Somehow, somewhere, I came in contact with poison ivy and why I have it halfway around my midsection is an absolute mystery. Regardless, it's been the cherry on an otherwise less-than-lovely week.

Unfortunately I managed one additional downer last night, a wedding at the zoo. We shouldn't have gone for several reasons but we're fond of the groom, the son of my husband's friend and we were looking forward to putting some faces to the names we've heard mentioned frequently over the years.

I have mixed feeling about zoos in general and I haven't been to the local zoo for over two years since a beautiful four-day-old male elephant died after falling into the elephant swimming pool. Yesterday evening the elephants were elsewhere but the pool was still there in a sad-looking yard with tattered awnings, a real disgrace. The three lions who were half-grown when I saw them last are beautiful and seem to be in good condition but they're still kept in the old enclosed exhibit while the zoo has gone on to build an extensive outdoor exhibit in order to add a couple of tigers.

We sat in a big windowless room with a couple who blathered on and on about their kids, more privileged young people who are planning careers in the arts and/or entertainment industry. It's a freakin' epidemic. I can't believe how many kids we know, or know of, are planning to be actors, film makers, "communications" majors, fashion designers, one wants to be a 'stylist' whatever that is... And they're spending up to $200,000 for college degrees in this silliness. How in the world are they going to cope, to keep a roof over their head, put food on the table when they realize that the country's been living on cheap credit and cheaper oil for over 20 years and that they're actually going to have to live most of their lives in a world doesn't look anything like the one they've grown up in?

I didn't even try to tally the food at the reception when we got home. Cupcakes; what's with the cupcakes?