Our baby, Triton. Photo taken by Chad. 

Our baby, Obi Won. Photo taken by Chad. 

Compliments to our kitty photographer, our friend, Chad Pruden.  

This is me with my two new kitties. As you can see we have to cover the couch with blankets so thier little claws don't ruin it.  

This is Triton. 

This is Obadiah Wan, or Obi Wan for short. 

Semo and I doing the "peek". These pictures were from my second waterwork I did during a show.  

Semo and I doing the waltz. 

Semo and I doing a dorsal tow. 

Me and Semo. 

We got our kitties on Friday. They acclimated well to the new home. Well, the first day we just kept them in the bathroom. When they got here they ate right away, then curled up on our laps, then played later in the evening. The following day we introduced them to the bedroom, so now when we are home they have access to the bedroom, bathroom, and connecting closet. They enjoy the extra space. They chase each other a lot and wrestle a lot also. But occasionally they'll come and check on mom and dad, by climbing up our chest and rubbing their noses on our faces. Our black one we named Triton. Our orange and white cat we named Obadiah Won, or Obi Won for short. Ryan always wanted to name our future child Obadiah, but I wouldn't let that fly. So I compromised and allowed him to name the cat that instead. We will get some pictures up here as soon as I get some loaded from the digital camera.

Today I did my first waterwork during a show. It was a lot of fun and went really well. I am doing it tomorrow when the guy, Ryan, comes to the zoo to take pictures, so hopefully he'll get some good ones so I can post those also.

I got two kitties today for my birthday! Ryan's aunt and uncle foster kitties for the humane society. We actually played with these cats a few weeks ago when they were about 2 weeks old. Then we went there today and I was told I got to pick out two to keep! What a hard choice. We chose one black one and one that is orange and white. They don't have names yet and we will probably get them in the next week or so.

Why does the first snow of the year have to come on my birthday? It's not fun to wake up and look outside to see the ground white for the first time.

We went to the MxPx/Relient K concert yesterday. MxPx was great as always. It seems as if Relient K has lost some of their stage presence. It was still a good concert, but what happened to their fun antics? Like having a giant buffalo on the stage.

At Brookfield Zoo, Tapeko had a baby girl! This is a picture of Tapeko and her new baby. 

I am pretty much done with my waterwork training. I have about 3 more things to be cleared on, but I have enough behaviors now to be cleared for shows. I just have to meet with another trainer to plan out a waterwork routine for shows. Very exciting.

I have two days off of work. What am I to do with myself?

This past Friday, a band from Mt. Pleasant, Anathallo, came to Minneapolis to play. It was great to see people from CMU again. There are 3 members that Ryan and I know pretty well, so it was fun to catch up. Then this Friday we are going to the Relient K/MxPx concert. Then on Monday we are going to the David Crowder Band concert. Lots of fun stuff coming up...not to mention my BIRTHDAY!

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!