We're Gonna Need A Bigger Fear

Timidly, like a child I approached the tank. The tank, filled with water and untold horrors and revolting ends that awaited me. Slowly I walked - almost crept - up to the tank. This was it. One huge fear of mine was about to be demolished because some guy who makes minimum wage told me it was OK.

I was trusting this guy, who I had never met and who didn't really look all the trustworthy with his shifty eyes and maniacal grin. I trusted him because I was stupid - am stupid.

But I'm not stupid enough to not be here to write this blog.

I'm terrified, absolutely terrified of two things: snakes and sharks.

Today I touched a shark.

With absolutely no exaggeration it looked like this:

Alright, maybe it wasn't a great white shark. But it was a shark and I touched him! The shark, a family member connected with the hammerhead (this one had a hammerhead but it was smaller, more like a fisher-price hammer head) was about three and a half feet long. Now, this might not conjure up terrifying images or death scenarios, but let me say it had teeth and if you were actually IN the tank it would probably freak you out as anything that has sharp teeth and is in their natural environment when you are NOT would.

A diver once told me life is great on land and once you go in the water you drop significantly on the food chain.

I believe him.

Sharks are terrifying. But I touched one today and it was awesome. I also touched a stingray (didn't puncture my heart, I'm pleased to say). They feel considerably different.

Today was Annie's first birthday and we went to the Atlanta aquarium for it. Annie's never been to the aquarium and apparently neither has Kim (they didn't have them in her time and the moisture is bad for her mummy gauze) and she (Annie) had a blast. She loved the fish, we went down the whale slide, she tried to touch the stingrays which were awesome. Very dog-like. The stingrays, not Annie. They would come up to the side of the tank and actually come up TO get pet. They liked it. They would wag their sides like happy puppy dogs.

There were all sorts of tunnels for Annie to run through and it was my job to go into these tunnels with her. It was tight. And the displays were too high for her to ride in her stroller so I had to carry her most of the time. I didn't mind, but by the end of the display I was hot, tired and frankly a bit sweaty. I NEVER understand why aquariums are so hot. I mean, there arne't any windows, it's usually pretty dark, and it looks like it should be pleasantly cold. Refreshing anyway.

Annie was getting a bit fussy in the middle of it and while my parents were indisposed Kim, Annie and I went to a gift shop there (they have two) and Annie fell in love with a toy rockhopper penguin (I'm showing off my NZ fourth grade public education by differentiating the penguin species). Oh man, she loved it.

But there were problems. Kim's camera stopped working right. Hm. But we'll upload the photos and see which ones turned out and I'll post them here, no worries. You'll see them.

Come back, there will be all the cute pictures you could stand!