# Where we're going, we don't need roads.



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

​ Yeah. I've been kind of obsessed with time traveling DeLoreans lately.... and the whole journal thing (other people's & mine.) kind of makes me nostalgic but wondering what things will be like in the future. Hence the new title. I consider this journal my DeLorean. The below link will take you to my previous journal if you go at 88mph:

* My old journal*

For those who read that one, I have lost my Firework. I took a break from fish for awhile after that, and gave away my remaining fish. Feeding and caring for the others was just... too hard. It made me miss her more, because she was more than any other fish I've had. So fiesty, such a show-off, and ready to jump and bite my finger off every morning. She cared more about the interaction than she did the pellet. At the risk of sounding crazy, every time I was upset or crying she would refuse to eat. 
All my others just ate the dang pellet. No antics, no angry little flares. No love.








​
_* Crying?*_ Um, no... I just cut up an onion. I do that sporadically through the day... never know when you'll need a chopped up onion.

For those who didn't read that journal, here's what you can expect. I write about more than my fish, so be prepared to hear about anything from science fiction to the latest antics of my kids that strongly resemble wild-indian boys. Although sometimes they're cops. This morning they were Buffalo Bill Jr. I have no idea who that is, but apparently he takes sled rides on a blanket in his underwear, wears swimming goggles and a construction hat, and shoots bad guys with a nerf gun so we don't have to hang 'em.
Yeah, Looney Tunes violence is the least of my worries.

Another thing. I don't have internet at my house, and I only get on about once a week. But I may feel like writing something before that, so I write it and date it. So you may see several entries posted on the same day, but not from the same day...

I'm a coffee addict. Evidence of this may spill over into my posts.


----------



## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Hate to tell you, but Firework looks to be a boy. Did you ever get a confirmation from @lilnaugrim or any of our other experienced members?


Loving the new journal already! Will be following avidly!


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

*8.19.16*

Well... now that you've been briefed, I've bought two new guys. 

Nikola Tesla is a silver dragonscale. You're liable to hear me call him Nik or Tesla, or if I'm trying to tick him off I call him Tessie. I put him in Firework's tank. He doesn't look like he belongs there, but nobody but Firework would. I'm trying to move past it.

One word to describe Nik? Butt-head. 
Okay, yeah... that was two and a hyphen. But seriously. He swims around with a frown and flares at everything, and when it's feeding time I literally hear his little growly voice going, "I accept your pitiful offering of nourishment. Now leave my quarters!"
And me being me, I stick around just to tie his fins in knots.
I totally love it. He's not Firework, but then... that's not even fair.
Oh- he's also addicted to tending his bubble nest. Quite possibly the reason he doesn't like me. Maybe I should make & wear a T-shirt that advertises bubblenest peace in Betta. But I'm not fluent in it, so chances are I'd get a fin swish or a tail wave wrong and I'd give him more reason to hate me by inadvertently swearing in Betta. 

The second one is this guy:









Name pending. I picked him because of that awesome flare he's got going on. And the blood-red dots on his head and streaking in his fins, with a peacock-like sheen. He hasn't arrived yet, but when he does I'll probably put him in the 20.

Caleb (6) just hurt Josh (4) in a friendly wrestling match. Not very badly, but bad enough I sadly told Caleb I was going to have to punish him for using illegal fighting maneuvers. (He knows the rules, but broke them. I was going to have to think of something moderately big for a punishment.) Josh, the ever loyal one, stepped in and asked: "Please don't do that! He's my best friend!"
Since I could see Josh's plea working on Caleb's heart strings, I let him off. I try to encourage loyalty, love, and forgiveness whenever I can. The boys walked away together, and went to their room. I watched them from around the corner. Josh waved his finger at Caleb and said, "Next time you do that, I'm going to get all of your pillows and sell them in a yard sale to..." he paused, while his brown eyes bounced around for a name... but apparently trauma had wiped his memory of people he knows, because he pointedly finalized with: "I'm going to sell them in a yard sale."
Caleb pressed his lips together and nodded his head. "Okay."

What is this? The mafia?!

