I survived

I met the MOM, and the family. It was cool and it was a great trip. I even got to see his moms shoe collection. well half of it. the fall/winter shoes are put away in the garage. Wii played video games with the whole family. Brian got asked why his hair was 2 colors by his 5 year old cousin. I got put in my place by her 3 year old brother, apparently his muscles are bigger than both Brian's and mine. We had BBQ and homemade Pie. Church on Sunday and a long drive home. Besides Granny I am not totally sure what they think of me, but we all made it through the weekend and I think everyone had fun.

Best of all I got to feel like being with Brian all the time was NORMAL. It is hard being away from him sometimes, especially this week and I am not totally sure why. But I guess I should be thankful that I at least get to see him on a regular basis.

A typical date..

..is never typical when you are dating a geek.
I love Brian but at times I seem to step back a bit and truly realize how geeky he is. But I like it so I guess i am kinda geeky too.
So since I am involved with a guy with such interests we obviously do some pretty unique things.
Yeah typical date may be movie, snack and an activity. That may be for most people.
Here is the Ultimate geek date we went on a couple weeks ago.
Movie:3-D Imax about the Ocean
Snack: Astronaut Ice cream
Activity: Star Wars Museum complete with live characters. Yes, Darth Vader was there.

The funniest part (or best part, Brian thinks.) This was all MY Idea.
Should I be afraid? I guess I am okay as long as I am not speaking Klingon.

I had a great time though and I really like doing things that make Brian excited. I love him and anything I can do to spend time with him and make him happy is pretty cool with me.
Don't worry I am not a treker....yet.

Same keeper, New Shoes

Wow! It has been a month. I am so very sorry. here is a update and I hope I can keep up from now on.
I am having a great time at the zoo and getting to do more and more every week. Today I learned how to care for the new meerkat and the Brown Pelicans, I will be all alone doing it on Monday. I am Being Trained on the S. American Primate String, basically lots of little monkeys. even two kinds with Red Hair!
I love it. It fits. Yes the Park the zoo is in is Burning but God kept the Zoo and the animals safe, thanks for your prayers and worries. I have officially been at the zoo for over 5 years and I just bought my first new pair of new work footwear since I first started. My old boots were literally coming apart at the seams. And wouldn't you know when I am supposed to be deciding on a pair of functional footwear i find myself sitting and contemplating over which pair to choose based on how CUTE they are. odd huh, why do you need cute shoes to step in poop with? I dunno but I guess I do. I think Brian's mom would understand.
Well I bought my summer shoes as I like to think of them, because they will look better with shorts on those 100+ degree days.
I like my shoes, but had an issue when buying them. I am cheap! It is really hard for me to spend money, especially on myself. I used to run and I pride myself on the fact that I never spent over $40 on a pair of shoes. I hunt for bargains and don't usually care about brand names. Even though these were necessary safety equipment for work I was having a problem with the price. I sat for almost 10 min trying to decide weather or no to buy these things, but in the end I did. $60, on sale. That is officially the most I have ever spent on a single pair of shoes EVER.
I like them and I find myself admiring them as I wander the zoo (especially since it has been quiet and closed to the public the last 2 days.) I will have my short debut tomorrow seeing as how it is getting way too hot, and Brian will be coming to visit in the afternoon.
Now I just have to enjoy them and hope they will last a year or so. but I still have to find some Winter shoes, I better start saving!

You've been PINKED!!

This is a missions fundraiser my church group from San Diego was doing. The way it worked was you could pay $25 to have 25 flamingos put into an unsuspecting friends lawn/office, etc. Well this event has gone on for a couple of weeks and been pretty funny to see the results. well it ended today. So Me being the best girlfriend I could and also supporting my friends and the spreading of the gospel, I PINKED BRIAN.
Here is his house with a few unexpected guests over for bible study.




Now he knows a little of what it s like to be around Flamingos. He thought he was safe. Obviously he underestimated the power of a red head.

Do you want my autograph?

I got my Official uniform last Friday and got to wear it for the first time on Tuesday. I like the jacket the most, even though it is really a bit large. I feel official and must have looked it due to some of my responses from strangers while stopping at the store on the way home.
The common first question is "What do you do?" I respond,"I am a zoo keeper." then they usually ask me what I work with, and whether or not I have gotten bit.
One lady actually asked what a zoo keeper did. I figured everyone over 5 already knew the answer to that.
It was fun. I felt like a celebrity. I like wearing MY Jacket.

Snow leopards, Tigers and Bears...oh My!

Sounds scary I know but it is actually where I feel the most at home. I got a chance to escape the land of birds and Dorothy, the keeper I volunteered with for 4 years, stole me away and iIgot to officially train on her string. It was really cool to be back like old times since I have not gotten to work with her since December. One of the coolest parts is that now I had Keys.

