2 Kids,2 Dogs,1200 Miles: 2 More Weeks in FL 2 - Finished with a Blast! P40

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

But decisions had to be made. Big ones that, if done properly, could lead to a lifetime of memories. It was July 8th, 2011, and a mere 90 miles north east of Grandma & Grandpa's house, STS-135 was preparing to launch. Maybe.

It’s those maybes that I’ll get ya’. STS-127 was scheduled to launch on 07-11-2009. That was when the Magic was leaving Canaveral for a seven-day western cruse (with us aboard). The only problem was that it started raining that afternoon and the cloud cover caused them to reschedule to the 15th.

So close…

it could be years - decades, probably - before we could witness a manned launch again.

I had been checking the weather forecasts and NASA websites, and the probability of a launch was never greater than about 30% due to concerns for clouds, thunderstorms and lightening in the area. This was not looking good.

Déjà vu

We knew we'd never get close enough actually see the shuttle on the launch pad, so we decided the safest bet was the boat launch.

I like it… good plan

One fisherman said he hadn't gotten a bite all day. So (come on, you all know what's coming next, right? I mean, you have to. You've read this entire TR.) I bit him.

There ya’ go.
I’d have been hurt if you hadn’t tossed that one out there.

I don't know why the fisherman were having such bad luck. This guy caught a fish on his first try.

and that’s a nice catch on the part of the photographer as well.

11:25. Everyone is staring - but no one really knows exactly which direction. Due East? North East? Somewhere in between?

11:26. Still waiting. No one on the pier is talking. All eyes are on the horizon.

11:27. Uh oh. What's going on? Did they scrub the launch? Is the weather bad? Are they having mechanical problems?

11:28. This isn't good. No news on Twitter. Is my cell phone clock wrong? It can't be - it get's it's time from Verizon.

***biting nails***

11:29. Everyone still looking, waiting. Suddenly, Bambi's mom screams "THERE IT IS!"

And… YOU WERE THERE…There… There… There…

All said and done, we traveled for roughly an hour and a half, saw the shuttle for 1 minute, 34 seconds, then drove another 90 minutes or so back to Grandma & Grandpa's house. And I want to make this next part completely clear:

Totally Worth It.​

You bet your “bippy” it was!

The kids may not remember this in 5 or 10 years. But we will. And we'll remind them of about it occasionally.

Because… that’s what you do.

…And if that happens, then I will have done my job as a father.

And that… is why.

It's an odd feeling, leaning up against the van, filling up the tank at a gas station at 3am. Thinking back to a time, say 3 hours ago, when you were leaning up against the van, filling up the tank at a gas station at midnight.

You should have been numb by then.
That odd feeling has likely having no feeling.

I didn't keep very close track of the fuel costs for this trip, but it was far less than the cost of 4 plane tickets, a rental car and kenneling the dogs for a fortnight.

A much better monetary bargain
(with a different set of costs built into it).

(That's a fancy word that means "two weeks." I think we need to bring it back into mainstream American vernacular.)

Bring it back? What… you mean “fortnight”?
Y’all don’t regularly use that word?

Hummm…. must be a northern’ thing.

19 hours and 22 minutes, minus the time zone change from Florida to Wisconsin, and we made it back in time to quickly unload the van and get to Evan's T-ball game!

\




(I have a picture of him standing in the outfield picking his nose, but this one seems more dramatic)

Because… that’s also what you do
(save that other one for the girlfriends and grandkids that is)

This is where I'd usually insert some kind of wrap up with poignant observations on the human spirit (or maybe a couple of fart jokes).

More likely the latter

But I just don't have the time for that. Because I have another Trip Report to start.

And I’ll see you over there.



Thanks for letting us follow along. It’s been an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity.

 

[preschoolmom]

So cool. What an incredible experience!!!

And I'm impressed you drive straight through! We usually stop....

Thanks for writing this trip report - I enjoyed every installment!

Off to sign up for the next!

 

[KatMark]

Sorry I'm so slow in responding (as you know...lots of excitement around my house the last couple of days).

