Talking To You Guys is Better Than Homework

Just woke up from the brilliant idea of a pre-homework nap that Elliot suggested. Now I'm still tired and have less time to do a lot of work. I have yet to look at how much it all really is and am afraid to, so instead I will tell you gents about life and such like.

Holy crap, I haven't posted since Black Forest Star Party. Funny since I've had this post open as a draft that entire time. Well good place to start.

BLACK FOREST STAR PARTY WAS AMAZING.

Pictured: Amazing

That gets its own paragraph. Now it time to qualify that statement. Star parties are like any type of standard camping trip. You set up your tent and your camp chairs and chill with people. The big difference is that when the sun sets you do not build a fire to stay warm. The only thing you got that will do that is your jacket and enthusiasm and wouldn't you know I left my jacket in Maine. This is because any light whatsoever, any white light, will draw the fury of thousands of astronomers whose night vision/photo you just ruined. Just ask this numbskull when he opened the door to his Jeep and the lights came on, so much pissed off in my direction.

They don't like having to look away from this so I can
find my Doritos....

Because of this though, I got more dark adjusted than I have ever in my entire life. I was walking around by star light alone. The fun thing is meeting all these cool people, but you have no idea what they look like until you see them the next day. Some stranger walked into our camp during breakfast and I was about to say what the hell until he talked and I suddenly realized "Steve!". Steve was a great guy, had a very nice 20" Dobsonian, got the best view of the Orion Nebula I have every seen through it.

Pictured: Steve

Stayed up all night, two nights in a row. Was able to see the Lagoon Nebula, The Great Cluster in Hercules, the Trifid Nebula, The Double Cluster, the Orion Nebula and Andromeda all with the unaided naked eye on top of everything I saw through so many brilliant telescopes. Just before sunrise I even got to see my shadow cast by Venus. Venus was bright enough to cast shadows on its own. Like holy shit.

Venus shadow, bitches.

I am addicted to these things now and this really helped boost my confidence in going into astronomy. You sit around just learning the facts and figures of it all and you forget why it was so damned interesting in the first place. Also actively hunting the skies with people who have been passionately doing this for years with no pay probably taught me more practical astronomy than I have gained from 4 years of getting my degree in it, in a single weekend to boot.

I will be back, oh yes.

The rest of the week is sort of a blur of Quantum exam, Quantum exam and my test in Quantum Mechanics. It required my full attention for the entire week. Then the weekend came, we watched Dr. Who at the Observatory, as is of course tradition. It was my roommate Josh's 21st and since he isn't really into bar culture we just had some beers while watching Louie. Then today I spent the entire damn day smoking a pork shoulder to make the tastiest damned pulled pork you ever had.

Ian, you better be rooting for me to get accepted to UW.
This could be every damn night.

This week will be a blur of Mechanics exam, Classical exam and my test in Advanced Classical Mechanics.

Sic itur ad astra mother fuckers.