The water parted left and right as the whales sailed through the water. Endless waves seemed to tower over the crowd when they pounded their tales into the blue pond. I was amazed at how wild creatures could be tamed and trained to do flips, twists, turns, and how they could soar.
When the dolphins launched themselves over fifteen feet in the air I was flabbergasted.
I saw Polar Bears up close; I fed Flamingos, flinched at the sight of eels, and stood under sharks, but despite all of my wonderful experiences and delightful company, something was wrong…
I’ve never been a crazy animal lover who only eats mushrooms and other vegetables but I’ve never been Kitler either, so writing this may be slightly shocking to my readers, and even me.
Did you know that Shamu’s tank is only 36 feet deep? This seems terribly small when considering that an adult orca can be up to 30 feet long and weigh more than a few tons?
Remember that scene in “Happy Feet” where Mumble is in the zoo exhibit and he keeps hitting the glass walls and he constantly runs into the arctic backdrop? Well this isn’t a classic Hollywood over exaggerated reenactment, it is so true! Today, when looking at the penguin exhibit I saw not one, but two penguins have the same “Happy Feet” moment minus the dancing.
I am torn at this point. I love seeing animals up close and personal, but when I consider the facilities provided for these animals, specifically the acute dimensions of these facilities, I am disgusted.
Who decided that these tanks and ponds were large enough for these animals? When was swimming in circles and sleeping on fake ice considered humane?
If these parks charge sixty dollars and over for each ticket and have thousands of people showing up every day why cant they spend the extra money to ensure that these animals have more space? Why wont they?
I had a great day today all things considered. I love seeing all of these exquisite creatures so you wont see me being some obsessive vegetarian-animal rights activist, or even protesting the owners of Seaworld and Bush Gardens. However fellow representatives you can bet that when I start writing bills this year there just might be one about expanding these animals’ habitats and I would hope you all vote to pass them.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Falling in Love at a Taco Shop
“I never knew just what it was about this old coffee (taco) shop I loved so much”
When one is hungry the question pops into your head, what for? Seeing that America is the land of many cultures, we have it all. Autumn and I had a dilemma though, where should we go to eat, and how far did we really want to walk? The answer we wanted Subway, but there was no way in the world we would walk the distance to get an over priced, under stuffed sandwich.
So we decided to be sloth and head over across the street to the less appealing, more walking friendly taco shop.
Autumn and I dined outside of the taco shop at an oversized table with a tostada and chicken burrito… but not for long…
While starting yet another game of 1,2,3 a group of guys came into the taco shop, ordered and one came out. I said he was Autumn’s 2 and as she was deciding, I realized something, he was staring at us a lot.
Autumn and I were chatting about my awesome “The Hangover” t-shirt when he started laughing and put his input into the conversation. Soon he sat down next to us and then what seemed like a second later his friend joined too.
“How old are you?” Was their question after they discovered we were from Phoenix (thanks Autumn for telling them everything) Autumn said she was a senior and before I could add my age they continued talking to us.
As soon as their food was ready they asked if they could eat with us. Autumn and I were already finished and though she gave me a look of deep desire to stay and enjoy the scruffy looking company I said goodbye to Autumn’s number two and his compadre with a bun and we walked across the street.
If you didn’t already guess, Autumn kept this number two and insisted that she was seriously liking him… ILLEGAL in so many ways was my immediate idea, but I trudged more than willingly back in the direction of the taco shop so I could try to get a picture of them for her… it failed, zoom in the dark only enhances so much.
And while the next part of our evening consisted of many other odd 20 something’s hitting on us, Autumn was oddly attracted to this number two… lets call him Connor for our purposes.
Back at the beach house we discovered along with “Last Name” by Carrie Underwood and “In my Head” By Jason Derulo, “Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop” or Taco shop was Autumn and Connor’s song.
My theory is that tomorrow we will make another trip to the taco shop where we will see if they happen to show up, if so I can certainly see a wedding in the near future, I picture a Spanish theme, mismatched plates for the dinner, a color scheme of bright golds, greens, reds, and yellows. The venue will naturally be the beach for the ceremony and then the reception will be held at the Dirty Bird, for reasons that the viewers of this blog wouldn’t understand. Her dress will be a simple mermaid dress with lots of lace. The food will be classic Mexican, and it will be served and eaten family style. The music will be classics meets now, with a spotlight first dance to a most brilliant Landon Pigg song…
“If I didn't know you I'd rather not know
If I couldn't have you I'd rather be alone
I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much
All of the while I never knew
I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much
All of the while I never knew
All of the while
All of the while
All of the while it was you, you!”
When one is hungry the question pops into your head, what for? Seeing that America is the land of many cultures, we have it all. Autumn and I had a dilemma though, where should we go to eat, and how far did we really want to walk? The answer we wanted Subway, but there was no way in the world we would walk the distance to get an over priced, under stuffed sandwich.
So we decided to be sloth and head over across the street to the less appealing, more walking friendly taco shop.