What a fabulous experience for you and for those adorable kids of yours. I hope they will remember it as they study it in school and say "I was there and saw that."

Great job on the ride home and still making it for Evan's t-ball game (I think the other picture would have been great...it is so typical at those t-ball games...yes, I still remember those days).

Loved sharing your trip with you and the family.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Awww after I noticed Evan was wearing his rocket ship shirt that day, I was REALLY hoping the launch would happen for you guys!!!

That's so great that it did!! What a cool thing to witness! And good job getting back home in time for the game (I'll just pretend I don't notice that 95.1 MPH max speed over there... )

Great TR! I'm hopping over to the newest one right now!

 

[jane2073]

I know exactly where you were! That Waffle House is about four miles from our house.
We had watched the shuttle launch from our front yard and then immediately jumped in our car to head to Orlando.
We may have even passed you on the highway....not that you know who we are.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

You certainly don't get to witness history often. Well, check that. I guess we all technically witness history everyday. It's just that you don't often get the chance to witness something people would actually want to remember.

What are you saying - know one cares about the time that I backed into my garbage cans at the end of the driveway?

That's not terrible. Heck, I've attempted to play golf even when the weather called for a 70% chance of rain. I got soaked, but that's not the point.

I don't think the heavy stuff is going to come down for quite a while yet.

Mmmm...waffles. I hope the astronauts signed the placemats. Does Neil Armstrong get his hash browns covered and smothered?

Probably not. It would be quite a mess to have the inside of the space suite scattered and splattered.

Judging from the map, that looks like an excellent spot. Good call!

Thanks. Having the pond between the launch site and the pier was the selling point - it made for a very clear view of the sky.

Nope, sorry. I'm not taking the bait.

Well played sir, well played.

Maybe the fisherman needs to rent a helicopter and try an aerial attack?

You think Fed's tried that?

This. Is. AWESOME.

When my son and I were down in Florida in May, we did the Kennedy Space Center tour and got to see Discovery on the launch pad for the 2nd-to-last mission. I think we missed the launch by 3 days. What I wouldn't have given to see that. We did see a launch once in the distance at night when we were staying in Georgia. That was pretty cool. Nothing compared to this, though.

We saw Discovery on the pad a few years ago too. Unfortunately, the Rotating Service Structure was still in place and all we could see was the tip of the nose cone of the external tank. Still cool to see it that close. I would have loved to see a night launch. Bambi's parents said they can easily see them from Lakeland - 90 miles away.

Or protecting themselves from Doc Ock.

With great power comes great responsibility. And a cool umbrella.

Well said, Barry. I'd say you're off to a really good start. You have an awesome family.

Thanks Mark. We do as best we can.

Nothing about the cheddar?

Nah, that looks like cheese sauce. You can hardly even call it cheese.

If it has the word "fort" in it, it has to be a pretty cool word.

I wonder if the Army ever considered naming a compound "Fort Night"?

That's ok. It's a healthy reminder that it's only February and gas prices are already reaching those prices again.

Yet another thing we can blame on the DOT?

Still good at punching the afterburners on the van, I see.

When you drive that van, they just punch themselves.

I'm impressed that you went to the game after driving all night. That's dedication. (And a desire to get every bit of value out of exorbitant Little League fees)

That about sums it up!
Evan got a good night sleep in the back seat, so he was ready and raring to go. Bambi and I, not so much.

I'd say you did pretty well a couple of paragraphs back. But it was lacking in fart jokes.

I can't just throw them around like candy. That'd be some pretty nasty candy, by the way.

Awesome report, Barry. We love following your adventures, and I'm looking forward to the next one. In fact, I may have already said that on the other thread. Sorry, I didn't mean to repeat myself. I'm babbling now, aren't I?

That's OK. I've been babbling for the past 40 pages.
Thanks for reading along!

I enjoyed your trip report so much! You have a lovely family and another little guy to look forward to. Your last post was especially touching. Our first trip to Disney included a cruise on the pre-Disney ships - Premier I believe. We took our 5 and 7 year old boys and we saw a space shuttle launch from the ship. It was incredible and something they still remember. Ah memories. Looking forward to reading about your next adventure!

