I did my first training for waterwork. I got to get in with Semo and Chinook and work on basic points and stationing. Then I did some vocals, layouts, and the waltz with Semo. That's where he comes out of the water vertically and I hold onto his pecs as we spin around. I really like the layouts with Chinook, because it's just a dolphin laying in your arms in the water. Very cool. I think tomorrow I will get in and learn some more stuff. :)

Gorgeous fall day today. On my lunch break I took a walk at the zoo by myself. It was one of those days where the sun was shining, but the air was brisk. The leaves around the zoo were beautiful. Since it was a Thursday, there weren't many people so the trail was very quiet. I can't explain it, but it was one of my favorite times at the zoo.

In the past two weeks or so Harley has progressed nicely. He is always looking for a trainer when we go to feed his mom. And when you play with him during the session, he is letting us touch his head and is letting us rub down his side a lot more. He is still quite the biter, but we are trying to get him to target on our hands without nibbling on us.

I found out I get to be trained in on waterwork this week. Waterwork is what I got to do at the end of my internship, where I got in the water to do behaviors with the dolphins. Once I get trained, I'll do it for shows and stuff. I'm so excited!

I got another raise at Vanity. This is the second one in a month. I must be doing something right.

Fun day today. Ryan got to come to the zoo and pet some dolphins for the first time. Well, for the first time at this zoo. First he played "vet" with Ayla and one of the trainers. Then he got to go with me and Spree, do some behaviors with her, rub downs, and feed her. Then we fed the boys. I had Chinook so Ryan got to feed him, do behaviors, and rub downs, too. Ryan enjoyed it and so did I.

So, two minutes ago I was talking to Ryan on the phone. He was a block away from home saying there was a cop behind him. Well apparently he got pulled over right outside of our apts. He just called me now and he got pulled over for when he turned left, he didn't pull in the first lane. Instead he pulled into the far right lane. He didn't get a ticket, luckily. Crazy driver!

I may have said this before, but one of my favorite times at the zoo is in the morning when I'm opening up the stadium. The dolphins follow me around, trying to get my attention, and watch everything that I'm doing. It's hard to explain, but I love those moments.

I started to do dolphin encounters at the zoo. They are programs we have on weekends where people pay money and get to spend 20 minutes with the dolphins. Ten minutes is in ankle deep water where you get to learn about dolphin anatomy, feed them, touch them, do behaviors. The other ten minutes you get your picture with them doing what is called a pectoral fin shake. Then you touch, feed, and do behaviors. I am now one of the picture-person trainers. I did two this weekend and they both went really well. Before I was always the timer and just watched, so it's nice being able to actually do them now.

Before when I got my whistle, I could use it with the females in the back pools and with stationary behaviors with the boys during the shows. But when I would send my dolphin out on behaviors the other trainers would bridge for me. It's just common practice, so I can get the gist of it and stuff. Well, I can now bridge all my behaviors. Moving on up...

Work, work, work. That is what my life feels like right now. And when I do have free time, I'm too tired to do anything. The problem is Vanity is short-staffed so I am getting more hours than I want. This week I worked 30 hours at Vanity, plus 40 hours at the zoo. 30+40= too much work. I know I am at least employed at the zoo until Christmas time. I have Thanksgiving off but have to work Christmas. I will be able to get some time off around Christmas to go home. I actually had a day off about a week ago. Ryan and I had a great time. We had breakfast at Baker's Square, then went to the Mall of America, then went out to dinner. Vanity actually called to see if I could work that day, but for once I said no. Some good news...Ryan got a job! He will be teaching a physical science, and 4 math classes. It is a private school with kids with disabilities that couldn't assimilate into public school. Class sizes vary from one student to three, so it's very individualized attention. He gets benefits and everything. He started yesterday and it's going good so far.

A friend from the zoo came over tonight to see the apartment and to watch "My So-Called Life" episodes on DVD. We watched an episode then some how started talking about church. She asked if I had one here and I said there was one that Ryan and I liked but haven't really gone much due to work schedules and lack of motivation. I was telling her about the service and she seemed really interested because it's a contemporary service and later at night on Sun. so work no longer interferes with it. (Our schedules have all changed so nobody works later then 4:30 now). We were talking about how we should go together. Then she asked me where do I think people go when they die. I quickly said a prayer, "God, I know I haven't talked to you in awhile, but I need you to give me the right words." I have faith that he did. So we talked about death, heaven, angels, ghosts, how to do a Bible study, etc. It was a conversation that I needed to have. First, to hopefully kick start me back into the mind set of God's. Also, to let a co-worker know where I am coming from and what I believe, since I haven't been an A+ witness for the past 9 months at the zoo. Thank you, God, for allowing this conversation to occur. More will come, I'm sure. We are going to see Sara Groves tomorrow and Heather, another co-worker who let me know about the concert invited this friend also, so hopefully she can go.