In sunny San Diego

The Biotechnology conference I attended this week is finally over. I can't believe how big the exhibit hall was. I don't remember how many thousands of people were there, but today I got to bring Joseph with me. We have been staying over with my friend from college, Jeneanne Lock, now Aguirre. Jeneanne's husband, Uriel, was nice enough to bring Joseph to the San Diego Convention Center after he had already dropped me off in the morning.

Joseph had to get credentials to be in the exhibit hall. They had run out of little wrist bands, so the international convention center coordinator printed him a badge. The badge said, "Very Special Bio Guest," and showed that he was approved to be there. Joseph got lots of oohs and aahs when people saw him walking in with his badge. I wish that I had had a camera there with me. He got lots of candy as we walked around the different booths. People gave him things left and right. Over the past few days of the conference, we have lots of toys and other loot.

Yesterday we went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. It was over a hundred degrees and Joseph fell as he was walking down a hill. He scraped both of his knees. It took me a while to calm him down. We did go on a short tram ride, but Joseph could hardly see the animals. All he was interested in was getting to the gift shop to buy a toy (a plastic turtle). Overall, I think the zoo is the better bet. We could have paid lots more money to go on the bigger safari tour with elephants and lions, but we had two kids with us who were hot and miserable, as were the rest of us. It was good to see one time, but I don't know if I would go again.

On Monday of this week, we took Joseph to the beach. He didn't want to walk on the sand. I had to carry him. He may be small, but he is not light. Joseph had on his swim trunks and was telling me that he was going to go surfing, but that he needed a little board. We reached the water's edge. He hesitated when he saw the waves, but he didn't scream like last year on the Jersey shore. He stood there while the water washed over his feet and then he demanded to be taken away from there because the water was too cold. Instead he spent a good deal of time playing in the sand far away from the cold water and used my sandals as "boats" that went along the sand.

Joseph and I have also been to the zoo and Sea World. He really loved the shark display. He enjoyed Shamu, but we had flown in and it was almost 10 p.m. here. We didn't get to Jeneanne's place until almost 10:30 and then we hadn't eaten dinner, so we stayed up to eat. Joseph's sleep schedule is all out of whack. On Saturday, we went to the zoo. Joseph walked the entire 4 hours that we were there. He told me that he liked the animals at the zoo. Tomorrow (our second Saturday here) we are going to the aquarium and possibly to tide pools. It should be fun before we head back to Utah on Sunday.