Thank You!
We had planned back in 2007 to watch a launch from the beach at a hotel just a few miles south of the launch pad. Unfortunately, they had to delay that launch, but we did get to see - barely - the the window at the airport as we were waiting for our flight home.
Thanks for reading along!

 

[petals]

Aw boo to trip ending.

I'm glad you shared the dramatic pic of Evan's ball game and not the picking his nose one. That might be slightly embarrassing for him...

 

[FreezinRafiki]

It’s those maybes that I’ll get ya’. STS-127 was scheduled to launch on 07-11-2009. That was when the Magic was leaving Canaveral for a seven-day western cruse (with us aboard). The only problem was that it started raining that afternoon and the cloud cover caused them to reschedule to the 15th.

So close…

I remember you saying that earlier. Bummer.

I like it… good plan

Thanks!

There ya’ go.
I’d have been hurt if you hadn’t tossed that one out there.

I knew someone would appreciate that one!

and that’s a nice catch on the part of the photographer as well.

Thanks. Just lucky to have the camera at the ready and quick on the shutter.

And… YOU WERE THERE…There… There… There…

I'll never forget, that's for sure!

You bet your “bippy” it was!

Ummm....what's a bippy?

Because… that’s what you do.


And that… is why.

You should have been numb by then.
That odd feeling has likely having no feeling.

It was a lot of deja vu, that's for sure.

A much better monetary bargain
(with a different set of costs built into it).

22 or so hours in the van vs. 3 in the airplane certainly is a trade off

Bring it back? What… you mean “fortnight”?
Y’all don’t regularly use that word?

Hummm…. must be a northern’ thing.

We're also greatly lacking in our "Y'all" usage as well. I'll see what I can do about that.

Because… that’s also what you do
(save that other one for the girlfriends and grandkids that is)

I've got quite a file going for that boy...

More likely the latter

Fart jokes on a ladder? That sounds funny!

And I’ll see you over there.

I would hope so. You gave me the title.

Thanks for letting us follow along. It’s been an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity.

Oh, gosh, I'm blushing. I'm just happy I could keep people interested/entertained long enough to finish it out with me. Thanks for reading along!

So cool. What an incredible experience!!!

And I'm impressed you drive straight through! We usually stop....

Thanks for writing this trip report - I enjoyed every installment!

Off to sign up for the next!

For our first drive (there is a TR link in my signature) we weren't sure if we would stop or not. We figured that when we got tired, we'd stop. I had a small nap in Indiana, then took over in Kentucky. Bambi work up somewhere around Atlanta and was pretty shocked how far I made it. Honestly, so was I. A few more driver swaps and we were there!

Thanks for reading along!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Sorry I'm so slow in responding (as you know...lots of excitement around my house the last couple of days).

I've heard. Congratulations again!

What a fabulous experience for you and for those adorable kids of yours. I hope they will remember it as they study it in school and say "I was there and saw that."

That's our plan!

Great job on the ride home and still making it for Evan's t-ball game (I think the other picture would have been great...it is so typical at those t-ball games...yes, I still remember those days).

I have a feeling that there are lots more of those days in our future.

Loved sharing your trip with you and the family.

Thanks for sticking around for all of it!

Awww after I noticed Evan was wearing his rocket ship shirt that day, I was REALLY hoping the launch would happen for you guys!!!

He loves planes, rockets, all that stuff. He has a poster of a Saturn V launch in his room!

That's so great that it did!! What a cool thing to witness! And good job getting back home in time for the game (I'll just pretend I don't notice that 95.1 MPH max speed over there... )

The best part is we were in 7 states, so no one can prove where I was when I did that!

Great TR! I'm hopping over to the newest one right now!

Thanks for reading along!

I know exactly where you were! That Waffle House is about four miles from our house.
We had watched the shuttle launch from our front yard and then immediately jumped in our car to head to Orlando.
We may have even passed you on the highway....not that you know who we are.

