Love, Life and Appreciation

Back in July, I applied for the NASA Social Orion Stationary Recovery Test. If you aren't familiar with what NASA Social is, it's a program that allows NASA social media followers, an inside look at what goes on at NASA. This may include tours of facilities, talking to astronauts and more. I apply for the socials under my twitter handle @weathersavvy1. On that account I tweet about many things in the Earth Science field.

I applied for the social because I've done three NASA Socials in the past (all at the NASA headquarters in DC). I really enjoyed them. I also was very interested in what the social was to offer. The social included a tour of the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton,VA, the NASA Langley Research Center also in Hampton and a view of the Orion Spacecraft Stationary Recovery Test in Norfolk,VA as well as a tour of the USS Arlington. I was a little apprehensive because only 30 of NASA's social media followers would be selected. I wasn't really worried about the drive. The NASA Langley Research Center is about 3 hours and 8 minutes from the house. A few days after I applied I got an email saying I was on the wait list. I was a little upset and thought I wouldn't be selected. Two days after that I got an email saying the I was off the wait list. I was in! I was so happy.

The dates were August 14 and 15th for the event. Unfortunately Rex wasn't able to schedule off for the 14th and 15th. I decided I'd leave the morning of the 14th and leave after the events on the 15th. It was hard leaving May, as that night was the first time I spent a night away from her. Rex was there to watch her while I was gone and I knew they'd have some good father/daughter bonding time :-) The ride down to Hampton was good. I meet up with a couple of social media followers who were selected for the event. We went to a late lunch at the SurfRider. After the lunch we all went to the Virginia Air and Space Center. There we got to tour to facility after hours and see an IMAX movie, Elysium, at a discounted price. Here are some pictures from the center:

In front of the Apollo 12 Command Module.

The Apollo 12 Command Module.

I didn't stay to watch the movie. I went back to the hotel to get some sleep. We went to the NASA Langley Research Center the next morning. We had to be there at 8am. It was nice and we got an overview of the facility. Here's a video describing the center:

We got to see the landing facility where they test airplanes and helicopters. That was also the place where the Orion Capsule was drop tested in the Hydro Impact Basin as well as where the crew of the Apollo spacecraft trained. Here's some pictures of the Landing Facility:

The Hydro Impact Basin.

The NASA Social crew in front of the Hydro Impact Basin. (Credit: @NASASocial)

After the Landing Facility, we went to the National Transonic Facility, were they test aeronautics. That center is one of two wind tunnels in the world that can achieve high Reynold's numbers (My college classes came back to me with "Reynold's numbers.") Here's a few pics from the facility:

Inside the control room.

We also got to tour a space habitat at another facility at the NASA Langley Research Center.

Inside the space habitat.

After the tour of the Research Center. We went to the Naval Station in Norfolk, VA. That's where the US Navy on the USS. Arlington was to recover the Orion Spacecraft. The last time a recovery of a spacecraft was done in the water was the Apollo spacecraft back in the 1970s! It was so cool to be there to watch the recovery. NASA, the US Navy and Lockheed Martin did a great job. The recovery was a success! Here are the pics:

The media.

The crew at the Naval Station. (Credit: @NASASocial)

All attached.

Secured.

Success!

Lastly we got to tour the USS Arlington by some of the US Navy. Part of the heel of the ship is infused with a piece of the pentagon from 9-11. Here's those pics:

The Orion Spacecraft on the ship.

Never forget.

The landing pad.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience. It was so nice meeting everyone and visiting the facilities and the Naval Station. I left after the events on the 15th and got back to the house in Maryland around 9:30 pm. Thanks to everyone who made this opportunity possible.

Here's our future scientist:

I've been trying new natural and organic products recently and I was introduced to Goodebox, a monthly subscription service, from browsing the forums on MakeupTalk.com. At $16 a month, Goodebox is more on the expensive side of subscription boxes, the service does offer 6 to 7 trial sized products matched to meet your customizable profile. Here's the what I received:

Blue Avocado- (eco) Zip Travel bag ($3.99)

According to the card given in the box, "this bag is made from 50% recycled repreve polyester fibers." It's also "TSA compliant and could easy fit 4 travel size bottles". I like this product and it's actually clear when you take the card in the middle with the bottles on it out. I like that I can take this with me on my travels and that it's made from recycled material.

Kaia- Juicy Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloths (30 ct. pkg - $15.00)

The box contained two of these cloths and I'll say that was good amount to get a feel for the product. The cloths cleanse and tone and smell GREAT! These cloths picked up much of the dirt on my face and left my skin feeling really smooth. I think I might consider purchasing these cloths in the near future.

Preserve- Toothbrush (4 brushes - $15.00)

I like how this toothbrush is made from recycled yogurt cups and is BPA free. The card mentions you can even get a new brush every 3 months with the subscription program at Preserve. I'm looking forward to trying this toothbrush and I'll stick it in my travel bag.

