Seals and castles and road trips, oh my!

I'm baaack! It was a fun, whirlwind weekend, and its taken a week to get back into the normal rhythm of things :) My dad and I ended up doing 4 cities in 4 days, clocking in about 1,000 miles of driving!

Here's a quick recap of our jam packed weekend!

We first stopped at Hearst Castle, a sprawling 250,000 acre state park in San Simeon. See it waaaaay on top of the hill (I had to use super zoom lens!)
William R. Hearst (an incredibly rich man) and Julia Morgan (an architect who was in my sorority!) built a house with 165 rooms, a zoo, airport, indoor and outdoor pool, and 127 acres of gardens.
The main house (above) and the neptune pool (below). I really wish I could have swam in it! Hmm, wonder what would have happened if I just "fell" in ;)
Its amazing what a lot of money and imagination can build, it was beautiful!

Since I love marine mammals, we drove a little further to Piedras Blancas to see elephant seals!

According to the docent, juvenile males are back to molt, fast, and practice "fighting." Luckily I was a safe distance away, or else I would have been smashed like a pancake. They really went at it!
Went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Why hello Mr. Sea turtle, having a nice snack??
I am now in love with weedy (or is it leafy) sea dragons! Who knew they looked so cool!
Saw more pinnipeds, those are sea lions, not logs!! Very smelly and noisy!
Plus we squeezed in some time in San Jose with my great aunt, and dinner in San Francisco with more relatives! (I took more photos of animals than people..oops!)

What a great weekend to cross things off my 101 list!
#3: Visit Hearst Castle
#1: Visit 3 aquariums (2 more to go!)
#8: Try 5 new restaurants (Cafe Yulong in Mountain View, haven't had Chinese in so long!)
#16: Read 50 new books (All the driving left me with plenty of time to read, I finished 206 Bones, by Kathy Riechs)

I'm so glad I was able to get away last weekend because all I'll be doing this weekend is studying! I have an exam coming up fast! Eeek!

Hope everyone has a safe and sparkly 4th of July tomorrow!

My Life as a Dog- part 1

Inspired by getting winded walking to my car (it was up a hill!), and having a thousand pimples pop up all over my face, I've decided to turn over a new leaf, adopt some healthier ways, start a new life... as a dog.

Screeech! Put on the crazy brakes. Woof, woof? Bow wow? Ruff ruff?

No, no. I am not literally going to sprout a tail, start panting, and walk on all fours. However, working at an animal hospital has shown me that our canine friends can teach us a thing or two about good living. So, here is what I've learn from the pups in my life.

Tip #1: Sleep when you are tired
Do dogs stay up past midnight to watch a "Criminal Minds" marathon, or write blog? Have you ever seen a dog look at the clock and decide its "too early" to go to bed? I constantly say I'm tired, but proceed to stay up until midnight simply out of principle.

If I were Max, a little Shih Tzu at the hospital, I would not be ashamed to call it a night at 6pm (before dinner!).

If I were Buttons, my snoring Lhasa Apso, I would wake up to eat breakfast and fall right back asleep.

If I were to start my new dog life now, I'd better learn how to turn off the TV earlier. Maybe I'll even start getting 8 hours of sleep a night. Gasp, imagine that...

Hope you all sleep well, and have wonderful dreams full of chasing cats and belly rubs! Good night and sleep tight!!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sensitive Ears

Remember the little white doggie from last time?

OH heeeyyy Buttons. What's that? I woke you from your nap? But you sleep all day, and that's the perfect time to take pictures of you.

So peaceful and oblivious.

Whoopsies I've been caught! Though the masses of hair makes it seem like this pup has no expression. I can feel a sleepy glare. BUT don't let that fool you. Little Buttons loooves the camera.

May I present exhibit A:
Disclaimer: Pooch doesn't actually speak with an accent. Nor does she speak at all.

Doggie is far far away. A few short moments ago she was fast asleep.
But those canine ears have picked up on the soft "whirl" of my camera turning on.


"Vhat iz dat noize?"
"Vaz it ze kamera?"
"Aha! It iz ze kamera."
"Reddy for ze cloze-upp"
"Vhy have yu stopped? Go. Go."


So don't let that aloof, tough puppy exterior fool ya. This is one dog that loves pictures. Won't come when called..repeatedly..but answers to the camera. Notice I have not moved the entire time.

Sorry Buttons, your secret is out. Too bad there's not "America's Next Top Dog Model". We'll let Tyra know.

Hmm..wonder if all doggies are camera lovers?

Pinnipeds galore!

I smell like fish. My muscles are sore. I've been sprayed with fishy smoothies. Painful and a little gross, yes.. But I always come back for more. How could I not? Look at that little face.. what a cute harbor seal.

For about a year I've been volunteering at the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro, a rehabilitation center for pinnipeds (seals, sea lions) getting them well enough to be released back to the ocean. (check out their website for more info!! anyone can volunteer.) Any organization that can get me up at 6am to sort herring for hours only to have it devoured in minutes, wear oh-so-flattering overalls (niice..), tube feed over a dozen animals, and scrub dirty pens is a worthwhile cause.

So in a few days I will wake up early again, drive with a thousand commuters, don my waterproof getup, and take a large whiff of the wonderful poopy/fishy stench that I have come to love. Ahhhh..smells diiivine.


Up next: I'll actually be cooking!! kind of.. possibly homemade granola and yogurt, or bean soup. And I'm starting to plan my herb garden. So far, only garlic, basil, and green onion have made the list.