Ohhh I love this - and The Night Before Christmas vibe:

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, is when I knew that I had nothing to dread.

And all your research - have we not agreed in previous posts that nerd-dom is awesome and needs to be so universal, "nerd" is replaced with a more accurate and awe-inspiring word? Scientific curiosity, wonder, appreciation, a mission to understand and observe - shall we coin a new word? - it would seem "scientist" does not convey the magic that Carl Sagan (atheist or no) brought with his documentaries and books.
Your attention to detail and flair with words are exemplary, and now I'm stretching my memory to see if you and @myjob are already well acquainted. Not to mention @goat-girls and @redheadpei. Women writers among us.
Guys, you know I love you too. @hangin, @bigsambucca, @grapthar, @manorvillemike, and more than I can spell from memory.... thank you @kona for bringing us together!
My apologies to all whose names I can't spell off the top of my head