As I go throughout the zoo during my days there are often little moments that catch my senses and make me step back and enjoy it a little more.
Footprints in the mud often do this to me. I will be doing the regular rake and clean routine preparing to open up and suddenly as I try to avoid the gooshy mud I get entranced by how cool and experience I get to have. How many people get to experience tiger, bear, or snow leopard prints. Even more the animals themselves.
Well on Tuesday I had another one of these moments. I was locking one of the multiple locks in the back area of tigers. While you are doing this you are literally inches from this:
and they really want to eat you. I was finishing locking and suddenly felt the hot breath of an angry tiger on my hand. WOW! How cool. I am glad I can experience some thing so unique , but I am also thankful to have both my arms and all of my fingers.

Me and my Blog.

I don't blog as much as I would like and often plan to. I will be out about in my day and experience something I really want to share and then I either don't get home with enough time or energy to even turn on my computer.
So, in this spirit I am gonna try and catch up.

I hope you enjoy the next couple posts. I am feeling like writing them in seperate posts because I want to give them each their own space. I know i am weird DEAL!

zoo news

Well the zoo is getting better. I feel more confident and more capable and yesterday really felt like part of the team and not just the little new girl who is learning. We laughed we worked we talked and did extra projects because I was there to help. usually it seemed like we were behind the days I would help but not so.
Friday and Saturdays are a little depressing being stuck in my little corner shack alone but I am getting a little better and I am getting done and out to help others and get a little human contact.
Yesterday I was working in the aviary, avoiding the white rain Jessica warned me about, and got bombarded. First by a group of 5 year old zoo campers who all wanted to ask the same question one after another. but I did like answering, "Are you a zookeeper?" For some reason I like saying yes to that one.
As I was cleaning and answering questions to the title of MRS. ZOOKEEPER, given to me by said campers, I got bombarded from behind, by a beak.
Flamingos are pretty skittish animals and most tried to stay away but in this enclosure there are 6 hand raised ones, they like to stay near you and in your way. Well I bent down to pick up my pile of poop I had raked and I could see in the the shaddow my attack approaching. Poke poke, right in the tooshie. Then, as I was hosing punch right in the back. Now don't worry, these did not hurt and actually are kinda cool to get because it means the birds were calm around me. Here is what my attacker looked like.

A Greater Flamingo.

we also have American

and Chilean Flamingos at the LA Zoo.

My mom says I am getting too smart if I can tell flamingos apart.

It is slowly seeping back

my sanity that is. I have had a much better week even though I as totally exhausted which has been the case since I moved from San Diego. thank you for all those who really have been praying for me, not only has it helped but it has encouraged me just knowing you are.
I have gotten to connect a bit here.I got to go to Bible study and Special Olympics and got to do some useless fun activities with Brian. Yes oddly enough the things that make my life bussier make me happier.
Thank you for all your prayers. I thank God for you guys being in my life, you help keep me out of the loony bin.

Where do I belong

Yesterday was a very frustrating day at work, Build a Bear. I was tired, as usual, probably from my San Diego visit ending just a few hours earlier. I get into the whole situation with 2 min to spare and get no info from the other manger even though I have been gone for 3 days.
I eventually made it onto the floor and the frustration immediately hit. that is definitely a sign that the day is not going to be a good one. I spent the rest of the evening basically not wanting to be there which is a new feeling for me at build a bear.
At most of my other stores I would love to be there. loved my team and loved what we did. i have gladly worked on every birthday I have had in the last 5 years and enjoyed it. I don't think this is gonna be the case this year.
I need to pray more and really get God involved in all that is happening. I hate being frustrated at work. I know he has me there for a reason but I almost want to just demote myself even more and not have to feel like I am sinking out of control at my current position, and be able to pretend I don't care, which even then would not be the case.
I hate feeling tired all the time. I hate keeping Brian up at all hours and I hate having to SCHEDULE time to be with those I love and care about.
I moved to be in the career I have dreamt about for 18 years and now I wonder if I was suppose to stay in San Diego. It seems that is where I enjoy myself and those I love are now there. Here I kept dreaming of coming home and now I wonder if I left it.

zzzzzz

I am pretty good self steem wise. I like what and who God made me. the one thing I really hate though is my lack of ability to stay awake.
it has obviously caused me an accident as well as many missed movies. the things i miss the most which suck the most, are my conversations. I wish I could stay awake because i hate missing the times i talk to those I love and care about. Thank you for still putting up with me if this has happened to you, maybe one day it will get better,

Striking resemblance

In my new career I have lots of time to contemplate odd things. It it nesting season in my area and so we are trying to make it seem like love is in the air to get all our birds to brood up and make some chicks.
Well, one of my lonely secluded days at the zoo I was taking care of one of my regulars, the congo peafowl. In my moments in the exhibit I was admiring the males blond crest and suddenly was feeling like I had seen it before. Take a look.



Now I know I am crazy at times but the one at my zoo has his a little shorter but just as blode and pointy as this one.For some totally strange reason it reminded me of Brian's hair.

What do you think? Am I totally bonkers? Now, lets keep the comments to this situations insanity, we all know I am overall a little loopy. What do you expect, I like to scoop poop!

