Is There Any More Wine!?
In many places in North and South America, the lunar eclipse was a big deal.
People gathered to watch, the combination of the only time this and next year when the Earth, moon and sun lined up and this one came with a bonus: it was the year’s first supermoon. The full eclipse lasted an hour and the moon turned red from sunlight scattering off Earth’s atmosphere.
And here’s how people watched it out here in California, in typical Californians style.
During the early afternoon, soon after the start in the Rams-Saints NFC Championship game, a woman who was over at a friend’s game-watching party and was not interested in the game mentioned that later there would be a lunar eclipse.
This was met with some kind acknowledgements and then everyone went back to focusing on the game.
Later, as the game was winding down to its overtime conclusion, the person again mentioned the eclipse. A big roar went out, but that was not for the eclipse, but a non-call against the Rams that helped catapult the team into the Super Bowl.
As the eclipse time approached – which happened to be during the down-to-the-last-play AFC Championship game in which the New England Patriots outlasted the Kansas City Chiefs – the woman went outside to check on and report on the status of the eclipse.
Her excitement was not unwarranted. Eventually, as the time approached at 8:30 PT, everyone from the house went outside to take a look at it.
“Wow, that’s really cool,” some said.
A few people remained in the house and one person walked inside to announce “you’ve got to see this moon – I’ve never seen anything like it!”
Eventually, everyone went outside, looked up into the sky and marveled at the scene.
“It’s so beautiful,” one person said, and this was met with adulation comments from others.
This lasted about 30 seconds. That’s when everyone went back inside and said “it’s too cold out there!
“Is there any more wine?”
Keep in mind the temperature was in the low 60s. People were wearing shorts, a few were in jeans, and long-sleeve t-shirts or equivalent.
But the weather-tainted Californians did want to be exposed to the “elements” when those elements were less than 70 degrees. Not even a rare supermoon/lunar eclipse kept them outside much longer than to say, “yeah, I saw it.”
Fickle, yes. But they, they saw it. Sort of anyway.
That being said, there were some diehards. I have friends who drove up to Death Valley to experience it.
“Should have brought a telescope,” one said. “Milky Way in full view.”
They, however, were a rare bread. Most Californians, when the sun went down and the cool desert air replaced the warm sunshine, did what they usually do – experience something cool for a very short time and then, after exclaiming “it’s cold out there,” retreated back inside.
Is there any more wine!?
Cheers!
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