Welcome to December, y’all! December is quite the happenin’ month celebration-wise. With religious festivals such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Bodhi Day, Yule, Kwanzaa, and Eid il-Burbara, and national days such as Bifocals At The Monitor Liberation Day (it exists), Bill of Rights Day (better celebrate it while we got it!), and Isabel Theriot’s birthday, December really pops off. But I’m most excited about the gorgeous gift that we’ll be receiving from outer space on December 13th and 14th. On these days, as Earth zooms through the dust of a passing asteroid, the Geminids meteor shower will reach its peak and powder the sky with cosmic debris and we will experience one of the most beautiful light shows of the year. MAGICAL. A meteor is composed of rocks called meteoroids. When these hunks of iron, stony-iron, or stone enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up and create fiery meteors (shooting stars). When oodles of these meteors radiate from a specific point in the sky—the radiant—it’s called a meteor shower. The Geminids’ radiant is the constellation Gemini, so make sure to look in that direction to catch the show. The Geminid shower is special, because unlike most showers that emanate from comets, it is born of the hunky, hulking asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Since asteroids are bigger and denser than meteoroids, the meteors of the Geminids often burn slower and brighter and are more colorful than those of showers that originate from comets. Because this major shower starts early, at around 9 p.m., compared to the others that begin around midnight, it’s more convenient viewing for us retired party animals who turn in early. Viewing this year will be even better due to the fact that the moon will be in its smaller, waning crescent phase so the opaque sky will provide the perfect backdrop for catching the brilliant falling stars. I’ve always had a squishy spot in my heart for meteor showers because of the story of how my parents met and their mystical first date. Way back on August 12, 1963, a young, dashing Ronnie Theriot met the beautiful, demure Janine Zengel under the Caminada Pass Bridge, next to Bridge Side Marina in Grand Isle. They rendezvoused that night, and as they “necked” (my dad’s words) on the beach, they found themselves in the midst of the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. According to my dad, the meteors fell like rain. Being the lover of research and curious cat that I am, I did some sleuthing to see if there might be any documentation about the Perseid shower of 1963. And wouldn’t ya know, it was indeed a very active shower. Being that it was a new moon on the night that my parents were on the beach, the celestial stage was exquisitely set for up to 130 meteors that fell per hour. My dad says that they felt that the shower was the forecast of a bright future together. I hope that on the 13th or 14th of this month you watch the Geminid shower and that its probable sparkling abundance is an auspicious primer for 2026. Catch some tips below!
How do I prevent dust from getting all over my house when I turn my heater on in the winter?
This question comes from my dear, sweet, genius, bosom friend Dee Speed. God I hate when I turn my heater on during the maybe one to two months that we in Louisiana get to experience its cozy warmth, and my house is suddenly coated with a dusty, musty-smelling film. As someone prone to sinus infections, the moldy dust is detrimental to my health and so it’s crucial for me to prevent as much floofing of the grime cloud as possible. First, you’ll want to clean your vent covers (registers) and the return vents THOROUGHLY before you switch on the heater. You’ll need a ladder for this task, unless your vents/duct system are in the floor, your ceilings are low, or you are very tall. Remove the vent covers and return vents using a screwdriver. Some return vents are held in place by snap-in fasteners and don’t require a screwdriver to remove them. Spray the excess dust chunks off with a hose. Once the preliminary de-gunking is complete, take it to the sink. Grab some dish soap and a hard-bristled scrub brush to remove all the tenacious, moldy dirt. Now dry the covers. I like to place the covers outside to take advantage of the sun’s germ-deactivating UVC rays. Make sure that the covers are completely dry before reattaching them. Now for the ducts. It’s very important to remove as much dust and debris as possible from them, otherwise the yuck lurking all up in them is gonna blow everywhere when you switch on the heater. Grab a vacuum that has a detachable hose (as always, I recommend the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional because it’s a transformer with numerous configurations for your dirt-sucking adventures). Place your vac hose as far inside the duct as humanly possible, as you’ll want to remove as much loose dust as you can. After this, use a microfiber rag to wipe the inside of the duct. Make a solution of 1/3 isopropyl alcohol and 2/3 white vinegar; add a few drops of citrus essential oil to create a refreshing and invigorating smell. Spray the solution on a damp rag and wipe as far inside the duct as possible. Make sure to thoroughly dry the areas that you wipe. Dust and wipe around the duct opening. Now replace the vent covers and return vents. Make sure to replace the old, dirty HVAC filter (It lives behind the return vent) with a new one before putting the return back into place. Write the date on the edge so you know when to replace it (usually two to three months later). Now set your thermostat to heat and let ’er rip! P.S. I just discovered that some genius invented screens that attach by magnets or adhesive to the front of vent covers and catch small dust particles before they fly into your face orifices! I’m so impressed. Enjoy that warm, clean artificial breeze!
Got cleaning questions? Email isabel@antigravitymagazine.com
illustrations by Ben Claassen III