How lucky are you - 4 miles from a Waffle House! I'd never cook!
It's possible we passed you - there were a lot of cars out on that road that day! Thanks for reading along!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Aw boo to trip ending.

I'm glad you shared the dramatic pic of Evan's ball game and not the picking his nose one. That might be slightly embarrassing for him...

With all of the embarrassing photos I've posted of him over the course of these TRs, that would have been a pretty mild one. Thanks for reading along!

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Ummm....what's a bippy?

Pup!!!!

Bust out that highfalutin iPhone and do a search on “Laugh-In”

We're also greatly lacking in our "Y'all" usage as well. I'll see what I can do about that.

Yah… y’all need to work on that.

Thanks for reading along!

Wouldn’t have missed it.
Maybe when I grow up, I’ll write something half as entertaining.

 

[that's nice]

The day had come that we had been agonizing over for the past few days. But decisions had to be made. Big ones that, if done properly, could lead to a lifetime of memories.

Was there a bacon festival back home?

We knew that NASA was retiring it's Space Shuttle Fleet after this mission. Sure, there would be other rocket launches in the future that we could go see, but it could be years - decades, probably - before we could witness a manned launch again.

Oh. That's it. A space launch? I think a bacon festival would of been better.

I had been checking the weather forecasts and NASA websites, and the probability of a launch was never greater than about 30% due to concerns for clouds, thunderstorms and lightening in the area. This was not looking good.

Don't you know by now.... never trust a weatherman?

So we left it up to Evan.

He had a t-ball game scheduled for Saturday afternoon back home in Racine. Do we leave Friday morning, make the 22 hour drive home and get to your t-ball game or do we head to Florida's Space Coast, along with what was estimated at 1 million other people and hope to catch the last ever shuttle launch. Knowing full well that there was a 7 in 10 chance that we wouldn't see anything, we decided to give it a try.

I'm sure if you maxed out at 95.1mph you'd make it there in time.

We made it to Cocoa West and I-95 by around 9:30 and decided to hit up the local Waffle House for breakfast. Just like the astronauts do! It was pretty crowded, but there were 6 seats at the counter so we all bellied up and scarfed down some waffles.

Waffles? No trash plate?

BOAT LAUNCH
maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1C1CHMO_en&gs_upl=&ix=seb&ion=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1356&bih=864&q=%2B28%C2%B0+22'+13.60%22,+-80%C2%B0+52'+15.62%22&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x88e7558c0230cc21:0x2424deab806bea43,%2B28%C2%B0+22'+22.70%22,+-80%C2%B0+52'+16.05%22&gl=us&ei=zptHT-qZEfDMsQL0rZHrCA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CB8Q8gEwAA

Did they have this code posted at the boat launch so you could find it when you got home?

One fisherman said he hadn't gotten a bite all day. So (come on, you all know what's coming next, right? I mean, you have to. You've read this entire TR.) I bit him.

Fitting in one last one, huh.

Great shot!

AWWWWW....

And if that happens, then I will have done my job as a father.

I agree.

Mmm....Wisconsin Butter....

I bet it had you at bacon.

We hit sunrise in Indiana. I was very pretty, but I was too lazy to walk out into the road to cut the gas station sign out of the picture.

What? No photoshopping?

The final tally:

Nice numbers!

Thank you so much for reading along and reliving this trip with me. I'll see you on the next one!

-Barry-

Once again, thank you for sharing your family with us! I'll be looking forward to your next TR and also your PTR!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Pup!!!!

Bust out that highfalutin iPhone and do a search on “Laugh-In”

It give me and "Error 402. Google can not index or search stone tablets."

Yah… y’all need to work on that.

I'll see if I can get we'all to work on that.

You know, I don't think I'm doing it right...

Wouldn’t have missed it.
Maybe when I grow up, I’ll write something half as entertaining.

Therein lies the key - never grow up!

Was there a bacon festival back home?

MMM....bacon

Oh. That's it. A space launch? I think a bacon festival would of been better.

Not to us Science Nerds!

Don't you know by now.... never trust a weatherman?

But these were government weathermen. I thought the double negative ment it was OK.

'm sure if you maxed out at 95.1mph you'd make it there in time.

