We are out of sim tonight - so a dinner in Hanksville is planned. At last the cooks get a night off!!!

Hard to get out of bed this morning, as I watched half of 'The Matrix' on DVD last night until quite late - hopefully will get to watch the end of it tonight. The chase crew discussed the plot and themes all day while observing the third phase of Graham's comparative Rover study - we all seem movie buffs, at least movies with a sci-fi or space theme ...

Nishi ran just after sunrise, followed by Shannon and I at a more sedate pace. The girls' outing was graced by our MarsSkins, and we took some photos as we neared the Hab for posterity. Quick breakfast and meeting, then out to join the chase crew for my last EVA for Expedition One. The three spacesuited crew squeezed themselves into Shannon's Nissan Pathfinder, which simulated a small pressurised rover. They got quicker as the day wore on, but it was still quite cozy in there and no room for a communal lunch, as we did with the Ares and Everest Rovers the other day. Poor Stan at 6'4" was a little cramped, while Nancy at 5'3" was able to stand up in the vehicle bent double. Jon's contortions as he removed and put his backpack and helmet on deserved to be captured on film - and were ...

Gorgeous day, with contrails all across the sky as planes flew high overhead - not a very Mars-like event but it looked dramatic just the same. We encountered a man with his child on an ATV along the track - hours later I happened to see him as I emerged from a 'pit stop' ... spoiled the feeling of isolation somewhat and made me rather embarrassed!! We also met a man from New York who invited us to have a beer during our outing to Hanksville tonight. It seemed strange to meet so many people along the way after a week of immersion in 'Mars.'

We visited three sites and the vehicle was rated on various criteria, such as ease of visibility for suitable locations for sampling and the speed the vehicle traveled.

Lots of hurried preparations for going out to dinner in Hanksville, with most people trying out dress up a little for the occasion. The frequent power outages didn't help, but somehow we all managed to congregate around the vehicles and head off to town.

Dinner was at a burger joint at the Chevron gas station - 'Stan's Burger Shak' - and we were able to push the tables together and enjoy a final meal with the phase three crew. Fathi and Stan played pool, while Matt, Nishi, Shannon and I worked the juke box for some favorite hits. When we arrived back at the Hab, the power was gone again, requiring torches for a while. We got to watch the end of 'The Matrix' followed by packing and last minute work.