I LOVE seals! I’m not kidding. As a child I seriously had like 200+ seal “things” including stuffed animals, wood carvings, posters, t-shirts, figurines, a shower curtain and more! Up until this past year only a select few were aware of this childhood obsession, most of whom were family and were therefore obligated to keep this a secret.

Throughout my adolescence I made several trips to Sea World in the hope I would get to take one of those photos after the water show where you’re getting a kiss on the cheek from a seal…but I was never selected. One time, I even got in a terrible fight with my mother when I saw the San Diego Zoo “Adopt-a-Seal” campaign commercials. I though I would be able to fly down, select my seal, provide it a brilliant name like “brownie,” and bring it home to live in my pool…I didn’t realize it was actually just a paper certificate you get after donating a ridiculous lump sum of cold hard cash.

For whatever reason, this all surfaced last year and reared it’s ugly head as my 2009 New Year’s Resolution: To Hug a Seal. Well it’s officially 2010 and, like many of your new year’s resolutions, mine was unsuccessful and I was disappointed. However, Mary, in her ambitious ways, was determined to not keep me down and found this: The Marine Mammal Center

So after a delicious Saturday brunch we headed down to sign up to volunteer. The first question I asked, “Do I get to touch a seal?” Apparently this was a stupid question, as the docent at the front desk looked at me like I was crazy and said “Yes, you’re volunteering at a mammal center that saves seals.”

So on Saturday, January 23 I will attend my first training, where I hope to accomplish my 2009 resolution and will hug a seal lion or adorable harbor seal. This is me excited.

Kudos to Mary for always looking out for a friend…