Running the van at top speed for too long will cause a rip in the space/time continuum. I'm not exactly sure what that is, but I'm pretty sure a rip in it would be a very bad thing.

Waffles? No trash plate?

Trash plates are only for 3am. And a certain level of inebriation.

BOAT LAUNCH
maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1C1CHMO_en&gs_upl=&ix=seb&ion=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1356&bih=864&q=%2B28%C2%B0+22'+13.60%22,+-80%C2%B0+52'+15.62%22&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x88e7558c0230cc21:0x2424deab806bea43,%2B28%C2%B0+22'+22.70%22,+-80%C2%B0+52'+16.05%22&gl=us&ei=zptHT-qZEfDMsQL0rZHrCA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CB8Q8gEwAA


Did they have this code posted at the boat launch so you could find it when you got home?

It was more of a "You are here" with an X scratched in the sand.

Fitting in one last one, huh.

For this TR anyway.

Great shot!

Thanks!

AWWWWW....

How's Juliana taking to Christopher?

I bet it had you at bacon.

Cheese and bacon. A Cardiologist's dream.

What? No photoshopping?

I'm a reporter. I tell it as it is. Or if I can't remember, I tell either how I think it was or how it should have been. Usually an odd mixture of the two.

Nice numbers!

Why thank you.

Once again, thank you for sharing your family with us! I'll be looking forward to your next TR and also your PTR!

Any time, Tim. Thanks for reading along.
And you know I don't do PTRs.

 

[middlepat]

Barry, nice update. Thanks for taking us along for the ride its been fun and insightful.

Also your reference to the term "fortnight" always reminds me of the movie "So I Married an Axe Murderer"

Stuart Mackenzie: Well, it's a well known fact, Sonny Jim, that there's a secret society of the five wealthiest people in the world, known as The Pentavirate, who run everything in the world, including the newspapers, and meet tri-annually at a secret country mansion in Colorado, known as The Meadows.

Tony Giardino: So who's in this Pentavirate?

Stuart Mackenzie: The Queen, The Vatican, The Gettys, The Rothschilds, *and* Colonel Sanders before he went xxxx up. Oh, I hated the Colonel with is wee *beady* eyes, and that smug look on his face. "Oh, you're gonna buy my chicken! Ohhhhh!"

Charlie Mackenzie: Dad, how can you hate "The Colonel"?

Stuart Mackenzie: Because he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes ya crave it fortnightly, smartaxx!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Barry, nice update. Thanks for taking us along for the ride its been fun and insightful.

Thanks Brian!

Also your reference to the term "fortnight" always reminds me of the movie "So I Married an Axe Murderer"

Stuart Mackenzie: Well, it's a well known fact, Sonny Jim, that there's a secret society of the five wealthiest people in the world, known as The Pentavirate, who run everything in the world, including the newspapers, and meet tri-annually at a secret country mansion in Colorado, known as The Meadows.

Tony Giardino: So who's in this Pentavirate?

Stuart Mackenzie: The Queen, The Vatican, The Gettys, The Rothschilds, *and* Colonel Sanders before he went xxxx up. Oh, I hated the Colonel with is wee *beady* eyes, and that smug look on his face. "Oh, you're gonna buy my chicken! Ohhhhh!"

Charlie Mackenzie: Dad, how can you hate "The Colonel"?

Stuart Mackenzie: Because he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken that makes ya crave it fortnightly, smartaxx!

Hmmm...So I Married an Axe Murderer...Starting Mike Meyers (A Canadian). Stuart and Charlie Mackenzie...Just like Bob and Doug Mackenzie...
Keep your Canadian Propaganda out of here! Just kidding. I always had my suspicions that KFC added something to it's chicken. Just like the Girl Scouts do to those Carmel de Lites...

 

[middlepat]

Thanks Brian!


Hmmm...So I Married an Axe Murderer...Starting Mike Meyers (A Canadian). Stuart and Charlie Mackenzie...Just like Bob and Doug Mackenzie...
Keep your Canadian Propaganda out of here! Just kidding. I always had my suspicions that KFC added something to it's chicken. Just like the Girl Scouts do to those Carmel de Lites...

