I haven't been here in a while simply because there hasn't been (much of) any new astronaut sightings lately. I added just eight more astronauts to my "Space Shuttle: The First 20 Years" book last year, four of them through friends. That's the smallest number of astronaut autographs I've added to my book since 2009 (seven), when I started rebuilding my collection.
And it's not that I've been busy with homelife, either, and seen mentions of astronauts that I couldn't attend (aside from Terry Virts' book signing tour, and the "Hidden Figures" premiere in New York City, which I found out after the fact.) There simply aren't as much new astronauts (e.g., astronauts I haven't seen) making the rounds.
And on the TTM front, I've been discouraged there as well by the lack of responses, so I haven't tried in a while either writing to various astronauts whose signatures I'm lacking.
This past Saturday, 24 February, though, was not only about me. My daughter was with me and since I like getting signatures from female astronauts to inspire her when she grows up, I had a smaller photo for Whitson to sign for her adventure book.
By happenstance, I caught that Whitson would be at an earlier presentation on the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum - and that was the event where she would be signing. (Her second presentation allowed for only impromptu, on the fly autographs as Whitson had a plane to catch.)
Autographs were limited to one per person. My daughter obviously counts, so I placed the photo on a clipboard to not only make it easier for her to carry, but also for her to feel important, I told her. Then I corrected myself.
"Not feel. You are important," I said. You say, 'I am important. I am beautiful. I am strong.'"
The photo of my daughter standing in her tiptoes watching Whitson sign her picture is one I'll treasure and place in my parent's memory book for this year.
Also in the theater, but as an attendee and not a guest was Tony Antonelli. He signed both my wife's and my book, but my daughter didn't get his autograph and she looked so disappointed! Not that I had anything for Antonelli - that day was one of the few events where I didn't carry any extra photos, just in case.
Lesson learned. Incidentally, Whitson was the No. 22 astronaut she's either met or seen, but her first autograph she's gotten for herself (with some help, of course.) I think she's gotten the bug....
