true colors

Dear Readers

To my faithful few, thank you for your patience! the time has come to once again move this blog!

For obvious reasons, I am choosing to make my new blog a secret, so please e-mail me if you would like the link.

Today was a day for big, wonderful changes, and my life will never be the same... see you soon!

Lisa

Happy Birthday Kiddo!

Yesterday was Kasih's first birthday! It was a HUGE event, and a great turnout. It was so amazing to see over 8,400 people come to the zoo to celebrate with us. Since her birth, she has captured the hearts of everyone who sees her. I could (and have!) spend hours watching her and her family. Watching her grow over the past year has been an absolute joy. She is by far one of the most loved and cherished animals at the zoo. Of course with a face like that, it is impossible not to love her. She is the perfect ambassador for her wild cousins, who are in a very real danger of becoming extinct in the next 5-10 years. Every person she touches, has the power to make a difference.

Not too many people are aware of the crisis that is going on in Indonesia, where Orangutans are from. Their rainforest home is being destroyed at a rate of 6.5 million acres every year. That is equivalent to 6 football fields a MINUTE! Nearly 2,000 Orangs die every year,and thier are only 10-12,000 left on Borneo, and 8-10,000 on Sumatra. Their very slow reproduction rate, combined with rapid loss of habitat, means that the hope is dwindling every day for this beautiful species. The reason the forests are being devastated is to put up Palm Oil plantations. Palm oil is found in 1 in 10 of every supermarket items. IE: cheezits, oreos, granola bars, almost EVERY candy bar, chips ohoy cookies, and many many more. 90% of the world's palm oil comes from Borneo and Sumatra, the only 2 places Orangutans are found. The key is for consumers to find safe alternatives to palm-oil products, including organic products. I simply avoid palm oil alltogether, with high saturated fat, it is not good for you anyway! If you check your labels, you would be surprised at how many things contain it. Hopefully someday manufacturers will find it important enough to refuse to buy thier palm oil from un-ethical suppliers. How far did it go before Tuna companies were required to use dolphin safe nets, and include that fact on their packaging? The only manufacturer I have found to announce where thier palm oil comes from is Paul Newman. His company gets palm oil from Columbia, which is replacing old Coco plantations, making the country a safer place, as well as saving orangs.

Ok, so I got a little carried away, but this is a topic I am extreemly passionate about, so I thought I would spread the word in as many ways I can. Every little bit counts! Thanks for reading!

state of the huh?

Well Mr Prez just finished up his State of the Union Address... It didn't really matter what he said, seeing as how anything he wants to do now has to be approved by the Dems. I seldom talk about political views, but I do have opinions about them. My dad is a hardcore Bush supporter, but I personally can't wait till his tirade is over. There are many changes that need to be made, and I am glad that it is not only up to him now. I liked that he touched on some issues that are important to me, such as the energy reforms, but the part that was missing is the HOW that is all going to happen. I can't even talk about it anymore, because it is going to frustrate me, and I just wanna go take some excedrine PM and go watch American Idol!

BTW, I took off the big long post with all the pics, so hopefully the page will load faster now. SORRY!

New Do!

I got a new haircut! And new color, it is a really dark red! right now it is really dark, but it will fade a bit.

I was trying to wait until I had some time to compose a well thought out and composed posting of my New Years, and the following events, but I am not sure when that will be, so I will just come out and say it. I probably never should have gone on the trip with Jarrett to Vancouver. I thought it might be a way to start things over, and re-group away from the stresses of our daily lives, but instead, we ended up fighting constantly, and had one of the worst New Years on record. I don't want to go into the nitty gritty details, but we ended up calling it quits. It is so hard to know when to let go... but I think it would have only been a matter of time before it ended. I felt that we were too different, and that nothing we did was going to change the people that we are inside. There is nothing wrong with that, as we are both really great people... There is nothing we could have done, didn't do, etc.

It is really hard to go through this again, and to hurt someone you care about. I know in the end, everything will be ok, and this is for the best. Doesn't make it any easier though...

So sorry about the shocker... and sorry it wasn't written any better. I am also resisting the urge to change blog addresses again... I know that Jarrett knows this blog address...

