I get an "F" in Making Decisions

How come every time I go to the fabric store to make an article of clothing I come out empty handed? I mean EVERY TIME!

I haven't been able to choose out any fabric and a pattern to accompany it for at least the last 5 times I've decided I wanted to make something. There are too many choices! (Ok, I admit, I can pick out patterns...) My philosophy has been that if I'm going to go to the trouble of making something, it has to end up being one of my top 3 favorite things in my closet. Its too much pressure!!!!!

Picture Time!

Here are the pictures I promised. The video will be compiled once I have the DVD NASA promised us!

The team as Kristian presented our Test Readiness Review.


Boarding the flight!
I was extremely excited!

Kristian, myself and our experiment as we were climbing to altitude.


I believe this was on the second parabola.
I honestly don't remember looking at the camera.


This is my favorite shot.
At least, when it comes to my facial expressions.


Getting down to business.


Another shot of the experiment in
the early parabolas...my hair is still up.


I was fascinated with Kristian's inability to keep his feet down.
(He got yelled at for it a lot!)


The crazy mermaid hair!


I'm not sure what the face was all about but its kinda funny.
The girl in the corner was our NASA mentor.


Me having fun floating after checking that cameras were still rolling.


Another experiment pic.


It was fun to just let your arms float!


Kristian with his feet up... AGAIN!


Kristian with his feet down.
ITS A MIRACLE!


No words needed...



This is a shot of another girl on another team
but you can see me in the background having a good time!


I'm having a good time!


Here's a camera shot that gives an idea of the overall cabin size.


Near the end of the flight.
I know this because people are looking out the windows.


A special hello to all my family and friends!


All of the individuals that were on our flight.

Who Said Gravity Never Faileth?

Wow!

Microgravity is awesome!

My first words as I floated toward the top of the cabin for the very first time was "Whoa! Oh, my goodness!"

There is so much to tell and words are not sufficient. I guess I'll start by saying that I don't have any awesome zero G pictures to share with you yet. Why? Because I simply was having so much fun during the zero G segments I forgot. And the only pictures I did remember to take looked like this:



The good news is that NASA had 5-6 people on board whose sole purpose was to take video and still shots of us in zero G. They came by several times and I remember posing for multiple shots. Also, we had Heather from Marshall Space Center taking pictures AND our NASA mentor, Ashley, taking video of just us. I think between all those people, I'm pretty well covered. We'll have access to those pics in the near future at which point I'll post them here. In the mean time, I want to document everything I remember.

We loaded the experiment onto the aircraft yesterday and got everything ready so that all we had to do is climb on board and take off in the morning. I'm reminded of that primary song that goes "Saturday is a special day, its the day we get ready for Sunday..." Although, it was technically a Monday going into Tuesday the premise still holds. So much preparation goes into the flight in the days that lead up to it that everything just can't be done without careful planning! We also were issued our fight suits (with our very own name tags!) and watched (quite possibly) the most cheesy video on avoiding motion sickness. In addition to all that, we had to go through Physiological training last week involving lots of lectures, a Pressure Chamber experience to become acquainted to our own personal symptoms of Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and pass an exam of that knowledge. The quote I gave Heather to put on the NASA website is:

“The chamber experience was nothing like I've ever experienced before! I could feel my brain become less effective as time went by. Processing information became unimportant to me as I progressed in my symptoms. I was aware that I knew the information that was being asked of me on the worksheet; however, I was unable to make myself focus and retrieve that information. As time continued, I began to care less and less and eventually gave up and stared blankly into space before being told to put my O2 mask back on. My symptoms mostly consisted of dizziness, blue fingernail beds, apathetic attitude and tunnel vision.” - Me

The morning of the flight we got to Ellington Field and attended a few preflight briefings instructing us on aircraft safety, the correct method to vomit into a bag while in zero G and given our motion sickness meds. The meds are so strong that they document who you say your Designated Driver will be for the remainder of the day.

The aircraft itself is the Boeing 727 configured specifically for zero G flight. The rear of the aircraft has about 6-8 rows of regular seating but then the rest of the craft is outfitted with nothing but padded walls, ceilings and floors. There were very few windows. In fact, the only windows were the windows on the emergency exits. The flight crew actually closed the blinds on the windows in the early part of the flight so that we wouldn't look out the window, see the horizon at a 45 deg angle from what we thought was down and become sick. Near the end of the flight during a 2G stretch I took a gander and was amazed. My body was being pressed directly into the bottom of the aircraft but the horizon was not in the same direction. It was cool!


