From the Bridge

by Becky Norris

From the Command Center

Welcome to fall, everyone! It seems like this week has been the beginning of the busiest time of year - there is so much crammed into the last three months of the year it almost doesn't seem fair. Halloween, fall premieres, Thanksgiving, November sweeps, Christmas, Brianna's birthday, planning first quarter, parent's anniversary, etc. You almost have to wonder how anyone survives it all, but when you stop to think about it (which will be sometime next March), it really makes it kind of fun.

In the last newsletter I told you that we were poised to launch - well, now we are even closer to opening those bay doors and flying off "That-a-way". I am very proud to serve with each and every one of you, and I would like to thank you all for sticking with the Fearless through her troubled beginning. I've always believed that anything was possible if I just tried hard enough, and this experience of launching the Fearless has showed me that I was right. We should all give ourselves a pat on the back.

Does anyone hear the sound of transporter beams? Well, if you do, check to see if those atoms being reassembled belong to William Shatner, who, as most of you know, will be in Lubbock at their convention on Saturday, November 5. Make your plans now, and get your tickets. Mary Ruth Thurmond of the Quanah Parker has already volunteered some of her crew as offering quarters for an Away Team from the Fearless, so if your plans include going up on Friday and staying overnight or staying after the con on Saturday night, let her know and she'll hook you up with one of the locals. I'll have her number at the meeting.

I guess everyone noticed that both Deep Space Nine and Babylon 5 have been moved to Saturday at midnight. I know the B5 move was coming, but I was as surprised as anyone about DS9. Can anyone say, "VCR?" We may have to elect teams who will take turns recording either show so that members will have access to the episodes. However, if by chance you receive a Nielsen diary in the mail, please write down that you are watching Babylon 5 (I would be so grateful!)

I noticed in my trusty TV Guide that LeVar Burton will be joining the cast of Christy (kind of a Little House clone). I don't know if even the addition of LeVar will make me watch that show, but I might check it out just once. I haven't heard of the whereabouts of anyone else in the ST:TNG cast, so keep your eyes open. And, speaking of cast, how about that Genevieve Bujold vanishing act? Geez, if all they want is someone who won't throw a tantrum, they should use me! The only thing I need is a nanny, and probably some Dr. Peppers. Anybody hear who replaced her? (Please don't let it be Joanna Cassidy!)

The opening of Star Trek: Generations draws closer each day - November 18 it will warp into theaters everywhere. I will definitely be there (even if I'm on crutches) and anyone is welcome to join me in a sort of solidarity movement for the future of Trek.

Did I say crutches? I just found out yesterday that I will be having foot surgery in the next couple of weeks. It seems that one of my foot bones is too far away from the others and it is causing me a great deal of pain (sometimes more, sometimes less), so my handy dandy podiatrist is going to break my foot and move that bone closer to the others. Doesn't that sound cool? Anyway, I will be off work for probably two weeks, and on crutches for 5 or 6 weeks after that. But it's doubtful that even that will stop me from seeing the Trek movie on opening night. It might slow me down a little, but that's about it.

Speaking of movies, the latest buzz is that the TV series Mission: Impossible will be made into a feature starring Tom Cruise(??). I have no idea what part he will play, but believe me when I tell you that he is no Peter Graves. However, the movie will probably be full of cool gadgets and special effects and might be worthwhile in that respect. We'll see.

Signing off...