Sunday, December 24, 2006
Merry Christmas from Chaos Manor South!
That's right, the very merriest Christmas to you and yours from the denizens of Chaos Manor South, Uncle Rod, Miss Dorothy, and Beth (home for the holidays from up north).
Unfortunately it's a rainy Christmas Eve way down here on the borders of the Great Possum Swamp, so our yearly ritual of sipping eggnog fortified with you-know-what while viewing that greatest of all ornaments, M42, is likely to be stymied. I expect we'll just adjourn to El Giro's, Unk's favorite (Tex-Mex) Mexican restaurant just down the road, for many margaritas (and the chili rellenos for moi).
Weather be damned! Or maybe "darned;" I can hear Mama's voice coming in from the Great Beyond with "Damned?! I will not have you using profanity at Christmas!" It will be a wonderful Christmas for us and I hope for all y'all too. I also hope the new year brings, above all, an opportunity for me to spend more non-virtual time with you.
Weather be damned! Or maybe "darned;" I can hear Mama's voice coming in from the Great Beyond with "Damned?! I will not have you using profanity at Christmas!" It will be a wonderful Christmas for us and I hope for all y'all too. I also hope the new year brings, above all, an opportunity for me to spend more non-virtual time with you.
Let me, express my thanks to the many of you who have been so nice to me this past year as I've journeyed to your star parties across the good, old USA. You made your Uncle Rod feel right at home from Pennsylvania on the Atlantic to Washington on the Pacific.
What do I want for Christmas? Not much. I doubt I'll get "world peace," and I've pretty much most, if not all, the other things I want and need. When it comes to astronomy, at least, I'm lucky to be living my dream, spending plenty of time talking about and writing about our avocation. That includes playing with and admiring (if not buying) the tons of the astro-gear we all dream about at Christmas. But it's not and never has been just about the gee-gaws and goodies for me. The most marvelous part of this game for me (and I hope for you too) is still the wondering at and the sharing of the glorious night sky.
What do I want for Christmas? Not much. I doubt I'll get "world peace," and I've pretty much most, if not all, the other things I want and need. When it comes to astronomy, at least, I'm lucky to be living my dream, spending plenty of time talking about and writing about our avocation. That includes playing with and admiring (if not buying) the tons of the astro-gear we all dream about at Christmas. But it's not and never has been just about the gee-gaws and goodies for me. The most marvelous part of this game for me (and I hope for you too) is still the wondering at and the sharing of the glorious night sky.
Well, enough of the sentimental mush, muchachos. If you'll excuse me, looking out the window I see there's a possum waiting for his Christmas Eve dinner out on the deck (no, I'm not kidding). To bed with you, and dreams of Celestrons (and Meades) dance in your heads!
So...goodnight to you all, Merry Christmas, and I'll sign off with the sig I used to use in the olden days of sci.astro.amateur (if'n you know what that was)...
So...goodnight to you all, Merry Christmas, and I'll sign off with the sig I used to use in the olden days of sci.astro.amateur (if'n you know what that was)...
PEACE,
Rod
Rod
