Happy New Year everyone! This is of course the time to reflect on the past year, maybe try and forget some things, try hard to remember others, and then look forward to the future where new adventures, resolutions, and no doubt mistakes will be made. So before I look forward I want to take the time to reflect on what can only be described as yet another roller-coaster year.
2010 started off with emotional goodbyes and hopes for a promising future along with many doubts and significant uncertainty. Communication and trust were both common themes and/or issues throughout the winter and spring, eventually lost in the summer. With my own self-confidence hitting a defined low point and not knowing which direction to take my career it was easy to turn to negativity but even easier to take it out on those I loved the most. This negative aura surrounding me started a downward spiral emotionally and mentally, leading me to make rash/stupid decisions and lose faith in myself.
After being sick of waking up angry everyday I was able to turn things around and I started thinking positively, rolling with the punches and using life as a learning tool instead of trying to find excuses. And even though things did NOT pan out how I had pictured in my mind things started falling [scarily] into place and my new path was chosen as I embarked on a life changing journey that will forever have an impact on me as a person.
So cheers to the lessons learned, relationships lost, friendships found and family members welcomed in 2010 and let us pray that 2011 holds more adventures, deeper lessons, less DRAMA, more change (and not just scenery) and cross our fingers that this newest journey has led me to find a purpose because I'm sick of doing the same ish in different states! To new beginnings and forgetting; not to erase the memory, but to lay the emotions surrounding the memory to rest.
Happy New Year everyone!!!
Highlights from 2010
- Jackson Evans Doran: February 9 - Welcome the newest member of the Doran family! Jackson Evans was born to Jason and Wendy, such a great addition to a wonderful family and I'm glad to get the chance to spoil him rotten! We also need to make sure he's a lefty Jay...or a shortstop.
- Jacob Nicholas Barry: March 9 - Someone needed to steal the show from all the attention Jax was getting; welcome Jacob Andrew! I'm so happy for Allyson and Matt and I'm grateful that I get to watch Jacob and Jax grow up (albeit from WAY too far away). But that just means more toys and fish stuff for the kiddies to play with when I visit!
- Jason and Kristine get married: April 9 - In one of the most beautiful wedding ceremonies I've ever been a part of one of my closest friends finally took the plunge with another one of my favorite people. These two both looked amazing at the alter overlooking the water on Davis Island. The ceremony was topped off by escorting the wedding party to the reception by sail boat...pretty awesome, congrats again guys!
- Michael Linehan and Sara Goblinger get engaged...yes that is correct...yes, THAT Mikey Linehan...way to go kids, can't wait for the wedding!!! I'm glad to have gotten to know Sara slowly but surely over the past year. She is an amazing individual and Mikey is a lucky guy.
- Amy and Kelly graduated from high school, Erin from nursing school - congrats ladies, I'm very proud of all of you!
- Big Apple: Finally made it to Times Square, the WTC site, Rockefeller Center and a couple other places.
- Cali or Bust: Sept 10: After making one of the harder decisions of my life I decided to up and move to California. You all know how the story goes and so far it seems like it was a good decision but I definitely miss my fam, friends, and New England in general.
- 2010 Fantasy Baseball Champion: Put Me in Coach Season 3 - Of course the ONLY fantasy leagues I win are the no-money leagues but it's still a sweet victory.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Galileo Was Under House Arrest
The last time there was a lunar eclipse on the winter solstice Galileo was under house arrest! Back in 1638 there was a full lunar eclipse on the northern winter solstice; it was the only other one EVER recorded. I'm lucky to say I was able to watch this extremely rare event this evening, the next one not scheduled to happen again until 2094!
And luckily for us on the west coast this happened before bedtime so we were able to watch it from 10:30-1:30AM. Watching the moon disappear is a great scientific observation as it starts off slowly and quickly dissolves to darkness as the hours pass on. Once fully eclipsed a red hue enveloped the man in the moon and the sky around it lit up with every star the brightest I had seen in a long time. Cue the shooting stars! Good job God...not even 10 minutes after the moon was fully eclipsed the shooting stars started lighting up the sky. I saw at least 8 or so from 11:40 on; absolutely incredible. I hope many others reading this got to witness this spectacular event.
And luckily for us on the west coast this happened before bedtime so we were able to watch it from 10:30-1:30AM. Watching the moon disappear is a great scientific observation as it starts off slowly and quickly dissolves to darkness as the hours pass on. Once fully eclipsed a red hue enveloped the man in the moon and the sky around it lit up with every star the brightest I had seen in a long time. Cue the shooting stars! Good job God...not even 10 minutes after the moon was fully eclipsed the shooting stars started lighting up the sky. I saw at least 8 or so from 11:40 on; absolutely incredible. I hope many others reading this got to witness this spectacular event.
Friday, December 17, 2010
2010 Edward H. Bean Award
"The Edward H. Bean Award is a historic award within the Association of Zoos and Aquarium (AZA). It originated as recognition for the most significant birth or hatching of a species and/or subspecies. Later it also began to recognize propagation or management programs as first births/hatchings became less frequent and collection management focused increasingly on long-term programs and commitments. With this evolution in mind we now proudly award the Edward H. Bean Award for propagation or management programs that contribute to the reproductive success of one or more species and/or subspecies."
Check out this link http://www.aza.org/honors-awards/ and click on the New England Aquarium - Queen Triggerfish application under the Significant Achievement section. I was involved in the raising of this animal and I wrote the Post-Settlement Summary section.
Go NEAq!!!
Check out this link http://www.aza.org/honors-awards/ and click on the New England Aquarium - Queen Triggerfish application under the Significant Achievement section. I was involved in the raising of this animal and I wrote the Post-Settlement Summary section.
Go NEAq!!!
2010 Beard Contest
It must be Christmas time again because the 2010 Beard Contest is currently in progress (hopefully almost over) and I'm looking pretty hairy! I don't think I've shaved since around Turkey Day. Who is involved in this contest you ask??? This involves a lot of the guys I used to work with at the New England Aquarium and last year it was just a beard contest, this year it's a beard/castaway contest. What do you win??? Nothing except the pride of victory but it's fun anyway.