Autumn and I dined outside of the taco shop at an oversized table with a tostada and chicken burrito… but not for long…
While starting yet another game of 1,2,3 a group of guys came into the taco shop, ordered and one came out. I said he was Autumn’s 2 and as she was deciding, I realized something, he was staring at us a lot.
Autumn and I were chatting about my awesome “The Hangover” t-shirt when he started laughing and put his input into the conversation. Soon he sat down next to us and then what seemed like a second later his friend joined too.
“How old are you?” Was their question after they discovered we were from Phoenix (thanks Autumn for telling them everything) Autumn said she was a senior and before I could add my age they continued talking to us.
As soon as their food was ready they asked if they could eat with us. Autumn and I were already finished and though she gave me a look of deep desire to stay and enjoy the scruffy looking company I said goodbye to Autumn’s number two and his compadre with a bun and we walked across the street.
If you didn’t already guess, Autumn kept this number two and insisted that she was seriously liking him… ILLEGAL in so many ways was my immediate idea, but I trudged more than willingly back in the direction of the taco shop so I could try to get a picture of them for her… it failed, zoom in the dark only enhances so much.
And while the next part of our evening consisted of many other odd 20 something’s hitting on us, Autumn was oddly attracted to this number two… lets call him Connor for our purposes.
Back at the beach house we discovered along with “Last Name” by Carrie Underwood and “In my Head” By Jason Derulo, “Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop” or Taco shop was Autumn and Connor’s song.
My theory is that tomorrow we will make another trip to the taco shop where we will see if they happen to show up, if so I can certainly see a wedding in the near future, I picture a Spanish theme, mismatched plates for the dinner, a color scheme of bright golds, greens, reds, and yellows. The venue will naturally be the beach for the ceremony and then the reception will be held at the Dirty Bird, for reasons that the viewers of this blog wouldn’t understand. Her dress will be a simple mermaid dress with lots of lace. The food will be classic Mexican, and it will be served and eaten family style. The music will be classics meets now, with a spotlight first dance to a most brilliant Landon Pigg song…
“If I didn't know you I'd rather not know
If I couldn't have you I'd rather be alone
I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much
All of the while I never knew
I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much
All of the while I never knew
All of the while
All of the while
All of the while it was you, you!”
Friday, July 9, 2010
1,2,3 He's Yours
Seeing as I own every season of Gilmore Girls, I was bound to find this game out sooner or later. It’s called 1, 2, 3- He’s yours. But, we’ll discuss that later gator.
We began our quest with a fellowship of four… nah that doesn’t sound right. Autumn, Brittney, Dad and I set forth this morning to head for California. After stopping at Grandmas, picking up our crap, and getting gas, we were off! Dad drove most of the way until we got to Gila Bend where he traded me seats and I became the driver.
I was supposed to drive to Yuma, then we would stop for lunch.
You know it is funny how some people don’t quite understand technology. My dad, being in the passenger seat, got to control the I-pod. After repeating the same song a few times, playing Justin Beiber, and confusing the menu button with play, he became a pro!
His selections we fairly predictable, The Kinks, Nirvana, Nickelback… but when he started playing “My Humps” by The Black Eyed Peas we were, obviously, a tad worried and very much amused.
Seeing that we are in California now, it goes without saying that my Dad and I drove us all in one piece.
1,2,3 He’s yours is a great game. Here is how it works. You and another girl (it could be interchanged for men I suppose) sit down, or walk in Autumn’s and my case. Then the first guy you see you offer to your friend. She can choose to keep him and be blissfully in love and have three million babies, or she can pass him. If number uno doesn’t make the cut, and number two doesn’t either she can have number three. BUT, number three stays because 1,2,3 He’s yours.
I ended up with a guy with a “Tapout” T-shirt, a hipster, and a lot of old men. Autumn received a few hobos, a hot dude, and my favorite, Santa. No joke this man was the most accurate depiction of Santa walking down Mission Beach.
But hey, it’s okay Autumn says he gives her lots of gifts. HA!
We then got pizza, a few movies, perused Urban Outfitters, and watched “500 Days of Summer.” All in all I’d say it was a successful first day in California, I cant wait until tomorrow morning coffee and sunrise.
We began our quest with a fellowship of four… nah that doesn’t sound right. Autumn, Brittney, Dad and I set forth this morning to head for California. After stopping at Grandmas, picking up our crap, and getting gas, we were off! Dad drove most of the way until we got to Gila Bend where he traded me seats and I became the driver.
I was supposed to drive to Yuma, then we would stop for lunch.
You know it is funny how some people don’t quite understand technology. My dad, being in the passenger seat, got to control the I-pod. After repeating the same song a few times, playing Justin Beiber, and confusing the menu button with play, he became a pro!
His selections we fairly predictable, The Kinks, Nirvana, Nickelback… but when he started playing “My Humps” by The Black Eyed Peas we were, obviously, a tad worried and very much amused.
Seeing that we are in California now, it goes without saying that my Dad and I drove us all in one piece.
