There's something about visiting the zoo that brings out the kid in you. The irresponcible kid who doens't keep up with her own blog, aparently.

Friday night, around 3:30 in the morning i was over at my brother and sister in law's house chatting with friends after playing Vampire: The Masquerade. My sister in law, Amber, mentioned that she was going to go to the zoo the next day with her sister and a couple people from church. I was sooo jealous, not only because she was going to the happiest place on earth (hubby used to take me there on dates) but because she invited a particular friend from church that i've been dying to get to know for a really long time. Not only that but, ever since that funeral the week before, i've been thinking about dragging the family to the zoo (wow, that's a weird sentence out of context)

So I told her I wanted to go and she told me to come a long but hubby said no. he didn't want to go to the zoo. We don't have money for the zoo. He was going to be tired the next day (because it was 3:30 am already and we weren't even packed up to go home yet) FUN RUINER! I didn't want to drive all the way up there by myself, i might get lost, so I asked a couple of my guy friends to go. Zach said no. Jake no didn't answer. So i begged Zach, told him there would be cute girls at the zoo, he told me no again and we started chatting about girls and life and putting yourself out there. Finally Jake said that if Zach was going, he would go too, and they hemmed and hawed but i told them that i would pick them up right before noon the next day (or you know, later that morning) And our adventure began.

I woke the next morning (after only five hours of sleep) feeling sick but--by God--I wan't going to miss a trip to the zoo. I spent half an hour picking my outfit. I wanted to wear something that would make a good impression on the new people i would be meeting but i didn't want to look too nice, considering that I was going out with two men who were not my husband (oh, i could hear the rumors now...) Hubby left to fill the car up with gas for me and when he got back he changed his mind abotu going, decided he would go along with me. We had to find alternate rides for our friends because our car would no longer fit us all, I took some cold medicine, put on a cowboy hat (for luck) and off we went.

Fun fun fun. I blame the cold medicine for my out of charecter mood. Usually i'm shy and withdrawn, but I was on my game that day, or at least i think so, i can't tell for sure. i was in some sort of cloud, I THINK it was #9. hmmmm. We'll have to check.

So anyway, we went to mcdonalds and Caleb played and played and we ate before the trip. I was determined not to let being sick keep me from having a good time, so i tried extra hard to get to talk to everyone. Nobody bit me at all! (grandma used to asked if i was worried somebody was going to bite me, everytime i acted shy) Everybody seemed to get along pretty well. New people's husband played D&D too, everyone was friendly. We got along pretty well. The boys sequestered themselves away from us hens, but besides that, mcdonalds was fun.

We lined up in front of the zoo for pictures and had a ball. Cameras were everywhere. Everyone was posing. I got in a few good posed shots, but was dertermined that as soon as we got IN the zoo, i was going for candid. Which turned out looking more like stalking but it worked out for everyone's benifit, I think. I got some excellent shots of everybody.

Lets see, the highlights. Everybody got along fine, we talked and skipped and ran from cage to cage. We were amused by this thing called a black footed cat, that was in a cage that was the same shape and size of a housecat, but with more exotic marking. We made jokes about the zoo not having much money.

Then we went to the rainforest. Caleb led the way. he had the map and was our navagator. "OK, elephants: check! Birds: check!" I stalked in the rainforest. I got some excellent shots of my friends. Trish hated the picture i took of her playing with her hair, but i think she looks beautiful and everyone agreed (especially zach "it looks like a commercial. I don't know what you're selling, but i'll take it!")

I kept taking pictures of Zach and Jake too, my bestest guy friends. Zach got really annoyed with me, so most of the pictures are of him giving me dirty looks about shoving a camera in his face all the time, but he got some pretty good ones in here. This one is entitled "Captain Zach Swallows" ------------>

heh heh. Swallows. Anyway.... The flamingos smelled bad, the tigers wouldn't look at us, the kids were loud but in a pretty good mood. We played musical strollers for a while, and half the time we lost half the party and had to wait for the rest, and we missed the giraffe feeding. BUT, i can't tell you when the last time was that I had so much fun. We had a blast.

<---this is Jake and is entitled "OMG a baby!" I was a little giddy and feeling very light headed. By the time we got back to Jon and Amber's for the BBQ I didn't want to do anything but lay down. I leaned across My Jacob and fell nearly fell asleep, i really regretted going when i felt so sick. The meds had wore off and I was feeling really really bad. Until i realized, hey, i have diabetes, maybe i should eat more often. As soon as i got some food in me i was feeling better. not completely healed, but much much better. I could lift my head again. It was really really nice to hang out with that girl, Trish, that i had been wanting to get to know for a really long time. We need new faces in our group. Preferably ones without beards, and Trish fits the bill. I was really worried we would scare her off with all our talks about "upper decking" eachother and all the "gayness" the boys were putting off. She said we didn't scare her that much, but that she didn't understand a lot of our inside jokes (please, God, don't let her discover what upper decking is) We took her home and i memorized where she lived, just in case i decide to kidnap her in the future. Everyone needs to be kidnapped every once in a while.

After she left we hung out and talked for a really long time, which is where things got really weird, in thier usual way.

me subduing the husband