A Maiden, A Puddle and a Privy

*to be read with an English accent. it's more fun that way.*

Once upon a time in a land seemingly far far away. At least far far away from much of anything. There was a Maiden. She wasn't a queen or princess, nor did she live in a castle. No, no royalty resided in our Maiden's land. She wasn't very tall, nor did she have long flowing flaxen locks. So had there been any Princes in this tale she would not have caught there attention. Our Maiden didn't like guys anyway so no loss there. Our Maiden had her own place, and enjoyed her job and life in her little corner of the world seemed happy. Until one night an evil curse fell upon her and tampered with her mind, leaving her without her memory... Or maybe she just overindulged and had a bad night. You decide.

Our Maiden's story begins at her work. She worked with animals of all sizes and sorts. While ushering in some of her animals she slipped and fell cracking her head on the ground or... maybe a tree root. Dazed but otherwise ok she righted herself and finished up her duties. No delays would be tolerated for that night was the annual Holiday party for our Maiden and her Coworkers. No silly headache would put a damper on this night of frivolity.

A grand time was being had at the party. Our Maiden, freshly clean and pressed was enjoying the festivities with her colleagues. Most zealously was she enjoying the beverages from the barkeep. Perhaps a bit too quickly was she indulging. All was well thought our Maiden though knew she was getting tipsy rather quickly. Alas, this revelation did not deter our Maiden or even slow her down. Something wicked this way comes...

The next thing our Maiden knows is that she is outside her dwelling on the ground in a puddle. She has no idea how she got there or even where "there" actually is. Recognizing her doorway she now knows where she is but has no idea how she got there, N0r does she know how long she was lying in that puddle. She looks up at the dark night sky. The stars are still out but the night had turned brisk and she was chilled to the bone. Staggering and shivering she stands and turns toward the doorway...

It's dark, but not dark like nighttime. There's a noise, soft but insistent. Our Maiden feels herself pulled by the noise as if she is in a tunnel and the noise is guiding her out. Her eyes flutter then open to a blinding haze, and a stranger! Two strangers in fact. Our Maiden awakens to find herself in her privy. Her vision is cloudy so she cannot clearly see who these strangers are. Her throat is dry so she has trouble asking the strangers how they came to be in her privy. The closer of the 2 stranger hands the Maiden something, Ah her glasses. Now her vision clears considerably. She discovers that the strangers are in fact her Landlords who have been summoned to find her. It is now Noon on the following day and our Maiden has failed to show up to work. Her Coworkers are concerned and asked for their help.

2 more people now enter the already crowded privy. She knows these men, they work with her. Why they are in her dwelling puzzles our Maiden, but it would seem they came out to assist the Landlords in finding and making sure our Maiden was alright. Somehow our Maiden was able to make her way into her dwelling and even change out of her wet clothes. Even more surprising was the fact that her contacts had been removed. What wondrous magic allowed for all of this to occur whilst our Maiden was capernoited? Auto Pilot.

With the state our Maiden was found in the Landlords called for Medical assistance. Now there are 4 more people attempting to enter the seriously overcrowded privy. One healer assists our Maiden to her feet and leads her out to a more spacious part of her dwelling where he and his fellows can assess her condition and render treatment. Many questions are asked and for most our Maiden's answer is "I don't know." Less than helpful in assessing any possible injuries. The fall the previous night is a concern along with what little our Maiden can tell them about the night before. A new and painful bump on her head is also alarming. Head trauma may be afoot. Diagnosis is further hindered because many signs of head trauma mimic the symptoms of a wicked hangover. As the cobwebs clear out of our Maiden's head a bit she begins to feel, and that means she now feels the hangover. She feels awful.

With exuberant amounts of time where our Maiden cannot recall where she was or what she did, a report of previous head injury, excessive drinking and a new bump on her head, the healers are concerned. They wish to take her with them via private chariot to be examined more thoroughly. Our Maiden declines their offer. Private Chariot rides of that nature are quite costly, and she assures the healers that all she has is most likely a nasty hangover. Her tone betrays her confidence in that statement. The healers leave although hesitantly. They caution our Maiden that should the symptoms persist past a hangover's duration to seek out their help immediately. A Concussion or Subdural Hematoma they fear.

Now everyone leaves. The crisis is over now that she has been found, she is ok (relatively) and no further assistance is needed. The healers go off to help someone else. The Landlords return to their duties and her work friends go off to let all the others know that she is alright (sort of). Our Maiden, shaken by the encounter sits staring at her floor. Wondering if she is indeed alright.

The End?

Claws?

I haven't blogged about anything for awhile and even as I sit here I can't really think of much to talk about. Sure there's tons of drama I could rant about but I'm kinda burned out with most of it. Or at least I'd like to be. Most of the talk at work is about drama and rightly so, but I guess the system is overloaded with said drama. So what to talk about?

I'm debating if I should trim my finger nails. A very random thought indeed. I've let them grow out a bit and now I'm wondering if it's time to declaw this cat. I'm not one for long nails. You'll never see me with french tips or acrylics, but they do look nice. I mean my nails grow nicely so they look nice when they're long. All even and such, not too flimsy. Problem is being longer there's more space for stuff to get stuck under them at work, which is on the gross side because of what I do.

So I dunno. Should I cut them or let them go? They aren't really bugging me yet. At least I haven't gouged out my eyeball trying to remove my contacts, so maybe I'll keep my claws for a bit longer.

I'm Ready for My Close Up...

