Yesterday, Kelly told me that my “big” birthday present was schedule to arrive today. “Big” was not an exaggeration. When we got back from a fun happy hour at Sine, the big package had arrived and was sitting in Kelly’s apartment, waiting for me to open it.

It wasn’t wrapped, it was simply too big to be wrapped, so I had no choice but to open the box and see what was inside.

It was a Meade 114 mm Reflecting Telescope.

I couldn’t believe it. I had a refracting telescope that Mom and Dad got for me when I was five, and which finally wore out and died about years ago. I barely used it in the last 25 years. But I’ve always wanted new telescope, and a reflector, to boot. And now I’ve got one! Kelly is just as excited as me to take it out one night soon and start exploring the sky.

Did I say this birthday present was out of this world?