The Message Bean

I got some good news about a week ago - from a bean plant:

The bean plant

"A what?" you ask? Yes, I didn't type that incorrectly. It was somehow written on the side of a bean seed, so when the bean sprouted, it exposed the text. I started watering it about three weeks ago, and it took around a week for the sprout to break ground, then a day or two for the husk to show with the message. Here's me with my new bean plant (it still brightens up the Engineering area even after it's delivered its message):


So this blog entry has actually been about 4 months in the making. Tita, Autumn and Matt sent me this bean plant back in December, when it was pretty cold out here, so I left the plant in the shipping materials (a can with a removable top) for a warmer time. After I had been back from leave for about a month, I stumbled on it, and eventually made it into work carrying it in my cargo pocket. It did really well under the fluorescent lights and the indoor air, which is a bit warm now despite the air conditioning. It's only the beginning of the heat - it's rumored to reach 120 degrees out here, which is basically like Palm Springs if it were on another planet.

The bean plant has garnered quite a following in the office, being the only real plant there. There are people (of course), rats, roaches, and various insects, but this is really the only plant. The first encounter with someone usually involves the bean's backstory, and I get a rash of daily status seekers, all looking it over to see if it has been attacked by insects, burned by the nearby copier, or even some who wonder if it is still there (I think they're plotting its doom). In any case, I'm sure going to miss it when it's gone. I guess I know how Tom Hanks felt about that volleyball in "Castaway" ...

Oh yeah, the message. Tita, Autumn and Matt wanted to let me know: "I love you"!