(The aircraft we flew in - a Boeing 727)

Once on board the aircraft, we took off and started climbing to altitude. Once in the air we were immediately instructed to set-up our experiments. We then were asked if we were a GO/NO-GO for parabolic flight. Once all teams checked in, the pilot took us into a steep climb that created an acceleration of about 1.8 Gs. That means that our bodies felt like they weighed 1.8 times what they weigh on the surface of Earth. I remember being overwhelmed with the anticipation of what was about to happen. And then…

Gravity Stopped!

All of a sudden, I started drifting upwards. It was so unlike anything I've ever experienced before! I was expecting the stomach knot that you experience at the top of a roller coaster but that didn't happen at all! One second I weighed twice as heavy as usual and the next I was drifting toward the ceiling with only the slightest push off. I remember feeling slightly dizzy for a few seconds the first time but the brain learns quick! I remember thinking to myself not to make any sudden movements and to stay calm. After the first parabola I found myself on the opposite side of the cabin after hitting the floor and the ceiling multiple times. I still don't know how it happened!


(The display of the current number of g's the aircraft is under and the parabola number)
*Photo Courtesy of NASA*

The hyper gravity segments were maybe not as exciting as the zero G segments, but they had their own appeal. You could just lay on the floor and relax. Most people laid down to avoid sickness but I found I didn’t have to. I just had to sit still. It was its own kind of fun. On one of the 2G segments I decided I’d like to stay standing just to see what would happen (the flight crew remained standing so I wanted to too!) but I was promptly tapped on the shoulder and told to sit down. They know best and I didn’t want to get sent to the back so I obeyed. I did find out that I was more prone to disorientation when looking around in 2Gs then when we were weightless.

After about 3 parabolas (we experienced 32 total- 30 Zeros, 1 Lunar and 1 Martian) I had a pretty good idea of how to move around. We were able to brace ourselves and begin work on our experiment. The first trials of our experiment went pretty well. We were able to get our systems started with relative ease. We noticed right away that our 2-mass system was not functioning as we had hoped. It was not entering into the second mode rotational mode at all. However, the 1-mass system that was fixed on one end functioned perfectly. Upon inspection of the apparatus on the ground, we found a blob of brass that had been sticking out and interfering with the rotation. We filed it down, however, the following flight showed no improvement.

Initially, I had my hair tied back in a bun with a clip securing it. I decided about the 5th parabola to let loose! I thought I would get a few pics and then put it back because it would get in the way. But once it was down, it was such a surreal feeling of having it float around my head I decided to let it be for the remainder of the flight. Heather told me after the flight that I looked like a mermaid in water. My hair was fluffy and light even compared to the other girls up there. I guess it’s a good thing I got up extra early to wash and blow-dry it!

We also were able to do some pretty awesome demonstrations for our Outreach video. One of the coolest ones I did was letting go of a water bottle and it just staying exactly where I left it. I know it sounds cliché but I really think that was one of my favorite parts of the flight. Inside the water bottle, the liquid stuck to the interior walls. We wanted it to ball up, but I left too much water in it for that to happen. The surface tension was too strong. Also a girl from one of the other teams wore a Supergirl outfit under her flight suit. During the flight she unzipped her flight suit pulled out the cape and did a flying pose. I can’t wait to get a view of that on the photos in a few weeks!

I quickly learned that if I reached up at the beginning of each zero G segment I would save myself from bumping my head on the ceiling. It became second nature such that even if I had strapped myself down in preparation for the zero G I would reach up when gravity disappeared. It must have looked rather funny because here I was, strapped to the ground with my hands reaching for the sky for no reason!

I always had about half a second in the beginning of each parabola of disorientation that was borderline dizziness. It always cleared up quick and I NEVER felt sick. Every time we topped the parabola I thought to myself, “The enemy gate is down!” from Ender’s Game and things came back into focus. I do remember thinking about the 24th parabola that my stomach was there. But it wasn't a nauseous feeling or even a queasy feeling. I can't really describe it. It was just an awareness that my stomach existed. Perhaps it was the wonderful drugs they gave us. As our flight surgeon said, "Better living through chemistry." I heard that 4 people got sick on the flight. I never saw any of them because I was having too much fun. I do remember seeing the flight doctor (Dr. Fitzpatrick) rush by with blue medical gloves on. I can only assume he was on his way to help someone.

