25 June 2011 (Saturday) - Astronomy & Cards

I was up relatively early, and over brekkie I looked at the household accounts. I can hardly declare bankruptcy, but there’s no denying that more cash would be good. I’m not entirely sure that I’m not paying too much in mortgage repayments: I shall find out in a month or so when the next part of the mortgage is due for completion. With the mortgage (mostly) paid off a caravan might become a feasible proposition.

Apropos of nothing I came across this web site. I love the bit about “We live in the countryside. Our house dates to around 1570, with 3.5 acres of land. We grow our own vegetables and fruit, and sheep graze our meadow”. The chap who wrote this was someone with whom I went to school. We were in the Boys Brigade together. Best of mates for many years. And now there he is – a company director rolling in cash: with his own wine merchant as well (!). I can’t pretend I’m not jealous.

The only consolation I have is that browsing his web site I found his Amazon wish list, He’s a train spotter. I don’t feel quite such a failure now.

Off to work, and after a relatively dull day I then went on to Furley Park School’s fete. The astro club were running a stall there, and I’d volunteered to help. I arrived late, and found everyone else had done the hard work of setting up, and so whilst we waited for the Great unwashed to descend upon us I sloped off for a hot dog and a plate of curry.

We had several telescopes set up, all focussed on a distant TV ariel, and the idea was that the punters could compare the telescopes. We also had the solar scope to look at the sun: a shame the sun hid behind clouds all day. We also put up a display board of our posters.

It has to be said that the posters aren’t what they might be. For all that they actually look really good, they are now four years old and some of them are rather dated. For example the poster on extra-solar planets is hopelessly out of date. I’ve suggested we might run a competition for the club membership to design various A3 and A4 posters on various topics of their choice to replace what we’ve got.

Getting the public to have a go with telescopes was an idea which worked well – there was a lot of interest from the public about joining the club. Perhaps we might make up some fliers for advertising purposes for future events of this sort?

The time flew by, and all too soon the fete had ended. Once packed away I went home – my plan was to get the ironing done, but my mobile rang. There was a problem at work – could I go in? 

One day I shall elaborate

And then round to Matt’s for a game of cards. An hour or so of Texas Hold’em followed by an hour or so of Omaha Hold’em. “Daddies Little Angel ^TM ” wiped the floor with all comers tonight, but there was an amazing five minutes during a game of Omaha when I won with a pair of threes. (Threes!) I do like a game of cards.

On the way home I saw a strange sight – hundreds (probably over a thousand) of people all walking along my road; all wearing the weirdest clothing. They were obviously an organised bunch as there were marshals guiding them as they went. It turns out they were a sponsored walk raising money for a local hospice, which was a relief.

I thought they were a strange religious cult….