More Shuttle news. And before I forget, it’s too bad about that new U.S. Navy ship christened the San Antonio. You haven’t heard? Navy experts say the San Antonio is a lemon!
In health news, I haven’t sneezed more than a half dozen times since my last entry, but my sinus headache and neck/back pain remain. Yay. At least I got to enjoy a couple more DS9 episodes before crawling back into bed.
Warning: Extremely pathetic, whining rant follows.
I’ve had severe neck and back pain since Thursday evening due to what I assume is a pinched nerve in my right shoulder. Turning my head to the right is especially excruciating, and my wrist and hand are alternately partially numb or throbbing in pain.
The direct cause? Too much time on the computer. Other activities, such as long bike rides or even too much writing (pen & paper), have caused this in the past. It’s probably the worst pain I’ve been in since I had to wimp out of PT several months back due to neck and lower back pain.
As eagle-eyed television viewers, and a few newscasters, noted during Tuesday’s launch of Space Shuttle Discovery, another large piece of foam broke off from the external tank during lift-off. Falling debris directly led to the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia by impacting the Shuttle wing’s leading edge, creating a large hole that was not detected or anticipated.
And more:
* Justin’s coming home tomorrow! Four nights apart is nothing, but it makes me grateful he’s not in the military or in some other role that requires frequent, extended periods away from home.
* I haven’t gone riding since last Thursday. I felt the urge, but didn’t answer it. I’m also in limbo because I’ve realized that the Thursday night road ride probably isn’t for me. It’s dangerous when you get separated from the main pack of riders; it’s stressful worrying about cars or other cyclists slamming into you at any given moment; and a few bad apples that attend the ride keep souring the fun and camaraderie (for me, anyway). Besides, I bought a mountain bike so I could ride in natural settings, not suck exhaust pedalling down Broadway or downtown after dark!
For the first time since the loss of Columbia on February 1, 2003, the USA has finally launched men and women into space once again — Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off this morning… and I missed it. I thought today’s launch was scheduled for the afternoon, as the scrubbed launch over a week ago was. Ah well, thanks to the wonders of streaming media, I at least saw an only slightly out-of-date replay this morning.
I dropped Justin off at the airport on Sunday morning and he won’t be back until the end of the week. I’m home alone, in other words, and that does not bode well for gently weaning myself off World of Warcraft! 
Justin’s in Wisconsin at the largest airshow/air fest in the world, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. It’s so big, it’s really only referred to in one word — Oshkosh, or one syllable, Osh. It’s a 24-hour, multi-day airshow, international convention and festival all in one. It celebrates all things aviation, and draws in excess of 750,000 people from 70 nations. To visualize the size and scope of this event, consider one salient fact: During the air fest, a small airport in Wisconsin becomes the busiest airport and busiest airspace in the world! Forget DFW, LaGuardia or Hobby — this little airport dwarfs them all during the week Oshkosh is in town!
