The Flu Sucks

So, my off days this week (Mon and Tues) were ripped away from me...the culprit? The flu! I'm not sure how it all went down, but to the best of my knowledge, this is how it happened:
It started with a sore throat and massive headaches and quickly led to me feeling like a 90 year old women going through menopause! Now, I am fully aware that this is not possible, but if it was, I know exactly how it would feel! I sit now on the computer chair with a pillow behind my "bad back". The fan is on high and my sleeves are rolled up as far as they can go, but I have no doubt that in a few minutes I'll be back in my sweatshirt and jogging pants under the down comforter. Believe it or not that was the scene about an hour ago despite our 90 degree weather outside and the 78 degrees inside! It is a highly confusing illness...am I hot, am I cold, am I young, am I old? Who knows! Yesterday I reluctantly called into work, leaving them short handed beyond belief! We just lost one of our employees to San Francisco, another one to college, and a third to a different department within the zoo! I felt very guilty, but in my field, it is much more important not to go to work, not only to not get any fellow co-workers sick, but the animals too! Primates can catch everything we can (obviously, since we too are primates), so we take that very seriously. I would not have been able to work in my normal area, nor would I have been able to touch ANY animal's diet, so what does that leave...not much! Feeling guilty of course, I tried to go to work today and they promptly sent me home. I was told I look like "poop" (I beg to differ, although it really isn't pretty) and I think the fact that I was sweating profusely was the other kicker. So, a half hour after I got there, I was on my home. More episodes of The View, Montell, and of course The Price is Right!!! Yipppeee! So, I had to break from those award winning shows (sarcasm) to type one of the most boring blog entries to date! So, be thankful you are not a 90 year old women going through menopause!

On a happier note, thanks to my Dave for taking such good care of me and for not getting too annoyed with my complaints and requests of the application of Icy Hot to my back! Thanks sweetie!

MUST READ!!!

Now, I don't usually endorse other people's writings, but this article you HAVE to read. For anyone that's been to Wisconsin and enjoyed anything the state has to offer, you are required by law to read the entire thing. It's an article from ESPN.com's Bill Simmons. Now, I love Bill because he, like I, is a die-hard Red Sox fan. Once I started to read this, I could not stop laughing, and remembering everything that made Wisconsin great. The beer, the brats, the weather...it's all there. So please, enjoy and take a look into what it's like in the Great North!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060825&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos1

What Could Have Been?

I always love watching golf on Sunday afternoon for many reasons. One, to me it is completely relaxing. Two, if you ever watch a golf match, there are some amazing commercials to catch. If you watched any of the PGA Championship, there were a number of commercials with kids playing golf and not exactly loving it. One girl says she hates the game, while an older man walking with her tells her to be calm and swing easy. The moral, hate never works on the golf course! It's a life lesson. Golf is a life lesson. It teaches people that no matter what happens on the previous shot, there is always another one to make up for a mistake. For others, it teaches them how to relax and enjoy the talent that they have. In my case, every round, every shot and every winner reminds me of what I could have done. Many people have said that I am extremely talented when it comes to golf, and maybe they're right. But for me, it was never about the competition. I never liked competing when I was on the golf course. For me, in later years, it was a chance to get away from the world. You see on the golf course, if you're good enough, you can make any shot go anywhere at any time. In life, you'd be lucky to have one thing go your way in any given day. But not golf. Golf turns men into children. Don't believe me? Go play golf with your friends, and watch as one of the chips in for an eagle or drains a 45-foot birdie putt that dipped left and right. Watch them jump up and down and shout until everyone else is done. Listen as they taunt you for the rest of the afternoon with every chip or every putt. Feel their emotions come pouring out for at least 10 minutes. The beauty of it all; it can all change with one swing. That friend of yours that just made the miraculous shot, well, he's also the one that just: lost a ball, hit a duck, missed a 2-foot putt...TWICE, broke his 9-iron on a sprinkler head and drove the golf cart into a sand trap. You see, it's not about winning or losing, it's about who comes away with the most balls after 18 holes. Bragging rights only go to a certain few on the golf course, and if you're one of those lucky few, than my friend, you deserve a drink. So if you haven't tried it yet, go play. Play all day and night, and who cares if you lose a few balls? Who cares if you shank a few shots here and there? Most of all, who cares if you've never even been out there? If people don't want to wait, let 'em play through. Enjoy every round, every shot and ever minute of the beautiful game. Trust me, what you learn on the golf course will stay with you for the rest of your life if you're lucky. If it doesn't, let the others play through.

