No Wishes Here

Sometime around the New Year, (the actual day escapes me as I had been sick for two entire weeks by that time) the newscaster informed me that there was going to be a fantastic meteor shower. A meteor shower that would be one of the brightest and best for a looooong time. Hundreds of meteors within that hour for our viewing delight.

I was excited.

Living here in the metropolis that is SoCal means that there is mucho light pollution. And mucho light pollution translates into cruddy stargazing. Where I live is about as good as it probably gets in an urban area, as we are up on a big hill. So on a good night, I can see Orion and Venus, usually Mars, and if I'm lucky, the Pleiades. But the dippers and the Milky Way are a sight just not seen in the "lowlands." And shooting stars? Practically never.

Unfortunately for me, the meteor shower was to take place between 2 and 3AM, times which normally find me snoozing and attempting to avoid being smacked (see post below). So I sighed a little sigh and went to bed around 11PM.

Couldn't sleep. Tossed, turned, felt like crap. Hubba-hubba, also sick, snoring. But I took pity on him since he was already asleep and simply left the room. An hour later, still up, I decided to go outside and see for myself these falling stars I have heard so much about. Even though it was freezing, I wrapped myself up in our warmest blankie and went into the patio, as that was the place where I had little to no chance of waking anyone else up.

To the West, the newscaster had said, look to the West.

I looked. I strained. Nothing.

I was cold. It had been easily fifteen minutes. Dammnit, the newscaster had said hundreds of meteors! Where were they?

I went back in. I was bitter. I had been sick for so long, as had the rest of my family, and I felt I deserved a bit of a treat, courtesy of the heavens.

I knew I should try to head back to bed, but I was by this point obsessed. I was going to see a meteor even if it meant I got pnuemonia in the bargain! I shuffled back outside, bundled like an old crone in my blanket and slippers.

Nothing.

Nothing to the West. Or the East, South, Southeast, North, Northwest or anywhere else.

I felt cheated. I shook my fist in the air. One freaking meteor, that's all I wanted! Could the universe just grant me that one thing?

No.

I lay in bed, thawing out and beginning to fall asleep. And I thought, that is the story of my life, isn't it?

Comments

Sunshine said…
If you move in next door, we'll have those silly little meteor showers every third Wednesday.
...or you could come visit in Norway, and I'll take you to the cottage. We have shooting stars there every clear night.

Heidi
Laura said…
Or at least a high speed helicopter chase for your trouble. My brother lives in Silver Lake and it is so odd, when we visit, to see those. We have another snow day here. I am ready for warm weather.
I've never seen them either. I suspect some sort of conspiracy is afoot.
Steph said…
What a bummer. I witnessed a meteor shower once, one warm summer day in the middle of nowhere in Maine, and haven't been able to catch one since.
J said…
We had one a few years ago, and I got Maya up out of bed at some stupid hour, and we bundled up and sat out by the condo pool. We maybe saw 1, for the same reason as you. Cherry and Eric drove out into the country, and saw TONS.
Suzanne said…
I've never seen a shooting star. I'd have felt cheated, too!
Liz said…
Whenever we have those meteor showers, it's always cloudy. Go figure. But, I saw a very bright shooting star about a month ago. I just happened to be looking in the right place I guess. I was so stunned I forgot to make a wish.
Autumn's Mom said…
Can't we have a meteor shower like at 5 pm? KIDDING I've seen one a few years ago, and even seeing it...I was let down. I guess if it was as brilliant as I'd want it to be...the Earth would probably blow up.
captain corky said…
I can lend you The Empire Strikes back if you want. I think that will make you feel better, cause there's a really long asteroid scene in the movie, and everyone knows that asteroids are much cooler than meteors. I couldn't really tell you what the difference between the two are though. They never covered that on Star Trek. ;)
Quiskaeya said…
I think the gods are playing tricks on us. I'm sure they get a big kick out of all these people who wake up at godforsaken hours to try to catch a glimpse. I've never known a person to actually see one.

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