I thank God I had boys. They are so hilarious. :grin2:


----------



## astrummortis (Aug 15, 2016)

This journal is officially marked. 

Uh, marked to be followed for further reading. I'm very sorry about Firework, but holy crap, what an awesome fish!


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

*Today*

Photo bomb of Nik. Sorry about the diatoms. Been incredibly busy lately and it's gotten away from me. Gah.














































He's warming up to me. Last night I took some dead plant gunk out of his tank, and he swam around (calmly) and watched me, interested yet dignified. I guess I'm allowed to do that. 

Despite my efforts, I destroyed his bubblenest. Oddly enough, he was flippant about it, and this morning there is a new one. 

In the pics where he is swimming downward, he is actually following my finger. Fingers just look fat in photos, (why?!) and my nails are dirty, so I cropped it out.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

ThatFishThough said:


> Hate to tell you, but Firework looks to be a boy. Did you ever get a confirmation from @*lilnaugrim* or any of our other experienced members?
> 
> 
> Loving the new journal already! Will be following avidly!


Thank you! Wow, I did not expect anyone to read it so soon, so I was just ignorantly posting away and trying to get my fritzy computer to quiz spazzing out on me. Sorry about that!

Yes, she was a girl  She had an egg spot. One of her favorite pastimes was imitating boys. :nerd:


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

astrummortis said:


> This journal is officially marked.
> 
> Uh, marked to be followed for further reading. I'm very sorry about Firework, but holy crap, what an awesome fish!


Thank you!! :grin2:

Yes... she was the vibrant eye catcher in my kitchen. My dish washing buddy, since she's within sight of the sink. Tesla's there now... but it's not the same. Maybe in time...


----------



## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

I am very thrilled to see you! Tesla is AMAZING. Wow. I love his dorsal. And the new guy looks like my Shema. 

I am very sorry for your losses. Especially Firework. Their lives are too short.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Found this on google and thought it was funny... along with being one of the coolest cars of all time.


----------



## astrummortis (Aug 15, 2016)

Tesla looks like a monster, he's so cool! Cooler than that awesome car, alas


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> I am very thrilled to see you! Tesla is AMAZING. Wow. I love his dorsal. And the new guy looks like my Shema.
> 
> I am very sorry for your losses. Especially Firework. Their lives are too short.


 Thanks! I am so sorry about yours, too.  *sniff* And your poor daughter... losing Twinkie. Her eyes broke my heart.
I have been catching up on your journal this week and I'm currently on page 82, so I have a ways to go. My computer keeps giving me issues on loading pages, so it's slow going. I have missed it very much! 
Congrats on your new baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I won't ask any questions, since I'm not done reading yet. Perhaps they will get answered somewhere in your journal.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

astrummortis said:


> Tesla looks like a monster, he's so cool! Cooler than that awesome car, alas


Now_ that_ is quite the compliment!!! 
Actually, he's fairly normal sized... maybe the larger end of normal. But he_ thinks_ he's the biggest thing out there...


----------



## astrummortis (Aug 15, 2016)

LOL yes, I didn't mean for size, I meant for appearance. That's a fierce color pattern!


----------



## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Egg spots are not a good way of determining sex.  Do you have a few side shots of her/him?


----------



## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

After further studying & help from Lil, it seems as if Firework is a girl. >.< I couldn't see her Ovaries in that pic until Lil pointed them out.

Sorry! >.< Still looking forward to your journal.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

ThatFishThough said:


> After further studying & help from Lil, it seems as if Firework is a girl. >.< I couldn't see her Ovaries in that pic until Lil pointed them out.
> 
> Sorry! >.< Still looking forward to your journal.


LOL, no need to apologize!


