We decided to cancel a trip we planned for today due to the weather. It will be 15 degrees above normal - in the high 80's F with really strong winds. This is the weather average temperature for May! Tomorrow will see a 20 degree drop as a cold front comes in. There was a tornado last night just north of Atlanta, GA. This season has started already. With the planned activity requiring us to be outside for most of the day we thought it was wiser to wait for cooler weather.
Charlotte use the blender we purchased at Walmart yesterday to make smoothies. We forgot our "Ninja" blender at home. $12 for an Oster blender with several speeds was to good to resist.
Bananas, OJ (orange juice), Frozen Strawberries, (yes, we are still eating some daily from the flat we purchased over a week ago for $10) and ice cubes. They were great! We had to drink slowly to keep from getting "stomach freeze".
Charlotte relaxed by crocheting at different times throughout the day.
Being near the end of the month several RV's came into the park this morning. We also saw a few leaving. "G" street has 4 more RV's than previously. Yes - we are on "G" street and No - they didn't name it after us (grin).
The Wi-Fi was off most of the morning. When it came back on it was verrry slooow.
Charlotte made sandwiches for lunch using the fresh bread, ultra thin turkey slices, cheese slices w/pickles and chips on the side. A perfect follow-up to the mornings smoothie.
We also did our medicine (pills) for they next 3 weeks. This usually takes about an hour to count out all the pills into the daily container slots. Somehow we have a shortage. We do have enough to last until we return at the end of February. Figuring out what we will need for the next 62 days after we return home took all afternoon because we had to count all the pills for the 20 different medications we must take.
We have to return and stay in our home province for 24 hours as our available "Out-of-Country" medical coverage is only good for a maximum of 62 continuous days. Coverage extension is available; however, with each of us now pass the magic medical insurance age number (65) coverage is extremely expensive - if it can be gotten, at all. We do not qualify for "normal" coverage which would run about $30 a day. We would have be accessed by a medical underwriter. I am guessing that coverage, if available, might run as high as $100 a day which would be ridiculous.
It is a nuisance; however, 24 hours at home will renew our coverage for another 62 days. The cost of going home is still much cheaper than even the basic - no exam required - coverage.
This is why we decided to come to Florida this year rather than Arizona. It was a lucky decision as the rest of the country has had terrible weather. Florida has been way better than usual with 10 degree above normal temperatures most of the time. We still have to decide if we are driving, flying or taking the train or bus home. We have to be back by Feb 25.
Charlotte made Salmon and Peas for supper. Another treat that we haven't had since leaving home. We had been fairly busy most days with little time for home cooking. Today was an RV day - we didn't didn't even change out of our PJ's.
We watched the Atlas 5 rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, FL on the NASA TV channel until twenty seconds before the launch. We then went outside and stood in front of the RV which faces directly towards the cape. We could watch the rocket (flames) for a minute or more as it rose into the night sky.
The last launch we watched was many years ago while we were in DisneyWorld. The near perfect viewing conditions tonight made this launch quite impressive - even from this distance. We then returned inside and watched the simulations showing its progress for another 15 minutes.
I then took the following press release from the Internet:
NASA launches communication satellite
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA has launched a new communication satellite.
An unmanned Atlas rocket blasted off Wednesday night from Cape Canaveral. NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite was on board.
This is the 11th TDRS (T-driss) satellite to be launched by NASA. The space agency uses the orbiting network to communicate with the astronauts living on the International Space Station. The satellites also relay all the images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.
The first TDRS spacecraft was launched in 1983. The second was lost aboard space shuttle Challenger in 1986.
This newest third-generation TDRS carries the letter K (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-K) designation. Once it begins working full time, it will become TDRS-11.
It costs between $350 million and $400 million.
An unmanned Atlas rocket blasted off Wednesday night from Cape Canaveral. NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite was on board.
This is the 11th TDRS (T-driss) satellite to be launched by NASA. The space agency uses the orbiting network to communicate with the astronauts living on the International Space Station. The satellites also relay all the images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.
The first TDRS spacecraft was launched in 1983. The second was lost aboard space shuttle Challenger in 1986.
This newest third-generation TDRS carries the letter K (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-K) designation. Once it begins working full time, it will become TDRS-11.
It costs between $350 million and $400 million.
--------------------------
If the space agency only used ground-based antennas to keep watch on the satellites, it would be impossible to constantly monitor spacecraft, and that creates problems. The most recent TDRS launch before now was in 2002. Five TDRS satellites are still functioning in orbit today. According to a NASA mission description, the TDRS-K satellite is expected to last at least 15 years in orbit.
It was a good day to relax. After the launch we settled in to watch TV as usual. We will "hit the sack" early. We have to be up early tomorrow for the parks trip to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, FL. It leaves at 7:30 a.m.
