Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Learning from Linda

I got to do the training this week for the summer NASA Experience and met some great people. I met my student advisor, Maegan (who is a hoot and a holler!) and also a couple other chaperones and their advisors.  Linda, who will be chaperoning at the Glenn Research Center in Ohio, was one I got to spend a lot of time with and learned a lot of things. She is a beautiful person, inside and out.  I want to share some of the wisdom I got from her.  

-Have self control when eating. She had gall-bladder surgery and can only eat certain things. She was so good and responsible!  Gosh, I would've wanted to eat, eat, eat. Oh wait, I do. 

-Be money-wise.  Her husband, the main bread-winner, lost his job due to the economy. She is just so positive it's infectious. Her husband even sold her motorcycle when she was at training! She's made a lot of sacrifices but does so willingly. 

-Laugh lots. She laughs a lot. I love it!

-Wear Protective Gear.  Like a helmet and full leather (even in Arizona) while biking. She was always safe riding her motorcycle. Noted. :)

-Love unconditionally. She has some obnoxious people in her extended family yet no matter how much she gets treated poorly or anything she just loves them. Love them like Jesus would, she said. She focuses on the good things and just praises that.  That takes a lot of charity!  She told me stories, and goodness, it would be hard to be so charitable!

-Be bold in love.   She was the first one to tell her husband (a shy guy) that she liked him.  He ignored her for a few days...then she asked him what was up and he said "oh, I thought we were dating."   She had to teach him a thing or two but wasn't afraid to be bold. No games there. 

-Tip the hotel maid. I never thought to do this, but case in point- she left $2/day and got shampoos and stuff everyday.  I did not and never got one more thing (for 4 days!) and didn't even get garbage taken out.   Yup. A little kindness goes a long ways.  Besides, they only get min. wage.  I always put the 'don't wash my sheets' thing out (which would save a little work, right?). But I will tip now.

-Always be positive.  I can't remember one negative thing she said. Even when things sucked, she was still really positive.  And she never had anything bad to say about anyone.  I want to be like that!  

-It's okay to be assertive.  She's not afraid to stand up for herself in a professional manner (at the right time, and appropriately done) and ask for positive criticism along with the negative she always got (from a different job). She made an agreement for things to change or she'd change jobs.   

-Have faith in people.  She's sticking with the job having faith that that person will change as she said she would.  

-Recognize blessings. Okay, so working for NASA is a big deal but I think I often forget that.  But it is!  She's so excited, as we should be.   I don't know why I'm not more grateful for this awesome opportunity along with the great pay.  I mean, I am, but compared to Linda I'm not!    I was hired in early April and the other two chaperones with me weren't hired until May or last Friday (they had a chaperone cancelled due to a family emergency Friday!!).  And I'm much much younger than them.  I should be very grateful because I don't have the same teaching experience or wisdom as they do!


Anyways, that was some wisdom from the lovely Linda in the four days we spent together.  Thanks, Linda!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Precision Driving Ace


Driving Maneuvers
  • Shuffle steering
  • Forward serpentine
  • Off-road recovery
  • Turn-around
  • Backing
  • Controlled braking
  • Evasive steering
  • Skid Control



I rode in that skid car! And learned a lot as I drove the 12-passenger van on their courses. My dad would be proud!   I did knock over a few cones throughout the afternoon but that's to be expected.   Maegan (my student advisor for LA) and I had a lot of fun bonding over these intense situations.  Sigh. We made it!  And now we're better drivers!!!

Friday, June 5, 2009

t-r-a-i-n-i-n-g

I feel important.  Teaching you don't get to travel on the company!  This is fun!  Just took a flight that I didn't pay a cent for, oh yeah, parking at airport taken care of, rental car will be reimbursed, have a hotel room waiting for me, etc.  Fab life I gotta say.  Simply fabulous.


Training overview (because I know you care)-

Saturday- All day driving classes. I have to drive a 12 person van. Yikes. I can't even back out of Lucki and Stephen's long skinny driveway in my own car. It's 8 hours long. What can they teach us for 8 hours????  Maybe I do need that long! 


Sunday/Monday- All day training at OkState University.  Everything from expense reports, duties, activities we'll be doing, web conferencing, and more. 


Monday night- First Aid training. (I'm sorta excited about that!)


Tuesday- Fly out around noon. Back around 3. Wanna hang out?  I'm free free free until the 18th (at least I think that's when I fly out!). I want to go to Galveston one day.  

Flight Friends



Flights are always fun, don't ya think?  I wasn't in a mood to talk to people, but that didn't last for long.  Well, in the terminal this guy was spitting/chewing tobacco into a cup so I did not want to talk to him!!!  On the flight to Dallas, I sat in between this cute little six year old, Reese, who was by herself going to Kansas City.  Friendly little black girl who colored a Clone Wars coloring book.  I got a cool sticker of what looked like Jaba the Hut's baby in a bag. (so ugly it was cute.)  And probably got funny looks transferring flights with that sticker on me. haha. I wore it proudly.  My other new friend was Andy. He was on his way to Dallas to help his girlfriend move to Houston---they were going to drive back tonight! Crazy.  He works for Shell (finance) and lives in Midtown.  Same age as me.  Cool cool.   My transfer flight I sat by a couple. The lady was doing puzzles like Suduko and Minesweeper (mindsweeper?).  We were trying to help each other but realized we both suck at them. haha. I can do Suduko but I'm not fast.  Min_sweeper just made me mad. I confess; I kept looking at the answer key for help!  



Now I'm waiting for one of the other chaperones to get in. I got the rental car but need her!  I don't know her, but we have an hour long drive to get to know each other!  Oh, I also ran into a Chem 105 student Bryce Jasjdifaeoasdf (really long last name like Jaggermiester? Wait, isn't that alcohol?).  He wasn't mine but would come to my TA reviews. I loved TAing!!!  He just got home from his mission here in Tulsa, OK. Well, got home a couple weeks ago and now is coming back with his folks.  I thought I saw a BYU shirt when I got on the plane...(I never wear BYU apparel though but it is helpful to spot mormons...).  


Well those were my adventures with new people on the plane!  

Monday, June 1, 2009

fortune cookie

Do you believe in fortune cookies? Well this was one I got today---

"The mood is right for a friendly chat to lead to romance."


if only it were that easy....

summer residence










so I finally found out where I will be staying for the summer in California! It's at Occidental College which is NE Los Angeles near Hwy 134 (or something. I googled it today). I'm only about 15 minutes from JPL and found my gym on the way!  :) 


It's a nice new dormitory with only single rooms with attached bathrooms! Sweet.  Wanna come visit? ;)


It's nice to see it all coming together...even if I don't know much!  (they won't tell me if I can go to church yet or not!!!).  More to come...


point A is JPL and point B is the dorm.