Day 9: HOUSTON, we have a problem.....

That was supposed to be one of the Highlights for No3, today, going to Space Center. The Three Teenagers were supposed to make a list before leaving switzerland and write down the top 2 activities of each city we go to, what they really would love to see and/or do. Space Center was on the list, no doubt about that. So we go. Much better: Friend comes along AND her twens, what a once in a lifetime happening. SHE even gets to ride the 90 minute drive with the twen boy in his car. We drive by his appartement on the way to drop off dog No5, cute little thing cannot come to Space with us.

Now what do one expect from Spacecenter? Lots of space, right? Rocketts and stuff. NASA things. A tour. Maybe an astronaut here or there. But Houston, we have a problem. Just as with visiting Sears/Willis Tower in Chicago: You cannot just have the main sensation. They want you to undergo the whole torture of whatever stupid rides and merry-go-rounds, cheap fakes, expensive food, TWO souvenir shops and - would you believe? - a bouncing something, castle or was it a tower with plastic balls to "swim" in? I do not remember. What I do remember is the exhibition Starship Gallery, some Space History. That's neatly done, with lesser crowd you could actually take your time and read all those explanations. Too much information for The Three Teenagers, they do what all Teenagers do worldwide: Take pics and facebook 'em.

We are lucky too: There are two different tours on an open bus through the whole compound. Two: One goes to visit the old Houston-we-have-a-problem-location, mission control, the other one visits astronaut trainings center. Its bad weather outside all of the sudden, so due to rain those tram tours stop. At the end of the day they pick them up again, which leaves only time for ONE tour. We choose mission control. Which is like a jump back into the Fiftes (been there, right? Not ME, but in Trinity, see below...). Whoever watched Apollo 13 the movie, remembers the scenery, and the original here looks exactly like that. Nobody's working here anymore though. They want to shut the whole place down by the way. The only real work thats done in Houston right now is supervising the ISS programm. Everything else is somewhere else.

Tour ends with stop to walk around Saturn 5 Rocket. It used to lay outside,

now they built a house around it to keep it safe from more corrosion. That's impressing, not only for No3. As a matter of fact shes the one who got the deepest impression of Nasa and how they treat security. Standing in line and waiting for the Tram Tour to depart, The Three Teenagers start a fight. Which is embarassing enough as it is. Plus ME: Here I fly half around the world just to listen to The Three Teenagers fighting about some stupid she-said-this stuff? ME reacting rebuking. Sharply. No3 reacts as usual: mortally offended. And takes off. Which is a small problem, when you had to pass security and all kind of things to stand here at NASA's Johnson Space Center and wait for a damn tram. She runs back inside, my friend goes "oh oh!" and takes after her.

Luckily she can persuade the secret service or whatever they look like, that No3 is not an agent from Saltkrokan and is not planning to take mission control.

With a sobbing No3, HE and SHE grumpy and ME on breathe-in-breathe-out-inhale-exhale-modus we finally make the tram tour alright.

We leave of course with souvenirs - everybody apologized at the end, does that help? - and decide on food NOW. My friend knows a Mr. Gatti's nearby, she used to live in the area, when her kids were small. Mr. Gatti's is perfect for us: You pay one figure and have all-you-can-eat pizza, pasta, salad. Wonderful. How they make money? They run an arcade next door. Parents sit and eat for a long time because its so cheap and kids run off and spent money on those simple games and machines.

On our way back to good old Trinity we agree: This (Space Center) is definitely a tourits attraction for those who enjoy amusement parks. It's not for those who really seek information about NASA and how it works, you learn more on special programms, or even in kids education programms which Space Center runs occasionally.

Last night in Trinity, last night in class A camper, last night door to door with Mary (how do you kill a huge spider like that? Thats cruelty to animals!