Sunday at the Zoo with David

(This was taken in the bathroom of the Southeast Asia animals exhibit. There are many pictures like this all around the bathroom. Exploitative? Yep! But even more important, this particular image was above the commode inside the stall. Talk about marking your territory!)

I've got two or three other partial posts that I could fill out more and complete for delivery on Monday morning, but I just feel too tired to devote the brainwork necessary to make the writing--and later reading--worthwhile for everyone involved. I really like the ideas and hope they won't be too removed from their topics of origin by the time that I get around to feeling up to completing them.

On Friday evening, a coworker asked me if I was going to get the kids outside this weekend since the temperatures were going to be so moderate. I didn't commit to anything and wondered if I would, parental guilt or not.

But Sunday rolled around and it was brighter and more pleasant than Saturday. So, I felt the need to get outside.

We decided to go to the Zoo, our usual default destination since: a) we have a paid membership, b) it allows us to stay outside for most of the experience, c) it makes us get on our feet and walk, d) it is educational and culturally enriching, and e) it's not as crowded in the colder months.

So, off to the Zoo we went! Lynda even went with us, thought I originally thought she might stay home to work. (Later Sunday night we both set up our laptops on the dining table and faced down our work demons for a while--until I got fed up and decided to finish watching The Dark Knight DVD from Netflix. We enjoyed perenial favorites like elephants, lions, tigers, and penguins. And we found a little corner of the Southeast Asia area with nocturnal animals and birds that we had somehow never been to before. It WAS a good time outside in the pleasing February weather. But I was tired by the end of it, with tired legs and a weary body. I'm simply not in good shape--exacerbated by the mystery that I gained about two pounds over the course of Saturday, and I don't entirely know how I did it.

I am increasingly behind at work. I thought I was doing ok, but at the end of last week I found that I have several small tasks that add up to several LARGE tasks that all have to be completed this week before Phase 1 of this new project can be given over to Phase 2. And even though next Monday is a holiday, I expect Lynda and I will be trying to squeeze some work in at home. Unfortunately, the daycare is closed that day, so no outside assistance from anyone else.

But enough of this stream of conscious complaining. I've got kids to get to bed on Sunday night and stuff to do before I sleep.