Hah! Planaria Must Be Boring

 

Apparently my post about Planaria must have been boring (laugh).  Well, at least MORE boring than what I usually write (wry grin).  Oh well.  

I had to run my 11 miles this morning on the U indoor track because it was pouring rain AND heavy wind (~18-20mph (~30-32kph)).  I would have ran outside if it was just the rain, but the wind just drains my energy.  

As is typical, though, during this time of the year, I am pretty much all consumed with making sure I get ENOUGH lecture topics in form my students as we near the end of the semester.  Even though I was initially nervous, I "hit my mark" successfully in BOTH classes that I lecture to on Thursdays.

In one class, I was focusing on a relatively simple examination of the hormonal signals produced and released by the two subdivisions of the adrenal gland.  As this is a lower level course, I did not focus on much of the beautifully interesting minutia  of the different catecholamines, different mineralcorticoids, and different glucocorticoids... but instead focused only on basic targets and functionality of the key hormones in each group, namely epinephrine, norepinephrine, aldosterone, cortisol, and minute quantities of androgens, estrogens, and progestins. Learning the simplified story I provided them will be enough of a challenge for them.  

In my other class, I was... as is my norm in a higher level course nearing the end of the semester, focusing on some more, rather "esoteric" topics about aspects of the subject that are more at the "outer edges" of our current understanding.  In my neuroscience course I worked to describe and explain "Hebb's Cell Assembly and Memory Storage Theory" which suggests a possible route neurologically by which we are able to create malleable neural circuits that can persist and in effect may be how memories are housed and retained in our mind.  Memory and memory storage is still very much a "black box" concept, however, so a great deal of my descriptions and explanations were couched with phrases like, "... to the best of our understanding...", "...in theory, this MAY allow....",  ".... may potentially develop..." and other such phrases.  

Overall, both classes today were enjoyable and a hoot to teach!  Now I am in my back, back office, and am working on finessing some exam questions for both classes for the upcoming final exams.  

I have the stem of my Dublin pipe gripped gently between my chompers as I type.  It is interesting, but I had not occurred to me before, but gently clenching the stem of my pipe between my teeth feels in many ways similarly to the effect that I get from wearing my bite splint.... in terms of my TMJ (tempormandibular jaw syndrome/disorder).  My bite splint helps me to not grind my teeth together, and it helps me to clamp my teeth together like I am very prone to do.  The beautiful, comfortable stem of my pipe serves a similar purpose.  

Now, if a pipe were to have goals and aspirations, I sincerely doubt its goal would be to become a substitute for a bite splint.  But, I am happy for that value of the pipe stem. Even if the pipe itself is not attaining its true calling to be a conduit to deliver the ebullience inducing, nectar-like, flavorful combustion products of the gentle, pipe tobacco leaf, being a bite splint is also important.  

I found in one of my desk drawers here in my back, back office, a mostly full pouch of a blend I greatly loved from the old Tinderbox store from way back when there used to be one of these stores near.  It is a honey & maple tinctured burley leaf.  I believe Tinderbox Pipe Shops are now extinct nation-wide.  But, when our nearby store closed quite a number of years ago, I remember buying this large pouch to save and ration out slowly.  I opened the pouch earlier today to recall its aroma.  The aroma of the leaf was exquisitely fragrant and utterly enticing.  Even though I sealed up the pouch before I put it away when I headed to classes this morning,  I could still catch a sense of the aromatic leaf when I returned to my office this afternoon.  Simple beauty.  

PipeTobacco