Odyssey, this is Houston. Do you read me?

Remember that scene from Apollo 13 when the command module goes into communication blackout during re-entry and too much time goes by? Gene Kranz is opening and closing his shirt collar, loosening and tightening his tie ... the room is too quiet ... Flight Engineers are chain-smoking and sweating ... all eyes are on the flight monitors ... and we hear the voiceover of a reporter:

Expected time of reacquisition, the time when the astronauts were expected to come out of blackout, has come and gone. But all any of us can do now is just listen and hope.

As the seconds tick by, we hold our breaths along with the guys in Mission Control:

Odyssey, this is Houston. Do you read me?

Three minutes, 30 seconds. Standing by.

Odyssey, Houston. Do you read?

That's four minutes, and standing by.

Odyssey, uh, Houston. Do you read?

Hello, Houston. This is Odyssey. It's good to see ya again.

After an unexpected 24 hour communication blackout, during which there was much chain-smoking, loss of sleep and irritable bowel upheaval here at Mission Control, we have confirmed use of debit card in West Texas!

Remember when ET couldn't think about anything but the need to phone home? That was a different movie.

Kwach