-Dave

P.S. When you're ready, come talk to me and we'll see just how good you think you are. I mean, people think I'm talented for a reason!

Off to Cheese Land

Well, my bag is packed and I'm ready to go back to Milwaukee for the weekend! I am leaving poor Dave at home while I do some wedding planning and hang out with the family. I will miss him terribly! It's a short and busy weekend, so I have very little time to hang out with anyone, so if you are one of the people who have not heard about me coming into town, I'm sorry, but don't be offended. I am dedicating this weekend mainly to my parents. I miss them like crazy and can't wait to spend some quality time together. Michael and Traci are coming into town too, so I'll get to spend some time with them as well! It's a much needed little break from work, which has been very hectic lately.
Anyway, I'm off and will talk to you all soon! And for those of you in Houston...yes, I will try to bring some authentic Wisconsin Cheese Curds home! Hopefully they will let them on the plane. I don't think they will cause an explosion! :)

Random Acts of Mindlessness

Ok, I know it's been a while since you have heard from either one of us, but there is good reason for this. You see, there has been a serious blockage of interesting tales from H-Town. Really, nothing has been going on lately. Sure, sure, things have been happening with both of our jobs (most notably me staying at Citibank instead of jumping ship for more money and Laura just kicking butt with everything at work and getting no praise), but other than that we are living boring lives. No Buckcherry concerts, no birthday parties, no going to movies or TiVoing our favorite shows. Nope, nothing. Nada. Zip. ZILCH. Unless...

Unless you consider that a pack of blood thirsty wolves tried to attack me the other day. Little did I know that I had the uncanny power to morph into objects that would not only scare the wolves, but would ensure my survival. My weapon of choice...Velociraptor.

Or, maybe you would like to hear about how I carried Laura home from work in 50 feet of water. A massive typhoon swept through the city and Laura was trapped. Like mothers who have lifted enormously heavy objects off of their children, I summoned the strength of fifty men to walk 20 miles to get to Laura, and then 20 miles to get home...UP HILL...BOTH WAYS!!!

Or maybe you saw me on TV the other night playing in the WSOP. Yes, I was in the tournament. Taking on heavyweights like Norm MacDonald, Toby Maguire, Jennifer Tilly (still thinking about those scenes from Bound) and my all-time arch nemesis...DEAN CAIN. He wants to look like me, not the other way around. I will destroy him if one more person says that I look like him. Yes, I spent a very hot and sweaty night with Terri Hatcher, but that story is for another day.

Or when I made a very delectable apple struessel one night for myself to have for breakfast for a week. The golden goodness was unparalleled and the warm and soft core absolutely melted my insides. Yummy! It was to die for. Next time I'll make some for you...ok, pumpkin!?

Other than all of that, nothing has been going on. Really, I lead a normal life with my best friend and fiance down here. Hope all of you can enjoy your weekend. I'll be at work on Saturday for a little while, but after that, it's all about Dave. Good to hear from everyone, and in case I don't make it, DO IT FOR JOHNNY!!!!!!!

-D-train

Will it ever end?

So, after the death of the Pygmy Marmoset Mom, "Mia", the injury of my African Pygmy Falcon, "Zuri", and all the other horrible injuries and deaths that my area has suffered over the last year, you would think it should be over for a while, right? No...not so much! On Friday the Cotton Top Tamarins and the White Faced Sakis were on exhibit together and had a pretty bad fight. The Cotton Tops being the smaller of the two monkeys, received all the injuries. Both the male and the female had several bite wounds all over them. The male, "Mikey", had the most bites on his tail, which x-rays told us, was broken! The female, "Minnie", had the most around her ankle, but luckily it wasn't broken, probably just badly sprained. Needless to say this will be the last time those two species share an exhibit together, especially since this is the second fight. About 10 months ago there was a fight between them where "Mikey" suffered a broken arm from a bite wound! On the bright side, at least they are not in the wild where they would die from these injuries by way of an infection, starvation or as an easy snack for a predator. Here they get pain meds, antibiotics and the best possible care from our vet staff.

