Eclipse through tired eyes

Well, I can't quite believe that I will be leaving for the Middle Kingdom on Monday night. The motivation for a quite hastily-arranged trip to such a vast country has been of course the total eclipse. To see the sun fade by morning in the Whore of the East will be quite something. Assuming of course that we don't get wiped out by cloud.

I feel pathetically ill-prepared for this, especially given my gammy hip - a stack of gung fu, running, weights and ergo work have left it complaining - but here I am. I have managed to print out the NASA TP from the following amply-stocked page, courtesy of those good folks at NASA GSFC:

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009.html

Iwo Jima appears to be the best place for it, but there's not much chance of getting there. Certainly not as much as there is of getting to Shanghai. I only hope nobody aboard my flight has the 'flu - am wary of severe quarantine measures imposed by the PRC authorities.

That's all for now, but for those who get the chance to see it - enjoy.

Just been listening to a rather superior collection of early Pink Floyd, from back in the days when they could get up to something. It may be late, but those sharp, disembodied notes that crop up in Rick Wright's organ playing seem like a flock of spirit aides conducting his soul to Heaven.