Exotic Ocean City

We had a great time in Ocean City, which is like our own familiar Point Pleasant raised to the power of Blackpool. The birthday girl started her day with yoga on the beach and did a headstand at 20 weeks of pregnancy.

We went off with Kim while Michael studied for his paramedic degree. At the boardwalk the birthday girl strengthened herself with a wholesome calcium snack and then we rode on the great big Ferris wheel.

Then, for something completely different, we went to Assateague Island to see if we could find some of the wild ponies alleged to live out there. Turns out we didn't have to find them, they found us. In fact the whole island was infested with wildlife. We saw a red winged blackbird. And a ton of horses that looked like little-girl pony-porn come to life.

Gretchen drove out from DC and we all had a festive birthday dinner. Michael grillled steaks and I went around the corner for a sack of hot and spicy Callinectes sapidus. While waiting for the nice man to slaughter twelve invertebrates for our dinner I got to watch a crab moult. It was amazing, the shell popped up at the back and then, really slowly, a bigger crab came out. Not, like, a slightly bigger crab but a BIGGER crab. It was like a David Blaine trick.

If anybody needs to know a better way to field-strip a crab, get Michael to show you his method.

Then we had an epic birthday cake and went to bed. Maybe Grey will make a post about what happens if you are pregnant and eat too much crab and birthday cake. She's fine now though!

Update: I have learned that the latin name of the blue crab means "beautiful swimmer that is savory."