Don't worry Mom I'll shave for Christmas!
Kinda Full, Lots of Sap!
Got my Christmas tree this past Sunday night and boy what an adventure it turned out to be. This is only my second real Christmas tree, the first my roommates got when I was in Tampa. Growing up we always had a fake one which is much easier to manage but does NOT make your place smell like Christmas! First stop was Save Mart which had 6-7' trees for only $20. We drove down in my spacious Ford Focus and immediately on the lot I saw the tree that I wanted...it spoke to me if you will. My friend picked out her tree and then we had the daunting task of figuring out how to bring two 6'7" trees back in my four-door sedan. Luckily for us Target was right next door so off we went for lights, rope, and some trashbags. My tree went on the roof and hers went in the trunk. Before we could shove it in the trunk though we had to tie it up and put a couple of trash bags on it.
Once the trees were all ties up and ready to go we went back to Target to find more decorations, a santa hat, tree stands, and a hot chocolate. Target though had other plans and all we walked out with the second time in was a hot chocolate...very disappointing Target!!! Where to next?? From Target we went to Walgreens, Home Depot (a stop we should have gone to initially!!!), and CVS. While Casey was collecting Christmas lights from each and every store in Monterey County I was getting frustrated that I could not find a Santa hat for my work Christmas party. At Home Depot though we were able to get a tree stand, some ornaments and of course some more lights...the people at Home Depot were beyond nice to us and let us come in after they had closed to get what we needed. With everything piled up in my car we finally headed back to get the trees set up.
My apartment isn't exactly the biggest apartment in the world so shoving the tree down the stairs, through the walkway, and into my front door into the living room was a bit of an adventure in itself. The tree was a bit tall and needed to be trimmed at the top and some branches off the trunk. Of course I didn't have any sheers so wire cutters were the next best thing and worked quite well. After wrestling with this beast and getting it set up in the tree stand the lights were ready to get put on.
I bought red, green and white lights; all separate and not the multi-colored strings to create a pattern more fit for a California lifestyle and not so cliche.
Once the trees were all ties up and ready to go we went back to Target to find more decorations, a santa hat, tree stands, and a hot chocolate. Target though had other plans and all we walked out with the second time in was a hot chocolate...very disappointing Target!!! Where to next?? From Target we went to Walgreens, Home Depot (a stop we should have gone to initially!!!), and CVS. While Casey was collecting Christmas lights from each and every store in Monterey County I was getting frustrated that I could not find a Santa hat for my work Christmas party. At Home Depot though we were able to get a tree stand, some ornaments and of course some more lights...the people at Home Depot were beyond nice to us and let us come in after they had closed to get what we needed. With everything piled up in my car we finally headed back to get the trees set up.
My apartment isn't exactly the biggest apartment in the world so shoving the tree down the stairs, through the walkway, and into my front door into the living room was a bit of an adventure in itself. The tree was a bit tall and needed to be trimmed at the top and some branches off the trunk. Of course I didn't have any sheers so wire cutters were the next best thing and worked quite well. After wrestling with this beast and getting it set up in the tree stand the lights were ready to get put on. I bought red, green and white lights; all separate and not the multi-colored strings to create a pattern more fit for a California lifestyle and not so cliche.
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| Found the hat at CVS! |
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| 1st ornament on the tree "Merry Christmas!" |
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| Final Product |
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
God Has a Sense of Humor
Pretty awesome night out in San Fran last night! Drove into the big city around 8:00PM and grabbed some eats at a pizza place (Pizza Orgasmica; http://www.pizzaorgasmica.com/) in the Embarcadero Center and fittingly the BEPs song "I Gotta Feeling" came on as soon as I sat down. And the night definitely was a good night! After devouring our food we played around in the huge hotel next door for a bit and then headed to the outdoor ice rink at the Embarcadero (http://sanfrancisco.about.com/od/photosofsfattractions/ig/SF-Christmas-Lights/Embarcadero-Ice-Rink.htm). The rink was decently sized and it wasn't even that crowded. We got on the ice for the 10:00 skate which unfortunately meant no more Christmas music but instead pop music to appease the kiddies.
Before I got on the ice though I got to very briefly catch up with a friend from high school who I'll hopefully catch up with a bit more after the holidays. So skates laced up nice and tight and with a bit of added pressure being from New England I got on the ice appropriately to a little MJ. Once I got the first lap under my belt I was good to go though and as my friend Abby from HS told me, "nobody here knows how to skate." Man was she right! People were falling left and right, they were making me look like an all-star and I'm definitely NOT that great on skates anymore. I go once a year if I'm lucky but I was cruising in and out trying not to run into the raindrops of people hitting the ice. We even saw one extremely inebriated guy in his early 20s hit the ice so hard chest first that he actually bounced. The entire crowd watched it happen and everyone went silent before a few chuckles crept out. I could have stayed on the ice all night it was so much fun. It was just very cool being in California and ice skating in a tshirt. After an hour or so on the ice we headed out to Temple, a club somewhere close by and had a blast dancin' and watching some guys and gals battle it out doing all sorts of freestyle moves in the middle of the circle, it was pretty cool to see.
So a very good night in San Fran and I hope to make it up again soon after the New Year! 2 weeks to Christmas!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Do You Remember the Time???
I sure do...It's Christmas time everyone, the happiest time of the year!!! I've compiled my list of movies that I try very hard to see during the Christmas season. Everyone has their own favorites and I'll be sure to criticize your cliche lists as well, but for me these movies have the most meaning for me during the holiday season. And remember that the best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing loud for all to hear! Only 3 weeks!
My Top Ten Christmas Movies of All Time
9. The Santa Clause
8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (this is MY list, not yours!)
