Which is what Sharif and I did yesterday! It was a perfect day for it- not too chilly, but definitely cooler than the last time we were there (a year ago), when all of the animals were asleep. We saw the little panda (no longer so little), many many birds, prairie dogs and naked mole rats, otters and Mexican wolves, a cheetah and a giraffe. We found the Kiwi where it was hidden in the dark. Perhaps the highlight of the day was the Giant Elephant Shrew, which was a true delight. Sharif took more than 200 pictures over the course of the day. My camera was out for a little while, but mostly in the Bird House, so the photos are mostly blurred colors or focused on the wires of the enclosure.
As the sun was going down, we headed home, footsore. Almost the entire Metro ride, I exhibited a shocking and ridiculous mental block in the way of understanding the conversion of kilometers to miles. I can't even explain where my problem was, as it seems so easy and obvious now. Sharif patiently explained the process and the reasoning to me several times, giving me equations and analogies as they became necessary. Eventually, I got it. Somehow.
For dinner we made pizza. We watched Star Trek: The Next Generation (the one where Data loses his memory and gives an entire village radiation sickness) and Futurama (the one in which Fry has to out-think the giant blue-glowy brain).
Excellent day.
