When the going gets tough, the tough make lemonade.

Well, here's an update:

I've thus far been accepted to UC Santa Cruz. Will be hearing from UCSB on Monday, and San Diego and Davis sometime before May 1.

Slightly more depressing news... I actually studied, really hard, for my last ochem midterm.... come to find out I got 65% on it. BOOOOO. I really hope I can still pass this class.......... bah. Suddenly, I'm back to thinking there is nothing worse than organic chemistry.

Sloth Fever!!

So I discovered this absolutely AMAZING volunteer program recently. I'd heard about it before, but actually googled it, and I want to sign up and go sooooo badly. It is in Costa Rica, at the Aviarios del Caribe Sloth Sanctuary!! It's 2-4 weeks of sloths!!!!! $30/day including room & board and 3 meals a day. Volunteer work is 6 days a week but they vary the activities from manual labor to research to rescue to education/tourism, etc.
I would sign up in a heartbeat except that I need to get a job this summer and while this would be AMAZING experience, no one would hire me for 2 months. Plus, I basically can't go in June, because EVERYTHING is piling up in June!! Weddings, apartment searching, my cousin is coming to visit sometime in June before he gets deported to Afghanistan in July... my goodness. I definitely cannot miss that!! Besides this summer, I basically wouldn't be able to go till after I graduate from UC, so, I plan to do just that.

Check out the link. Fall in love with the sloths. I did. But really, it all started with Bernard :)

http://www.slothrescue.org/Volunteers/

Gata Loca!!

Except that my cat is male... this chunk of the song really sums him up.... (I've translated it to the best of my ability)

Mamborama - La Gata Loca


A las cinco de la mañana (at 5 in the morning)
la gata loca deja la cama (the cat jumps on the bed)
y cuando duerme el mundo (and when all the world is sleeping)
ella practica su kung-fu (she practices her kung-fu)

Ella lucha con los fantasmas (she fights with ghosts)
que solamente ella puede ver, (that only she can see)
ella baila con una rumba (she dances a rumba)
que solamente ella puede oir (that only she can hear)

Claro que esta gata es loca (clearly this cat is crazy)
pero tiene mucho cariño, (but is very sweet)
voy a llamar la bruja, (I am going to call a witch)
quítate los demonios (to get rid of the demons)

Yo quisiera dormir más tarde (I would like to sleep in)
la gata no me dará la paz (the cat does not give me peace)
a mi gata le da a Changó su lucha loca (--I don't know what "Changó" is, but I think the cat is fighting it)
¡no me molestes más! (Don't bother me anymore!!)

ah ah ah ah ah

Coro: Gata loca, baila rumba (crazy cat, dances rumba)


This morning, Charliego was wrapped around the dining room table, chasing his tail and attacking his feet.... Sometimes I wonder about him, but now I know he's just practicing kung-fu.

Ling Ling! You forgot your bling bling!!!

Finally got to go to the zoo last Friday. Denise had a lot of help on cats, so I didn't have to do much. Cleaned Zoey's holding, and found some old behavioral enrichment.

snake skin B.E. for leopards

Also cleaned the otter holding, and carried around lots of freshly cut tree bits. Sap is sticky. Ha. Then I went to help Mark and Sophie with herps projects. Sophie & I cleaned out Ling's pool (she's the chinese alligator). It was fun, and she didn't eat us.

Sophie, after she was pooped on.

Ling, after we cleaned her pool. She was happier when we left.

Feeding Bernard!! He's the two-toed sloth. He caught on to us trying to trick him into eating the healthy food by smothering them in yams... yummy!

He's just so cute!!

Jackson!!!! All of the coolest birds can dance.

Rain, rain, go away....

... I want to go to the zoo and play...

Last two weeks its been raining, so I haven't been to the zoo. I want to see if the lack of ulcer medication for Zoey's eye makes her less grumpy. Last time she didn't even want to play tug-o-war, which is her fave. Silly snow leopard.

Zoey loves tug-o-war!