Line 'Em Up

Yesterday, Felix, Savannah, my parents and I decided to have an adventure...not that every day living isn't adventure enough...but we decided it was high time for a field trip. We headed to the Body Worlds exhibit at the Library Complex in Salt Lake.

We left plenty early to secure parking....oh, we so way learned from our symphony adventure. Forturnately, we went into the parking garage and found the one and only available space right next to where we had to go in. YAY US. That kind of thing rarely happens to us, but we were grateful it did.

We managed to head in and find out where the line for the 2:30 tickets was (were?). We were directed down to the basement where a long line of eager museum fiends gathered. We took our place at the end of the line, and then took turns in the bathroom so that we wouldn't have to run through the exhibit.

We were so excited, because we were only in line about 15 minute and we started to move. After finding out how many were in our party, after a brief moment we were taken upstairs...ROCK ON, we couldn't wait to see all of this stuff that my family had personal experience with thanks to our own desire to keep the medical profession on its toes.

As we excitedly pranced up the stairs, we were stopped dead in our tracks because we were in another line. WOW. We decided it wasn't too bad, the line was moving pretty good, so our excitement didn't really fizzle out. We were so excited and we couldn't wait to see all of the skinless exhibits...Discovery Channel LIVE AND IN PERSON...okay, not really live. I mean I was alive, the exhibits weren't, but this is the kind of thing I get a kick out of.

And way we made to the front of the line in about 15 minutes, not bad. That meant we would make it in time to keep our babysitter from hating our guts. At the front of our line, our hearts fell as we were directed to the back of the next line. As we pulled our dejected excitement slowly behind us, we did get a kick out of the entertainment. There was a skeleton projected up on the wall that you can send text messages to and have projected up on the wall. Felix texted 'Did you come for the 2:30 ticket time too?' There were really some very clever people in line...and of course, some that were so lame you had to think, are they really going to get the exhibit as they walk through? Okay...I know I am judging...but, before you judge me too harshly...just know that I judged myself too, and my judgement of me was that I was too lame to send a text message...okay?

Well after about 30 minutes we made it to the front of the line, where we were directed to, guess what? A NEW LINE. This was so way better than Disneyland. Because I don't know why any one else goes to Disneyland, but I go for the lines...Heaven, I'm in Heaven...WOOHOO.

About halfway through the fourth line there were signs telling you no food, no drink, no gum, no cell phones, no flash photography, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...Well after an hour in various lines, we decided that was more of a guideline than a rule. You know, kind of like how 2:30 was more of a suggestion....

As we made it to the front of this line, we started to get excited again because yay, we didn't see a line in front of us. So we marched up the stairs, excited to get started and again, were dejected as we realized we were at the end of another line. We were in this line for about 20 more minutes...and really we got to know one another again. Really, there wasn't anything else to do.

We happened to be near the screen where they take disabled and elderly folks to the elevator, and unfortunately, a very well seasoned woman was taken through our line to the elevator. The unfortunate part was that we were there to see her, and she became fodder for our mean and sadistic sense of humor that seems to run in my family. Although, by the end of the conversation, we had made a pact to look for her near the end of the exhibit...nuff said?

Okay, we made it to the front of this line, and they scanned the tickets, we walked through the turnstile and Felix had to, really, he just had to, turn around and ask where the end of the next line was...we are so mean. Expecially since we all had to subdue our laughter when she said that there were no more lines, the exhibit started right there...behind that guy...okay...no lines my tushie.

There were really not any more lines, only the people with the guided tour who were block all of the through ways. It was crazy. For about the first 25 minutes, every exhibit we viewed, we had a corresponding family health story. It was really kind of sad. Although, we couldn't help snickering through the entire exhibit.

It was all very cool though. Savannah couldn't handle all of the tiny babies, so we had to kind of run through that part. But I gotta tell ya, Savannah does not want to smoke, drink or eat fat ANY MORE. I wish I could be deterred that easily (about the fatty food part, I don't want to smoke or drink...kay?). She also is able to readily tell the difference between men and women. She was pretty grossed out. I couldn't help but laugh, because Felix just responded to all of her questions, with ASK YOUR MOTHER. The big baby. But, at least we have had 'the talk' and Felix gets the next one. Ha ha.

By the end of the exhibit, we were starting to get tired of swapping doctor, surgery, ambulatory and non-ambulatory stories and decided it was time to move on. It was fun, but standing in line that long kind of does a number on people who have had double knee replacement, multiple back surgeries and a host of other fun experiences...it was kind of old hat for us.

Lessons Learned
1. A lot of the people who donated their bodies to science were smokers.
2. I still haven't figured out why there was a naked ballet dancer picture there.
3. I also am not sure why they had the trapeze body so heavily taped to the trapeze...did they think she was going to fall off and get hurt or something?
4. We never did find a gall bladder...bummer, we had multiple stories to swap on that one.
5. I'm grateful the people directing us to the lines didn't have cattle prods...oh, and, um MOO.