Well, I never expected to read that headline...

Japanese YouTuber's Pet Fish Commit Credit Card Fraud Against Owner While Playing Pokémon

Drat

Lost a fish, a mostly white gold fish. I'll test the water and do a water change tomorrow if it's warranted. I scooped out the dead one for now. That leaves five goldfish and the algae eater (the latter of which is filling out already) in a 29 gallon long tank.

A rainy sick day

There's a fairly decent, steady rain falling right now, and it's gloomy and cool. I've got the windows open because I'm still running hot, with a small desk fan on me. I woke up about 5:30 am coughing pretty badly, got up at 6:45, took the over-the-counter medicine and fed the fish (they're getting the hang of the fact that food comes from the heavens after the light goes from nighttime blue to daylight), and went back to bed. At 9:30 I called YKWIA, because I have some medicine of his, but he said to just bring it later when I take someone over there. I also called the pharmacy, which had left a message with my home phone. They forgot to put one of my medicines in the bag (which explains why it wasn't there; I was afraid it had fallen somewhere in the car), so I'll have to go get that later, too, as it's a cough suppressant that I need. They'd tried to get me before I left the parking lot, but the number they had was at the apartment, so I gave them my cell phone for future reference. I then took my antibiotic and steroids, all my regular meds, and waited a few minutes (one of my medicines requires that before eating to work), then ate some burritos for breakfast.

Even the golden algae eater is out. It's doing a great job at uncovering the rocks, which were green and are now their normal colours.

So I don't have to be anywhere till about 3:30 pm. I feel worse today, actually. I'd like to watch something like 'The Handmaid's Tale' or 'A Series of Unfortunate Events', but I'm just not up to that, or reading. I may listen to some music. But I don't want to sleep the whole day away, even if I'm not up to doing much of anything, including working on the apartment.

I've watered the inside plants (the outside ones are getting a pretty good dose of rainwater, even the ones under the porch near the living room, as it sometimes blows in). All five of my umbrellas are in the car, so hopefully it won't be raining quite so hard when I go out.

Yes, I know, it's time to deadhead.

I just feel awful. I'd like to start adding news stories here again, but I just am not up to that today. And I'm trying not to whinge. Sorry, I'm not particularly interesting in my writing today. But at least I didn't have any appointments today or any real plans.

I think I'll go put some soothing music on and go back to bed for awhile. I can get up in an hour or so and take a shower, anyway, get ready, and then maybe I'll feel better, or at least clean out some of this nasal congestion. Take care.

I dropped my friend off at his appointment

and came home to wait for the UPS guy (or gal) some more, and a UPS truck was coming down the street as I was going up it. At first I thought I missed the delivery, but there was no note when I got home. So now I'm waiting, eating soft pretzels (always remember the salt goes on before you heat them up, I don't know what was going on in my head). I had thought to get my allergy shots today, but I thought waiting for the package might be better. Besides, I'm still itching from last time, which I think was Tuesday of last week, maybe Wednesday. The build is on the last level before going to maintenance. I'll get it tomorrow after rehab instead.

I haven't just been waiting around. I went through and got two boxes of books ready to go off the entertainment centre, found a disc I needed, lost it within five minutes, found it again, and I've done my pulmonary exercises. It is a little warm here, as I thought it would be cooler, and we're already in the 80s, and I didn't call in the air conditioner. I'll do that tomorrow and use the morning to pull things out of the closet so it's ready for them and they don't have to do it.

I had the windows open earlier, though, and it was pretty pleasant, and I did enjoy getting my last electric bill, which was less than $40. That's a plus. I've got fans, two in the living room (one is a small desk fan) and one in the bedroom. So I'm not suffering or anything. I would open the windows, but I probably won't be home too long, as my friend is across the street practically at the doctor, and while our family doctor does often take awhile, and afternoon appointments can drag, it's better than it used to be. If I lived on the upper floor, I'd probably just leave my windows up much of the time and sleep with them open. Alas, I am on the ground floor, but on the other hand, I don't have to do much in the way of stairs, just a few out to the parking lot.

