Timing is everything.
Today at work someone had a pass to see a screening of Penelope. Lisa and I have been anxious to see that show since we started a James McAvoy fan club. For whatever reason, the movie kept getting delayed for release. I wasn't the first one offered the pass, but the other people couldn't go, so I lucked out.
Going to the movie meant having to leave pilates early and book it down to the theatre for 7 p.m. Of course, there was a water main break which meant a long and twisted detour. Slow drivers, a cyclist, and bad luck with lights meant I didn't get to the theatre until ten to. I was afraid we were going to be out of luck. I had made arrangements with Lisa to leave the pass with her so she could get the tickets and grab us some seats. Lucky us, she got us a prime view, top and center.
James McAvoy was delicious. Oh, and the movie itself was delightful and cute. Funny too.
As we left the theatre I looked up and noticed the moon. I had forgotten all about the eclipse tonight. It was about 3/4 covered at 8:30. I hurried home so I could stand outside and watch the rest of the show.
I parked Truck, stood on my driveway, and looked up. The skies were perfectly clear. We've been cursing this cold weather system that has stalled over the province for weeks now, but if not for the high pressure, the skies would have been cloudy and the spectacle not visible. Beside the beautiful red moon, I could also see Orion, Queen Cassiopeia, and a bunch of other constellations that I knew were there, but couldn't remember the names or locations of.
I first decided that I wanted to wait and see the moon get fully covered. It was nearly there and moving along quickly. So I watched with great fascination as the shadow completely covered the bright, almost full moon. It was awesome. It was also awesomely cold out. Nevertheless, I decided that I want to stay out there until I can see the shadow move to the other side. The full coverage came quickly, surely it wouldn't take long for a sliver of the other side to show again.
There was a -39 degree windchill but I was determined not to let the cold get to me. It was going to be my lesson in stamina and patience. I would focus on the beautiful moon, the grand opportunity to watch this event in my very own driveway, and I would not think about how much my toes were hurting or my legs were shaking or my nose falling off.
I think I stood out there for at least 30 minutes. I wanted to give up. I let my mind wander and thought about other things I was holding out for. I told myself that if I could handle this, I could surely find the patience for anything. I was also thinking of this blog post. It got to the point that I couldn't tell if it was wishful thinking that I was seeing the light on the other side or if it was finally starting to show. I don't know if I gave up, just decided that I wasn't hallucinating, or if I was actually seeing the light, but I did decide to turn and head in, finally. It took forever to unlock the door.
I don't think I realized how cold (and crazy) I was until I was inside. I'm not sure what that part of the experience meant. I mean, was it really worth it? I could have just watched the whole thing from the comfort of my kitchen window, like a normal person would. Why on Earth did I do it the hard way?
Sigh. I did it for the story. I'm such a nutter.
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