June 9, 2006

• Chattanooga, Day 2

  Itinary

  0053 – arrive at Waffle House
  0346 – finish typing notes
  0350 – go back to room, can’t sleep, turn on TV
  05?? – fall asleep
  0815 – wake up call
  1015 – wake up
  1035 – bend pin on Relic
  1040 – check out
  1045 – arrive at Walmart
  1047 – arrive at Cracker Barrel
  1200 – arrive at aquarium
  1210 – start self-guided tour
  1305 – finish first building walk-through
  1308 – stop at café that has free Internet access, blog
  1322 – building 2

  Thoughts
  1102 – Don’t know why I let it happen, but I did. When I woke up last night, I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I talked to Beth, went to Waffle House and typed up my notes.

  Watched Matlock when I got back to the room. When that went off, (I guess around 0500/0530) I channel surfed, learning about Zarchari. There wasn’t much else on. I fell asleep.

  Wake up call at 0815. Forgetting there was no snooze button on wake up calls, I roll over. Awake at 1015, check out being at 1100.

  Hastily, I run some water in my hair so it will lay down, but it doesn’t.

  Go to put on the Relic, but the pin is hanging out again. (It has done this ever since I purchased it.) Attempt to push it back in only to bend it. Damnit! This is no way to begin a vacation day. Of course, Walmart doesn’t have any pins that size, so it can’t be fixed until I get home.

  Order the maple pancakes. Of course, I forget to tell them no butter.

  Return Reggie’s phone call from 0655 this morning. He was just checking up.

  Been thinking about skipping the aquarium, but I payed for it and have this day off too.

  1210 – For some ungodly reason, two sets of tickets printed when I went to redeem my voucher. “They” swear I haven’t been charged twice.

  Parking is $8.

  I tried to find Limbaugh on the dial on the way over to hear his take on Zarchari, but no go.

  1216 – Until now, I thought that coming to the aquarium would make me want to start my own (at home). Yes, it is true that I have been seriously considering it about three weeks now; in fact, I went to the local aquatic store with the intent of buying the necessaries that day; however, I found there is much to learn about fishkeeping. Though I don’t want to say this so that I might escape implication, it appears that raising fish in nearly as demanding as raising kids. Don’t get any ideas about that last sentence.

  I want a Royal gramma in my tank. Should I consider adding starfish?

  The first attraction is seahorses.

  1232 – Snake are next. I remember this attraction from so many years ago.

  1234 – Otters.

  1237 – River fish.

  1234 – I think about how one would light underwater for fish photography and then I remember I’m supposed to be writing commercials for a local business so I can get them to my storyboard artist.

  1251 – Turtles.

  1254 – Make sure to do research on fins from Lake Nicaragua. Very colorful. Good eye candy for an aquarium.

  1255 – I wonder how much pressure is being exerted against the glass by the water in the big tanks.

  1332 – Tony came out of the closet on his blog today!

  1345 – I have only one hour to get through this building because of the IMAX show.

  The initial attraction is sharks and sting rays. This too, I remember.

  While the motif is humid and vivacious, I move on to the Butterfly Garden which reminds me of the Butterfly Conservatory in NYC.

  1350 – Met a girl who wants to get a book published call Snow Globe Girl. Her Name is Holli. I wished her luck before I continued on my journey. (more on this later)

  1430 – Either I skipped 95% of this building or there just isn’t that much to see.

  Siting in the IMAX building. Bout the Deep Sea Poster. This film is scored by Danny Elfman. Odd, Burton isn’t directing a film that both of his mainstays are in.

  I’d have to say that the best attraction of the trip was Rock City. Of course, the most personal experience was at Point Park. The aquarium was all right. There wasn’t much evolution bullshit which is a plus. Ruby Falls was a ripoff.

  If I had to take a girl to Chat-town, my attraction list would be Rock City followed by Point Park. I’d tag along to the aquarium, but they’d have to be showing a decent IMAX film.

  • 4:27 pm
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