But they just make me feel badly. I know there's an educational trade-off, and that we learn things to help protect species, but seeing the big cats behind fences, and the apes in cages just feels so wrong to me. It feels like exploitation.

While visiting my local zoo once, I was standing outside the primate exhibit while a stupic, unwashed hick was laughing and taunting an obviously upset male chimpanzee. It made me physically ill. The guy was a complete ass and the poor chimp was pounding the glass in frustration.

I kept wanting the yell at the guy that the chimp was the more evolved primate, but the docent quietly made him move on before I lost it.

While I appreciate that zoos are now fully immersed in conservation and preservation, I still can't help but be a little sad when I go.

There's a guy on my street whose plates read EDDIBLE. I guess the second D comes from Eddie?

Also I had a neighbor years ago whose vanity plate took me FOREVER to realize what it was. For the longest time I thought it was an Arabic name or something. IMAQT. Sometimes I'm not that bright.

I had a roach crawl up my skirt once. So I took it off.

I've had a myriad of things in my cleavage, but no mammals or avians.

My baby nephew is growing up! My brother just related this story. Dominic was with his mom at her parents'. C is his grandma, Andrew is Dom's 16 year old uncle.

" PJ's mom was in their front yard, as Andrew climbed the tree he was not supposed to.

  C: "A -get out of that tree!"  

A : "?" pause:  

C: "Andrew get out of that fucking TREE!!!"  

The little boy who snuck up behind her:  

"Dru-Out of Fukin Twee!!!"  

When PJ told me about this I was rolling, just because I know PJ's mom is completely embarrassed, thinking that she has poisoned our son's innocent ears and doomed him to become a sailor. I told PJ to tell her mom that I was going to tell my mom(which I will)."  

We're so proud!

Anyone having trouble accessing whedonesque.com?

I am. getting a forbidden message.

getting a forbidden message.

That's because you didn't save Firefly.

t insert witticism here to hide doublepost

Oh, good, it's not just me. I thought it was because I had bad breath.

My cousin got married this last year in Ireland. They then went to Ethiopia for a big celebration with his new wife's family. Then, this summer, probably in August, there was to be a big celebration in Alaska with ours. I've been asking about dates for months, so that I can get tickets. I found out yesterday that they need to have it within two weeks from Saturday, and that some of the family can't make it on the second Saturday. If I go the first Saturday, it will cost me over $500 to fly to Anchorage, and then a 3.5 hour car trip each way from Anchorage to North Kenai. If it's the second Saturday, it will cost over $350 each way to Anchorage, and I may or may not be able to ride with someone to North Kenai, because it's the Anchorage family that has other plans. So, if I had to fly, it would probably be another $200. I just can't see paying that kind of money to fly to Anchorage, when, if I had heard a week earlier, it probably would have cost about $280. I'm not really upset, because my family is just like that. They would change the time for me if they could, but then the bride couldn't be there, and even I see the lack of logic with that. Still...don't you just love families.

Also, Alaska Airlines is having web specials to Fairbanks of $289. The flight goes through Anchorage, but you can no longer just get off the plane, because if you do, they'll at least cancel the rest of your ticket, and probably call out Homeland Security. And less than a month ago they had a web special to Anchorage for $211. Ah. Maybe they'll have another. Don't you just love airlines.

I think my cousin and his wife may have to party without me. On the bright side, this gives me a great excuse to visit them in California...perhaps around September 30.

I had a lizard run up my pants leg.