Preparing for NARAM-50

[RoyGreen]

Man, I wish I could've stayed the whole week. It truly was an amazing weekend.

First of all, the motels (at least mine was) were great! That alone put this NARAM in a class by itself.

It was pretty emotional for me all weekend, meeting people who influenced my life forty years ago through their writings, rekindling a few friendships from 18 years ago, except for one that I found out I'll never get to see again.

Seeing John's hangar, thinking about when three kids from Atlanta convinced our parents to take us up to Aberdeen for NARAM 13 (me, John Langford, and - for those familiar with Atlanta radio - Willard), then learning the connections between John and Bunny at that NARAM, remembering Bruce Blackistone building Valkyrie Disaster 17-? out on the breezeway, and then finally actually talking to him 37 years later heheh. Seeing Jon Robbins there and Mike "SlipStick" Konshak (not sure if I got the last name right?) there after helping reintroduce them both to the hobby last fall over on YORF.

Meeting Lee and Betty.

And of course, any time I get to talk to Vern Estes is

eh.. I'm all verklempt...

I had to leave before I could say bye to a lot of people. Hope I'll catch up with them next year in PA. Hope a few more of them show up here!

 

[rokitflite]

It has been a good week. Scott I missed you today. We're leaving in the morning so I probably won't see you till NARCON (unless you want to scoot up for NEMROC... )


jim

DARN! I figured you were going to stay for the banquet! I am heading back down tomorrow for the day.

 

[JRThro]

John,

Good to have met you too Isn't it great to discover that rocketry folks that you read about are really just normal people after all?

Well, for rocketry folks, that is...

Well, 'cept for Scott, that is...

LOL

I was gonna say!


Back in June, my wife told one of the other mothers from our kids' school that I was going to NARAM-50. Once we told her what that was, she said something like, "Oh, a bunch of nerdy middle-aged men flying rockets!"

Which, frankly, is pretty much what I experienced at NARAM, along with talking about rockets and watching other people fly rockets.

Frankly, I *know* that I'm a nerdy middle-aged man, so I fit in pretty well at NARAM. (But I wonder how much longer I can claim to be middle-aged.)

 

[JRThro]

Very nice meeting you John! Sort of awkward how we were forced to meet there at pad #13. I'm still not sure how that one got screwed up. :lol: At any rate, thanks for the spot. Sure wish I could have attended the TRF meeting on Monday night, but still had lots of fun at the ORR and on the range. I'm hoping we will all get a chance to be together in the future, and I already have the go from my lovely wife to attend next year's NARAM. Woohoo!

That *was* kind of awkward, wasn't it?

But yeah, it was fun, and I do hope to see you again some time.

What I'm really hoping for is a NARAM in Texas in the next few years. My club is much too small and disorganized to host it, but we could probably help out a larger club.

 

[jflis]

DARN! I figured you were going to stay for the banquet! I am heading back down tomorrow for the day.

We had to miss the banquet cuz we're attending my neice's wedding in NY on Sat morn so we headed out today so that we could be well rested for the day.

Give some thought to NEMROC

 

[MarkH]

John!
It was great meeting and hanging out with you in person finally too! I am so sorry I did not get a chance to say "bye" after the auction! That went waaaaay later then I expected, and since I promised to help, I could not just walk out... There was a lot of stuff!!!:surprised:

Other folks from the forum who I was happy to discover were really great people: Sandman, Astronboy, Gus, Tonypv, RoyGreen and Starcommander. (Don't be offended if your name is not on the list if I met you BEFORE this NARAM and already determined that I liked you!)

I could not identify Skycopp and MarkH there

Rockitflite
I saw you at the sport range Monday taking your Mach 10 back after a misfire or something. I was disappointed I didn't get to see it fly. I should have introduced my self. Next time - maybe at a NARHAMs launch. -Mark

 

[JRThro]

Other folks from the forum who I was happy to discover were really great people: Sandman, Astronboy, Gus, Tonypv, RoyGreen and Starcommander.

I could not identify Skycopp and MarkH there

Oh yeah, Sandman, Astronboy, Gus, and Starcommander!! Jeez, how did I forget *those* guys? :surprised:

And yeah, if I met Skycopp or MarkH, I don't know it.