Conversations: Telescopes, Voyeurs, Writing-related Threats

KRISTINE: I have a sinking feeling this satelite shootdown tonight is gonna go horribly wrong – these are the same people who couldn’t land a robot on Mars because they forgot the Canadian scientists use metric.

PETE: It went off all right, though. We haven’t died.

We set up the telescope last night for the first time and fiddled and figured and got it working, and then got very close to the moon and watched the eclipse, as the moon turned dark, and red, and as the vanishing edge glowed blue. And it was stunning. And then, I angled and figured and failed to find Mars properly, but found some other interesting celestial bodies. And now I’m in love. I can’t wait for tonight, so I can play with the telescope some more. Maybe look at Venus.

Just incredible. I’m floored.

KRISTINE: Aww man! I was bummed, the moon wasn’t high enough over the trees for us to see the eclipse until it was halfway done.

But that full moon afterward was something else.

LORI: I sold my telescope last summer to a family with four kids. They got it dirt cheap. 🙂

PETE: I’ve never had one before! Or used one. Or managed to actually watch an eclipse(I was always working, or forgot, or something).

I hope those four kids grow up to be astronomers, or something useful. 🙂

KRISTINE: I wish I had one, but with all the trees around it can be hard to get a view of things going on.

Though I must say, during baseball games they often use their big cameras to get a zoomed up close look at the moon when it’s full, and I stare in utter amazement. They can get SUCH a close, clear view – I find myself wishing they’d just keep it there for an hour.

LORI: Yeah. I’d decided to get rid of it because I wasn’t using it like it should be used and because I was in a phase of getting rid of everything I wasn’t truly using that was taking up space, that I was just hauling from place to place with me. I got rid of my flute, too. I hadn’t played it in years. I still need to go to storage and go through all the kitchen-stuff boxes and get rid of a bunch of stuff from there that I’d forgotten I’d owned even before I moved out of my house and put almost everything I own in storage.

I hope the kids enjoy it, too. It was a really nice telescope, too. Not one of those that will find the objects for you, but nice all the same.

I like space and spatial phenomena and eclipses and. everything. The search committee I’m on is planning to interview a PhD who is an expert is space law. I hope I’m permitted to be alone with her for a little while. Or at least sit in on all the meetings and listen to her speak.

PETE: This telescope in theory finds things for us. I can’t be bothered to put the 23-billion batteries in that it needs. It doesn’t kill me to focus on my own on Venus, Mars, the moon, etc, etc. When I go to look at Jupiter and Saturn (yaaaay!) then I’ll put batteries in. Today, I’m going to look at the SUN!

(Of course I’m kidding)

KRISTINE: Aww man, Saturn ! That would be something to see.

PETE: “the RINGS of SATURN!” the box promises me. We’ll see. I have high hopes.

KRISTINE: I got SO frustrated with my brother-in-law a few years ago. He went out and bought one of those huge fancy telescopes that do find things for you, then NEVER ONCE used the thing! I was just getting around to offering to buy it from him, since he wasn’t using it, when he said he’d given it away to someone.

LORI: When we were growing up, the neighbors who lived behind us hung some type of sign on their garage. My brother and I were understandably curious about what it said, but my mother forbid us to get the binoculars out to read it. So my brother fetched a rifle with a scope on it to use to read it.

We were nothing if not obedient.

KRISTINE: Ha! I did that once, when I noticed a note on my neighbor’s front door – and strange things had been going on over there – I didn’t want to just walk on over and stand there in front of God and the block and read it, so I went and got this telephoto lens I had for my old 35mm camera and stood in the window and read it.

It wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped. BUT, this was the neighbor that FBI agent was asking me about a few months ago.

PETE: You creepy voyeur lady. 😉

LORI: The sign we read turned out to be a “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM” sign.

I’m enjoying the conversation, but the taskmistress (That Barb Person says I have a terrier personality) in me is wondering about Pete’s wordcount right now. Of course, it could be the multi-tasking thing, which is easier to do with e-mail than it is when writing fiction.

(One of these days, he’s going to tell me to bugger off.)

KRISTINE: I bet he’s multi tasking. I know I am 😀 I’m at work, writing and emailing (and yes, working). No baby or dirty dishes, tho.

***

This one guy, on the opposite side of the street, three doors down, he’s retired now and really enjoys “burbing.” One summer, two years ago, a woman on my side of the street, across from him, and another woman from down the road were having a screaming match at each other.

Seems the one woman had taught the other woman’s kid the “N” word while babysitting. So they’re outside on the street screaming at each other, and I look over at this guy’s house and he’s got his cup of coffee and he’s standing on the porch watching them like they were the
evening news.

The rest of us were peeking out the windows and listening, sure, but he just walked right out there, stood on his porch staring straight at them, and drank his coffee until the show was over.

PETE: I want to be like THAT guy when I’m old and retired. How cool. 🙂

***

No words yet. Typing e-mails is doable when I’m eating lunch and dealing with Zach, who wakes up screaming the MOMENT Myne Wyfe leaves, without fail. I haven’t eaten yet today, so lunch is a priority. But the kitchen’s done and the other tasks I have to do today (mostly laundry) can be set-and-forgotten.

As for telling you to bugger off, not likely. I haven’t said — because it sounds silly, and I was scared you’d stop — how really, really, really deeply I appreciate you harrassing me… you and Kristine both …. It’s got me working steadily, and I notice that in my head, I’m using the same engines I used to use for writing serials at the audience I had then. So, er, you’re the Nondescript’s intended audience now… 🙂

LORI: No mercy then. 😀

(Kristine, please, we can talk to Pete while he finishes lunch and then no more responding to him until after he’s written at least 500 words.)

Pete, we’re not exactly known for our patience. As a matter of fact, I think Kristine and I have proven that we can be rather obsessive so… Back to work with you.

[TIME PASSES]

Whoa. Threatening Pete with Kristine not talking to him makes him go all quiet and (presumably) work. *makes a note*

PETE: I was threatened with not hearing from either one of you. And, sheesh, you barely let me finish my lunch! *would get huffy, but cheerfully got writing done instead*