Valentine's Day

As usual, I had a fabulous Valentine's Day. I know there are a lot of people who detest the holiday, but I've never been one of them. I've always really enjoyed the simpler, no pressure, holidays (New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, May Day), and for me Valentine's Day has always been about more than just romantic love. It's about love for your friends and family, but it's also about self love and love for *something* -- your hobbies, for instance. I've always taken it as licence to dress up in all pink and red and then go do something I enjoy. I think it's best that way. Don't get me wrong, of course, Valentine's Day can be very nice if you're in a relationship -- I can't really forget the Barbershop Quartet, can I? Or the lovely big/little dipper earrings I received last year -- but I don't think that's what it's about. So, of course, this being my first Valentine's single in two years (hey, I may find the Romantic part unnecessary but that doesn't mean I'm unaware of it) , I decided to have a total blast. And that's exactly what I did.
I slept in, to start, because that's always the best way to start the day, in my opinion, and then dressed in bright pink top and jeans, I headed to the London Science Museum (yes, solo! have you met me!?) The metro was completely crowded, as was the museum (well, it was a Saturday) but it was still really great. The museum was large (6 stories!) but smaller than the Nemo. I'm a bit partial to the Nemo, I admit, but it was still cool. I had two favorite parts -- one was the exhibit on Chemistry and Materials that make up our world (who'd have thought??) and the other actually displayed the inventions from the 1800s under King George III! It was pretty amazing. I stayed in the museum for a good two hours. Then, being completely overwhelmed, I headed back.

I did, however take photos from my favorite two parts:

Molecules!! 

 They had many demos on how atoms reacted. My favorite was a container with a bunch of what looked like ping pong balls and a dial on the side. When you turned the dial, what seemed to be air blasted into the container and the balls went crazy! The quicker you turned the handle, the higher the balls went and the more they separated. Obviously, the air was meant to represent heat and the balls atoms. It was a very cool demo. There was also a microscope where you could look at things. I was so excited.  

I still have no idea what this was, but it was a cool sculpture. 

They had about 200 + material samples. It was very cool. The most common was different types of acrylic. 

And here is the king George III exhibit.

Hard to see, but this was made to show how the solar system moved. The planets spun and everything when you turned the crank. 

System for lifting water. There was another one that was a copy of Archimedes' screw for lifting water that had been made for George III 

Compass. Of sorts. 

This was one of the most amazing exhibits I've ever seen, I think. I'm really loving the whole history of science thing. I'd love to take a class on such a thing (does it exist? It must.).

When I got back I changed into my Valentine's outfit -- that red dress, plus earrings and spent the night in. I spent the rest of the evening watching Valentine's day themed cartoons and writing a Valentine's day story -- which I did, in fact, finish the next day. (I adore Mara, the main character of this story. Just the right amount of humor and politics.) I also bought pink donuts for my flatmates. And while I wound up eating more of them then was necessary, then still got plenty and were very happy, it seemed. :)
As for Valentines -- I did send one. But I'll never say to whom. ;)

All for now --

More soon!

~ E