Geek Habitat

I could’ve sworn I posted an entry, but it’s nowhere to be found. It’s just as well, though, since the gist of the entry was that I have nothing new to report. I’ve been taking sick days from work, trying to moderate my computer use to minimal surfing and email. Less than 2 hours of computer use daily, for me, is akin to cold turkey from the computer for anyone else. I’m going a little nutty, as a result!

From an email response I just sent off to Justin @ work. I didn’t realize just how visually descriptive I could write.

So, uh, yeah. Still trying to minimize computer use, although I have a bunch of emails I need to answer ASAP and photos to edit.

It takes a twenty year anniversary to put the first loss of U.S. astronauts in flight back in the public consciousness. NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-51L) was lost 73 seconds after lift-off on January 28, 1986, the victim of faulty O-ring seals on its Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs), and a broken management and safety culture within NASA. The Shuttle fleet was grounded until 1988, at which point Shuttle flights resumed with redesigned SRBs and a newfound awareness of the risks of manned spaceflight. Did the management and safety culture change? It was said to have, yet 17 years later, we lost the Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) and her crew during re-entry — the victim of burn-through caused by wing damage sustained during lift-off. Unfortunately, on this twentieth anniverary of the loss of Challenger, we find ourselves again with a grounded Space Shuttle program, after the much publicized and arguably highly successful “Return to Flight” mission (STS-114) of Space Shuttle Discovery experienced a similar, though smaller, debris shedding and impact during launch. As a result of dual space tragedies, Discovery’s return to flight involved the first in-flight repair of the Space Shuttle’s thermal protection system (TPS), in a daring multi-pronged extra-vehicular activity (EVA) involving two spacewalking astronauts, the Space Shuttle’s robotic arm (CanadArm), and the International Space Station’s robotic arm.

Still trying to avoid the computer as much as possible due to my wrist/arm/shoulder issues, with moderate success (I’m writing this, aren’t I?) I need to edit some photos for my bro of our past forays to the Las Vegas area, since he’ll be there for a couple weeks’ training. I also need to Google some info for him that I’ve been promising for awhile. In the meantime, though, I’ve been reading “Catch Me if You Can” and kicking back.

It serves me right for staying up until 3 AM the past 4 or 5 nights, working on the computer. I’m having one of my total wrist/arm flare-ups in my right arm, with muscle spasms and three numb fingers (middle finger to pinky) and a “knife” in my shoulder blade.

And what do I do? Login to my blog and post a quick update while using my laptop. I’ve tried to take time away from the computer, which generally means getting out of the house (away from temptation and need.) However, I’ve picked right up in the late evening hours, basically shifting my work to overnight shifts. And it doesn’t help that instead of mountain biking, lately I’ve been using the rowing machine — not so great for an already sore wrist/arm/shoulder.

Simple/mundane entry follows, of the “I did X, then Y, then ate Z,” variety. You’ve been warned.

After running errands today, including grocery shopping, packing & shipping a print order, and checking our P.O. Box, I headed over to my parents for dinner and a movie. Justin and I were just over there yesterday evening to visit and pick up the custom, hand-made light sabers my brother made(!!) for each of us for Christmas; I feel like a big moocher for dropping in on them again this evening. I thought my brother might be there, since he’s currently “between jobs” insofar as training for his new one has not yet begun. But, it was just me and the folks this evening, which is fine but exacerbates my guilt at imposing on them so often.