Playing Pretend In A Mock Cockpit At NASA

Took Kovi to NASA today. Got a red rock out of the parking lot. Put it in my pocket. Then we pretended we were astronauts going to Mars to get a rock.

Kovi was the co-pilot. I looked at him sitting in that chair and thought, "Dang. This is cool." He was nervous. He said, "No noise."

Before I knew it, I was pretending I was on the comm to Houston. I made up all sorts of stuff and fooled with switches (always putting them back). As usual, I went overboard on the whole thing and Kovi was ready to get out. We got out and got the rock... Kovi said, "Don't want to go back in there." I told him that we had to... we had to get back to earth... the entire planet was waiting on us... for the rock... it was our mission... He reluctantly agreed. Getting back was good. There was a parade for us and we waved the rock. This was Kovi's favorite part... you know, "The crowd goes wild!!! RAHHHHHHH!!!"

I thought it was funny that we didn't use any of the simulation part of it. I wondered how many people did this with their kids; not explaining the buttons, controls and scenes but just clicking crap and not having a clue.

Looking at people's desks and stuff... and seeing a few documents littered here and there about missions... I realize that I am very removed from NASA. I'm pretty much removed entirely from everything; yet somehow intensely *there*, just not *the there*... It's pretty much in my imagination... There is enough intersection between *my there* and *their there* that keeps me employed and useful (at least it is rumored to be so).

Today, while pretending, for the sake of a two year old, I entered, by round-about way, what I would consider more of "The There". Simulation doesn't do that. I'd even venture to say that real space flight doesn't do that.

Maybe I should change my alias from "rover" to "peterpan".