Awards Day

Me and Tereasa Washington, Director of OHC

Yesterday, at my NASA job, my office attended the department’s annual award banquet. The theme this year was Mardi Gras. The location was all decked out in gold, green, yellow and purple table clothes, beads, masks and streamers. I received an OHC (Office of Human Capital) Achiever Award for (to quote the award) “For communicating and coordinating with customers on what Academic Affairs is and does to support the Center’s Human Capital strategy and the Agency mission.” Only one person gets this award each year. So all my helping beyond my contract boundaries, the tasks that fall under “other duties as assigned” such as helping with tours, answering the main phone line, supporting student events, running errands, and anything that they ask for volunteers has been recognized. I usually get in trouble for helping the other contractors (not on my contract) too much, but yesterday I got rewarded for it. So my years of helping out – despite being told not to – have paid off.

My Visitors Have Left

My Mom and her husband Charlie came to visit me this past weekend. I was a little nervous about them coming because I wasn’t sure if I would get my house clean to my liking and what they really wanted to do while they were here. I got all the cleaning I wanted to do done by Saturday morning and decided to make the plans once they arrived. I finally got a second bed in my guest bedroom, so I didn’t have to give up my bed or have my guests sleep on an air mattress or the couch. So anyone that wants to visit, I actually have a guest bed now. Hint, hint. ;)

Saturday, Sept 13
Weather: around 90 degrees, sunny and humid. Mom and Charlie showed up around 1:30 on Saturday afternoon. They got settled and we decided to go for a walk in the neighborhood. I haven’t really gone walking in the neighborhood yet so I was up for the walk. We then went out for dinner at a Bar-B-Que place that I heard was the best in town. I would not agree, but it was still good. After dinner took a little drive around the historic part of down town then went to the grocery store.

Sunday, Sept 14
Weather: Around 85, rainy and humid. I took them to church with me and we got a treat with a baptism, which I haven’t seen yet at the church. They both really liked the service. We went to my favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch then went home. There was a break in the rain and we decided to go for another walk in a different direction, but we weren’t so luck to stay dry for the entire walk. Good thing we brought our umbrellas. Mom made her famous home made spaghetti sauce for dinner and I loved it. I had forgotten how much I love her home made spaghetti sauce.

Monday, Sept 15
Weather: 75, rainy and cool. Charlie wanted to go to the US Space and Rocket Center. So I took them over there for a couple hours. They have a new entrance and I haven’t been to the new part. The new part was nice, but they just took displays from the museum and moved them to the new part. So I had seen pretty much everything there before they were just in a new spot. But the outing was for me, it was for Mom and Charlie. We ate a quick dinner of pizza and salad and played a couple rounds of the card game kings in the corners. By about 8 pm we were all getting tired and decided to stop and watch a little TV, One Tree Hill and CSI: Miami.

Tuesday, Sept 16
Weather: 78, sunny and a cool breeze. Mom and Charlie left this morning after breakfast around 8:45am. It was nice to have them visit.

Pepper did really well with them and only hissed once. Most of the time he acted like he usually does when it is just me in the house. I was really expecting him to be all upset and cranky. I really didn’t want to come to work after they left, but I had to go back eventually so way not this morning.