halloween, chem nerds style!

What a delightful way to begin this day of Halloween!
I had already boarded the bus for the special tour
when I spotted the trick-or-treaters!
What was the tour I was on?
Well, it was one designed particularly for us chemistry nerds, not one for the regular public as it turned out.
Not that the Savannah River Site doesn't allow visitors
to its 320 square mile enclosure, because it does.

However, the Department of Energy SRS Tour I was on included a rather lengthy walking tour in addition to the bus tour, with Bob Bunnett there to satisfy our curiosity.
The five-hour tour was, amazingly, free, but the Firehouse Subs lunch cost $5.
The time, and money, were both well-spent,
as I wrote here!
Plus, I had a special memento marble after
the extensive walking tour of the Defense

Waste Processing Facility.
There, I had learned about the transformation of the sludge left over from the production of Uranium-238
(for warheads) during the Cold War with the USSR.
Now, that toxic material is being fashioned into a
special glass, to trap the radioactive component into
a solid that won't contaminate our Earth.
Bravo!

Upon my return to the Conference Center, I was
feeling a bit peckish.
Must have been all that walking and learning!
Over to Beamie's on James Brown for sustenance!
My waitress, Stephanie, was dressed like a
YMCA-themed construction worker - fabulous!
I had a house specialty, the Black-Eyed Peas Jambalaya - superb and very filling!
So filling that I needed a walk afterward.
(smile)

Fortunately, the Riverwalk was right there
and the day was gorgeous and warm.
Such a pretty view of the Savannah River, too!
Riverwalk was dotted with historic plaques,
but I was especially taken by this one.
Listen to the poetry of this prose:
"Born from sparkling mountain streams..."
"sediment sifted over ridges of broken rock..."
Remarkable and beautifully written!

By the time my walk was done, the next SERMACS
event was ready to go!
The Exposition Trick or Treat Networking Reception
was underway, with every vendor stocked with candy
and rubber ducks and T-shirts galore!
Plus, there was shrimp and handheld foods for
those who had not yet dined...
and cornhole and a putting green and even a game of
vendor bingo that included free jokes!
I came away with so much swag!!!

More on that later... it's almost time for the next
special SERMACS event: a special screening, just for
the chemistry nerds, of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"
at the 100-year-old Imperial Theatre!
Wow, how exciting to be in this historic building!
My $5 ticket price also netted me a soda and snack -
what a great deal... and the music of Jack Skeleton
to entertain until the "Time Warp" begins at 9:30 !
(smile)