I finally got around to visiting that new exhibition at the natural history museum last weekend and it was genuinely fascinating. They had this whole hall dedicated to gems and minerals that I had never seen before and the colors and formations were just incredible. Some of those crystals are millions of years old and just sitting there under glass. I took a bunch of photos though most of them came out blurry because the lighting was so dim in there. The museum cafe was surprisingly good too which is rare. I had a really nice bowl of tomato basil soup and a grilled cheese that hit the spot after walking around for two hours. I would definitely recommend going if you get a chance. It is not too crowded on weekday afternoons and you can take your time reading all the exhibit labels without feeling rushed. The planetarium show was sold out so I will have to go back for that another time.

I spent the whole morning trying to fix a leaky faucet in the kitchen and honestly I think I made it worse before it got better. There is a small valve under the sink that I had to turn off and it was stuck so I used a wrench and maybe applied a little too much force. Water went everywhere for a second but I got it sorted out eventually. My neighbor came over to help and brought his own tools which was really nice of him. He said the washer inside the faucet had just worn out after years of use and it was an easy swap once we got the handle off. We ended up chatting for almost an hour about landscaping and how hard it is to keep grass alive in shady spots. He recommended a type of fescue mix that he swears by so I might try that in the spring.