I just can't stay outta the news. About a month ago a local news team came out to the Zoo and filmed a "Tough Jobs" segment which is a lot like Dirty Jobs that airs on Discovery Channel (reference "My 15 Minutes" post). Well that segment aired yesterday and since I'm a glutton for punishment here's the link to that video:

http://www.wktv.com/news/local/34643099.html

Now I'll admit as nervous and embarrassed as I was about this video it really turned out well. It's a cute segment and thankfully I don't look like a total fool. It was neat to be the center of attention like that. So enjoy!

Me in Print

So you all may have read awhile ago that I was the focus of a "dirty jobs" segment that a local news crew was filming at the zoo. That segment will air next week, so if I can find a link to it online I might post it. Assuming it's not too embarrassing for me.

For now let me share with you the story that was on Wednesday's Front Page of the Local section in the Utica Newspaper (called the Observer-Dispatch) or the OD for short. The story is not as important as the picture, but feel free to read it. The link is below. Apparently I've become the new face of the Utica Zoo. I'm everywhere. Too bad it's not a better picture. Focus on the animal, not me ;)


http://www.uticaod.com/homepage/x1751711346/Don-t-cut-funds-zoo-says

UPDATE (Arrest Me)

Just a quick update for those of you wondering if the great state of IL has tracked me down and slapped the "shiny metal bracelets" on my wrists yet. No they have not found me. I've been masquerading as a Jacob's Sheep for the past week or two, but recently had to put off my disguise when the stud was brought back down to "mingle" with the females. He was a little too interested in the "new sheep" and I wanted no part of that.

Ok but in all seriousness. I received a notice today that I have indeed been excused from Jury Duty so I don't have to show up on Oct. 22nd. Good news especially since it's now Nov. 10th. At least there shouldn't be any warrants out for my arrest for failure to show up now. That would've sucked if I got pulled over for speeding and all of a sudden it's "Mame, I need you to step out of the vehicle, keep your hands where I can see them"

So I won't be getting arrested any time soon at least not by IL troopers. So my time "on the lamb" as a lamb, lol was all for naught. Though I did get an inside look at the secret lives of sheep. Baa, Ram, Yew.....

I Sat on an Alligator Today

Got your attention didn't I? Well ok it wasn't today it was actually yesterday but I didn't have time to post this story yesterday and the title of "I sat on an alligator yesterday" just doesn't have the same impact.

I did indeed sit on an Alligator. A freak snow storm was hitting my lil zoo yesterday which had the staff scrambling to winterize certain areas of the zoo that we had been putting off because we thought we had more time. It's difficult to accomplish all these things when staff members are taking time off for one reason or another, myself included. With so few of us on staff being one or two people short really hampers endeavors like these.

So as part of our Winter Scramble we had to wrangle our 2 American Alligators out from their outdoor pond and move them inside for the winter, lest they freeze to death.

It was an experience to remember. Mad props to the 3 Keepers who put on the waders and poked around the pond to find them. 2 of the pairs of waders had holes in them so leaks abounded. As the gators were found and dragged onto land someone had to jump on them Steve Irwin style and help hold the mouth closed while another Keeper taped their mouth shut (Go me!). Once we had our gator secured I had to sit on her to keep control of her while we found her male counterpart.

So there I am in a lovely yellow raincoat sitting on an Alligator and sadly no one had a camera. Truly a hilarious photo op that was missed. Sorry

Arrest Me

So almost 3 weeks ago I received a Jury Duty summons from good ole DuPage County, IL which at the time made me chuckle since I've moved far far away from there. No way was I gonna make that summons. So like a good person I sent back my request for excusal since well....I moved to NY state and wasn't likely to drive/fly all the way back for some stupid trial.

Well today I get a lil notice from them saying that my request for excusal was denied because, "your request does not set forth sufficient grounds for excusal" Seriously?! Moving to another state doesn't provide sufficient grounds for excusal? Then what the eff does?

So I was supposed to have been in DuPage County this past TH for Jury Selection. Oops. Not sure what happens now that I've failed to show up. Are they gonna issue a warrant for my arrest? I'd actually get a kick out of it if they came all the way out here and arrested me for contempt or whatever I'm guilty of now for now showing up.

As if today wasn't a crappy day already, now I have to wonder what the eff is gonna come of this? *feh* Honestly I don't care. Couldn't pay me to care about that crap. Just kinda caps off my craptastic day. I say bring it on, COME AND GET ME IL! I'll be waiting.

The Power of Words

So if you've been following this blog you'll know that I've been sort down on myself lately. Well on that front things are looking up in a way. Every week I've been getting a lil ego boost courtesy of my part time job.

At the bowling alley where I work there's this sweet old man. He's been bowling for almost 50 years. Amazing I know. He's friends with my boss so he comes up to say "hi" every week and he chides my boss for always having "young pretty women working with him" He especially likes red heads, and while I'm not a true red head I do sport a nifty shade of red that he just loves, (and so do I) so every time he comes and chats with us at the desk he looks at me and pats his heart saying I make his heart beat faster. He also calls me "Red" which seems to be popular nickname out here in CNY. It's the silliest thing but it really makes me feel good inside. I can't help but smile when he comes in each week. So I find myself actually looking forward Tues nights when I'll see my bowling alley buddy and if nothing else feel good about myself for a night. It's amazing what a few kind words can do.

Twist of Fate?

So I meant to post this before my trip, but alas I crammed my schedule too full with activities and such that it just didn't happen. No matter the effect shall be the same.

I recently went to my first show here in the great state of NY. While it wasn't a Broadway show (it'll happen just not right now) it was my first NY musical. So what show takes the honorific of being my first? If you can believe it, it was "CHICAGO" I know very fitting that the first show I see in NY is of and about the place I came from. Not only that but I saw it on the eve of my trip back to Chicago to visit family. The planets were aligned or something cuz it all fell together. Mercury is in retrograde this month so...