7. Home Alone
6. Elf
5. It's a Wonderful Life
4. Christmas Vacation
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas
2. A Christmas Story
1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Almost Made It:
- Die Hard (in my all-time top 10, just not for Christmas)
- Jingle All the Way (Angry Arnold on Christmas, pretty good stuff)
- Rudolph (I love me some claymation reindeer)
- Nightmare Before Christmas (Halloween/Christmas movie)
- Scrooged (Bill Murray Classic)
- Frosty (Never seems to get the recognition he deserves)
- Ernest Saves Christmas
- Batman Returns (Merry Christmas Catwoman!)
Movies I haven't seen enough that I'll get crap for:
- White Christmas
- Miracle on 34th St.
- Bad Santa
- Christmas Carol
- Muppet Christmas
Movies I have NEVER seen:
- Polar Express
Merry Christmas!!!
My Top Ten Christmas Movies of All Time
10. Gremlins
9. The Santa Clause
8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (this is MY list, not yours!)
7. Home Alone
6. Elf
5. It's a Wonderful Life
4. Christmas Vacation
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas
2. A Christmas Story
1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Almost Made It:
- Die Hard (in my all-time top 10, just not for Christmas)
- Jingle All the Way (Angry Arnold on Christmas, pretty good stuff)
- Rudolph (I love me some claymation reindeer)
- Nightmare Before Christmas (Halloween/Christmas movie)
- Scrooged (Bill Murray Classic)
- Frosty (Never seems to get the recognition he deserves)
- Ernest Saves Christmas
- Batman Returns (Merry Christmas Catwoman!)
Movies I haven't seen enough that I'll get crap for:
- White Christmas
- Miracle on 34th St.
- Bad Santa
- Christmas Carol
- Muppet Christmas
Movies I have NEVER seen:
- Polar Express
Merry Christmas!!!
What's on the Menu?
So being here in an apartment by myself like a big kid I've had some time to cook for myself and no dad, not just ramen and easy mac but I think I've been making some pretty good stuff lately. What is on the Payne Train menu you ask??? So far (some items may be absent):
Apps:
Chips and Salsa
Nachos
Salads
Breakfast:
Blueberry pancakes
Toast
Bagels
Cereal
Eggs (cooked to order; omelettes available upon request)
Sausage
Egg Sandwiches
Oatmeal
Entrées:
Eggplant Parm
Jambalaya
Chicken Stir Fry
Macaroni and Cheese (baked, not out of the box)
Penne, Chicken and Broccoli
Homemade Pizza
Stuffed Chicken
Grilled Cheese
American Chop Suey
Stuffed Peppers
Desserts:
Ice Cream Sundaes
Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Pie
Beverages:
OJ
Milk
Hot Apple Cider from TJs
Water
Iced Tea
Wine
Now I just need people to cook for!!! Come on over!
Apps:
Chips and Salsa
Nachos
Salads
Breakfast:
Blueberry pancakes
Toast
Bagels
Cereal
Eggs (cooked to order; omelettes available upon request)
Sausage
Egg Sandwiches
Oatmeal
Entrées:
Eggplant Parm
Jambalaya
Chicken Stir Fry
Macaroni and Cheese (baked, not out of the box)
Penne, Chicken and Broccoli
Homemade Pizza
Stuffed Chicken
Grilled Cheese
American Chop Suey
Stuffed Peppers
Desserts:
Ice Cream Sundaes
Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Pie
Beverages:
OJ
Milk
Hot Apple Cider from TJs
Water
Iced Tea
Wine
Now I just need people to cook for!!! Come on over!
Where Have I Been Hiding???
Yes I know I haven't written in a while. My computer was getting fixed by the lovely people at Dell. I had my motherboard, hard drive and charger replaced. So I'm back...what have I been up to you ask?
Well for Turkey Day I spent a majority of the day at work taking care of the jellies and seahorses but after that I was invited to a friend's parents place and enjoyed a wonderful dinner with a ton a great food. I even had an entire turkey leg on my plate! I worked the entire weekend to cover for the people that were out and to give myself some extra days to use for Christmas.
On Tuesday I had the day off and my friend Casey and I went down to Big Sur for the latter part of the afternoon. We went to an area called Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and wow was it amazing. We walked up a few trails, ate some plants (look like wanna-be clovers) that tasted like lemon, saw some banana slugs, an 80 foot waterfall, and a gorgeous sunset. What an incredible day!
What else??? I haven't been running too much lately. I guess it's my way of taking a rest before the marathon training starts in January, the 3rd to be exact. I went out this afternoon because it was in the 70s but I wasn't feeling it. I've got one month to rest up my legs and I'll probably run a few times here and there but won't push it until the new year.
That's what's been going on in good ol' Monterey. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!
Well for Turkey Day I spent a majority of the day at work taking care of the jellies and seahorses but after that I was invited to a friend's parents place and enjoyed a wonderful dinner with a ton a great food. I even had an entire turkey leg on my plate! I worked the entire weekend to cover for the people that were out and to give myself some extra days to use for Christmas.
On Tuesday I had the day off and my friend Casey and I went down to Big Sur for the latter part of the afternoon. We went to an area called Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and wow was it amazing. We walked up a few trails, ate some plants (look like wanna-be clovers) that tasted like lemon, saw some banana slugs, an 80 foot waterfall, and a gorgeous sunset. What an incredible day!
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| Yummy! |
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| Unreal huh??? |
What else??? I haven't been running too much lately. I guess it's my way of taking a rest before the marathon training starts in January, the 3rd to be exact. I went out this afternoon because it was in the 70s but I wasn't feeling it. I've got one month to rest up my legs and I'll probably run a few times here and there but won't push it until the new year.
That's what's been going on in good ol' Monterey. Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
A whaaaaa?
Turkey Day is upon us and this is the time of year when people start to reflect on what they are thankful for in their lives. Unfortunately I am not able to spend this holiday with my family, the first time in four years but I'll be at work keeping pretty busy and then I'm heading to dinner with some friends from school. So what am I thankful for??? Being the happiest I've been in a long time I'm truly finding an appreciation for everything that I have in my life, and the opportunities I'm being offered.
