Odin and Fedor

Wayne, Esther, and I went to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (formerly Marine World) in Vallejo today, and it was so fun and relaxing. I was really excited to see Tiger Island Splash Attack and it was even cooler than I expected. Odin, a white Bengalese tiger, and Fedor, an orange tiger, played around in their habitat then jumped into a small pool to chase chunks of meat thrown by trainers. Their paws were so huge and they were so cute swimming. I took a lot of pics :)

We also saw the dolphin show, the killer whale Shouka show, and the sea lion show along with a few rides, some not so healthy food, and random stuff like giraffe feeding and the shark exhibit. Shouka is no Shamu, let me tell you. She tried and all but I'm looking forward to seeing the real deal Shamu next week at Sea World San Diego.

It was a really chill easygoing day, not at all rushed or super-logistical. We just went with the flow and came when we wanted, wandered from thing to thing and relaxed in the sun and summertime atmosphere. I've told Esther this but it was, and is, so nice to do things with someone else who is organized/a planner. We first went to the tiger show and as we were waiting, I was taking pic after pic of the tigers roaming lazily around and "marking their territory" on trees. I was smiling non-stop. I looked back at Esther and she had taken out the animal show schedule and had already started to mark out, with a highlighter she happened to have, the shows that were interesting and would fit our timeline; planning out our day. Then Wayne looked at it and changed a showtime around based on the park location. Before I even mentioned the show schedule and/or planned it myself, they had done it. It made me feel at peace and content, both knowing that we were all on the same page of having a chill attitude toward the day but also feeling like they were also aware of the logistics that had to be thought of if we wanted to efficiently see most of everything. I guess that's what I like - plannedness with room for spontaneity and a relaxed attitude. Maybe I relax and enjoy myself more knowing that the day is somewhat mapped out and it's not just me that's aware of where we need to go and how we need to get there.

I also felt really cared for, perhaps not a big deal to Esther and Wayne, by their listening to my off-the-charts excitement for the tiger show on the ride up and helping me by letting us see it first and pointing out tiger actions in case I hadn't noticed. Even though they liked it but weren't as into it as I was, I didn't feel like I was forcing them to go or constantly reminding them that I wanted to see it. I guess I didn't feel alone or that I was dragging some reluctant person but instead that there were other ppl watching my back and listening to what I wanted to do. Perhaps small but big to me. Thanks guys :)

It was a really nice day (I got a season pass with tons of free passes and 1/2 prices coupons so I'm happy go again soon) and I feel socially full and happy. I bugged Wayne and Esther especially with my incessant Oden comments and jokes :) but I think maybe you kinda liked it after all Esther! hee hee

We did decide that tigers probably shouldn't ride amusement park roller coasters but I think everyone would agree on that one.

PS. There were people outside the park protesting unfair human labor practices and unsafe animal conditions especially for the elephants. This is the first time I've been to a park that had loud roller coasters, marine life, and zoo animals and I did wonder how that worked for the latter. Someone told me that the zoo animals are more affected by the noise than the marine animals which makes sense. I think of zoos as usually more quiet experiences but Sea World has hecka loud music playing during the shows, etc. I would like to research it more and look into the conditions and how much space the elephants get to walk around in.

"Why are you crying? You're jealous of me? I'm jealous of you!"

This video is funny... but it hits way TOO close to home to my high school friendships though!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=RdpKwwomO_A

"I'm not talking to you... but I will text you to let you know that I'm not talking to you." hee hee

Does Mitch need Kitty AA?

I wonder if my cat Mitch (the orange one) might be addicted to his dental cat treats.

Mitch can be, let's go with... fussy. Things Mitch doesn't like include:

- to be in his carrier
- catnip or other treats
- to be picked up or touched without his permission (though he gives it usually)
- his claws clipped (yeah I wouldn't either)
- his teeth brushed, inspected, or touched in any way
- his buddy Nora (grey cat) to clean his face though he sometimes gets off his cat high horse and permits her the honor of washing his fur. No, he does not ever return the favor which is why sometimes Nora is a bit mangy around the face.

He's actually pretty easygoing despite the above list. I describe him as "a normal cat" in contrast to Nora who's awesome and cute but way not normal (more on her later).

He's almost two years old, still pretty young, but he has gingivitis and other cat-related teeth problems. The vet said I should brush them daily... which yeah, is not happening. Have you ever tried to brush a cat's teeth?! The vet wisely let that idea pass and suggested dental chewy treats. They are medium-sized crunchy pellets that look like mini-egg rolls. There is medication inside that helps clean the teeth while chewing on them additionally scrapes the kitty tartar off. Sounds good to me! Fingers crossed that picky Mitch likes them!

