So, next week I’ll be in California (I believe I may have mentioned) and one of the cool things I’m looking forward to is a trip to the San Diego Zoooooo (yes, the ‘o’ must be elongated and accompanied by child-like bouncing in my seat).

So what is the deal with going to the Zooooo? Well, I’m actually not sure.

I guess it’s because we just don’t have one of those here. Granted, we don’t have theme parks either and I still get excited to go there although the novelty has worn off a smidge. But we don’t have a lot of things here in our version of a sleepy Capitol town.

When I started thinking about this, I blamed the pull on the movie Madagascar. If you haven’t seen that movie, oh my, what fun you are missing. But even then, is it really the movie’s fault? Thinking back I know I’ve been Zooooo crazy for several years now, well before I bought that DVD (yes, I bought it sight-unseen because I knew it would be good). Back when I was still with V, I was trying to plan a day-trip over to Jacksonville to go to their Zooooo, but it never happened. I vaguely remember my trip to the Audubon Zoooo in NOLA from when I was many years younger (I think one of my brothers might have still been in a stroller then) and I always loved the safari section of Busch Gardens, so I think the ZOooo appeal has been there for a few years.

And then, well, there’s another reason to blame Madagascar; David Schwimmer. No, no, no. I do not have some fangrrl crush on the Dr. Ross Gellar. But, see, here’s the thing. Who better to voice-act the neurotic giraffe from Madagascar? And I believe it was he who described that where they landed MUST be “San D”iego because of all the sand and open planning. And then there’s Marcel. Marcel the monkey who, when Ross had to give him up, San Diego was the ‘Ivy League’ Zoooo that they’d applied to.

So, okay, it’s a combination of things, but yes, I’m Zoooo obsessed right now. Of course, a shrink would probably tell me that I’m fixating on the Zooooo and letting my inner child play as opposed to giving too much thought to the real reason I’m going to California… Ooh, deep. Could be true, but if so it’s only to keep myself from being nervous about meeting Mr SoCal in person. And if that’s why, I’ll continue to bounce in my seat at the thought of the Zoooo up and until my plane lands in San Diego!