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

8.22.16

The new guy arrived today! Despite the fact he got a bad first impression of his new people, (I'm not even going there.) he seems pretty happy. Most of the time fish seem pretty rattled over getting unpacked and being thrown into another planet, but nothing fazed him. At all.
I released him into the Q tank and he just swam around, like, Awesome! This is mine?! It made me smile, because that Q tank is only a gallon and completely bare, so what is he going to think of the planted 20?!
He is very playful. He'd only been in the tank for a couple minutes when he starting playing with a peice of IAL floating. He'd nudge it, and tail slap it. (seriously! Do any of y'all have a betta that tail slaps stuff?! Must see it if you do!) 
I stuck my finger in there, and he barely acknowledged it. My finger generally freaks newbies out, but he was totally cool with me even touching him. !!!! I am hoping this means he will like to be pet. Ivana used to want me to pet her every morning, and I miss that routine. Get bit by Firework, pet Ivana. Pretty good plan.

I ordered some gup gups. Red-eyed blue albinos. I've wanted to so badly ever since I lost the last batch to the six-year-old-meant-well-but-fried-them-with-a-heater incident. 
I used a different seller, since they were cheaper by the fish, and the seller I used before only had two left. I wanted four. I got four.



















I am hoping to see lots of babies out of them. This will be a learning expierence for me, so if you see me doing something wrong, give me a shout-out. I may glare at you, but inevitably I will heed your advice.

I have some old glass soda bottles. I am contemplating covering one in epoxy, (since I don't know what's in the paint or whatever on the front) and putting it in the fish tank. I think it would complete the whole exotic river bottom look. 
Better yet, I would like to look for something that looks like a large dragon/alligator tail... would that not look cool poking out of plants and roots? 
I have my doubts there is one out there though, (but if you know of something similar, I'd love to give it a look!) and I'm not ambitious enough to make one. Our local stores don't carry clay, anyway. And my design would take a butt-load.

The boys have been after me to get dinosaur bones for the fish tank. I may do that.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

8.22.16










On an off-topic note... I dug this shopping list out of the bottom of my handbag (I had to tug it away from the tissue-dirt-penny-gum monster that lives in the darkest corner) and paused when it was time to toss it. I normally doodle on my lists, but that day I went a little crazy. This is the bottom half. I kind of like the pattern I came up with, and I'm doing well enough on eyes I think I'll move on to noses. I am a little scared of trying to do a betta. 
Isn't that ridiculous?! Scared of drawing a betta. But I am. I have attempted it in the past... I managed to put the pen on the paper, but that's as far as it went. 
Now that I've aired my dirty laundry, perhaps it will give me the courage to wash it. 
I've got a picture in my mind's eye... Beautiful, angry Betta flaring, with a glint in his eye that says he has a softie heart he has put walls around. For background, broken glass and ink splotches.
Keep in mind- it's art. I don't put Bettas in broken tanks.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

8.24

Get ready... I've had plenty of coffee and it's loosened my tounge and removed my filter.

Completely dismantled the 20g last night. It's had some weird algae growing in it, so I took the plants out and washed them as good as I could. I certaintly didn't get it all, but I'm hoping the other measures I'm taking will help. 
Anyway, it's completely re-scaped now. I had pulled the blue hygro out, since it was driving me nuts, but then regretted it. Now it's back in there. We'll see how I cope with the dead leaves, nightmare roots, and constant trimmings.  I gave them their own half of the tank, so hopefully it won't be so bad. It's going to be the dark, mysterious forrest side.
The other side is going to be brighter and 'beachy.' Complete with sand. Only, I ran out of sand, so now I have to make a trip into town before I can plant everything on that side. That's okay, because I have decided I need a sword plant and more vesuvious (sp?) sword, anyway.

I have fallen in love with the new guy. If fish could be kissed, he would seriously be considering shades and a ball cap to avoid his new pathogen-sharing stalker.
And yet, he still doesn't have a name. Nothing seems to be good enough. The boys and I are making a list, and we've been very deeply contemplating what his name should be. Any names concerning his color seem kind of degrading to his personality. 
He is so crazy curious about everything! He loves watching other species. I dropped some snails in his tank while I was cleaning their own, and he followed them all over the place. If they started munching on something, his showy tail and pecs would flutter like an exited puppy. "What are you doing?! Oh. My. Gosh. Is that your mouth?! Awesome!!! And these little wiggly things on your head... are those like pectoral fins?!"
At the moment, he's in the kitchen. And every time we walk by he excitedly flutters to the front of his tank, just curious, not begging for food.
So far the leading vote in names is Declan. I'm still not sure about it. I *think* I'm leaning towards Ruan or Ruar. Our list of names is kind of long... one of them that was on the list is Grass. J chose that one. I was utterly confused so I asked him why. "Because grass makes me happy. Grass is a good name."
Hmm. While amazingly cute, none of the rest of us really thought the fish looks like a Grass. J tried the name out on him, and told us it didn't really fit after all. He decided to save the name for something else that makes him happy. 
Here's some pictures of him in his methylene blue dip. It makes him look weird, but it's better than his very-brown IAL water.

