We don't get the Carmel de Lites here, but I do have a 2-4 of Molson's and I can fry up some back bacon. Take off hoser.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

It give me and "Error 402. Google can not index or search stone tablets."

“Touche pussycat!!”

But then again… that quote is even older then the “Flying Fickle Finger of Fate” so if you were to Google it to determine the origin, you’d get the same stone tablet error.

Oh my! The quote “…it was all started by a mouse.” is even older that those other ones… Google has just completely invalidated the entire concept of Disney!


By the way… you’re still a pup.

 

[afwdwfan]

The day had come that we had been agonizing over for the past few days. But decisions had to be made. Big ones that, if done properly, could lead to a lifetime of memories.

What a dramatic opening!

I had been checking the weather forecasts and NASA websites, and the probability of a launch was never greater than about 30% due to concerns for clouds, thunderstorms and lightening in the area. This was not looking good.

Makes it a tough call. It would be hard to waste a day if nothing happens, but you don't want to miss out on history when you're so close.

Knowing full well that there was a 7 in 10 chance that we wouldn't see anything, we decided to give it a try.

Evan chose wisely.

So we all climbed into our own little technological marvel and headed east.

That might be an interesting drag race. Barry's van vs. the Space Shuttle.

And a bit of good news came, though. Some of the clouds were breaking up and chances of a launch increased to 60%

11:29. Everyone still looking, waiting. Suddenly, Bambi's mom screams "THERE IT IS!"

And that makes it all worthwhile!

All said and done, we traveled for roughly an hour and a half, saw the shuttle for 1 minute, 34 seconds, then drove another 90 minutes or so back to Grandma & Grandpa's house. And I want to make this next part completely clear:

Totally Worth It.​

We hit sunrise in Indiana.

I didn't hear you honk when you went by.

19 hours and 22 minutes, minus the time zone change from Florida to Wisconsin, and we made it back in time to quickly unload the van and get to Evan's T-ball game!

Good driving!

Is that an actual ball field, or do they play in a pasture using cow pies for bases?

(I have a picture of him standing in the outfield picking his nose, but this one seems more dramatic)

That's alright, you've shown us enough blackmail pictures of the poor kid.

Thank you so much for reading along and reliving this trip with me. I'll see you on the next one!

-Barry-

Great job, Barry. It was fun and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

 

[FreezinRafiki]

Oh my! The quote “…it was all started by a mouse.” is even older that those other ones… Google has just completely invalidated the entire concept of Disney!

OH NO! I hope I didn't just unmake Disney World!

By the way… you’re still a pup.

I've been called worse....

What a dramatic opening!

See, this TR's not just about fart jokes and puns.

Makes it a tough call. It would be hard to waste a day if nothing happens, but you don't want to miss out on history when you're so close.

I see you have found our dilemma.

Evan chose wisely.

That might be an interesting drag race. Barry's van vs. the Space Shuttle.

I'm not allowed to race US Government property anymore after I embarrassed them with that whole SR-71 Blackbird incident.

And that makes it all worthwhile!

Yes, yes it did.

I didn't hear you honk when you went by.

What about the sonic boom. Did you hear that?

Good driving!

Thanks!

Is that an actual ball field, or do they play in a pasture using cow pies for bases?

It makes it difficult to find 2nd base when ole Bessie just wanders all over the place dropping bases anywhere she pleases.

That's alright, you've shown us enough blackmail pictures of the poor kid.

Too many and he might start blaming me when he goes to the therapist.

Great job, Barry. It was fun and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

Thanks for reading along, Andy. You guys make it fun!

 

[that's nice]

Trash plates are only for 3am. And a certain level of inebriation.

You're right. I've had 1 or 2 or 8 trash plates while on Spring break in Florida...

How's Juliana taking to Christopher?

She is great with him... like a little mother. I know Madison will be great with Ryder and Evan probably won't wait for him to grow up to show him the ropes.

And you know I don't do PTRs.

Oh yea, I forgot.