monterey bay aquarium

i know it's petty, but i'm jealous. s got a comment on his blog from the PR manager at the monterey bay aquarium, and i want one, too. or at least a kind comment from you, dear reader. (see, this is why i don't have stats enabled on my blog. i don't want to know who reads - or doesn't read - my blog. it's healthier that way. hmph.)


the monterey bay aquarium really is one of my favorite places in california, and i'm not just saying that. i always thought that if i were more scientifically inclined, i would love to be a marine biologist. as it is, i have my advanced open water SCUBA diving certificate, which is the next best thing. i once went on an ill-fated diving trip in monterey with my best friend's brother - our goal being to swim among the otters. unfortunately, forces conspired against me and i couldn't sink, so i ended up bobbing along the top of a kelp bed until we gave up and went home. if you can't swim with the otters, the aquarium is a great alternative for viewing them without getting wet.


anyhow, as ken peterson noted on s's blog, it is not easy to photograph the sealife at the aquarium, but i think i managed to get a few decent shots. (so did s, for that matter. much better jellyfish in general.)



upside-down jellyfish, with one right-side-up in the foreground















a penguin pic for m. i know she'll leave a nice comment, even if you can see reflections in the window!



an unusual photo op of the octopus on the move


stepping outside the aquarium for a moment, we came upon another rare sight. before we went to the aquarium, i had read about the new baby otters and was a bit disappointed that our visit was just a few weeks too early to see them. imagine, then, our excitement at seeing a real live baby otter feeding with its mom!


what you can't hear in these photos was the "meep meep!" noises they made to stay in contact with each other. too cute!












a seagull got in on the feeding action















extreme close-up! thanks to s for helping me photoshop them

















if you can't get to the aquarium, check out youtube. not quite as good as the real thing, but some of the videos are surprisingly well done!

birthday bonanza

s and i took a quick trip to california and managed to pack a lot into a few days. go check out s's blog for the pretty landscape and animal pix, and then come back here. he also has better commentary. i'm using jet lag as an excuse to post some people pix instead. enjoy!



valentine's holdover






there is a story behind s's "mmmm, pi" t-shirt, but i'll save that for a different blog






family photo in point lobos, another in a long series of family photos taken there, but the first with d & s

one hot american

it's a far cry from last year when s made italian steak and tiramisu for valentine's day. this is the ready-made quick-o, cheap-o version that i picked up on my way home from work. i'm a domestic diva and romance queen all wrapped up in one, n'est pas?

vertigo

last night we watched alfred hitchcock's classic film, vertigo, in preparation for our california trip next week. i hadn't seen it in a while and had forgotten how much of the film is driven by the soundtrack, scenery, colors, (over)acting, and film angles. the dialogue is almost secondary. the film still packs a psychological punch, and i found it hard to summarize it for a colleague at work today without giving away the twist ending.

as for the scenery, i enjoyed seeing how much san francisco has changed...and how much is still the same.



we're looking forward to spending a weekend in monterey/carmel, where we'll add another california mission to our list of places visited. also planning a trip to the monterey bay aquarium to say hello to the otters.

february

for many people, february is the longest month. it's dreary and cold and seemingly endless.

february has always been my favorite month. it's lively and lovely and, yes, seemingly endless.

in the san francisco bay area where i grew up, february is when the flowers start blooming - it's hard to call it "spring" because there's usually not much of a "winter." seasons have very little meaning in the bay area, if you ask me.

it's also the month of birthdays. my mom. my best friend's mom. me. my sister.

extend back to the end of january and there's my best friend's dad.

fast forward into march and there's my sister's husband and my best friend. there's also my husband's sister. that's a lot of aquarians and pisceans.

of course, there's also valentine's day, or as i like to call it, schmalentine's. schmalentine's is definitely better when there's someone special to share it with, but i have always preferred to think of it more as a prelude to my birthday - surely a more worthwhile occasion.

so, to celebrate february, s and i are going to california for a quick trip to see my family next week. i can't wait! more pix soon...