Thanksgiving

Last Thursday, I skipped out on Thanksgiving with my family for the first time ever and instead celebrated it just outside Philadelphia with Brig's sister (Sarah) and her boyfriend (Brendan). We left Thursday morning which was smart because traffic wasn't bad. We arrived early afternoon and I proceeded to get a tour of their abode. Soon enough there was football on the TV and food on our plates. The most striking thing had to be just how colorful the courses were. Purple mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, green bean casserole -- if I ever instagrammed that would have been the time. An hour or two after dinner we decided to head to the basketball court. Couple vs couple. I have some height on Brendan but Sarah has about a foot on Brig. We played hard but ended up losing 11-9. We would have our revenge.

Friday, we got up early to visit a friend of the sisters named Michele. Every year she and her husband have a tree trimming celebration the day after Thanksgiving. I got to meet her kids who just turned 3 and who were all energy. She made breakfast for us which was delicious. I had some pancakes, bacon, quiche and fruit salad. Oddly, they seemed to have an artificial Christmas tree which of course didn't need to be trimmed but we did put some lights on it.

Brig & I left to visit the Elmwood Park Zoo. It is undoubtedly the smallest zoo I have ever been to. Even Stone Zoo in Stoneham, MA (which had held that claim) was bigger. I think we knocked it out in 45 minutes, without rushing, and counting the three times we visited the cougar den hoping it would stop hiding. It was still pretty cool because we got to see a jaguar, a black jaguar, a bobcat (I like the big cats) and many more fanciful creatures.

After the zoo I was starving but we had a basketball rematch scheduled. Brig & I quickly dispatched them 11-8 and we weren't arrested even though a sign said we weren't allowed to curse on the court (oops). We went to Elevation Burger for lunch and then got ice cream. This was followed by some friends joining us at the house for a night full of drinking and Rock Band. Except Brig who went to bed hella early. Can you say lightweight?

Saturday, we were supposed to head into Philly and do the tourist-y stuff but we all decided to just have a lazy day. We watched True Lies, went to El Burrito and started Season 2 of Game of Thrones. Sunday, we said our goodbyes and had a little slower drive back but still not bad. I also got a text that my parents had bought a house in Florida. Geez, I miss one family Thanksgiving and they decide to up and leave.

Something funny happened on the way to the zoo...

Before I met my girlfriend I hadn’t been to a zoo since I was a kid. Because of that I assumed that they were a place for kids and not something that would mesh with my pseudo-adult interests. However, I have been to 3 zoos in the past year and I freaking love them.

Just yesterday we were at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence. Before that was the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. And all the way back last summer I visited the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse. Wow!

I can’t believe what I’ve been missing all these years. Elephants, giraffes, lions, tigers, monkeys, seals, the list goes on and on. It is so cool to see these wild animals up close. It’s really an opportunity you would never get otherwise. I mean, humans have pretty poor attacking abilities (perfectly manicured nails, sharpness-lacking teeth) and aren’t that quick for running away. All we have is intelligence which will only come in handy if you can fashion some weapons MacGyver style from shit lying nearby. So it’s fascinating to see these creatures relaxed and unthreateningly.

There are some things I’ve learned about zoos too. Never go between 12-1:30 because the animals are taking their post-lunch naps. Also, if you can, go when it’s 30 degrees out (like yesterday) so you’ll have the place pretty much to yourself. Some of the animals were off exhibit of course because of the cold (zebras, emus, river otters) but others were just moved inside where we could still enjoy them (elephants, giraffes, tortoises).

It’s pretty much a win-win because you get the ability to view something you wouldn’t ordinarily see and the price of admission goes toward helping take care of these animals and protect some of them that are endangered. Take your kids but better yet take your camera. You never know when Willie the mini donkey will start braying and you won’t have your camera out to capture it (You couldn’t have waited 5 more seconds, Willie?)