Unicorns and Astronauts

First, a quote of the day from my (gay) housemate regarding the topic of Log Cabin Republicans: "Oh, them... they're like unicorns."

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Second, a long overdue story from the Thanksgiving excursion to Chicago... On Friday my father and I went to the Adler Planetarium while my mother and sister shopped their way around the Magnificent Mile. On top of the three different planetarium theaters, the Adler also serves as a space science museum. In the Shoot For The Moon exhibit, specifically the Journey with Jim Lovell gallery, Dad and I were able to examine Gemini 12 while a film narrated by Lovell played on the screen above our heads. As Apollo 13 was both one of my favorite movies and favorite books growing up, I was pretty excited by the exhibit.

Once we had had our fill of observing just how claustrophobic space travel is, we turned the corner and heard Lovell's voice again... only this time it wasn't a film. Jim Lovell himself was explaining to what appeared to be his family how they got the spacesuit display mostly right, with the exception of the watch. It took everything I had not to start shrieking like a teenager watching The Beatles at Shea Stadium... an extremely nerdy teenager.

Dad and I stalked him for a bit, following closely behind him as it became increasingly evident that he wasn't there in any official capacity -- he was just going through the museum with his children like everyone else. Ever the Minnesotans, we didn't go up to him or even indicate that we recognized him. Except for the fact that I was staring at him with my jaw on the floor like some sort of star struck fool... perhaps because at that moment, I was pretty star struck.

It was probably the polite thing to do not to interrupt his holiday weekend. Still, I regret not telling him that he has aged better than Tom Hanks.

Posted by rhode at November 28, 2007 11:06 PM | TrackBack