Eclipse-Watching, With a Laptop to Keep Me Warm
I was half-watching the Mythbusters MacGyver special, and I almost forgot to go outside to look at tonight's lunar eclipse. It's about 8 minutes from the total eclipse halfway point, and I'm sitting on a chair on my front sidewalk, with my laptop and bare fingers so I can use the trackpad. So my lap is warm, and my hands are freezing.
At about 10pm, a bunch of clouds rolled in (even though we'd avoided another snowpocalypse), so I expected yet another skywatching near-miss, but I went inside to grab a cup of tea, and when I came back out, it was pretty clear.
You know, it just occurred to me that I am probably outside of the recommended operating temperature parameters for this computer.
About three minutes to go now.
The reason I'm choosing to freeze my ass off is because I'm procrastinating. I need to do some work before I go to bed tonight. Between that, the threatened ice storm, and the lingering sickness I've been trying to quell, I bagged on this month's edition of the Washington Blogger Meetup Group, even though I'd RSVPed yes. So maybe this is my penance.
Okay, we just passed the peak, and my fingers are going numb. Getting back inside.
That's a little better. Back to work. But first, these two items of local significance:
* The Awakening: I've been down here for close to 12 years, and I'd never gone down to Hains Point to go see it. Oh well.
* Shaking My Tiny Fist in Rage: Anyone who's had braces will understand -- I'd missed this the first time around, but Christmas Eve, a bunch of teenagers in McLean jumped a random 14-year-old kid and bashed his front teeth out. For no apparent reason. So now the kid faces more exciting oral surgery and dental implants. And just a few days earlier, he'd had his braces taken off, after seven years.
Anyway, they arrested 3 suspects. The suspects might have videotaped the attack. If it turns out they did this just to get some material for YouTube... maybe that's why I grind my teeth. Which explains the oh-so-sexy orthodontist-recommended nightguard.
At about 10pm, a bunch of clouds rolled in (even though we'd avoided another snowpocalypse), so I expected yet another skywatching near-miss, but I went inside to grab a cup of tea, and when I came back out, it was pretty clear.
You know, it just occurred to me that I am probably outside of the recommended operating temperature parameters for this computer.
About three minutes to go now.
The reason I'm choosing to freeze my ass off is because I'm procrastinating. I need to do some work before I go to bed tonight. Between that, the threatened ice storm, and the lingering sickness I've been trying to quell, I bagged on this month's edition of the Washington Blogger Meetup Group, even though I'd RSVPed yes. So maybe this is my penance.
Okay, we just passed the peak, and my fingers are going numb. Getting back inside.
That's a little better. Back to work. But first, these two items of local significance:
* The Awakening: I've been down here for close to 12 years, and I'd never gone down to Hains Point to go see it. Oh well.
* Shaking My Tiny Fist in Rage: Anyone who's had braces will understand -- I'd missed this the first time around, but Christmas Eve, a bunch of teenagers in McLean jumped a random 14-year-old kid and bashed his front teeth out. For no apparent reason. So now the kid faces more exciting oral surgery and dental implants. And just a few days earlier, he'd had his braces taken off, after seven years.
Anyway, they arrested 3 suspects. The suspects might have videotaped the attack. If it turns out they did this just to get some material for YouTube... maybe that's why I grind my teeth. Which explains the oh-so-sexy orthodontist-recommended nightguard.
Tags:
Labels: dc local, dumb things
posted by Joelogon at
2/20/2008
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3 Comments:
Aww, you missed The Awakening. You can view the wikipedia entry, which is accompanied by my only wikipedia published photograph.
By
Ryan S., At
2/20/2008 11:50 PM
Cute. I had just been looking at that entry, didn't realize it was your picture. That beats out my mottled sheep.
By
Joelogon, At
2/20/2008 11:58 PM
When I first moved to VA I took a picture with The Awakening in the background. I won't lie, it scared me.
I wore braces for four years (high school and college) and I would seek blood from anyone who caused me to wear them again. I hope those attackers are charged with so much more, including paying for all future dental work.
I couldn't get a good picture of the eclipse, but it was too cold to try for a good shot.
By
prettyparker, At
2/21/2008 9:39 AM
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