Ho! Ho! Ho!

Well, it is December 22 and I am definitely ready for three of the best days of the year–Christmas, Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve Eve!

 

December is always a fun month full of parties, cookies and (if we’re really, really lucky) snow! But everyone knows the best part of Christmas is watching Christmas movies. (Kidding. Sort of.)

 

I’ve been very busy lately working, shopping and baking, so I’ve hardly had time to watch some of my favorites. I have a lot of catching up to do over the next couple of days!

 

Below is my countdown of the top 5 (in my opinion) Christmas movies ever. Grab some egg nog. Watch. Enjoy.

 

5. ELF

 

Elf is a on the more modern side of Christmas classics, but I consider it a real yuletide masterpiece. Elf includes the North Pole, carols, Will Ferrell, claymation and warm fuzzy feelings–really everything a successful Christmas movie should! Try to watch Elf and not smile. It is literally impossible. It’s claymation scenes are an allusion to another holiday gem, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Don’t forget to include Rudolph, The Bumble and Yukon Cornelius in your movie marathon too!

 

4. MUPPET FAMILY CHRISTMAS

 

It’s just not Christmas without the Muppets. Seriously, Kermit and friends have been spreading holiday cheer for as long as I can remember. Many of my friends are fans of A Muppet Christmas Carol. Good, yes. But the best? No. Muppet Family Christmas was a made for TV special that ran in 1987. My dad taped it off of the TV with an old VHS and my family has been watching it every year since. It doesn’t just feature the Muppet cast, but also includes the characters from Sesame Street and a few Fraggles too. Like Elf, it’s chock full of the best of Christmas–more carols, more warm fuzzy feelings, a Christmas turkey and an icy patch to boot!

 

3. HOME ALONE

 

This movie has had a profound impact on my life. I spent most of my childhood attempting to create booby traps thanks to the creative genius of Kevin McAllister. Seriously. My quote in our senior high school yearbook was “This is it. Don’t get scared now.” thanks to Kevin too! Home Alone has more solidly quotable lines than any movie I know (perhaps with the exception of Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, but it’s pretty dang close ). Before watching be sure to order yourself a cheese pizza, include a nice tip and don’t forget to tell the delivery boy to keep the change, ya filthy animal!

 

2. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

 

When someone gets hired at the Zoo they take a “True Colors” test to outline their personality type. “Blues” are the emotional, feelings sort who really like rainbows and butterflies and, of course, Christmas too. Well, I’m a “blue” person and It's A Wonderful Life is about as blue a movie as you can find, so, of course I love it. It’s not just one of my favorite Christmas movies ever, it’s also one of my top ten favorite any kind of movie ever! The characters are amazing, Jimmy Stewart is perfect and there is plenty to laugh, cry and cheer about. If you’ve never seen this movie it is a must watch every holiday season. It is long though, so set aside an evening to curl up by the fire and appreciate this absolute classic.

 

1. WHITE CHRISTMAS

 

 This is the Christmas movie to end all Christmas movies! (That’s why it’s #1, duh!) Mr. Christmas himself, Bing Crosby, stars, alongside Rosemary Clooney (George’s aunt), Vera Ellen and Danny Kaye.White Christmas is in so many ways far superior to any cocker spaniel. There’s snow, of course, amazing dance scenes and a slam-bang finish! Try not to let your heart melt when you hear Bing sing “White Christmas” at the end.

 

So, there you have it! The best movies to watch over the next few days. 

Honorable Mentions: A Christmas Story, The Grinch, A Claymation Christmas, Love Actually, Garfield’s Christmas Special, A Charlie Brown Christmas and Christmas Vacation. All excellent films too.

Like all opinions, obviously, these thoughts are simply reflections of what I grew up with. I know everyone grows up with different Christmas movies, songs and traditions, so if you agree or disagree with the list, leave a comment below!

 

Enjoy the celebrations this week! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Happy International Cheetah Day!

Everyone knows that December is a month full of special days. 

But did you know that December 4 is actually one to celebrate? 

Why? Well, it’s International Cheetah Day, of course! (You didn’t know that?!)

This is a day to acknowledge the unique intrinsic worth of the cheetah–an endangered and very special animal. 

I have had the pleasure of getting to know the Zoo’s five cheetahs over the past four months. 