Alright, well I am off to work to take care of my injured sweeties! Have a good day everyone!

My Way!

Yes, yes, I know it's been a while since I have posted anything to our blog, but there has been WAY too much stuff going on for me to even get on this thing and write.

Let's recap:

1. Audit at the bank
2. Test for Life and Health Exam
3. Dinner with co-workers
4. Appreciation Station at the Galleria
5. Afternoon meetings with our Area Manager
6. Boss leaving
7. Starting vacation!
8. GETTING A NEW JOB!!!!

That's right. Yesterday I officially accepted a job offer from Capital One Bank to be a Relationship Banker. Not only is it a promotion for me, but it is also a much needed pay rise...and a very healthy one at that. So, August 7th I will be ditching the blue and red of Citibank for the light green and silver of Capital One.

Let's see, what else!? Ah yes, my parents are in town for the entire week. They got in late Saturday night, and will be leaving sometime on Monday. We've had a busy couple of days so far with shopping, playing golf, sight-seeing, and lots of eating and napping! Today we are going to Martha's house for dinner, and hopefully, weather permitting, we will be watching Ruben play tonight out at the Woodlands. Tomorrow; possibly more golf and Lakewood Church at night. Other than that, the only thing set in stone is the Astros game Sunday night (my birthday) against St. Louis. It certainly has been relaxing, and there is no doubt it will continue to be. It's good to have them in town, and it is certainly much needed for me.

Other than that, not a whole lot else has been going on. It's been raining off and on, but luckily enough it's the typical Houston rain (20 minutes and then back up to 85 degrees). Good luck for the rest of the week to everyone, and have a very happy 4th of July!!!

A single dad with twins

As many of you have read, my Pygmy Marmoset couple had twins back in April. Yesterday, the mom passed away completely unexpectedly. Her name was 'Mia' and she was only 5 years old! She never showed one single sign of being sick, or not eating, or anything. Of course, I was the one to find her which made things even harder! She was such a good girl and an excellent mother. Her death was especially hard, not only because we didn't see it coming, but also because it now leaves dad with twins to care for on his own. They are almost 3 months old, and are eating a lot of solid food, but they may have still been nursing on occasion. We did some research and things are looking positive. At this age, even if dad abandoned them too, they should be able to survive on their own. That was great news as I was extremely worried about the welfare of the twins! However, it does not change the fact that Mia is no longer with us and that dad is now on his own. He had such a sad look on his face yesterday. For people who think animals don't show emotion, you are so wrong. It's never seen easier than in the face of a primate. Hopefully we will be able to introduce another female into this family group, but it of course will not be the same. Mia you will be missed!

After all this occurred, I began reflecting upon the last year and realized that we have lost 4 animals (3 primates and 1 acouchi), had to send 1 primate to a different zoo due to her partner's death, and 5 animals have gone through serious injury in just the past year. This was the hardest year of my career so far. I told my supervisor yesterday as I was in tears, that "I don't want to love animals anymore". It's just so hard when you lose them. And her response was, "that's why you can never stop doing this job"...and I never will.

Good News and Bad News

Now that we are finally fully staffed my off days are changing. I've been the next person in line for several months now, but am just now getting the chance to switch. I am now going to have Sundays and Mondays off! This means that Dave and I will finally have a day off together every week! We're both very excited about this! It will be starting this week!
The bad news is that I did not get the supervisor position, but it's not all bad. As much as I wanted it, I am very happy where I am now, especially with adding the Sea Lions and Koalas to my daily routine. It's a new challenge, which I always need. And being a supervisor means a lot more time away from my animals, so I am fine with the decision and am just glad I had the opportunity to interview. Hopefully, my time will come!

A Quick Update

I have to go to work in T-minus 10 minutes, but I figured I could squeeze in an update for all my fans. :) Just kidding. Anyway, the Sea Lion department has been short handed for about 6 months now, which is the reason that Kristin and I have ben learning the routine over there and helping them with training the sea lions (like they had to twist my arm). But, they needed more consistency then the two of us just coming over when we had time. So, it has been decided that both Kristin and I will be spending 3 days a week over at sea lions and 2 days a week in our sections at Natural Encounters (rainforest for me, bats for Kristin). I'm very happy about the decision. I don't have to give up my primates and I get to add 5 more animals to my care (3 sea lions and 2 koalas). Oh, by the way I got to hold one of the koalas last week! Very cuddly! So, this new rotation schedule should start in a week or two! I'm very excited to get some more experience under my belt.
Alright, well that's all with me. I'll bug Dave to do an update, as I can't even keep up with all his activities lately...tests, dinners, parties...the list goes on! Hope all is well with all of you!

