Just Visiting : SeaWorld San Diego

Okay, so this past week I was treated to a unique and interesting experience.  Rather, to me it was rather unique because I'd never been to SeaWorld before. At least, not that I know. Let me just say this, it was a very interesting place to go and there's really a lot to see.

SeaWorld San Diego
500 Sea World Dr
San Diego, CA 92109

Now, when they told me we were going to SeaWorld, I was kinda intrigued. Because I didn't really know what to expect. So I decided we were going to bring home Shamu in the trunk. I was told nope, and shrugged. I was surprised to find out how big they really are. But they're adorable too. But I'm really kind of getting a head of myself I think.

Ok so everyone knows that there are a lot of animals at SeaWorld. And a lot of things there are educational, and it's interesting to have the chance to actually touch some of the animals. I really liked the tide pool area. I got to pick up and look at a live starfish. I found out that it's actually called a bat star. (aiiii! See there are bat's in the ocean!) Bat Stars come in different colors, and the reason isn't really for anything beyond basic genetics. It's the same sort of thing that decides if we're going to be a blond, brunette, or a ginger.

I also got to poke at a sea urchin, which I was surprised to see wiggle it's stick like pokey barbs around when I gently poked them. THEN it started it sprouted little tendril things which I found out are it's feet. None of the tide pool animals move very fast though. I even got to poke a sea anemone which felt like a wet sticky rubber band.

I also liked getting to pet marshmallow fish again. AKA rays. They really do feel like wet marshmallows. I love how they move in the water, they kind of flip they're fins and tails so elegantly in the water. They're amazing to watch and seem so sweet.

The whales though. Just...WOW, I never really realized how big they really are. Or that they could splash so much. At the  Shamu Show, Polka Dot and me sat in t he splash zone (partially because the night before he had told me that I wasn't being very courageous so I wanted to prove him wrong.) Yeah... by the time the whales were done splashing at the end of the show I looked like a drowned rat, and Polka Dot was very cranky and complaining that his sneakers were wet, and all his clothes were wet. But I didn't care, I think it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. I hadn't expected it, but I really did enjoy it.

Alright, so I know some of you were hoping to see something more interactive. Unfortunately I haven't gotten the piranha feeding video edited yet. I'll probably post the piranhas in the future, but for now it's on the back burner due to real life timing issues. So, for now here is a video of the whale show that someone kindly posted to you tube. So you can see why Polka Dot ended up all wet and cranky.

All in all, SeaWorld is a very enjoyable place to visit. I would definitely enjoy going again if I ever have a chance to in the future. But I learned a lot, and had a chance to see some things I never really ever would have thought about getting to see. So if you're thinking about going, you should. It's totally worth it.

Hooray! The Blog is ONE!

^_^ Alright! So it's been an interesting year since we originally opened the blog. So in honor of the blog turning 1, I've decided to add a special page to it. I'm not entirely sure how it will work out. But I'm interested in learning a little bit about the people who visit the blog. We've had people stop in from all over the globe it seems.

I'm not really entirely sure what brings you to our page. But we're very glad to have you <3. That said, the new page can be found in the tab at the top of the blog. It's our new Visitors Log.

In an attempt to learn about more of the world and to create a map during the coming new year, this is a project that YOU our readers get to help with. How? Well, by leaving us a note telling us what country (or geographic area) you're visiting from, and something you think is interesting, you'll help give us some fun ideas of things to explore in the future. You don't have to give us an in depth detailed listing. But your responses will help us learn more, and I'm hoping to do more Just Visiting posts, and it would be interesting to research museums, events, and locations outside of our 'comfort' areas. (Do you live in a state? A province? etc... Have fun with it!!!)

So thank you so much in advance for your notes! We're looking forward to your answers. I'm hoping that our next year will see more positive growth in general, and who knows, maybe we'll have a post about your country or local area ^_^.

***Please keep your responses G rated on the most part, this is a family friendly blog...at least we try to be..***

- No you don't have to leave us your real name.
- You don't have to give identifying information.
- This is just a fun project to find out more about the world, and work on a world project.

And thank you so much for reading! We are hoping to be writing and sharing things of interest we discover for a long time into the future. Thank you so much!

Even a Fairy Godmother Needs a Break

I know that my writing of late has become very sporadic. Not only that, but it has also become uninformative. To put things simply, I don't feel inspired to say much. There are a lot of things that I could write, or look at. But what fun is there in making things up?

I kind of needed the break. We all need a break from what we're doing now and then, and for me this was an unplanned but useful amount of time. It's given me a chance to evaluate what we've been looking at and figure out what direction I want to go in from here.