Zoe Organics- Insect Repellent (4oz- $20.00)

One thing I don't like about summer are the insects that bite and this product hit the nail right on the head. I love that this is a 100% organic blend botanical oils and fights off insects too. I tried this product and the smell is not the strong. I remember using OFF! when I was back at camp, and practically reeking on insect repellent. This repellent comes out more like a liquid, which also for nice coverage of the area in which you wish to protect.

The All Nighter Styling Powder (Platinum/Neutral) (1oz- $18.00)

This is the only product in the box that I'm not too happy about. Though the powder is talc, aluminum, silica and paraben free, I feel that it's not the product for me. I don't really use powders in my hair, especially styling powders. I'll probably be giving this one away as a gift.

Skinfare- Verdant Remedy Coconut Oil Stick (0.8oz -$9.99)

I absolutely LOVE this product! It has a blend of essential oils and it tones, brightens and moisturizes. This stick is so multipurpose, you can use it almost anywhere. I like how the stick is small enough to fit in my bag, but a little goes a long way. The stick melts in contact with the skin and I've been using it on my face. I find that my skin absorbs the oils quickly and so far I haven't had a breakout. I've already ordered another one of these sticks along with two more, the Apothecary Prime and the Topical Nourishment. I used the code that was provided on the card, it's exclusively only for members however. I could see this product replacing my moisturizer! The product smells wonderful too.

EatGreenTea.com Organic Whole Leaf Edible Green Tea (100g bag-$25.00)

At first I thought this was a teabag, but then I saw it was EDIBLE green tea. This intrigued me, as I have never heard of eating green tea. According to the card, the tea is "100% organic, hand-picked, whole green tea leaves that have been tested for heavy metals and boast up to 10,000% higher antioxidant value than their brewed counterpart." The tea can be placed in soups, stews, sauces, smoothies, you name it, to consume it. I put about a tablespoon the sauce for my spaghetti and found the taste of the sauce and the tea to be pleasing. I could see buying more of this in the near future.

Overall, I'm very happy with this box and Goodebox. I like how the products are tailored to your profile and that the contents of the box are over the $16 price at which the box sells for. I look forward to September's box. I actually recently purchased their Single 'Bonus' Goodebox. That box is going for $14 and promises to offer 6 to 7 trial size products. That box can be either all the contents from a previous box or various contents from previous boxes. I'm hoping for various contents.

Disclaimer: I purchased this box with my own money and was not monetarily compensated for this review. Opinions are honest and are completely my own.

We'd like to wish all the Liberians a very happy Liberian Independence Day!

Liberia celebrated 166 years last Friday. We celebrated the Liberian Independence Day at the Liberian Embassy in DC last year but unfortunately this year we missed out. The Embassy held the celebrations on the 20th. That was Monday and a whole week earlier. We were unaware of this until much later. It looks like it was a good time at the Embassy and the weather was great, as compared to last year. We hope to join in the festivities next year, and we'll keep better track of the when the celebrations will be occurring.

We decided to go to Ocean City, MD this past Friday and Saturday as Rex and I had off from work. It was May's first time to OC. It was also our first time back since Hurricane Sandy stuck the area and many other cities along the Mid-Atlantic Coast, last year. The famous fishing pier had been severely damaged by the waves and many buildings were damaged by the strong winds. Since than much of the city has been rebuilt, including the fishing pier which re-opened in May. We also traveled with Farms, a family friend who has helped watch over May when Rex and I are working.

The trip to Ocean City was good. There was hardly any traffic. Our time there was good as well, the weather wasn't too hot. Just a few weeks ago, we were in a heat wave. I'm sure many people flocked down to the shore then. May seemed to like the beach. She was playing in the sand and I put into the baby carrier and Rex and I walked along the beach. She also seemed to like the waves. We didn't get too close to the waves, we did dip our feet in. At one point, May got sleepy and Rex made her a nice little bed out of the sand and a towel. I made sure to put sunscreen on her before we got out in the sun and we got an umbrella for further protection from the sun.

May also enjoyed the boardwalk. We had her in the stroller, the baby carrier and Rex physically carried her. She was so talkative and was waving her little arms and legs. We spent more time walking on the board this time and going on the beach and pier. We plan on going back next year, maybe sometime in August. She'll be a bit bigger then and we might be able to take her on some of the rides. Or she might want to play on the beach more.

On the way back, we stopped at the Salisbury Zoo. It was May's first time. We were greeted by a duck on the way out of the car. The duck quacked and May got scared. She was a little scared of some of the animals but May seemed to be interested in the flamingos, llamas, bison, and deer. She also saw a jaguar. My grandmother, whom May is named after absolutely adored bison. It was nice to see them. It was a nice getaway. We're glad May seemed to have fun too.

Here are some pictures we took of the trip: