Chatting on Moanday

OK Glenda -- I've missed it -- where the heck are you moving to??

I was AWOL all weekend -- David and I went to Clearwater A) to see Brian Wilson & Jeff Beck in concert (it was the most unique concert I've ever seen -- unbelievable talent - -we both enjoyed it incredibly); and B) to spend most of Saturday at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium - it's a rescue/rehab facility and it's also home to "Winter" the dolphin from "A Dolphin's Tale" (she has a prosthetic tail and it was the research in making that that has pretty much changed how they do human prosthetics in areas where the prosthesis is difficult to attach).

My husband isn't the type to spring surprises.  but as we got out of the car, David says to me "By the way ... I have a surprise for you.   You didn't ask ... but I know how much it would mean to you.  You will be Winter's "trainers assistant" this morning.  

Yes .. I burst into tears.  It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  It was a whole weekend I will never ever forget.  (and honestly I'm tearing up just thinking about it).

www.ifwintercanican.com

The very first 'trainer' in the water with her during the film of her rescue -- was one of the folks I worked with Saturday.  By the way -- that prosthetic tail weighs about 25 pounds.  

At first Winter swam back and forth in front of me rolled away from me almost presenting part of her belly (I had my scooter in a tight parallel to the wall around the tank so I could get close enough to reach in the water).  The trainer kept looking at me sideways and suddenly said "Oh ... my ... gosh ... I couldn't figure WHAT she was doing.  She's checking YOU out with her sonar ... she's bouncing her sonar off the wall to figure out what size your scooter is.  She's never been this close to an electric scooter before -- rather than just a wheelchair.  You are being carefully checked out!"

Next thing I knew I had a dolphin nose right under my hand.  I apparently passed inspection ... and she instantly 'got it' that I was "like" her.  wow ... just .... plain ... frigging .... wow.

oh my gosh Callie - that sounds like an amazing adventure. I would've burst into tears too. Wow!!! *sniff*

The skies aren't sure what to do today. It was totally gloomy looking but now the sun is peeking out. We need the rain but I won't be sad if it's a nice day.

DH got off work and still grumbling about the test - ugh!! I need to go shopping or something. I think I'll go by Big Lots and see what fall decor they have for outside.

We went swimming with the dolphins in Mexico and it was a lot of fun.

Tina  . . . I hope you're surviving your day.  Tylenol and Vodka, trust me.

So, you know it's going to be a bad day when you try to send yourself an e-mail to remind you to do something at work the next day and you get a message back saying "this message is undeliverable because the recipient's mailbox is full." 

The day has totally lived up to expectations.

Deb W.

Deb, if you'd stop signing up for all those porn sites your inbox wouldn't be so full. Just saying.

I got to swim with the Beluga whales at Sea World.  I fell in.  Not really.  It was one of those special (which is Sea World talk for very pricey) behind the scenes interactive adventures.  We had to put on wet suits.  Talk about an adventure.  I thought I'd never get that thing on and then getting it off was even worse.  The whales were super cool.  The water was freezing cold and I felt like a giant frozen whale treat.  I kept hoping the whales didn't decide that day was the day they chose to lash out at the humans for making them put up with all the people getting in the pool with them. 

Tracy, I hope you're not washed away from all the rain. 

ROFL Deb!!! Where's our drink of the day? Make mine a Bloody Mary. I went out to help DH as he was cutting up firewood. I had to keep from watching him because stuff like that sends my worry-meter off the chart. I could tell he was hot, tired and his back was hurting and just felt like something was going to go wrong. Next thing I know he's cursing and shaking his hand. He cut into his pinky and ring finger pretty badly. I honestly haven't been able to look too closely at it but it's pretty mangled. I suggested going to the ER but he says there's nothing they can do because of the type of cut and it being across his knuckles. He's mad at himself for not putting his gloves on and he'd even brought them out and set them down. I think it's cause he's tired and cranky about the testing and just wanted to burn off some steam. Poor guy :(

Wow Callie!  Awesome.

And, we are just looking to change HOUSES!  The one we are in is for sale and I'm sick and tired of people tromping through it   If you've seen one raised ranch, you've pretty much seen them all!

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@iluvjamison

Tina  . . . I hope you're surviving your day.  Tylenol and Vodka, trust me.

Oh yeah. The mammogram was easy. They even rebounded from the squishing already.

The stitches were easy to remove. Mouth is healing. I go back in a month for an x-ray, then in February to see if the implant has taken. If it does, a month later, I go back for the impressions, then should have my tooth before my birthday in April.

Cathy, I hope your DH's fingers are okay. Why do men have to try to be so macho?

@JackieG

We had to put on wet suits.  Talk about an adventure.  I thought I'd never get that thing on and then getting it off was even worse

Yeah, like I'd really need a porn website after that mental image.

Seriously though Jackie, you have a bigger pair then me  . . . . I don't think I could get into a pool with whales.

So, in honor of your brave soul:

The Blue Whale

Deb W.

If I had a pair, that's what color they would have been after the whale interaction adventure.  :)  

Cathy, I hope your DH's fingers aren't too badly injured.  I won't let DH have a chain saw.  He would hurt himself.  No doubt in my mind.  He's better off indoors with computer stuff.  Worse thing that can happen is he gets zapped by a power supply.

