Just eat it

I am mortified that my last post was on November 13. Pathetic. Life has been busy. I was really excited to write and post over the long weekend, but my laptop was down. For some reason I couldn't seem to get my fat butt off the couch and into the den where the working computer was. There is something about my couch that gets the creative juices flowing.

Two weeks ago Mr. Big Momma and I headed down to Orlando (Mistake #1) for a friend's wedding. We decided to make it a long weekend (Mistake #2). It was nice to get away, but I found myself wishing, while in gridlock traffic, that I was anywhere BUT Orlando. We were there for a total of 96 hours and we spent at least 48 of them in traffic. Seriously. Luckily our car time was spent in a Prius. Even in gridlock, we averaged 50 mpg. Not bad. The car has a control panel. Technology rules!



The normal display on the panel showed mpg, power generated, etc. Because I am absolutely the worst picture taker, I don't have one to show you. I really do but it is quite embarrassing. I took 100 pictures in 4 days and a good solid 20 of them are in focus. The coolest display was the above image which showed the rear view while you were backing up. I was excited because I saw this as probably my only opportunity to get on TV. Prius TV still counts, right? I must say that Mr. Big Momma has mad driving skills. We didn't crash once, even though he spent more time watching the panel than the road. Oh wait, there actually was a crash.....After dinner on Saturday night, I was watching the screen while he was backing up and screaming "They are going to hit us" as a clueless van pulled out and hit us. Poor little Prius.


Mr. Big Momma spends a lot of time in Orlando as his firm has an office down there, so he was quite the tour guide. On our first night he took me to High Tide Harry's. Really bad idea to include Harry in the name of your restaurant. Gag. But, how can you go wrong with this




For those of you who are complaining about not being able to read the sign due to my poor photography skills, it says "40 TOP Quality Shrimp, Steamed or Sauteed. $9.99." Mr. Big Momma couldn't pass this up. Luckily he was there on the right day, the ONLY night to visit HTS's, Thursday Pounder night. Here is what he got...

That is a full pound of shrimp, my friends. It also came with a pound of butter, no additional charge.

If you ever find yourself in Orlando, you should definitely pay Harry a visit. They are the self proclaimed provider of "Reel Seafood." How could you go wrong? Plus, it was late and at that point we were reel hungry. Outside of the cheap shrimp, here are a few additional reasons why you should go:

1. Tartar sauce (clearly not cream of tartar you idiots) in a squeeze bottle. Need I say more?

2. PBR on tap. PBR me ASAP. Now I know why they sold souvenir beer cozies. Isn't it a crime in some states to drink warm PBR?

3. I actually heard a man start a conversation with: "I was watching Overhaulin'...."

4. The music. Literally went from Barry White to AC/DC and back again. We even heard Freebird.

5. Cheapest meal in town. $25 tab which included a hefty tip.

6. The food was awesome!

7. The best bathroom sign EVER: In case of nuclear attack, run in the restroom. No one ever hits anything in there. Aaah, just like home.

She blinded me with science...SCIENCE!!!

It is no secret to those who know me that I am a total science nerd. I am an OSU graduate, masters in Molecular Genetics, Ph.D candidate as well, but never finished. Because of my failure to complete the D (for those of you from academia, I am proudly an ABD...all but dissertation to those of you non-science folk), I have always related to the Grease song, "Beauty School Drop Out." I get it. I just change the words from Beauty School. to Ph.D. Frequently you can hear me singing this song under my breath, even thought I am proud of my decision to leave. My Masters has served me well, damn it. When Corporate America came calling, I listened, and not just for the paycheck. The money was not the issue, it was a lifestyle choice.

Anyway, back to the reason why I am posting. As you know I am in Orlando, FL and today there was a space shuttle launch. Here is the scoop:


The space shuttle Endeavour roared into orbit Wednesday carrying teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan, who was finally fulfilling the dream of Christa McAuliffe and the rest of the fallen Challenger crew.
Endeavour and its crew of seven rose from the seaside pad at 6:36 p.m. ET, right on time, and pierced a solidly blue sky. They are expected to reach the international space station on Friday.

Wow! Being the nerd I am, I did everything in my power to see this launch, but failed. It killed me to be so close to this event; withing seeing distance, really. Luckily my husband, who is also in Orlandofor business, was able to see the launch. Live!!! I am so jealous. What an amazing thing to witness. I am determined to make it back down here for the next launch, so that I can be a part of it. I'm told by my husband that traffic was backed up for miles. Kudos to those who made the trip. This is a part of our history and I am disturbed to find that most people don't give a crap about it. Hopefully those of you in Cbus watching this event on television and thought about what an amazing feat this truly is/was. More interesting to know... Barbara Morgan was Christa McAuliffe's back up for the Challenger launch. What a brave women she was, all in the name of Science,curiosity. We should all admire her and her pursuit of knowledge, her willingness to jeapordize her life for her passion for science.

I know that many of you out there couldn't give a crap about science. But, hopefully you will find something out there that you believe in. Something that you are willing to sacrifice for. Something that will fill your heart with passion. Without passion, what have you really got?

One final comment before I crash. Just wanted to give a shout out to Dr. Jane Reece. Thank you for your passion for teaching Biology. Thank you for your hard work in putting your passion onto the pages of a text book. I recognize your hard work in taking on this task. It is because of you that I have a job and am proud of what I do for a living. More college students should have access to the information that you make availabe. More authors should be as accessable as you. This will be my mission if life, to spread the word. Knowledge is power. Thanks for being an inspiration to us all!!