It was a good show. I'd recommend it. Even though I saw it alone I know my girl Asha was with me in spirit. For those who don't know Asha and I always went to see shows together in Chi-town so it was sad to not have her by my side, but she'd never forgive me if I missed out on a great show just cuz she couldn't be with me, and I didn't want to miss it either.

My 15 Minutes

Today was an interesting day at work. I was informed early this morning that a local TV news crew was shooting "dirty job" segments and would be at the zoo within the hour to shoot a segment. Not only that but my section of the zoo is where they'd be filming so it was my job to show them the ropes and get them dirty. So I was interviewed and filmed for almost 2 hours today explaining a little bit about what I do as a keeper and such. The 2 reporters were good sports cuz I didn't hold back. Every disgusting thing I could think of to do we did. For sure they left dirtier than when they arrived. There were even a few good gross outs by the female reporter which I'm sure the camera guy just ate up.

It was a neat experience but honestly I'd have preferred a lil more notice than I got. Blame for that falls on the Director of the Zoo who supposedly set this thing up or at least coordinated it. Just would have been nice not to be blind-sided by it this morning is all. A days notice is all I would have needed. Oh well I think I did ok anyway. True to form though I was wearing my most wrecked uniform. After all I was going to play with lots of Bleach that day so why ruin more than one set of clothes. Not very flattering though the pants I had on were way too big so I look fatter than I should and my shirt had bleach spots all over it, I hadn't done anything with my hair so it looked a lil eh...... Ah well I guess I really looked the part for having a "dirty job"

So the segment should air out here in early Nov. I'm definitely gonna set the VCR on this one. As embarrassing as it'll be I'll still be on TV. If I can link it to this blog I might but not sure what kind of access I'll have to the footage. At any rate it was a day to remember.

Poop 2.5

So back in August I had blogged about all the different kinds of poop I step in on a daily basis. Very enlightening information I'm sure, and thanks to a suggestion from my good friend C-chan I've revisited Poop. Below are pix of the animals I take care of and their respective poops.

Some of you may have also seen the original posting of Poop 2, but I've made some changes mainly cuz I didn't like not showing all 13 animals, but also because I didn't like the format I first used. It interrupted the flow of my posting to follow (still figuring out how and when to use gadgets and when to futz with posting options. It's a work in progress.)

I know before I said there were 12 Apostles of Poop, but I was wrong. There are actually 13. The names of each animal are listed below their pix, so for those of you who are not animal people you can know who you're looking at. :)

So thanks C-chan for giving me the idea. For not being a Zoo person you sure can think like one! One of many reasons that we're friends. To all: Enjoy!

Parma Wallaby

Jacob Sheep

California Sea Lion

Flemish Giant Rabbit

Collared Peccary

Peacock

Llama

Muntjac

Goats

Emu

Duck

Domestic Donkey

Bactrian Camel

Lifeline

So aside from posting pix of poop I've not had much to say as of late. Not that things haven't happened worth blogging about, but I've lacked the time and ok motivation at times to sit down and spill out a few thoughts that are swimming around in my head.

Currently it's about 40 degrees and mostly clear. You can see the stars if you care to look up. A typical autumn night here in Central NY. One I might enjoy more if the seas of my head weren't so stormy. *yes apparently I'm doing a nautical theme*

I am currently adrift upon the Seas of Self Doubt. I have been for the better part of a week now. There's any number or reasons why I've been lost at sea, pick your favorite. It could be the changing of seasons and the decrease of sunlight that has put me into such a dark mood. Perhaps it has something to do with a recent Birthday that has left me moody and brooding. Maybe it has something to do with the alignment of the planets. Mercury might be in retrograde and that's why I'm bummin'. Whatever the reason I am low on moral.

What I'm buggin about has to do with work. I still enjoy what I do and I have no regrets about the decision to pick up and move half way across the country, but when stacked up against my coworkers I've begun to wonder if I even come close to ranking with them.

It doesn't help that most of them are 5+ years my junior, in fact that's part of the problem. The keepers that are my age have been working as keepers for almost 10 years so I feel like I'm not as qualified since I've not had the experiences they have. Those younger than I am will always have more experience than me since they got started before I did. Most of them have been to exotic places and done amazing things. Whereas I've done 1 internship, and was a seasonal keeper for almost a full season. I don't have the experiences they have so I feel unworthy. Sure I have a Masters degree but so freakin' what. It's not like it's being utilized at my current position. I'm upset at my life for not having the opportunities that others had. Yes I'm jealous of my coworkers, I freely admit that. Doesn't change the fact that I see myself as the weakest link and wonder if the Zoo would be better off w/o me.

I can't help the fact that the path I'm walking down did not lead to where I wanted it to when I wanted it to. At least I got here right?! Some never do. Hell I almost gave up on the whole Zoo thing and settled down with a Lab Tech job. The money would have been better but it wouldn't have made me as happy. The Fates had a reason for this but right now I can't see it. I'm too caught up with how I rate compared to my fellow keepers to appreciate my own struggle.

Other work related issues have done little to douse this fire in my brain. Sadly some have fueled the fires of self loathing. Those issues are more personal and I don't feel it appropriate to post them. Let's suffice it to say coworker conflict plays it's part in this tale.

All this adds up to me doubting myself with almost everything I do. I've always sought out attention, but now I seek validation that I deserve to be on staff with those I work with. My poor Ego has taken some serious beatings lately and the poor thing was small to begin with cuz I've never been real self confident. My Ego needs to be stroked a bit if I'm to turn a corner with this funk. Someone needs to throw me a lifeline or tow me to shore, for the Seas of Depression loom.

In Memory Of...