First, there’s Shanto, the old man of the group. He is twelve years old and he is one big, tough cheetah. He has a little hitch in his walk, which just makes him that much more badass. If Shanto were in The Lion King he would be Mufasa. If he had a human voice, it would be James Earle Jones. 

Then there are Shanto’s (now 7 year old!) cubs–Zuri and Kgosi. Zuri is the spunky one. She is mischievous, curious and, quite frankly, a flirt. That cat has some moxie. Her favorite past time is eating and Zuri has the roundest cheetah belly I’ve ever seen. Kgosi is the cutie pie of the bunch. He has an adorable face and ears that kind of stick out sideways on his head, which only help his cause. Kgosi is a very sweet cheetah, whom everyone loves. 

Next, there’s Jason. Jason is the Disney prince of cheetahs. He is just so handsome and dapper all of the time. Quite the charming cheetah. And finally, Jason’s girlfriend,Claire. Claire is the newcomer of the group, just arriving in June. She is the princess. Claire is a beautiful, intelligent cheetah, with sharp wits and enough tough stuff to hang with any of the guys. 

Cheetahs are having a bit of trouble in the wild. There are around 10,000 wild cheetahs left in the world, which might sound like a lot, until you take a moment to consider that 100 years ago there were 100,000 cheetahs! Talk about a rapid decline! 

Some consider them a doomed species. A lack of genetic diversity only adds to the laundry list of troubles cheetah populations already face (i.e habitat destruction, human/predator conflict). 

But we cannot give up on this amazing creature. Usain Bolt holds the world record for the 100 meter dash. He can run it in 9.58 seconds (fast!). Sarah, a cheetah at the Cincinnati Zoo, recently ran the same distance in 5.95 seconds (whoa!!). 

Every species is important, of course, but any animal alive on this planet that can reach speeds up to 70 mph, powered by only their own four feet, is one worth puling out all the stops to save in my book! 

Every morning, when I am feeding the cheetahs, there is a special moment when I am shifting them back into their yards. The cheetahs run past me, only inches from my legs. They move and run with such enviable grace. It’s exhilarating to watch. That moment when the cheetah flies past me is hands down the most amazing part of my daily life at this point in time. 

So, we cannot give up on the cheetah. Everyone must do their part. We can start by learning all about these incredible creatures. 

Tomorrow the Zoo is having a party for International Cheetah Day. There will be keeper chats, crafts and cookies and Zuri will (hopefully!) be showing off her running talent. 

Learn what you can about cheetahs. Love cheetahs. And certainly don’t give up on cheetahs. 

And don’t forget to celebrate on December 4! 

Lions are Amazing! →

Check out these awesome lion photos! Amazing!

on scuba diving.

When I was about 8 or 9 years old my sister and I entered a summer story writing contest at the local library. The topic was “My Dream Summer Vacation.”

My sister wrote about spending the summer flying around on a magical Pegasus. 

I wrote about spending my summer as a sea lion at the Saint Louis Zoo (a totally normal idea, right?). 

My sister won. 

I wasn’t kidding when I said I wanted to live the life of a sea lion at the Zoo. What’s not to like? They spend all day sunbathing and swimming around. Exactly what I like to do on my vacation! And on hot summer days, oh man, that water has always looked wonderful. 

Well, this year “My Dream Summer Vacation” kind of became my life. I was scuba certified in order to swim around in (and clean) the wonderful waters of the sea lion exhibit at the Zoo!

Remember in May when I was just SO excited about diving?

(Scuba Diving Day 1. Oh, how little I knew what was coming.)

Well, November scuba diving is a whole ‘nother beast, ladies and gentleman. A different story.

That wonderful water is now a cool 58 degrees. Fifty-eight, you say? Like a crisp Fall day, right? No, that is not right. Not right at all. Fifty-eight degree water is not the same as fifty-eight degree air. 

Mental_Floss explains it like this: The amount of heat that moves between your body and the surrounding medium and the speed at which it moves, both of which are important to the sensation or warmth or cold that we feel, depends on how good a conductor the medium is. The reason the water feels colder than air is because water is the better conductor of the two. When you hop into that 60-degree pool, heat escapes your body much more easily than it would if you were standing beside the pool in 60-degree air. Because the water takes more heat from your body, and quicker, it feels colder.

I can sum it up a little faster. It feels like this. 

And it’s only going to get worse. Six months in, here are a few reflections on what it’s really like to live like a sea lion at the Saint Louis Zoo. 

