Laura L. Dugie

News from the International Space Station

Ms Giffords;
Please vote NO on HR 1586!!  In no way do I favor the payment of these bonuses, however, to see a specific segment of our population legislatively targeted this way is CHILLING.  It is time for Congress to stop governing by crisis, slamming bills through with minimal committee review and closed rules!  Please be part of getting back to the basics of congressional oversight and the timely formulation of authorizations and appropriations.  Thank You.

This was first published to my blog page in November 2007.  I still miss living in AZ! :)  LLD

Anyone else still waking up an hour early in the morning?  This clock re-set business twice a year sure is a pain, traveling about my home to change all the various clocks and timers I live with -from the coffee maker to the VCR.  I grew up taking it all for granted until my parents delivered me to my dorm at the University of Arizona an hour early; that was when we found out that not everyone takes part in Springing Forward and Falling Back.  For seven years I got to live on Mountain Standard time year-round.  I got to where I didn't need to set an alarm for the morning because my body knew when to get up.  It strikes me as a much more natural way to live.  As the majority of us re-set our clocks, the earth continues to rotate on its axis as it has for millions of years.  I am often amazed at our species endless curiosity, our need to understand, and then desire to apply what we have learned.  Long ago we sought to measure time, and then tricked ourselves into thinking we could "control" the day by changing our clocks.  The simple truth about "daylight savings" is that no daylight is saved, rather human behavior changes.  How many folks noticed that the parameters of Daylight Savings Time were changed by an Act of Congress last year?  The premise was that we could save energy by keeping to Daylight Saving for more of the year.  The bill was passed and signed into law without much notice, and we all re-set our clocks when told to.  I believe humans have been diminished by all this somehow; first of all by being less connected to the natural rhythm of our planet home, and then by not realizing the sheer power of the human race when we all put our minds to the same goal....large or small.  One of my favorite moments in the movie "Apollo 13" is when Jim Lovell tells his wife that going to the Moon wasn't a miracle, we had simply made up our minds to do it.  As routine as the changing of clocks may seem, I don't believe it should be viewed that way at all; rather, it should be recognized as what can happen when communities agree to act together to accomplish a common goal.  It is time for the United States to become a nation of common cause and achievement again.  It is also time for my family to move home to Arizona.

Time to share some stories from Casa Dugie :)  The Vals and I celebrated Presidents Day 2009 at Monticello.  Valerie and I had the chance to drive down last March, it was time to show Colonel Val some of the fun we had.  We recommend to all avoiding I-95, and drive Highway 29 instead...much more relaxing!  Along the way there was an exit for a town called Summerduck, which had us wondering about having Summerduck, VA as an address.  It could also be fun to live on Margaritaville Road in the Sierra foothills of CA, not far from Beale AFB.  We enjoyed lunch at Michie Tavern, a little expensive but good for a first visit - offers 18th Century southern fare in a setting to match.  The new Visitor's Center at Monticello is a short drive from the Tavern.  We had to wait an hour for our guided tour; that was when I had my camera out!  Some of those photos can be found in a new album at the bottom of my web page.

February 24th was another day of Presidents for us....originally billed as "University of Arizona Night on Capitol Hill", the Capitol Cats were to meet within the Capitol complex to hear from UofA President Robert N. Shelton...but POTUS scheduled his first address to Congress....so we moved our event to Bullfeather's...a nearby watering hole. The President and Executive Director of the UA Alumni Association, Chris Vlahos, began the evening with a few remarks, then introduced our Capitol Cats President, Eric Hochman.  So, dear readers, think we had enough Presidents around the other night????  Perhaps it was lucky, though ----

A few weeks ago, Valerie and I discovered ringtones :)  I've programmed my phone so that when I get a call from Colorado, my phone plays John Denver singing Rocky Mountain High.  This is made even more fun when Dad calls me from the slopes at Loveland ski basin.  When one of the Vals calls, I get to hear a song by Gaelic Storm.  Jon Bon Jovi and his band had fun putting together a play list of ringtones to sell.  In addition to song clips, they have some commentary as well.  

Back at Bullfeather's, Eric wanted to introduce his Board - and we were invited to stand next to him at the front of the room.  Thankfully, I'd had the foresight to reset my phone ...because, of course, while I was standing at the front of the room Val sent me a text message to let me know he was on the way.  If I had not silenced my phone before putting it in my pocket, the voice of Jon Bon Jovi would have started yelling, "Hey, let me outta here!  Let me outta here!"  Ever so glad to have escaped that possible embarrassment.  The turn out was great for our Alumni event, and it was very interesting to hear from President Shelton about how the UofA is dealing with budget cuts.   We live in interesting times.

Other bits:  yesterday was our 25th Wedding Anniversary...where has the time gone?  Val has been on leave this week, a nice change from the many occasions he would be in another hemisphere on February 25th.  He has planned a Super Date for tomorrow night.  Valerie had softball try-outs this week, and has made the Varsity team.  Spring Training already....the "new"  year isn't so very new anymore, is it?