Shark Week!

I LOVE Shark Week on Discovery Channel. In case you didn't know, this past week was Shark Week. Discovery Channel dished out daily doses of shark shows, everything from the top ten deadliest sharks to special hour-long features on certain types of sharks and their terror-inducing attacks. I'm fascinated by all marine creatures. Sharks, in particular, have both my respect and curiosity. I want to get in a boat-side cage to see a wild great white shark in South Africa. That would be amazing! The great white sharks off the coast of South Africa and Northern California have been caught on camera launching their aerodynamic bodies out of the water while hunting. I'd love to see that, too.

If you missed Shark Week, here is a quick recap of the five sharks that are consistently ranked as most dangerous year after year (in other words, do not free swim with these guys):

• Great White Shark - common in northern California, South Africa, and Australia. This was the star of Jaws (although that movie made this shark out to be a maneater when most attacks are simply a case of mistaken identity - the shark thinks the human is a seal - but I guess that doesn't make the victim feel any better).
• Tiger Shark - common in Hawaii, but also travels worldwide and is a total scavenger - will eat anything - which makes the tiger especially dangerous. My scuba diving instructor was killed by a tiger shark - no kidding - scary.
• Bull Shark - this is a tough smaller shark - scrappy and mean. It comes into shallower water and is also able to tolerate fresh water. Bull sharks have been found as far up the Mississippi River as St. Louis! Yikes!
• Oceanic Whitetip - this is the guy that you'll meet if you are ever stranded in the open ocean after a boat accident or plane accident - this shark will find you no matter how deep the water or how remote the location.
• Hammerhead - not as aggressive as the other four, but unpredictable and big.
  

And back inland in Charlotte, my week flew by...

Tuesday. Drove to Columbia with Taylor to visit Gigi, Big Dale, and Baba Ieko; went to Mad Platter with Josie, Emma and Jack to paint pottery; Taylor took her first swing at Woodland Park - she loved it! Home again by 10 pm.

Wednesday. My sister Sarah visited at lunch and Taylor fussed until she napped in the afternoon; bank and fresh market and harris teeter, oh my; made KJ's Casserole (my latest attempt to cook by mix-and-bake method); Aunt Linda and Uncle Wayne stopped by to bring Taylor her super-sized, exquisite birthday beach plate; I finished mixing the casserole; hubby stayed with Taylor while I went out with my sis to the Amos Lee concert at Neighborhood Theatre and heard all my favorite songs and then some; helicoptor fan; fork; brown-chicken-brown-cow (a very funny joke!); and more Shark Week!!

Thursday. Gag me with a spoonful of carrots...Taylor tried carrots, made a yuck face, spit them out and actually gagged. We spent the evening at Olde Providence Racquet Club, watching Pete play tennis in the Pro League. He won his match!

Friday. Took it easy. Starbucks time. The first day of August, already!?!

Saturday. Mommy Time (my two hours each weekend day to do with as I please...). Taylor and I visited with Kevin, Jessica, Kayleigh, and Nathaniel while they stopped over in Charlotte on their annual trip from Cleveland to Jekyll Island, GA. And more Shark Week!!

Sunday. Today is Sunday. I'm writing at Starbucks during my Mommy Time...

What a week! How was your week? See any sharks?