I've wanted to do the Discovery Cove (swim with the porpoises at Sea World) -- but the danged psoriasis has my skin so open all the time I really don't dare swim at all any more.  My "jopb" was "helping" them put on her "tail".  

Jackie, to be honest,  I thot of you over and over!!!  Everything they do is total positive training -- they even have a little demonstration with one of the other dolphins.  

Rather than everything just being for "entertainment" this place's thrust is rehab and keeping the animal healthy within this environment because they aren't whole enough to be released.  So in this demonstration she has him (Nicholas) do a few leaps and cutsie stuff for giggles.  But then she lets HIM make up his own program of what he wants to do to get applause.  (and he IS an attention hog)

She told the audience "I don't care *what* he does - it's fine.  And the more you holler and yell and whistle the better he will like it.  The ONLY rule is - he can't do anything twice in a row.  So ... if he repeats a behavior -- don't DO anything .. make NO noise.  Literally **ignore** him.  Let's try that -- can you all be totall quiet ... NOW?? ......Great!! That's exactly what you need to do if he repeats a behavior."

She gives him the "do whatever you want" sign (and they use a shrill whistle instead of a clicker) -- and he did a couple of stellar jumps, and then he swamped the kids with a big splash ... then he slid up on a platform attached to the wall between me and another lady and rolled over a bit and gave a flipper wave as he slid off in one move-- and we both yelled "Yay Nicholas" . .... Well ... he decided to do *that* again and no one gave him any noise. Then he went back and did a small roll-over leap to applause.  

The trainer said "Hmmmm -- that IS interesting.  He loves to hear his name.  What he did on that platform is NOT anything we've taught him -- he made that up.  So he tried to do it again and didn't get reinforced.  So then he did that other leap -- which again isn't something we've taught him -- so he's being REALLY creative today!!"

Afterward I asked them why they use the whistle instead of a click (because porpoises DO click as a natural 'noise' they make) -- and she said "we do once in a while use a clicker and they DO know it's a 'your reward is coming soon' signal.  But honestly mostly we use the whistle because they can hear it UNDER water!  And they can't a click unless they are really close to it.  Thanks for asking!!"

They really try to motivate kids to go home and get into positive reinforcement with their pets.   But I kept thinking of you Jackie -- you would have *LOVED* that training session.   They showed a *lot* of what they do - even medical situations are all trained that way -- so they come up to get weighed, measured, have eyes, mouth, etc. hand checked, and even blood drawn all with medical management behaviors they've trained this way.

But they are so in tune with them it's more shaping than anything else.  *sigh* I told my boss today he almost lost a secretary if they'd had a job opening!! LOL

@sharismom

Why do men have to try to be so macho?

I don't know, but it sure can be annoying!  The other day when they were predicting the arrival of this monsoon storm pattern, DH came home from work in a tizzy, insisting he get on the roof immediately to clear and secure all the gutters.  I prefer he call a professional for such jobs, but he insists on doing it himself.  So, I watch and listen carefully for any sign he's about to fall off our 2-story house.  He thinks at 50+ he's as invincible as he was when he was 20.

Anyway, hope your DH's fingers are okay, Cathy.  And I hope your mouth continues to heal well, Tina.  What a lengthy process!

Callie, what an amazing experience you described!  I got teary just reading about it.  I've never done anything like that; I've never even been to Sea World or on a whale watch boat excursion or anything.  My friend's daughter swam with a dolphin a couple years ago and said it was incredible.  How sweet of David to surprise you with that!

Well, no flooding at my house or my office, but I saw 2 big trees down on my way in this AM, including one right at the end of our block.  There's tons of tree debris blown all over the roads.  They said the rainfall in Portland for the month was the highest since records have been kept, well over 100 years ago.  No crisp autumn weather for us.   

It's 2:36 PST, and more rain is expected before the day is over!

Deb...lol...inbox is full.

Callie that was an awesome surprise..wtg David!

Tina glad to hear your Monday is working out ok.

Cathy sorry to hear about your hubby's accident.  My hubby's truck has been down since Labor day and he has been moping and whining.  I am doing the best I can to get it fixed and he knows it but still.....mope whine mope...finally got his truck back on Thurs. and he is much better.  Keep in mind he probably wouldnt have needed the truck in that time it's just that in case he did.......   My husband is luckier than most..he is spoiled rotten :) yes all my fault and he does not have to deal with problems, I do that.  Half the time he doesnt even know when a problem arises.  This time he worked himself in to a frenzy, ha!

I will have one of those Blue thingys...saw what I fear is a water leak in the utility room this morning...shhhhh dont tell hubby

Callie, the interactive thing with the Beluga whales involved us spending about thirty to forty minutes with the trainers before we got in the water. It was very interesting.  We learned the hand signals and reinforced them with fish for various tricks and behaviors.  Marine mammal trainers pretty much pioneered positive reinforcement training.  As Karen Pryor, one of the forerunners in marine mammal training, said "you can't put a choke chain on a dolphin." :)   It is all shaping and reinforcing.  

Some people might be amazed at what some zoo keepers are doing with dangerous animals using positive reinforcement.  There are almost no limits on what you can teach if you know what motivator to use.  Making it safer to interact with a lion or a mountain gorilla means less stress for the animals, the zoo keepers and veterinarians.