You just don't hear this every day

I have some friends here who are smart. They both went to MIT where I know that he, at least got his doctorate. Then he decided to work for NASA and has been working on the Mars Rover for the last 7 years. I think I've written about them before.

So, yesterday she came by to pick up some dehydrated apple chips from me. Anyway, she comments that she was sorry she couldn't come to the RS activity last night because Dave has been working late this week. Then she mentions something about he has to trouble shoot the rover blah blah blah. "Oh yeah" I thought. He sent the Mars Rover out and now he's somehow working on it while it's in space. I commented that it is so weird that she says that like it is no big deal.

Then she said, well he's trying to decide if he wants to do surface phase or not. He wasn't going to because he's a little burned out and besides, he'd have to go on Mars time. Wait, whaaat? What is MARS TIME?

Apparently, if he commits to do Surface phase, it will be a 3-month commitment from the time the Rover lands, which is on August 5th. So leading up to the landing, he has to move his days by 40 minutes each day. This will mean that during this time there will be a chunk of time where he is up all night and asleep all day. But he just keeps moving 40 minutes each day until he's back in the real world. How cool is that?! I told her, how in the world could he NOT do the Mars phase? Just to be able to tell your grandkids that grandpa had to go on Mars time once when he directed the MARS ROVER!!! wow. wow. So cool.

I am majorly fighting being lonely for Utah right now. "Utah" means everything I love to do there and everyone I miss all wrapped up in one. I do ok for a while and then it just hits me hard sometimes.

Plans are moving ahead (in my mind anyway) for Maddie to volunteer in an orphanage this summer. She will need someone to go with her. Her friend Sam said he'd go just now like it was a great idea ha ha. I don't think he can go being that he's male even though he is pretty much her brother.

Why does this never get old??