A little over 2 weeks ago, I had a cortisone shot in my low back. I was a bit scared to do it, but physical therapy wasn't doing much, nor was massage. An MRI a few months ago confirmed that I have "issues" and am a candidate for cortisone shots before I consider surgery.
AND IT WORKED!!!!
I can now stand for over an hour without having to take a break. It used to be perhaps 5-10 min before I'd have to sit down. SHOPPING had become so unpleasant for me (HORRORS!!) and WALKING on my "excursions around the world" had literally become torture - until I could find a place to "sit for a few"........
I feel so fortunate to have this option and have high hopes that it will last longer than the 3 months that they say is typical. This year is filled with travel plans and I can literally visualize myself walking without pain now. Whoohoo!
When I was in high school (Good God, that was a long time ago!), I thought it would be neat to work in the SPACE INDUSTRY. After seeing the first man WALK ON THE MOON when I was in elementary school, I then always felt a sense of wonder and excitement about "SPACE" and the possibilities of new discoveries. So it's kinda like FOREVER since I've wanted to see a "SHUTTLE LIFTOFF" in person.
NASA stopped sending up SHUTTLES in 2011. At the moment it's only "ROCKETS" that are sent out into space, so I adjusted my BUCKET LIST to see a "ROCKET LIFTOFF".
A few years ago, my friend Merry and I traveled to NASA's SPACE CENTER in WALLOPS, MD to see one, but it was cancelled and not rescheduled for that weekend. DARN IT! (We had fun anyway of course......)
I'm physically more MOBILE this year, and have BIG PLANS to check off some items on my BUCKET LIST.
I made plans in early February to travel to Florida later in the month so I MADE IT HAPPEN to coordinate my trip with the date of a ROCKET LIFTOFF from CAPE CANAVERAL during my stay. YIPPPEEE!!!
Naturally we decided to spend the morning touring THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER and then head over to the viewing area at 3:00 for the LIFTOFF scheduled for 5:02.
They have a tribute to ATLANTIS(1985) - our second-to-last SPACE SHUTTLE built. It's 33rd and FINAL MISSION was NASA'SLASTSPACE SHUTTLE MISSION (2011).
We took a "BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR", which I highly recommend. It takes you into NASA-SECURED areas on CAPE CANAVERAL.
These 2 buildings are where ROCKETS are assembled.
ELON MUSK is very interested in the SPACE INDUSTRY and is building a company, SPACEX, whose building is on CAPE CANAVERAL. He plans to send a ROCKET TOMARS within the next 2 years. Did you hear about the one he sent up in early February with a RED TESLA at the helm? It will be in orbit for hundreds of millions of years. AMAZING!!
In the background you can see the actual LANDING PAD that houses the ROCKET/SHUTTLE that sent our men to the MOON. ELON MUSK is now leasing this LAUNCH PAD for his own ROCKETS.
The launch pad framework that surrounds a ROCKET is being constructed. Compare it's size to the dumpsters below the construction.
It's hard to get a feel for how big this building is, which houses ROCKETS being built. They provide some stats in the 2nd photo to give you some perspective.
A road leading up to a LAUNCH PAD. The 2 gravel paths to the left are used to move the ROCKET on a TRANSPORTER to the LAUNCH PAD. The left wheel of the TRANSPORTER is on the left gravel path and the right wheel is on the right gravel path. The TRANSPORTERS are THAT wide.
WALT DISNEY was passionate about the SPACE INDUSTRY. When he was alive, he donated to NASA the bushes in this picture, which they have sculpted into spelling NASA.
Our next stop was the SATURN V building with a duplicate SATURN V ROCKET (1967-1973) hanging from the ceiling. It's ENORMOUS!!
These CONTROL PANELS, set up near the building entrance, are the actual CONTROL PANELS men worked at when we sent our men to the MOON.
Time to board the bus that will take us to the PRIVATEVIEWING AREA for the 5:02 LAUNCH!! We were sitting just under 2.5 miles from the LAUNCH PAD.
There it is. Right in the middle of the photo. With 2 tall lightning rods on either side of the ROCKET.
And for your VIEWING PLEASURE, 2 videos that I took, so that you can imagine being there in person yourself. Note that there was a 30-40 second delay in the audio for security reasons.
What may sound like WIND, was actually the sound of the LIFTOFF breaking the sound barrier.
THIS experience was a real THRILL for me!
One more item on my list of "60 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MY 60's" - CHECK!!
Last week I was chatting with a friend who has recently retired. She has a "LIST" of things in her head that she wants to do, now that she has time.
I described my "60 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MY 60's"LIST and how much fun it's been to keep it current. It literally inspires me to do the things that I've always wanted to do, see the places I've always wanted to see, experience things that I've always wanted to experience.
She immediately decided to make up a list of her own AND she created a totally different TITLE to make it all her own. I LOVE what she came up with.....
MY "MAKE IT HAPPEN" LIST
How BRILLIANT is that?!
Think about how quickly life is passing....... if you want to put some POSITIVEFOCUS on experiencing some of your life's dreams, I encourage you to WRITE THEM DOWN - "MAKE YOUR LIST", NAME IT something that has meaning to you and start planning to do each one on that list. CHECK!!
Approaching age 60, I was "KICKING AND SCREAMING"! What to do, What to do?!! I HAD to make a mental turnaround to thinking more positively about it - to make it more exciting, so I made up a list of -
"60 THINGS TO DO AND SEE IN MY 60's"
Well, I'm working on it....... As you'll notice it's been sporadic thru the years, but now that I've had 2 joints replaced (hip and knee), I plan to enjoy a bunch of these THIS YEAR!
2012 - 12 accomplished
2013 - 2
2014 - 1
2015 - 3
2016 - 3
2017 - 3
2018 - 9 is my GOAL
TOTAL by the end of this year could be 33, which will leave 27 to accomplish in 3 years!! Feel the energy!!
60 "THINGS TO DO AND SEE" IN MY 60'S
DONE
1
Visit Annency, France
2012
2
Visit Nantucket again
2012
3
Tour the Zappo's warehouse near Las
Vegas
2012
4
See Cirque du Soleil - "O"
2012
5
See Jackie Evancho perform live
2012
6
Tour Eastern Europe
2012
7
Visit Prague
2012
8
Visit Budapest
2012
9
Take a River Cruise in Europe
2012
10
Visit Vienna
2012
11
Visit Saltzburg
2012
12
See Barbra Streisand Live in Concert
2012
13
Tour somewhere in Italy or Europe
with Mimmo again
2013
14
Take a trip with my dog, Willow
2013
15
Tour Croatia with the Girls
2014
16
Visit Monticello
2015
17
Wine tasting tour in VA
2015
18
Take Shelby, Ryan and kids on a trip (France and Venice)
2015
19
Visit Cucuron in Provence
2016
20
Visit Provence France when Lavender
is in full bloom
2016
21
Eat a triple decker ice cream cone
2016
22
Visit Savannah, GA
2017
23
Visit Litiz Wolf Sanctuary
2017
24
Visit Canadian Rockies
2017
25
Witness a Space Shuttle Liftoff in
Person
2018
26
Cruise the Norway Fjords
2018
27
Visit Copenhagen
2018
28
Visit Helsinki Finland
2018
29
Visit Monument National Park - per
Helen
2018
30
Age 66 - Drive a portion of RT 66
2018
31
Visit Holocaust Museum in Washington,
DC
2018
32
Tour Alexandria, VA
2018
33
Take a Tour of Gettysburg
2018
This really IS fun. Feel free to steal my idea (which admittedly I stole from someone else) and make up your own list. I'd love to hear about your progress!
