Unlike Will's day, mine wasn't exactly what I would call a good day. It started with me swinging by LDG to pick up some oil filters. I was planning on changing my oil before the dragon. I go there, I shoot the {stuff} with the guys for a bit. Then my cell phone starts ringing. I didn't recognize the number so I ignore it, I continue with my conversation and the phone starts ringing again. I ignore it again and then I hear the tell-tale bleep noise. I have a voice mail.

Given that people who mis-dial rarely leave messages I check it. It seems that some people on a project are having some technical difficulties. So I call the number they left. I discuss with them what I might be able to do from work (just about nothing), so they discuss amongst themselves and call me back. They want me to drop everything and come down to support the testing.

I get off the phone with them and immediately call into my boss at work and inform him of the situation. We agree there's not a whole lot that can be done except for me to head on down to Alabama. So I tell him I'll be into work shortly and start making travel arrangements. I get there around 10am and sit down with our receptionist/HR/whatever person and try and get everything scheduled. I get a flight for 5:30pm out of BWI (a ~$800 flight that all you guys are paying for courtesy of taxes ). The rental car gets setup (a fantastic Chevy Monte Carlo). The hotel wasn't so easy. For some reason most of the hotels in the area are all booked up for the days I'm saying. I really don't know why as I can't imagine there is too much interesting in Huntsville that people are flocking to see.

Anyway, I get to work tomorrow (weeeeee). The bright side is by working this weekend I don't have to work another 2 days this week or I could work all this week and not use as much vacation for the following. I should be heading back to good old MD on Tuesday night.

Weirdness of the situation: Huntsville time is back an hour from MD time.

 

Hope everything works out for you Matt. We have something for you the next time we see you.

 

Hello from not far away since I'm in Huntsville. If you want a break Sunday we, Rocket City MINI, are having a small run to Little River Canyon leaving at noon. It should finish up by 6pm at the latest. If so, I'm sure we can reserve a passenger seat for you. PM me if you're interested.

 

Thanks for the offer, but after working for a little over 11 hours today I'm exhausted. I also have to work on a test program tomorrow and analyze the data I gathered today.

 

Some pictures from testing yesterday

 

I have absolutely no idea what I just looked at - but it looked cool! Hope all went well!


-Paul!

 

very interesting.. almost looks like modern art.

BTW, I still have your book, will try to remember to bring it to the dragon.

 

It's a 1:1 mock-up of the bottom of Hubble. There are 3 handle-like-things that are the attachment/docking points. Those 4 circles with the flowery looking things around them are exhaust vents. The mock-up is attached to a big mechanical arm that moves it around to simulate the movements that it would go through as the arm from the shuttle brings it into the bay.

Everything is going relatively well. I'm probably going to have another long day tomorrow and a not-so-long day on Tuesday as my flight out of Huntsville is at 5pm.

 

That is a way too cool job!

Well I am glad all your testing keeps it up there to send back all those wonderful images!

 

thanks for the explanation of what is in the photos. Like one of the other guys, I had little clue

 

I posted more pictures.
I'm also down until Thursday now.

 

Matt, we need a pic of you in one of those blue lab coats

 

Finally back home.
Worked 63 hours in 5 days (15 hours on Wednesday). Exhausted.
Going to sleep. Update with more pics later.

 

OVER TIME (although, your probably salaried and wont see an extra dime)

 

Actually I am salaried but I can still get overtime if I'm working on more than one project or otherwise approved for overtime. Being that I'm working on more than one project I could get overtime, but seeing as the pay period doesn't end until next week what I did was just use 17 hours of vacation next week instead of 40.

I'm also going through my last bunch of pictures (I took 333 during my time) and updating my gallery on picasa/google later tonight. I might even but up a couple small videos.