Astronomical Letdown.

Fuck 3am. Fuck the Full Moon. Fuck fucking clouds.

Fuck them all.

Why all the hatred, do you ask? Let me tell you:

For at least the last nine years, I've worked with a guy who has raved about the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. He goes on and on about how gorgeous and wonderful it is, how millions of people stay up until the wee hours of the morning to see it's majestic display. He's talked this up so much that I decided this year I'm going to check this thing out.

I went online and looked everything up - found out that the Full Moon was going to impact how many meteors I could see, and that for where I'm located in the world the best time to see them was between 3 and 4 in the morning. (I know that should have put me off right there, but hell, I've been listening to this for nine years - I should make the sacrifice, right?)

What a fucking letdown.

I got up at 3am, and sleepily made coffee and went out on my back deck. (I'm in the suburbs, but was told and read online that these things would be so bright that as long as I could see stars, I could see them.) I gave my eyes time to acclimate to the pseudo-darkness (Thanks Full Moon) and glanced up to see what had been explained to me as "God's Fireworks".

Goddamn fucking clouds.

There hasn't been a cloud in the sky for most of my holidays. And yet tonight, when a clear sky is essential to the accomplishment and enjoyment of what I'm doing, wham! - fucking clouds.

I waited and waited as there were a couple of clear areas that were moving towards me - I think I saw two meteors in about an hour, and only through small holes in the clouds. But who knows - could have been a sleep-induced hallucination. Looking back five hours later, I'm not really sure either way.

So I'm disappointed that I didn't get to really see anything, but that's what you get when Karma decides to punch you in the dick. And since I can't dick-punch Karma back, I'm going to have to settle for my Meteor-raving co-worker.

Don't anyone say anything to him, okay? I want it to be a surprise.




Later.