He does, praise God. He loves them in fact. He gets all excited when I go near the container, jumping off his cat tree and sitting very still on the kitchen floor, eyes completely focused on the treats and my hand. I have fun by really making sure he's looking then throwing the treat in the air toward the living room. He jumps up and tries to catch it with his mouth/paw before "chasing" it down, then continuing to paw it around, chew a little, and paw some more. He is a bit paranoid and if he thinks you're looking at him too much, he will quickly take the treat in his mouth and sprint to a secret corner where he can play/feast in private. For awhile he liked to chew it in the corner where my roommate put her shoes, sometimes letting us find little dental treat remnants after in the shoes as a "fun" surprise.

Mitch can more dormant than Nora so it's enjoyable to watch him love his medically-necessary treat and use so much energy to play and eat it. He gets so frisky and active, it's really cute.

But this past week, he's taken to meowing a bit piteously during the day. Since my cats are almost always silent, I take special notice when they meow to make sure they're not hurt. I talk to him, "What's up Mitchie?" as I let him lead me into the kitchen corner where the treats are. Everytime he leads me, then sits down waiting and looking at me. This happens about four times a day, if I choose to follow him. Sometimes I give him another treat just to see if that's what he wants and because heck, less tartar is a good thing.

But I'm beginning to wonder if he has developed a kitty addiction to them. Hmmm... what exactly is the medicine in them? Could they be the equivalent of "special brownies" for humans, or something more powerful? Do I need to do an intervention for him?

"My name is Mitch and I'm a treat-aholic...."

A pleasant surprise this morning

I've been listening to one worship cd in my car on repeat for the last few months with occasional breaks when I try to get my iPod to work with the fancy dancy iPod connector (that really just fries its brain and has already led to one replaced battery...grrr).

I like the cd, a mix one of our church's worship leaders put together for our retreat in Jan, and can definitely listen to one song/cd for days or weeks* but decided this morning to try something else. I pulled out all my random cd's in my car door and started thumbing through them.

Since I sold almost all my cd's on Half.com after I got my iPod two years ago, I have quite the random collection based on what strangers didn't want to buy. Steve Miller Band, Billie Holiday Collection, Celine Dion, Passion: One Day, my friend Ruben's band MOVE, plus random burnt cd's from peeps. All were labeled except one blank gray cover.

Hmmm... I popped it in and fast-paced Christian music started. I'm not usually a fan of contemporary non-worship Christian stuff but I decided to try it and found it fun and energizing for the morning drive**. I found myself smiling along and even replaying one of the songs.

I have no idea where I got this cd or who gave it to me. So thank you anonymous friend, this felt like a cool gift from God this morning :)

*Yes, one song "Wait up for me" by my friend Ben Patterson's band Tremolo I played on repeat in my car for over a wk, it really is that good - go check it out on iTunes right now!

** Which btw, thank you Jesus for Friday summer traffic which is light as cotton candy at the Del Mar fair bc everyone's on vacation. Please stay on vacation people!

Crane Art Project for Pentecost

This past Sunday our church had a delayed Pentecost celebration (I thought it was normally 40 days after Easter but a quick Google search comes up with 50 days after Easter). For the past few months, people at our church had been invited to make cranes out of colorful paper to be used as part of the Pentecost service. I kept meaning to take one of the prepared bags home to fold a few but somehow all the traveling in May swept my mind clear of a lot of other things. It wasn't clearly told to us how exactly the cranes would be used so it was surprising and beautiful to show up on Sunday and see this.

I really liked how the larger red cranes floated gently in a smooth line, slowly descending (or ascending depending on your view.) It's one of those things that you could glance at once and think "Oh, that's cool" but the more you looked, the more you noticed all the different heights the cranes hung from and how much time it must have taken to create. I really couldn't keep my eyes off it the whole morning! I loved it and especially the vivid colors; I loved that such an artistic endeavor would be something our church would care about; I loved that it was both an invitation to, and quiet announcement of, the Holy Spirit coming and inhabiting us as Pentecost is to celebrate.

Ben C and our pastor Dan installed it on Sat - go Ben and Dan! From Ben (who also took the above pics):

We hoped for the cranes to symbolized a sense of pentecost.

Flight.
Spirit.
Three Dimensions.
In-dwelling.
Taking Space.
Within us.
Around.
With us.
Transformation.
Powerful.
Imaginative.
Beautiful.
Prophetic.

More pictures of the cranes (and other cool things Ben finds to snap of in interesting lightings and angles) are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/hensever/.