Jack
Born: June 2007 Died: September 2008

Heads hang low and hearts weep for those on staff at the Zoo. Yesterday we lost our California Sea Lion Pup, Jack. He was just over a year old and his sudden death has shaken the staff to the core. Necropsy reports are pending and we all are doing our best to carry on.

For those involved yesterday was a tough day as will be the days and weeks to follow. We are all plagued with doubts and "what ifs" regarding this tragedy. Could it have been prevented? Should we have done something differently? Was there something else we could have done? Perhaps we'll get answers when the pathology tests come back.

For me there will be no answers. No absolution. I was off yesterday and when my fellow Keepers were calling me to get me to come in and help when this tragedy struck, I wasn't answering my phone. I was out running errands and didn't have my phone with me. After returning home I did not check my phone for messages as I normally would. So I did not find out about this tragedy until it was too late to offer assistance. I was the only staff member that was not there yesterday, and I hate myself for that. No amount of absolution from those who were there will ease the feelings of failure I feel for not being there. Even though there was little to be done at least I'd have been there with everyone else. I have not been able to look anyone in the eye since I found out because I feel unworthy of it. I have never hated myself more than I do now.

As the staff members of the Zoo collectively mourn Jack's passing. We will try to look to the future and what improvements can be made to not only to the exhibit but also to our methods of care and training. Jack was an energetic and care free Sea Lion and he'd want us to remember the joy he brought to all of us and those who visited the Zoo. His loss may leave us all wanting, but he will always remain in our hearts.

Pirates

For all the fans out there of the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack you may enjoy this. I first heard this song late on night driving home from somewhere. I don't even remember where but that's not important. The song surprised me mainly cuz I wasn't paying attention until I heard the familiar theme from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie in it. It was a dance remix of this popular theme song. I'm a huge fan of movie scores and especially Pirates scores. Luckily for me after the song the DJ actually said who the song was by so I was able to find it and download it. I decided to share it all with you because I really dig the remix wanted to share. Aren't I nice?

Seeker

Some of you know that I'm big into reading sci-fi books. One of my all time favorites has been the Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind. I first got into this series when I found the first book on the "bargain book" table at Borders years ago. It had a neat title and cool picture on the cover so I said for $5 why not.

The series was fantastic, though sadly not so long ago it ended, but to all good things. I love escaping to a world where magic really exists. I'd love to be a sorceress. Or even for those who know a Confessor. To be that powerful and instill such fear and intimidation...oh yeah I could get into that. It's a classic good versus evil story with humble beginnings with plenty of adventure, magic, struggle, epic fighting and just enough love to take the edge off, but not too much where it's a sappy romance novel *yuck*. I enjoy reading these kinds of books because they take you away from this worlds problems if only for a moment and it at least for me lets my mind relax and get lost in the adventure.

I still remember the point when I had caught up with the series and had to wait for the next book to come out. Waiting is for sure the hardest part. I can be a patient person but not so much when I'm waiting to see how the cliff hanger of the last book plays out. In a way though it was good that the series ended and I did enjoy the ending. Sappy and fairy tale-ish but not terribly so. To let it drag on forever would kill it, and I'm sure Mr. Goodkind wanted to write about something else. At least I hope he does cuz I need a new series to follow and I'd give his next one a shot since I enjoyed Sword of Truth (SOT) so much.

Now thanks to my good friend and computer guru C-chan I was given the exciting news of a TV series of SOT coming this November. Not sure what channel, but whatever channel it's on I'll be tuning in to it or at least taping it if it's on at an inconvenient day or time. The show is being done by the same folks that did Hercules and Xena which is another reason for me at least to tune in. I admit it, I was and still am a fan of Xena. It's one of my guilty pleasures and I don't care what you think about it.

So for those of you who know the SOT series and even for those who don't enjoy the video preview below. From the video the scenery looks amazing and the effects super sweet. I can't wait until it premiers. Enjoy!

Poop

An intern and I were killing a few moments the other day and somehow we began discussing how many different kinds of poop we step in each day. It's a Keeper thing. My our tally was that we knowingly step in 12 different kinds of animal poop everyday we are at work. That's a lot of poop, just one of many reasons my work boots stay at the Zoo. No way I'm tracking all that into my car and apartment. Of course some days we might step in more poop than others it depends. There are a few animals we work with that we can avoid stepping into their poop but not always. 12 is the average minimum we determined.

Who makes up the 12 Apostles of Poop? Well we've got: Duck, Peacock, Muntjac, Goat, Sheep, Camel, Llama, Donkey, Rabbit, Sea Lion, Emu, and Wallaby. The stinkiest of these being the Sea Lion, though Emu comes in a close second.

Needless to say my boots really are Poop Stompers!

A Different Side

As if the life of a Zookeeper was fulfilling enough I also work a part time job. Yes it's sad that I have to work another job, but even though us Keepers work with some dangerous animals we are more often than not grossly underpaid. So in order to pay the bills and not be living paycheck to paycheck I have taken on another job.

The job I have is in retail, it's actually at a company I've been employed at for just under 5 years now, so I was able to transfer to the branch out here when I moved. Worked out well for me since I have tenure at this company I have earned a semi decent pay rate and I came in fully trained so the transition was pretty easy. What's sad is that just as I moved out here and got set up at this new store the company announced it was closing a bunch of it's less than ideal stores. This company has some major fiscal challenges since the economy sucks. Of course my new store was one of those chosen to close. Figures. Now as we head into August the clock is ticking down for my store.

