It's turned out that Fridays have worked out well for meeting up with friends this semester. It used to be Buzz that would bring us together for lunch, at "high noon" for beer and conversation. But since his untimely passing, those who remain try to find ways to keep us in touch. Some have had evening events, but I've invited people to meet at BLDG8, Buzz's favorite brewery. It works out well for me: after class, I head home, get the car, and drive across the bridge. Not everyone is able to come every time, but yesterday I sent a text message in the morning and got four affirmative replies of friends who would join me.
I arrived first. Or perhaps almost first. I was getting out of the when a strange bearded figure approached me. It was only belatedly that I realized it was Bug Rodger. (I have two friends named "Roger" that Daniel has dubbed "Rogue-Air" and "Bug Rodger" to distinguish between them). I was shocked and asked if he was trying to pass as a bryologist. Rodger acted as though he had no idea what I was talking about. I assured him that byrologists always had big beards — not long scraggly beards like herpetologists, but full bushy beards. I indicated he had a good start.
When I explained this to Tom several minutes later, Tom expressed some skepticism about my insight. I admitted that my inference, tho drawn from long experience, was perhaps dated and that, although byrologists 30 years ago were all big, beefy men with full beards, perhaps nowadays they tended toward slim, stylish men with neatly trimmed beards. And, I said, as Rodger doubled over in laughter, with small close-set eyes.
I explained this to Philip this morning and, while were chatting online, opened up a google image search. Within seconds, we had both sent links to each other of the same image:
Jules Cardot, 1860-1934. A French Botanist and Bryologist.
Oh, Internet. Never change.
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