His best Count [Sesame Street] impression:









Today is happily sunny. My boys are having fun in mud puddles. They like to position J's bike in it so that the training wheels are on boy-made mounds, holding the bike stationary when the peddles are pushed. The back wheel sits in a rut in the puddle, so as they peddle, muddy water goes flying. They are covered in it and grinning like the cheshire cat. What more can a boy ask of life?
I wish we could hook that bike up to power the house, because with as long as they love to run it, we'd never pay another electric bill. (although that would be just another reason to get new fish tank....)

On a slightly weird note... I bought some Bill Nye the Science Guy episodes to play on our Kindle. C is a huge science fan, (yay!) so I am excited to see what he will think. Anyway.... I watched one last night and got hit with the long-forgotten memory that as a kindergartner, I wanted to marry Bill Nye. That was after I wanted to marry Keith from the Partridge Family, and before I got the whim to say vows to Bo Duke. I should not have been allowed to watch television!!!!!

I have been reading BettaSplendid's journal by loading the pages and looking at them through the week offline. (since we don't have internet at our house.) I thoroughly enjoy reading about her life and everything everyone else on the forum contributes on her journal.
I am contemplating printing them off and making a book of it to glance at when I need something encoraging and entertaining to read. Something to quote and get weird looks from the people I am quoting to.
"And who said that?" Faceless, nameless, random person says, in awe of the quirky wisdom they were hit with.
"BettaSplendid." I say, with a matter-of-fact tone that implies her name is as obvious as Einstein, Ben Franklin, or Cheif Joseph.
"Wh-who?" They ask, feeling a little sheepish at needing to ask.
"Nevermind, anyway..." I say, redirecting the conversation artfully. (yeah, right. But being socially awkward, I'm entitled to my daydreams.)

I'm just kidding, Splendid. I won't be your paparazzi or make you famous...  So... can I borrow one of your 'pacas?

While I am quoting people....


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

8.26.16

Sid the Science Kid is kind of creepy. (I'm being nice, here.) Especially his friend, Gerald. What is with all the voices? They sound hopped up on crack. And WHO wrote the songs?! They have no real tune, and the words don't even try to ryhme. It's like those little chants that you try to get kids to stop doing.
BUT, son loves this show and actually retains the science lessons, so.... I suffer out of love with a stupid-happy smile plastered on my face. 

Wal-Mart is no longer carrying play sand. No sand in the fish isle, either. Phht. Saturday I am going to check our farm supply store. I'm betting they'll have it. 

The guppies arrived today!! When I opened the box, they looked translucent. But seconds after putting them in the hospital tank, they started coloring up before our eyes. A half hour later, they were predominately white & yellow with blue sheen. A couple of them are very spotted. (yay!)
J was so excited he almost peed his pants, (I had not told them that I ordered gups) and started singing a song about loving guppies. C simply smiled, and examining the guppies, said:
"This is a very good thing." 
Their color reminds me of this photo I found on Google:









Have yet to find the courage to draw a betta. Doodled on my shopping list last night, and *almost* drew a betta behind the Ludwigia Repens. But the Repens mocked me, and I lost my nerve. 

Had trouble falling asleep last night. Partly because the ceiling fan was on, and I was experiencing the irrational fear that it would fall on me in my sleep. Arrgg. I could've just turned it off, but it was pretty warm in the house. Husband would've woke up from getting too hot, and then not been able to go back to sleep. (he's not programmed to wake up every two hours to check on children by testing the air for "_not right_" vibes like the nun on Madeline and then zonk back asleep like me) Why didn't I sleep on the couch, you ask? Two reasons.