Twas all a good night

Well what would Christmas be in my family without a lil drama? It is too long and dramatic story, but lets just say that my family almost did not celebrate Christmas this year. It would have been the first time. Although my parents are separated, they have managed to put their differences aside every year at Christmas time. This year things just seemed to get worse and worse, but we still kept hoping that they would forget all that B.S. and just get along! It was not looking too good on Christmas Eve up until about 7pm. There was going to be no holiday dinner, no presents, and no tree. I am not sure how it happened, but I managed to convince my mom that this was not really what she wanted. It took some strong words, lots of tears and some help from God to help me help my family, and bring us all together, but it turned out pretty good! My family has certainly been through a lot, but the bottom line is that no matter what, we will always be there for each other.

Also, this holiday season brought about a very important lesson for someone that is very near and dear to me. I am trying to see the good in this situation, because it could have been a lot worse, and hopefully he will teach other people not to make the same mistake. Sometimes this mistake can cost much more than losing your license, as well as a pretty big dent to the wallet. People die every single day because someone thought they were ok to drive after having one too many. Or in this case, 5 too many... but who am I to judge, we have all been there and done that. All it takes is is one phone call to a friend, family member or cab service, that can save money, time or even a life. Fortunately my little brother is ok, no one was hurt, and he learned a very valuable lesson that for some reason we will probably never know, he needed to learn that night.

On another note! We leave for our New Years trip tomorrow! Jarrett caved and told me on Christmas where it is we are going. Vancouver!!!! and we are also going down to Seattle Monday afternoon for the return flight the following day. So I'll get to see two cities I have always wanted to go to! I know it will be frikkin cold, and rainy as heck, but I am looking forward to it! I have packed about 30 outfits. Just kidding. I am only allowed to bring a backpack and a carry-on bag. (by backpack, I mean a backpacking or camping backpack. ) I am for once going to leave the suitcase at home! I just hope that it all fits ;-p

speaking of which, I need to go finish the laundry, and get to bed. It is a long day ahead of me tomorrow! Our flight leaves at 8:45pm, and I have to work all day! ugh! So I hope everyone has a very fun and SAFE New Year!

Heres to hoping 2007 is full of new and exciting changes for everyone. It is definitely time for some changes.

FAKBAKR

I saw that phrase on a license plate. It took me a moment to figure it out, (fake - baker) to anyone who couldn't. I sat behind this obnoxious SUV wondering why it would occur to someone to actually put that phrase on the back of your vehicle, advertising the fact that not only are you ruining the envronment with your gas guzzler, but that your tan... is fake. (and probably not the only thing on you that is). It made a little more sense as I pulled forward and saw all the spikey blond hair in some funky updo too fashionable for this woman's age. But who am I to judge? I'm sure she was a very nice woman. I still just don't get why out of all the possible letter/number combinations, that you would want the world to know your tan is fake! Oh well...

I am off today, and am going to be spending ALL of it Christmas shopping! I should have some interesting story to share about my day when I get home. Lata!

looking out the window

well I found out over the weekend that they offered the h/b position to someone else. I am trying to keep my head up, and still keep thinking positively. I am trying not to think that maybe it was a hopeless dream to try and become a keeper. Who am I kidding? There are so many people that are trying to get into this field, and it sometimes seems like it will be impossible to get in. I know that this is how every keeper has felt at some point. I am getting more and more frustrated I think, because I feel like I am standing in a room full of doors, and every time I try to open one, it slams in my face. Sometimes doors need to close before more can open...

So for now, I'll just keep looking out the window.

Santa's sneaky little helper

I know what I am getting for christmas! Jarrett and I are going on a trip for new years! (Since it has been SO long since we have gone anywhere) It is my Christmas present, and I am so excited. I wish I could be a little more excited, but since I don't know where we are going it is kind of hard to prepare!