I had a little caffeine and am not quite so sleepy, although the afternoon sun coming through the living room windows is very pleasant. The plants look happy, and the fish have been doing well over on the other side of the apartment with the water change I did the other day. I need to test the tank today and see how it's doing. But (knock on wood) they're all alive for now, even the algae eater. I did discover the other day that my heater wasn't actually on, which was good when the water level went down, but it was pretty chilly (we had a frost advisory, after all) and the water was cool, which is fine for the goldfish, probably. Now it's on 72 degrees, which is in the range for both types of fish, and everyone's much more active.

Tonight I need to go over some insurance paperwork and prepare things so I can send response out tomorrow. One has to do with porting my life insurance I had through work (I cannot convert it to whole life, as it's an insane price for that), and the other has to do with AFLAC.

I have my eligibility review plus a class at the career centre (unemployment office) next Tuesday morning. I have a notebook with my applications and the sheet that tallies everything, so I think it'll go well. I have to remember to request my next benefits cheque on Sunday. It doesn't open till 10 am on Sundays and I go over to YKWIA's at 11 am, so sometimes it's hard to remember. Last time I did it on Monday. I'm not sure if it was delayed in any way--it was in my account by Wednesday. That's pretty decent. I heard about a job with the University of Kentucky the other day that I applied for sometime last fall or early winter, I think. But the others have been referred and are in process. Here's hoping.

Okay, I think I'll go work some more on the house. Have a great afternoon!

I spent an hour in the middle of the night lying in bed awake

So I'm not quite awake this morning. On the other hand, I have:

1. Given YKWIA a wake-up call, as a workman is coming today.
2. Taken all of my medicine and checked my blood sugar, including updating my diabetes log program, which draws it off my meter through Bluetooth (I haven't been doing that, and I'm much more compliant when I do).
3. Eaten breakfast.
4. Fed the fish and turned on the aquarium light.
5. Added the last of the potting soil to the window boxes, now that the soil has settled a bit.
6. Watered the plant, inside and out.
7. Checked the job boards, the librarian job list, the unemployment office's website, and UK for jobs.
8. Checked my e-mail.
9. Gone through my Facebook feed.
10. Listened to the radio.
11. Tracked a package.

The package is out for delivery with UPS right now. I need to work on that entertainment centre, so that may be the big project of the day. I'd like to wash the dishes (there are only about five). Later, I'm going to take a friend to the doctor (which is probably when the package delivery will be attempted).

I have to admit, though, between my allergies and sleepiness, I just want to take a nap, but then they'll certainly come with the package. If they knock, I won't hear them, most likely. If they ring the doorbell (yes, I live in an apartment, but have an actual doorbell), I probably won't get to the door in time. It's absolutely maddening.

Okay, I've been on the computer way too much today already. Time to do something useful.

So, after getting back to sleep about 2 am

I woke up on my own at 6:30 am and showered, went to the grocery, picked up a friend and taken him to work, had breakfast, scored a series of books in two disciplines for a collection development tool, and then got sleepy about 10 am. I got out of my belted pants and into my pygama bottoms, kept everything else on save my necklace, and I'm took a take a nap--until 1 pm. It's just starting to warm up (the sun is coming out, because of course it's Derby Day, so there's been rain), but it was 68 degrees in the apartment, which wasn't too bad, just a touch cool for me if I wasn't doing much. But it occurred to me the tank was pretty cool, and the fish a little sluggish, and I got to looking, and the heater, which I'd left plugged up all that time, had actually been turned down all the way so it wouldn't come on (what genius did that?) :). So I turned it to 72, a little on the warm side for the goldfish, but within range, and a little cool for the algae eater, but high enough so it won't stop eating or anything. The water should gradually rise in temperature. Good to go. Now to tackle my list (but first, a diversion).

Ready for bed, almost

I gave the fish just a little food, since I don't know when they were fed at the store. In a little while I'll turn it over to the moonlight (blue) setting, get ready, take my meds, and go to bed. It was a full day. Still to do tomorrow, though:

1. Pull out the things from the walk-in closet. [I'm going to wait till Monday, since I'm starting out slowly this morning, and that'll give them a whole day to do it.]
2. Call in the air conditioning and toilet issues. [Ditto]
3. Unload the dishwasher.
4. Load the dishwasher and run it.
5. Do the mountain of non-dishwasher-safe dishes.
6. Take out the trash and recyclables.
7. Contact my stepfather. He and I texted just a bit today but I didn't get a chance to talk with him and wanted to see how he was doing.
8. Check on YKWIA and take him to an appointment.
9. Pick up A and see if the guys want to go to Masala. [YKWIA wasn't up to it.]
10. Run some errands for the guys.

