Hello Kitty returns from space!
Another life moment I neglected to write about is the return home party we had in early February for my Hello Kitty!
As I have written before, my incredible friend Astronaut Mike Fincke took my Hello Kitty with him to live aboard the International Space Station in April 2004. Well, since he had to return home in October of that year on a small Russian Soyuz spacecraft, there was no room to pack away Hello Kitty. So, she had to stay aboard.
In July 2005, when the space shuttle returned to flight, Kitty caught a ride home with the Discovery crew! Isn't that cool she was part of that monumental trip? Anyway, she's been in storage for a while and Mike was just able to get her back.
We held a celebration at Fuddruckers, the restaurant of choice for Mike and me, and welcomed her home. It was really awesome actually! Mike explained that Kitty represented me and all my team while in space and that he thought of us and our times together. He is so sweet.
He read the signed certificate of authenticity that he made me. It says:
This is to certify that Hello Kitty accompanied the Expedition 9 Crew in their long duration space mission aboard the International Space Station. This item was flown for the wonderful Melissa (last name omitted for obvious reasons).
The Expedition 9 Crew was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on April 19, 2004, at 9:19 a.m., aboard the Russian Soyuz Spacecraft TMA-4, and return to Kazakhstan on October 24, 2004, at 6:35 a.m. aboard the Soyuz Spacecraft TMA-4.
Signed,
E. Michael Fincke
Lt. Col, USAF
Expedition 9 Flight Engineer
He then presented Kitty in a sealed bag that she hadn't been out of since the night before his departure from the Space Station. I had the honor of welcoming her back to Earth, so to speak. It's so neat because she has actual stamps on her backside verifying that she went to space. :-)
I know this all sounds probably really weird. haha But, I just to share. Mike has been so good to me and I love that man to pieces. He makes the whole human space flight adventure so real and vivid. I am so blessed to have met him.
We did a media tour in his hometown in Pittsburgh right after the Columbia tragedy. From that point on, we've remained close friends.
While he is very proud of my weight-loss accomplishments, he's always quick to tell people who compliment me: "She was beautiful before" or "She looked great before." I love that about him - he is a true friend, through and through.
On a side note: I realize that this Hello Kitty is now the most valuable item I own. It's kind of nerve-wracking thinking about her value. My friend Marshall wrote me a sweet note after the celebration that I just had to share:
It was fun seeing you at lunch last week and sharing in your special presentation. If anyone deserves a billion-dollar doll, it's you.
As I have written before, my incredible friend Astronaut Mike Fincke took my Hello Kitty with him to live aboard the International Space Station in April 2004. Well, since he had to return home in October of that year on a small Russian Soyuz spacecraft, there was no room to pack away Hello Kitty. So, she had to stay aboard.
In July 2005, when the space shuttle returned to flight, Kitty caught a ride home with the Discovery crew! Isn't that cool she was part of that monumental trip? Anyway, she's been in storage for a while and Mike was just able to get her back.
We held a celebration at Fuddruckers, the restaurant of choice for Mike and me, and welcomed her home. It was really awesome actually! Mike explained that Kitty represented me and all my team while in space and that he thought of us and our times together. He is so sweet.
He read the signed certificate of authenticity that he made me. It says:
This is to certify that Hello Kitty accompanied the Expedition 9 Crew in their long duration space mission aboard the International Space Station. This item was flown for the wonderful Melissa (last name omitted for obvious reasons).
The Expedition 9 Crew was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on April 19, 2004, at 9:19 a.m., aboard the Russian Soyuz Spacecraft TMA-4, and return to Kazakhstan on October 24, 2004, at 6:35 a.m. aboard the Soyuz Spacecraft TMA-4.
Signed,
E. Michael Fincke
Lt. Col, USAF
Expedition 9 Flight Engineer
He then presented Kitty in a sealed bag that she hadn't been out of since the night before his departure from the Space Station. I had the honor of welcoming her back to Earth, so to speak. It's so neat because she has actual stamps on her backside verifying that she went to space. :-)
I know this all sounds probably really weird. haha But, I just to share. Mike has been so good to me and I love that man to pieces. He makes the whole human space flight adventure so real and vivid. I am so blessed to have met him.
We did a media tour in his hometown in Pittsburgh right after the Columbia tragedy. From that point on, we've remained close friends.
While he is very proud of my weight-loss accomplishments, he's always quick to tell people who compliment me: "She was beautiful before" or "She looked great before." I love that about him - he is a true friend, through and through.
On a side note: I realize that this Hello Kitty is now the most valuable item I own. It's kind of nerve-wracking thinking about her value. My friend Marshall wrote me a sweet note after the celebration that I just had to share:
It was fun seeing you at lunch last week and sharing in your special presentation. If anyone deserves a billion-dollar doll, it's you.
posted by Melissa :-) @ 7:13 PM
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