We've been liquidating our merchandise since early June so at this point there isn't much left. Watching the changes in the store was something though. It's just odd to see empty shelves and fixtures when we've been trained to keep things as full as possible. The store would normally have merchandise from floor to ceiling, so it's weird to see entire rooms empty and now blocked off to consolidate the remaining merchandise. They've even begun to sell the fixtures themselves. I suppose if I wanted an endcap for whatever reason I now know how much it's valued at. Some stuff is being shipped off to other stores that aren't closing, but most of it is being sold off. It's been an interesting process and I'll admit I'll be sad when the door finally close and the hammer falls. Not just because I will lose that 2nd source of income, but it will be the end of an era for me. After being with the company for so long I guess I'll miss it. I know some of you are groaning right now and saying "yeah right" but seriously I will miss it, but not out of loyalty to the company. I haven't forgotten all the times I've been screwed over by them, but I'll miss the fact that no other PT job will pay me as much as I was earning there and now I have to start over and be trained in something else. I was hoping that this store wouldn't close and I could just do my thing for awhile.

So now I begin the search for a new PT job that will be flexible regarding my Zoo schedule. I suppose I could go to our competitor where it'd basically be the same thing just a different store, but rumor has it they aren't doing so hot either, and maybe it's just time to do something different. It's been an interesting ride though. I've learned a lot of useless information during my time there and made some good friends too, so as bittersweet as the ending will be it wasn't so bad.

Bob the Builder

I've been meaning to blog about this for awhile now but time and motivation has escaped me until now. It was distinct pleasure awhile ago at work to play "Bob the Builder" It began with the start of breeding season for our Peacocks or rather laying season. We began to find eggs in the barn which normally would be met with glee but sadly these eggs had obviously been laid when the Peahens were up in the rafters of the barn and they had splatted onto the barn floor. If you've ever had to clean up a broken egg that had dried onto a floor then you'll know how frustrating it can be. Had to get the Pressure Washer to get it all. It was one thing to make sure you knew where you were walking in the Peacock barn so you didn't get pooped on but now we had to watch out for falling eggs?!

The thought was to construct a couple nest boxes to see if given a more ideal place to lay their eggs if the Peahens would stop dropping them onto the barn floor. That task fell to me since it was my area. Ok so after some thought and consensus from another Keeper, I set off for Maintenance to see what I could knock together. With the help of the shop guys I soon had lumber cut and was in the process of assembling 2 nest boxes. We even found some paint so they'd look a little nicer and sorta be sealed to keep them from rotting too fast. Thankfully I had interns to work on the basic feeding and cleaning of my animals while I played carpenter.

Installing the 2 nest boxes was a learning experience. Seemed like a relatively simple process: Screw box into barn wall, attach angle support to box, then screw support into wall. Turned out to me more involved than that. Lots of pre-drilling and fighting with half stripped screws along with the dilemma of how to hold up the box as well as screw it in all by myself. Ingenuity prevailed and after much ado and maybe just a lil bit of cursing they were up and ready for business or at least that was the hope. It would be my luck that I'd do all that work and the Peahens would still "scramble" eggs on the barn floor.

Happily the morning after I installed the 2 boxes I found an egg in one and none on the barn floor. Huzzah! I was a proud Peacock at the success of my efforts. I was sharing the news with everyone all day. I'm sure I annoyed a few people since I just wouldn't shut up about it. Too bad I was excited and proud that something I spent so much time on actually worked out. I had earned my moment of "Go Me" and I was taking it. A few mornings later we found a couple eggs back on the barn floor, so maybe it was not a total success after all. The thing was where the eggs were on the floor. They weren't in the middle of the barn like before but right next to the boxes so someone either missed the box or maybe the females were fighting for the boxes. I had made 2 and we have 3 females so maybe making a 3rd box would solve the problem. Back to the shop I went.

This time I was allowed to use the big scary power tools to cut the lumber I needed instead of having the shop guys do it for me. Not sure if they trusted me enough to not cut my hand off or maybe they were too busy with other projects and didn't have time to cut the wood for me. I like to think they trusted me, so that's what we're sticking with. It was fun to use the Radial Arm Saw. My dad has one so I knew the basics of how to use it, but just never actually used it. I even figured out how to turn it so I could cut my 45 degree angle support piece. YEA! The Table Saw still freaks me out a bit, but I can use it just fine. Constantly checked on where my thumbs were while pushing the plywood toward the blade so I didn't cut them off, but that's probably a good thing. So for nest box #3 it was all me! Cut, Build, Paint and Install, I did it all. So now we had 1 box for each Peahen. Now we'd have to wait and see if any more eggs would get scrambled.

Long story short it worked and before long we had quite a few eggs in one of the boxes with only a rare random egg on the floor. I think maybe one of the juvenile females is the culprit of that. She might be too young to fully know what to do with her eggs, or maybe she's just not the smartest bird in the flock. The last egg count ended at 6 but there could be more that we don't know of. After a certain # of eggs have been laid the Peahen will begin sitting on them to begin incubating them, so once this started we didn't want to scare her off the nest so we just left her alone. As a matter of fact any day now those eggs should be hatching. They incubate for about 28 days so soon we'll have Peafowl Chicks. Can't say I've ever seen a newly hatched Peahen/Peacock but soon I'll get to assuming the eggs were all viable.

I'm excited that the nest boxes I built were actually used. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling all over. Also nice to know that I can use the power saws when I need to and not have to wait for one of the shop guys to do it for me. Another exciting chapter in the life of a Zookeeper.

Dark Wizard

Just saw a preview online for the new Harry Potter movie "The Half Blood Prince" and wow! Definitely darker than the other movies but then again the story line leads us down that path so it makes sense. Anyone who has read the books knows that things get really dark and not so fairy tale fantasy land-ish towards the end. I'm excited for it. I wasn't sure if WB planned on doing movies of all the books or if they were done after "Order of the Phoenix". The ending of that movie seemed to me like a decent place to just leave off, so I wasn't sure if that was the plan since that ending could go either way. I'm glad they are continuing and I'm excited for November when the movie comes out. There haven't been too many movies I've been uber interested in seeing lately. A fair few I'd go see but none that have me running out on my days off to catch a cheap matinee. Ok part of that is cuz I'm dirt poor but that's besides the point.