PS Golden Algae Eaters are apparently good when juvenile at cleaning tanks of algae and other detritus, but as they mature get less useful, may become territorial, and even suck on to slow fish like goldfish. Here's to it staying small for a bit, at least, although with that tank, it might grow exponentially.

Despite the cool weather

I am very hot. I went to Meijer and got some jute twine and opened the windows and screens and anchored the window boxes so they won't blow over. It occurred to me that every year the bedroom one does at least once or twice, the living room near it does occasionally, and while the one nearest the building door (and therefore the most protected) usually doesn't, we'd anchor it, too. That was with upright plants, but this year the sweet potato vine, petunias, and calibrachoas will all trail, meaning they'll be front-heavy. So that made it more important. All that moving plants, opening thing and closing them, going outside to run the twine around the boxes and the like, made me very hot. Fortunately I was at Staples the other day and found a Honeywell 'air circulator', aka, a fan, just like the one Jackie let me borrow at work. I have that blowing on me, and I'm enjoying a task well done. The proof, of course, is if I can get through the season without one spilling.

While I was out I took Brenda's suggestion and went to PetsMart (Meijer had the 19 cent fish, but they looked puny). PetsMart had 29 cent goldfish that were about two inches long. I got five. I also got a golden algae eater, which I know nothing about, but it was very inexpensive and should love my tank. All in all (and this was with an $7 bottle of water conditioner) it was less than $12. So now they've been prepared, gotten used to the water, and swum out of their bags and are exploring. They seem happy, as does the other fish that had been in there. I'll have to read up on golden algae eaters.

Okay, it's almost time to take A to a meeting. I think I'll go watch the fish swim.

I spent the evening with a friend

Looking at things on the computer and eating a lovely fennel casserole with zucchini, yellow squash, onions, tomatoes, basil, and (of course) fennel, with cheese over top. It was so good we both had seconds.

As a result, I didn't quite get everything on my list finished, although I did go to Lowe's and got everything I wanted. I'm going to repot several houseplants, and fix the window boxes up with sweet potato vine, light purple petunias, and dark purple calibrachoa. I think that'll look nice.

So the plan is to get up early tomorrow and:

1. Re-pot and pot the plants.
2. Set the window boxes out on their ledges.
3. Pull out the things from the walk-in closet.
4. Call in the air conditioning and toilet issues.
5. Go to pulmonary rehabilitation. [Cancelled due to soreness/pain]
6. Go to counseling.
7. Unload the dishwasher.
8. Load the dishwasher and run it.
9. Do the mountain of non-dishwasher-safe dishes.
10. Apply for a job.
11. Get the goldfish.
12. Take a friend to and from a meeting.

In addition to everything else I said I'd do today, I went to the library, paid my fines, and picked up a couple of interlibrary loans for a friend. Now I'm tired and I think I'll head on to bed. Good night!

Sadly

Incredipet on Richmond Road no longer sells fish, leaving the Southland location the only one that (presumably, or at least that was indicated) does. So no feeder goldfish yet. I did get the water test kit, though. Even their aquarium supply selection was slim. I am sad.

Someone needs more caffeine

My knee was hurting and I was overwhelmingly sleepy (I got a little over 5 hours of sleep last night), so I laid down at 11:40 am and just now woke up at 1:15 pm. I feel groggy though, so I got up, washed my face, got some soda, and turned on some peppy music. Now I'm going to balance the bank account. I'd been doing that pretty much every day, and I looked at it just now and it's been since April 18, but since most of that time I didn't have any money coming in and out, it shouldn't be so bad.

On a totally unrelated note, I think my fish is lonely. He keeps playing with his reflection at the edges of the aquarium, like he thinks it's another fish. They do school, after all. So while I'm out later I may just stop by Incredipet and pick up some feeder goldfish (they're something like 19 cents a piece) and put them in the aquarium, to keep him company. :)

Okay, back to going through my list. I have to balance this and then pay bills. Hope you're having a good day.