I'm a quote roll...

Again from Cary Tennis from today's letter:

While in science many problems are difficult because they are complex, in life many problems are difficult because they are simple, but we are human and we want everything.

I think that's so true. When I think about what kind of life Jesus calls us to, it's actually pretty simple. But it's hard because we don't like sacrifice, pain, discomfort, looking foolish, vulnerability, etc. Ok, I don't like those things :)

And it's hard because I want everything. I want to talk with God and hear from Him, but I want to do whatever I want with my time. I want humility but I choose pride. I want to live simply and give more of my money away but I want that new dress too. I want it all!

But I gots to choose!

Good quote

I find myself writing a lot these last two days - I wonder how long this will last.

The only advice columnist I read is Cary Tennis at Salon.com. The letters he answers are usually quirky and unique... and something that applies to a lot of us. I especially like to read the comment section because people have such interesting stories. Here's today's http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2007/06/27/weakened_by_grief/index.html

But here's the quote from Cary that made me go "yes, totally. that's how it feels."

Here's the deal. We get out of our 20s, and eventually it dawns on us: We are not infinitely strong or infinitely capable of starting over. We are weakened by disease and death and bereavement. Things change us. We are shaped by life. There's no getting around it. This is the real thing.

Sometimes I feel like the biggest break/sadness/awakening is realizing I'm not that strong. I'm actually weak, in many areas. I can't do everything, be everything, recover from everything. Difficult situations, hard relationships, circumstances I wish hadn't happened - they've changed me. I am not the same. And that can be ok. I can't quite write "and that can be good," but I can say it's ok. Life does go on.

It may sound like I'm in a sad mood. I'm not, just thoughtful.

Muppets in SF this wkend

If I wasn't already going to (Marine World) Discovery Kingdom with Esther, I would have liked to check this out http://www.ybca.org/tickets/production.aspx?performanceNumber=3179 on Sat. Do you guys remember watching the Muppet Show and the Muppet Movies? Kermit and Miss Piggy rocked it.

Family - Wkend BBQ

From right: my oldest brother Mark, his wife Rebecca, my older brother Joe, his wife Lesley

iPod having an identity crisis

I think my iPod is having an identity crisis. As in it doesn't know if it's broken or not. Maybe self-esteem issues, or manic/depressive?

It seems to favor being depressingly broken, with mellow chirps, humming, and a Sad Mac face. No amount of plugging in, switching to different charging sources, or gently murmuring "You're awesome iPod, and you CAN work" seem to cheer the little guy (gal?) up.

Then it decides it's UP UP UP and "yesofcourseI'monandworkingandwouldyouliketolistentosomemusic?" As if the brokenness was part of my imagination, as if it's always been operating swimmingly, making me step back and turn my head sideways, confused. "Wait, weren't you just... sad? But hey, if you want to work now, that's cool for me too."

It first "broke" when I was in Mykonos Greece a month ago on vacation. It had been acting funny for a few days and I thought the international converter and current just fried its brain. Not my norm but I had a very zen feeling of being ok with having seven more days without it. It's all good. (This zen peace felt harder to keep on the last two days when I ran out of books and started to go a little boredcrazy. I caved in and ended up buying a ridiculously overpriced paperback - even for airport standards - at Istanbul's airport for the flight home.)

So it is currently working though I don't know if it will slip into a mild depression again if I look at it funny. I don't want to buy another one in general and as I'm taking this month to not buy anything beyond what I absolutely need, I'm really not feeling the additional expense even after July 1.

My Ipod is apparently very sensitive. Just like me :)

First entry!

Wow, I finally have created a blog. Long time coming... it's not like it's 2007 or anything.

I've been thinking about starting one for awhile but I've hesitated because I'm just not sure how I feel about putting my thoughts and feelings out there on the world wide web. I've hesitated because though I enjoy hearing about my friends' lives, sometimes it feels overwhelming to keep up on all their blogs and I wondered if I would feel the same about my own blog. What would I write? When? How much would I disclose about myself? I know, no one besides three sweet nice friends will be reading this (Hi, Friend 1, 2, and 3!) but still, the hesitations were there.

I guess what finally pushed me over to the dark side was wanting to write more in my life. To put out there my mini-essays on life and all that I find myself "writing" in my head as I drive home across the Bay Bridge every evening. Thoughts on American Idol (don't watch it and still can't quite get the craziness), traveling/living internationally (too many thoughts to summarize succinctly in a parantheses), and following God as a white woman in my 20's in Oakland. And I love experiments, games, and dares, and maybe this is yet another experiment I'm putting myself through just to see what happens.

So... let the game begin!