Solar Eclipse Fatigue
I Have Become A Crusher Of Non-Burned Retina Dreams
If you live in North American, chances are you might know that there is going to be a total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21st, 2017. As I live just north of the eclipse's path of totality, the show will be a pretty good one. That said, the human show leading up to the eclipse has been interesting as well.
Most of my regular followers know that I work at the library, one item not found on my job description is the dispersal of solar eclipse glasses. I, however, was super excited to find a bundle of a few hundred of the glasses in the courier a week ago, for I love to give things away. There was even an "Oh Drat!" moment as I had ordered our eclipse glasses months ago for reasons that I shall discuss forthwith.
Here is a sample dialogue of how I spent my entire day yesterday and each previous workday this week:
Now, I would be more understanding of the procrastination of the acquirement of eclipse viewing glasses if there was no advance notice of the event. However, people have been talking about the upcoming total solar eclipse for YEARS. My local stores tend to run out of inventory they place on sale before the first day of the sale is even over, it would only make sense that something like eclipse viewing glasses might be hard to come by if you waited until right before the event to procure them.
It is known to those acquainted with me that I am a bit on the mischevious side. However, I am also the sort that dives in to help out in a crisis, and after taking one look at my manager's face, I offered to answer the phone for the rest of the day. As we were getting a call asking about eclipse glasses every few minutes, my boss was eternally grateful for my intercessory offer. I was eternally grateful to shatter procrastinator's eclipse viewing dreams in the most customer serviceriffic way possible.
Most people would ask if I knew where any other glasses could be had. Our library district gave away six thousand and I heard that Amazon was back-ordered something like 4 months on eclipse glasses, so ever the helpful librarian, I tried to let the seekers of the retina preserving cardboard cutouts down as gently as possible. In the beginning.
This eclipse glasses routine has played out every day this week, and I was okay relaying the bad news. That is, until one person thought that they would argue with me about our lack of glasses. My mirth, although it remained throughout the dialogue, mutated and my true self shined through:
I am delighted to report that there was a drawn out pause of what I can safely assume was processing confusion before a mumbled farewell and subsequent hangup.
We've also had some pretty strange animal encounters in our parts this year, including two uncharacteristic black bear attacks this summer. I have been telling my co-workers for the last few months, half jokingly of course, that the animals are acting all weird due to the impending eclipse. The other day I saw an article that said scientists were claiming the exact same thing! Perhaps human beings are being a little strange too?
I mean, don't get me wrong, I am totally going to enjoy viewing the eclipse. I love astronomy and gazing at the heavens, took courses on the subject in school, and even gave a course on elementary astronomy to my children two years ago. However, I kind of feel like the eclipse event has evolved into one of those trend things that people tend to go bananas about, Beanie Babies, Y2K, The Ice Bucket Challenge, the list goes on. They are talking about a run on fuel and supplies in the small towns that line the eclipse's path! The human spectacle might be almost as enjoyable as the celestial show!
Our entire clan is getting ready to move to our county fairgrounds for the state fair this week, and as I wandered around our small burgs yesterday picking up fair prep detritus, I found myself in a local pharmacy that doubles as a custom clothing screen printing store. While my daughter and I were choosing t-shirts to have our 4H club's logo emblazoned on, I heard one of the store's employees utter these words:
Monday can't come soon enough! Although, I am going to miss blaming everything from bad patron behavior and equipment malfunctions to my own personal mistakes on the eclipse. No worries, I'm sure I will find a suitable blame replacement in no time!
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Solar eclipses are amazing and only happen once in a great while. Ihave always been a Meteor shower girl myself, yet my love for the sky and its amazing feats know no bound. Thanks for the info and I look forward to the Eclipse. Also the glasses look fun and honestly I never knew they made any. All new to me...Thanks for the post
I love meteor showers (and comets!) too! The other night was the height of the Perseid meteor shower, and I lay out in the yard sideways in a camp chair next to my husband, wrapped in a blanket, and wathched the little bits burn across the sky, it was fantastic!!
I am pretty excited about the eclipse too, and I hope that you get to see it! I plan on sharing my glasses with those around me who don't have any, so we should all have a blast observing the celestial show!
While minding my own business walking into a store to acquire caffeine sufficient to survive an afternoon of book delivery driving, I was rudely accosted by someone who shall remain nameless shouting "Hey, Outreach Librarian!" This someone-who-shall-not-be-named was also procuring fair supplies. What an odd coincidence...
Truly odd, although I think that someone was a little bit superior in that moment at public "outreach," don't you? lol!!!!
It also seems like you made it through the day, and that someone is going to claim that it was their shocking greeting that helped release enough adrenaline to get you through your dragging of the tail kind of day.
To quote Maui: You're Welcome!
Someone needs to learn the subtle difference between Outreach and accosting innocent librarians who were minding their own business.
Fortunately, I bought enough caffeine to dose up today as well and probably remember to bring that cilantro someone and her husband forgot.
The cilantro has nothing to do with this dialogue, but nice misdirection.
As you needed caffeine to help you complete your job, you were on the public's time, thus all Outreach all the time!
However, next time I will be even more obnoxious in my greeting, cause subtlety and stuff.
Ah, so you admit being the guilty party! J'accuse! oh, wait, it is a bit late for that!
