Introducing Blue 4!

(click to enlarge.)

Borders

These just felt appropriate for today...make what you will of them.


"From our orbital vantage point, we observe an earth without borders, full of peace, beauty and magnificence, and we pray that humanity as a whole can imagine a borderless world as we see it and strive to live as one in peace."

-Pilot William McCool, STS-107 (Orbiter Columbia)
Note: William "Willie" McCool died on Feb. 1st 2003 when Columbia broke up on reentry...just a few days after making the above statement.


"When I was a kid, they used to tell me that I could be anything I wanted to be, no matter what... and maybe I am insane, I don't know, but I still believe that. Somewhere along the line, we stopped believing that we could do anything."

-Charles Farmer "The Astronaut Farmer"


Peace,
Lance "Rocketman"

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

Hi everyone, Alli here.

Today as we left the apartment this morning to go workout, we were greeted with a wonderful surprise.. it was SNOWING!! This is the first time it has snowed in Boise since we have been here. Being from Florida, I couldn't help but run onto the balcony and take some pictures! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

We have all be really busy working at the Special Olympics World Winter Games, but it is truly worth it! Another team, Blue 7, arrived in Boise on Thursday and started work today. It is great having them here, and we hope they will love the Games and Boise as much as we do! 

xoxo, 

Alli

PS.... We would like to send a special thanks to Cheryl's mom for sending us napkins! We have truly missed using them! 

An update

This is Mary.

Cheryl says I moan in my sleep, and it's really creeping the both of us out- but probably her more than me. I think we came to the conclusion it was me making the noises during that night in Rome, Oregon. Supposedly everyone heard mysterious sounds coming from my side of the bed.

Oregon Flashback

 

Sleeptime in Boise

Shelby and I had a one on one yesterday, when I chopped of her hair! It looks great. I really like your hair, Shelby. Meanwhile, Emily and Fionna had a very entertaining dance party on the balcony.

It was a wonderful Saturday.

I'm excited for the winter break. I know this week coming up [the last full one before we leave for break] will be a crazy one. The deadline for everybody's plans seems to be the 15th of December. Hooray for Blue 7 joining us from Compton! That was a cool surprise.

Downtown shots: 

Cool skies & Special Olympics advertising on Office Depot

All Wheels Stop!

Orbiter Endeavour touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in California after completing a 16-day marathon home improvement mission at the International Space Station. Thanks to their heroic efforts (minus a lost tool bag) the station should be nearly ready to receive and support three additional (for a total of six) occupants mid-2009. Thanks go out to Mission Control, the Endeavour crew and all of the support teams for their service over this Thanksgiving holiday. At the time of this writing, orbiter Discovery is poised to launch in mid-February of '09.

GO DISCOVERY GO!!!

-Lance "Rocketman"

We're so thankful for Thanksgiving!

This is Emily F, reporting for AmeriCorps NCCC Blue 4, the most rocking Class XV team ever.
We are a group of very happy, thankful people, and below are some specific reasons why. :o)

Alli
I'm thankful for warm gloves and earmuffs! My hands and ears are freezing!!! But really, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve with AmeriCorps NCCC this year, and to have such an amazing team. I am also thankful for Britta's mad cooking skills!!!!!!!!!

Britta
I'm honestly thankful for the opportunity to be a team leader, to get to work for the WORLD WINTER GAMES of the Special Olympics (!!!), and to be part of Blue 4! I am thankful for the number of times I laugh awkwardly out loud at my desk, all because of Blue 4 (best team ever!! Even though - maybe especially because? - we sometimes appear granolaish). Oh, and number 2 on Lance's list (minus "leaving Wells Fargo"). I'm also thankful that even if I tried, I would have no idea how to blow myself up. Also, I'm thankful for sunglasses...

Cheryl
I'm thankful for having the opportunity to see my friends and family. (It is Emily's opinion that Cheryl is also thankful for the opportunity to work in the Cattery.)

Emily
I am incredibly thankful for my amazing family and friends who support me and love me, without whom I don't know where I would be. I am thankful for this opportunity to serve, and especially with the fantastic organization of the 2009 SOWWG and its staff. I am, as always, thankful and inspired by the magic of music.

Fionna
I'm thankful for a lot from being able to come here and being able to take on a lot of responsibility to my friend coming here to my pitiful dreads and everything in between that includes Blue 4 and all the great things it is. Oh yeah and #s 1 and 6 on Lance's list.

Josh
I am thankful for the 5 Ts:
1) Tom
2) Team
3) Time (spent helping SO, doing ISPs, hanging out, playing guitar, reading, going out at night)
4) Transportation
5) Tom

Lance
I'm thankful for:
1) The successful landing and mission of the Phoenix Mars Lander (RIP due to Martian winter).
2) Leaving Wells Fargo/graduating from a respected collegiate environment.
3) Returning to a collegiate environment with which to better the human race's understanding of science.
4) WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth class)
5) Tofurkey (which oddly enough kinda tastes like chicken).
6) Not going to prison (or rather, not getting caught).
7) Not accidentally blowing myself up.

Mary
I'm thankful for -
Blue 4
Nice living arrangements
A cool first project
Food
Being able to see my family over Christmas
Cheryl & Lance - for letting me mooch
Good health
Being FF&E-less over Thanksgiving break

Shelby
(supposedly condensed (according to Emily)) I'm really grateful for the awesome new addition to my family in the form of my sister-in-law and I'm thankful for the chance to go home and see them for Christmas! Also, I'm really happy that I got the awesome team that I did and not some crazy hippy granolaish kids (haha, jk). Really, though all of you are awesome! Much love!

Stephanie
I am thankful for the ability and opportunity to grow as a person...
and also for chocolate.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us on Blue 4! :o)

Beautiful Boise!

Just thought I would share a glimpse of the view from our apartment balcony! 

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Love, 

Alli

Photos!

I'm sorry, the pictures may seem small. But if you click on them, they grow.

Halloween Duty

Lake Tahoe

Rome, Oregon... mm

Here we go.

So,

It took a while for us to get a blog up and running. But here it is.

Pictures of our adventure will soon follow.

Boise, Idaho is a charming city. I really like being so close to the greenbelt- a forest-like 26 mile stretch along the river. I ran through yesterday morning, as my extra day of PT, and found myself at the art museum. It's really handy to have 'the downtown' so close when we only have one vehicle--and the 15-p is a little more work to trek around.

I never realized how much work, time, and effort it takes to set up a BIG event like the Special Olympics. I'm working in the logistics department, typing things into the inventory database, and working in the warehouse. The days get a little long, but the staff members make it fun. I'm excited to see the turnout of the games, only 76 days left to prepare!

Dear Lance & Cheryl,

Thank you, and I'm sorry for taking over your laptops.

Mary