So here's a pretty good list (in no particular order):
1) JAWS - I'm thankful that I still find this to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I just watched it again today and somehow, even after not seeing this movie in a very long time, I still know every line, every note to the theme music, and pretty much everything that there is to know about the making of it. I still laugh at the same scenes, get the same feeling in my guy in the opening scene, and still have so many memories surrounding this film...great job Spielberg.
So here's a pretty good list (in no particular order):
1) JAWS - I'm thankful that I still find this to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I just watched it again today and somehow, even after not seeing this movie in a very long time, I still know every line, every note to the theme music, and pretty much everything that there is to know about the making of it. I still laugh at the same scenes, get the same feeling in my guy in the opening scene, and still have so many memories surrounding this film...great job Spielberg.
2)Family - of course I'm thankful for all of the support my family has given me during this new transition. I got a text from my sis today saying Turkey Day week just isn't the same without me. It's definitely not the same without my fam either. Love you guys! Miss you and I'll be back for Christmas!
3)My current home - Monterey Bay is one of the most majestic places I've ever been and I'm truly grateful to have this opportunity. I hope I never take for granted the environment I live in and will always appreciate what beauty is surrounding me.
4)Aquarist II - I have come along way in my 'career' as a marine biologist. I've been on such a rollercoaster emotionally and mentally trying to find a place that truly makes me happy. I never wanted to make a career out of cleaning fish tanks and dealing with sick fish, leading me to think negatively and bringing my outlook on life on a downward spiral and at times it was like I was taking those people around me that I loved the most with me. I'm truly thankful that God has given me the opportunity to turn my perspective on life around and handed me a chance to start over again at such an amazing facility. It just makes you think about what things could have been like if I had always been this happy????
5)Health - Everyone around me at work is getting sick and luckily I've fought it off (so far; knock on wood). I'm thankful to have my health and to be able to work towards a healthy lifestyle. I am thankful to have two good legs that take me to work, to new places and on new adventures; a healthy heart, good lungs, and a strong mind.
6)Roof over my head - I cannot be more thankful to have a place to live. I've got a very small apt., quaint and perfect for me and finally living on my own is helping me grow into an almost-30 year old adult! (less than 5 months)
7)Laughter - It helps me get through each day. Whether it is others making me laugh or me making myself laugh, I'm thankful for the feeling of laughter and I truly believe it will help any person live a much longer life.
8)Friends - New and old it is great to have friends. I love meeting new people, catching up with old friends, and keeping in touch with best friends.
9)Sports - I'll always have my sports teams...it doesn't matter if they are giving me grey hair or raising another banner, I'll always be a proud Boston sports fan. So long V-Mart!
10)Forgiveness - I'm thankful for those that have forgiven me throughout the past and for finding personal forgiveness for myself, helping me move on with my life in a positive direction.
Happy Turkey Day everyone, eat well!!! Go Pats!!!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Bag It
Just went and saw the documentary Bag It. If you have not heard of this, which I hadn't until just the other day it is all about the negative side of using plastics. It was shown at a very small independent theatre downtown and the actor from the movie was there for Q&A afterwards. He seemed like a pretty funny, cool guy; just a regular guy that wants to try to make a change I guess. I'm all about trying to make a change, and I think these movies can have some influence, but when you are showing a movie to a group of people that already have an idea of what's going on you are really just preaching to the choir. It is everyone else that need to be shown these movies. And if they won't go see them then it is up to us to teach them about said issues.
The movie had all of the main points about how plastics last forever and kill animals and now can cause birth defects; all the stuff you hear about everything these days. It truly is astounding to think about how much we rely on such an unnecessary product such as single-use disposable bags at the grocery store. One good point was him questioning why they were ever invented. "What was the point? Why create something that people are only going to use once, but that lasts forever???"
I definitely learned a few things; such as just because it has a recycle symbol doesn't mean it actually gets recycled. Stay away from #s 3, 6, and 7! I thought everything could be recycled nowadays...And don't microwave your food in plastic containers! But I'm not going to lecture everyone reading this on the downsides of plastics, you are all adults and should be able to make your own educated decisions; it's those ignorant decisions we need to change. You should check out the website and read the facts for yourselves. This isn't something to be overlooked. It's a serious issue in THIS country. There are several underdeveloped countries that are banning the use of single-use plastic bags at supermarkets...SEVERAL! Yet here in the U.S. there are only a handful of cities that have stepped up and completely banned them. We are supposed to be the ones setting examples here people, this is ridiculous.
Check out the website (http://www.bagitmovie.com/). It's a lot to take in and can be somewhat overwhelming because you get that "it's too late and I can't really help" feeling, but you can by spreading the word to other people.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
It's In the Game
Boomshakalaka!!! He's on fire!!! From downtown!!! If you ever had a Sega Genesis you know where these phrases are coming from and the fact that they are coming back simply makes me a happy camper. NBA Jam was one of the best video games I ever played as a kid and now it is back...unfortunately for me it is for PS3, XBox 360, and Wii of which I own none. BUT I'd totally go out and buy one of these platforms just for this game. I'd also kiss a lot of butt to play on someone else's system!!! Now I just need to find someone that has one. I'll even buy the game for them, that is how badly I want to play this game again.
You cannot beat a game where you get to A) play basketball 2 on 2 with your favorite players B) Unlock secret characters like Barack Obama or Rufus the Bobcat (Charlotte's mascot) AND C) Dunk a basketball while on fire from half court??? PHENOMENAL (official word of MY day today)! Back in the day I would like playing as Dee Brown while blindly dunking the ball over my opponent's head but if I wanted to go for a sure bet I'd always go with either Chris Mullin of Golden State or the tandem of Malone and Stockton because it's all about the 3-pointers man! The new version lines up pretty much every major NBA star out there with the option to choose 3-4 players from each team and even go old-school with a legend or a mascot as well. I can't tell you how awesome it'll be to decimate Queen James and his cohort D-Wade with the tandem of KG and Rondo. And while I will probably never get to play this game, I'm extremely excited for the next generation of gamers out there that will get to experience one of the greatest games EVER invented...The nail in the coffin!
Check it out
http://nba-jam.easports.com/home.action
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
What About Bob?
