Day 38: Cocoa: Consolation Prizes

March 12, 2015

We have shifted over one town, with the help of four lovely people, being Dave Patel, the owner of the Travel Inn, Mike Smith, the taxi driver, and Vinnie and Mina owners of the Apollo Inn in Cocoa. As we have read in messages recently, and seen from other blogs, cyclists and especially injured ones bring out the best in people. That has been the case today again, and makes up a consolation prize in all of this.

The second consolation comes about because though we have moved maybe 8 km south, we have not yet left the "Space Coast". That is how our new motel can be called the Apollo. We have learned that NASA is going to launch a Saturn v tonight, containing satellites to study the magnetosphere. Within their 30 minute launch window and assuming they go for it, we should be able to step outside our door and see it go. Even better, our TV here carries the NASA channel. With that we have already watched a press conference explaining the mission, plus one other presentation on a launch from Vanderburg Base in California with a satellite to measure soil moisture. Cool! And some consolation for not making it to the Space Centre.

Meanwhile the bed here is just the right height for me to get up and down from it. That holds the possibility of being able to sleep on it, propped up. Last night could only be in a chair - similar to trying to sleep on a plane. Dodie's back and neck and misc other parts continue glitched, so as of now she could not drive our manual shift van. She has about 5 days to shape up, else we will need Jeremy or Laurie to truck us home from Seattle. Clearly, I can not drive for about 2 months.

Dave did all he could to help us be comfortable

Mike was not really available, but made time to shift us to the Apollo

We had nowhere to go before check in time, but Mina set us up to wait, even offering to drive us to a restaurant if we were hungry.

We are still enjoying the mild Floida weather.

Vinnie and Mina shifted our gear to the room.

Mina takes great pride in the cleanliness of her rooms. She runs, really runs, around the property to get the chores done.

A little more on US hospital billing

Someone noted in the Guestbook that we should expect up to six bills from our hospital visit. This was confirmed by the hospital who confirmed that the hospital, the orthopedics man, the xray, the ER physicians, and the hospital are all independent operators. With this in mind, the hospital (which has yet to generate any bill) said its lawyers would put a lien on - we assume on any or all insurance payments. We think this is their way to elbow their way to the front of the billing line.

For our part, we have at least two insurance companies, and two victims. So with at least five billing agents, we might have to give out ten sets of contact info, each with its own claim number!?

We started by phoning the orthopedic doc's office. They denied knowing anything, including what he did to or for me. Talk to the hospital, they said. Aha, circular referral. So I guess we will limp back to Canada and watch our mailbox for big fat bills. Maybe we can then circularly refer them somewhere!

Outside our motel, a billboard for the hospital we were brought to.

NASA Update

We are enjoying being here, right now at T minus 1 hour 45 minutes for the Atlas V launch. We can watch the live picture on our TV and listen to mission control. Then, at the instant, we will step out our door and see if we see it!

We have learned a little about the MMS project by listening to the scientists through the afternoon. The MMS or Magnetospheric MultiScale mission comprises four identical satellites that will form a tetrahedron and so somehow give 3D detection of magnetic fields, at the electron level ...I think.

What they are trying to study is "magnetic reconnection" which is what happens when magnetic fields collide and cancel themselves, converting to energy jets (of electrons) ...I think.

This in turn affects solar weather, like the aurora. - Better read the Wiki for the real story!Anyway, our bikes at least brought us this close to this place, and we are glad of that.

The actual rocket, which was rolled out yesterday

NASA Final Impression

Folks, that was amazing! This was our first and maybe last time to see something so dramatic and so far on the edge of human achievement. We watched the rocket light up on our screen, and immediately stepped outside to see the sky light up, and the roman candle climb into the sky in front of us! Right now the thing is "coasting". Soon it will do a burn and later release its four part payload, one satellite every five minutes. NASA is showing replays now. Impressive, as good as they do with hockey. Only here it's views from different cameras, inclding ones on the rocket. Eventually these views become colourful, artistic blobs.

Here (soon) are some of the images. After that, bedtime!

The rocket above that hospital billboard.

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	0
Comment on this entry	Comment	0