  John's meeting with a fantastic team of professionals from around the world who are united by little else than their careers in the space industry and their desires to improve the world. They've gotten an audience with a representative from the UN and nobody has a clue where this is all going.
I was supposed to be in this meeting too. I wanted to be there more than I even knew. But the universe had other plans in my cards, and I'm working hard to be ok with that. I think one of the big reasons my absence wounded me was the meeting's location: Columbia University's Earth Institute. The very institution I thought I'd be attending this year for my graduate degree(s). Am I ever going to get a doctorate!?! Maybe I should apply again to Rice. My previous application was five years ago, and to be honest, it wasn't very good. It was my first graduate application, and I've learned so much since then. I can do better. What if they deny me again?
It's such a personal rejection. OK, big digression. Or regression. Anyway, my program was killed by the changing admin. at Columbia, and super ironically, the outgoing administration included the Dean of Columbia's law school, who is now going to be the next president of Rice U. Is that some sort of cosmic directions of energies I should be jumping in? Why am I so superstitious!
John's freezing his ass off in NYC, which makes my not being there a little easier to handle. At least by missing the opportunity to be brilliantly saving the world, I'm safe in balmy Houston where our coming weekend cold front means temps will drop to the 50s! This meeting feels really good, I'm so glad it's finally happening. There was some last minute queasiness by some of the participants on behalf of the supercold, but everyone held fast. I think they knew, as I had felt, that any postponement would certainly be the collaboration's death at this early and fragile junction.
I'm just so jealous that I'm not there. Before I sent John off on his merry way, I bought him a new outfit to present in. This was my small way to influence his message from afar. At least if I can't be there to share in the message imparting, I can still be sure he looks fantastic imparting his message. 