Yup... he is attempting to achieve surprise and said he would tell me when we get on the plane at 8:25pm on the 28th... AGH! I have no idea what to bring, what to pack, or what to expect. I made the comment to him that he would never be able to surprise me, and I think I dented his ego a bit, so now he is trying to throw me off and have me guessing. I am not very easy to surprise, but he might just pull it off. One thing though... he wanted my passport, which makes me think we are going out of the country! But it could be an attempt to throw me off as well. I have no idea. But it should be a good time wherever we go.

He is so sneaky that he put a ticket envelope from his travel agency office on his desk at home. Of course I looked in it, and inside there was a note saying "Nope, no ticket... I thought you would peek! " guess the joke is on me, but I really hope I don't figure it out! I know that I wont know for sure where until we get to the airport, but I have my guesses.

Other updates, the ultrasound finally came back, and it was all normal. They didn't find anything wrong. This is very confusing and frustrating, especially since I am still feeling pain, but it is not as bad as it was. My Dr. is sending me to a specialist in a month or so if it doesn't clear up on its own. I guess it is nothing too too serious, and it is just sort of a wait and see thing. So that is that for now.

I also have a very important interview tomorrow for the hoofstock/birds department. This is the trail I have been helping out on since August, and I am hoping and praying that it is meant to be, and I will accept any outcome, but I really really want this one. From the bottom of my heart I hope this is it. I love that group of people, they and the animals all mean so much to me. So please think positive thoughts, and wish me luck.

monkey madness

editor's note: I don't think I have mentioned Monkey Village so far on this particular blog, so let me explain real quick. It is one of 3 exhibits like it in the world, and the only one in North America, where zoo visitors can actually enter and share the same space with our troop of squirrel monkeys. There is a pathway through the exhibit, with a low rope as a human barrier, but no barriers for the monkeys. The visitors are not allowed to bring in food or drinks, (except water) and there is no touching of the monkeys either. The exhibit is always staffed with employees and volunteers to assist people and maintain the safety of the people and animals. They don't jump on people, or rummage through their pockets. Mainly they just keep to their monkey business, but with the addition of 5 juveniles, and 5 new babies, things have gotten interesting lately! They keep us all on our toes...

It is amazing what kinds of crazies the full moon brings out. Every month, you can count on at least one weird person that just leaves you speechless. The other day at Monkey Village, the wierdos came out of the woodwork. And I'm not talking about squirrel monkeys. Now I am not one to judge or poke fun at anyone, but these stories were too funny not to mention:

There were a couple people that were high on something, and it sure wasn't life. They were reaching out towards the monkeys, that were actually about 10 feet away. I don't even want to know what experiencing the exhibit would be like in an altered reality...

There was also a crazy lady with her pants rolled up (in one big cuff, from her ankle to her knee...) who was quite a character. She ran through the exhibit screaming "OH!!! They are PRECIOUS!!!! so precious!!!" clapping and screaming her head off. I wasn't there to see it, but I saw her, and can only imagine. A co-worker shared this story with me, but I was in fact priveliged to see her, and can only imagine what I would have said to her. I am glad I wasn't there. She was telling him how she has one of those monkeys at home. It bit her on the nose once, so she had all its teeth removed, and that she shaves it.

Oh. My. So another staff member says how they are illegal to own without special permits, (not that she was telling the truth, but I pray to God that it was not in fact true). The lady got into an argument with her about how it is not illegal, and she got it from the humane society for $500, and how she has had it for 20 years, and never had no damn permit. They then politely mentioned that she was in violation of the law. LOL... Like I said, I don't know what I would have said. Later in the day, my boss saw her at the Orangutan exhibit, where she apparantly "found" a cookie in her pant leg that she must have dropped earlier. She was screaming at her grandson(?) to come and get it for her, since she herself could not bend over. yeah, I missed that one too... lucky me! LOL.

THEN, this kid was standing under one of the ropes that the monkeys climb across, whic goes right over people's heads, and I explained that you never really want to stand directly underneath them (especially with your mouth open). Sea World has their splash zone... we have ours. That is definitely NOT raindrops falling on your head. So he ignored my warning, and ran after them yelling "pee on me! pee on me!!!" I said, "you don't want to get peed on!" to which he replied, "why not!? My uncle pees on my dad!"

Oh it was an interesting day for sure.