GE Family Day

Last Saturday we went over to my workplace for GE's Family Day. This was the first time we had ever participated in it, and we were blown away. Each October, GE puts on a carnival for employees and their families. They have rides and food and allow everyone to walk through the plant to see what we actually make.

When we arrived, there were cars everywhere! Police had blocked off the first two entrances we tried. Finally we found a parking place. It was on the backside of the plant, so we decided to do the plant tour first. It required going through the 'ugly' side to get in (we compared it to entering NY City from the NJ side or entering Philadelphia from pretty much any direction).

Once inside we headed to the final assembly area. Here's a picture of Ethan and I next to something called the 'nacelle'. The nacelle is the part of a windmill that sits on top of the tower. The blades attach to a hub that bolts on to the blue and gray section in the picture.

On the other side of the aisle was one of our gas turbines. These machines burn oil or natural gas to generate electricity. They're starting to get creative in what they can burn now though. A plant in the United Kingdom is burning gassified cow poop. Whatever works I guess!

This last picture, while a little blurry, is one of my favorites. A 200-ton crane! How cool is that!?! (The question is rhetorical.)

So, after walking the plant, we finally found our way to the front of the building. It was crazy! There had to be at least 3,000 people there with rides and food all over the place. They had hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled chicken, grilled salmon, grilled shrimp, desserts, cotton candy, funnel cake, and ice cream! It was great to be able to get a funnel cake and not have to pay for it...and then decide to get another one! I was really shocked at how much GE had put together. Here's a little video of Ethan and I on one of the rides.

At a certain point they closed the plant, so we all had to take buses back to our cars. Honestly, they were nice buses! We didn't wait in the line, but they had also had limousine rides available! We timed it so that once we got back to the car, we could sit in the parking lot and watch the fireworks. It worked out well. We weren't able to see some of the low ones, but overall, we were more than satisfied. Actually, the set was about 25 minutes long! I'm used to a 10-minute set and wishing for more. This one was so long I was ready for it to end!

Anyway, we're grateful for a fun-filled day. God has blessed us with some really fun outings lately. He doesn't have to give them to us, but we're grateful that He does. And I am thankful for the employer He has given me. It is GE; as we well know, they lay-off people, but they also do a good job of taking care of those that are employed. It has pros and cons, but I'm thankful for the work I get to do and the business for which I work.