Shamu-ed

I am so a West Coast Girl. Our drive down to San Diego sealed the deal. I can't believe it's taken almost 37 years to find my way home. I guess I gotta learn how to surf. No problemo--it's probably in my blood.

On the way down, we saw the Pacific Ocean for the very first time! And SeaWorld itself was such a treat. Savannah loved the shark exhibit. At one point we were on a moving sidewalk under a tank tunnel of sharks. Very cool. There was also a "Pets Rule" show featuring rescued cats, dogs, pigs, and ducks. Huge hit. It only strengthened the kids' resolve to get a dog.

The Shamu show was amazing. Isaiah was fixated the entire time. One of the most touching and poignant moments occurred during the introduction when the trainers praised and thanked the U.S. Armed Forces and asked all past and present military personnel and their families to stand and receive a round of applause. We stood. I got totally choked up. I am so proud of James and it reminded me of all the sacrifices he has made and we have had to endure as as a family. It put into perspective why we are on this vacation in the first place.

And then there was the part in the show when Shamu splashes the crowd. The "Soak Zone" is clearly labeled and goes from rows 1-16. We were seated in the handicap section right above Row 16. When the trainers started riling up the crowd to get Shamu hyped up, James turned to me and said, "If I get wet, we won't have to worry about what to get for dinner tonight. It will be killer whale."



Fortunately for Shamu, we didn't get wet. Unfortunately for a baby about 16 months-old in the Soak Zone, Shamu had perfect aim. She got wet from head to toe, was red in the face, and mad as a wet hornet. Shame on her parents. And shame on me for laughing.

We had a great time and the day got even better. On the way back to our hotel, we found a CHICK-FIL-A restaurant. Oh happy day. We haven't had Chick-Fil-A in over a year. I'll take that over Shamu meat any day.

Tomorrow morning we leave Southern California for San Francisco. Sadly, it signals our vacation is winding up, but it's also one of the things I've been looking forward to the most.