The Good, The Bad and The Stressful

Well, thank you to my honey for recognizing in the last post the hard work taking care of animals can be. I always laugh when people are surprised that I work weekends... the animals still have to eat... the zoo is still open (and in fact is busier than any other day)... and we still feed them on Friday, which means...well, think about it. :(
Anyway, it seems that the job I love is even more challenging lately. We have been short staffed for quite a long time now and we have 3 employees starting this week and next. We also have zoo crew starting! Zoo crew are teenagers who work a couple days a week throughout the summer with us. It's an amazing opportunity for kids who are interested in the animal field. Finally...some relief! Although, I am still nervously awaiting the results of the supervisor interview!!! I want the position so bad, I can taste it. Despite that, I am not getting my hopes up too far. There are outside candidates coming to visit this week. For me, that is not a good sign, but I am just grateful for the chance to interview and I know I will make it there someday, if not now. In addition, just when we have several animals getting over injuries for various reasons, there's another one. My baby, my little Pygmy Falcon "Zuri", broke his toe yesterday and had to have part of it amputated!!! I was off yesterday and today, so I have not seen him yet. My supervisor told me that they have no idea how it happened. She said he was in good spirits though. I can't wait to see him...I hate not being there for him.
Well, with all the above good, bad and stressful going on, I will end with something good! On Dave's beloved 3 day weekend he came to visit me on Sunday! I have been working with the Sea Lion staff to learn the training necessary to work with our 420 pound male Sea Lion "Roscoe". I finally have enough behaviors down to perform a pretty good show and I was so excited for Dave to come and see it! So included are some of the pictures that he took while he was there!
It's back to work tomorrow and I am ready!

Alas, the beloved Three-Day Weekend!

Finally it is here. MY three-day weekend. I would love to say it is OUR three-day weekend, but Laura just isn't that lucky. It really is a full-time job taking care of animals. Kudos to her!!!

The last couple of weeks down here have been a bit of a whirlwind for us, with work and everything else going on. Laura interviewed for a supervisor position, I signed up to take my Life and Health Insurance Exam for work, my sister went to Colorado with the kids for a mini-vacation. The weather is getting warmer, and the beach is sounding better and better. Only problem is, one of us isn't going to go alone, so we must both suffer in vain. Oh well, soon enough I will have vacation and I can do anything I want.

Speaking of vacation, my parents are officially coming to visit. I have no idea why they have decided to drive, but I have a feeling my dad is regressing to his younger days and wants to get out on the road with his new car and see what it can really do. Nevertheless, I am extremely excited they are coming down here. They haven't seen the new apartment yet, and I really think they are going to like things down here. We'll do a little sightseeing, catch a ballgame (most likely on my birthday), and of course, lots of golf for my dad and I. I hope there's enough left in the tank for me to beat my dad...not that I'm really all that worried.

Less Than Jake came out with a new album this week. "In With The Out Crowd" is by far there most introspective record to date, but not so much that it is depressing and somber. Instead, the usual crunching guitars and sing-along style lyrics are there, but with a depth to it that hasn't been there before. I highly recommend picking this album up and giving it a try. You will not be disappointed. For those of you who like to download music, I know the iTunes store is running a deal where you can download the album and get an exclusive art PDF as well as a bonus track. Why not at least check it out!!!!

Finally, on a sad note, 24 is over for the season. I have to say, while I was able to predict some of the happenings during the 2-hour season finale, the ending COMPLETELY shocked me. I was not ready for that one! All I know is, I really hope the rest of this year goes quickly, because the new season that starts in January is going to be a helluva good one!

To everyone that has a long weekend, I hope you are with one's you love and I hope you are safe. We will probably cook out tomorrow night just for fun, and enjoy the gorgeous nights that we have down here. Be good and have fun!!!

-Dave

Austin City Limits

Double Trouble!

