This weekend I learned that the father of my nanny (a young lady who watches my kids on Tuesday afternoons) delivers our newspaper!  I told her to ask him if he remembers the time he had to get out and climb into the ditch to put the paper in our box.  Post on that later.

The lady I pay to help me shovel out my house about once a month has a master’s degree. (not in cleaning)

I also learned that the guy in the pet store knows as much about fish sex as I do.  (side note: the only fish/pet store in our town closed and joined with a “country” store my SIL calls Pettycoat Junction, to open a branch store, then the branch didn’t make money, so they are back to the one Pettycoat Junction, but I am not sure the fish/pet store is still involved.  They have not relocated anywhere, leaving me to wonder if anyone really knows about fish at the Junction, or they just clean tanks and order what looks fun)  He suggested that maybe they wouldn’t reproduce again.  I refrained from suggesting the same for him.  Mom thought I should surreptitiously return the babies to the store when nobody was watching.  I wonder what the penalty for that would be…it wouldn’t be stealing, more like donating.  Stan the fish man mentioned letting them swim in the toilet, but I can’t bring myself to do that either.  Yet.  Maybe they won’t reproduce…I have always been big into denial. 

So I called an expert, my friend Traci.  She told me that I needed to see if I could exchange an adult fish for one that is enough different so they wouldn’t reproduce, or learn to “sex” them, that means tell the sexes apart, and get the same sex. So I am talking to Traci and I see what looks like clouds all over the bottom of my tank.  Little cottony things that weren’t there last night…caviar anyone? 

Tuesday Game  Plan

1.  Research fish species and identification on the internet; become more knowledgeble than Stan the fish man

2.  Take a fish to school, for Mae’s classmate, Jane has show and tell, maybe we could kill two stones with one fish

3.  Find out about a fish exchange at the store, and procure a non-compatible community fish (see, I have already learned)

4.  Clean the tank out tomorrow and scrub it well, then get on my knees and pray.

5.  Quit obsessing about my fish.

I wonder if a catfish thing would eat the eggs…then I wouldn’t have to get rid of a fish.  Back to part 5 of my plan.

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