*1.* I refuse to run scared from a ceiling fan.

*2.* Husband would wake up, finding me gone. He would want to know why I'm sleeping on a couch. I would either have to say my back hurts, or tell the truth. The truth would get me a, "Really?! It's not going to fall. There's no logical reason why it would. Stop being ridiculous." Well, duh. It's a phobia. An illogical fear. I know that, but it doesn't change how I feel. And hey, this coming from a guy who's scared of spiders?!
Anyway, once finding me on the couch, he would not be able to go back to sleep but would insist I sleep in bed with the fan off. It would be hot and we would both just lay there arguing about whether the fan should be on or off. Ironically, I would the one saying, "on," with him in mind, and he would be saying, "off," for me. Can you see the can of rabid worms this would open?!?!

It could seriously end in a divorce. In the courtroom, we would be shaking our fists at each other and shouting "I just want you to be happy!!!"

So, yeah. I toughed it out and have circles under my eyes to prove it. Yay, me. I slept in my bed all night.
I find it very annoying that my entire life, I have not been scared of anything 'normal,' but of stupid things nobody else even thinks about. (Nor cares, once I bring it to their attention.)
I have had people make comments such as, "You're always so relaxed." or, "Nothing fazes you." To which, I smile, but inwardly I'm going: "Hah! Just get in a vehicle with me when there's over four people in it. Or worse yet, three. The balance is ALL off, then. Unless the person in the backseat sits in the middle..." Don't even get me started on how much everyone in the car weighs and where they should sit.

End of coffee-induced confessions.

Oh, wait- One more. The dryer keeps eating my expensive underwear. I'm not sure if I should be flattered or angry.

Now I'm done.


----------



## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

I am flattered. LOL. I didn't know my journal was entertaining because usually while composing a post I have children talking to me. Not conducive to complete thoughts. Even now... Daughter is complaining about Son and he is pushing Lego creations in my face. Apparently she accidentally put her foot in her water cup and Son said she had to drink it and... Sigh. So what happened when you unboxed your betta?  

So the fan is only in danger of falling when it is turned on? Does it wiggle? 

I absolutely love those golden guppies. Ooooooo! There are some blue ones I want, fancy type. I talked myself out of it until seeing yours. 

New Betta is very handsome. I love EE, it makes them so expressive.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Well, if you're that distracted, I'd like to see what you could do without being... you know... distracted. 'Cuase you do a pretty good job. While being distracted, that is.

I totally know what you're talking about, though. I snorted my water when I read about your daughter stepping in her cup and your son telling her she had to drink it anyway.... Oh, goodness. Is that an oldest-child thing?! "Hey, you're young, clumsy, and irresponsible. It's my job as the incredibly wise one to tell you that you must deal with your mistakes in very weird and disturbing ways. Okay, stop yelling for Mama. I take it all back."

Ah... unboxing the betta.... For one J was cry-screaming at the top of his lungs and C was trying to tell me how to open the myriad of packaging material and asking what made the bubble wrap reflective. Was it made out of Amoo-mum? (aluminium.) And I was screaming over J's screaming, "NO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S MADE OUT OF. REMIND ME TO LOOK IT UP, AND FORGET ABOUT THAT, LOOK AT THE FISH, SWEETIE!"

Why was J screaming? He does that every time he gets some random bug. He gets in a "don't touch me, but hug me, changed my mind, don't touch me, don't know why I'm crying." mood that just has to be waited out. He did get three inches from the new fish and sobbed,
"I-I-I l-love her! Th-th-th-thank you!"
The whole she-is-actually-a-him discussion waited until after he was feeling better. *sighs* That was a bad day.

As for the ceiling fan... no, it does not wiggle. It just threatens and laughs menacingly.