Yesterday, as many of you know, Laura and I took a trip to visit our state capital, Austin. While the weather wasn't necessarily cooperating with us in the morning, it certainly turned out to be a gorgeous day. We left the apartment around 7:00 AM, and we arrived in Austin at about 9:30 or so. From there we started at the capital building, which as amazing! The grounds were beautiful, the layout was incredible, and the scenery was spectacular. From there, we went to a restaurant called The Oasis, which sits atop a "mountain", if you will, and had some lunch. The view was absolutely incredible, and can be rivaled only by that of the landscape in Colorado. Lunch was very filling, and the best part of all, it was only about 12:00! So far, we had driven to Austin, visited and toured the capital, visited the information center, eaten lunch at The Oasis, and gotten back into town.
From there, we went to the Texas State Cemetery. Now I know what you're all thinking, but just give me a minute. The reason we went there was because they have a monument to victims of the attacks on 9/11. There are two beams from the WTC Towers that are displayed as a memorial to those who lost their lives. I can only show a picture of what we saw, but I can never describe the feelings that Laura and I had looking at those two mangled beams. It is something that anyone who comes to visit Texas should go see, and I will do my best to take anyone and everyone there.
Moving on, we found out there was some sort of festival happening on 6th St., which is the equivalent of Water Street, only MANY more bars. Basically there is a bar every other door for about 4 blocks on either side of the road. There were little tents set up on the street and people peddling all of their merchandise. Kind of po-dunk to me, only because I never really enjoyed the whole "flea market" scene. But it was neat to see some of what people had to offer, and I know Laura enjoyed it, which is what was important to me. After walking up and down the street, we grabbed a quick drink at on of the bars, The Chuggin' Monkey to be exact, and decided to head home. Now, the trip home wasn't bad from a weather standpoint like the drive in, but we did get a bit lost, I hit a pigeon, and basically turned a 2 1/2 hour trip into about 3 1/2 hours. Oh well, we made it home!
All in all, it was a wonderful trip, a wonderful time with Laura, and hopefully a wonderful birthday for her. It was god to get out and do something different, and rest assured, we will be taking more trips once we find the time. Hope you enjoy the pictures, and I am going to try to get some posted online somewhere so you can actually see what I am talking about a little bit better than just these few!

The latest...

Well, it seems my brother and I are in the same boat. He just had a post about the fact that the time between posts keeps increasing. I guess the same is for us. Maybe the novelty of the blog has worn off, or we simply don't have that exciting of a life. Oh well.
We have decided to cool off the house search. After going to see one and really liking it, we took a closer look at our finances and feel that it may be best to save up a little more first. At least now we know what we can get and what the process involves. We will probably look again after the wedding. Right now we just want to enjoy the wedding planning process and save up money so we're more prepared.
My baby Pygmy Marmosets are doing great! They are going to be a month old on May 4th! They are getting so big, which for them is about 2-3 inches long now. They have not ventured around the cage yet, they are still enjoying being carried around by mom and dad. We got our first picture of them two days ago; it's the one above. Dad is the one carrying them. You can see the head of one baby and the back and tail of another! Could they possibly be any cuter? I certainly don't think so!
Well, that's about all I have. I hope everyone is doing well and I'll hopefully decrease the time between now and the next post.
Laura

Out of our league?

Well, tomorrow we meet with a realtor/friend who will be helping us decide if we are completely nuts for thinking we could own a home at this stage of our life, or if we indeed have hope. Houses here in Texas are incredibly cheap! We are currently looking at brand new houses in great communities for around $100,000. All of these houses are at least 3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms and 2 car garage. Many of them also include all appliances, blinds on all the windows (saves money on curtains), a fireplace and walk in closets. It blows my mind that we could get all we want and much more for this price. These same houses in Milwaukee would run at least $200,000 if not more. We are throwing money away every month for rent that could be going towards a morgage. The issues we're concerned about are taxes and insurance (based on our huricane experience last year, we'd be sure to get flood insurance)!!! Buying a house now could mean having it paid off by the time we're in our 50's or much sooner if we ever get some raises! :) If I learned one lesson from my parents about house buying...it's have the house paid off by retirement. So, here we go...wish us luck! We are very excited about this possibility. So excited in fact, that I have even mentioned giving up my truck. And for those of you who know me, I will have a very hard time even thinking about getting rid of my yellow baby...but, if it means a house, I'm happy to do it.
Well, we will keep you updated!