But for now I'll be happy just getting to feed them. It is part of a growth study but the other goal is to get them target feeding and exhibit ready for when the big open ocean tank opens in July. As of now there are two molas that are being trained to come up to separate targets (a yellow star and a purple ball) but two more were just collected yesterday. This is the time of year to start seeing juvenile molas so I believe we are going to be collecting as many as we can in order to start working with them to figure out which ones will stay for the exhibit. If we find they are not suited for this they will be released back to the wild.
These guys are not very big, maybe 2'-3' around but they can get up to 10' in diameter and up over 2000lbs. They are not the most exciting fish because they basically just stay at the surface and slowly swim around. We are feeding them squid, shrimp, and clams but in the wild they mainly feed on jellyfish with the occasional squid or fish and fry. They are really cool to watch and work with though because they are such a unique fish and not too many people have worked closely with them in captivity...just another bonus here at the Monterey Bay Aquarium!!!
Monday, November 15, 2010
All in a Days Work
WARNING: Not for the squeamish!
In case some of you are wondering what it is I do in Seahorse Land a majority of my time is taken up by dealing with sick fish (yes, seahorses are fish). One particular species, Hippocampus erectus, the lined seahorse has been having some pouch issues. This is only in the males because the females do not have pouches and in case you are wondering why the males do, it is because they have the babies.
What issues you ask??? Well the pouches are sometimes susceptible to bacterial infections and gas saturation problems leading them to have buoyancy issues...basically, they get infections and they start swimming upside down and at the surface. Obviously we cannot have this so what do we do to prevent it?? We have to flush the pouches with an anti-biotic to treat the infection. This works some of the time, but not all of the time. Sometimes these gas saturation problems can lead to external bubbles (literally bubbles on the skin) and with that we have to treat it differently. How often?? These fish get flushed everyday for 14 days and are then re-evaluated.
Do all of these fish survive?? I wish. The hardest part of this job so far is having to handle the fact that a majority of these fish that are having pouch issues are probably going to die. We have been losing about one a day and even though some are looking better, others are starting to show otherwise. One fish was sent out to a lab for further work and it was found that it had systemic uronema...basically it has parasites and bacteria that are leading to these mortalities and our head vet does not think this is completely fixable.
What do you do if they die??? We do not have a large vet staff here and because of the frequency of morts (deaths) that we get in Seahorse Land we do our own necropsies (animal autopsies) to try and figure out what caused their death. In the case of these males we already know what is causing it, but we need to make sure there are no other problems such as parasites. So we have to take the dead fish to the Diagnostics Lab and cut it open. Before any cutting starts though we get skin scrape samples to look for any parasites and then take a clip of the gills for the same reason.
Once the animal is cut open we take a sample of the liver and take note of the size/color and also make not of any other organs such as the gall bladder, swim bladder, gonads, etc...Seahorses have a very simple digestive tract and not much of a stomach so we don't look there very often. After looking at the samples underneath the microscope we write down what we saw (parasites present or not) and file the form away in that particular species.
What other issues are there? Well so far I've only been dealing with these pouch flushes and external bubbles which require injections of two different medications. Outside of these problems though I have seen some skin lesions but not too much else. Although we just had one poor seahorse with a major skin lesion on its tail that was down to the bone and some worms, already in the exhibit infested themselves inside this seahorses tail. Thankfully I was not there to see this but unfortunately we lost that fish this morning.
These are the downsides of what I do but in all fairness it's not a bad part of my job. To me it is a great learning experience and because I'm still new to these fish I like getting the opportunities to do my own necropsies and gain that hands-on experience.
In case some of you are wondering what it is I do in Seahorse Land a majority of my time is taken up by dealing with sick fish (yes, seahorses are fish). One particular species, Hippocampus erectus, the lined seahorse has been having some pouch issues. This is only in the males because the females do not have pouches and in case you are wondering why the males do, it is because they have the babies.
What issues you ask??? Well the pouches are sometimes susceptible to bacterial infections and gas saturation problems leading them to have buoyancy issues...basically, they get infections and they start swimming upside down and at the surface. Obviously we cannot have this so what do we do to prevent it?? We have to flush the pouches with an anti-biotic to treat the infection. This works some of the time, but not all of the time. Sometimes these gas saturation problems can lead to external bubbles (literally bubbles on the skin) and with that we have to treat it differently. How often?? These fish get flushed everyday for 14 days and are then re-evaluated.
Do all of these fish survive?? I wish. The hardest part of this job so far is having to handle the fact that a majority of these fish that are having pouch issues are probably going to die. We have been losing about one a day and even though some are looking better, others are starting to show otherwise. One fish was sent out to a lab for further work and it was found that it had systemic uronema...basically it has parasites and bacteria that are leading to these mortalities and our head vet does not think this is completely fixable.
What do you do if they die??? We do not have a large vet staff here and because of the frequency of morts (deaths) that we get in Seahorse Land we do our own necropsies (animal autopsies) to try and figure out what caused their death. In the case of these males we already know what is causing it, but we need to make sure there are no other problems such as parasites. So we have to take the dead fish to the Diagnostics Lab and cut it open. Before any cutting starts though we get skin scrape samples to look for any parasites and then take a clip of the gills for the same reason.
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| H. erectus with enlarged liver |
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| Liver removed, gall bladder is sm. dk. spot |
Once the animal is cut open we take a sample of the liver and take note of the size/color and also make not of any other organs such as the gall bladder, swim bladder, gonads, etc...Seahorses have a very simple digestive tract and not much of a stomach so we don't look there very often. After looking at the samples underneath the microscope we write down what we saw (parasites present or not) and file the form away in that particular species.
What other issues are there? Well so far I've only been dealing with these pouch flushes and external bubbles which require injections of two different medications. Outside of these problems though I have seen some skin lesions but not too much else. Although we just had one poor seahorse with a major skin lesion on its tail that was down to the bone and some worms, already in the exhibit infested themselves inside this seahorses tail. Thankfully I was not there to see this but unfortunately we lost that fish this morning.
