« Get Yer Own! | Main | Hissies and Their Fits »
April 06, 2006
All Seats Provide Equal Viewing of the Universe
Yesterday Wendy and I took a detour from the MDK Spring Fling East Coast Tour: Knit Squares or Die and headed off to The Museum of Natural History, you know, in order to feel like we were in third grade again on a SCHOOL TRIP! (I promised Wendy no puking.) When we weren't being lulled into a false sense of security by Robert Redford's crackly voice (in actuality he was telling us we're all insignificant specks on the kitchen floor that is the universe and we will all die in a firey intergalactic collision) I was having the rug of life ripped out from under me. WARNING...WARNING! DO NOT READ FURTHER UNLESS YOU WANT THE RUG OF LIFE RIPPED OUT FROM UNDER YOU!!!!! Did you people know that those animals in the "history" museum were MURDERED and STUFFED for your viewing pleasure? BABY SITATUNGA were KILLED so you and your kids can point at them and say, "Look, another deer!" By the time you get to the Plains Indians, you're like, hey - they slaughtered the Indians too! And then you remember, it IS a HISTORY museum.
Yeah. I'll stick to paintings next time.
The butterflies were WAY cool though and a very cute boy (and when I say boy I mean he was at least 21) told us about pupas and stuff and even though Wendy was about to puke it was kind of hot to me. And it wasn't because the room was 97freakingdegrees either. Man, though, those MOTHS are scary as shit.
After the museum it was on to another fabulous inspirational evening with the girls. Ann and the LI crew were there, along with Karola, long time reader who needs her own blog, and Katherine and Camille and baby Skye all the way from SLC! (Margene! You were like Kevin Bacon! I felt like I was standing RIGHT NEXT TO YOU!!!) Lots of other cool peeps too. We invaded a regular knit night and were welcomed with open arms. I'm sorry if I wasn't my usual bright and sunny self (just ask Lt. Uhura) but I wasn't feeling so well yesterday. Usually I'm much funnier. And prettier. And skinnier. If you come out tonight I will be a better me! See you at Knitty City!
PS - The contest is open until 11:59 PM TONIGHT. And since mysteriously ANOTHER book has appeared in my home, I will be giving away TWO signed copies. Winner chosen at random.
Posted by Cara at April 6, 2006 01:49 PM
Topics: Life
Comments
It's crazy how you never wonder how they got there when you're a child. (I know I never did) I have to go back and check out the museum. It's been almost 20 years since I've been back.
Posted by: Iraida at April 6, 2006 02:41 PM
Ah...that's better...now I can comment. Katherine is a cool chica and it's so great you got to meet her!
Posted by: margene at April 6, 2006 03:37 PM
Hee hee - Seven Degrees of Margene - excellent!
Posted by: Chris at April 6, 2006 03:38 PM
I love "Seven Degrees"!! You guys are so cute -- if you and Ann are like peas & carrots, then you and Wendy are like peas & pearl onions (I guess that makes you peas.)
Have FUN! FUN! FUN!!!
Posted by: Vicki at April 6, 2006 03:53 PM
They didn't kill them to stuff them! Most of these were specimens zoologists studied and then had taxidermists mount to preserve the animal for prosterity (instead of just tossing them away). It's the only way many of us will ever be able to see for ourselves animals that have become extinct and appreciate the biodiversity that once was.
(Of course I majored in animal biology in college and have a crab specimen in a museum somewhere attributed to me as its collector, so I'm biased in that respect.)
Posted by: Jasmin at April 6, 2006 04:30 PM
did you see the big ass whale? that was always my favorite.
in college i had to catch butterflies, kill them and then pin them flat and then identify them. i totally killed butterflies for the purpose of pinning them in a box. there's blood on my hands.
Posted by: maryse at April 6, 2006 04:57 PM
I knew there was a reason that I prefer the Museum of American History to Natural History.
Posted by: hillary at April 6, 2006 05:22 PM
Good thing I wasn't there: I have a pathological fear of butterflies (moths, too) and I would have run screaming from the room/building/city!
Posted by: trek at April 6, 2006 09:40 PM
My friend and I had a similar realization when we went there during "The Blizzard of '06" in February. Of course, it didn't help that we went two days after his father's funeral.
Posted by: Faith at April 6, 2006 09:45 PM
Y'know, when I commented last night/early this yesterday morning, I totally thought it was Thursday night. Must be 'cause I'd been out spinning.
Also--the murdered and stuffed animals are a lot of why I preferred the model whales and the geology section. And the new(ish) early vertebrates exhibit is pretty good. It's all skeletons from way before people were shooting things.
Posted by: naomi at April 7, 2006 12:31 AM
Hey Cara,
Glad to hear you had fun at the museum. Just out of curiosity, I missed the ghost story winner. Who was it?
Posted by: Katie at April 7, 2006 01:58 AM
history is downright scary isnt it?
(still giggling over the six degrees of Margene) :)
Posted by: Carla at April 7, 2006 10:03 AM
my mason and dixon:
sweet tea with a hint of mint and bbq (not to spicy, tangy with a hint of sweet) and new england clam chowder to thick a spoon can stand up in the middle!
Posted by: cathy at April 7, 2006 11:39 AM
Another Canadian girl wanting to enter the contest.... I'd have to say that my Mason/Dixon is bight snowy weather and sunny beaches (which I've only been to once!!).
Posted by: Keri at April 7, 2006 01:10 PM
I missed the contest deadline, but I gotta say Georgia peaches and Gone With the Wind sort of tie for my southern, and the lovely leaves in the fall up north.
Posted by: moiraeknits at April 7, 2006 03:55 PM
I love the title of this entry. Would you please send it to all members of Congress, the Cabinet... oh, and religious "leaders"? Thanks.
Posted by: PainterWoman at April 10, 2006 12:01 AM