I mentioned earlier the benefits of the motion sickness meds. But here are some disadvantages. You crash, and you crash hard after the first few hours. I had to take a quick nap in the afternoon! Also, I've had a VERY dry mouth all day. Which means I'm probably the most hydrated I've been in ages since I'm guzzling water to trick my brain into thinking my mouth is just fine. They warned us that this was a common side effect and as such, they provided hard candies for the flight. I grabbed a bunch of Wintergreen Lifesavers and had one in my mouth almost the entire flight.

The flight crew was very helpful. There were a couple times where I lost control and couldn't get my feet down. The flight crew just very calmly guided my feet back down and made sure that we were all safe. Kudos to them! They did a great job!

As we were flying back to the field, I was very sad. I know that the flight could've been twice as long and it still would have been too short. I would venture to say that the flight crew has the 2nd best job in the world.


(Heather, Kristian and I after our flight)

In general, it was the most fun thing I have ever done. It was WAY worth the effort I put into getting into the program. I'd do it all over again if I were still in school. In fact, maybe I'll go back and get another undergrad degree just so I do it again! I'm sure my dad would appreciate that. :)

As I write this, its been over 12 hours since I got back on the ground. I'm sad that I probably won't ever get to experience that again in my lifetime. There are moments in life that our life altering events: kindergarten, HS Graduation, the first kiss, marriage. I truly believe this fits nicely into that category.


*Photo Courtesy of NASA*

Turnin' Over the Dirty Work

To follow my happenings this week in Houston, follow this blog...

http://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/blog/freefalling

Giant Post

I recently sent an email to my sister who is serving a mission in Korea. It was specifically design to catch her up on all the happenings of my life the last month or so. I figured it would take very little effort to modify that letter to make it appropriate for the blog. If it sounds disjointed in places, its probably because I modified it in order to be appropriate for public posting. :) I've deleted some paragraphs and added others.

I guess the biggest news is that I graduated (again) a few weeks back. Honestly, it doesn’t feel like I’m done yet because every spare moment I’ve had between then and now I’ve been at school working on my Microgravity Experiment that we are flying with down in Houston NEXT WEEK! ☺ I’m so excited! I’ll be in Houston taking tours of Johnson Space Center and flying in the “weightless wonder” from June 3rd – 14th. Its been really busy but I'm sure the whole experience will be worth it.



(My friend Sabrena and I making fun of the fact they wouldn't let us shake hands with the Dean people for fear of the Swiine flu. They told us to give the Vulcan hand shake instead...)



(Me in front of the stage prior to the precession - which included Pomp and Circumstance but also melodies from Star Wars, The Legend of Zelda, and other misc. nerdy movies.)

Along the same lines as graduation, I won a few awards associated with my Senior Design Project. The first one was at a paper conference in Minnesota for the AIAA - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Our team took second in the team category. The remaining awards were given by the Aerospace Department. The first one was given to the entire team for the "Most Complex Build." The second award was an individual award for the "Best Mechanical Technical Lead." Its actually hilarious since I wasn't even the Mechanical Lead on my project. :)



(Joe Tanner - former astronaut - and I at the Aerospace Recognition Assembly. Joe was one of the advisers for my senior design team)

I got really sick the week before finals and finally went to see the doctor 2 weeks after my initial symptoms appeared. Turns out that it was a precursor to pneumonia. So once I graduated I had to stay-put in my bed for about a week and a half while writing technical documents and communicating with my microgravity team via internet. It didn’t help that my team leader went off to Europe and basically left us to do the entire project without him. I therefore had to step up to the plate and delegate things to people in order to get everything done. Its been a stressful month.

I get back from Houston on June 14th and the movers come to move my stuff to Phoenix on June 16th. I’ll then be living with relatives in Colorado Springs until I go down to Arizona sometime in early July. The whole “moving to another state” thing hasn’t really settled in yet. I have a feeling it won’t become real until I’ve been in the stinking heat for a good month or two.

