February 21 - at sea on the east coast of Australia

Saturday, February 21, 2009 – east coast of Australia
Sunny and warm

I slept late. I admit it, I was being lazy. I was tired!
Ran to the country line dancing class and then a lecture by Apollo Astronaut Walter Cunningham!! I was thrilled. He will give four lectures on the last frontier, another dream of mine! He had many photos to share. He is America’s second civilian Astronaut. In 1967, he was a member of the backup crew for Apollo 1 when the prime crew was killed in a fire on the pad. He was then assigned to the first manned flight of the Apollo program to land a man on the Moon. In 1968, he orbited the earth 163 times as the pilot of Apollo 7. He became Chief of the Skylab Astronauts, where he was responsible for the design, development and integration of systems for the largest spacecraft, manned or unmanned, ever placed in orbit. He is now an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, lecturer, author of the “All-American Boys” and host of a radio talk show and a member of the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

After lunch with friends, I wrote postcards and enjoyed a classical piano concert by David Quigley. I watched a few minutes of the movie “No Country for Old Men” but it was too violent for me. I did some work and sat in the lobby for my group to stop by.

I received two letters from friends in DE and CT! How exciting. One was mailed on January 20 and the other on February 3 and they were in my hands today. Thank you!!!

Tonight was formal with the Black and White Ball. John Zaradin played the Spanish guitar and we had a performance of Sinatra music and dance by the Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers. We danced in the Officers Gavotte at the Ball and watched the professional dancer instructors (Melloney and Alain) perform a rumba. We also managed to squeeze in a load of laundry tonight.

We are sailing up the east coast of Australia and can see land most of the time! It was the most incredible sunset. Pinks and grays and yellows…

Missed: Lecture on “The Sinking of the Hospital Ship Centaur”, Australian Opals Seminar and a photographic journey of coral reefs ---- we hope to watch them tomorrow on TV.