Birthdays
So have officially crossed the line into middle aged. This year, for some odd reason, I though I might like to do some celebrating, but as fate would have it, I had neither the time nor money. Usually I take the day off work, just so I stand no chance of having someone call and scream at me. This year, I worked, since there was so much to do before leaving for vacation next week. That, as it turned out, was a bad move. Nothing like starting your work day on your birthday by getting hurt. Finished off the day and decided that, I was still going to get a cake for the evening.
Then it occurred to me, that I could go up to the observatory and look through a telescope. Nothing like a free activity concerning the wider universe to take your mind off a really bruised up body. First we stopped off for cake for after the observatory and to get some gas, then up through the park to the observatory. The parking gods were smiling on us and we were able to find a space in to lot fairly quickly. It took a little searching the observatory to locate the stairs leading to the telescope tower, but we eventually made it. Nothing like looking out over the city, in the quiet, to take you away from it all.
Telescope line was short and eventually we worked our way into the tower/turret/dome. On display was Jupiter with 4 of its moons: Europa, Io, Ganymede & Callista (that's the moon, not the Xena character right?). Amazing. The sky was hazy, but still clear enough at times to see the bands on the planet. After that we went back down to the telescope on the lawn and got a better view (newer instrument, different lens). Talked to a nice looking, but unfortunately insane, guy and then drove home for cake.
So, maybe what I really wanted after all, was not a celebration, so much as a way to take my mind off of myself and everything around me.
Then it occurred to me, that I could go up to the observatory and look through a telescope. Nothing like a free activity concerning the wider universe to take your mind off a really bruised up body. First we stopped off for cake for after the observatory and to get some gas, then up through the park to the observatory. The parking gods were smiling on us and we were able to find a space in to lot fairly quickly. It took a little searching the observatory to locate the stairs leading to the telescope tower, but we eventually made it. Nothing like looking out over the city, in the quiet, to take you away from it all.
Telescope line was short and eventually we worked our way into the tower/turret/dome. On display was Jupiter with 4 of its moons: Europa, Io, Ganymede & Callista (that's the moon, not the Xena character right?). Amazing. The sky was hazy, but still clear enough at times to see the bands on the planet. After that we went back down to the telescope on the lawn and got a better view (newer instrument, different lens). Talked to a nice looking, but unfortunately insane, guy and then drove home for cake.
So, maybe what I really wanted after all, was not a celebration, so much as a way to take my mind off of myself and everything around me.