Back from my friend's house

This was originally going to be a day when I was just going to do stuff at home, but YKWIA e-mailed me about 11 to ask about going to see the newest X-Men movie at the discount theatre. But the reviews were awful, so we decided no. I had suggested The Secret Lives of Pets, as I have free passes to the regular theatres at Fayette Mall and Woodhill, but we decided to wait on that because it's opening weekend and the crowds will be large, and in this case, involve a lot of kids, which would probably annoy him today. We were e-mailing back and forth and then I went on over before the last e-mail about waiting till next week, so I stayed over for three hours and visited, worked on his back, which was hurting, and watched a couple of episodes of 'Cybill' while he ate (I wasn't hungry at the time, so declined the offer of food. Now that I'm home I'm very hungry and have had a lunch of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and some string cheese.) Although I was enjoying being over there, I really need to work on my house, as I never got much accomplished last weekend with the power outage. So I have my list of things to do broken up into manageable tasks, and we'll see how much I can get done the rest of the day.

Next week should be interesting around here. Our parking lot is being repaved and striped, and they've divided the complex into three sections, each taking a couple of days to work on (depending on weather), in which we'll have to find alternative parking, most likely on the two streets that intersect on our corner. Since I'm in the area of the property furthest from the street, it'll be a bit of a walk. Also, there are days when the apartment numbers overlap, and so it will take four days of not parking there. Guess which set I'm in? So basically, I can't park in front of my apartment from 8 pm on the 12th to sometime on the 16th (depending on whether they work on Saturday) or 18th (if they only work on weekdays)--and that's if the weather cooperates. Fun, fun, fun. Fortunately they gave us plenty of notice.

My plants, both inside and outside, look a little dry. I should water them today. If I have time, I should clean the fish tank this weekend; goldfish are very dirty fish, and even though it's a 29-gallon long aquarium, and there are only four goldfish, they produce a lot of mulm. The one in the bedroom, the 3-gallon one, should be have a water change, too, although I don't have a betta in there at the moment, as the other one did eventually die. I'd like to get another one later in the month.

Okay, I'm going to sign off here for now. Hope your weekend is going well.

A few random things from today

1. I discovered my betta had died today. I'm not sure if I'll replace him; it's only a three-gallon tank, and while it has a filter and bubbles and all, it's not ideal for a fish, and one can't go in the same tank (a 29 gallon long) with the goldfish because he'd probably fight with them, as bettas are terribly territorial.
2. I went to move my flamingo plant today in order to open the window and there were hundreds of ants (with pupae) underneath. Gross. I put the saucer on the windowsill next to the ant bait so they can either go outside or take the bait that's nearby. It was swarming too much to take it out through the apartment and the hall to the outside, so I just used the window screen.
3. I have a terrible sinus headache that has lasted for hours. It looks like it'll storm, and it's definitely supposed to rain tomorrow, I think. I'm going to lie down in a little while and see if that helps, after taking some ibuprofen.
4. I've visited a friend and helped him with a few things. He wasn't feeling great either and decided to lie down, so I came on home. I'll go back about 7 pm to help feed the animals and see if he's doing better.
5. I saw a great interview by a young woman with autism with Channing Tatum earlier. She uses a pad to communicate. It was her first interview, and she did a great job. She's got quite a sense of humour. Her name is Carly Fleischmann. YKWIA showed it to me, and we both liked it.
6. I usually pick a grey horse for the Kentucky Derby, if there is one running. This year, there are actually four on the roster, at least three with the same sire. I'm going to go with Creator, I think. Yesterday the odds were 10-1. I'm going to make sure I get up in time to watch the Derby. What can I say, it's a big thing here in Kentucky. Even if you're not partying or at the tracks, you're probably going to tune in for the actual race if you can.
7. I learned that I am incapable of using a 2-bladed razor, apparently, without doing bodily harm to myself, so I went to the store and got a five-bladed razor and some more shave cream to prevent 'cuts and nicks' in the future. I had a time stopping the bleeding, and finally slapped a giant Band-Aid on it. Maybe I should have looked for a styptic pencil as well.
8. When I went to open the window, I also discovered my aloe had lost its root structure, and while it is still alive, has nothing to anchor or nurture it, so it is essentially the unwalking dead. I rather like aloe, so that's sad. On the other hand, I took some bits that had fallen off my Christmas cactus and put them in dirt, oh, a couple of weeks ago, maybe, and one is budding. Yes, budding. So not only has it rooted, it's getting ready to bloom.
9. Having a headache is detrimental to my grasp of grammar--I had to make three corrections to this post, and two weren't typos. :( Hey, it happens sometimes when I'm tired or in pain, what can I say. At least I proofread both before and after I post.

