Look UP ( I am "spaced out"?)

Funny how once upon a time, it used to be a real big thing if humankind launched something into space - look at all the fuss they made about Sputnik! (the year before I was born I think!) .... and then the even bigger fuss when Yuri Gargarin orbited the Earth (I think that was a few months before I was born) ... these days a whole spaceship full of several people can head of into orbit and most people are blissfully unaware of that fact ... unless it explodes and kills them all or something (fingers crossed that won't happen again) ...

At the moment, there is a space shuttle in orbit ... and it is currently docked to the International Space Station ... I went outside earlier this evening and watched them fly overhead - gee they are really bright now! ... if you want to go and look when you can see them fly over wherever you are - go to http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ and type in your country, then "follow the bouncing ball" - type in your state/etc, and have a look ... that is how I knew when to dash outside and look - it was supposed to be "wander outside" and look, but DH and I were watching something on TV and (because I knew how forgetful I could be) I had mentioned to Dh that I wanted to go outside and look for the ISS/shuttle at "about 10 past 8" (because that website said they would be passing overhead at 8:14pm) ... and it was at exactly 8:14 that DH said "oops - it is just AFTER 10 past 8!" ... so I dashed outside - and there they were! - exactly where the website said they would be - passing overhead in the south ... they flew right between the southern cross and the pointers - wish I had got the camera ready and taken a photo ... oh well ... maybe another time ... but it probably won't be in the same interesting place in the sky ... sigh ...
(Monday may be ok for a photo - but I will be at a meeting! lol ... then again - the ISS/shuttle fly over at about 7:45pm and the meeting starts later then usual this Month - at 8pm (rather than the usual 7:30) ... so I might have to try and remember to stop at the side of the road on the way and take a photo )

If I somehow managed to become "filthy rich" and could afford to pay for a space shuttle/etc flight as a "tourist" - I would be in it without a second thought! - I would so LOVE to see our plantet from "upstairs"!
... I would even go for a ride in the "Vomit comet" if I could afford it!
If i bumped into Spock or someone and found out that the Starship Enterprise was in orbit - my response would be - "beam me up Scotty!" ... the only thing I might hesitate for would be to ask if I could tell DH and the kids, and my parents, where I was going and see if they wanted to come with me ...

"Beam me up Scotty - there is no intelligent life down here"

(some Mad magazine sticker I saw many years ago)