Planetary alignments can be hazardous to one's health: on 2012-06-05 I strained my lower back, lugging my 48-year-old telescope up the stairs from the basement in an effort to observe a transit of Venus. It was cloudy, alas, and the next chance won't be until 2117. A couple of weeks earlier I cracked a molar. Coincidence, or harmonic convergence?

On the brighter side, the next day my dentist fixed the broken tooth, and in the spirit of Up Your Mileage I ran ~5 miles around the 'hood to loosen up the old back. Bending over to tie my shoelaces is still a pain, but tolerable. As long as no further conjunctions take place ...

^z - 2012-06-08