Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 00:58:28 -0700
Subject: Last NASA Update
Well, the time is finally here to deaprt. The academy is over. I will be leaving here (French House) in about 4.5 hours. My hour time flies. Here's the summary of the remaining few days.
WEDNESDAY August 27:
Worked on Bob's webpage and finished up on his computer. Completed transitioning and made sure he knew everything he needed to know. We took dancing lessons on the Salsa that night in San Fran. It was our last fun group activity together. After dancing, we went out to eat at the Stinky Rose Restaurant - A garlic restaurant in San Fran. Then we came home and stayed up late hanging out together.
THURSDAY August 28:
Pure CHAOS. Everybody was running around trying to get last minutes stuff done as well as work on their presentations. We found out at 4 during a small group meeting that the a big shot at NASA head quarters had rejected our proposal. Project: no more. We still might fly it, but we won't have the official approval of NASA. I found out at 4:30 that the PC I was planning to use on Friday for my final presentation would not work. I had to use a Mac. I spent most of the night working on it in Windows 95 and converting it to a PC format.
FRIDAY August 29:
The last day. Final presentations went well, as expected. Mine was "professional". I wowed the crowd again. This time they were expecting it. This one was a lot more professional than last time. I used netscape again - the overheads should be coming online soon. Some (two) said good bye and left this morning. Another two left tonight. Another two are staying at Doug's tonight to be dropped off by him tomorrow morning. Then two of us (me and Nellymar (Puerto Rican girl)) are leaving early Saturday morning. Kevin will be staying out here a while longer before heading back to Dartmouth. The remaining two girls will be remaining out here for a while because they got jobs at space camp.
That about does it for the 1997 Ames Astrobiology Academy. Saying goodbye was real tough. We bonded real well and are a close knit family. Somehow, though, I think this is the only begining for this group. While the academy officially ends today (FRI), I don't think it will ever informally end. We're a part of this activity for the rest of our lives. I will miss the California sun, but am real anxious to get back to Big Sky country.
As you have seen, this truly has been a wonderful experience for me. It has been more than I could have ever dreamed. It is truly wonderful to be living in my dreams. This is NASA. I'm hanging out with ten other of the greatest students in the nation. I've gotten to see sites and people that few in this world will ever get the opportunity to see.How could this summer have been better? I can't say because I don't think it could have This academy has definitely changed me. I'm a different man. I will have this academy experience for the rest of my life. What a wonderful thing to have.
What can I say? I'm shocked that it is over. I'm now officially unemployed. It does feel kind of good because it means I'm free. As soon as I get back to Montana, the hunt begins for a job. I will be agressive.
I also hope to see many if not all of you once I get back. I plan to travel to Missoula within the first few weeks (yes, on a business/school day). I would really like to take this knowledge and travel around the state with it and share it. I would really like to go into the schools and share it as well as the government. I'm open and quite willing to work on doing any presentations you might want me to do. Who says I just need to do one presentation at UM? What about two? I've got enough information to do four or five different ones. The only stipulation is that you catch me while I'm still in Montana (before I get an out of state job) so act fast.
As far as e-mail goes, I will continue to check this address indefinitely, probably for a good many of years. For now, you can view this (vog.asan.cra.liam|regnilod#vog.asan.cra.liam|regnilod) as my permanent address.
I will continue to e-mail this list updates of my employment progress. They will be a great deal less frequent. You can also look at my homepage. Once again, it's located at www.mcn.net/~dolinger
It's been a pleasure e-mailing all of you. I wish this could go on forever, but all good things must come to an end. The moment I get on that plane tomorrow, an even bigger adventure begins. That is the adventure commonly referred to as life. I'm looking forward to it. Undoubledly I will succeed. The academy has given me a great deal of confidence in that.
So for the last time, so long from the 1997 Ames Astrobiology Academy. Always believe that dreams can come true. Mine came better than true. You just have to keep working hard.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Over and Out.
Don Olinger
Research Associate
1997 Ames Astrobiology Academy