JED'S GRADUATION WEEK IN NEW MEXICO!

FINALLY! A DOCTORAL GRADUATION CEREMONY!

Tuesday, the 5th 

Sunrise leaving Baker City

          We left Baker City a little before 6am bound for Price, UT and a waiting motel room! The trip was uneventful, as we listened to a Robert Parker western.  Weather was clear and sunny, altho a few scattered raindrops in the SLC area.  Ginger drove from Mountain Home to the Switzer  Pass rest area, and then again from Spanish Forks to Price.  We had a nice hotel room at the Legacy Inn off exit 240 on the north side of Price.  Took a walk to stretch the legs and find a possible dinner option.  Rick got on a phone call from Lynn Roehm, though, and we finally ended up in Burger King because I was getting cold standing out in the wind!  A 20 pack of chicken nuggets for dinner along with my salad and fries for Rick.

Wednesday, the 6th: 

Hole in the Wall south of Moab

          We grab breakfast right as the hotel opened it up at 7 and were on the road.  I drove to Moab where we gassed up, Rick then drove clear to Las Lunas!  I finished up the final 50 miles down to Socorro.  We arrived around 5 pm.  We finished our Robert Parker book and started the Clive Cussler one.  Lots of orange mallow around the Shiprock area, also construction north of the border.  We decided to explore an alternate route home that might avoid the construction - and more scenic!
          Dinner with Jed around 6:30 at Socorro Springs - Jed's treat.  That was nice!  Back to just talk a few things over for Thursday.

Thursday the 7th:
   

Haircut from cousin Regan!

    In the morning Rick and I shop at Walmart and Dollar tree, getting the cake and other items lined up for Saturday.  We then grab a quick lunch and  meet Jed at his place to drive up to ABQ.   Since Luke's plane doesn't arrive until later, we take Jed up to Regan for a haircut (she works on the NORTH side of town while the airport is on the south end!), back down to airport for Luke and then to moms (in the middle!) to pick her up for a dinner date at Papa Felipes.  Nice meal together visiting, back to Mom's where we don't leave until a little after 8pm.  A little later than planned!    Back to Socorro by 9:30 and drop boys off before heading back to our room at the Days Inn.  

Friday the 8th: 

We find Jed still using the
towel Cherrie made him for
his high school graduation!

Pictures of our early astronaut!

          We head over to Jed's around 9:30 to work in garage cleaning up and decorating.  Luke and Jed had worked miracles over night!  The garage was

Cleaning up and decorating
the garage!

nearly empty!  We swept, set up ping pong table and sheets for a backdrop hiding all the other junk, left at 11:30 to pick up Subway for lunch and meet Jed at Water Canyon campground for the drive up the mountain.  Jed had a group  of first graders for a tour in the morning and was waiting for his lunch!  We then piled into the MRO rig and Jed drove us up to the top!

Jed outside the MRO at 10,500' 

          What a great tour!  Hubble info, outside with ladder on dome, Jed's weather station - inside to control room, bedrooms, showers, kitchen and lounge.  Eileen has provided a definite touch of classy decor!  NICE!  Then up to the cooler climate controlled dome.  The server room with computer cords everywhere.  Trap door out to roof slope to weather station and access to ladder to top.  Up to mirror floor - control computer.  Jed moved the tele for us - a stealth telescope - so fast and quiet!  Then he rotated the dome.  MUCH noisier and slower!  It was all so exciting to see, and fun to see Jed's confidence in what he was doing.  Writing this up a little 'after the fact' I have forgotten much of the technical information, but one new tidbit of information concerned the MRO's relationship to Hubble.  The mirror for the MRO was originally designed in competition for use in Hubble.  It wasn't selected (their loss, it might have worked better in the long run than the ill-fated first Hubble scope!) so it was revamped from 'space use' to 'land use' and set up on top of Magdalena Ridge!  

Inside the Control Room

This is the little broom Jed used to sweep off the dome last February!

The mirror of the telescope 

Backside of the scope had to be adapted from paper thin gravity free base to one that would work on earth.  

Comfortable living quarters 

Top of the mountain houses an interferonmeter, weather bunker, and other sciency stuff!

          As we drive down off the mountain, Luke napped, and then he drove

Dinner at Twisted Chili

back into town with Jed where they visited Jed's offices, etc.  We went back to the hotel and crashed for hour or so.  We walked down to dinner at Twisted Chili  in Old Town Socorro.  We sat at a fireplace table with a musician singing out on the patio.  Nice.  Windy evening.   Back then to Walmart and Jed's to cut up all the fruit and veggies.

Saturday, Graduation day! 
     

