Atlantis has launched, it all went excellently and totally by-the-book. I watched the launch online on NASA TV, I've seen a few launches now but ZOMG they don't get routine. Just so exciting, waiting for everything to happen like it should. And then when it lifts off, it's like you can hardly believe the time has come, everything is going perfectly like it should but it's still amazing. It's like when you're a little kid and it's suddenly Christmas Day, well not quite suddenly, but after all the work and the build-up and you can hardly believe it's really happening even though you know it will happen.

The NASA Tweetup has been taking place yesterday & today, so my Twitterfeed has been rather busy. Sad that I can't be there, it would have been so awesome, meeting all the space tweeps and seeing the launch. And this is Atlantis' penultimate mission, there are only five more shuttle missions after this one :'( But let's hope they are all as awesome as they've been in the recent past.

Have some puppies.

( I am watching Four Weddings And A Funeral )

Firstly, my apologies to anyone who got caught up in my whining on Twitter this morning. I guess I was rather taken aback by how not-popular this episode was in some quarters. I have seen better episodes, but also ones I've liked less. I think this was a fluffy eye-candy episode, nice scenery, nice House & Wilson (not sure about RSL's spindly milk-white legs, please someone send him outside in shorts to get a hint of a tan), and Rachel was cuuuute. And the eighties party - obviously this was an alcohol-free conference centre, or dancing before the evening meal is usual in the States, or this state? Probably the most restrained conference evening event in history. And I love how on TV no-one ever appears in crap handmade fancy dress :D

I am in a slightly less grumpy mood now. It's not been helped by us going from three fulltime and three part-time support staff at work, to - via retirements and illness - to one fulltimer (ie me) and two part-times. Fun fun fun. The grumpy mood might return tomorrow, so please note, and avoid if possible.

Comments by ZingerBug.com

Happy Birthday topaz_eyes! Have a fabulous day ♥

I have one Twitter Follow Friday recommendation: Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly), cos I was in such a crappy depressed mood today, and a tweet he DM'd turned my mood round completely.

I suppose one day I will get round to watching E.T. Right now I've got The Jungle Book and Sleeping Beauty to watch, thanks to an offer Sainsburys had on Disney DVDs. Will try to get at least one of them watched over the weekend.

Stephen Fry has made another appearance on Craig Ferguson's show. And looking fabulous too.

Part 1:


Part 2:

Today has been full of stress. Much of it was the usual Wednesday morning stuff (working on my ezine which is published Wednesday afternoon) but even more so, given that I had 890394 final requests for stuff to be included, the most important of which (according to others) is something which doesn't actually exist yet, so I had to write in some carefully-worded watch-this-space blurb. In more general terms, the current week is stressful because the desks around me are empty because of people retiring, people falling of mountains and breaking their ankle, and people taking half-term off to drive their kids all over the country. Nearest occupied desk is four desks down, I can't move closer because I need all the programs on my PC to do any work.

Thankfully the Ares I-X test flight finally launched and went well it seems - the constant procrastination due to weather and some stupid bastard of a cargo ship yesterday and today was also stressful. At least waiting for a shuttle launch is straightforward - it goes at its alloted time or it doesn't go today. And it looked fabulous on the launchpad, like a shiny needle of a vehicle. I watched from resumption of the countdown at T-4 to all the footage of everyone at NASA shaking hands with each other. I must say that did help my mood considerably, but I am still feeling the effects of a stressful day now.

The cure for this is good Internets stuff and good food. I stopped by Sainsburys on the way home and have bought more crisps, Cadburys chocolate, and a microwaveable duck & egg fried rice thing. Am hungry now (rather tired too but I think the hunger is winning) so will have that soon.

Comments by ZingerBug.com

Happy birthday! Have a fab day :)

This place will need no introduction and many of you I'm sure have advanced knowledge here. But there's lots to see and it looks so nice.

( San Francisco, California )

I could keep going for ages. So pretty.