Back to Mars

We voted again today, this time for two candidates who are in the run-off for Secretary of State, and some other obscure office that's probably a lot more important than I'm giving it credit for.  While we were all voting, the losing candidate in the Lieutenant Governor race is suing because he thinks there was shenanigans going on with the the election.  And so all this political bickering continues, but meanwhile, we did our part and voted.  Early voting started today, and thankfully, again, this will all be over with in about a week.

So today was cold.  It was really shockingly cold for us in the South, who were not ready for this sudden burst of chill sweeping over our landscape.  Sort of like the Northerners weren't ready for the ice storm that happened a few weeks ago.  None of us were sitting here and pointing and laughing at you in the north, as you were stuck in your cars and struggling to get home.  At least, not laughing with the derisiveness that you had given us over "just a little bit of ice" a few winters ago.  Now you're facing the same exact thing, and lo!  You're in the same situation, with "just a little bit of ice" crippling your entire region.  Now you know what it is like, and now hopefully you can cut us a little bit of slack.  Yeah, I know.  We'll see.

Anyway, today Madison was back in school.  Up early and out the door we went, and off to a good day.   She had a fine day at school, and then on to piano where things seem to be going okay as well.  We're not entirely sure how her progress is there, but she seems to be doing well enough.  It's a different teacher, so we're not in complete communication with her teacher like we were with Mrs. Pam.  Nevertheless, Madison continues to practice at home, and play some of this song that she'll be doing at a recital upcoming.

Mommy and Daddy were out doing a bit of shopping as well, also visiting a used book store on the square that neither of us had been to before.  It was a nice little visit in town to a local shop.

Yesterday while greeting with the characters for KidPak, we ran into one of our former KidPak kids, who is nineteen now.  He went off to Afghanistan today, part of the National Guard.  His face just makes it real to our kids, that these aren't nameless faces going off to be in harm's way, but rather kids that have grown up quite a bit to stand bravely for us all.  We were praying for him today and yesterday.  We're very proud of him, of course, and all the others going with him.  It was a profound moment today, watching them ride off to their destination in service.

Oh, and the other thing we watched today - all three of us - was the landing on Mars.  Yes, Madison was watching at school as it happened, and Mommy and Daddy were watching at home.  NASA was broadcasting the event as it happened, so we were able to see things as they occurred, all the way to the landing on Mars.

This is the first picture taken today, one of many hopefully to come.  It was a successful mission, and it was great to see all the folks at NASA so happy at the outcome of things thus far.  These are still neat, historic moments.  The pictures from Mars are always amazing - it's such an amazing place.  Obviously, there's nothing there except rocks and mountain slopes and generally cloudless sky.  I can't imagine anyone ever living there in my lifetime, but that's the general call we heard while at Canaveral, and still today from billionaires wanting to start colonizing the planet.  I can't even imagine this.  Perhaps some day we will, and I know just the guy to lead the way:  Fred Randall!

Perhaps we need to go back and watch "Rocketman" again soon...