Sunday, September 28, 2008

i love that...

Tacoma is so far away. I went to Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium with Nathaniel today, and I must say - there is a reason I usually stay in Seattle. As we were driving to the zoo, I can't tell you how many businesses we drove by that made my jaw drop. Whether it was the Point Defiance Bar and Casino (that looked like a 1970's Hooker Hotel), the Zippy's $700 Payday Advance (that was literally a trailor on the side of the road), or the Bargain World offering $1 Chinese Food (talk about your killer case of bubble gut)... I just couldn't stop my eyes from popping out of my head. Do people really shop in these places? Obviously...but I mean, come on!!
Fast forward to the zoo - which is literally swarming with kids...you know, I propose an Adults Only day at the zoo. Nothing nasty, but seriously...what if I don't want to hear little Tommy screaming because his parents can't find the tiger in the brush? What if I don't want rude kids running in front of me and stepping on my brand new white tennis shoes? I love the animals just as much as the next guy, but parents, teach them some manners, eh? :)
Okay, so the zoo was actually very nice. It seems they have updated quite a bit since I'd been there last. It's got everything from elephants to monkeys, tigers, meerkats, walruses, polar bears, beluga whales, and an enormous aquarium section with a huge, and I mean HUGE tank for a billion types of fish, anemones, and sharks. They basically have everything the Woodland Park Zoo doesn't have, but don't have nearly as many animals as WPZ - no nocturnal or reptile house, no butterflies, no lions, no zebras, no giraffes, ect.... But it was nice, all the animals were out, I don't think there were any that we couldn't find. All in all, it was a good day at the zoo. Then, out of no where, I almost peed my pants. Nathaniel and I are standing there looking at a Barn Owl. It's behind plexiglass, sitting in a makeshift barn attick thing. Up walks a couple in their mid to late 40's. In one swift movement, the woman walks up, leans over the railing and slams her face directly into the plexiglass. She pulls her head back, and continues to talk to her husband about the owl. No comments about the face plant, the husband does not ask if she is ok, nothing that even resembles acknowledgement that this event just happened. Nathaniel and I continue to pretend to look at the owl until the couple walks off, when we burst into laughter. How in the world do you literally slam your face into plexiglass without saying anything after? It was loud enough that it caught me off guard a bit, and this woman acts as if she ignores it, no one will know it happened. All I can say is... I wish this kind of thing would happen more often. It was the highlight of my day - besides the Baaaaaby Beluuuuuugas.

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