turducken no more.

it's about time right? I know. life is busy! I actually write down things when they happen so that I can remember them (to share with you), and it has been long enough that I can't remember some of the things on my list. hopefully my memory jogs as I start blogging.

so, in honor of the title, let's start with the critters. though I have only had turducken once in my life (and I was less than impressed), the title seemed to fit our current lifestyle. we have (FINALLY AFTER MONTHS OF INVESTIGATION) figured out that our cat has a poultry allergy. POULTRY. so when we put her on an allergy diet of DUCK and potato... yeah that didn't help at all. though we are not in the clear yet (aka the cat still wears the cone because she still itches), she actually looks like a cat. and plays. and can do something other than scratch herself. EXCITEMENT. so we are being very careful to keep her out of the dog food, and wash our hands a lot (afterall we had turkey every day this week). also, eating doesn't pain her anymore...so let me tell you, this cat can put away some food. it's like "show me how the piggies eat?" today, rhett called her a black hole. she has eaten 12 oz. of food today (and would eat more if I put it in front of her). too bad her food is like $2-3 per day. yipes. I will be looking into preparing my own cat food. she also likes to sit on my shoulders. weirdo. and play with my bangs. roscoe has a new game too! we chase him, and then hide. then he comes to find us. he loves it. hide and seek, and you never have to be IT. also, all 3 critters participated fairly well in the christmas card picture taking (thank you daddy photographer). roscoe might have eaten moose, which made aggie mad. but all in all, we have a picture with all faces smiling at the camera.

in other news...mommy and daddy came to visit! so fun. we went to seaworld, universal, ucf, downtown disney, and had thanksgiving and christmas. I am so glad we got to see them and celebrate. mom also got me this. can't wait to have an occasion to use it. we did a jigsaw puzzle, shopped, watched movies, and played rhett's new board game. what a good vacation! can't wait to see them again soon. we also had a pretty good seaworld trip. every show had a...ahem...change (mistake). so cool. hadn't seem some of those before. it was also funny to be asked in to work while they were here, to which I responded "if you let me do a tour shift and let my parents on all my tours." they actually considered it for about 90 seconds.

we also received our wedding photos (yippee!!). can't wait to get some prints made and frame it up in here.

I would also like to personally thank emily martin for showing me to pinterest and how to mix ketchup and ranch. omg.

other general grievances...my fantasy football bench this week is going to beat my starting lineup. don'tcha hate that? the good news is, I probably still wouldn't have won the game. also, I paid $6 extra for a gift to arrive on time, and it arrived early. glad, but I wouldn't have paid the extra if I had known.

and more reasons why I am thankful for my rhett. 1) playing basketball in the kitchen with trash while cleaning up. even chores are fun with you. 2) watching you dance to michael buble christmas. classic and epic. 3) when you make yourself some cinnamon toast, eat half of it, then mention it is bland. I take a bite, and say "well you didn't put any sugar on it." ...."oh, you put sugar on cinnamon toast?" 4) making a christmas playlist for our ipod in the middle of november. 5) tired rhett telling me "you better not or I will tie butter to your feet and slide you across the tile floor! 6)moving the mattress into the living room so that we can sleep next to the christmas tree lights. 7) planning an anniversary trip to celebrate ourselves. 8) cleaning up mounds of melted chocolate in the kitchen after I break a big bowl full.

and of course, everyone's favorites. last but not least, work news and quotes.
-SW started christmas music last weekend. AWESOME.
-I saw a family of rattails...including one girl with double rattails. it reminded me of when mom suggested I get a bob. looks like the girl got away with cutting all of her hair except two little braids in the back. it was accentuatingly funny that I saw a penguin with a rattail the same day. the chicks are fledging (molting) and it is difficult for them to reach the back of their neck. HILarious. also: I realized I look like a fool when I imitate sleeping penguins on their heels. you may ask for an impression at a later time.
-DOLPHINS: 1)I have heard many a "how do you call the dolphins over?" with subsequent whistling, clapping, splashing, and generally things that send dolphins the other way. but pulling out an iphone which makes dolphin noises....good effort sir. 2) there was a little girl who loved dolphins so much that she took 2 back-to-back dolphin tours in the same day. classic. 3) if you are going to the dolphin pool where you will be LEANING OVER, please have sufficient coverage of your chestal area (for those who have to stand above you and look down at you) and sufficient hiney coverage (for those who must stand behind you). 4) when kids come up and ask "can we feed the dolphins today?" with mom standing behind the child giving you evil eyes and shaking their head NO with a death sentence. "sorry buddy, the dolphins already had breakfast, lunch and dinner today and they're all full." yikes! 5) very sweet british boy with mental disability "what do the dolphins eat?" me: "lots of fish!" boy: "fish and chips?" 6) when a squirrel falls into the dolphin pool
-something I like to call the "no english smile." we get lots of people from all around the world (which is great) but it's funny to say "do you have any questions" and just get a smile and nod back. or "okay." or to give an entire tour to someone who spoke no english except "touch a penguin?". it's even better when they say "no english" and then go read a sign. yeah.
-seeing santa come to wardrobe from the north pole, hand his jacket to backup santa, and say "you saw nothing."
-"is there glass there?" no. the barracudas are suspended in midair. or are you underwater?
-and of course the classic jokes about how animals taste...which are sometimes more real than jokes. "I ate seaturtle for 9 days straight in the galapagos in the 60's." yikes. please don't tell me when you catch/feed/play with/taste animals. it is the most awkward situation.
-girl: "I have 3 pets at home."
me: "oh yeah? what are their names?"
girl: "burt, rosalina and spikealina. I liked -lina so I added it to spike."
me: hysterically laughing
-5 year old boy, mid stingray conversation. "you know what my favorite movie is?"
me: "what?"
boy: "titanic. you know, when the boat goes down?"
-me: "would you like to see the octopus?"
little girl: "apple juice?"
-in passerby conversation, hearing a dad say "well why don't we just get a real orca?"
-and the grand finale: walking out of the park today to go home, I looked up into the sky to see "PRAISE JESUS" scripted in the sky in a plane's smoke trail.