if I do get in to Santa Cruz I should probably get a little pet turtle & take good care of it to make it up to them
3/8/2008
I have been accepted to UC Santa Cruz and my family and I flew there this August so I could move in to my apartment near campus. The partially open-air, architecturally almost playground-equipment-looking student union was right next to the beach; the weather was warm and there was a nice breeze. A dude was showing off his time-traveling DeLorean. Basically everything was perfect, but in addition to my genuine happiness at being accepted into the EPS program and delight at the beautiful campus, I was sad because I was in exile; I don't know if there will ever come another time in my life when I can consider myself a Chicagoan again.
My family was at some Parents' event or something, and I walked over to a little metal staircase that led down to the oceanfront. A family of four green turtles (a mom, a dad, and two adorable half-dollar-sized bright green baby turtles) were in the sand right next to the path! I was worried that some other new student or their family might not see them (they were 3/4 buried) and might step on them, so I moved them over to a more secluded part of the beach (by loading them into a large-pocketed lab apron I happened to have). As I was about to put them down the father turtle telepathically told me that I was an honorary member of their family now. I gave them all a big hug and nuzzle, and the turtles were very happy but politely asked me to be careful not to nuzzle the space between the mother turtle's eyebrows because it had been bothering her.
I untied the apron and lifted it off of my head. As I was lowering the turtles to the ground, something happened and I dropped the apron! I was horrified. I looked inside and the mom and dad were okay but hurt (there was a tiny sliver of the dad's shell missing and the mom's had a little crack), but one of the babies' shells was almost split in half and he wasn't moving. I'm devastated. I can't believe their shells split after maybe a 2-foot drop onto soft sand, and I can't believe I was clumsy enough to drop them. I know they won't ever forgive me and I don't know what to do.
I have been accepted to UC Santa Cruz and my family and I flew there this August so I could move in to my apartment near campus. The partially open-air, architecturally almost playground-equipment-looking student union was right next to the beach; the weather was warm and there was a nice breeze. A dude was showing off his time-traveling DeLorean. Basically everything was perfect, but in addition to my genuine happiness at being accepted into the EPS program and delight at the beautiful campus, I was sad because I was in exile; I don't know if there will ever come another time in my life when I can consider myself a Chicagoan again.
My family was at some Parents' event or something, and I walked over to a little metal staircase that led down to the oceanfront. A family of four green turtles (a mom, a dad, and two adorable half-dollar-sized bright green baby turtles) were in the sand right next to the path! I was worried that some other new student or their family might not see them (they were 3/4 buried) and might step on them, so I moved them over to a more secluded part of the beach (by loading them into a large-pocketed lab apron I happened to have). As I was about to put them down the father turtle telepathically told me that I was an honorary member of their family now. I gave them all a big hug and nuzzle, and the turtles were very happy but politely asked me to be careful not to nuzzle the space between the mother turtle's eyebrows because it had been bothering her.
I untied the apron and lifted it off of my head. As I was lowering the turtles to the ground, something happened and I dropped the apron! I was horrified. I looked inside and the mom and dad were okay but hurt (there was a tiny sliver of the dad's shell missing and the mom's had a little crack), but one of the babies' shells was almost split in half and he wasn't moving. I'm devastated. I can't believe their shells split after maybe a 2-foot drop onto soft sand, and I can't believe I was clumsy enough to drop them. I know they won't ever forgive me and I don't know what to do.
Labels: architecture, beach, cuddly animals, death, depressing, family event, grad school anxiety, green, misplaced buildings, playground, time travel, unusual animals
posted by Kat at 12:24 PM
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