05.31.06
2:18 a.m.
thoroughly exhausted and happy about it
So, let me preface my story with these two facts:1. Today was field trip day at the museum and there were at least 200 10-12 year olds running fucking wild.
2. It was also free senior citizen day, so there were 200 or so 65-90 year olds carting around on their scooters fucking wild.
That said, it fucking ROCKED.
I think I�m a bit on the morbid side, and I could�ve stared for hours. Unfortunately, the person I choose to go with could�ve sprinted through the entire museum and it wouldn�t have been fast enough. You�d think she was ADHD, illiterate and unable to read the plaques, because she refused to spend more than 5 seconds looking at any one thing.
I�m going back. And, I�m going back alone on a day when there are no children, old people, or annoying friends who have no patience or desire to go to a museum no matter how much the insist they want to.
The Body Worlds exhibit was the best thing ever invented. That�s really the only way to describe it. I realize it�s not for everyone, but I could�ve stayed for hours.
The highlights for me:
1. The first display was of a man�s skeleton, standing next to the muscles of his body, �walking� next to a child�s skeleton. I stared for 10 minutes. They aren�t behind glass and you can literally stand inches from them. It�s unreal. His fingernails were still attached.
2. Most of the bodies were just muscles, tendons, and bones; no skin. Except they all had belly buttons, lips, noses, ears and winkies or vaginas. I stared at the winkies and I feel a bit perverse for doing so. But, they were just�.hanging there. I couldn�t help it. I stared at dead people�s winkies. There was a girl ballerina and without warning you turn the corner, and WHAM! vagina right in your face. No warning whatsoever and it�s at eye level.
3. They have an area where you can hold a brain and a liver that has been plasticized. The brain was heavy and smooth, but the liver was light and velvety feeling. If I donated my body to the exhibit I�d be a little proud that a million people had held my brain. But, I�m weird like that.
4. There were slices of bodies. Like slices of toast. Yum.
5. There was a woman who was 5 months pregnant. They had cut away just enough to see the fetus, but left the rest of her body intact. She was the only exhibit behind glass. Also, the whole reproductive section, with fetuses at different life stages, was hidden in a corner. Had I not known about the pregnant lady, I wouldn�t have even known to look for her and would�ve completely missed it. I really don�t understand why they would do that. Oogling dead adults is ok, but not dead children?
After the too short tour through the Body Worlds exhibit (something that was estimated to take 2-3 hours took us only 45 minutes because someone sprinted through) we had tickets to the planetarium. I hadn�t been to the planetarium since I was 12 and I was thoroughly excited.
Until two groups of field trip kids got in line behind us.
Amazingly though, they were quite throughout the show. It was the lady right in front of me with the screaming 6 month old that ruined it. Why do people think they have to tote their child everywhere? And, why does having a child suddenly disable your common sense and courtesy?
After the planetarium show � which also kicked ass despite the screaming baby � we looked around the museum. It has been almost 15 years since I had been to the museum, and most things were exactly as I remembered. Nothing had changed, there were just additional exhibits added.
I suppose history doesn�t really change.
No cameras were allowed in the Body Worlds exhibit, because you�re suckered into buying postcards (which I totally did. Happily). I did bring my camera, but the lighting was poor in all the exhibit areas, so forgive the bad images. Also, I was only allotted a total of 3.5 seconds at every display because we were sprinting.
I don�t know why, but the koalas scared me.
They�re so perfect, they belong in a museum.
This is supposed to be a replica of an underwater scene. However, all I could see was a floating tampon.
The fishies, they have feet!
I like to imagine he had one big eyeball in the middle.
Kind of like a pre-made skull and crossbones.
This is exactly what some of the body slices looked like, but unfortunately these are just pretty rocks and not a lung.
A really cool crystal that didn�t come out so pretty in the photo.
That completes your whirlwind tour of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
I did however get you a souvenir. I bought a bunch of postcards to mail to all my wonderful friends. If you�d like one, just email me your address. I don�t have many left, but fret not. If you want one I�ll get you one when I go back, so just email me.
Just be prepared, because they aren�t exactly �pretty�. There�s one in particular which really creeps me out, and I don�t want to send it to anyone for fear they may faint. So, I�m sharing it with all of you!
It gives me that fatal attraction vibe. However, if you would like this one, I�d more than happy to give it to you. Otherwise, you�ll just have to be surprised when you open your mailbox.
I�m exhausted and I�ve rambled incoherently for long enough. Night.
Oh, I went to the IMAX theater and saw Wired to Win: Tour de France. It was nice. I felt a little bit of motion sickness, but nice.
Ok, goodnight.
