a day at the zoo

there's probably a list in my room somewhere noting all the places i should visit while i'm still living in chicago and if i ever found it, i'm sure i'd find the brookfield zoo on there.

so i'm checking it off on my imaginary list because erin and i visited the zoo today with melanie, andy, and john.

now, to be honest, i'm not a big zoo fan because a) the smell coming from some of those indoor exhibits stinks like all nastiness, b) the gorillas - of all the animals - look particularly unhappy being showcased as they are, and c) it's too crowded. if i'm gonna stare at animals, i want to stare for awhile, study them, you know? not nod my head to god's handiwork with the zebra, throw up the peace sign and move to the next cage.

but erin really wanted to go today, and it was gorgeous outside, and the brookfield zoo is pretty dang cool.

my absolute favorite animal is the lion. i like his mane. if i were an animal, i'm pretty sure that's who i'd be. we have similar hair. but also because he is a breathtaking animal. the face, the eyes, oh, everything. that is one magnificent creature.

and until i see a zebra, i always forget how remarkable they are. i mean, c'mon! who could have come up with that? they're beautiful.

and this is just for joel and his book, giraffes? giraffes! that he so gleefully shared with joanna et al yesterday afternoon. the book is a very useful guide to learning about giraffe culture. take this excerpt, for example:

You are so behind on giraffes that it's rather embarrassing and you obviously need this book more than health insurance. Things you probably don't know about giraffes - and can only be found in this book - include giraffes' perferred mode of transportation (conveyor belt), what their bodies are made of (paper mache, a clock, fruit juices, and a super-strong lightweight titanium alloy), where most giraffes live (Terra Huate, Indiana - known for many things, including buildings made of wood and ground made of dirt), and basic giraffe history (in 50,000 B.C., giraffes began to hang out with primitive man, they found him to be likeable and helped him paint buffaloes in caves).

Having learned so much yesterday, I felt much better equipped to appreciate the giraffes at the zoo today. For example, had I not read the book, I might have been foolish enough to ask one of the zookeepers how fast giraffes run. But since the book, I know better that giraffes have tried to "phase out running from their lives, but if they had to, they could still run much faster than you. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that they can run 780 mph."

The zookeeper seemed quite impressed when I confessed my expansive knowledge of giraffes. I wonder if Madison's Vilas Zoo is looking for a giraffe expert. Maybe that's my new calling ...

Anyhow, the zoo is a fine place. But I do wish, like my old pastor, that we'll actually get to be near the animals and hang out with them. Cause seeing them through bars is so sad. And when the only interaction you get with animals at the zoo is when they poop on you (see Melanie scraping the bird poop out of Andy's head), it just doesn't feel as sweet and wonderful as say, curling up with a lion and a good book might be. I'm just saying ...