This sort of has to do with running...

I signed up last week for the Turkey Trot that is put on here in Cilleyland on Thanksgiving (natch).  Unfortunately, that means I can not take part in the turkey trot that is being organized by bloggy friend Alisa.  I feel bad about that, as I haven't yet gotten to meet any fellow Cilleyland running bloggers.  But see, the Turkey Trot that I am doing, well, it's at the zoo.  And the zoo (a good zoo) is, after the ocean, my favorite place to be.  You should see the roughly nine zillion pictures I took at the one day I spent at the San Diego Zoo about ten years ago.

Oh, wait, San Diego.  Okay, the zoo is my third favorite place to be, right after the ocean and Sea World.  You know, I've never thought all that much about my favorite places.  Mostly because I haven't really been anywhere.  But I think it might look something like this:

1.  The ocean.  I'd say the beach, but the beach at a lake or river, while good, just isn't the same as the ocean.  I've been to the Atlantic once and while it was nice, it's just not the same as the Pacific.

2.  Sea World.  I'm not particular which one, although I've only been to the one in San Diego to date.

3.  A good zoo.  I've been to Woodland Park (Seattle), the Oregon Zoo (Cilleyland), the San Diego Zoo (guess), and the Denver Zoo.  It's my favorite place to take pictures; I have a particular talent for otter porn and for pictures of the animals' bums.  I've been meaning to e-mail a few particular pictures from one of my recent trips to the Oregon Zoo to the Gazelle.

4.  Sedona, Arizona.  I've only been once, and only got to spend a couple of hours there, but I loved the feel of the place.  I've always wanted to go back.

5.  Disneyland.  The happiest freakin' place on Earth.  Where you could practically decapitate random hospitality workers and they would still be nothing but polite to you.   They put you in a good mood simply by osmosis.  I even love the "It's a Small World" ride.  It would be great to do one of their races.  I'd include Disneyworld with this but I've never been.

6.  Universal Studios.  Just randomly cool.  Did you know that if you are unable to go down the series of escalators set into the cliff, separately the upper part from the lower part, that you can take an elevator down to a shuttle where they will then drive you through the backlots, off the tram routes, to where the escalators end?  Mostly these are people with strollers and physical disabilities, but -- and I love this -- if you are acrophobic, like I am, they will also let you take the shuttle.  Because acrophobia is really a disability when you think about it.  This phobia will physically keep me from doing certain things.  It's just like someone in a wheelchair and stairs.  A person in a wheelchair can go down stairs.  It's going to be a bumpy ride, sure, but they are physically capable of doing it.  But no one is going to make them, are they?  The same reasoning applies -- or should apply, don't get me started -- to someone with a heights phobia.  Yes, I could walk across that narrow walkway.  There is no way in hell I'm going to do it, though, because some glitch in my brain won't let me take those steps.  Hmm, now I'm really off topic.

7.  Vegas.  It's Vegas.  Enough said.

8.  Southeastern Montana.  The Force in action.  Enough said.  Plus Yellowstone is right there.

9.  Summer camp.  Specifically, Camp Sealth on Vashon Island in Washington.  At least the one that exists in my memories.

10.  Sun Valley/Ketchum.  I love it up there.  Getting a burger or prime rib at the Pioneer Saloon in Ketchum, sitting under a huge steer head.  Moooooo!  Riding horses through the Sawtooths.  I'm typically not a mountain fan -- I like the mountains but there gets to be too many trees and I start to feel claustrophobic -- but there is something about this area.  In the summer, though.  Has to be summer. 

Alright, enough for now.  I need to get out more.

Cheers,
the CilleyGirl