Day One of the Glorious Anniversary Celebration

[aquabean]

"I'm too much of a spaz to write in my own journal anymore."

That's right. It's karotsamused. Why do I even preface this anymore?



So Today is the first of four days of feast and celebration that is marking November 20.
THAT'S RIGHT WE'RE HEADING INTO YEAR THREE FOLKS.

Today, we got up at ... nine. And got back into bed. Then left around ten thirty and had breakfast at the Village Garden. Always a treat.

However, we realized that neither of us would ever be able to get work there in a million years because we are not blonde, fake-tanned, and stupid. It reminds me of a conversation cindelius and I had. They were MySpace girls. We are LiveJournal girls. There's no way it would have worked out.

From then, it was a Spend My Paycheck sort of day, in a super good way. We got yarn and visited a bead store right after breakfast, and. And. And. Having really fulfilling, fun hobbies is expensive if they're not writing. What is this? Stupid gorgeous beads.

Then we went to see Esme! Our sweet, beautiful, charismatic little kamikaze tortoise. She's remarkably determined. We put her in Rune's parents' backyard and she went straight for the clover and ate her way in. Then began constructing one of her many Secret Tunnels by eating strategic paths through the clover. Only to be foiled by the garden hose. Damn.
Meanwhile, Rune and I watched a flock of green parrots fly overhead, chirping and singing and squawking at each other. And we ate tangerines and picked a pomegranate and I petted Rune's cat without really having much of an allergic reaction.

I think I'm getting into this whole In-Laws thing.

Then we took Esme inside and gave her more clover to watch her give it the what-for through her little terrarium glass.

She's a badass tortoise, hell yeah.

The tortoise put us in the mood. It was time to get the Goldfish.

See, last week a very fine blue betta passed away. He succumbed to a bacterial infection that was epic and quite scary, and very, very fast. It culminated in pop-eye and an incredibly saddening frill of bacterial arms wrapping out of his gills.

Poor, sweet Alexander. He was our Guinness fish from the beginning, and it stuck with him to the end.

But. We decided that having an empty bowl, while suitable to his memory, was better used in rescuing another fish from the clutches of PetCo. Those fish? Have it awful.

So we went, and were incredibly, ridiculously depressed. What betta fish had enough water to swim upright in had ick, or other infections, or were just plain depressed. Clamped fins, cloudy eyes, fin rot, and so much -visible- velvet (it was scary) as well as little balls of algae in the bottoms of the bowls.

Rune asked one of the employees to please add water to the bowls that didn't have enough for a fish to even really sit comfortably on the bottom.
He rolled his eyes.

We did not grace them with our patronage, even though we were in the mood for a Goldfish. They all had ick anyway. Yeah. Little white flecks on your goldfish ain't snow, baby.

But there's another PetCo, and they're -still- better than PetSmart. So we thought we'd go there later.

Then? There was Le Target and Cost Plus World Market. After the Vine Ripe and the Costco, of course, but those were unremarkable (aside from the fact that about every male employee at Costco is named Dustin and is of questionable straightness. We watched one get hit on by a woman old enough to be his mom. She shopped at Charlotte Russe, for sure).

C-c-c-cost Plus has the most fun, weird baubles ever. I bought a pumpkin that vibrates when you pull its stem. :D

From there, we went to Pants. Although you would know it as Ross Dress For Less. And I got five dollar shirts! And Rune got jeans! And a shirt too! And it was fun.

After that, we departed the Great Plain that is La Mesa and headed for the PetCo nearer to us. It's supposed to be an Aquarium Superstore.

Ah. Hahahahaha. Ah ha.

So all the goldfish were under observation for the next three days. Probably a new batch or whatever. At least four of them were constipated, dragging lovely little strings of poo around. But, well. None of them had ick or fin rot, and all of them were moving. Upgrade.

The bettas, on the other hand, were abysmal. Actually, probably worse than at the La Mesa PetCo. Some were dead, and a lot were on the way. Almost all had some sort of disease or another, or were just plain stressed from transit and depressed. (Yes. Fish get Depressed. It happens. They decide not to eat and they die. Yay.)

But there were two. One was a half-moon betta (which is a rarer breed, especially to find in pet stores, and thus was selling for the astronomical price of $13), blue with red down his beard, and bright golden eyes. He was very handsome, and assertive. Rune calls him Kangta-Fish.

Then there was the golden Ugly Duckling. He looked sort of muddy and iridescent at the same time, pale yellow with dark eyes and gills.

We decided that if anybody was going to buy one, they would probably pick the beautiful half-moon.

But if, when we go back in a few days to check on their goldfish, he's still there?
We may have to rescue him.

So we bought the Ugly Duckling, because he still looked leagues healthier than any of the other bettas (some were just plain going crazy, darting because they itched). And it took a lot of deliberation over the hamster cages, too. We stood and looked at the cute, fuzzy things, and decided it was way easier to pick a small furry thing to cuddle than a fish to save.

But we still haven't started a pet rat collection, so be proud. Harr.

We have no shame when it comes to pets. Srsly.

But we got the little Golden Boy, and discussed possible names (Eugene, Nicco, Matthew, Greg, Luke (Poo-pooed, and saved for a Golden Crowntail), John...) and headed toward Royal Spices Thai Cuisine.

Okay.

This place?
If you are in the San Diego area, you must go.

If only for the bathroom.

The thing had a flat-screen TV (remote provided), H2 cologne, Aveeno hand lotion, motion-sensor toilet and paper towel dispenser, a Fountain, and little Dixie cups in case you got thirsty while watching the game on the commode.

Seriously.

Seriously.

Ritziest. Bathroom. Evar.

And believe me, I've been in a lot of ritzy bathrooms.
(There's this one in the Ralph's that is mindblowingly nice. Especially for a grocery store bathroom.)

Oh, the food was nice too. Mmm, wonton soup.

Then we went home and managed, somehow, to grab all the shopping and lug it upstairs while not upending the fish.

Now he (tentatively called John) is in His New Bowl and marvelling at his plant. It's really rather cute. He forgets its there and bumps into it sometimes. It scares the crap out of him, but he's learning. You can tell he's never lived in something this big his entire life.
It also shows in how he's teeny.

Soon he will bulk up! Maybe he'll even be a fatty like Mickey. (Although now that Mickey's on a diet he looks happier. Silly pig.)

But yes. Today was long and epic and thoroughly enjoyable.

I think I'll dye my hair and go to bed. :D