I guess that's it for now. I'm going to go rest and see if I can take care of my headache. I'll probably write later.

So much for going on to bed

But I did get the fish tanks filled,  so that's one task for tomorrow that's already finished.  Of course,  I may have overdone it.  I'm using a five pound dry weight bucket and the first trip I didn't have a chair ready and lifted it from the floor,  which is not good for someone with neck issues and little upper body strength.  If I keep that up I'll be back in PT before I know it.  Let's not do that.

Good night for real,  this time.

It feels so good to lie down

With my feet up  (although they haven't been swelling as much as they were earlier in the season).  I must admit,  I am tired and I have a headache,  so I'll be changing from merely resting to full-blown sleeping soon.

After work I had an appointment with my allergist and got my shots.  I've gone up a colour on the phial,  and I should soon be at a level where most people see improvement. Just changing medications helped me.  I am on levocetirizine,  which has been helping a great deal.

I came home for awhile,  then went to my friends' house.  I went to Jin-Jin and picked up some lovely vegetarian fare,  including Vegetable Egg Foo Yong and Kung  Pao Tofu, plus spring rolls. I also got fish food for my goldfish from Kroger,  also in the Chinoe shopping centre.  Then I headed back,  watched a couple of episodes of 'Wizards vs. Aliens'  and then came home.  Now I'm in a darkened room,  my headache is easing,  and I'm ready for bed.  The fish were very happy to get their food. Tomorrow is one of my early days, so I must get up earlier. So,  good night.

I went to turn the light out

On the small aquarium.  The betta was swimming above the round bubble wand,  playing in the bubbles.  He does that fairly often.  It's fun to watch.  When I had the one with the LED lights that changed colours,  the last one would hide under it to avoid the light. I think it hurt his eyes,  even though that's what came with the tank.  Then I took it out and put a white light that clips above the tank in,  and a normal bubble stone.  This one has only known this setup.  He only sits under the stone when resting.  Otherwise he's swimming around the three-gallon tank or playing with the bubbles. I think he enjoys it,  and it's much better than those little cups or vases they normally put those fish in.

Cool

Scientists have discovered the first fully warm-blooded fish

It’s one of the most basic biology facts we’re taught in school growing up: Birds and mammals are warm-blooded, while reptiles, amphibians and fish are cold-blooded. But new research is turning this well-known knowledge on its head with the discovery of the world’s first warm-blooded fish — the opah.

In a paper published today in Science, researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) describe the unique mechanism that enables the opah, a deepwater predatory fish, to keep its body warm. The secret lies in a specially designed set of blood vessels in the fish’s gills, which allows the fish to circulate warm blood throughout its entire body.

Mission accomplished: happy fish

I filled up both tanks, scraped off the algae off the large one, re-connected the filter and heater, pulled out some of the Java moss, which can be invasive, and generally made the fish much happier. I used both the water conditioner and one for slime coat. I cleaned some of the filter out, while leaving the other sections intact so there'd be good nitrogen-eating bacteria. Now both tanks are bubbling happily and the fish are swimming in their new space. I've washed my arms all the way up past my elbows (fish tanks can harbour germs, of course), and now I think I"m ready to go on to bed. Good night for real this time. :)

Both fish tanks

Are now full,  gurgling as both filters are now running,  and both of the heaters are plugged in.  The fish are exploring their newfound water space.  All is well.  I treated the water and put some starter for helping the biological filters do their job.  I have happy fish now,  and that makes me happy,  as I was feeling like a very bad fish mom.

I am tired of fishing

The filter mechanism out of the little three-gallon aquarium where the betta is. It tends to pop out of its suction cups and float on the water.  It's done it twice tonight. As a result,  it is no longer pushing water over the filter's lip,  so it really isn't doing anything useful anymore.  If I can,  I'll replace it soon.  In the meantime,  the fish will have to be content with water changes and a large bubbling air stone.