sometimes i'm six

I'm so excited. Work and workout are done for the day - the kids' first major writing project, the Big Bad Personal Narrative, is underway, and I kicked up my swim to 22 laps for 1100 meters - and S and I are getting ready to go shopping for a new fish and then have dinner at Greek Corner. (Really, the smallest things get me going sometimes.)

Fish backstory: In the summer I brought Chocofish Brings The Deer, ex-class pet of my c/o 2008, home to retire in peace, love and daily feedings. Well, maybe not the love. Since he is an aggressive fish, we kept him in his own tank until S. decided that we might as well, for some reason, throw him back in with the others. Two mornings later we woke up to find one of the tankmates had thrown himself out onto the carpet (can you imagine Callie's surprise at this blessing from above? She was just sitting there when it began raining fish.) In addition, the two blackskirts' undersides were all nibbled up. S. was so pissed off at CBTD that I think he would have flushed him down the toilet if I had not whisked him away and put him back in his isolation tank.

I can't let that fish go. He was the class mascot, the kids' pet, their hardy friend. He spent a lot of hungry weekends in the dark, only to be shocked into fluorescent Monday mornings, kids' noses pressed against the plastic walls of his habitat. He survived the Eclipse light (we found him one Sunday, eyes bulging, just about poached in his own water). He never complained when we switched his food from flakes to pellets to back again. He survived the Great Overfeeding. He went through a lot, and despite his bad community tank behavior, I think he deserves an honorable discharge.

Anyway, now there are only four fish left in the 20G. The two beat-up skirts, a long indestructible fellow we affectionately dubbed "The Whale," and a really pretty cichlid that nobody picks on but that in turn keeps to himself. So, we're going to pick out "something electric yellow!" (<-- Scott's enthusiasm) that will hopefully keep its fins to itself. Ironically, earlier today I got a community memo offering bunnies to the staff. Memo: "Anyone want a bunny?" Me: "For a class pet, or to take home and eat?" Memo: "Yours forever." Me: "One second thought, no thanks." Off to get us some hummus!