So what has been going on behind the scenes here? To be blunt, nothing noteworthy. No, I'm not deathly ill. No, I have not managed to find a niche here yet. No, I most definitely have not forgotten the people that I love that are far away. They're just far away from me. And I am far, far, far away from them.

The funny thing is that my cousin told Squash that. Because he was using a map to learn about where we are. He thinks we're on a whole different planet. Or, in Far, Far Away like in the Shrek movies. He still wants me to go back. It's always 'come home'.

But it's hard to come home when you're not sure anymore exactly where home is. Home is a funny thing like that. Sometimes home is where everyone you know is. Sometimes it's the place where we hang our hats for a little while.  Other times it's where someone else is that makes it home to us.

I don't know where home is anymore.

Kind of sad in a way I suppose. But it's fair to say that the only way to figure out where home is is to evaluate the things that are valued. But how do you decide what really matters?

I really feel like I need a break at this point. I need something to go right. Something needs to happen that will shed some light on the directions I have to go in. But what?

I guess we'll just wait and see.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I will try to get things back into an almost predictable order. After all we all like something we can predict.

Order can be nice in this chaotic world.

Late Night TV or...

What's On The Tube When You Can't Sleep.

So to be honest, I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately. Which means I've been trying a few different solutions. I've tries counting sheep. Tried sleeping aids. Now am trying TV.

Sunday night I watched The Black Dahlia.  I flipped it on because the title sounded interesting. I've always been interested in crime, and I have my own morbid interest in seeing how people look at the unsolved ones. This movie surprised me on multiple levels. The costumes were done well, and the characters presented were believable.

But what surprised me more than anything else was the lesbian undertones in the film. Not only that it was there, but in the way that the film showed this as being accepted. It was an interesting thing to see considering how some people react to the idea now. But as with many films that are made these days about crime, it was full of fiction. There are a number of websites devoted to debunking the fictions around the crime, and many believe that the crime will never be solved. Which is unfortunately likely the sad truth.

Monday night I watched a movie from 1941 called Dive Bomber. It was a good movie, even if it was old. To be honest I didn't realize it was as old as it turns out to be. The colors in it are wonderful, and the story does provoke curiosity. Is it a fact or fiction film?

According to what I can find it's fiction. There's a number of different statements about the film that indicate this. Dive Bomber was not the usual type of film that I would watch. But it does fit in with the things that I have been writing about on the blog recently. It does reflect some points of  naval history, as well as look at some interesting concerns about flight. I think a lot of us take the secure safety of flights now for granted.

The planes in the film were really interesting, some of them were very colorful. According to what I've read there are a number of people that enjoy the film because of the planes that are shown in it. They were interesting to see. Planes are always interesting, a little more so than cars. I mean, after all, they fly.

Beyond that I've been watching a show on Animal Planet about River Monsters. I am not one that enjoys fishing, but it's fascinating to see the types of creatures that live underwater. Some of them really are monsters. But they're real. I guess in some ways that's the scariest part.

But on the most part, I'm watching a little bit of TV now and then... I wonder if it's going to do anything more than rot my brain.

Studies : Child Nutrition and Cooking

So today is Saturday. This week was the second week of the online course I'm participating in on cooking and child nutrition. I know that there is a lot of different ideas about how to cook for kids, and what they will enjoy. The idea of this specific course is to bring families back to the table together. As well as open peoples eyes to what they're eating.

Why is this something that I'm interested in? Well for one thing what you feed a kid isn't really any different than what you'll feed yourself. You want your food to look good, taste good, and be good for you as well. This course intends to help us learn how to prepare a meal that is nutritious as well as balanced.

The course has gone over a few different topics so far. The teacher posts videos and explains how different things can be used to improve taste as well as create a healthier meal. She advises that it's better to use some butter rather than use an excessive amount of margarine. Another thing that was interesting to learn was how fresh garlic and onion can be used in small amounts to add a nice flavor to the food.

Some of the topics this course has gone over include: Egg, Six Ingredients, Vegetable Stir fry, Smoothie, Balanced Meal, Oatmeal, Pasta, and Almond Cake. How is the material presented? It's presented in a series of short videos in this course. What kind of work do you need to do for this course? You take small quizzes, and you are asked to complete one meal during the week following some specifications from class. (I made a salad and french toast to meet these so far.) So it isn't really all that difficult.

There are a number of free courses to be taken in Coursera I definitely recommend having a look. It doesn't hurt to see what is available. Educating yourself, whether for college credit or not is still good. Many of the free online courses offer a certificate stating that you completed it. So give it a look, maybe you will learn something new.