A Fish Named Elliott
Peter's Ashtray is pleased to publish another submission by the YB of the SC. Keep 'em coming!A fish named Elliott, a small bowl filled with water, some very colorful rocks and a lifetime supply of fish food flakes, oh yeah and a fish net, and some de-chlorine drops. These were given to our daughter on the occasion of her birthday way back in July of 2005 by one of her very dear friends. The daughter has been living in Scotland for the past 4 months, but Elliott lives with me in Southern California on my kitchen counter.
Elliott greets me every morning and reminds me of my promise to our daughter that I will do everything in my power to keep him happy, entertained, clean and alive. The fish is so much more than a simple pet, rather it is a constant reminder that our daughter will one day return from Scotland and once again reunite with her family and her fish.
We also have a dog named Honey, but we have our doubts that she will make it to the next day, let alone survive long enough to greet our Scottish daughter’s return to California…so, you see, it really is up to Elliott to fulfill this role. The returning owner to her awaiting fish, just like in the movies.
So, I happily feed the fish every afternoon. Just a pinch of the dried flakes, no more, no less. And, I joyfully change his water at least once every week…this helps him avoid the dreaded “toxic shock syndrome” that was so pervasive in the news at one time. And, I marvel at the attention he gives me from his side of the small glass bowl.
And, I dread the day that I walk into the kitchen to find him floating upside down.
posted by Yakimaniac at 9:51 PM
8 Comments:
Oh, brother..........or should I say fish.....I am getting very tired of looking at this fish....and the space he takes up on my kitchen counter...
Saginaw Sis,
There are several good options for you. You could be "Mrs. YB of the SC" or WOYBofSC (my personal favorite) or "Mrs. What-the-heck-was-I-thinkin-
when-I-married-that loonie?".
How 'bout "I could have been Mrs. YB of the Yak living in Yukimoo if I'd played my cards right?" :-)
Which do you prefer?
Mrs. Yak
I prefer my fish deep fried although, becoming more health conscious, I am learning to enjoy it baked.
I hear they are delicious - smoked.
I have two Siamese Fighting Fish. They are the best pets in the world.
Plus, because you keep one in a small bowl, you can take them for walks!
(Try that with a cat!)
Saggy Sis,
I agree with you. You should have a new name that fits you better. Personally, I find the "saggy" thing offensive. Plus, your blogworld is lacking some pizzaz. May I suggest the following options for your new name...
Trixie, Bambi, Kandy Kane, Bubbles
Readers of the PA will certainly want an update on the comings and goings of my pets...dontchathink?
OK - Elliott is still going strong, but our wonderful dog has moved on to the C.S. Lewis home for dearly departed animals in the sky. Lewis has been quoted as saying that if a pet was important to us here during our lives, this same pet will join us in Heaven.
Honey Mooney was born in 1992 following a broken affair between dogs from different families and different breeds. Honey and her siblings were placed in a basket and left inside the door of our local Vet and Pet store. She was "free" on the condition that we would purchase $100 worth of dog stuff.
After 6 months we all began to realize that Honey was too much dog for our family. Like most puppies she was overly active.
So our daughter and I delivered her to the local animal shelter in the hopes that she would find a new, more tolerant family. As Lauren and I drove away from the shelter my dear, overly active little 9 year old began to cry. She had to explain to me in between her sobs that when we said our "final" good-byes to Honey, the hyper active dog allowed Lauren to hold her and hug her for the first time ever.
The next day was miserable and then on the 2nd day we all began to panic knowing that if a new family didn't arrive at the shelter and resue Honey her life would be snuffed out. The 4 of us drove to the shelter and were perplexed that none of the dogs behind bars looked like Honey. Had she been adopted? We all made one more pass of the jail cells and one of our kids finally recognized our dog. Honey had had a very rough 2 days behind bars and was more than a little ruffled.
We bailed her out at great expense and have been living with the shame of what we almost did ever since. That is why I have posted this comment on an outdated, stale piece of my own writing. It is well with my soul. Honey forgave us long, long ago and behaved herself admirably for many, many wonderful years. She knew that she had no choice.
How in the heck did you ever expect us to find this posting on this antiquated blog post? Thanks for telling me about it. It was a moving read!
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