Science Experiment or Existential Experiment?

Late last spring (maybe early summer?), I bought a basil plant from the supermarket.  I split it into two pots and put one outside and kept one in the green house.  Amazingly, they are both still alive:

Look at those leaves, though!  If you showed me just those leaves, I'd think they were two different varietals of basil!  But they are the exact same plant - only the one outside had to deal with the rain and wind and direct sunlight.  The outside leaves are thicker, more crinkled and a darker shade of green.

If there's no metaphor lurking in this post for you, then maybe you should split yourself into two and go down two different pathways in life...

Now I'm thinking about Quantum Mechanics (many worlds interpretation) and Robert Frost (paths in the woods) and William Blake (grains of sand) and wondering about the aromatics of these two different-but-same leaves...

Sometimes people ask me what I'm thinking about when I'm just sitting around - looking pensive and not really doing anything.  Well, sometimes I'm just thinking about basil!

Better than Recycling

A few days ago, Seb discovered he really enjoyed drinking from the glass on the left:

Little does he know how happy this makes me.

This was originally a mustard container my grandmother bought in France in the 70's.  One summer I brought it back with me because i thought it was cool.

I still think it's cool. More consumer products like this please.

(The glass on the right is also from my grandparents, but has never contained mustard but is rather my designated whiskey glass these days)

Fandom + Philanthropy + Running

 

What does one do if one needs motivation to get into shape, is a fan of Doctor Who, is socially isolated because of a world-wide pandemic, and is ready to give to charity?

Why, Fantropy's Whovian Running Club of course! Perfect for a giving nerd during a pandemic.  You run on your own, in your own time, on the honor system.  Most of your race 'fee' goes to a charity and you get one of these cool medals in the mail (that's my collection thus far above).

Many thanks to my colleague KC for keeping me going!