Lunar eclipse scheduled for tomorrow night

People in North American and Europe will be able to see a total lunar eclipse tomorrow night. Yahoo provides 10 cool facts about the moon and her disappearing act.

Anyone planning a party to celebrate this occurrence?

What do we learn from ancient civilizations?

I have always enjoyed reading about ancient ruins and discoveries. Or “rediscoveries” – as the case may be. In fact, if I had the freedom to do anything, I’d become a globetrotter, visiting these sites and join the select club of individuals who photograph and write about these civilizations.

Not quite an archaeologist – I’d slowly lose my mind bent over a mound, patiently brushing away centuries of dirt to reveal a broken arrowhead or splint of bone – but more like a travel-reporter-anthropologist.

The American/Britain team led by Gary Zeigler and Hugh Thomson have discovered their second Incan city in two years.

Llactapata is located 50 miles northwest of the Inca capital Cusco and aligned with Machu Picchu. This alignment encouraged the expedition to consider the city’s ritual significance as a ceremonial site.

What do we learn, if anything, when these cities are rediscovered? Has anyone ever visited Peru’s Incan sites?

Machu Picchu is a favorite with the Today Show team, sending Matt Lauer there during his annual “Where in the World” series. Unfortunately, the ancient site is showing signs of wear and tear from the significant increase in tourism. I’ve decided this moment, that I will visit next year. I’m going to plan a trip to Peru. And while I’m there, I’ll be sure to fly over the Nazca Lines.

Does anyone have any theories on how these supposedly unsophisticated, ancient people drew enormous pictograms in the sand? My inquiring mind wants to know.

Happy Birthday!

I’m hoping this will be another way we’ll be able to stay in touch.

Hugs and kisses,

Monica

A brilliant diversion

I’m swamped at work today and won’t have time to come up with something original. So I’m sending you over to London Mark for his Deleted Scenes from the Matrix series.

Hope your day is swell!

And then life happens

What a morning!

It started off as I planned… I woke up early, worked out, ate breakfast (is there a blue moon coming up?), and took off for the Red Line. There was drizzle in the air, but for the first time in months I was early and impressed by how much I’d already accomplished. I bought today’s Post and headed toward the platform.

Two surprises:

1) a mass of people stood, sat, leaned… all waiting for the next train.

2) there were a lot of beautiful people scattered through that crowd.

A quick glance at the time read 7:52 a.m. The few times I’d made it to the station that early it was empty… or barely empty. And the people waiting with me were usually older and still half asleep or enthusiastic but at the dorky end of the spectrum.

I leaned against the wall and watched this threesome standing in front of me. A tall Adonis with black curly hair, still damp, and ice blue eyes, wearing a niiiiiiiiice pinstripe suit was talking to a girl with honey blond hair that fell in cascades down her back. She looked as if she’d stepped out of an ad for Chanel suits. I immediately coveted her burgundy and bisque Mary Jane heels. A towering blond guy with dimples completed this lovely trio.

Had I slipped through an alternate reality? Guys in DC just aren’t *this* goodlooking (no offense to my fellow Washingtonians. Guys, you’ve got charm, charisma, intelligence, and most are very, very cute – but few are Hollywood gorgeous).

The lights blinked letting everyone know the train was arriving. And it was packed. People were squished into those cars like human m&ms in a mega tube.

I turned up the volume of my discman, determined to wait for the next train, and spotted some more uncommonly beautiful people.

Thirty six minutes and four packed trains later, I hit the escalator, left the station and started looking for a cab. I should have been at work 5 minutes ago…. and I had started off so well.

I hailed a cab, got in and the driver starts chatting away. He takes the scenic route, turning a 5 minute ride into a 15 minute drive through the city. I asked if anything special was going on in DC. Not to his knowledge. And he starts going on and on about how he could tell I was from Massachusetts because people from California and Massachusetts are the friendliest in the country.

Did he just compare California with Massachusetts?

A huge grin spread over my face as I imagined the protests from my friends and family in Massachusetts. “Warm? Friendly? Who was he kidding? Has he ever BEEN to Massachusetts? We’re cold. We’re mean. We’re not warm and friendly. And we’re not loonies like those wackjobs on the west coast.”

It’s 9:30 a.m. and I feel as though I’ve already lived through a couple adventures. I wonder what else the day has in store for me. Because I honestly believe, it’s going to be one of those days.

Signs

I used to be a huge believer in signs. It’s only in retrospect that I see the strong confidence I placed on fate… in destiny. At the time, I didn’t realize I was allowing random occurences to influence my decisions in the negative or the positive.

To me the signs weren’t random at all. They were attempts by a divine power to help guide me on my predestined path by helping me make decisions along the way.

Hitting three green lights in a row – a clear sign that I should stay the course. Flipping heads 7 times in a row – I’m definitely on the right path. The flight that cost $99 yesterday is $350 today – hmmmmmmm…. better postpone that trip.

I don’t do that anymore, but was reminded of a time when I did.

How many of you believe in or rely on signs? Do you follow them or purposely ignore them? Or do you forget about signs and just live day-to-day come what may?

The power of song

I’m going to hire a harpist for an event scheduled for February in Seattle. So I’m sitting here listening to the CD’s the event company sent me, trying to select one to provide entertainment.

All of the music sounds religious to me …. well, actually, that’s because it is – “Ode to Joy,” “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” and numerous songs usually played at Easter and during processionals. Sometimes the harpist is solo, other times accompanied by a piano, but mostly with an organ.

Isn’t it curious how a song can change your mood? How music has the power to transport you to another time and place? How a once familiar tune can trigger memories long buried?

What’s better….

than Istanbul by They Might Be Giants?

I once waited through five hours of subpar bands to hear them play this one song live.