At The Zoo...

After weeks of miserably oppressive heat, today the temperatures finally descended to a level comfortable enough for me to wish I wasn't spending my day cooped up indoors. Rare indeed is the day that I want to be outside, and as luck would have it, the opportunity to go out and enjoy the weather literally came ringing when Brandon, my coworker and fellow elongated coin enthusiast called me at my desk to inform me that he'd heard of a new Mold-a-Rama machine at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Brandon and I have also bonded in the past over our love of Mold-a-Rama machines, although he collects the figurines made from them and I do not. I merely harbor fond memories of the ones my mom would occasionally allow me to make at museums when I was a child, and the nostalgic aroma that wafts from the machines whenever I pass one. To me, it's one of the smells of childhood.

Brandon told me he was going to head over to the zoo during his lunch break, and I asked if I could tag along to make the pressed pennies at the zoo that had been missing from my Chicago collection. Since he already knew where the machines were located, we could make an efficient surgical strike and be back at the museum in under an hour. A quick stop at the bank to pick up a roll of quarters for the machines, and we were on our way.

Since we had so little time, and were focused more on indulging our nerdy hobbies than exploring the zoo itself, we really saw very little of the animal collection. I snapped a quick photo of these cuties, but forgot to read the label to see what they were. Based on the zoo's website and a bit of googling, I think they might be wallabies.

Naptime at the flamingo enclosure.

Brandon getting his new green gorilla.

Getting out of the office for a little lunchtime field trip was an exhilarating respite from my usual work routine, and I'm grateful to Brandon for getting me out of my office and over to the zoo. Never underestimate the power of a little fresh air and a change of scenery to cure a case of "the Mondays..."