I'm done.

[§AB]

Okay, this is it. I've Freaking had it with Melbourne's rotting awful weather. Seriously, I am over it all. Nothing but clouds or the last 3 months, and the days in the 7-day forecasts continually get changed from "fine" to rain and showers. The forcast for the next week had 4 days of fine weather predicted, with relative mildness, but now that has been replaced with bloody rain and showers and freezing temps. We can now expect 1 fine day, without any guarantee that it will be clear. Even days that are forecast to be fine just end up being foggy and drizzly. Over the last 3 months we had perhaps 5 freaking clear nights and days with more sun than clouds. I think I'm depressed now, I'm drinking everyday and haven't been in a geniunely good mood in weeks now. I feel I'm always just pissed off.

So from now on, I quit astronomy. I have torn up all my observing lists and threw them in the bin, ready for garbage collection tomorrow morning. From tomorrow, I'm going to resume a favorite pasttime. I'm going to buy the latest edition of Microsoft Flight Simulator and concentrate all my energy into that.

I've had enough of this crap stressing, so I'm now going to re-start my flight simming hobby, which in the past has provided me with much fun and entertainment. I'll be happier person and it will distract me from the horrible gloominess outside my window.

I will see starlight again, but not in the near future.

[TrevorW]

Move !!!

[madtuna]

so what astro gear are you flogging off at rediculous give away prices that I can buy?:D

[TrevorW]

Opportunist :P

[madtuna]

I'll steal your gold teeth if you sleep with your mouth open...I'm not proud!

[jjjnettie]

It gets like that sometimes.
I bought a new scope before christmas and then had rain and clouds for 3 months.
They reckon it's character building, I reckon it's pure torture.

[§AB]

I agree. Character building my a**.

[GrahamL]

Six up here this year gone sab...Some good nights around ..but mostly not

You wait it out my friend :)

[GTB_an_Owl]

buy a weather station

geoff

[§AB]

What for?

[Starkler]

If it could change Melbournes weather I would buy one!

[iceman]

It's the hobby we chose. We're at the mercy of the weather. No point getting stressed about it..

Take the good times when they come, and get some sleep when it's cloudy.

[Zuts]

Hi,

Do what I did. The last time we had weather like this and its not just Melbourne, Sydney is just as bad, I got in the car and drove about 500 km to where it was nice and clear. From Melbourne you could get to Broken Hill in well under 8 hours. A good nights imaging should get it out of your system for a month, until it fines up again.

Cheers
Paul

[xelasnave]

My friend (male) has encouraged me to experience emotion rather than to intellectualise and so your expression of frustration and disappointment by his approach is the best thing you can do.

As to a machinery that can get you thru this down swing may I suggest something:)..not new..that seems to pull me out of a hole...take some quiet time to count your blessings... your personal skills, your loved ones and your assembly of material goods...whatever:D. But the process I find uplifting and in the doing I realise that I am indeed blessed with all that I have....there is no point or value to focus on what you have lost or what is evading your desires ....and above all practice development of the virtue of patience for with it you will realise that everything comes to you when appropriate:).

But I know how you feel and encourage you to vent your frustration with the weather and after perhaps try a stock take of all that makes up your Universe as I think you will find it to be a wonderful and special place to be..

alex:):):):):):):)

[ving]

seems to me young jedi you have put all your eggs in one basket... you need to fnd a rainy day hobby.

[TrevorW]

Get a shed with tools, maybe a lathe, bench drill etc having one is always handy for those rainy days

[dannat]

I agree Move or find another hobby.

[§AB]

Hi
It is currently way out of my league to drive to Broken Hill.


Thanks Alex, yer i try to concentrate on what I HAVE, rather than what I don't, but human nature being human nature, eventually you lose your patience and just have to vent.

[§AB]

Notice how I said that I'm getting back into flight simming.

[§AB]

Notice how I said that I'm getting back into flight simming.

[§AB]

Notice how I said that I'm getting back into flight simming.

[goober]

Thanks SAB, really enjoyed your reports the past 12-18 months. Hopefully you'll be back out there soon.

(Actually, pretty good out there this morning before sun up. It's like the weather gods know you're gone....)

[Satchmo]

If you are after some flight simming diversion why not look at something like Condor Competition Soaring Simulator (http://www.condorsoaring.com/), where you can fly virtual races online through the `European Alps and many other areas in top of the range sailplanes. Warning though the skill of soaring is not learnt overnight, but the rewards are great. As a glider pilot myself I think the flight model in Condor leaves FSX for dust and is much more challenging to master.

Regards bad weather, don't let it get to you. Its a great chance to read up on your theory and plan new observing sessions ( and pursue other interests) . The more great observing nights you have the more you will find the memory of them sustains you in between long breaks.