I just got back Colorado Springs where I attended my sister's baby shower. I honestly don’t think I had ever been to a baby shower for a girl before. And since I’ve been so busy with school and then the microgravity project, I wasn't able to hand-make anything for her. I feel a little guilty because my other sister was able to complete an entire quilt for her before she left for her mission.

Its looking like my littlest sister will drive down with me to AZ. It’ll be interesting to spend time with her. I haven’t really spent a good chunk of time with her since WAY before she graduated from high school. Which means she’s probably a whole different person now. I’m excited. Though most of the driving will be done at night since my car (currently) has no AC. We’ll live, contrary to my mother's belief.

I ran the Bolder Boulder on Memorial Day. Its 10 km (6.2 miles). My time was 1:14:01.95. Considering I had "almost" pneumonia a few weeks ago, I consider that a pretty good time! I hadn't run in almost 3.5 weeks when I arrived at the start line on Monday the 25th. I was sore, but not so sore that it would deter me from doing it again!



(This picture is of me crossing the finish line at the Bolder Boulder. I'm not sure if its legal to post it but I figured the copyright is written right there so I would do it anyway.)

I switched cars with my dad a few weeks ago so he could get my muffler and clutch fixed before I drove it cross-country to AZ. I told him not to do more than that since I will only be getting a new car in a shortly now that I have a real job. But the next thing I know, he’s replaced the radiator, replaced the axle boot, repaired some damage on the fender, fixed some plates under the car that had apparently come loose, and is currently tinkering with the AC to try and see if he can get it running. Who knows what else!!! ~sigh~ As my sister says, sometimes you just have to let Dad be a dad.

I performed in MahlerFest 2009 where we played Mahler's 8th Symphony in early May. In case you didn't know, Mahler's 8th is probably one of the top largest 5 works ever scored. It calls for a 115 piece orchestra including an organ and a mandolin, two full size choirs and a full size children's choir, an off-stage brass ensemble and 8 vocal soloists. It's so big the string actually had to sit on the floor in front of the stage so we could fit everyone. Its official title is "Symphony of a Thousand"! It was my last gig in Boulder and quite a lot of fun. I missed half of the rehearsals because I was sick but they let me play anyway. :) I guess I also have an informal performance coming up on June 27th but its in a Barn so I'm not sure it can officially be called a gig. :)




(At the Dress Rehearsal)



(All of us. Well, most of us. The children's choir, 8th soloist and extra brasse ensemble are in the balcony out of this shot.)

Oh! I almost forgot to mention! I performed in a recital at the end of April with a dear friend. We played 4 bass quartets. Two pieces were from Metallica arranged by Apocalyptica and the others were "Prayer" by Bloch and "Adagio for Strings" by Barber. We've decided we are going to record the two latter pieces. We are also going to be performing them in the barn concert I told you about earlier. One of the bass players in the quartet has a friend that holds a concert in his barn every year. I guess he breeds race horses so its a rather large barn. He invites his musician friends over once a year to perform small ensemble pieces. It'll be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to it. I'm glad I was able to arrange to stay in Colorado long enough to participate.



(My friend Jen and I after her recital)

Well my friends, I'm ready to sign off. I hope you feel a little less neglected. I'm sure with the move coming up, it'll be a few weeks before I will feel the urge to write again. Stay safe!

Quiz About Everything

I just spent an hour posting pictures on facebook. So rather than repeating that process twice in a row I'm going to do this. Don't worry, I'll put my pics up here too soon. Just not right now.

Quiz About Everything!

Rule #1:
If you open this you take it. (feel free to ignore this one if you feel like)

Rule # 2:
You are NOT ALLOWED to explain ANYTHING unless someone messages you and asks

Q&A:
Only answer TRUE or FALSE

Q: Kissed someone on your friends list? True
Q: Been arrested? False
Q: Do you like someone? True
Q: Held a snake? True
Q: Been suspended from school? False
Q: Been fired from a job? False
Q: Sang karaoke in public? False
Q: Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? True
Q: Laughed until you started crying? True
Q: Caught a snowflake on your tongue? True
Q: Kissed in the rain? True
Q: Sang in the shower? True
Q: Sat on a roof top? True
Q: Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? False
Q: Broken a bone? False
Q: Shaved your head? False
Q: Played a prank on someone? True
Q: Shot a gun? True
Q: Donated Blood? True
Q: Had your heart broken? True


"Who was your last?"
just be 100% truthful
THE LAST PERSON THAT:

1. You hung out with? Family for Mother's Day
2. You texted? Bill
3. You were in a car with? Family
4. Went to the movies with? Nathan and his family
5. You went shopping with? Nicole and company
6. You talked on the phone? Nathan
7. Made you laugh? Bill
8. You hugged? My dad
9. You cried with? Don't know. I cry alone.