National Zookeeper Week!

July 20th-26th is National Zookeeper Week!

Finally a special week dedicated to all of us who are underpaid, overworked, and most of the time are dirty, but wouldn't trade it for the world. So let all those Keepers out there know you appreciate their hard work and dedication. Have you hugged a Keeper today?

Thoughts

Found this while doing some organizing. No idea where I got it from. I clipped out of somewhere but the lil scrap of paper it's printed on left me no clues as to it's origin. Wish I could take credit for writing it but I didn't and wouldn't feel right about taking credit for someone else's work. Anyway enjoy!

Then again...everyone has a photographic memory-some just don't have film....Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine....Do you get lost in thought and find it unfamiliar territory? Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it....Do you sometimes feel like you're diagonally parked in a parallel universe? You have the right to remain silent, anything you say will be misquoted and used against you...Do you wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges? There's no future in time travel....Do you sometimes open your mouth only to change whichever foot is currently in there...and finally, for the computer minded: Multi-tasking-screwing up several things at once.

A Bit of a Downer (Updated)

Some of you may have already read this posting, for those who have and commented back to me via e-mail I thank you for your advice and support. The more I thought about this posting after initially typing it the more I wanted to sign on and change if not delete it. It's not that I regret posting it or fear a backlash should a coworker read it. Instead I just began feeling like it was a lil too whiny, and granted I have the right but those who know me know that I'm not big on whining. That and I didn't fully explain what I was feeling. I attribute that to being somewhat tipsy when typing. So I've edited, added, and changed this posting to be a better reflection of me while still venting my feelings on this topic. Yes for those of you who will say I'm doing this just to save some face after a drunk posting you're partially right too, happy? ;)

So today was my day off. My only one for the week since I've been working OT at the Zoo and as many hours as I can handle at my other job. Got some stuff done today that needed to be done which was good. Still lots more to do but I guess it'll have to wait until I get another free moment.

I had some actual fun today or rather tonight. A bunch of us Zoo people went out for a night on the town. Granted I was left out of the loop regarding plans since I was not at work today but I checked in and found out I was more than fashionably late, but I still made it to the party.

Tonight was fun, real fun in fact since I allowed myself to indulge with a few more drinks than usual. It's been a hard week so a little fun was in order. We all drank a bit and danced whilst bar hopping. Those who know me know that I do love to dance though I never claim to know how, but I get out there and move none-the-less. What bothered me that night was the perceived distance between my coworkers and myself. I saw it as having something to do with being openly gay. I'm sure some of you have been out with a group of friends drinking and dancing and have bumped and grinded on a friend just for fun. Maybe you haven't, if that's the case then stop reading this post cuz you won't understand. Not to say that there wasnt' grinding, there was but most of the time I had to initiate it. Again not a problem really but seeing others in the group all up on each other and not me made me wonder why that was so.

I know that not everyone in the world is ok with being around gay people. I've had my share of bad experiences with people who just can't let me live my life in peace because I'm gay. I suppose I had hoped that my coworkers wouldn't fall into that category, but if they aren't comfortable around me there's not much I can do. I've always wondered though when I compliment a friend/coworker what they read into it. It's always been something I've been cautious about around new friends until they get to know me and can tell that I'm just paying them a compliment and nothing more. If I say to someone, "that's a nice shirt on you" or "you have really pretty eyes" it doesn't translate to "I want you" or anything like that it's just a compliment. Everytime though I wonder about unintentionally offending someone. It's a sad fact of my reality.

Do they think I'll get the wrong impression if they dance with me? I wouldn't think anything of it at all just friends having some fun, but there are people out there that think because I'm gay that I'm attracted to any and all women. Are they attracted to all men cuz they're straight? Doubt it. They have a "type" that they like and prefer over others, so why is that idea not carried over? Just because I like women doesn't mean I don't have tastes and preferences. If they feel uncomfortable I suppose I can understand that, but it doesn't make me feel any less sad when they can bump and grind on just about anyone else but me. It's unfortunate that one aspect of my life might be creating this distance. To me it's a small part of who I am but to some it's much bigger. I won't deny or hide who I am for anyone, but it's not like I flaunt it either. I don't go around saying, "Hi! my name is ____ and I'm a lesbian and your name is?"

I'll not deny that I'm jealous of the comfort they all seem to have with each other. Truth be told I'm lonely. I'm hudreds of miles away from friends and family. I'm working a lot at 2 jobs out here so I've had little time to make friends outside of work so I guess I'm feeling threatened by this perceived distance. I say perceived cuz this could all just be in my head, and maybe I'm making too much outta this but it's bugging me and I gotta vent here. Maybe I'm trying to hard. I won't argue it. I would hope not but feeling so isolated out here I just might not realize how hard I might be trying. I'm pretty independent but it's nice to be part of a group too. To go out and have fun, but I guess I'm not feeling that currently and I'm scared. Yes I said it I'm scared. As much fun as my job is it's still a bit freaky to be so far removed from everything and everyone I know. Not being included in something as seemingly trivial as dancing is a bigger deal to me right now.

