Well...here I am on my computer on a Friday night. I'm not disappointed in that there is no late night activity; just stating a fact. One week of work is complete, and I have much to say about it.
I have yet to get into a routine. Every night, I go to bed at a different time and I convince myself that I will attend church at the 7:00 service before driving to work- but I do not always wake up in time to go. Only two of five times have I attended church in the mornings: once because of my own will power and another because Melodie Hills called me to wake me up! Hopefully I can learn my lesson before next week begins.
Usually, my semi-routine goes like this. When I wake up, I fix myself a lunch to take to work, shower if I didn't take a shower after swimming the previous day, go to church if I wake up early enough, then go to work. After work, it's usually about 17:00-18:00. I eat a snack then depending on what is going on, I either go to the pool to swim laps for about an hour, read a book, mess around on the computer, or just shoot the breeze with my roommate. Then after 21:00, I make/receive phone calls on my mobile phone to catch up with my friends around the country. Then I usually read some more then head to bed. I then do it all over again.
Work is unbelievable exciting right now. Within the building that I work in are two modules that will be attached to the International Space Station within the next two years. Both modules serve to house people and experiments within the vast vaccum of space. One module is called Node 2 built by the Italian Space Agency and serves to be a "node" for other modules to be connected. The other is the Japenese Experiment Module built by NASDA (the Japanese Space Agency) whose purpose is to allow experiments to be conducted, especially with placing experiments in space for lengths of time. The reason that these modules are in my building is so that we can test them hooked up together to see if they will work properly before launching them into space. The Node 2 has already been tested independently, but this is the first NASA testing of the JEM.
On my last co-op, all of my group was preparing the procedures for this testing of the two modules. There was really nothing that I could contribute to the process of creating procedures, because I do not know anything. So instead, I created a useful webpage to be used in my group. This time is different. I am right in the thick of it all. I am sitting at the console next to one of many Test Engineers running the test and get to go to the High Bay (the place where the modules are kept and powered up). Today, I got to sit inside of the JEM, for about 3 hours, supervising some Japanese techs perform the steps in the procedure. The whole time I never stopped thinking that in about 2 years astronauts from around the world will be floating around in this module in space! It was quite a humbling experience.
Another interesting aspect of this test is that NASA is closely working with NASDA to perform the test. To my knowledge, NASA test engineers wrote the steps to the test in conjunction with NASDA counterparts. This process took a little more than a year. Now, to perform a step, the NASA test engineer calls out a command to the NASDA test engineer. The NASDA test engineer then translates (although most of the Japanese are familiar with English) the command to Japanese to the Japanese tech who actually performs the step. The thought of at least 100 Japanese engineers from NASDA coming over from Japan to perform this test truly proves the ISS as INTERNATIONAL! I only wish that I knew Japanese so that I could speak to these people.
For those who are wondering, I am still sleeping on an air mattress. It's really not that bad, and I probably won't get a real mattress just so that I can say that I slept on an air mattress for 4 months. I may change my mind after chronic back pains begin. Currently, the only furtiture in the place are foldable camp chairs. My roommate and I plan on going to some thrift stores tomorrow to pick up a couch. Most of my room is still boxes. That probably won't change; sorry Mom.
Looking back on this past week, I am beyond blessed. I have money to buy meals, I have a healthy body that can walk to the beach anytime and gaze toward the next piece of land, which happens to be Morocco Africa, I have a continously unbelivable job where I have the opportunity to see things that most dream, and the list goes on. I appreciate everything that God has provided me. It is only through Him that all these have occurred; I will never forget the source of my joy!