Sunday, January 11, 2009

LA Zoo


Last Thursday we went down to the LA Zoo with Kaity, Andrew, and James. James was so excited and was able to tell us a lot about the animals there (he's smart like that.) I've forgotten a lot of the names of the animals, especially the weird ones. It was a really fun day. Sadly the zoo doesn't have any penguins or pandas though. But the gorillas were awesome and so were the tigers. It's fun when the animals actually move around and play. The chimps were disgusting though and the lions were boring. Also the rhino wasn't around, for she had lost her horn due to an infection and was being treated. Below are some pictures and videos of the day.
So the zoo had three different "California Sea Lion" tanks, and all of the animals were different. James said that these weren't California Sea Lions. But they were still fun to watch cause they swam around and played with each other.
Taking pictures with the animals that they didn't have at the zoo
Smelly flamingos. The American flamingos were taller than the others

Andrew playing in some caves
Not really what I pictured a porcupine as. I never pictured them as climbers. And they're big. The picture doesn't really show how big they are. All I know is I wouldn't want those quills in me.
Big old alligator. Andrew wanted to throw a rock in there to make it move.
One of those weird animals that I can't remember the name of. It's not an ostrich though. But it's a big bird with blue skin on it's head. Like a turkey's head, but it's blue

Sleeping kangaroos. This is an animal that would have been cool to see hopping around cause I don't think I've ever seen them move in real life. But they were content just sunbathing.
Once again, I forget the name of this kind of deer. But they go up on their hind legs like this to get leaves.
We thought this sign by the camels was hilarious, but also a little too much info. The camel wasn't foaming at the mouth when we were there though.
Kaity's favorite animal
Andrew's favorite animal. They were playful. They had an empty keg that they were playing with and one of them pawed at the other's back to get in on the fun but the other tiger growled at him and scared him away.

Another funny sign. Poor tigers

Andrew with the largest land tortoise.


The gorillas. They were so funny. The baby kept trying to get her mom to play with her. The dad kept following them around as the mom kept moving her and her baby farther away from them. The baby played with kids through the glass. And there was another old one that just sat there.


Video of the baby gorilla playing with people through the glass

Video of the mom running from the daddy gorilla

That was pretty much our day. Tomorrow we can purchase our books for next semester and Tuesday through Friday Doug is substitute teaching at a private school in town. Other than that nothing else is really new. The Christmas decorations are still up at my house. We're still working on our puzzle of the castle. And we're enjoying our break for another two weeks.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The New Year was rather an exciting one for us. We went to our friend Elyse's house to hang out with our group of friends. We played Halo for a while and were having a fun time thoroughly destroying each other. Around 9:30 Elyse's neighbor knocked on their front door to inform them that a lake had formed at the edge of her driveway. It turns out that a fire hydrant's water pipes had burst around the corner and up the street. But instead of the water heading for a storm drain, it turned into Elyse's culdesac, which she lives at the very end of. Doug quickly volunteered to move her car before the engine block became submerged. Then he, Elyse's dad, other neighbors, and a bunch of firemen started sandbagging up and down the streets to try and deter the water. Our other friends that were there, Andrew and James, decided to make paper boats to float down the current of water. I must say that it did provide entertainment for Kaity and I. A firetruck came down the street and started pumping the water out of the cul-de-sac back into the street. They finally got the water out and the broken pipes turned off, and were still fixing them when we left her house around 2 in the morning. We went back inside, played more Halo, and then toasted to the New Year with Martinelli's Sparkling Cider. Then we slaughtered each other in Uno until it was time to go.

If that was hard to follow by reading, hopefully some pictures will help:

The night started with masks. Kaity had picked one up for everyone. They were cool but the feathers tickled my nose!





This pretty much explains James




This pretty much explains James and Andrew's relationship




Playing Halo. Doug's so good he doesn't even have to look at the screen...




The view from Elyse's yard to the neighbors'. You can kinda see the lake...





Elyse's poor car




Doug moving Elyse's car




Kaity and me following the water to see where it was coming from




James with his boat




The guys making and sailing their boats, well at least Andrew sailed his. James waited



The fire trucks in front of Elyse's house.


The fire hose spraying water back out of the cul-de-sac



It seems the Martinelli's had gotten a little shook up. haha Doug had to stop it from spilling all over the place someway...



James and Kaity


Elyse's dog wasn't so sure about the hats...



First picture of the New Year