These days I can be quite happy with a 10 minute glimpse of a beautiful star cluster with hand held binoculars, and yet I have 30 years of obeserving behind me..

Don't fall in to the trap of observational astronomy turning into just an exercise in `train-spotting'. Its about developing a connection with the Universe and its up to you how you achieve that: don't turn it into an academic exercise if its going to stress you out :)

[TrevorW]

Yeah but I thought you might like something creative and healthy :whistle:

[thunderchildobs]

I am waiting for the post "The flight sim wont work on my computer without reinstalling Vista with patch 123,434.45, the graphics card I have does have vista drivers, damn Microsoft "

[mark3d]

maybe you could look into flight sims or something like that

[taminga16]

Sab,
I am planning a visit to my dark site on the weekend of the 28/29, If Melbourne conditions do not improve your temperament by then you would be more than welcome to visit.

Regards,

Greg.

P.S. My best wishes to you mum and I hope that you are not venting to her.

"Astronomy is nothing like the brochure."

[Alchemy]

and its clear outside now......... get the vacumn out suck up those bits of smashed mirror , sticky tape up the star sheets.

you could take up the imaging side of the hobby, plenty to do on a rainy day(processing) plus you can look at your images and dream of clear nights.

As soon as the weather improves .... he will be back

[acropolite]

Better get a wire brush and some Dettol and give that dummy a good clean as well...:whistle:

[spacezebra]

Move to Albury!:D

Cheers Petra d.

[turbo_pascale]

It's clear right now (yes, I know the moon is 95.3% full), so get out RIGHT NOW!!!! Quick!

It's Melbourne after all - you might not have much time.

[erick]

Driving home tonight - what a glorious sky. Deep gold of the sunset fading into inky blue. A high jet (Tassie to NSW or QLD) flew right past Sirius, leaving a glistening trail. I've just stepped out into the backyard with a pair of 10x50 bins (a surprise present for my sister) and scanned the sky - Saturn, Jewel Box, Omega Centauri, Jupiter - finishing off with the Moon. Gorrrrrrrrrrrrgeoooooooooooous!! :)

But I got lots of work to do, here at the computer :sadeyes:

[Alchemy]

imaging in Ha and around 9 thin mist starts coming in from the mountains .... never mind , another time.

[Zuts]

Pardon my ignorance, but where is cloudy city?

Paul

[Starkler]

Looks like Sabs sacrifice to the observing gods has had some effect with the providence of clear skies and reasonable seeing :D

[DSO]

Up here in the UK, I feel your pain, $ab! I tend to do more birding than astronomy...

[ving]

sab matey, i was sugesting not that you wuite astro and throw your telescope in a bin... when i said get another hobby i mean to go with astronomy not to replace it... everyone on the eastern seaboard is getting stacks of rain dude. play ya flight sim while it rains and make hay while the moon shines. :)

[§AB]

No thanks mate. I already hate computers like hell due all the bloody errors, internet dropouts, failures, hang-ups, slow performance etc, and other crap they always seem to dish out, the last thing I need to be doing is relying on a computer to pursue my hobby. :bashcomp: Plus I really can't be bothered with all the learning, wiring and extra gear that must be lugged in and out. I certainly respect all the work the imagers put in to create their fine master pieces, and enjoy viewing them, but it's not for me ;)

My sole interest in astronomy stems from visual work, and I will always be doing exclusively visual astronomy.


thanks Doug, it's been a pleasure to discuss each other's observations and sort of get to know each other :)


pfffffffffftg nah it's still the same melbourne crap.

[§AB]

Hi Greg,

it certainly would be nice to go up there and give my 12" it's first real test, but ofcourse we're all at the mercy of our awful, awful, awful rotting Icelandic winter :sadeyes:

Thankyou for your invitation and I'll let you know closer to the proposed date :thumbsup:

Don't worry, the only thing that suffered from my rage was the pillow and punching bag :D

[erick]

Sab, my offer to help with your fans still stands. Eric

[Bassnut]

umm, I still dont get it, why does anyone live in Melbourne ?, remind me.

[EzyStyles]

yes SAB. I have been hibernating for the past 3-4 months also mainly due to the poor melbourne weather and also the location im imaging at presently compared to before. If only im situated in the rural side of Victoria.... if only...

[EzyStyles]

LOL Fred. I grew up in Melbourne, work, family are down here maybe? LOL . If im retired then i'll move. That will be another 40 years mate. what 100mpixel astro cams for $100 by then? ...;)

[Ian Robinson]

What you need do is to learn how to do the "drive the clouds away" dance, at least you don't have a neighbour who leaves his freaking outside lights on freaking night every single night !!!

[South Poll]

Here y'go dude....;

http://findmyhobby.com/science/meteorology


..that way, no matter what's happening in the sky....YOU'RE IN YOU'RE ELEMENT !!!



...just trying to help...:D