The Weekend

I really need to mention what a fantastic weekend I had. We waited to celebrate Valentine's Day and our nine-year anniversary until now because Mark wanted more time to prepare. He really went all out for me and knocked me off my feet.

After work on Sunday he took me out on a day trip to Tucson and the Biosphere 2. It was really amazing and impressive. I can't believe we put seeing this marvel off for so long! There are some good pictures on Mark's site. They took us under the glass and inside the ecosystem. The rainforest had a huge cliff overlooking a coral reef ocean area (with a beach and everything)... it was so humid and smelled just like Costa Rica. We saw some of the familiar plants from our recent trip. The desert was pretty unimpressive (because we see it everyday) but they needed plant regions that could were productive at different times of the year to keep oxygen and carbon monoxide levels balanced in their artificial system. We went down in the basement where all the techology is, radiator systems to cool the air, the lung system to keep the pressure balanced, and all the tubes and pipes that circulate and filter the water. At one point, you can look into the ocean from glass in the basement. This was my favorite part. The coral was so beautiful. I was interested in finding out that all the coral that live in a community (clump) are genetically identical, even though they take on two different external structures.

We had lunch and a nice drive back. I love our drives. We always have interesting conversations that span every imaginable topic.

Then, Monday, while I was at school, Mark launched his secret plan. He rented a chick-flick I've always wanted to see (Shakespeare In Love), got some food and wine, and purchased/wrapped some very nice gifts. He must have really worked fast, because I knew that he hadn't had the car to do anything and was expecting nothing special assuming that yesterday was enough.

I was pretty blown away. He gave me "The Math Gene" by Keith Devlin (which reinspired me after burning out last semester to love math again) and "The Golden Ratio" by Mario Livio (the history of my favorite number, phi) and a very cool white and red (valentine-y colors) Puma hoodie.

It was a good weekend. I try to spend some time with Mark every week, and our dates really mean a lot to me. I have so many priorities, but I feel like you have to make time to balance your life. I could have worked non-stop on several ongoing school projects, or gone to the gym, or finished the laundry or prepped the taxes. Everything important will get done in the end.