Indescribable

We went on a hike on Iron Mountain on Sunday, with a group from Shadow Mountain's upperroom. I love these kinds of trips and the reason links right along with emily's peaches.
This is the same reason I really love working at the zoo. I get to honestly see how beautiful the things God made are, up close. How intricate, how delecate and unique. I love to just admire and be in awe as to the things our Lord created. To be so close and spend time admiring and praising God for his beautiful things just makes my world great.
Here is one of the cool things I get to work with at the zoo.It is a Gray crowned crane. They are from africa and about 4.5 feet tall, they are the only crane that can perch in a tree and it looks like they have porcupine quills sticking outta the top of their head.
This is fun, sharing my animals. Maybe I wil make this a regular addition to my blog.

I like it

I like this picture. It was a good day in a good weekend. Two days later was a little harder.

A whole new (old) world

well I started my new jobs this week.
Everyone asks me do I love it. Honestly I can't give them a real answer because it feels like the old times. I go to the zoo and because it is a new section to me, the aviary. It feels like I am volunteering again.
I started back as a manger at Downtown Disney yesterday. this was last minuite and I was kinda thrown into it. It still feels like I am visiting though. I am almost sure that I have been labled as mean already by at least a couple of people. They did not have keys for me, I was not in the computer and did not have acess to all the manager stuff I needed and I did not know where anything was. oops and I just realized that I forgot to fax something for a guest.
Hopefully by next week this will change. i will have had more time in the store and will actually be alone on a string at the zoo and I can then give a true answer. I hope this is what God truly called me right now to do. Because I kinda miss northern mexico!

I've been violated

okay maybe it was a willing decision as Brian points out but the long awaited event which most did not expect, happened last night.
here is the photo record. what do you think?
Here goes nothin...say goodbye to the my un adulterated lobes.

soo... what do you think?

amazing!

prayer is such an awesome thing especially when it is mixed with tears and someone special.

A very pricey car wash

well I got my car back minus the dents and a whole lot of dirt. I think 3500 is a bit much for a car wash, so I don't think I will try and do that again.

I also had a fabulous week so far.

I finally got to tell everyone at build a bear about the zoo. It was hard not being able to talk about it. I still have to find my replacement but I do have some potential canidates.

I had my physical (drug test) last week and everything cleared and I got my starting date confirmed as the 18th. it is a sunday but I will probobly make it to evening service. It will be pretty cool to finally be a real paid employee. Brian is happy that I will still be in town for Valentines day, but I totally guessed what he was planning to get me. He has to learn that this red head is not so oblivious. :)


Also along the lines of build a bear, God really has made some great things happen. Sam and I are gonna be able to work in the same store. (which is normally against the rules if one is a manager and the other is not). Also my part time pay rate is not as horribly bad as I was expecting it to be. Thank you God for taking care of all of it. so I will have sign in piveleges to Disneyland if you need a hook up give me a call.

New things are happening with the upper room which are pretty cool. It has given me the opportunity to get to know some people more deeply. The wednesday study at Brian's house is gonna go through Neahmiah in a verse by verse study and then the womens group last night was a great time of coloring, sharing and prayer.


Tomorrow is paint ball with my family and Brian is coming. I hope he survives. I am honestly a little worried, but I am sure it will be fine in the end. I am also gonna start the moving process yet again. it is nice having only one room of things to move. I just have to get motivated and actually get it moved. I am lanning on dumping some in my brother's truck tomorrow and send it home with him.
I am still not sure where to live. I think my mom is just expecting me to come home, which is fine. My grandma would love to have me at her house whihc works out pretty equal distance from the zoo. the Disney treck is a bit farther but if it helps my grandma feel less lonely it is worth it.
It will be nice to be back home but I will miss some things here in San Diego County, and I know some will miss me.

Tuesdays...

I thought they were great days seeing how they tended to hold great things for me these last 2 months.

I met Brian on a tuesday. I had my zoo interview on a tuesday, I got to go officially start my zoo paperwork today (tuesday) Things were good, that is until about 90 min ago.

I tend to get tired easily, and while driving on a warm afternoon (at least it was warm in my car) I tend to drift off. I was trying to get to a safe place and thought I was doing okay and then POP! I hit the back bar on a big rig. I don't think he even felt it, and they did not stop or slow down at all. Sad day!

well Now I get to get in touch with my insurance company and cannot quite celebrate the end of my credit card debt like I had planned. It only ripped my fender and the car works just fine. well God kept me safe at least but I am a bit sad.

Finally!!

I am gonna get paid for scooping poop.

The Interview tuesday went well and I got a call back on Thursday afternoon. I was in new mexico when I got said message thru my father and after a bit of phone tag and fighting off some nausea I got the news. Woo hoo!!

So here i come again moving for the 3rd time in 8 months, and I am sure one more is in the near future.

I still technically have to pass a physical but all should be good, as long as I don't break a hip before the 26th. then my 2 week notice for my chief position at BABW. So, that gives me about a month to get it all situated and start yet another of my what seem habitual Long Distance Relationships. the only thing that is okay about this is I know God totally has a plan in this relationship.

so it has only taken 5 years but at least the day has finally come!!