We Always Celebrated Our Birthdays Together

One of my bestest friends is in Ecuador. Its her birthday and I love her. So there. I mean, here:

I've Missed the Cowell Press

Jobs, Applying For Them

I have tabbed six interesting job listings at the top of my browser. Now I am looking at them. I have read through all of them at least twice. Now: looking at them. What do I need to do to make myself do something about these morsels of potential?

I'm reading a book about being in your twenties (more explanatory post to follow) and one of the points the writer makes is how easy it is to become paralyzed by possibility. That's exactly what's happening to me. I know I need a job. I'm terrified I won't find one. I constantly talk about needing a job and my terror of not having one. But now I'm looking at all these possibilities and I can't do anything except for look at them, like they're paintings at museums or optical illusions. Maybe if I squint, I'll see a puppy. That would make me feel better. A puppy. Maybe I'll get a puppy. But I need a job to pay for a puppy. So I can't get a puppy.

I'm hoping that by posting this I will publicly expose my fear/laziness, be mortified by this knowledge, and break my paralysis. That sounds healthy...

Shoot the Moon

Driving home on the highway, I saw a shooting star and thought it was the moon, so I made a wish.

A Follow-Up on my Seal Pup Sighting

I want to revisit my amazing experience with a seal pup that took place last Sunday. Upon sharing this experience with my volunteer supervisor at the Seymour Center, I was informed that while my actions were not harmful, they were not in line with the guidelines set out by National Marine Sanctuaries. The hand book says:

Stay at least 50 yards away from wild animals. If wildlife approaches you, stay calm and slowly back away... Time spent observing individual animals should be limited to 30 minutes or less, if wildlife reacts to your presence....If a wild animal changes its behavior (i.e., stops feeding, appears nervous or aggressive, changes its direction of travel, raises its head sharply, exhibits a broken wing display, makes direct eye contact, or circles repeatedly), it may be an indication that your presence is disturbing the animal.

I now know that I was too close to the seal pup, a fact I had intuited at the time. While the pup seemed comfortable and content, my presence did affect its behavior. He looked at my repeatedly, which I found endearing, and may have wiggled around to show off. In this case, my presence did no harm, but I am glad to have learned the correct rules for marine mammal observation.

Lesson learned. Don't try this at home, kids.

It's All Fun and Games

Instead of working out, I decided to play jacks.

How Much is the Seal Pup in the Window?

Today I wanted to go on a nice long walk instead of going to the gym. I also wanted to explore the area surrounding where I'm staying for the month, in the mountains of Santa Cruz. I asked my kind host (previously my professor---sound weird? it's not) for a suggestion and he recommended a beach cove two miles up Highway 1.

The way he described it, I imagined cliffs overlooking the beach, upon which I could take a brisk walk, therefore fulfilling my exercise quota for the day. However, when I arrived, I found no such cliffs. Rather, I found no way to mount these cliffs, to then take a brisk walk, and fulfill my exercise quota for the day. I called and he clarified that the walk was to be taken on the beach itself, and onto the rocks where there are tidepools. I was a little annoyed because a beach walk would not fulfill my exercise quota for the day.

Contemplating this dilemma, I built this:

 That made me feel better. 

Then I found this rock....

...and that made me feel better too. And, yes, I somehow managed to get the surfer smack dab in the center of the hole. Smack dab? Where did that saying come from? Somebody tell me.

I also saw a bunch of sea stars, which is exciting even though I see them all the time at the Seymour Center. Seeing them in the wild is just so much cooler. 

 

Okay, but then things really started to happen. Another fellow tidepooler came up to me and said, "There's a seal pup over there!" and pointed to a nearby rock. I asked him the basics--how close can I get, can I touch it, can I take it, etc... Then I made my way over and saw this:
 

 

...Is that not the cutest thing you have ever, ever, ever seen? It was absolutely amazing. I got within five feet of the little guy, probably a lot closer than I should have. But I just couldn't help it! It would look up at me and wiggle and yawn, and then look up again, as if he wanted to make sure I was still there. 

At the same time as I gawked over the ridiculous cuteness, I was also very terrified of its mother coming and biting my head off. So while I absolutely considered petting the pup ("This might be the only chance I get, ever!!!") I decided to keep my distance. I settled on neurotically glancing at the water every three seconds while still inching my way closer, ignoring the cold sea water at my ankles. 

Here's a little piece of the magic (pardon the profanity--I was momentarily concerned that the pup wanted to eat me):

What an experience. Is there a lesson to be learned? Sure there is. For someone who likes plans and predictability, today was an example of things not going my way but turning out way better than was imaginable. I embraced the rupture in my day, accepted that I might not fulfill my exercise quota of the day (a big deal, for anyone who knows me), and enjoyed myself anyway.

The other lesson: seal pups are the new kitten.

Evidence of Clandestine Avocado-Eater Found in Gym Bathroom

Witnesses can only wonder, "why?"

Work, and the Drive Home