Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 20:21:09 -0700
To: ten.ncm|regnilod#ten.ncm|regnilod and others
From: vog.asan.cra.liam|regnilod#vog.asan.cra.liam|regnilod
Subject: The Adventure: Day 3
I've been sending daily updates to the family for the last two nights. Now it is time to add a few names to the list. Hello from Palo Alto, California on the campus of Stanford University. The Academy has been the most fun in all my life - better than UM. They actully pay ya big bucks to have a great time. I arrived on Sunday and went to the director's (Doug from here on out) house for a get together. On Monday we had a general orientation. We got some what of a tour of Ames that included seeing a 40 x 80 x 120 wind tunnel and the VMS (vertical motion simulator) that the shuttle astronauts use to train for landing. They were at Ames using it these past few days, but we missed them by a few minutes. We also watched an E 32 (?) vertical motion plane take off. It goes way up. We were also badged and got a wonderfully enteraining safety talk that lasted two hours (could barely keep the eyes open). Yesterday, we basically spend the day doing a team building activity that was much like the thing the DHC does at the fall retreat. We actually simulated a NASA misssion.
Today we spent with our principal investigators all day. Mine is having me work on his computer situation. He basically handed me a lap top and said to partition the hard drive and put Linux on it. Linux is like the unix for a PC. It's an operating system (Windows 95 is one too). I have no clue on how to do it. I feel overwhelmed, but I'll find a way. NASA have plenty of great computer people.
I saw two T38s (the ones the astronauts use) take off today. I saw two of them climbing in the plane. Those things are fast and can maneuver nicely. My fellow research associates are great. They are down to earth. We keep trying to tell each other we're the best of the best. In reply, we say "yeah right!". It's tough to believe that we are. We're ordinary people. It's tough to believe that the academy is happening right now. We (the team) clicked from the moment we met. We felt like we'd known each other forever.
The more I'm down here, the more I realize what a great opportunity this is. Say hi to all that I know in Big Sky country. I can't say I really miss it (with mosquito season and all). The weather is not a spectator sport down here like it is up there. I'm begining to miss the mountains, though. I'm also missing the no sales tax.
Hope the orientation's going well at the dhc. I'll think of ya tomorrow. Hello Freddy and Sophie!!!!!! Go Griz!!!