There is intense pressure from everyone at TRW and Person T*, in particular, to drive up to Vandenburg Air Force Base for the EOS Aqua launch on Saturday morning at 2:56am. I tell everyone who asks, "I'll just be leaving the clubs at that time. So I'll look up into the sky and see if I can see the vehicle going and the staging of the launch vehicle". This quiets people down and, even though they keep asking, they say, "He won't be finished clubbing in time to get to Vandenburg".
There are long conversations with Person G on Monday and Tuesday. But this is not enough, so on Tuesday night and on Wednesday night there are a number of wine coolers chugged down.
Person E joins me for a bicycle ride on Wednesday afternoon. It is a reasonable ride though Person E is not a serious cyclist. We have good conversations and agree to meet at Club Asia on Saturday night. I get home and drink - realizing that I am getting myself into a bit of difficulty here. I've already invited Person E, Person W, and another...um...acquaintance to Club Asia for Saturday night. And they are not the primary emotional interests right now.
Brandon calls on Friday night and tells me that he has been accepted to pharmacy school in New York. He is excited! And he's excited about the guy that he's been hanging out with lately. Things are going well for Brandon.
Friday night, actually Saturday morning, at 2:48 am, I am up and about. Realizing that the EOS Aqua launch will be taking place in 8 minutes, I stop and stand staring up into the northwest portion of the sky. I hope that there are not people around wondering, "Why is that guy staring up at the sky?" But I continue to look up into the sky until 3:20am, giving plenty of time for slight launch delays and for atmospheric conditions to make the launch vehicle exhaust and staging visible. But it is not to be. But EOS Aqua does launch and is placed into a great orbit!
But for me, Friday night and most of Saturday are sad days. A guy from Indonesia stops by my house and we have cool discussions about the political situation in Jakarta, Indonesia as well as about other things. We negotiate back and forth and on Saturday night I'm down in Laguna Niguel exchanging an old motorcycle for a number of crisp $100 bills. A sad day after the old motorcycle has served me well for nine and a half years. But we are going to be friends as he is a nice guy.
I try to get over the shock by going to Club Asia and meeting up with various friends and acquaintances. Brandon, Joe, and Person E do not make it. Person W, Person Ray, and others do. (Person Ray comes over, gives me a hug, and then asks me, "Aren't you Ray?" It turns out Person Ray knows me from various web sites and web site pictures.) Person W and I don't get much of a chance to talk, but we still make a connection. Tonight is a strange night at Club Asia because it seems that everyone keeps leaning on me and then introducing themselves to me. They'll be talking with friends or horsing around with friends, start leaning on me, and then, after about 5 minutes of leaning on me (and maybe me holding their hand), they introduce themselves to me. Nothing comes of it, except the telephone number that I later find stuffed in the pocket of my Levis - Person S. I am asleep by 2am.
On Sunday, after a morning lifting weights and watching motorcycle racing, I find myself driving to the house of Person T*. (The motorcycle race was quite interesting with fairing banging, a charge through the field, and the victor taking the cooldown lap riding side-saddle on the gas tank of the motorcycle!) I finally get to meet Benjamin, Person T*'s son. Benjamin is a bit shy to start, as any 6 year old would be with a strange person. But I ask him, "Why doesn't the train that you drew have wings?"
He has a puzzled look on his face for 2.48 seconds, then a huge smile comes across his face as he responds, "Because trains don't fly."
And we're on our way!
We pile into the minivan and head south for....Legoland! Legoland is actually fun. There aren't many people present and we get to ride a number of rides, walk around, and build things. I realize how much I miss interacting with young kinds and holding hands with kids as they tug you in every direction possible.