Standing by, again...

But this time, it's a good "standing by," as it is something of a compensation for having worked the prop load operation. I've managed to do some laundry and accomplish some minor other items so far, as well as put another dent in my outside project.

I do not believe that I'm sitting in my room, in the last part of October, with the windows wide open, trying to cool the place down. While it may not exactly be spring-like weather outside, it's moderate enough so that after being exposed to the morning sun, my room is uncomfortably hot. As the air conditioners have already had plastic covers taped on for the winter, my only alternative was to open the windows.

I viewed yesterday's Progress launch from the front gate of the Fili, and though I wasn't too far off in my estimate of where on the horizon the launch would occur, I was again looking too far to the right. There was some concern that this would be a replay of the Metop launch the other day, where you got to see a bright orange flame rise slowly into the sky for only a few seconds before being absorbed in cloud cover, but that fear turned out to be unfounded. Not only that, but unlike the Metop launch, a satisfying roar rolled in to provide suitable sound effects, even if such effects occurred about 30 to 40 seconds after the fact. The campaigners who went to see the launch returned in a pretty jovial mood.

I am told that tomorrow marks the start of joint operations, and that the day will be particularly tough, with support requested up until midnight. I am ready, and am looking forward to help move this project forward.

Cheers...