Wed Sept 8 - Started the day off with a "Whale Watching Tour". Compared whale watching prices with two companies. Boarded the Caroline. Went out the middle of the bay. Sat up front, froze, and the movement from the boat bouncing on the waves tickled my tummy. Within the first hour we saw a Sun Fish or a Mahi-Mahi I think they call it. The motor stopped and we circled it a couple times. Tryin to stand or taking pictures with that much swaying made me sick. Motor went back up and I was fine. After the first hour or two the motor slowed down and we juss meandored around looking for any sign of whales. Then it got boring. Started to get sick in front and not going fast. Went to back of boat and sat in cabin and closed my eyes. Another hour it seemed like went by and still nothing to see. Finally got my mind to stop thinking about the swaying and went back out to the back of the boat and got some fresh cold air when we were closer to the shore. Had to pee, stood at back of the boat the next 45 minutes it took to get back to the dock.

The Captian was getting desperate of things to say/do to keep us interested. He stopped by the kelp where the otters wrap themselves up in it and sleep. After more than 2 hours on the boat with nothing to see/do I think we all wanted off, wanted to be on land again. They gave us vouchers to come again another time and chance seeing something. Pff. Not if I can help it. So we are giving our vouchers to Min and Claine and let them go out and get seasick and bored for two hours, see if they can see any whales. Hopefully the money will be put to good use somehow.

We got off the boat and went straight to the restrooms (they had some on the boat, but they say not to use it when yer sick), sat on the john and tried to tell my brain I wasn't swaying anymore. And oddly enough we were hungry after that. We were tired, sunburnt, hungry and getting a lil ornery. We had small disagreements with where to get lunch. But we sat and he ordered a salad for us. I guess he didnt believe me when I said I was hungry. We ordered the special for the day some BBQ chicken sandwhich and split that. After food we were nicer.

We continued to check out Cannery Row while we waited for Min and the boys to come down so we could rent a bike, kinda like tandum bikes but 6 seats, four pedals, a lil basket up front for the kids. So the 4 adults and Brax and then Cole up front on this little bike thing. Me and boy took turns pedaling, Brax took one too, we made Claine drive and Min took the fourth pedal. $30 for an hour. We biked up to Lovers Point and played at the beach there and then rode it back. 1.2 miles each way. It was ...different and fun.

Then we went home and the boy cooked us all dinner. Steak, peas, and corn on the cob. mm good. No carbs. Then we had cake and ice cream for dessert. Showered my sunburnt head/face and went to bed.

Thurs, Sept 8 - Spent the whole day indoors at the Aquarium. The last two days had been less fog and sun shining. Today was a good day to be indoors and not freeze cuz it was foggy and not so much sun. Lack of sun helped the sunburn too. But we started the aquarium at 10am and was finished around 3pm. Theres about four major sections. We saw some of the fish and penguin feedings. My favorites were the seahorses and the puffins. I got lots of video of those. Those are birds with personality.

Touched everything in the touch pools from starfish, urchins, crab, snails, to sea cucumbers. The sea cucumbers were my favorite to touch. You could touch bat rays (sting rays) too! They have learned to stay away from all the hands tho so they had a swimming pattern to keep away from being touched. But one got to close and I touched it. There were baby ones in the corner and they were easier to touch. The water was cold and deep. There was a flat fish juss laying on its side half buried in the sand at the bottom that was close enough to touch. It was cool. It was funny to see other ppls reactions to touch pools and the bat rays. A lady and guy show up and she says 'Touch all this' and the guys like 'You can't touch that stuff' and she's like 'Yeah, thas why they call it a touch pool' and all the friendly volunteers show up and encourage nice gentle touching. Really the volunteers are juss old ppl that want to talk to someone so you get an earful. We accidentally asked how you can tell a starfishs' gender and we ended up getting a sex-ed lesson about starfish.

But that aquarium is cool, very unique, things I prolly wouldn't find in an aquarium inland. Creatures I've never seen/heard about before. But when theres equivlant to spiders and snakes under water then I know for sure its not the place for me.

We stopped for lunch and had a bread bowl of clam chowder and a smoothie. I stopped by all the gifts shops and looked for something to get Glen. Everything was super expensive of course. But I did find a penguin thing I thought was cute and clever and was almost worth the price too, so I got it for Arthurs Bday pressie. I also got a keychain for my keys that wouldn't be so gawdy. But we went to some other stores and got some cheaper tourist stuff for Glen. We got him a magnet, a keychain, and a picture/postcard with some sea otters. Apparently he likes otters. I think we did good.

Got Gma a key pocket holder thing at ChinaTown. I got a starfish for Renee. Got a set of bowls and spoons from ChinaTown for Danny and Shana. Evan got his girls some stuff in ChinaTown. I got my mom a magnet from Monterey Bay. I dont think Dad cares. Didn't see anything for Dallin and Loryn. I saw some things for Sarah, but that means I'd have to buy for the boys too and that was juss too hard. And of course I bought a lot of things for me. I'm not sure I have any more room to bring back souveniors. So I thought I'm good on the buying things for me and others front.

After the aquarium we went over to Bubba Gumps for dinner. I had shrimp scampi and the boy got a "popeye" sandwhich (breaded shrimp sandwhich). We went to Bubbas and got shrimp. Min and the boys got burgers. They got a cajun chicken sandwhich tho with a sandwhich. mm mm good. The shrimp scampi wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. But the service was great. He asked if the boy was done with his potatoes and he said yea, but I wanted to finish them so I took them away from the waiter. He thought it was funny. Then after we paid he asked us Forrest Gump questions. There are Forrest Gump sayings engraved on the table and most of the answers to the questions were from the quotes I read so I knew all the answers. It was a fun kinda redneck place based around Forrest Gump.

The boy ended up not feeling so good so he ended up going to bed around 7pm or something so did Cole. Then the rest of them went to bed around 8:30 and here I am typing and talking to Natalie on the phone.