How funny, the library in my town was giving those retina saving glasses away last weekend. They ran plumb out! One older man was asking was there a right side to the glasses for viewing, went on about one side being glossy and the other not. Poor librarian, she is young and fairly new to our town, she's is probably wondering why she left the larger library 15 miles away.😉
LOL! It would have been so hard to resist the urge to put the glasses on backwards! It's never a dull day at the library, that is for sure, and I bet your young 'brarian will find her groove in no time!
"Can I still get a pair of those from you, maybe tomorrow? ". Yaarrg.
I hate to admit it, but I procrastinated right out of a pair myself. Finally did come up with some, though buying a few Mountain Dew's were in the equation when my friend went to the store. Now it's time for a foray into the wilds to watch, if it all works to plan. Canoe and all. We'll see how that transpires.
I really think you should volunteer to do the ad's for the glasses-meister maker's next eclipse coming through. You look simply divine in your Contrabans. Got a real chuckle x6 out of that one. Well, I'm off, so have a nice day and enjoy the fair and all other things joyous. Ta'
Your eclipse viewing strategy sounds amazing! I hope it transpires!
Always happy to elicit a chuckle or two at my expense! LOL! My nephew and I were joking about me invoking my best "Blue Steel" for that pic, I just couldn't resist.
We are about ready to head to the fairgrounds to turn in all the 4H projects and decorate the swine barn. Should I be enraptured by the prospect of prettifying the pig hotel for the week? The fair board settled on a Star Wars theme this year, "May the fair be with you," I am almost fairly concerned about the onslaught of movie references, but then again GK jr's pig is named Darth Bacon, so I have been sufficiently prepared ;o)!
Hope you are having a lovely day my friend!
Sounds like a grand day at the Fair. I love going there, usually spend the whole time viewing and photo'ing the animals. Guess I am a closet farmer/rancher at heart.
Besides winning best plum, I also I won $50 off on a tatoo for a prize at the County Fair a couple of years ago for a "Blue Steel" entry. I was rather pleased with myself, yet never got the tatoo. Not really my cup of soaked leaf matter. If I did, it would be Mr. Pototoehead, I think. Well, hope you are well and enjoying your fairness.
I am irretrievably one of those procrastinators. If it were not for the last minute, I would never get anything done. Sorry, just the way my brain doesn't work.
So, when it came eclipse time, I just grabbed the nearest space emergency blanket, cut off a few inches, and doubled up the sections so the family could view the eclipse...
Other great hacks include viewing through pinholes, and even projecting through pinholes onto a sheet of white paper.
And I find all the hype and terrorizing about eye damage somewhat misleading and over the top! We go out in the sun every day and don't damage our eyes... We look at the sun every day and don't damage our eyes. It really isn't the "sudden eye death sentence" that all the media blathering would have you believe... :O
😄😇😄
Hi there my friend! I am endeavoring to catch up as I am just now home from the fair, and your reply full of common sense made my whole day! Awesome!
I have looked at the sun many times in my lifetime, not for very long, but when that big ball of fusion is a beautiful red from all the particulate matter lurking in the atmosphere, I can't help myself, I have to have a peek. Obviously I don't stand there staring at it, but like you said, we live out in it!
The space blanket glasses win for the most creative and "space" like viewing apparatus award!
And I was mostly just mocking in good form, as I spent most of the eclipse sharing my glasses with the young and old alike around me that forgot or didn't acquire any to view with. 😊
Hope you had a marvelous weekend!
Oh @generikat! Huge pile of no glasses! You amazing human being!
I think I have seen only one solar eclipse in my life, but now I read that I might have not properly protected my eyes. I should purchase these glasses.
LOL! You are too nice to me @m31, I definitely don't deserve it!
Oh wow, I sure hope that you can find some eclipse viewing glasses, they are hard to come by these days! Good luck:)!
I'll be glad when the eclipse is over because my local weatherman goes on about it ad nauseam the last week.
He did give out this trick for people who don't have glasses. Fill a bucket with water and watch the eclipse in the reflection. Don't know how well it would work but it's better than nothing.
There are other options for those with just a bit of a DIY knack.
Eclipse mania is totally a thing right now, for sure!
That's right nice of your weatherman to give out a trick for people to utilize, I know there are quite a few ways to safely observe the eclipse if you don't have glasses, if, like @jacobtothe said, you have a little bit of DIY skills.
@generikat,
That's a good information! Thank you very much for sharing such great news & great article with us! Really appreciate you effort!
(My voting power is still regenerating, therefore please allow me two more days to provide 100% upvotes for your posts)
Cheers~
You must have been upvoting like wild! lol! No worries and take care!
There is a lot of talk about this eclipse - many saying major events will happen!
https://steemit.com/solar-eclipse/@socioecohistory/10-strange-facts-about-the-august-21st-solar-eclipse-that-will-blow-your-mind
Talk is cheap.
I guess we will know in the next few weeks if the eclipse was the harbinger of doom or not! Thanks for sharing!
When you show your pic with eclipse contra bans...it seems like you are right infront of the happening of eclipse....
Any way nice info you have given in this blog...
Thank you ...steem on...stay blissful....
LOL! Thank you for that, I am blissful, for realz!
Steem on my friend!