A quick correction!

In the blog entry entitled Just another 'Paul Adventure'
I wrote "Gary's place. Gary is cool, and has three separate beds made for us, and after taking turns in the shower, we each retire to our beds."

I should point out that It's also Nancy's place (Since they are married), and Nancy is every bit as cool as Gary, and Nancy washed the sheets to help make the beds among other things, so Nancy deserves lots of Cool Credit points too!

First few days on the way home.

Just so you all know, I've been spending the last few days at a very dear friends house.
Apparently the flight hurt my back more than I realized, and I've spent the last few days simply resting.

Oh, I did send some pictures up to Facebook. They can be found here.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=15113&l=1f36c&id=672130095
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=15356&l=8d886&id=672130095
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20914&l=90fb0&id=672130095

I'll go back and edit some of the previous posts with pictures. Also, apparently some of the blog postings I sent up didn't make it. I blame this purely on me. I will go back over them and repost the ones that didn't make it...

Take care all.

Going “Home”

(Tenacious D - “Wonder Boy”)
But I don't know where Home is anymore. I feel completely displaced in time and space now. I have absolutely no idea at all what time it is, (My watch tells me it's about 2000 on Friday, but it doesn't feel like it. In fact, it doesn't feel like anything.) I have only some vague idea where I am. (I could no doubt turn on my GPS and discover that I am in seat 12B on a Canadair CRJ 700 at XxX coordinates, but what the hell does that really mean? And who really cares? Certainly not me.)
(Rage - “Wake up”)
And I really don't care. The only thing I care is I can't shake this near crushing depression over the fact that I have just abandoned my friends.
I know that's not the case. First off, They are in James more than capable hands. (He is a far better hands on Engineer than I am. He has a real no nonsense, no bull-shit approach, and he actually checks the numbers, and if he can't do it, he will say so, and then immediately try to learn how.
He is way better at this than I am, and will no doubt serve the crew much better than I could. He also gets along with them (and most people) so much better than I do. Then as a bonus, he is certainly a better cook than I am.) secondly, I know I have done the best job I could under the circumstances, but I can't shake this nagging belief that I could have done so much more or better. (I am practically screaming over what I could have done with the right parts. I wasted so much time because I didn't have the right parts here, well, there. Shit, I had to rebuild the waste system no less than four times simply because I didn't have $10 worth of parts that I had asked for, but was not allowed to bring. That cost me a full day alone. (Aerosmith - “Dream on”) I spent three times as much time on the fresh water system because I was nickel and dimeing the $5.00 PEX rings! Don't even get me started on the satellite installation. At least I saved the Mars Society about $6000 on that deal. F&&&!!) there were so many things that I had the tools and knowledge/skill for that I simply didn't have the time or simple parts for. I truly feel that I wasted an entire week, nearly half of my entire trip.(Trance Halloween theme.) What could I have done for them in that time with the right parts? A boatload. I could have finished the stairs, I could have finished the waste shed, I could have finished the shower room, Simon's room, all of the shelving, done a better urinal, built a segregating toilet, caulked the roof leaks, built the network, finish the water melter, frack!, the list just goes on and on... (A crappy techno remix of Beethoven's 5th. Screw it. Next! Bobby McFarren - “Don't worry, Be Happy” mislabeled as Mob Marley)
It's really hard not to be pissed at the people who made these very unwise decisions, who wasted all of this time and therefore money. Who stripped all of our contingency parts, most of which we needed. Who complained bitterly at our every dollar spent. This is what you call penny wise and pound foolish. Then they erected so many roadblocks that we didn't even get the few parts that we did order until it was too late for me. (Most of them showed up on the plane that took me out... )
(Dave Mathews Band - “Satellite” - I hate this one too. Next, System of a down - “Chop Suey”)
I know I tried hard, didn't sleep much spent little time on my personal wants, (Like this blog - My one shot at recognition and glory over this - Gone. I guess the work was more important...)
Side note, I just stopped for a few minutes to tape the first sunset I've seen in a while. It was pretty, but shooting through an aircraft port is not the highest quality thing to do...

So, even with all of that - I still feel like shit. I did everything I could with what I had as best as I knew how, and it wasn't enough... I know I am leaving in them in the best hands possible, but I feel like I could have left him in such a better position.
I guess we'll find out. I hope they aren't too upset at me. I know they'll never say so to my face, but I want to know what they really think. Maybe I don't...
I should note that as I write this I'm near to exhausted, and my back is killing me. I guess 0600 to 2345 on airplanes is just too much. I am tired, and extremely upset. Perhaps that is who is talking.
I am looking forward to a summer of finishing the Hanksville project and writing, and if all goes well, a big parachute jump...
Time will tell...

I have readers?

Thank you to those who told me you were reading! I really appreciate it!