billytea, did you see the Taronga Zoo's flying foxes? They have a lovely cameo in Allyson's book; I've read about them and edited their story and seen pictures, but I have yet to get to meet them in person, which is sad-making because they sound amazing.

The Taronga Zoo giraffes have one of the best views in the world.

Currently at Taronga Zoo. Views over the Harbour to the Opera House and Brudge and CBD are phenomenal. The giraffes are pretty awesome too. Ryan is happy to agree. More after lunch and elephants.

When I asked for megan walker to help me pick out photographs from my travels to put in the dining room, one that she chose was a giraffe overlooking the harbor. It's a favorite.

Okay, which of you awesome NOLA peeps wants to go check out Sucré for me? [link]

They have a dark chocolate bar with candied violets! And a milk chocolate bar with candied roses and pistachios!

Jilli, the Magazine St. location is just a few blocks from where Nora and I live. I haven't been there yet, but she may have. If not, I'm sure we can manage to work it in somehow.

I may have, through a very specific sleeping position*, managed to realign my back. That would be nice. It would be nicer to still be asleep, though. I'm going to work on my resume a bit more, I think.

* On my left side, two pillows under my head, one between my knees, a neck pillow supporting my waist, my left shoulder behind me, left hand on my hip, right arm hugging an owl Squishable.

Erin and Vortex, insent. Oy. Hope this is it, for a while. (eta no need to review it today!)

I'm going to eat some rice pudding in celebration. Mmm, rice pudding.

Timelies, all. I'm awake and semi-caffeinated. I'm also hungry and have no desire for anything in the house. Hmmmm. Maybe a bike up to the local hippie co-op for baked goods is in order. But then I'd have to shift the cat, and that would be a shame.

Hey, Calli! I'm still awake, and will shortly be caffeinated. I'm having scrambled eggs and toast, myself. And a bit of cheddar cheese. Frankie and I had a nice long walk, and a romp in the park, and I managed to get my garbage to the curb before the truck, so that's good. I'm surprised they're picking up on July 4th.

Did you get to the Eno this year, or did you decide to forego the heatstroke?

Hi all, finally caught up 700+ posts) but gotta go to work now.

I just read a sad story about a family who lost an adult son because someone provided him with a medical patch which he chewed for a high.

The thing that got me was the line about the medication:

Fentanyl, a powerful and fast-acting opium-based medication, is used often by hospitals for anesthesia. It is considered 80 times stronger than morphine and

80 TIMES!

Sad story, but that's a lot of painkilling.

I swear my feet feel like they've swollen to twice their normal size. Taronga Zoo was indeed generous with its bounty; but it chastens those who would partake. 

Unless, of course, they stand under three feet tall and have four adults willing to carry them. Then it's aaaaaall good. 

billytea, did you see the Taronga Zoo's flying foxes? They have a lovely cameo in Allyson's book; I've read about them and edited their story and seen pictures, but I have yet to get to meet them in person, which is sad-making because they sound amazing.

Alas, we did not. (Not this trip, anyway; I've seen them before, many moons ago.) Ryan was a little champion, he went the whole day without a nap and didn't get cranky or stroppy at all; but we still could only really schedule the big attractions. 

Which big attractions, I hear you ask? I've mentioned the giraffes, who do indeed have incredible views (and are well equipped to enjoy it). They share space with the zebras, which Ryan can name in both English and Chinese (it translates literally as "stripy horse"). 

The Asian elephants had three infants (one of whom was getting disciplined - elephants? Loud). He loved them. Oh, the big cats. The tiger was very active. At one point, as we were leaving, it stopped in midpace to stare directly at Ryan and me. About fifteen seconds, that was a thing. The lions were cool; the male was keen on some loving, into a bit of neck-biting, but the female wasn't having it. The snow leopard, now; the epitome of cool. (See what I did there?)

Did you know that they have a Kodiak bear at Taronga? That is a big frakking bear. Ryan knows this. Of course, he called it a polar bear. Ok, here we step back a little. The Chinese for (maternal) grandpa and grandma are "Waigong" and "Waipo". Ryan reverses them (though he's just started to straighten it out); he calls them "Gongwai" and "Powai". Back to the Kodiak bear. He doesn't really call it a polar bear. He calls it a Powai bear. I'm not entirely sure what his grandmother makes of this. 

The great disappointments: neither the echidnas nor the penguins were active when we were there. No matter, the rest of the zoo took up the slack, such as the gibbon and the gorillas. Even the jungle fowl (wild chickens, really) were pretty cool. Their plumage is surprisingly striking and colourful. We could fit in at least one of my favourites: the Andean condors. They had a display showing the wingspan; Wallybee was gobsmacked. (Oh, and the Komodo dragon.)

Final treat for Ryan. When reading his animal book, he's keenest on the spider. Seriously. He gets the book, starts in with "Pider! Pider!" before we even open it. Boy loves his spiders. They had spiders in the zoo. There was a Sydney funnel web, a little hard to see in its burrow, and a redback. He was most taken with the huntsman, being easiest to see. 

That all leaves out the Harbour ride to and from the ferry, and the stop at the Opera House (and certain family dramas). Nonetheless, my traumatised feet aside, it was a good day.