WOULD YOU RATHER

1. Pierce your nose or tongue? Tongue
2. Die in a fire or get shot? Shot

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY...

1. Sun or moon? Sun
2. Winter or Fall? Fall
3. Left or Right? Right
4. Sunny or rainy? Sunny
5. Where do you live? A Condo
6. Club or pub? Pub
7. Are there 1 or 2 people who you can always trust? Yep
8. Do you want to get married? yes
9. Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? Twirl
10. What time is it? 12:06 pm
11. Are you afraid of commitment? Not generally
12. Do you cook? occasionaly
13. Current mood? patient

IN THE LAST 48 HOURS HAVE YOU...

1. Kissed someone? no, I'm sick
2. Sang? no
3. Listened to music? Yes
4. Seen someone you cared a lot about? No
5. Danced Crazy? No
6. Cried? No
7. Like someone you can't have? Nope

Is there anybody you just wish would fall off the planet? Not seriously
How do you flush the toilet in public? normally, then I wash my hands
Do you wear your seatbelt in the car? Always
Do you have a crush on someone? always
Name one thing you worry about running out of? Time!
What famous person do you (or other people) think you resemble? that chick on "That 70's Show"
What is your favorite pizza topping? pepporoni and mushrooms
Do you crack your knuckles? no. But I crack my toes...
What song do you hate the most? "The wheels on the buss go round and round"
Did just mentioning that song make it get stuck in your head? somewhat
What are your super powers? I have RED HAIR, it gives me super powers
Peppermint or spearmint? spearmint
Where are your car keys? good question...
Whose answers to this questionnaire do you want to hear? Whoever's
What's your most annoying habit? breathing loudly
Where did you last go on vacation? Disney World, FL
What is your best physical feature? Errr.. all of them
What CD is closest to you right now? my senior recital and Celtic Woman
3 things can always be found in your refrigerator? milk, cheddar cheese, and bread
What superstition do you believe/practice? knock on wood
Would you rather be a fish or a bird? Bird
Do you talk on your cell phone when you drive? Occasionally
What are your favorite sayings? "Hey kids"
What song(s) do you sing most often in the shower? jazz
If you could go back or forward in time, where would you go? I'd like to see what my kids will look like
What is your favorite Harrison Ford movie? Star Wars
What CD is in your stereo? Piazolla and Amelie
In the car? Rent
What CD will be in your stereo in a few minutes? Probably the same one, I'm too lazy to get up
How many kids do you plan on having? 4-6
What do you do when no one is watching? read, blog, crafts, tv
If they made a movie about your life, what actor/actress would be you? probably that up and coming teenage girl on the new show Castle
Would you rather die in a blaze of glory or peacefully in your sleep? glory
Coffee or Tea? Occasionally I'll have herbal tea, mostly just when I'm not feeling well though
Favorite musician(s)/bands you've seen in concert? none
Favorite bands? molly johnson
Have you ever been in love? Most definitely
Do you talk to yourself? yes. Ususally when no one else is around though

The Last Busy Days of College

A lot has happened in the last few weeks. For those of you who like the condensed version of events, here is a list:

~ Experienced my first "Taste of Downtown Boulder" on a snow/rainy Saturday afternoon in April with my friend Brittany
~ Went to Minnesota for the AIAA Regional Paper/Presentation Conference and took 2nd place in the Team category
~ Went to the Mall of America while in MN... its big
~ Participated in CU's Design Expo for my Senior Project
~ Played in a recital for my dear friend and colleague Jenn
~ Started manufacturing on my Microgravity project
~ Admired the beauty of Spring in Colorado
~ Graduated from College (again) along with all the prescribed celebrations
~ Started rehearsals for this year's MahlerFest (Symphony 8)
~ Got extremely sick and am now currently bed-ridden. It sucks.

Over the next few days I hope to expand on these events and even post some pictures! :) Something that is generally lacking in my posts...

Stay tuned!