Mars Spirit Rover
Closing out 2017, you’d think we have a long-planned article filled with deep thinking and cute anecdotes. Ha! Barely able to keep up with dry winter skin and filling the constantly empty cat food bowl – where does he put it? – this week’s installment has taken Second Stage.
Following Andy Weir with a NASA Mars feature seemed appropriate. Wow, that image from the Mars Spirit Rover (2004) reminds me of Northern Arizona. How’d you like to drop your orbital vehicle keys out there? Always something keeping us up from what is planned ≈
Holiday cheer has slowed digestion, winter winds, 0˚F this very morning, have stunted typing, and general life activities have crowded thinking. A reoccurring theme, it is the little things which keep us from reaching our potential. A drawerful of items rattling about, a bucket of issues getting knocked over. Likewise, the little things put us over our potential. Matched socks. A tidy refrigerator. The sidewalk clear from snow.
As amazing as NASA landing a 180 kilogram (400 pound) ATV on the next planet over sounds, they dropped a bigger ride, five times heavier, less than a decade later. ATB Prediction: permanent inhabited Mars colony in 80 years.
Here’s to you, the special few,
We lift our mug of jasmine.
With steaming milk and honey too,
A comfortable companion.
Naturally, we close out 2017 with some great music by Phish: “Back On The Train” (2000)
When I jumped off, I had a bucket full of thoughts
When I first jumped off, I held that bucket in my hand
Ideas that would take me all around the world
I stood and watched the smoke behind the mountain curl
It took me a long time to get back on the train
Now I’m gone and I’ll never look back again
I’m gone and I’ll never look back at all
You know I’ll never look back again
I turn my face into the howlin’ wind
It took me a long time to get back on the train
See my face in the town that’s flashing by
See me standing at the station in the rain
See me running there beside the car
I left it all behind, again I’ll travel far
It took me a long time to get back on the train
When I jumped off, I had a bucket full of thoughts
When I first jumped off, I held that bucket in my hand
Ideas that would take me all around the world
I stood and watched the smoke behind the mountains curl
It took me a long time to get back on the train
It took me a long time to get back on the train
It took me a long time to get back on the train
American Toolbox 