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Rachael Herron

(R.H. Herron)

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Volcano Rachael

March 30, 2005

You know what you really, really shouldn’t do? Eat a bunch of vitamins, and then ten minutes later eat some salt’n’vinegar chips. Five minutes later, feel really sick and bolt for the bathroom, hand over mouth, scaring co-workers. Find out only after scare that the vitamins were in a base of sodium bicarbonate.

Yes, I mixed vinegar and baking soda in my tummy. This clears drains, people. It was not fun. But the Exploratorium has a good bomb for you to try with the kids or when you’re up at four in the morning with nothing to do but mess around with kitchen supplies and listen to Dinah Washington. Or whatever. Not like I’d do that in my kitchen sink for fun. What do you take me for? 

Burp. Excuse me.

Posted by Rachael

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christie says

    March 30, 2005 at 3:04 pm

    OOooOOoOo…Girl.
    I guess right now even a Cadbury Egg doesn’t sound good.

  2. Miriam says

    March 30, 2005 at 3:15 pm

    *lol* That’s really funny… I’m sorry… but it is ๐Ÿ˜‰
    Mim

  3. Laura in Alameda, CA says

    March 30, 2005 at 3:20 pm

    For posting the link to the bubble bomb, you are my son’s new hero. Sorry about the chips, though. Hope it doesn’t put you off them forever.

  4. Dani says

    March 30, 2005 at 3:30 pm

    Wow THAT does not sound fun. Thanks for the warning!

  5. Anne says

    March 30, 2005 at 3:45 pm

    Oh, Lord, honey, TOO damn funny.
    Who knew.

  6. Catherine says

    March 30, 2005 at 3:54 pm

    Oh God, how awful but yet, how hilarious! Thanks for sharing, I would NEVER have thought that such a combination (vitamins and chips – and salt and vinegar are my favorites) could be explosive! Information noted….

  7. jodi says

    March 30, 2005 at 4:18 pm

    Oh fuck. I shouldn’t laugh this hard when I’m home sick, my tummy hurts in sympathy!
    Don’t ever try it with bleach and ammonia, ok?

  8. Nancy says

    March 30, 2005 at 4:44 pm

    Ok, so it looks like vitamins and salt & vinegar potato chips are added to the “never combine” list of foods. I’m guessing this combo wins out over the Taco Bell and Indian food combo in terms of bad reactions? ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Elizabeth says

    March 30, 2005 at 5:00 pm

    reminds of the volcanoes we used to make in grade school.. i cant help but laugh.. sounds like something that would happen to me

  10. alison says

    March 30, 2005 at 5:13 pm

    oh, that is funny — poor Rachael’s tummy! Have an extra creme egg. (I bought three yesterday for half price. I’m so totally going back for more after seeing your haul.)

  11. Emily says

    March 30, 2005 at 5:18 pm

    LOL! I’m sorry to laugh but that’s really funny! I hope your stomach is better now. Thanks for the cool link. My boys are going to love trying it!

  12. Lorette says

    March 30, 2005 at 5:37 pm

    Wow. My mom once helped us make a papier-mache volcano that we then filled with some sort of chemical mixture that erupted quite realistically. I think she had as much fun with it as we did. Your coworkers will never let you live this one down, you know.

  13. claudia says

    March 30, 2005 at 6:08 pm

    What you won’t do to entertain us….
    ๐Ÿ˜‰

  14. Amanda says

    March 30, 2005 at 6:52 pm

    Seriously, Rachael, do you know any kids who could use you for their science project?? It’s a sure runner. And you know what will make you feel better?
    A nice, neutral, creamy Cadbury egg. Or 48.

  15. Amanda says

    March 30, 2005 at 6:53 pm

    Seriously, Rachael, do you know any kids who could use you for their science project?? It’s a sure runner. And you know what will make you feel better?
    A nice, neutral, creamy Cadbury egg. Or 48.

  16. Nathania says

    March 30, 2005 at 6:57 pm

    Oh, baby, you poor thing. If I wasn’t laughing so hard I’d be able to think of something that might help soothe your tummy.

  17. Kate says

    March 30, 2005 at 7:54 pm

    Ack, that sounds awful, I’m sorry!
    I have to admit a certain morbid fascination with how it’s going to come out the other end tomorrow… tee hee.

  18. Marie says

    March 30, 2005 at 9:41 pm

    Oh, that’s awful, just awful. Funny, but awful. You’re kidding, aren’t you? I didn’t think such a thing was possible. Eeeewwwwwww.
    So, switch to plain chips or take vitamins nowhere near snacktime?

  19. Jackie says

    March 31, 2005 at 3:52 am

    BLECH! Hey – you were a human volcano. Now how mnay of us can say that! heehee

  20. Iris says

    March 31, 2005 at 4:40 am

    Aww. Poor thing.
    Salt-n-vinegar chips + bicarb-based vitamins= volcano. Got it.

  21. Wendy says

    March 31, 2005 at 4:50 am

    Oh my. That’s good to know. I happen to love salt and vinegar potato chips, Though of course I NEVER eat them. Ahem.

  22. Em says

    March 31, 2005 at 5:09 am

    My poor sweetie! I had to switch my vitamin brand a while ago because I take them first thing in the morning and couldn’t digest whatever it was that coated them. Not pleasant.

  23. mindy says

    March 31, 2005 at 6:43 am

    You poor, poor thing. Ginger tea would probably help settle things down a bit.
    I’ve recently discovered Winnie-the-Pooh (not “ther”, this being the illiterate Disney version) GUMMY VITAMINS. Holy cow, these things are good. I originally got them for the Martian, but they turn out to be the only kind of multis that don’t make me nauseous. Can’t recommend them highly enough.

  24. Anne says

    March 31, 2005 at 7:26 am

    One time when I was on a vitamin kick in college, I took one while waiting for pizza (my first meal that day… it was noon…) to arrive. The pizza took more than 5 minutes, and I ran out of the restaurant and puked in a trash can on the sidewalk. Lesson to me: No vitamins on an empty stomach. Not that I remember to take ’em anyway…

  25. anj says

    March 31, 2005 at 8:30 am

    holy crap batman!
    I know it isn’t polite to laugh, but since you got a jimmy buffet song now stuck in my head I guess we are even.
    plain rice often settles my tummy. I hope you feel better ms. science experiement!

  26. Amber says

    March 31, 2005 at 9:00 am

    You poor thing! I’m sure you didn’t need your drain cleaned! =)

  27. melissa j says

    March 31, 2005 at 11:27 am

    oh dear! well, you won’t do THAT again.
    i do love me some salt & vinegar chips, though. ๐Ÿ™‚ try to steer clear of the vitamins next time. (you can see where my priorities are.)

  28. Rani says

    March 31, 2005 at 11:32 am

    Whoa! Who knew that would happen. Thanks for the experiment link though. I *have* to try that with the kids. ๐Ÿ™‚

  29. Kel says

    March 31, 2005 at 2:08 pm

    Oh no! Well.. um… you should be very.. um.. clean.

  30. gaile says

    March 31, 2005 at 3:12 pm

    whoa! That’s the mix i used to use to make witch’s brew as a kid – but it sounds miserable for you. However, I do have this image of you now, running around the building foaming at the mouth, pretending to be rabid. Or tipping your head back and letting it pour down the sides of your neck like a real volcano. It’s too bad you felt sick – it would have been funny had you been able to capitalise on it ๐Ÿ˜‰

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