These are the downsides of what I do but in all fairness it's not a bad part of my job. To me it is a great learning experience and because I'm still new to these fish I like getting the opportunities to do my own necropsies and gain that hands-on experience.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Missing You
No...definitely not you. Things though...small things. I'm sitting here drinking some hot apple cider after dinner and it made me start thinking about the things I miss about New England (outside of fam and friends) or will miss about home. First off I don't even need to be drinking hot apple cider because it was almost 80 degrees here today which is insane! That aside I could not pass it up when I was at TJs last night splurging on way too much food.
Apple cider of course is indicative of the fall season and here in Monterey you would never know that summer has ended. People are always outside, rarely in anything warmer than a long-sleeve shirt or a light jacket. But I do miss New England falls. It's a nice break from the brutally hot summers and it is one of my favorite times of the year, second only to April. Along with the leaves changing and the cool weather you've got baseball playoffs, football is rolling, and basketball and hockey have just started and New England in general is a great place for all of these sports to come together. I miss being able to watch the Celtics. I'm pretty used to not seeing the Patriots because I've worked Sundays long enough to almost get used to it. I did find a radio station that I can listen to them online though, so long productive Sundays!
What got me thinking about these things, other than just the cider was that I was craving a Breakfast Club breakfast the other day. For those of you that don't know, the Breakfast Club is this great diner in Allston, MA just outside the city with the best breakfasts you will ever have! There is always a huge line for a table and their portions are out of control. It is very vintage 80s with old movie posters and old-school lunch boxes (if anyone is able to steal me the E.T. one I'll pay big bucks) and their specials are named after the characters from the movie, The Breakfast Club. My favorite is the Basket Case which is two pancakes (I get blueberry), 2 eggs (over-easy), home fries, sausage, and toast. It's amazing and I would love to be able to fly over there for breakfast tomorrow.
That's all for now, really just sports and my fav breakfast place. I do miss the city a lot though and miss that feeling walking off the train in N. Station or Government Center and looking up in awe of such a great city. Or walking through the Common in the winter with a Dunkins in hand and skating on Frog Pond ...It's amazing how quickly you take those things for granted. Even with all that said, it was almost 80 degrees here in the nicest place on the California coastline so I'll manage.
Apple cider of course is indicative of the fall season and here in Monterey you would never know that summer has ended. People are always outside, rarely in anything warmer than a long-sleeve shirt or a light jacket. But I do miss New England falls. It's a nice break from the brutally hot summers and it is one of my favorite times of the year, second only to April. Along with the leaves changing and the cool weather you've got baseball playoffs, football is rolling, and basketball and hockey have just started and New England in general is a great place for all of these sports to come together. I miss being able to watch the Celtics. I'm pretty used to not seeing the Patriots because I've worked Sundays long enough to almost get used to it. I did find a radio station that I can listen to them online though, so long productive Sundays!
What got me thinking about these things, other than just the cider was that I was craving a Breakfast Club breakfast the other day. For those of you that don't know, the Breakfast Club is this great diner in Allston, MA just outside the city with the best breakfasts you will ever have! There is always a huge line for a table and their portions are out of control. It is very vintage 80s with old movie posters and old-school lunch boxes (if anyone is able to steal me the E.T. one I'll pay big bucks) and their specials are named after the characters from the movie, The Breakfast Club. My favorite is the Basket Case which is two pancakes (I get blueberry), 2 eggs (over-easy), home fries, sausage, and toast. It's amazing and I would love to be able to fly over there for breakfast tomorrow. That's all for now, really just sports and my fav breakfast place. I do miss the city a lot though and miss that feeling walking off the train in N. Station or Government Center and looking up in awe of such a great city. Or walking through the Common in the winter with a Dunkins in hand and skating on Frog Pond ...It's amazing how quickly you take those things for granted. Even with all that said, it was almost 80 degrees here in the nicest place on the California coastline so I'll manage.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Venting through Exercise
Just a quick update on what I've been doing lately...First off, I won a sponsorship through work to run the Big Sur International Marathon on May 1, 2011. This is a pretty big deal because 1) the race cost $299 and 2) it's been said that this is one of "those races you have to do before you die." It is supposedly a very hard run with a significant portion of the 2nd half uphill but unbelievably scenic. Thankfully I have plenty of time to train for it. Official training will not start until the new year so the next couple of months are for pre-training work.
I also started boxing today. There is a gym just down the street from work called Pacific Coast Boxing. It's a small privately owned business, not a big gym but with minimal space they do have a lot to offer. Luckily the girl I work with Lindsay knows the owner so she got me in at lunch today and we worked out for about an hour. I'll eventually be paying a monthly fee to go in and use the facility. Lindsay is pretty good and very experienced and has been working with the woman that owns the place for a while. I have not boxed in a long time, 2 years??? so it was nice to get back into it and start channeling some aggression outward in a positive way. Hopefully I'll be able to get back in there either Thursday or Friday and then keep up with it while I'm training for the marathon.
Other than that work is going really well and I've been given more responsibilities in seahorse land. It can be frustrating at times being in charge a few days a week and having people that have been there way longer than me come to me with questions/problems that I feel they should know answers to. I'm still getting comfortable and have more stuff to learn but I guess I'm fitting in and doing ok. I should be getting my dive stuff done soon as well. The DSO (dive safety officer) here is just looking over my stuff now and with 249 dives at the Florida Aquarium, a handful at the New England Aquarium and all the others outside of those the DSO doesn't see any problems arising and said we'd fast track it to get me in the water. Once I get wet I'll be very happy!
Everything else is going great and I'm starting to fill up my social calendar which is nice. With running peeps, going out with work peeps, meeting/hanging with new MoBay peeps, and even finding old friends in the area things are starting to head in the right direction. Oh and I found out I'll be coming home for Christmas!!!! I don't know the exact dates just yet but I'll be heading that way for sure. I will not be home for Turkey Day and really have no idea what I'll be doing (except working all weekend) but being home for Christmas makes up for it.
Congrats to the Giants and the city of San Fran! Go Pats and good luck Randy, wherever you end up.
