Here Fishy Fishy

Last week, we suffered a loss. A sad, sad loss. Lil' Jon the Beta Fish died :(

Ok fine. You might chuckle (what's wrong with you people?!). But seriously, it was a very, very sad day. You can't deny that it would be very disheartening to begin your day, fresh out of bed, only to immediately discover that your fish is overly still in his tank, oddly lilting to the right... Tear. 

As my brother wisely noted in his Facebook eulogy, Lil' Jon's name was testament to how long I owned him -- Lil' Jon the Rapper was actually quite popular when I purchased him :) Lil' Jon the Beta Fish saw me through two moves, three homes, the final-final exams and first months at work. He was the first roommate I ever had in my new condo. And he wasn't your ordinary fish, either, happy to just swim around in circles. He was quite smart, always swimming up to chomp on fish food at the top right corner of the tank whenever I walked near him.

This fish meant a lot to me. I have only had two pets in my life, and both of them were Betas. Others grew up with cats and dogs and ferrets and parrots. My brother and I? We had forts in the woods and crystal-growing jars and musical instruments instead. We lived a highly well-rounded childhood, but you better believe that as soon as I was in my "own place," I went out to PetSmart that very week and purchased a pet, thinking it was time to take on some adult responsibility.

So I decided on a pet fish.

I figured I should start slow. And the salesman said Beta fish were easy enough.

But Mr. P (there was some story of relevance there about that name that has since escaped me) the Beta Fish was a sad little guy. He chose to not eat for weeks upon weeks, and eventually, his little starved body just gave up. Saying that I was horrified to have to bury (or flush, rather) a pet so soon would be the understatement of the year. That Lil' Jon survived his predecessor by almost 3.5 years was a sheer miracle, and made me believe in pets all over again.

Note: This is NOT St. Thomas. It's someone else's fish
that looks JUST like ours. So I thought it a worthy image :)

This past weekend, we welcomed Beta #3 to the world, naming him after the deep blue waters of the Caribbean that his scales look so much like. St. Thomas is already learning the trick of getting fed, and loves his new castle that we bought him, too.

A lot of others out there are pet-people in a bigger way. You have the ability buy and take care of cats and dogs, and for this I am jealous. I will be there, someday. I need to learn more about taking care of an animal, and about the great Circle of Life. For now, though, St. Thomas is my new best buddy :)

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On a slightly related note, I noticed this in the paper and wanted to share ...

Do you love dogs? There is a great event coming up here in town especially for you Golden Retriever fans out there!

Golden Gala - Benefiting Abandoned Golden Retrievers
When: Saturday, Feb. 26 from 7-10PM
Where: Mason Murer Fine Arts Gallery (love this space on the Westside!)
What: An evening of food, jazz, silent auctions and friendly furry visitors, hosted by WSB-TV's John Pruitt and wife Andrea
Tickets: www.adoptagoldenatlanta.com