Very cool!
I’ve used this site to find sighting opportunities of the shuttle/ISS:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/skywatch.cgi?country=United+States
You can browse the site until you find sightings for your locality.
A little background on the space program and why Obama might hold a grudge.
At least a different angle to think about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H8TJv0C58Q