I also started boxing today. There is a gym just down the street from work called Pacific Coast Boxing. It's a small privately owned business, not a big gym but with minimal space they do have a lot to offer. Luckily the girl I work with Lindsay knows the owner so she got me in at lunch today and we worked out for about an hour. I'll eventually be paying a monthly fee to go in and use the facility. Lindsay is pretty good and very experienced and has been working with the woman that owns the place for a while. I have not boxed in a long time, 2 years??? so it was nice to get back into it and start channeling some aggression outward in a positive way. Hopefully I'll be able to get back in there either Thursday or Friday and then keep up with it while I'm training for the marathon.
Other than that work is going really well and I've been given more responsibilities in seahorse land. It can be frustrating at times being in charge a few days a week and having people that have been there way longer than me come to me with questions/problems that I feel they should know answers to. I'm still getting comfortable and have more stuff to learn but I guess I'm fitting in and doing ok. I should be getting my dive stuff done soon as well. The DSO (dive safety officer) here is just looking over my stuff now and with 249 dives at the Florida Aquarium, a handful at the New England Aquarium and all the others outside of those the DSO doesn't see any problems arising and said we'd fast track it to get me in the water. Once I get wet I'll be very happy!
Everything else is going great and I'm starting to fill up my social calendar which is nice. With running peeps, going out with work peeps, meeting/hanging with new MoBay peeps, and even finding old friends in the area things are starting to head in the right direction. Oh and I found out I'll be coming home for Christmas!!!! I don't know the exact dates just yet but I'll be heading that way for sure. I will not be home for Turkey Day and really have no idea what I'll be doing (except working all weekend) but being home for Christmas makes up for it.
Congrats to the Giants and the city of San Fran! Go Pats and good luck Randy, wherever you end up.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
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Happy Halloween!
Which leads us to 2010. So tonight I met up with some people from work and we had a pretty good time. I went as Snoopy (vs Red Baron); an idea thought up cause my friend Sam called me Snoopy the other day and I ran with it. I went to Walmart, the local Halloween store, CVS, and a couple of tourist stores on the wharf. Finally my costume was complete!
I went out to a few places in Monterey and had a pretty good time. I'm glad people got my costume and that I wasn't just some creep all dressed up in white. Halloween is great because people get to use their imagination, pretend to be a kid again along with pretending to live another life.
I hope everyone had fun this weekend!
CP
Friday, October 29, 2010
Lessons Learned
Man it can be very easy to get emotionally caught up in what is thought to be a good situation heading in the right direction for all the right reasons until God throws a curve ball and some decisions have to be re-evaluated. At 29 years, 6 months, and 7 days I'm getting too old to be blindly mislead just because one or two words were omitted from a statement; such as "we're just friends (for now)" or "it's not like that (yet)." I'm in a really good place right now and these types of distractions need to be gone from my life. These types of situations need to be avoided and the people causing these problems need to be ignored. Life is short and I have no desire to be spending it playing mind games or associating myself with people who do. I'd like to enjoy living in Monterey without stressing over past crappy relationships because here it is time to start making new ones, here it is time to live my life, and now is the time to start turning things around.
Sorry for the rant...I'll now get off my soapbox because I have to go find a Halloween costume!
Sorry for the rant...I'll now get off my soapbox because I have to go find a Halloween costume!
Friday, October 22, 2010
New Toys
Went to Target today and for some reason every time I go in there, which really isn't very often I spend WAY too much money. Today was absolutely no different. I bought some shiny new kitchen appliances that were very necessary and now I feel all grown up having bought them.
I had to buy a microwave, that was #1 on the list...so I found a cool red one. I also needed a toaster and some new pots/pans and ended up buying a coffee maker as well. Yes mom and dad I know I don't drink very much coffee but everyone else in the world does so when my crazy coffee junkie friends and family visit (hint, hint) then I can make them happy with some delicious DD or Peets coffee! I also know that I coulda just bought a french press or K-cup since I'm all by my lonesome but this one was actually the cheapest and least complicated.
Doesn't everyone look so happy to meet each other? And yes I like the color red. I also bought some picture frames, towels, and an alarm clock. Next time I might switch over to Wally World so that even if I spend a lot of money I can at least be entertained by the people-watching.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Little things...
There are things you experience in life that you think is the prototypical way of doing them such as playing slow-pitch softball, engaging in trivia night, or being able to take a shower without any insects or arachnids joining you. Such is not so true here in California, at least not in Monterey. As some of you may or may not know I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to eight-legged creatures that do not live in the ocean. I'm not sure why or where it came from or who was putting spiders in my bed when I was a little kid, but I just don't like them. I remember at one point as a kid seeing the largest spider I still think I've ever seen on our back fence; a white wooden broken down fence with this enormous black and yellow spider (if that even exists)...but that's what I remember.
Here in Cali I have moved into the penthouse for creepy-crawlies and even though I've killed at least 30 of them they still seem to be multiplying right in front of me. How is this possible you ask? I have no friggin idea! There are two different kinds too, one that almost resembles a daddy longlegs and one that is small, prickly and fast as hell. I saw this one crawl up a wall, across the ceiling, and repel down in the amount of time it took me to look down and take a bit of my dinner. Seriously? I even had one crawl across my hand while I was watching a movie, needless to say the lights didn't turn off the rest of the night. I know, I sound like a six year old girl right now but don't worry I have absolutely no trouble killing the little buggers. Some common household items that are useful in the rapid extermination of your popular arthropods are the broom, a cup and or glass, a vacuum and a baseball cap as a last resort (preferably a Yankees hat).
Oh you want to know about the shower??? Besides the occasional spider singing the itsy bitsy spider, I guess I also have crickets. I opened up the shower last night after my track workout and there was a cricket, a big friggin cricket. How? Again...no idea. The shower door was closed so it's crawling in from somewhere. Luckily I don't have any problems with crickets or grasshoppers so I used one of my handy household tools (a cup) and set him free.
