So I've been trying for years to figure out ways to volunteer to help my old astronomy teacher, Darryl Stanford at the College of San Mateo (one of the coolest guys I know) so that I can learn more about scopes and observing and equipment and stuff. But stuff has just kept getting in the way. Work, school, the laptops where I was trying to install software for an SBIG spectroscope got stolen (not while they were in my possession, thank heaven). Stuff. At that point the astronomy program was kinda limping along on Darryl's enthusiasm and the kindness of strangers.

Well, a bond measure passed and Darryl got money. Apparently a lot of money. A new physical sciences building with an observatory on the roof is about to debut, and the place is gorgeous. I was out for about seven wonderful hours yesterday being unskilled labor and user manual reader for Dean, the guy who *really* helps Darryl. First we stripped down the old mount for a 21-inch Cave reflector that needs to move up to the observatory and he tried to figure out the wiring while I was on rust removal and spider extraction duty. (Some very unhappy spiders out there now.) Sparks flew, grease got glopped onto gears, and a good time was had by everybody but the spiders.

Then we went up to the new observatory. It's so cool! I just looked at Darryl and said, "You got all these toys!" He laughed and laughed. He must have made a bulk order from Orion, because there were about ten of those new dobs with goto capability all lined up along one wall, and a box of 15 binoculars and a bunch of the old scopes the school already owned, plus three piers--two with rock-solid Losmandy mounts (I got to help set one up) and one that's going to have a Paramount mount for a 20-inch RC (the Losmandy mounts already have brand-new smaller Meade RCs on them). They've already got three CCD cameras. They're going to do imaging and spectroscopy. It's gonna be so much fun.

Sometime next week Darryl and Dean are going to meet over there after dark and get the tracking software set up. Darryl said he'd let me know when. He'd better.