Reason Number 997 Why I Love My Job

A true scientist, it turns out, will test everything. Today’s Conservation Death Match illustrates.

Our conservator and Registrar have decided once and for all to determine which is the premium plastic container for storing and protecting objects: Rubbermaid or Sterilite. They have therefore devised a series of experiments – fondly referred to as “Deathmatches” – to test both containers and compare results in a number of categories.

First in the series, Deathmatch Round 1, was held this Friday afternoon in front of the museum staff entrance. Two containers were filled to the same weight with peppermint candies and dropped by our head of security one at a time from the museum roof – a fall of about 35 feet – onto the concrete walk. The drops were recorded from two angles by videographers, and the results of both drops thoroughly documented by Julie and Victoria.

The results: invest in Sterilite.

Okay, if the truth be told, both boxes were toast after their ill-fated meeting with the concrete, but the Rubbermaid left the scene in notably more pieces than the Sterilite box.

The project, aside from being highly entertaining for museum staff and passing visitors, is actually for a poster presentation at the next professional meeting of Unbelievably Detail-oriented, Methodical and Painstaking Personalities. There will be several rounds of experiments before the project is complete. I believe Deathmatch Round 2 will be the Heat test, and Round 3 Cold. Stay tuned for more results.

On a Completely Different Subject:

Dude Review Redux and
Why There are No More Dude Reviews (At Least For Now)
Okay, so after the various Kissing-In-The-Parking-Lot episodes with Dr. Bob, I decided I reckon I like him to enough to take a chance. So I went on Match and took down my profile. Last night we talked on the phone for ANOTHER 2-hour marathon. Talked about everything from raising kids to our respective childhoods. Learned a lot about Bob, and again felt completely comfortable and engaged in our conversation – a rare and wonderful thing, in my estimation. I finally signed off at 11:30, and went to sleep with a smile on my face.

This morning I dropped off a valentine at his office (yeah, I know). Sadly, I don't believe he was at the office today, so he didn't pick it up, but he'll get it on Monday, I suppose.

Late this afternoon, however, I got a series of very funny emails from him and I begin to see the benefits of dating an artist. He sent me a doctored Marlboro advertisement from the 1950s, with his own face photoshopped in over the original Marlboro Baby's face and claimed he had an early career as the Marlboro Baby. Krysten instantly googled it and found that yes, shockingly enough, there really was a Marlboro Baby, in the early 1950s.... some ten years before Dr. Bob's illustrious birth.

So I sent him back an email saying "nice try, but Dude, you were born in 1961." And I sent him this photo of Jin and I a few years ago at Halloween.

He replied with "I didn't need to see that... what happened to the sexy outfit for the Biting the Apple Show that I heard about?"

So I sent him that photo (see here) and apologized for the photo of my ex. OK... here's where he began to buy and pay for me... he returned with, and I quote "much better!.... ps.on the ex. i can photoshop -out- his face.... body.... inclination, temperment, approach, opinions, ideas, convictions.. put 'mine' in there if you like?"

And then, hilariously, received this:

I laughed my ass off and fell instantly in love.
Lord, I get in deeper every day. Pray for me. Send a note to the Pope for me, eh?