You should totally get some blue guppies! *squeals!*

The EE's are more expressive, imo.  They're darn adorable. They flutter them like eyelashes. Flirts. 
I put the new guy in the 20 last night, but haven't downloaded the pics yet. He's totally rocking it. Following snails around, finding little hidey-holes. He also likes to flare every time we walk past him. So funny!! J keeps telling him he is "such a cute lil girl!' *sigh* The new dude is going to get a complex by a well-meaning four year old who thinks pink can only reside on the female species. 
Occasionally a duckweed gets caught in the filter and he likes to chase them.


----------



## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Ah. Well I can't sleep with the ceiling fan going. It makes my eyes sting even when they're shut and the skin on my face feels like it is burning. BUT this doesn't happen during the daytime. We all have our peculiarities. 

Also, in the winter I dry my underwear by hanging it from the dining room chandelier over our dining table. Because the woodstove blows heat there. I am so NOT kidding either. It works really well... right up until an unexpected guest shows up. One would be embarrassing, but 10 pairs looks intentional right? Clearly, I am just drying them. Ahem. I never put them in the dryer nor like fleece stuff, too static-y.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

BettaSplendid said:


> Also, in the winter I dry my underwear by hanging it from the dining room chandelier over our dining table. Because the woodstove blows heat there. I am so NOT kidding either. It works really well... right up until an unexpected guest shows up. One would be embarrassing, but 10 pairs looks intentional right? Clearly, I am just drying them. Ahem. I never put them in the dryer nor like fleece stuff, too static-y.


 LOL! I don't have troubles with static, but I started hanging them up, inspired by you. 

My youngest son (4) is the world's worst negotiator. It's adorable. He gets an idea in his head (usually a very odd one) and it takes forever to get him to let go of it. I also have a theory that he doesn't like to be wrong, so he's always determined to see his argument through. (usually a very sweet and well mannered argument, at that. hehe.) Last night at supper, it was this:

Me: "Eat one more bite, and then you can have a cookie."

Him: "Okaaaay, how about I eat just two more bites, and _then_ I can have a cookie?"

Me: "I said only_ one_ bite, honey."

Him: "Yes, but I am asking, two bites and that's it? I get a cookie?"

Sure, buddy.

Today at lunch:

"Hey, J, would you like some chinese chicken?"
"Umm, just Chinese. No chicken. Thank you."
"Sweetie, we only have chinese chicken. Remember what we ate two nights ago?"
"Uh, yes. I want that. The chinese."
"Well, what you ate then was Chinese chicken. I'll warm it up for you."
"Okay! Thank you! But please take the chicken out."
"Honey, it's just chicken. In gravy. I thought you liked it?"
"Yup. I like that."
"Okay! Here I go. I'm fixing your chinese chicken."
"Thank you! Don't forget to take the chicken out!"

When I delivered his food, he thanked me for taking the chicken out of it. ???? We had a long, confusing discussion about what was in cashew chicken. Turns out he loves chicken, but it's real name is Chinese. :wink3:

Look who decided to teach his head how to imitate pearls! Fishy camouflage.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Photo bombing of the EE guy. Still no official name. Mostly for the below reason.
I haven't been posting lately due to bad health. I think I'm crawling out of it, now, though, God willing.

Snail watcher:



















A very pink picture. I'm sure a Barbie somewhere is drooling.











His grumpy spot. Have since buried the anubias roots, since a curious guppy got stuck in them overnight and died. 










I just love it when he goes into dragon-flare mode! He whips his body around more than any other betta I've had, S'ing his spine at incredible speeds.










Isn't he so tough? Cute lil pinkie boy...


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

I have discovered something. People who own guppies are not kidding when they say gups are hard to photograph. Not kidding at all.

I think guppies are a little like fairies, they don't want the world to know they exist.

These are as good as it's going to get. Can you find the guppy in the first one? I actually caught one in a rare quiet moment. Most of the time they're acting like life is party and if you're still too long, you get kicked out. >.<


----------



## BettaSplendid (Jul 12, 2015)

Hahahaha! I laughed like crazy at the negotiations. LOL 

I cannot find the gup gup in the first picture, but I believe you that he is there. They definitely think life is one big party! 

EE is amazing! Maybe name him Dragon or something about dragons. I love his grumpy face and that beard! What a proud little fish.


