Are you traveling to see the eclipse? I am! A buddy of mine who lives in Tennessee north of Nashville called me five years ago and asked me, in an excited voice, “What are you doing in August, 2017?!” Well, if someone asks me five years in advance, I’m liable to agree to drinking poison and taking a rocket ship to the furthest comet. Instead, lucky for me, I agreed to come spend a long weekend with friends, smack in the middle of the path of totality. And sure enough: the day is almost here. Not a bad deal!
57 responses to “Pillow Squawk”
Once in a lifetime event for sure. Just make sure that you have proper protection for your eyes.
Have fun, Jimmy. Maybe Arlo and Janis will see it too?
I live in TN and plan on a short drive to the Smokies to be in Totality Path. Hopefully the high spot where I plan on being won’t have been thought of by too many others.
Looking forward to not only viewing the eclipsing sun, but all the environmental observations that go along. 15-20 degree drop on temp, winds picking up, flowers closing up, cows headed to the barn, birds roosting, bats coming out, fireflies, crickets . . .
When totality happens all the stars come out and you can see Mercury and Venus which are normally mask because they are right next to the sun. (also Mars and Jupiter).
And all this being blown by THAT STUPID CLOUD ! 🙂
First, my husband has been complaining to you, hasn’t he? I’m sure we’ve had that same “conversation” about pillows several times.
And second, we will be up near Rabun Gap for the Eclipse, in the path of totality. Yes, we have safe, approved glasses with which to observe the action.
This is how I’m planning on doing most of my eclipse viewing. The link is to a post on Facebook. I “think” the post is visible even if you don’t have a Facebook account.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10155345768325659&id=525915658
The anonymous eclipse watcher above is me. Guess my phone lost the cookie that kept my name and email.
Good for you! Have fun with your friend.
Having spent some time in Oklahoma, I’ve discovered it’s fairly common for the sun to be obscured by daytime severe thunderstorms. Since one definition of eclipse is “any obscuration of light”, it seems that should count as an “eclipse”.
Thus endth today’s exercise in semi-sophism.
I’ve noticed king-sized beds in hotels now seem to feature a minimum of six large pillows. What, are they expecting the Lernaean Hydra to check in? By my lights, more than two pillows are simply in the way…unless there is some sexual practice involving multiple pillows about which I need to be enlightened. 😉
I HATE hotel pillows. I sleep on a very thin pillow. (Really thin.) If I forget to take my pillow when I travel, I have to take off a pillow case and put a folded towel in it.
Where I am is only a degree or two off totality, and I have my safe, approved glasses. We are ready to see it. What has it been in the U.S.? Since 1918 I think. Talked to a friend the other day on the phone closer to totality and she can’t understand the big fuss over it. Not only that I can’t convince her that a regular pair of sunglasses isn’t enough protection. Maybe my wife’s eye doctor is correct that there will be a huge increase in the number of his patients after the eclipse.
I am right smack dab in the totality line in Tennessee and will be watching as well. I actually got to see a total eclipse in South Carolina in 1970 and it is without a doubt the most amazing astronomical event you will probably ever see.
Don’t miss it!
oclvroadbikerider: As a beginning amateur astronomer, I also detest clouds block our view of the heavens… but I won’t be overly distraught if I can’t see the inner planets because I’ll still experience, as you said, all the environmental observations that go along with a total eclipse… unless it’s raining!
The latest cloud cover forecast for the eclipse looks good for where I’ll be in Idaho; yesterday it looked terrible. Tomorrow will have yet another forecast…
Charlotte in NH on 15 Aug 2017 at 5:44 pm #
I am back from my trip to Ithaca! The drive was perfect, car didn’t act up; family gathering was warm and wonderful. emb, I did think of you while at Cascadilla Gorge. Tell the Village more tomorrow.
Wondering what is the best way to store mushrooms in the refrigerator. From the supermarket, not picked around here. Do you have a favorite method?
She accidentally posted in old column.
Hi Charlotte, glad to hear the trip went well. Welcome back. I reposted in the new section so everybody could see what you had to say.
My wife is not big on pillows, but she does have a bad Charming Tails addiction.
And I am her enabler.
All: 0.
Mark, you are a dear. I forgot that it wouldn’t be on the new page. Thank you ever so much for fixing it.
Over the years I’ve seen quite a few eclipses, all from here in Southern NH. Not all total, but close enough to be memorable. First one, when I was a little girl, was exciting; we prepared for viewing by holding pieces of glass over a candle, six or eight inches up, circling carefully to gather soot evenly. When finished it was “smoked glass” and was safe to look at the sun through. Summer of 1942 maybe? There were interesting partial eclipses now and then. Around 1996 there was an annular eclipse that was well publicized. As it neared totality the moon didn’t quite cover the sun, so there was a thin rim of light around the dark circle. I saw it! And under the leafy trees, miniature replicas of the same picture, on the grass and the parking lot. Somehow the little spaces among the leaves acted as lenses to focus the pictures. Very neat!
The pillows on the bed are for decoration, showing off the owner’s sense of style, not for sleeping. It’s a case of aesthetics over functionality.
Regarding today’s A & J, 15 Aug 2017: https://www.wimp.com/just-a-lynx-meowing/
The Chinese Laundry has reopened with all new equipment and new ma
Management after closing for remodeling.
New management is extremely pleased with new equipment and says it looks like it came off the USS Enterprise on Startrek.
Any minions who touch it or the new kitchen equipment will become the monster’s first gulp.
Jackie
Is this where you are going to boat building school?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSGt6iRMG-g
Getting tired of some effects of PD, like falling. I have enough bumps on my head. I’ve decided that PD isn’t going to take over. The gloves are off Rocky is coning out of his corner. I notice a little unrest in the village. Apparently some of us have noticed that there is a real world that we can’t ignore. No, we do not want big , nasty political arguments that will cause some of the few regulars to leave, but I’m hopeful that the intellectual level here would prevent most of the e
I was in the middle of a comment and got shut down at 3:40 in the morning! Do we have an automatic editor now?
Jerry:
Lately, I have been spending more time in the comments sections of the daily strip.
So far, things have been unusually civil there, and, perhaps, it will stay that way.
As soon as it reverts to its past ways, though, I’m outta there.