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5-1/2yo Mandrill, Ajani, at San Diego Zoo. We spend A LOT of time together. (Taken 5.4.22)

I guess like everyone, I expected this to be a mellow week. COVID-19 is rising, but just as easily could be falling, either way, nobody seems much to care. Russia continues to attack Ukraine but we get to watch comfortably from our couches; a problem for other people to deal with as far as most Americans are concerned, so long as our prices don't keep rising. And then on Monday night, Politico (which, ugh, nobody can stand in the first place) drops this draft document of the Supreme Court's probable future ruling on Roe v Wade and it feels like everything is just upside down. Like it shouldn't come as a surprise, but we didn't expect it until summer and so much nonsense can happen between now and then.

I just wasn't ready for it.

I was looking at the ages of the Senate and there are two women who I guess are still potentially of child-bearing age, but to think those mostly old, mostly white, mostly men could still knock someone up until their deaths is fucking absurd and disgusting and when you find yourself wishing people die, it's time to step away from reading all the feeds.

So I did. I went to the San Diego Zoo this afternoon and had a lovely time. I guess I have a little pattern I like to catch - get a beverage refill - usually Coke or tea, but today, iced coffee, see if the mandrills are out, check on the African Gray Parrots, see if Denny the Gorilla is out. Today he was and came right up to say hi, look at some photos on my phone, then found some other phones to watch before going behind his hill. Then I make my way to the Bonobos where I eat my lunch in the quiet part, take some photos when they migrate from one side of their habitat to the other, then I'll circle down to see if the hippos are still out (they were already on their beach ready to go in), visit the baby takin, catch the elevator back up. Sometimes from there I'll go around Elephant Odyssey or take the Skyfari back to Explorers Base Camp, but I walked back to the gorillas before they went in at 5, cruised by to see Aisha the orangutan who was playing all by herself late in the day, then sat with the mandrills and the colobus monkeys until it was all closed and I could no longer linger.

It definitely cleared my head. And I know there's a lot at stake and a lot to fight for and this potential ruling could have massive ripples for so many issues beyond abortion, but for now I'd rather just think that I'm so glad and proud to live in California, in a border town that is far from perfect, but always trying to be better, even if it doesn't always work out that way. My family is close, I have an amazing partner, a kick-ass kid, my rent going up probably means my housing is somewhat secure for now, I have a job I enjoy even when it makes me a little crazy, and I generally get to do what I want, when I want. I'm gonna do my best to get listings done, but it's already 3am and I haven't really started.

Stay safe out there.