1. It’s real cold. Ok, maybe not for the actual sea lions, but definitely for me. I supposedly descended from some hearty, European stock that should be equipped to withstand such temperatures. But man oh man, when that water starts seeping through that wetsuit…yikes. When it hits my face…double yikes. Usually, it’s really just the first two minutes that it gets really bad. Then eventually the skin, wetsuit, hood, socks, gloves etc start to do their job and I warm up. Except my lips. My lips always feel like this guy’s. 

2. I always have to pee. I think it’s the pressure. Sea Lion Sound is not super deep, but even 12 feet of pressure on one little bladder is, for me, too much! I’m typically good for about 25 minutes. There I am la la la la la, swimming, swimming, swimming…when BAM! I have to pee. And I have to hold it for another good half an hour underwater. When I became certified my instructor told me that, “There are those who pee in their wetsuits and those who don’t admit to peeing in their wetsuits.” Well, sir, I refuse to pee in my wetsuit. So , when I scuba dive, I always have to pee. 

3. Speaking of bodily functions, yes, there is a lot of poop. From the sea lions, of course! (I hope that would have been obvious). They live in that water, they poop in that water. Cleaning up the poop is, after all, the purpose of scuba diving at the Zoo. At first, it kind of grossed me out. I mean, that poop floats through the water. The water I am swimming in. My lips and face are exposed, remember? But I quickly got used to it and besides, I shower soon after. What does sea lion poop look like? I would classify it in the fecal matter category of “logs.” Sea lions eat plenty of fish and sometimes the poop is kind of sparkly-like, from the fish scales. If The Rainbow Fish gifted one shiny scale to a furry, brown log, that would be sea lion poop. 

4. Ah, the shower. As a child, I was on the swim team. I’m not really sure why because I’m pretty bad at swimming and I hate cold water, but I was. I remember many cold, cold mornings spent swimming laps in the local Elks Club pool. After shivering our way through practice, my sisters and I would rush home and take the hottest showers imaginable and it was pure nirvana. I never thought I’d have that delectable feeling again. Well, I do now. After one hour of blue-lipped scuba diving in Sea Lion Sound I get to take a really hot shower and it is a truly fantastic moment. Kind of makes swimming in poop worth it in the end.

5. It really is cool.  No, I’m not even trying to make a pun here. Yes, November (and I’m assuming, sadly, December/January/February/March/April) scuba diving is cold. But at one point in my dive today I looked up and Nuna the cutest, not so little (up close!) harbor seal in the whole world, was swimming in circles right above me. She did lots of loops and spirals, swimming right through my bubbles, only a few feet from my nose. And the amazing part?  I was at work! I get to swim with a seal at work!

It’s my summer dream come true. 

It’s really a very lucky deal to get to scuba dive as a part of my job. 

Truly brings a whole new meaning to the idea of starting the work day gathered around the water cooler…

dollah, dollah bills, ya'll!

Everyone knows that Zookeepers don’t make a lot of money. I mean, we’re not poor or anything, but we eat a lot of spaghetti.

This time of year, though, I’m rollin’ in the dough! After CPR/First Aid training, Boo at the Zoo and a Training Workshop, I clocked 31 hours of overtime last pay period!

What to do with that hard earned cash? Oh, don’t worry. I have a three-fold plan!

1. PREPARE FOR WINTER: 

It is important for a girl to update her wardrobe with the change in seasons. Today’s low was 25 degrees, so I’d say Old Man Winter is officially knocking on the door. WIth that in mind, it’s time for me to acquire a few winter luxuries:

Pssh. I wish! Did I say luxuries? Oops! I meant NECESSITIES. This is actually what I bought:

(You know what they say, if you’ve got it*, flaunt it! *And by “it” of course I mean a new pair of coveralls…)

And this:

Upon signing myself onto the Carnivore Unit, I committed to the cold. I hate winter weather, but I learned last year that the right gear makes all the difference. Hence, it was high time to purchase some real Carhartt apparel. Take that, Jack Frost!  I’m ready for ya!

2. A PLANE TICKET TO MIAMI: 

Who am I kidding? Gear or no gear, winter is terrible. One way to make it a teeny, tiny, bit more bearable? Daydreams of Florida, of course!

My high school girlfriends and I concocted the excellent plan of starting a Snow Birding tradition and spending a long weekend in Miami at the end of January. 

