's been sitting in belong to other people who left and should be returning. After we exchange war stories for a while the other people show up: Patrick and Evelyn from Franfurt, Germany who came to Florida for this event.
Patrick starts handing out the beers. It's been a long long time since I started drinking at 7am. Having people to talk to definitely made the time go faster.
Even though the sky was overcast and there was a slight breeze I still acquired a fairly decent sunburn. I look like a Florida native.
We watch the shuttle launch and everyone's clapping and a few people are crying. It's the end of an era, for sure.
I'm supposed to drive over to Tampa this afternoon and spend the next few days with my brother, but damn I'm tired. No sleep, booze, sun equals rundown. I can't even type in complete sentences. :D
Unfortunately, it was really hazy and we were a good 10 miles from the launchpad so my pictures aren't great, but I will share them when I feel like getting them off my camera.
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