----------



## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

I'm drooling over your EE, and your photography skills in general.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

^ Thank you! I dearly wish I had better camera... I dream of Nikon. 



BettaSplendid said:


> Hahahaha! I laughed like crazy at the negotiations. LOL
> 
> I cannot find the gup gup in the first picture, but I believe you that he is there. They definitely think life is one big party!
> 
> EE is amazing! Maybe name him Dragon or something about dragons. I love his grumpy face and that beard! What a proud little fish.


I have secretly been calling him Dragon... it does fit! But I need a different name. If my kids starting talking about our fish named Dragon, my parents would gasp and say I was going to hell. They have a theory that all dragons and the name itself is a synonym for Satan. I'll save myself the fights.
Perhaps if I found it in a different language... they would never ask what it meant. They don't care _ that _ much.
Suggestions? (on the name- not the parents, lol. :nerd: )


----------



## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

"Tatsu" means dragon (or, a Chinese Dragon is called "tatsu") in Japanese. I can just see it; walking up to the tank and cooing "Taaaattttsssuuuu! Come here Tatsie-watsie!"


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Oo! That is a definite possibility! I'm going to ask the kids.


----------



## MysticSky22301 (Apr 16, 2016)

I have been giggling for about an hour reading all of this ^^ I'm loving all the little quirks and things! I used to be the same way happy even though my anxiety I'm hoping my daughter gets to see that me  

Your ee is so pink o.o I have a pair Mortimer and Ruby. Mort is the weirdest little fish lol he's finally becoming social and interactive. Hence why his name is Mortimer!

I'm going to be watching this and bringing my spirits up just by reading ^^


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Aww, thank you! I'm sure your daughter sees your best side. Just saying you wish that shows you make an effort to share the joy in her life.  Sometimes it can be incredibly hard, I know. I have my own triggers that can drudge up the past and turn me into a blubbering mass of nerves. Yet (at least at this age) my kids tend to only see the good days and times. J told me last month, "When you are sad, you are the best hugger ever." 
Why do you suffer anxiety? (If I'm not being too nosy... if I am, I'm sorry and just pretend I never asked. **sound of eraser squeaking and removing question**)

At the risk of exposing myself as highly under-educated, why would the name Mortimer suggest he's social and interactive?  It's an adorable name! Ruby, too! 

*^* My ignorance reminds me of a phrase I just learnt in Arabic._ Mitl el-trash bil zaffe._ Literal translation is Like A Deaf Person at a Loud Party. A zaffe in particular is a wedding party, with much song and stories to tell. In other words, it's a bad time to be deaf, and you need things explained to you.  It can also be used as the English "we're not on the same page," or even, "not a clue."

_*I have spectacular news!*_ My man has consented to to me having dairy goats!! Yay!!! I have missed them SO much. I had to sell the herd when I was pregnant with J b/c I couldn't keep up and husband hates caprines with a passion. So, after my cows are sold, in come the goats.
I am leaning towards Nubians. I've had just about every kind of breed, and while I like them all, this one holds a special place in my heart.

Here's a beautiful one from the Saada herd, which I very much admire.



Last night we looked at many pictures of goats and kids. J is tremendously excited, and wanted to know if he could help take care of them?

*Me:* "Of course! I'm going to need your help. You'll be my goat-milker-feeder-petter-assistant!"
*J:* "I can milk them?! Kids can do that?!"
Me: Yup!
*C:* "But I'm not going to milk them. I'm not even going to try." _(I think this was more of a question of, _Are you going to make me?! _ He doesn't really like any of the animal kingdom, excepting cats and fish.)_
*Me:* "That's okay. Because you have other things you like to do. God made everybody different."
*C:* "Yes. I am very different."
*J:* "I'm going to milk them every day. I'm different_ that_ way."
*C:* "I'm not going to even try to milk them. That is a good job for J."

The rest of the conversation pretty much went like that. J all excited, me explaining facts about goats, and C saying he wouldn't even try most of everything. (Not rebelliously, he said it with a cute little smile. He just wanted to be involved in the conversation. 
This morning however, hubby was looking a equipment, (bulldozers, backhoes n such) and C was on his lap animatedly talking and discussing gears, wires, horsepower, and everything mechanical. hehe. My boys are like little carbon copies. C is my husbands, J is mine. It's fun.