I dunno maybe I'm just frustrated at my dry spell or I guess at this point it's more of a drought. I need to look into finding a gay bar in town or if there isn't one in town then nearby where I won't have to worry about what messages I'm sending when dancing. The only person that was all up on my ass tonight was some guy which of course did nothing for me but I had some fun with it just because. I don't even think he was truly interested in me I think he was trying to get to a friend of mine but I was cock blocking him. heh heh ;)

Hell I'm not even sure what I'm saying anymore. I'm rambling, even more than usual probably cuz I'm slightly intoxicated at the moment. Hurray drunk Blogging! Will I remember this in the morning? We'll see. The point is I was a lil bummed that my coworkers will dance all up on each other and not on me cuz I'm gay and that bums me out. Or at least that's how it seemed. I don't want to make unfounded accusations but that's how I saw it and it made me sad.

Kinda like family weddings. I hate those. I'm not allowed to bring a date unless it's a guy, so basically for all of them I've been solo. Regardless of whether I was dating someone at the time or not. It's just a crappy situation that I hate being stuck in, but it's either that or my parents disown me or something. It's a stupid double standard which I had hoped was just limited to family functions but as I saw tonight I guess not. The whole thing put a damper on my night. Bummer

Still a good time was had. As far as I know everyone got home safely and I'm guessing only a few of us will be less than chipper come the morning and the start of a new work day. I'll put myself in that category. Definitely a coffee morning tomorrow or technically today since it's now after midnight. It's always good to vent but it does suck to be reminded that no matter how well I fit in with my new coworkers I'm still very different in a way that might make them uncomfortable aroud me and that sucks a lil bit.

A view of our future?

So I went and saw the movie WALL-E today. It was a cute flick, though with very little spoken dialogue it seemed to lack something. Perhaps it's just that I'm used to lots of talking and plot divulging during movies, but it was still an enjoyable film. I'm always up for the latest Pixar flick. They do great work. Seeing the movie did make me think for a moment is that future portrayed in the film really that far off? It's no secret the human race is destroying this planet. As a species we suck rocks. We've completely taken ourselves out of the "survival of the fittest" equation. Without all our technology most of us humans wouldn't be here. I myself would have died in some accident or been taken by a predator. I've got poor eyesight without the aid of my contacts, and apparently now some of my hearing is gone. My left ear is basically deaf, so according to Darwin I'd not be "fit" to pass on my genes. Lots of us humans are overweight and lazy relying too much on technology to fix our problems. It would not surprise me when the day comes when humans kill off all life on Earth. When that day comes I won't feel sorry for the human race. Nope we brought it on our selves and should *finally* pay the price for our actions. No, the only things I'll feel sorry for will be the plants and animals that we mercilessly killed in our own pursuits of luxury.

As a Zookeeper I am frequently asked about my feelings of captive animals. The answer is not as simple as one would think. Sure I'd love to not need Zoos, but then I'd also be out of a job that I do love very much. I am ok with animals being in captivity, hell if some animals weren't in captivity they'd be extinct or close to. Pollution and human encroachment on their habitats among other factors have driven some species to be found only in captivity. That is a sad realization. I feel it's important to not only show the rich diversity of the planet but to also educate future generations about the animals plight at our own hand in the hope that they will become part of the solution. The problem cannot be fixed at this point we've grown too big, but we can stop it from getting worse. I'm against taking animals from the wild to be put into a Zoo or to become someones designer pet. Most Zoo animals now are captive breed either in house at that Zoo or as part of a breeding project. These animals are more accustomed to human contact and fair better in captivity with human caretakers.

There is nothing good or right about someone owning a wild animal as a pet. I've seen too many documentaries and shows about people with too much money buying a Tiger cub on the black market to have as a status symbol. These people have no idea what goes into raising a Tiger. It's not like a house cat where you can put down some food and be done wit it. Most of the time they don't realize how large the animal is going to become when it's grown. When they realize that they don't know what to do so of course the animal suffers. People that buy exotic snakes not knowing that it's going to grow to 20 feet think for some reason that they can just let the snake go and it'll be fine. It's a tropical snake from S. America oh yeah it'll do fine in the nearby woods in NY state or wherever.

We like to think that humans are the top species, but the ignorance of some of us only reinforces my doubts of that claim. Granted most of us humans are decent, intelligent people who would research any pet they are considering before buying it. It's that other percentage who apparently have never had to take responsibility in their lives that tarnish the species as a whole.

If we have any hope to avoid the future that was depicted in WALL-E we need to wake up and take a lil responsibility. There will always be those who don't care so the rest of us who do will have to pick up a little slack so those lazy idiots don't bring us all down.

Who knew a Disney/Pixar flick would have aroused all that right? Well most of this rant has been in my head for awhile but seeing what happened to Earth in that movie and knowing that that could actually happen stirred it all up. Still a cute movie and worth seeing.

Spring Blooms

Here's a couple of pics I'm proud to say I took.
This is one of our Waterlily's at the Zoo.
















I'm most proud of this shot. Go me!

My Zoo

Ok so it's been awhile since I've posted anything but time gets away from me. I've been working 6 days a week at the zoo since well pretty much since I was hired so my free time is limited. Love the overtime so I'll take all I can get to pay off the costs of moving out here. The down side is I have only one day to myself and sometimes that just isn't enough. Not to mention the fact I work a second job, but that's another story. Lots of things have happened since I moved out here 2 months ago, but I haven't had the time or motivation to type them out. I'm gonna try now to cover at least a couple of them but we'll see how it goes.



