Astronaut Selection Process: Status

On July 5, I received notice from the NASA Astronaut Selection committee that my application made the first cut from 6,200 applicants down to the "Highly Qualified" (HQ) level of just 400 or so applicants. The process was to get my medical prescreening done, get my letters of recommendation in, and wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait :) Not a problem, since it's been a busy year! But heck yes, I was so honored to make it that far! Turns out, a handful of my good friends and co-workers also made it that far, so it was fun to be in the same boat together.

Yesterday I received the phone call I'd been waiting for for the last 25 years or so: I have been asked to come for an astronaut candidate interview. This means I am now in the next round of 120 to be interviewed and considered seriously. Of us, 15 will get selected to be astronauts. I will be in Week 5, which Jan 16-18. These are the highlights of what I was told on the phone in my excitement yesterday!

Yes, I'm super pumped, and ready for that interview week! I'm not sure what all I can share about the process just yet, so I'll use discretion here and anytime I mention it publically. And also I stink at conveying my thoughts and feelings on something so personal! I'm more of a technical writer, so it's hard to get this into words.

I did ask Anna-Marie last night if she thought I should be an astronaut, and apparently I have her blessing. Paul's beside himself as well!  :)  A little celebration is in order!

WOOT!

A snail's soul

Me: That snail's been stuck on our window for like a week now. It must be dead.

Anna: Why is it still stuck on the window then? Shouldn't it have gone up to Heaven?

Me: Well the soul goes to Heaven but the body stays behind when something dies. Do you know what a soul is?

Anna: No

We've had conversations about the soul before but like other things as she grows it's like she is hearing it for the first time.

Me: The soul is inside your body. You can't see it, but it makes Anna who Anna is, and mommy mommy and daddy daddy.

Anna: But the snail is still there on the window.

Me: Just his body, baby. When you die, your body stays and your soul leaves.

I think she was happy with that.

At the park a few weeks ago a little boy (neighbor) her age told her that people who don't go to church don't believe in God. I told her the next time someone tells her that, she can tell them that's wrong, because God is everywhere, and not just in a church.

In today's day and age I still can't believe that people actually believe what the little boy told Anna, and worse, that kids are being told this.

It's the world we live in. I can't wait till we can start teaching her about true access to God, angels, and those on The Other Side who will help her in life going forward. What a powerful thing for a kid to realize at an early age. Everyone should have such access and comfort.