Tuesday, June 27, 2006

The Life Aquatic

No, this has nothing to do with the Bill Murray movie. I just realized today, when my son and I returned from a jaunt to the pet store to buy goldfish food and returned with yet another water dwelling creature to add to our glass [bowl] menagerie, that with the exception of the dog, all our pets are aquatic.

The new addition, a male Betta aptly named 'Bob' by my son, brings the total up to seven. Three brine shrimp [who were named for characters from Hamtaro - though I can't remember which ones at the moment], two goldfish [Cosmo and Wanda], the frog [Jiminy as in the Cricket] and now Bob.

They all live in the den, which is, incidently, Saber's bedroom and my office. This way I can keep an eye on everybody. LOL-it just occured to me, I could tell people I work in an office of nine, including myself.

Originally I wanted the goldfish as sort of a distraction, and company for those gloomy winter days when I was chained to my computer writing. I figured having some fish on my desk would give me something to focus on besides the computer screen now and then. The fish sit behind me on the book case now - [too many wires under the desk. DH wasn't comfortable with two gallons of water sitting so close to the computer and laser printer and I don't blame him.] The brine shrimp are on the desk, though. They live in a biosphere, completely enclosed. They require no outside maintenance, which makes them wonderful pets. They zip around their dinosaur-egg sized enclosure eating algae and having 'meetings.' [Sometimes all three of them hang out together in the same spot, heads together, looking like they're having a caucus of some sort.] I suspect they're discussing disestablishmentarianism.

The frog got a place of honor next to the goldfish tank. He spends much of his day now hiding under the large seashell my daughter gave him to serve as his bed. Bob has been placed between the frog and the fish in his own nifty little Betta habitat [$9.99 complete with gravel, plastic plant, food and water conditioner.] He seems rather happy for a Betta.

In between writing, I swivel my chair around to give everyone the 'Mom eyeball' - is everyone still alive? Playing nice? Eating their fish flakes or pellets? Good. Then I can get back to work. Fortunately, there's now no more room on the book case for any other 'habitats' so the 'office' is full.

I'm just glad I don't have to provide retirement plans for everyone.

5 comments:

Two Voices Publishing said...

Thank you, Helena! I will definitely add a link to RealBook.com.

Shelli Stevens said...

OMG that's too funny! I so had the image of the water above the computer and YIKES!! You're making me want goldfish now. :(

Two Voices Publishing said...

Hey Shelli! Goldfish make nice, quiet pets, but gosh they're dirty fish. I remember as a kid keeping a goldfish in a plain old fish bowl and cleaning it out once a week - these two need a tank and a filter. They started out tiny but they're getting huge - I think maybe the store sold me koi by mistake and I'll have to be digging a pond in my backyard any day now.

Angela's Designs said...

A fish called Wanda... :) Strikes me as a great name.

Two Voices Publishing said...

A fish called Wanda... AH! I never even thought of that. We named 'em after the Farily Odd Parents. I guess someone at Nickelodeon had a sense of humor...LOL.