We’ve all been best buds for over a decade now, yet we live all around the world. What better way to bond and reconnect than a winter escape to Miami! Don’t mind if I do!

(T-minus two months til the Nerinx girls descend on Miami)

3. PAY OFF A SPEEDING TICKET 

Funny story. In early September, my great aunt passed away (that is, obviously, not the funny part). I left work in the middle of the day to attend her funeral.

At the reception following the mass, I dropped a plate of blueberry cobbler onto the lap of my black and white polka dotted dress. Naturally, many of the white polka dots turned purple.

My sister offered to let me borrow some clothes so that she could wash the dress for me while I returned to work. 

So, I left the funeral wearing a pink Pi Phi t-shirt, soccer shorts and heels. Classic, Saturday morning apparel, I guess? 

Anyway, I was rushing back to work (in Rock Hill aka one giant speed trap, I might add…) when I got pulled over. 

For some reason the Police Officer didn’t buy my, “But, sir, I’m rushing back to work from a funeral!!” excuse. I guess the pink Pi Phi shirt didn’t really go with the heels. 

Long story short, I got a ticket. One giant, sad chunk out of my overtime pay. 

But, hey, at least there IS such a thing as overtime pay.  

This November, that’s something to be thankful for! 

october recap.

I can’t believe it is already November! I swear, 2013 is flying by. 

October has been one of my favorite months out of the year so far. 

I had more vacation days and more overtime hours in October than any other month. Kind of a weird mix of working too much and not working at all!

In the beginning of the month I traveled to Colorado for my longtime friend, Annie’s wedding. It was so wonderful to get back to one of my favorite states. Everyone had a great time hiking and enjoying some beautiful mountain air. 

(John and I enjoying Colorful Colorado)

Annie and Chris’ wedding was absolutely perfect. It was actually quite emotional for me to see Annie get married. She is one of my oldest friends and, naturally, we have always talked about our weddings. We even used to play the board game “Perfect Wedding” together (to be fair, we played the “We Girls Can Do Anything” game as well…). Watching Annie and her new husband (!) Chris saying their vows I just kept thinking “wow, this is Annie’s wedding…how did we get to be this old?!”. Crazy times, people, crazy times. I am just so glad that Annie and Chris have found so much happiness together and I can’t wait to see where their next adventure takes them. 

(Me and my god-sisters. So happy to celebrate with all of the Kislings!)

Upon returning from Colorado, I actually got to run a race! I love to run, but working weekends is not kind to my race schedule. I typically run one marathon or half (something worth taking a vacation day for!) each year. But the fun weekend races, like 5ks and Tough Mudders are out of the question. That was until…I found a Twilight run! This was a run that started at 7:30 pm! Perfect for a zookeeper! We got to wear glow bracelets and a helicopter flew overhead illuminating the dark path at night. Awesome!

Then it was off to Columbia for some more vacation days with the family! This time we celebrated my little sister, Nancy’s White Coat Ceremony. Nancy is starting her third year of vet school, so she is done with class work and ready for clinicals i.e. real life veterinary work. She is one step close to becoming Dr. Nancy Medicine Woman, white coat and all! Nancy has worked so hard in vet school so far and truly deserves the special recognition. 

(Sisters celebrating Nancy’s white coat! Which she is, unfortunately not wearing in this photo…)

To round out my vacation days splurge, John and I took a camping trip to Johnson’s Shut Ins. I’d never been there before but man, is it beautiful! We arrived on a dark and rainy evening, but spent a fabulous fall day exploring the shut-ins and hiking around the park. THAT is what vacation days are all about, after all! I’d recommend Johnson’s Shut Ins to any outdoorsy Missouri travelers. 

Finally, I rounded out the month with a lot of WORK! I was lucky enough to get to help out with the Children’s Zoo shows for Boo at the Zoo. It is, of course, exhausting working 8am-9 pm several days a week, but Boo nights are totally awesome and I had a great time. It was wonderful to spend time with my CZ coworkers and animals and hey, who doesn’t love dressing up like a pirate and watching hundreds of hyper kids in costumes go nuts?! I hope I can work Boo again next year. It really is a spook-tacular event!

(Sue G, Cassie and I pirating it up on the CZ stage!)

I’d say, it was a pretty solid month! I am happy though, that things are going to calm down a bit, now that we’ve reached November.

It’s time to focus on the important things in life–family and food! 

Here’s to bright leaves and chilly nights! Happy November!