We are up early!  The ceremony started at 9, Rick was going to arrive at 7:30 and secure spots for the chairs, while I went over and decorated the top of the cake, etc.  Ran, Patty, Rach, and Mom R arrived at the school around 8:20.  I walked over with Jed and Luke, Jed prouidly regaled in his robe and hat.

A glance at Rick
as he walks in.

         

Dressed and ready
to roll!

The ceremony lasted about two hours and Jed received his hood and his 15 seconds of fame in the final presentation, final five minutes.  Agh!  I had Sabra live streaming with Mom Mac and told her Jed would be in the first part!  We just said, 'they saved the best for last'.  He looked so good - the only doctorate candidate who had purchased a special robe or wearing the tam hat. No kidding,....he was THE VERY LAST one (partly due to an R name!)
         

Diploma in hand!

A picture with Advisor Eileen

          A mulberry fruit fell on Jed's hood while they were waiting, but the stain was so small and on the hidden underside that Jed probably will not have the school clean it or purchase a new one.  They were VERY apologetic about it and offered to replace.

Eileen hoods Jed....

Happy brothers. 

Family Rembold!

Boys and Grandma R

Dr. J and his ice cream cake!

         Afterwords, Jed and Luke stayed at the reception briefly, I walked back to the house with Rick, and met Rands in car with mom.  I got all the food out, but Eileen showed up BEFORE Jed and Luke got back.  Her husband and son were ill at home, so she came early (and probably stayed longer than planned).  Only other guests were Dave, the faculty advisor who really helped Jed get started on the writing process, Donna, his landlady (that was more by accident), and Rob, his roommate.  A little disappointing, but we realized the circumstances.  I was grateful to get a chance to really visit with Eileen who has been the primary individual influence for Jed's doctorate.

Prof Dave, Jed, and Eileen

          Jed, Rick, and I sat outside visiting after we cleaned up everything around 3:30.  A good opportunity to just relax and talk about future, past, education, goals, etc.  Dinner of ice cream cake!  We said our goodbyes around 9p and back to hotel to prepare for an early departure on Sunday.

Sunday, the 10th:  
          We left Socorro at 6:45am headed for ABQ and a breakfast date with Mom R for Mother's Day.  Hot air balloons were over the city, around 20 probably; they were coming down as we arrived.  We ate at Village Inn, returned the chairs and pan from Scotcheroos, and left about 9:30am.

Mountains west of Durango

           Rick drove to Bernalio, and I drove the 150 miles from there to Bloomfield. Traffic was not bad and I had forgotten how scenic this route is in places.  It plateaus out in the NW corner of the state, but lots of pretty cliffs and draws earlier.  Switched drivers in Bloomfield at a little gas station near Aztec junction that sells refills for 50 cents, any size!  A bargain!  And we had just stopped for potty!
       

South of Moab

 We explored a new route as we cut from Bloomfield up to Durango to miss the road construction on 191 south of Cortez.  The views of mountains were beautiful, but we ran into some storms that blocked the peaks much of the time.  On our second 'new route', cutting through Dolores north of Cortez, the rain was heavy and we didn't see much of what we hoped for!  Ah well.  Another time!  Rick drove to just north of Moab, and I took us the rest of the way into Price.  Same hotel, same room for the night.

Southern Utah vistas

Monday, the 11th:  
        We again grabbed breakfast as the owner was putting it all out, so on the road by 7:10 bound for Baker City.  Rick drove up to Ogden, through our third new road of the return trip - from Provo over to Heber City.  It turned out to be much freer of traffic in Provo than expected on a Monday morning at 8:30am!  Views great of the Watsatch from the east side.  We were in Ogden by 10:15

Heading through Provo toward Wasatch Mts. 

past SLC without entering it!  Gas stop, switch drivers and I took us to Sweetzer Summit north of the Utah border, but was fighting the sleepies. We stopped there for potty and lunch.   Rick drove until east of Boise, and I took us home, arriving just below 4pm PT (we gained an hour), and about 600 miles under our belt for the day! I talked with Liz on phone briefly in the afternoon with instructions to learn how to use Craigslist before we came!  By 7pm Rick had mown the lawn, watered, taken a walk, and started some laundry!  I had unpacked food items, gone to WW, and begun the switchover packing!  Whew!

Going through Provo Canyon

Luke came over at 9 after district tennis to teach me Craigslist.  I wrote my instructions down so I could also give Mac a good set for after we leave (to delete postings especially after they sell!)

Final packing Tuesday am, and by 11am we are ready to roll again..... off to Alaska!  (Next blog!)

Click HERE for all the photos from Jed's Doctoral Graduation