After my run tonight I walked down to watch the aquarium softball team, the Claspers and immediately had a couple of questions. Question #1: Me: "Why is Kacey pitching for the other team?" Andrea: "They pitch to their own teams." Ok that's strike one in my book. While I can see the benefits of being able to get better pitches and not having to worry about the occasional jackass that tries to put "spin" on the ball, I still think you are at more of a disadvantage from a defensive standpoint (if the ball touches the pitcher that batter is out). Whatever, just different rules...Question #2 while pointing in confusion to the runner sprinting behind the catcher avoiding "home plate" which was just an astroturf mat: "Where is he going?" Andrea: "They can't tag home, if they tag home they're out. It makes sure they don't run over [the catcher]." "Are you kidding me?!"
Do they play this way in anybody else's leagues??? If so please let me know. After the game we went to the London Bridge Pub, I had a burger and a salad with some peeps from the team but it was also trivia night, or quiz night. I've been to a few trivia nights in Boston and they all worked the same way, you answer a certain amount of questions and usually wager a certain value while bringing up each answer to the DJ while s/he tallies up your scores till the game is over. Here there were 51 questions and after each ten you swapped papers with an opposing team, yup just like when you were in 5th grade and they corrected your answers for you. I have no problem with this, it was just different. The other difference was that each person, not team, put in a dollar so the winner got over $100.
Just a few things on my mind...some new discoveries if you will! Go Rangers!
Here in Cali I have moved into the penthouse for creepy-crawlies and even though I've killed at least 30 of them they still seem to be multiplying right in front of me. How is this possible you ask? I have no friggin idea! There are two different kinds too, one that almost resembles a daddy longlegs and one that is small, prickly and fast as hell. I saw this one crawl up a wall, across the ceiling, and repel down in the amount of time it took me to look down and take a bit of my dinner. Seriously? I even had one crawl across my hand while I was watching a movie, needless to say the lights didn't turn off the rest of the night. I know, I sound like a six year old girl right now but don't worry I have absolutely no trouble killing the little buggers. Some common household items that are useful in the rapid extermination of your popular arthropods are the broom, a cup and or glass, a vacuum and a baseball cap as a last resort (preferably a Yankees hat).
Oh you want to know about the shower??? Besides the occasional spider singing the itsy bitsy spider, I guess I also have crickets. I opened up the shower last night after my track workout and there was a cricket, a big friggin cricket. How? Again...no idea. The shower door was closed so it's crawling in from somewhere. Luckily I don't have any problems with crickets or grasshoppers so I used one of my handy household tools (a cup) and set him free.
After my run tonight I walked down to watch the aquarium softball team, the Claspers and immediately had a couple of questions. Question #1: Me: "Why is Kacey pitching for the other team?" Andrea: "They pitch to their own teams." Ok that's strike one in my book. While I can see the benefits of being able to get better pitches and not having to worry about the occasional jackass that tries to put "spin" on the ball, I still think you are at more of a disadvantage from a defensive standpoint (if the ball touches the pitcher that batter is out). Whatever, just different rules...Question #2 while pointing in confusion to the runner sprinting behind the catcher avoiding "home plate" which was just an astroturf mat: "Where is he going?" Andrea: "They can't tag home, if they tag home they're out. It makes sure they don't run over [the catcher]." "Are you kidding me?!"
Do they play this way in anybody else's leagues??? If so please let me know. After the game we went to the London Bridge Pub, I had a burger and a salad with some peeps from the team but it was also trivia night, or quiz night. I've been to a few trivia nights in Boston and they all worked the same way, you answer a certain amount of questions and usually wager a certain value while bringing up each answer to the DJ while s/he tallies up your scores till the game is over. Here there were 51 questions and after each ten you swapped papers with an opposing team, yup just like when you were in 5th grade and they corrected your answers for you. I have no problem with this, it was just different. The other difference was that each person, not team, put in a dollar so the winner got over $100.
Just a few things on my mind...some new discoveries if you will! Go Rangers!
Friday, October 15, 2010
The Real Thing
This is one of our many seahorses that we hold behind the exhibits. We have around 15 different species of seahorses and relatives of, that we either exhibit or grow up behind the scenes. We grow them from tiny little seahorse babies all the way through adulthood. The exhibit is called the Secret Lives of Seahorses and is easily the best seahorse exhibit I've ever seen.
I'll keep taking more pictures of these guys along with some of the babies we've got and the exhibit animals as well but if you want an idea of what is there check out the Monterey website (SLOSH).
As you can see the Monterey Bay Aquarium sits right on the water at the end of what is called Cannery Row. This was a big sardine cannery area and the aquarium sits at what was known as the Hovden Cannery, the last one to shut down in this Row. When you look out onto the water you see huge kelp floats supporting all kinds of life. You always see sea otters and cormorants and an occasional harbor seal and sea lion. There have been stories of people seeing molas, whales and orcas off the back wall as well.
This week was a pretty good one overall. I'm now officially responsible for the seahorse gallery on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays. Wednesdays I'm in jelly land and once I start getting more projects and responsibilities in there I'll be pretty busy. We might end up using Wednesdays as 'field' days because we have a decent amount of jellies staff and will have the time to take the boat out for collecting.
Some cool things about this week; I got to watch and participate in the dissections of several yellowfin tuna, I saw a man walking a rabbit (and nobody here was surprised), last night I hung out with work peeps for the first time and got the chance to meet some new people, and this morning I picked up my first check! Unfortunately it was not direct deposited so I have to wait until the money clears but still, I'm pretty psyched that things are finally moving forward.
After depositing my check I splurged on food at Safeway and even though I somehow always manage to spend too much on food, today it feels justified because I picked up a Demolition Man/Over the Top DVD combo for only $5! Only 41 more Stallone movies to go until the collection is complete. Meals of the week: Jambalaya (because I miss Dad's classic take on it) and my own chicken salad w/apples, grapes, and celery. Wish me luck on both!
Oh and today when I came back from Safeway there was a package waiting for me. It was a pumpkin fruit basket! Thanks Jackie, you are way too funny and I miss your humor.
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