Aquarium Photography

... is harder than you might think. (I took a dozen and this one is the clearest... I'll keep trying!).

First, please excuse the emergency aeration that I dropped in the tank. We've had so many storms and power outages the last six weeks, that I dropped one in the tank for security. Second, please excuse the abandoned undergravel filter pipe in the background... you know, the one that even two vacation days didn't prove long enough for actual removal.

And in the blurry image, you will see... the nose of a Black Skirt (top left), the nose of the other Black Skirt coming at you (bottom middle left)... and clumped in the middle (clockwise)... my new Lamp Eye, Junior (my new Buenos Aires, heading due right), my new Serpae (heading due left) and my new Lemon (coming toward and right).

I plugged the camera into the computer and the Red Tailed Shark made an appearance, front and center. Got the camera and he was gone.

I admit it. I'm challenged by this. My next photos will be better!

Welcome Fishies

I made it to Aquarium World today! And here's what I brought home with me:

• A Red-Tailed Black Shark, named Charles... who is very busy, very fast and very camera shy.
• A small Buenos Aires tetra, named Junior... to keep 'Big Daddy' company, since he lost his mate a few months ago. It's cute to see Junior 'tailing' Big Daddy.
• Two Serpae Tetras, who have yet to be named. I'll keep you posted.
• Two Lemon Tetras, unnamed, who turned out to be one Lemon Tetra and one Lamp Eye Tetra. I know, I know... how could I have not noticed? Well, I'm not sure I even looked, until I finally turned the light on in the aquarium. And now I must return to the store for another Lemon and Lamp Eye! Darn!

These newcomers join:

• 'Big Daddy', my decade old Buenos Aires Tetra.
• 'Gertrude' and 'Alice', my two Black Skirt Tetras.
• 'Harpo' and 'Groucho' my two Leopard Catfish.

Thinking of a clever name for my new fish babies (2 reds, 2 yellows and 2 silvers with red eyes)? Add a comment! All names will be considered! The cleverer, the better!

Photos to follow as soon as all are adjusted!

My Daddy's 78th Birthday

That's what today is.

I miss him more than I could possibly express, but he knows.

Time dulls the sadness, and these days, I make a conscious effort to celebrate, rather than mourn so much.

If Daddy were alive today, he would be indulging in his passions: humor, writing, cooking, golf and the occasional hunting trip.

He may be gone from my physical world. But he continues to be my rock, my barometer, my mentor and my precious Daddy.

A friend asked me how I intended to honor him today. And this will sound funny to everyone except the friend who asked, and Daddy... but I planned to go to Aquarium World and buy some new fish.

Unfortunately, it flooded severely here with over 6" of rain in about 2 hours, and then it still kept raining... upon saturated soil and already near full bayous. My friend pointed out that I might have lost the fish on the swim home!

Tomorrow, though... I'll select the perfect fish, and bring them home to live.

Photo of Daddy and me, circa... ain't sayin'.

Random Memo: 022306

The Random Memo is back by popular demand (ha!)...

1. I am jokingly referred to, at work, as "the design goddess" and "oh great one". Joke or not, it's actually true! :-)
2. Ever notice that co-workers regard a day that you spent travelling and attending a client meeting... as a vacation? I much prefer, and feel more rested from, a good hard day's work in the office.
3. I think Miss C has been blogging again.
4. Note to self: Check the City of Houston Job Listings! I could use a salary doubling bonus! (Refer to previous post).
5. It's too bad that the IRS doesn't pay interest on refunds.
6. I worked really hard today (and everyday...?) and my boss told me that I could leave early, for my efforts. I got in the car and started home. Heading down the ramp of the parking garage, I glanced at the clock. It was 9 minutes earlier than I was scheduled to leave. Hmmph. I'll bet he laughed himself silly after I walked out the door.
7. Houston traffic sucks. (Alert the media!)
8. If you want to find me tonight at 9pm, you know I'll be parked in front of the tv, watching Joran on ABC. Greta cracked me up last night, reminding her viewers that the conflict in programming is the reason TIVO was invented.
9. For some reason, I don't think Joran and the VDS family are going to be pleased with their decision. But hey... I could be wrong. We'll see.
10. For some reason, I don't think the Kalpoes are going to be pleased with the interview tonight either. IMHO, it seems Joran is setting them up by indicating that they knew where Natalee was and had the vehicular means to return to her. But hey... I could be wrong. We'll see.
11. Already, from the clips I've viewed, Joran contradicts himself. (Alert the media!)
12. Dealing with narcissistic personalities is a bitch... no?
13. Whattaya know... it might be nature, after all! Look for a post soon with further commentary. (Snicker)... You might also look for JAGG's commentary!
14. BEWARE... a restaurant that lists a "new" chicken club sandwich on the menu might just be trying to sell more chickenburgers in disguise.
15. Andrea Yates is in the news again... and I'm reading the book, "Are You There Alone (The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates)" (Suzane O'Malley). I'll have more to say later, but for now, I'll say that I am someone who has taken on the responsibility for someone that didn't have the faculties to be left alone. The emotions that surround this responsibility are incredibly complicated, and hindsight is 20/20. Children weren't involved in my case. So at this point (in my progress in the book), I have to reserve judgment. More later...
16. I just can't wait for my new issue of fusion. That Glenn, he's a hunk! (ha).
17. I have a new perspective on the UAE port contract. (1) After listening to a Houston Port Authority guy, I think this is really no big deal. And (2) I think Bush is leading the Democrats into establishing precedent for special circumstances due to war-time and terrorism. Congress is in an uproar over wire-tapping. Their opposition to the port contract establishes the precedent that there are "unusual circumstances" in this day and age. I could be wrong. And personally, I have mixed emotions. Raised in a a politically active family, I tend to see past the obvious. This time... I'm just not sure what I see!
18. Wow... Mr. P has been with me for over a month! Update coming soon! What in the world is Mr. P?
19. Old friends are a treasure. My old friends know everywhere I've been, and a lot of it hasn't been pretty. I've been through so much that I can no longer afford the luxury to hide any of it. My old friends respect HOW I came through it all, and they understand, at least partly, who I am on the other side, but really...
20. No one REALLY KNOWS me any more.