[meteorite-list] Space Shuttle...honorary stories

[Richard Montgomery]

Hi List,

While the 'heat-tile' subject is still 'hot' and since our beloved fleet 
nears the end of its 'scheduled missions' I offer a story, and invite others 
after this:

(Stick with my personal indulgences along the way...especially those of us 
have music in common....they will pay off!)

START:  back when I witnessed the hand-helf Heat-Tile firing with the 
acetalyne torch (1978-80?), at a party, I was a guitarist in a 5x bluegrass 
band:  Steve, a banjo guy, but this time playing bass; Buzz, another 
guitarist; Dave, banjo-player extrodinaire; and me, newbe guitar guy.

MIDDLE:   One day, between tunes, we all sat around and shared our future 
passions....Buzz said he wanted to be a software designer in Silicon Valley 
after he finished his electrical engineering degree (we were all at 
UCDavis);  Dave wanted to go on to be accepted for his Masters somewhere and 
be a farm advisor;  I wanted to continue studying guitar and somehow be 
David Grisman's guitar player, following Tony Rice and Mark O'Connor in the 
role (good luck, me!); and Steve said he wanted to be an astronaut.

This was in 1978......Really?!!!

All of us achieved our goals...Buzz, yes; Dave, yes; Me yes....and.....

Steve Robinson....banjo-player extrodinaire....yet more noteably known for 
his stellar Mission Specialty trips up to the Space Shuttle.  (Those of you 
in the know, KNOW!)  I captured the DVR from the NASA-channel, watching my 
music pal inspecting the tiles in zero gravity....

How cool is that!!!

-Richard Montgoemry