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Sunday, October 5, 2014

Silver Liningness Sunday

I rode by a fully populated pumpkin patch this morning - a sure sign of fall.  I was thinking we should go get some pumpkins while the gettin's good, but then that would break my long-standing tradition of scrounging at the last minute.

I've been contemplating my aquarium.  The zombie fish continue to thrive in their dystopian existence.  I've been waiting for them to die... or whatever it is that zombies do when they "pass".  I don't dare introduce any innocent fish since all of the others I tried died shortly after, even when I check the water chemistry and deem it healthy.

There's just something about those two (Buenos Aires Tetra) zombie fish!  The secret lies with Tina, the sole survivor of the apocalypse.  She was one of the lesbian Black Skirt Tetra threesome.  For some reason, she still lives.  So it's just the flourishing zombie fish and Tina.  They even killed the plants.

In the meantime, I continue to properly care and feed for the monsters and Tina, out of obligation.  My luck, they'll live for another twenty years.  But I've got plans to get a nice Cichlid tank going after deciding that a marine reef setup is too expensive right now.  Magnum suggested getting the cichlids and letting them eat the monsters, but my luck, it would kill the new fish.

cichlids.com

Anyway, we went and looked at nice fish and supplies yesterday.  It was really just an excuse to go for a bike ride on a pleasant Saturday, and it worked.  I managed to not let Meego talk me into buying anything - helped by the fact that we couldn't lug much home on bicycles.  But he did get us to Carl's Jr. to eat like we mean it.

In  movie news, we watched Into the White, which we all liked.  It's based on actual WWII events, and nicely done as far as a story of survival can be done nicely.

And speaking of bicycle rides and survival, I got a flat tire this week.  Unlike my last trailside mishap, this wasn't my fault!  In fact, I've given both Alice and Bella such TLC, it's silly.  Alice was literally running like a well-oiled machine when she pulled up lame.

I was only about a mile and-a-half away from home, and although I had all the first-aid supplies to get Alice rolling again, I was thinking I would just walk it home and fix her there.  So I was walking along deciding if I wanted to pull a PDM - public display of maintenance - when this good Samaritan pulled up and offered me a ride.

Yes, he was a total stranger, but I could (pretty much) tell he was a good one.  I'm not sure, but I'd say he's one of our local military people, he just had that air about him.  He claimed to be an avid cyclist who's "been there", plus he had this roomy SUV.  He was in the neighborhood scoping out houses to buy, so I took him up on the ride offer.

His name is Joe, he drives a newish BMW SUV that's only slightly sullied from carrying a wounded bicycle, and has his left arm in a sling from recent shoulder surgery.  If you see him, give him a shout out.



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16 comments:

Marcy said...

Your story reminded me of a never-dying fish in a fish tank my parents had as a kid. The light stopped working, and the tank got dirtier and dirtier, but one lone fish lived forever. I don't even think they fed it anymore--it must have survived on the algae.

Abby said...

Well now, that's... encouraging...

Anonymous said...

I've been in Alice's shoes before. Just when I think I'm running like a well oiled machine, bam!, something blows. Hopefully she recovers quickly and is able to get back on the trail soon. And a big shout out to Joe! Hooray for the good guys!
Sorry about those fish though. I hope Marcy's not on to something...
We watched What's Eating Gilbert Grape tonight. How I missed a Johnny Depp movie, I'm not sure, but it's the first time we've seen it. Great movie! Now I'm off to check out Into the White. Perhaps that'll be our next movie night pick.

Abby said...

Oh, Alice is fine. She was right back out there the next day with no need for good ol' Joe.

I've never seen What's Eating Gilbert Grape, better put it on the list! I'm usually fine to watch these "man" movies as long as there's a love story (Top Gun? Braveheart? Both love stories cleverly disguised as man movies). Into the White is not really a love story, but I really liked it.

Guano said...

That "Silence of the Lambs" guy had a cast on his arm, too, y'know! Just sayin'....
Watch out for the crazies!

agg79 said...

Between the fishes and the toads, you've got a real soap opera going on there. Tune in next week to see who will survive, who will disappear, and who's getting some (toad nookie)?

Funny you mentioned Carl's Jr. I was out Saturday evening after a crappy day of football and decided to give their new "Mile High" burger a try (must have been all that advertising during the games). A big burger with an obscene amount of bacon piled on (Mmmmmm. Bacon).

And I am shocked you and Alice had to hitch a ride home with a stranger.

Abby said...

There was a crazy guy in Silence of the Lambs?...
In the world of helping strangers, it's difficult to know which side of the car door the crazies are on!

Abby said...

And let's not even get started on the snake!

I've never left hungry from Carl's Jr.
And I think Alice was a bit embarrassed. The only vehicle she's willingly driven in is Ellie Mae.

Ms. CrankyPants said...

Ack!! I was thinking about that Silence of the Lambs guy: Jame Gum was his name. Suuuuuuper creepy. Glad you weren't, you know, stuffed in a well. No, really, it's nice hear that there are sane people still driving around picking up strangers.

Riot Kitty said...

Zombie fish? I have told you about my brother and the cannibalistic fish, haven't I?

Abby said...

Yeah, he was creepy - Jame Gumb that is, not savior Joe. He just dropped me off at the crosswalk, nary a well to be found.

Abby said...

*GASP*, no you have not!

Funny thing, my zombie fish never ATE their victims. The previous colony just all died off one by one within a coupla weeks. Mysteries.

Rock Chef said...

You got a ride from GI Joe? Are you kidding? :-)
I rarely get help when I am in trouble - the drivers seem to zoom past with smiles on their faces, knowing they won't have to pass me on the road today...
We would like to add a fish or two to our pond, but George and Toffee Penny are getting so much bigger than the ones in the shops that we are concerned they would just eat them. Much as I like zombies I am not sure about zombie fish...

Ms. CrankyPants said...

Much to everyone's amusement, my sister dated a guy who looked like Jame Gumb (which naturally became his nickname). Sister wasn't quite as amused...

Abby said...

GI Joe, totally.
Yeah, fish have an uncanny ability to eat their friends and neighbors. I keep these around since there's a strong glass barrier between them and the rest of us.

terri said...

Nice to know there are still real good Samaritans out there. With all the bad stuff in the news, it would be all too easy to distrust everyone. Seems like your gut instincts were good about Joe.