Starry Starry Night

Tonight is the Perseid Meteor Shower. It happens every August and I have NEVER seen it, no matter how I've tried.
I forgot about it this year, until casually cruising the MSN page. I felt that tweak of excitement until I read the whole story. In the northern hemisphere, the moon's brightness will diminish the meteor streaks, and that means the show will be underwhelming.
In 1995 when we lived in a tiny town in Massachusetts, I was convinced I would see it because it was the least light polluted place I have ever been. We had a neighbor who was a doctoral student in physics and he owned a couple of amazing telescopes. About 2 weeks before the Perseid Meteor Shower, he took out his smaller telescope and we looked at the beautiful crescent moon and Jupiter. The delicate vision of a planet dangling in space is a very special moment. I was tingling with enthusiasm for August 13. That night we were fogged out.
About 10 years ago, there was another meteor shower that I was determined to see. I don't think it was the Perseid Meteor Shower because it didn't happen every year. The best viewing was supposed to be around 1 to 2 am. My hubby told us, "wake me up." So, when the time comes, we wake him up, and it's another socked in night of fog. He went back to bed. Determined to see the shooting meteors, my son and I got in the car and drove inland. It was so foggy it freaked me out. About 30 minutes through the fog, it cleared up and we got off the freeway and found a hilltop to watch the streaming lights. There were a lot of people at the park that night. It was fun. I just remember driving back in that fog and feeling as if I were blind. We got back home safely, and I hope I didn't present my cowardly side to my son.
So, the showers' best view is about midnight tonight, but that's when the moon will be shining its brightest in the northeastern sky.