Seriously There Is A Shortage Of

HELIUM!!!!

 I thought it was a joke when we went to rent a helium tank for Miss H's B-day in February, and I was told that they were not renting the tanks because of a "SHORTAGE".

I didn't give it any more thought until last Friday when I went to get balloons for Josh's B-day and was told that they had plenty of balloons but NO helium...

Oh, OK ... I will go to the other place that I knew did balloons...sorry they could not help me they too were out of helium.

Again, I gave no other thought of the lack of Helium, I chalked it up to poor orderinng and management skills of said before stores to have ran out of something that there should be several full tanks setting together next to all of the cute balloons.

I started to make phone calls and found that Smith's did have the much desired gas, even though Helium is the second most abundant element in the known Universe (after hydrogen), it was allusive in Burley.

 

Cont...

The next day I needed to go to Twin Falls to get Kirk's Father's Day gift and "a Dorothy" if you do not know who Dorothy is you must be missing

on Sesame Street.

Dorothy is Elmo's goldfish.

No, NOBODY sells goldfish in Burley either...

anyways...

back to the Helium.

Ali and Josh were celebrating Miss C's b-day on Saturday because they would not be able to on her upcoming birthday.

Besides "Dorothy"

I wanted to get a 2 foot Elmo balloon I had seen at Zurcker's.

Yes, my little granddaughter LOVES Elmo and anything that has to do with him.

as I enter the store there is a big sign that says:

"DUE TO HELIUM SHORTAGE"...blah blah blah blah

I couldn't believe it!

PLEASE,Tell me that Zurcher's would be able to fill up my much desired balloon.

WHEW...they could.... as long as it was NOT pre-ordered.

If I had been reading

Physics Today in 2007 I would have already known about this shortage.

Kaplan, Karen H. (June 2007). "Helium shortage hampers research and industry". (American Institute of Physics) 60 (6): 31–32.

After reading on line about the shortage, 

I would see words like goverment and regulations ect...

BUT REALLY how are we having a shortage of the

second most abundant element in the known Universe.

Don't they know how important balloons are to parties????

Thanks to Smith's and Zurcher's my birthday surprises where a hit!

Did you know there was a shortage of He????