First the skinny on my new Zoo. I work at the Utica Zoo here in lovely scenic Utica NY. It's not the largest all inclusive Zoo in the world. It's no Brookfield Zoo (I'm originally from Chicago) but it's pretty nifty all the same. I work in the Children's Zoo/Asian Realm section of the Zoo where I work with mostly hoofstock animals (that's animals with hooves on their feet for those who don't know) like Goats (Tennessee Fainting, Nigerian Dwarf and African Pygmy), Llamas, a Donkey, a Bactrian Camel, Jacob's Sheep, a Collared Peccary (pig), and a Muntjac (tiny deer like animal). I also work with quite a few birds both big and small, from our Screech Owl all the up to our Emu, with just about everyone in between. Some are Raptors (Birds of Prey) Harris and Red-Tailed Hawks, Barn and Great Horned Owls, & an American Kestrel. Others are not: Peacocks & Peahens, Ducks (various species), Golden & Reeve's Pheasants, and a Black Crowned Night Heron. I've also got a bunch of different turtle species in my area. No fish, but I have California Sea Lions, Flemish Giant Rabbits, Parma Wallabies, and a Cat. Not too shabby for one section of the Zoo.

There are 2 other sections of the Zoo: Core and North Trek. Well really 3 if you count Diet Preparation/Quarantine, but visitors can't go there. Most of the large Carnivores i.e. Tigers, Mexican Wolves, Boar etc are in North Trek. Core has the Primates and the Reptiles and Amphibians, so all in all we have a decent collection for being a medium size Zoo. I'll work on getting some pics posted soon. I have to get them off my camera first.

My fellow Keepers are all really cool. I fit in well with them. Almost too well it seems. It was scary how easily I meshed with them. Just proves that they are just as sick and twisted as I am, but don't let that scare you off of visiting us. As long as you realize that yes we may bite (usually only when asked but if provoked...) so be careful but by all means feed us. We like our animals respond well to Positive Reinforcement Training. Want us to do something? Offer to buy Pizza and Beer and we're on it. I guess most people are aren't they? Well now you know the scientific term for it.


Eventually I'll get trained in all of the different areas of the Zoo but for now I'm running things down in Children's Zoo. It's a lot of raking though currently with Interns I don't do as much which is a nice break, but we also have most of the Zoo's current babies. We have baby goats and baby rabbits currently with more kid goats on the way. So while my area may not have all the cool exotics I have the babies. Who can resist a baby animal? If you can you have no heart and should die a horrible slow death. Ok maybe not but you're weird.

There's lots to do in a day at my Zoo, hey that rhymed! Lots more than what I was doing at my old Zoo. Much love for my old Zoo back in Chicagoland but it can't compare to the opportunities here. You could almost put my old Zoo into the space that the Children's Zoo takes up. It was a shock to see how big my area was. The first few days while I was being trained I kept thinking "I'm supposed to do all this in one day?! By myself?!" Even still I don't miss "walking the path" at my old Zoo functioning more as a security guard than a Keeper. Sorry Randy it had to be said. So this move was an upgrade for sure even our Keeper car that we use to haul stuff around our areas is bigger than what I was used to. If you're reading this Randy or any of the PPZ Zew Croo, My new Keeper Car could kick your Keeper Car's ass! Yes Randy even yours. Bring it on! The first time I drove the Keeper Car I liked having some power and speed.

So that's the skinny on my new Zoo. Pics to come just as soon as I find my camera cord. Still have a random box or two left to unpack. It must be in there somewhere.

My Underlings

Today was a very good day at work. Not just because the weather has been great and I'm on my way to a rockin albeit Farmer's tan but a tan none-the-less, but because my underlings arrived.

Yes the summer interns for the Zoo started today. Each area gets 2 interns who rotate through all the areas of the Zoo to get a nice feel for what us Keepers do all the time. This will cut down on my stress and fatigue levels immensely. At least once everyone is trained a bit and is able to go off and do things without supervision. My guys are very nice young men who are actually from the same state though opposite ends as I understand. One is more of the talkative type and the other is more reserved. Both are good workers and really helped me out today. It's going to be soooooo much nicer having them around. All day they kept commenting on how the hell I do all that work by myself. It ain't easy and by the end of the day I'm dead on my feet but it is fun when I can steal a moment to play with the baby goats or bunnies.

So at least for a few months it will be smooth sailing at work, well smoother anyway. This gives us a chance to work on other special projects and training whereas we'd never have time. It's kinda weird that I've only been on staff for just under a month and I'm already in charge of Interns. It's a good test to make sure I know what the heck I'm doing. I like a good challenge. Keeps me on my toes!

Now if we could only get a few more Full time Keepers we'd be set. Then we all could stop working 6 day weeks. Although the OT is nice to see on ye ole paycheck.

At any rate Hurray for the Interns!

Thank You Christie

And so it begins. Right here and now on May 27th, 2008 at 9:44pm EST I am writing my first blog. This is something that I wasn't sure I'd ever do. Not that I was against it, I think the outbreak and craziness of Myspace turned me off to even the idea. So I dedicate this first posting to my good friend Christie. For it was she who planted the seed about setting up one of these things. Not that I caved to her peer pressure, nay but seeing as I've just moved from Chicagoland to Central New York this might be a decent venue to tell everyone back in the Chi what's going on my end without typing the same story again and again to almost everyone I know. Not that that won't still happen, but at least for posting pics and such this will be much easier and won't bog down anyone's e-mail either.

So here's to you C-Chan! *salutes* You started out trying to make me a gamer, which you did. I'm not the huge fantastic gamer that you are but I do have a PS2 and maybe 4 games. Now you can add Blogging to your list of accomplishments. What's next? The SIMS? Will you teach me to draw like you and speak Japanese? Are you trying to make me into some sort of clone of you?! Do you think the world could even handle that?! ;) Even so I'd go willingly. I miss our anime nights. I miss a lot of things.

So there it is my first blog. It ain't much and it ain't pretty but it's there. More interesting stuff will follow I assure you but since I just set up the account I had to say something right off the bat and what better than a tribute to the one who is responsible for this. Thanks Christie.