This weekend was INSANE. The only time I was home all weekend was to eat/sleep/bathe – and I didn’t even do all of that at home. Nor did I do much of any of it. From about 3pm on Friday until bedtime last night it was a constant flurry of activity and it may not slow down at all until June as we have an out-of-town wedding, two graduations, one birthday, and family coming into town for several of those things. CALGON…BRING ME A BEER!
BUT! I can NOT let today pass with taking a moment to feature one of my favorite people…NOT on this planet. Colonel Chris Hadfield – Commander of the International Space Station up until a ceremony yesterday where he passed the baton to someone else in preparation for his trip home tonight. Officially he was commander of expedition 35, unofficially he is the commander of my super-geeky heart.
In the last five months, Col. Hadfield became quite a fixture in the lives of the kids’ and I. Mainly with Wes and I. We looked at the pictures he took every day and watched all of his educational videos. This was one of the coolest:
He’s been up there for five months and tonight? He comes home. And I’m going to miss him being in space! I hope someone else (Maybe an American?) takes up the mantel he’s carried and continues the social aspect of the work on the International Space Station. Look at this FANTASTIC collaborative event he did for Music Monday – singing a song song co-written by with Ed Robertson from the Barenaked Ladies. IT’S A SONG ABOUT THE SPACE STATION. I MEAN…COME ON.
That’s what I love about Hadfield. He’s not just a scientist and astronaut. He’s a musician and he’s simply passionate and excited about everything he does. He loves showing off the photos he takes and the tasks he does. And when someone is that excited about what they do? That enthusiasm is contagious. Wes often asks to watch videos from the International Space Station. And he calls it just that…the full name. Because he knows what it is thanks to Col. Hadfield.
He has posted several “goodbye” type videos the last few days but his cover/production of one of my FAVORITE songs in the world.
Follow him on twitter and like his page on Facebook so you can see the final hours of his stay in space. And help me wish him and his fellow travelers a safe trip home.
I’ve been LOVING this also!!! (and since I’m Canadian – doubly proud)
I don’t know if you’re ever in Canada, but in Montreal there’s space camp, and our astronauts are known to go there for the different camps and stuff.
I have NO idea if Cmdr Hadfield will ever be there, but you never know. Here’s the link: http://www.cosmodome.org/en/home/#/home/
Seriously. It’s super cool. I’ve been there a few times (I was a tour guide).
I have so fallen in love with Commander Hadfield! His Twitter feed, photos, and videos have blown me away and totally changed my perspective on life here on Earth. What an amazing, inspiring guy!
Why did that video of him singing with the kids make me CRY? I am crying. It’s so lovely and cool and sometimes the world (the UNIVERSE) is just so wonderful.
Yes, like Laural said, I’m extra proud of him because of the Canadian factor – he just seems like an incredibly cool guy and I absolutely love how interactive and accessible he has made his time on the ISS.