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21 July 2001
On this day in 1969 I turned 8. It was a day of firsts.
My first Hot Wheels set.
My first sip of coffee
The first time Dad got up at the same time as I did
The first time I saw the inside of Mission Control. That was the first time the tv networks, all 4 of them, broadcast the boring details of what went into doing a moon launch. There were a lot of blokes in white shirts (I suppose they were white. Australia only had B&W telly then) just sitting around, making a beep noise when they stopped talking.
The first time men walked on the moon.
I always wondered how Michael Collins felt. A lot of people younger than me say "Who?" Collins was the other astronaut. He was the one who didn't land on the moon. He was left in the command module to orbit the moon, alone, while The Other Two got to do all the famous stuff. During that mission the CM passed behind the moon several times, to leave him totally isolated from everything. Dad explained that to me. I remember thinking Michael Collins Was The Lonliest Man In The Solar System.
The history books here say it all happened on July 20th. It didn't. It was the 20th in the US, but we are on the other side of the date line. It was the 21st here.
And so after watching that event on the telly I played with the Hot Wheels set. You have to set your priorities.
Today I got a nice 3 dial barometer/hygrometer/thermometer, and some undies. I think I'll go for a drive to Parkes and visit the old radio telescope.
Watch The Dish. It's a good movie.
But not as exciting as a new Hot Wheels set.
My first Hot Wheels set.
My first sip of coffee
The first time Dad got up at the same time as I did
The first time I saw the inside of Mission Control. That was the first time the tv networks, all 4 of them, broadcast the boring details of what went into doing a moon launch. There were a lot of blokes in white shirts (I suppose they were white. Australia only had B&W telly then) just sitting around, making a beep noise when they stopped talking.
The first time men walked on the moon.
I always wondered how Michael Collins felt. A lot of people younger than me say "Who?" Collins was the other astronaut. He was the one who didn't land on the moon. He was left in the command module to orbit the moon, alone, while The Other Two got to do all the famous stuff. During that mission the CM passed behind the moon several times, to leave him totally isolated from everything. Dad explained that to me. I remember thinking Michael Collins Was The Lonliest Man In The Solar System.
The history books here say it all happened on July 20th. It didn't. It was the 20th in the US, but we are on the other side of the date line. It was the 21st here.
And so after watching that event on the telly I played with the Hot Wheels set. You have to set your priorities.
Today I got a nice 3 dial barometer/hygrometer/thermometer, and some undies. I think I'll go for a drive to Parkes and visit the old radio telescope.
Watch The Dish. It's a good movie.
But not as exciting as a new Hot Wheels set.