Happy October, everyone! Happy Fall! I think the only time I really enjoy living in this allergy-laden valley is during the fall. Everything is SO pretty, and the air is crisp and somehow smells really good most, if not all of the time. To the left, you can see a very picturesque street in the HIghlands, (backing up my 'pretty' claim perfectly) which is hands-down the best place to live in Louisville. I know this because I left the Highlands when LPT was born (what a fool I was!) and settled in St. Matthews, which is very close to the Highlands, but far enough away from downtown that the yuppies feel safe. I live among yuppies.

We went to the zoo this weekend, and finally got to see Scotty (piss poor name), the baby elephant. Adorable. Although LPT was in a wretched mood - refusing to look at the animals, wanting to see THE ALLIGATOR AND SPIDERS NOW! and refusing to admit her hunger when we went to lunch. Then, horror of horrors, I THREW AWAY HER JUICE. Granted, there were bees all around it and possibly a dead bee physically in the bottle, but to throw it away?! In her words, Jeez, mom! That was MINE! We also got to see all sorts of people, and I discovered that going to the zoo on a beautiful day is kind of like going to the fair. You see exactly who makes up this city, warts and all. Not that I am being elitist here. I mean, we were the group with the squealing kind who would not sit in the stroller properly (feet firmly planted on the ground or on the wheels themselves) and the mother with the huge sweat stain on her chest from where her bag had been slung across her body. We were cute, let me tell you.

And I would like to take a moment to convey just how ridiculous things are: a coke at the zoo is currently $4.99. Yes, you read that correctly. It's about the size of a McDonald's medium, too. What about refills? They're $1.99. The soda and water machines cost $2.00, and there are little traps all around to make you spend more. For example, at the bottom of a very long (very long) hill, they conveniently place the kiosk to purchase Tram tickets. You can purchase these tickets at the entrance, but at that point everyone is happy and confident that they can make it through the tour of animals. Then, approximately every 30 feet or so, there is a Dippin' Dots stand where, for $2.50, you can get a thimble-full of dry ice cream. And all this is in addition to the numerous "DONATE TO THE ZOO OR YOU ARE A TERRIBLE PERSON" boxes scattered about the property.

And, adding to my joy, a large woman happened to be camped out on a bench in the Herpaquarium (I don't know if that is the right name or not - it's basically the building where they have the reptiles and spiders (!) and Vampire bats.) When I sat down next to her (this was after the heinously long hill) she asked me if I was pregnant. I said yes. She asked when I was due. I told her May, and she got all wide-eyed and asked me if I was sure I was having just one (ha. ha.) because I was SO big. I never know quite what to say to people when they ask questions like that. It happened when I was preggers with LPT, too. I guess I should have pointed to D and said, "We grow 'em big like their daddy!" in some backwoods manner. And yes, I am showing more with this midget than I did with LPT. But I was a lot smaller when I got pregnant the first time, and my muscles didn't know what to do or to what extent they were going to stretch, so I was pretty smallish (or at least average) until the bitter end (ugh...July and the attack of the cicaidas) Now, however, my body knows what's up and has decided to let it all hang out, so to speak, like everyone does at Thanksgiving after the meal. The muscles, knowing that they will soon be suffering, have decided to go ahead and throw in the towel and relax while they can. I'm cool with this. But not when it is pointed out to me, overtly and in public by someone with whom I am not on familiar terms. There, I said it.