1,2,3 He’s yours is a great game. Here is how it works. You and another girl (it could be interchanged for men I suppose) sit down, or walk in Autumn’s and my case. Then the first guy you see you offer to your friend. She can choose to keep him and be blissfully in love and have three million babies, or she can pass him. If number uno doesn’t make the cut, and number two doesn’t either she can have number three. BUT, number three stays because 1,2,3 He’s yours.
I ended up with a guy with a “Tapout” T-shirt, a hipster, and a lot of old men. Autumn received a few hobos, a hot dude, and my favorite, Santa. No joke this man was the most accurate depiction of Santa walking down Mission Beach.
But hey, it’s okay Autumn says he gives her lots of gifts. HA!
We then got pizza, a few movies, perused Urban Outfitters, and watched “500 Days of Summer.” All in all I’d say it was a successful first day in California, I cant wait until tomorrow morning coffee and sunrise.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
Lord knows it would be the first time…
You know The Smiths have an incredible insight to what I feel many people are feeling many a time in their lives. I think a lot of people are waiting for something they want, are desperately dreaming that they get it soon, or maybe even questioning why they want it.
Webster defines desire as long "to long or hope for, to express a wish for” Urban Dictionary defines desire as “the cause of suffering” or my personal favorite “when you want sumtin’ bad!”
As I sit in my bedroom listening to The Smiths and She & Him I have to wonder why things don’t always work out the way we want them to? Why am I still pining over something I know I shouldn’t? Why is there this desire for this something that didn’t do me well in the past?
A theory I have is perhaps I didn’t receive correct closer. Perhaps I wasn’t fully satisfied with the ending this haiku provided me with…
Just yesterday a friend of mine posed the question on his Facebook, “how come after all the sh**t you put me through, I still can’t get over you?” Most everyone agreed that this was a timeless question that they themselves couldn’t figure out. And after I examined it myself I wondered the same thing.
I am sitting next to where I first really realized something, where I wrote a bridge between this, where I got lost… I am not trying to confuse my perhaps two readers of this blog by being elusive, but at this time I refuse to give too many details away… it makes me both frustrating and deep I think.
Anyways, as I sit here so close to where so much happened I am sitting at a cross rode where I muse whether this is impractical and outlandish, or maybe I just haven’t looked deeply enough into this and I need to take a step back before I draw conclusions.
“So for once in my life, let me get what I want, lord knows it would be the first time…”
Do you find yourself identifying with these lyrics? Is there something you want but can’t get to right now? Do you wonder what makes you crave this thing? Are you debating whether these feelings are even called for?
I am. It is that simple, it is exactly what I feel. Not all the time I guess, but at night sometimes or when there is silence my thoughts go straight to this desire…
The sad thing is perhaps at one time myself and this desire were heading towards the same door but now I fear one, or both have resolved to change hall ways and get lost from the other.
At this point I know I am confused… not terminally, but for some time I will be. If you are in this same situation asking please, please, please let me then I feel utterly and entirely remorseful for you… because as amazing as those lyrics are, this desolate wasteland of thinking and wondering is more than I, and probably you, would like circle in.
You know The Smiths have an incredible insight to what I feel many people are feeling many a time in their lives. I think a lot of people are waiting for something they want, are desperately dreaming that they get it soon, or maybe even questioning why they want it.
Webster defines desire as long "to long or hope for, to express a wish for” Urban Dictionary defines desire as “the cause of suffering” or my personal favorite “when you want sumtin’ bad!”
As I sit in my bedroom listening to The Smiths and She & Him I have to wonder why things don’t always work out the way we want them to? Why am I still pining over something I know I shouldn’t? Why is there this desire for this something that didn’t do me well in the past?
A theory I have is perhaps I didn’t receive correct closer. Perhaps I wasn’t fully satisfied with the ending this haiku provided me with…
Just yesterday a friend of mine posed the question on his Facebook, “how come after all the sh**t you put me through, I still can’t get over you?” Most everyone agreed that this was a timeless question that they themselves couldn’t figure out. And after I examined it myself I wondered the same thing.
I am sitting next to where I first really realized something, where I wrote a bridge between this, where I got lost… I am not trying to confuse my perhaps two readers of this blog by being elusive, but at this time I refuse to give too many details away… it makes me both frustrating and deep I think.
Anyways, as I sit here so close to where so much happened I am sitting at a cross rode where I muse whether this is impractical and outlandish, or maybe I just haven’t looked deeply enough into this and I need to take a step back before I draw conclusions.
“So for once in my life, let me get what I want, lord knows it would be the first time…”
Do you find yourself identifying with these lyrics? Is there something you want but can’t get to right now? Do you wonder what makes you crave this thing? Are you debating whether these feelings are even called for?
I am. It is that simple, it is exactly what I feel. Not all the time I guess, but at night sometimes or when there is silence my thoughts go straight to this desire…
The sad thing is perhaps at one time myself and this desire were heading towards the same door but now I fear one, or both have resolved to change hall ways and get lost from the other.
At this point I know I am confused… not terminally, but for some time I will be. If you are in this same situation asking please, please, please let me then I feel utterly and entirely remorseful for you… because as amazing as those lyrics are, this desolate wasteland of thinking and wondering is more than I, and probably you, would like circle in.
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