What's cool on the internets?

Wouldn't it be cool if there was a list of cool things on the internet? Like, if you were just wasting some time online, and you had already checked your email and made sure there wasn't anything new at the Gap (yes, yes, tan chinos, white dress shirts, plain t's, we get it!), and you still had some time... but how do you stumble upon that cool stuff? You know, the stuff other people dig? It seems like someone had already read it they cold tell you about it...hmmmm....

Ha ha- so anyway, I found this site (look at my striped shirt) after reading something on reddit- so I guess everyone who is cool already knows about it, but whatever. I guess it is really an ad for a book, but it reminded me a lot of the op-ed pieces the Onion does.

Coolest Letterhead Ever

If you remember, I wrote earlier about the unexpected email I received from the Army that said that I had passed the first astronaut selection board and that they were going to send my application on to NASA for the next phase of selection. Well, I was surprised again to receive this awesome letter from the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center:



For those that can't read from the photo, it says:

Dear CAPT Springer:

We have received you application for the Astronaut Candidate Program from the U.S. Army. You will be notified of any decisions concerning your application.

There's more there about updating my application, but nothing of interest.

So there you have it. I'm in the running to be an astronaut. We'll see where this goes...

Less depressed...

It has taken me a while to get on here and post- for a few reasons.

#1, It was pretty depressing to pack up and leave Italy any earlier than we were supposed to be there. I know, I know- I should be thankful that I had the opportunity to live there any time at all, but I am having a hard time focusing on the positives. Which brings me to...
#2, Germany isn't that great. The weather is so weird- I was ironing the other day, and I thought, "It must be getting close to the end of Daylight Saving Time" before I realized that, due to the chilly weather here, I subconsciously thought it was fall. I think I've only worn shorts three or four times in the past month we've been here. Mannheim is kind of famously unattractive as far as posts go- I'd send some example pictures, but, you know, opsec and all.

Also, let's just say it, #3, Germans are pretty difficult to love. My friend's baby was crying at a restaurant- not a fancy one- and I think you could hear every person drop their fork on their plate and collectively gasp as they turned to angrily stare at her. Rude! Maybe this is why Germans don't like their babies (and if you follow the link, we live in Baden-Wuerttemberg).

#4, Unpacking with two kids is even less fun than it sounds. You know, they try to cheer you up with promises of daycare for your kids at the childcare centers here, but it took me three visits to the registration center, three trips to the hospital for shots and record updates, and an hour long orientation at the center for my kids to be eligible for this supposed respite care, so, thanks for nothing, jerks. I've pretty much got it under control by now.

In the interest of being fair and balanced, here are the pluses of the move.

#1. Smaller apartment means less to clean! (Click this link- it has the floor plan of our actual place)
#2. Was getting tired of knowing where everything was in my town.
#3. Didn't really want to finish my Master's Degree this fall (moving has delayed my student teaching... again)
#4. Had eaten enough gnocci and drunk enough prosecco

OK, for reals... four things that are actual pluses:

#1, The post is like a giant playground with some housing spoiling the view. There is a pirate ship playground, a teepee playground, the sports park... and many, many more. We can see two huge ones just from our apartment. So, Aidan is totally psyched.

#2, We have a new home base for Northern European travels. I think Amsterdam is only 3 hours away, and we're close to Belgium, Switzerland, France, etc. Plus, I guess there are a few cool things to see and do here in Germany.

#3, Living on post is a new experience, and I would feel remiss if we had somehow managed to try so many new things during Joel's military career and not ever live on post, be it good or bad.

#4, Joel has a new job that he seems to really like- ok, it's only been one week, but it looks promising. He shouldn't have to go away as much as he did in Italy, which made it hard for us to travel around and see/do stuff there anyway.

So, I'm breaking even. I think things will turn up as the days go by- we're pretty settled in, my in-laws are visiting, and I'm getting a very special 30th birthday present from Joel... more on that in a week!! Yay!

Who saw this coming?

I received this email in my inbox on Monday morning:

Congratulations. The Army has submitted your application to NASA for consideration for the Astronaut Candidate Program. You will receive an official letter from our office, but with the closing date coming up I wanted to let you know as soon as possible.

Here's some background: I received an unsolicited bulk email from the Army back in February notifying everyone that the Army was holding it's Astronaut Candidate Selection Board in June. At the time, I hated my job and I was trying ANYTHING to get out of it. I thought, "this might work," and submitted my application for the program. I didn't expect it to go anywhere. While I do have the educational background that they wanted, I didn't think that I had the professional experience that they were looking for.

I guess the Army thinks that I have the "right stuff" and pushed me to the NASA selection. I don't really expect it to go any further, but I didn't expect it to go this far either. Who knows? Maybe I'll have to change the name of this blog to "I Heart Freeze-Dried Ice Cream"?