Our Vacation...Finally!

Alright, so here is the promised blog entry about our vacation! Sorry it took so long! The vacation was busy, productive and relaxing at the same time!
We got a lot accomplished for our wedding! We chose a photographer and a baker for the cake. We also saw our ceremony and reception site for the first time! It is beautiful! My mom and Dave's mom could not have picked out anything better!
Over the weekend we spent tons of time with family during several gatherings! It was a great time! I finally got to meet all of Dave's family as well. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. I'm honored to become a part of their family.
Then on Tuesday my mom and I drove down to Champaign to visit Michael and Traci! The drive was not nearly as hard as I anticipated. The time went fast and I never even got close to falling asleep while driving (a very bad habit of mine). I was so happy to see their house...it's gorgeous! It is cozy, but not small; modern, yet warm and welcoming. It was perfect! They have done such a wonderful job decorating, it looked like something out of Trading Spaces! So, we spent that day and the next going out to eat (we ate a lot), walking around downtown, driving through Champaign and visiting back at the house. We also went to Allerton Park!!!! Michael has had many entries about this gorgeous park, and he was right. It's huge and beautiful. We had a blast exploring the trails and checking out all the funky statues that filled the property! I got a chance to take some more artistic photos with our new digital camera, which I must say turned out pretty good! Of course the time came when we had to say good-bye, which sucks!!! I miss my brother and Traci a lot! At least when I lived in Milwaukee I got to see them several times a year and now we're averaging about once a year.
Dave spent his time hanging out with Jenny and Don and Lynn and Matt while I was in Champaign. He misses all of them like crazy and I know he highly enjoyed that time. Not to mention, playing with Nathan and Grace! By the time I got back from Champaign, Dave was back in Houston. I had 2 more days in Milwaukee which I spent hanging out with mom and dad and going out to eat lots more!
It was a wonderful time! We are both extremely glad we got to see so much of our family while we were there, but it was also good to get back home. Every time I refer to Milwaukee as "home", Dave corrects me and says"Houston is home now". And you know he's right, it does feel like home. Milwaukee will always hold a special place in our hearts. It is of course, where we grew up, but it does feel nice to get back to our lives; and that, for us, is here. Thanks to everyone for making our vacation so perect! Now, it's your turn to visit us! :)
Laura

If you could only be so lucky...

So for all of you that think I have this cushy, easy job...think again. Let me tell you about my Friday at work, and tell me if you still think the same! It started pretty normal; people yelling at me because there was going to be a hold on their check and they wouldn't be able to use the money this weekend, (to which I tell them to take their lazy butt to the check cashing place like all the other bums). After that it was the usual homeless woman coming in telling us she has $50,000.00 in her account and she wants all the money out. Oh, she also has an account at The Bank of the World!!! Have any of you been there before...well me neither. She then decided to hit the bullet proof glass we recently had installed and told us we were keeping her money, and that she is awaiting a wire transfer from her work, but she hasn't gotten it in the mail yet!? Yes, read it again if you need to. She is waiting for a wire transfer in the MAIL! To top it all off, after she "calmed " down, she very hastily said that we needed to change her address to HOMELESS! WHAT!? Basically picture a black Stan Laurel with no top front teeth and a few inches shorter...this is my nightmare. After that mess happened, we went on to our usual ritual of deciding what was for lunch, which, coincidently, is my favorite part of the day. In the end, it was chicken...and mighty fine chicken if you ask me. So, as I am getting back from lunch, there is a gentleman at one of the teller windows trying to cash a check. Only problem...the check is forged. YEAH! I'm not sure if he really knew what he was doing or not, but he sat down the entire time as we called the police and had him arrested. I actually think when he looked at me and our eyes crossed paths he stole a piece of my soul. Ever had that feeling? Not good. Turns out he said he had gotten the check from the company last week for work he had done...only problem, the check was dated for today! "I'll pay you on Tuesday for a hotdog today..." For those of you that remember that comic strip, it kind of sounded like the same scenario. Anyway, he was taken away, but then everyone and their mother decided to come in the the bank. It was nonstop from about 12-5, which is when I left. Ugh, I don't know why I put up with it, but there is something generally satisfying about my job. Sparing the lesser details of the day, that was it in a nutshell. Now the next time you want to ask me how work is going, keep this story in mind. If I say fine...don't ask any more questions, because there won't be a good story attached:)

I have twins!

