8-18-17  in search of eclipse glasses:

So the big solar event of the century is happening in 3 days----and I still don't have solar glasses for it!  Angie and I talked about trying to go up to the mountains to where it's a total eclipse, but we didn't talk about getting glasses.  Now----they're getting really hard to find!  So when she called and said the Gwinnett County public library in Dacula was having a talk on the eclipse, then handing out free glasses, we decided to go to it.  I had called and knew they were going to start handing out surveys an hour before the talk, so we planned to meet there about 2pm.  I actually arrived about 1:50.  I was surprised to see a long line waiting to get in.  They were making everyone stay outside until 2, then they were handing out surveys.  The first 200 surveys had numbers on them.  If you got a survey with a number on it, you would get free glasses.  I was already something like 134.  I texted Angie and told her to get there pronto.  She said she was almost there---except that "there" to her car's navigation system was a field!  She made it about 2:10 and I told her to take my spot while I ran to the back of the line to tell the guy she was there and make sure she made it in the first 200 people.  She was 186.  By then the line was moving.  It was nice to get inside the air conditioned library.  It was another hot humid day.  Once in, we had almost an hour to wait until the hour long talk.  Angie went and registered for a library card.  I can't even remember last time I was in a library.  Brought back fond memories.  I remember spending a lot of time doing research at the library when I was in high school.  Wonder if any kids go to the library anymore?!  Anyway, the time went quickly and the talk was even a little informational.  I learned that you can't look at the sun through binoculars with the glasses next to your eyes because it'll melt the coating on the glasses.  Also learned it was OK to look at the eclipse and take pictures when it was at totality---for the 2 minutes or so.  Also that you can hold the lens of the glasses over your cell phone lens and take a picture, although I wouldn't imagine it'll be a very good one unless the phone has a great zoom. 

 So the time went quickly, then we waited for our glasses and were on our way. 

Now we're ready to go---wonder where we're going?!