It is because of days like today that I signed up for physics.
Let me set the scene for you...
It was around noon and the sun was brightly shining overhead. The temperature was around the mid seventies, neither too hot nor too cold. A slight breeze was blowing the girls' hair, and the boy's, oh well who really cares about the boys? My entire physics class was sitting or standing in clumps on the practice football field by the school. Why were we out there, you ask? It was rocket launch day, of course!
My friends and I were throughly enjoying the sun as we sat off to the side of everyone else, merrily passing around the bag of oyster crackers I had stashed in my purse (I was sick and they were the only thing my stomach liked at the moment, and they just so happen to be extremely delicious). Our physics teacher set up the first group's rocket for launch and we anxiously anticipated its lift off, all quietly hoping that something would go wrong and catch it on fire. I mean, what teenager isn't secretly a pyromaniac?
" Lift off in three, two, one!" our teacher called out. Nothing happened. Whoops.
So my friends and I passed around a few more oyster crackers and I popped another pepto bismal-like tablet into my mouth and waited for Mr. A. to figure out what had gone wrong. It was around this point that someone pointed out that all of my friends and I were wearing pink. So we are in a gang? Get over it. Geesh...like we planned it. Usually we all wear pink on Thursdays like the clique in Mean Girls. Just kidding.
The second rocket actually lifted off and headed straight towards the building that was behind us. That building just so happened to be the Board of Education. Whoops. Maybe it would catch on fire! Would they cancel school for that?
Another rocket flew into the air...only its parachute never released so it plummeted to the ground barely missing a slightly-expensive-looking SUV. Whoops. Physics is fun!
Yet another rocket flew into the air and all but disappeared. Whoops.
" IT'S OVER THERE!" cried a distinctly masculine voice behind us. I turned and realized that a State Trooper had parked near the field and was enjoying the explosive fun. I think I even saw him eating a doughnut.
Some rockets took several times before shooting into the air and floating all graceful-like to ground, and before I knew it, it was my group's turn. After coaxing one of the boys to carry our rocket to the teacher, my friends and I nervously waited to find out if we were destined to be NASA's next recruits.
" THREE, TWO, ONE!" out teacher dramatically announced. SUCCESS! Our rocket shot into the air instantly, clearly the best one of the day, before sparking violently and turning several circles. However, it suddenly started dropping towards the ground like a rock. Where was the parachute???!!?? And just like in the movies, our rocket's little chute opened just in time and it safely floated down.
The rest of the class set off the find their rocket parts, all of them trailing behind the teacher like little ducks. My friends and I decided to remain rooted to our nice, warm spot; we would "guard" the equipment while they searched. As we lay there, soaking up as much sun as we could, we began to play with one of my friend's phone. It had program on it that reads text messages out loud.
I particularly enjoyed how it said, "Bloody Hell".
