13 February 2017 (Monday) - Freebie Telescope

I woke shortly before the alarm was due to go off to find I was holding "Furry Face TM"’s paw. I got up being careful not to disturb my dog, and over brekkie watched the last episode of “Chewing Gum”. I suspect that much of the show went over my head, but it kept me amused for half an hour or so.

Despite having had no Internet connection all night my phone had still received all sorts of notifications. But now that it spends the night in “Do Not Disturb” mode it doesn’t shout about them all night long, which is something of a result.
I thought I really should see what my phone had seen overnight. I had a couple of emails which weren’t really of any interest at all. Facebook was similarly uninspiring; there was talk about comet 45P/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková. But only talk. The thing is too dim to be seen with the naked eye, and those people who’d got up at silly o’clock to look for it found an intermittently cloudy sky and a bright moon stopped them seeing anything. 

"My Boy TM" messaged me; by brother’s in-laws are having a big family party to which we are all invited. My brother’s in-laws are a very friendly and welcoming bunch, but only seeing them once a year (at most) means I hardly know any of them.
"My Boy TM"’s also got work worries. The local news is full of stories of his firm going bust, and he has no idea of what is actually happening. Worrying times.

I then played “Genies and Gems” for a while before setting off to work. I had been told that the roads would be quieter today because it is half-term week. As I drove, the pundits on the radio were talking about how Tesco have been overcharging customers as they haven’t been taking down signs advertising offers which have long since passed. Is it a series of mistakes or a deliberate conspiracy? I don’t know about Tesco, but if it were Aldi I would say it was. The Maidstone Aldi is conveniently placed for me to visit on the way to work, but the staff in there are perhaps the most surly and uncooperative people I’ve ever met.

The roads *were* quiet on my way to work; I made good time. I had a very busy day, and then came home through *very* heavy traffic. The cars which weren’t on the roads this morning were out in force this evening.

I made a little detour on my way home from work; over the weekend the astro club had been offered a telescope. A chap had been given a Celestron Astromaster 130EQ but didn’t feel he could use it, and wondered if the astro club could make use of it. I collected the thing this evening.
I’ve posted on the club’s Facebook page; the membership have been offered the use of it. I hope the thing gets used, but in all honesty my gut feeling is that the thing will still be in its unopened box this time next year.
We have *loads* of kit that never gets used…

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