Zoo-rific

Today was far less lazy than yesterday. I started the day off write, by spitting out 2000 decent words on Crocodile Man, which completed Chapter 10. Only two more chapters to go, and my first novel will be complete. Then, Liz and I met Brook and Wendi for some breakfast at a Greenlake joint called "Cyndy's House of Pancakes" (damn good eggs, and decent 'cakes - note: they had buckwheat 'cakes on the menu). After some chow, we went to the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle's main animal park.

I totally dig zoos for many reasons, not the least of which is that you get to see all kinds of cool animals up close. You can also tell a lot about a community and its values by examining that community's zoo. Here's a rundown of some of the main points I've noticed at zoos I've been to in the last five years:

Tulsa Zoo: Has a plaque at the chimpanzee exhibit explaining that evolution is merely one theory as to how human beings appeared.
Dallas Zoo: Has enormous animal enclosures with lots of room, but very little diversity; a very "vanilla" zoo.
London Zoo: Tiny animal enclosures but perfect gardens and flower beds.
Bronx Zoo: Animal enclosures that might as well be miniature parks unto themselves, and offers a free day every week. Located in one of the poorest neighborhoods on the east coast.
Woodland Park (Seattle) Zoo: Twice I read about human overpopulation and its effect on the rainforest, and three times I read about "shade-grown" coffee and how it affects the rainforest.

Woodland Park was a great zoo. Their gorilla exhibits were amazing, and I was the closest to a gorilla I've ever been - maybe two feet, with the glass seperating us. They also sport a really good noctournal animal exhibit, with some enormous African bats, one of which attempted to pee on me. Actually, between the bat and the crow and another critter I can't remember, I was nearly the target of three animals' excrement. Yum!

After the zoo, we jetted over to Fremont, had great Greek food, and browsed an expansive antique mall. I found some really awesome old blues records, but not having a record player, I didn't get them. After watching American Splendor, I kind of feel the itch to get some of those old blues records and try to scare up a player, but I really have no where to put such a device right now. So I left empty-handed. Remembering Roger's request, we found the large statue of Lenin, which I'll post a picture of if I can figure out how to do that in this blog.

We swung by Brook and Wendi's for a few rounds of Hand and Foot (cool card game), and now we're home. When I was resting my head on their table, I managed to give myself a nice, nasty bruise in the middle of my forehead, which I can only hope is gone by the time I'm supposed to be on camera at Toy Fair a week from today.

Tonight is Simpsons in high definition, and leftovers, and laundy laundry laundry.