Monday, August 6, 2007

Holy crap, it's a puffin!

Sometimes it amazes me how articulate I am. For example, I was at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1982 and I stumbled across my most favorite self portrait by Rembrandt. I'd never seen it outside the pages of an art history book before. When I saw the real deal in all its amazing beautifulness, I burst into tears and said, "Oh, wow!" in my best 1960's California girl lexicon. How's that for profound commentary?

So anyway, I got to go to the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward last month with my grandkids. What a great place! My absolute favorite thing was the seabird exhibit. I stepped in, took one look and said, "Holy crap, it's a puffin!" It was downhill from there. Once the birds started diving for fish, I was reduced to repeating "Omigod, omigod!" while hopping up and down and pointing. Maybe that's better than a pedantic lecture on seabirds, aimed at the grandkids, but I'm supposed to be a role model! How am I going to feel when they respond to life's best experiences with their grandmother's native language, proto-Valley Girl? I mean, like, they'll be all, "Omigod, bitchin'!" Well, okay, the truth is I'll be all, like, "Totally!" while I beam at them. Passing it on is the least I can do.

Anyhow, my secret desire is to retire to Seward and get a job throwing fish to the seabirds. Omigod! Omigod! It'd be awesome.

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