So, I know I promised more entries about our trip...maybe I'll get to that later, but right now I must inform everyone of my good news! I am a new mommy of twin monkeys!!! Our pair of Pygmy Marmosets had twins about 36 hours ago! They are first time parents, so the first 10-15 days are critical! The dad pygmy marmosets carry the babies almost exclusively, until it is nursing time. Then, he will pass them to mom one at a time. This is a very difficult process. Many times the babies accidently get dropped to the floor and they are usually picked up right away, but with new parents you never know. We are keeping a very close eye on them and limiting our noise and activity around them. In fact, my supervisor, my fellow keeper Maria and I are the only ones even allowed in the room where they are being housed. They are a very important pair to the population in the United States and they are a very high profile animal for the zoo. Once we announce their birth, which won't be for at least 2 weeks, they will be all over the news (like many of our births and deaths at the zoo are) and we will have many requests to view them by potential donors to the zoo. A wish that may or may not be granted dependant upon their progress and health. Anyway, this is probably more information about these tiny monkeys than any of you ever cared about, but I am very excited! The fact that Maria and I have made these delicate primates feel comfortable enough to breed, give birth and accept their babies (thus far) is something that we are very proud of. This is one of the many reasons I have become a keeper.

So, the pictures included show adult pygmy marmosets. They weigh between 130-150 grams at full grown. The babies are about an inch long and weigh approx. 20-30 grams!

Reality

So, our vacation has come to an end and we are back to reality. Unfortunately, reality has found us no time to write on our blog. We had a great time with family back in Milwaukee, but are having a hard time getting back into a routine here in Houston. The temp has warmed to around 85 degrees daily and is only going to get warmer. Quite a change from Milwaukee's 40 and raining the day I flew out. Oh well. So, to our loyal blog audience, I promise we will have an entry or two real soon about our trip. For now, however, it is back to that previously mentioned "reality", which for me is the zoo.
Laura

One Shining Moment

What a spectacular time of year! Not only is getting nicer outside (I caution against using the word warmer), but it's March Madness! It doesn't matter if you are Duke or Duquesne, if you are in the tournament, you have a shot at winning. There is always a 12 beating a 5, and there is always drama with every game. To see the faces of the players, win or lose, is to look into their soul and realize what this game truly means to them. It's not about the money...yet, and it's not about the magazine covers or photo shoots and dinners at the 5-star restaurants. For most of these kids, the sheer enjoyment of being one of the 64 teams lucky enough to be invited to the NCAA Tournament will last them a lifetime. For most, there will be no more basketball after college, which is why there is so much more emotion for them. Even if you don't like college basketball, or even basketball in general, give it a shot. Watch all the smiles, the tears, and especially the heart that comes out in every game for the next 2 weeks.

Speaking of basketball, I met Rafer Alston at work the other day. Most of you may know him as "Skip to my Lou" from the AND1 mixtapes. He was a streetcourt "legend", and he's been on a couple of different NBA teams, most recently the Houston Rockets, which is who he plays for now. I remembered he played for Milwaukee a few years back, and I mentioned that to his sister, who was actually the one in the bank, and she ran outside and asked him to come in. Surprisingly, he was awesome. Very friendly, and he truly seemed appreciative. He gave me an autograph, and spent a few minutes talking with me. I don't know...kind of cool if you ask me!

While on the subject of sports, baseball is right around the corner. I love thinking about baseball because, for me, it really does remind me of Sunday afternoons with my dad. Now, we've only been seriously going to Brewers games for the past 4 or 5 years, but Sunday's were our days together. It didn't matter how good or bad the Brewers were doing. What mattered was whether or not the hot dogs were tasting good that day, or if we would have to get some brats or sandwiches to last us the afternoon along with our peanuts. No matter where I am or where he is, every Sunday during baseball season will always be our day!

Last, but certainly not least, we will be home on Thursday! We have a lot going on while we are home, but it is much needed, indeed. Things have been extremely stressful for me at work lately, and I really need to get away. A trip home will no doubt help heal the soul.