welcome to the real world.

I have been pretty lazy about keeping up with my blog lately. Why? Well, I’ve been tired. If you haven’t noticed, it’s been pretty hot out there, ladies and gentlemen. And though I’d pick summer over winter any day, the heat does tend to take it out of ya. 

Last week was the Fourth of July. Naturally, I spent most of the day working at the Zoo. It’s not unusual for zookeepers to work holidays (animals need to eat everyday!) and the Fourth is a pretty trivial one, in my opinion, then say working on Christmas. Yet it sticks out in my mind because the Fourth of July was the first holiday I ever worked at the Zoo.

I was 15 and working in Guest Services (I guess people need their face painted everyday too!). I remember thinking that it was just so unfair to be working on a holiday. I mean, seriously, I could have been stuffing my face with hotdogs instead. After work my aunt and uncle drove me down to join the festivities at the lake. Yet rather than enjoying that hotdog I remember just flopping down on the couch, totally exhausted from work and the heat. 

Lying there, sweaty, sticky and completely wiped out, I lamented to my dad (the one who had actually been working a good thirty years longer than I had) the challenges of the working world. Work is just so exhausting. 

“Don’t worry,” he answered. “That’s why you go to college, so you can get a job that is not so physically tiring all of the time.”

Thanks Dad.

Ten years later, after another Fourth of July spent at the Zoo I must say my dad’s advice doesn’t really apply. I went to college, got my degree and now find myself working a job even more exhausting than face painting! 

In one of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver describes the worthwhile advantages of adulthood. She writes that one thing real grown ups do is “get dog tired doing something that makes you proud." 

Sorry, Dad, but maybe that’s why you go to college. To get a job that can one day make you dog tired doing something that makes you truly proud. I’m proud to take care of the animals at our Zoo everyday, even if it is a holiday. 

So bring it on record-setting-temperatures-July. It’s ok to be tired. Maybe that’s what this "real world” thing is all about. 

seeing the sea lions.

Today was a special day at work.

They gave all Zoo employees free ice cream and lemonade!

Just kidding (sort of, I mean, they actually did do that). 

But seriously, it was a fun day because we got to take that free ice cream and lemonade to a preview of the Sea Lion Show taking place in the Zoo’s brand new Sea Lion Sound exhibit!

This is the first big construction project the Saint Louis Zoo has undertaken in quite a while and boy was it, well, BIG!

As a kid, I once wrote an essay for a “how I wish I could spend my summer” writing contest about how I wanted to spend my summer being a sea lion at the Saint Louis Zoo. I mean, really, who wouldn’t? From my perspective, those sea lions lazed around all day in the sunshine of their basin, occasionally dipping into the water to take a blissfully cool swim. Ideal summer, right? The judges didn’t really agree. I think my older sister won that contest. I believe her summer wish somehow involved a flying unicorn. Not much beats a flying unicorn. 

Still, watching the show on that brand, spanking new stage today, I can’t help but wish I could spend this summer as a sea lion at the Zoo (or at least a sea lion trainer!). The exhibit is FABULOUS! I’ve never seen such beautiful, blue water. I could camp out in the walk through tunnel watching those sea lions glide around, all grace and bubbles, for hours. And the set! Let’s just say our Children’s Zoo Show Crew left the event a little green with envy this afternoon (if only we had a moat! and a slide!). But overall, it was a lot of fun and a beautiful exhibit.

I know it’s supposed to be one hundred million degrees on Saturday, but really, everyone should brave the heat and come out for our sea lions. Trust me, it is well worth it. 

And while you’re at the Zoo, don’t forget to stop by and see that little, silvery grey cow around the corner! She’ll be waiting for you!