He said/ She said: "Houston, we've got a problem"

___Captain's log, Star Date Jan. 27, 2001: I and 50 Cub Scouts have journeyed to Space Center Houston for an overnight camp-in among the relics of space programs past. Surely I have lost my mind. ___After traveling nearly five hours by bus from Dallas, we invaded this strange MARK WINGFIELD planet about 5:30 p.m., loaded with excitement for a night of adventure. Most of the parents and family members accompanying us have wisely retreated to a nearby hotel, leaving only me and 12 other allegedly responsible adults to guide our young space explorers. ___7 p.m.: Dinner was good, although I didn't know they served pepperoni pizza in space. One kid from another pack threw up in the auditorium where we had our orientation. It looked sort of like Saturn. Now I'm feeling a little space sick myself. ___ 10 p.m.: The educational programming is going well. All the boys are learning a lot, as are the adults who are still awake. Did you know it's really hard to pack a raw egg on a wooden space shuttle model in such a way that the egg won't break when the shuttle flies on a downward trajectory? ___ 12:20 a.m.: Lights out. There's a model of an astronaut spacewalking above my head. Wonder if he'll scare anyone in the middle of the night. Hmm. This is the middle of the night. I'm actually more concerned about the bratty kid in the group across the way who must have been on an IV-drip of pure sugar all day. ___ 1:30 a.m.: Someone's been coughing for the last hour--blood-curdling, painful-to-hear coughs. I'm afraid he's going to vomit. Then again, maybe that would help. Most of our adult chaperones are down for the count; only a few of our kids are. The bratty kid across the way is floating higher than the astronaut model. ___ 2 a.m.: Saw the bratty kid get up and leave the sleeping area without an adult. Clear violation of space regulations. Nailed him in the corridor outside and put the fear of God in him by threatening to wake his leader. Still can't get to sleep because I can't breathe when I lay down. Others seem to have the same problem--lots of snoring going on. ___ 3:30 a.m.: Luke's tugging at my sleeping bag. He's got to go to the bathroom. Earlier, we learned how the astronauts wear adult diapers when they do spacewalks. Maybe we should have tried that for the boys tonight. ___ 6 a.m.: Garrett's tugging at my sleeping bag. He's awake and wants to know what to do. At least he doesn’t need to go to the bathroom. ___ 7 a.m.: Luke's tugging at my sleeping bag. He needs to go to the bathroom again. It's only 15 minutes until lights-on, I tell him. Can't wait that long, he implores. ___ 7:15 a.m.: We are awakened by music, the same way the astronauts are awakened. The song is "We'll have fun, fun, fun 'til her Daddy takes the shuttle away." My boys want to know if all astronaut music is so corny. I want to know if all astronauts get so little sleep. ______All I can say is, "You asked for it, you got it, dear." ___ When Mark took on the Cubmaster job for our pack this year, he decided to make things exciting--thus, the trip to Houston Space Center. ___ I was one of the lucky (and smart) ones. Our den ha ALISON WINGFIELD d plenty of dads volunteering to go as chaperones, so I wisely opted for the plan for other family members to ride down and stay in a hotel overnight. ___ I was dreading the bus ride down, but even that turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The bus was equipped with TV monitors and a video player, so we watched the first two Star Wars movies (as was appropriate for a trip to the Space Center) and the kids were actually fairly quiet on the way down. ___ After a restful night's sleep, we joined the crew at the Space Center, knowing we would be the fresh recruits, ready to take over for the chaperones. We toured Johnson Space Center, where we got to see Mission Control and then enjoyed the exhibits at Space Center Houston. ___ Maybe I'm easily impressed, but there is something about seeing Mission Control that gave me the chills. As one of our den leaders commented, "It looks just like it does on TV." The only thing that surprised me is the size--it's actually a fairly small room. ___ The more we learn about space and explore "new worlds," the more I am in awe of the God who made this universe. ___ A song we sometimes sing at church expresses this well: "When I gaze into the night sky, and see the work of your fingers . . . what is man that you are mindful of him?" Mark Wingfield is managing editor of the Standard. Alison Wingfield is a freelance writer. The Wingfields moved to Texas from Louisville, Ky., where Mark had been editor of the Western Recorder, in which this column appeared weekly.

PREVIOUS HE SAID/ SHE SAID COLUMNS:
1999: 6/16, 6/23, 6/30, 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4, 8/11, 8/18, 8/25, 9/1, 9/8, 9/15, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27 11/17, 11/24, 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22,

2000: 1/5, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/1, 3/8, 3/22, 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29, 6/5, 6/12, 6/19, 6/26, 7/10, 6/26, 6/19, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28, 9/4, 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 11/6, 11/20, 11/27, 12/11.

2001: 1/1, 1/8, 1/22


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