*The fish has been named!* Tannin. We voted between Tatsu and Tannin.

תַּנִּין (tan-neen') tannin: serpent, dragon, sea monster

(al-tah-neen) Tannin- arabic below.
 التنين

I may spell it like Tahneen, though. Looks a little closer to the real translation.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

I am in love with this color. I used to have a buck that was a bit darker, and he was the biggest baby. I taught him how to call me "Mama." (in Nubian language... if you've ever heard a nubian, they say Maa instead of Baahaa.)



Below is picture of the sister of the buck I used to own.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

All right, I know y'all have had enough of goat pics, but I am on the kick so I actually found some of my previous buck. (cries in memory)

GOOD news- I called the people I got him from and they have one that is closely related.  My dad is going to buy him (my goat bug bit him) so of course he's going to let me use him. They also have does available, and I will get my choice.
I am so excited, I think I might pee. Hmmm... cancel out the might. 8)
 Here's one of them:









Anyway, here was Shemu'el, below, he was one of my best buddies. Sorry for the poor quality pics, but this is like eleven or more years ago. LOL. My camera then was duct taped together. It's a miracle they turned out this good.


----------



## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

My family is sort-of obsessed with goats. This herd is the one on my Uncle's farm.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Wow! Quite a few there! I've never had Boers before, but I do think they're beautiful. I would just have so much trouble eating them.... 

How can you be _sort-of_ obsessed? ;D


----------



## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

Well, my family won't admit it. So, I say sort-of.

(I counted all the Boers once ((BEFORE they before they had babies LOL)) and there were close to 250. *sigh* Our herd could sustain my entire family (Aunts, Uncles, Cousins...) for 5 years or more.


----------



## Innerbeauty (Jul 31, 2014)

Oh my goodness!!! They must have a _lot_ of acres... I can't imagine having that many. I would assume they don't name them all... haha.

And yeah... they need to admit they're obsessed. There's no shame in it. It's not like they've collected two thousand porcelain cats dressed up as clowns.  That would be little weird. But goats? That's just cool.


----------



## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

LOL. Each un-fixed goat has a collar of a different color/pattern. They also have small bells, so that when needed, the vet can locate them easy. XD In the picture above, all the goats are coming in for the vet. I don't think you can see any in that pic... Or maybe that was after the un-fixed were caught LOL. That looks like about 100 of the herd, so maybe. Their collars range from pastel pink/yellow with black pattern, to black with pastel pink/yellow pattern.


----------



## MysticSky22301 (Apr 16, 2016)

Yes I have anxiety, mostly social anxiety, but I've been suffering with some depression. My daughter is only 16 months old ^^ and don't worry about being nosey! I like having people to talk to it helps  

Those goats are lovely! I might seem a little... Gruff but if I'm hungry unless the little creatures are specifically pets, they might just be on the menu. Lol I hunt and fish, but have also kept native species as pets ( bunnies, racoon's, squirrels, native fish). My favorite happen to be the little green sunfish if you raise them from a small size they develop HUGE personalities. My original boy lived something like 3 years ( before my brothers cat unplugged his air pump on a hot day -_-) and he grew up with one of my current goldfish. This little guy would splash me at night to remind me it was time to buy another bunch of minnows. He bit anybody except me who put their hands close enough to the water and always said hi when I came home


----------



## Kirio (Sep 20, 2016)

Mystic, I'm setting up a 75G natrual tank soon, with native species. I'm going for a pair of Bluegills. <3


----------



## MysticSky22301 (Apr 16, 2016)

If you have a male and female kiro be prepared for THOUSANDS of babies. Also check your laws on them. I had 3 spawns and didn't know what I was doing so they died but they look like clouds in your water lol


----------



## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

XD Don't worry, Mystic. They're illegal to bring "into ND". That doesn't mean we can't get them from ND.  We will then most likely release any surviving babies back to the original lake. 

I personally want Kirio to just get two or three males LOL.


----------

