Quite Possibly the Best Fish in the World
One of the hardest parts of moving to Dublin was giving up our pets. I was always the first to admit that our dogs, especially, were child-substitutes and finding them new homes was only slightly less painful than dental work without anesthesia. Knowing that my parents have Kodiak has helped, but I have come to the realization that I am someone who functions better when she has a pet.
I didn't get my first dog until the month before I turned 30, but it was worth the wait. Having a dog was everything I dreamt of and more. And yes, I am one of those people who requires the slobbery unconditional love and perpetual validation a dog offers, even though I have been known to take comfort in the steely, grudging affection of a few special cats.
I knew I had hit rock-bottom on the pet front recently when I found myself writing the following email to my six year-old nephew (and meaning every word of it):
A couple of weeks ago, a really exciting thing happened to me. I went to my GAA club's Family Fun Fair and I won a goldfish! It was a game where you had to stand back about 5 feet and then toss a 50 cent coin onto a table that had a big grid on it. If you got your coin to land exactly in the middle of a square, then you won a fish.
I won a fish on my second try. I named him Sean Og, after my third- most favourite hurling player. He is quite possibly the best fish ever. He lives in my room, in a 4-liter bowl with a red top. I change the water once a week and feed him a couple of fish-food- flakes a day.
I am attaching a picture of Sean Og. Uncle Peter took the picture. It is very difficult to take a picture of a fish because of the distortion from the bowl and the fact that they don't really stay still at all.
Hope you are having fun and being good.
Love,
Auntie Ann
posted by -Ann @ 5:48 a.m.
5 Comments:
I have two fish, called Spotty and Agent Orange. Bet you can't guess what they look like!
I am big on pets. Sadly I don't have any at the moment, but plan on rectifying that quite soon.
SL - Um, don't tell me. Pink and blue, right? :) I remember you had a rant about pet stores and something specifically about goldfish. Is Sean Og going to go mad because he's alone or was it that a regular bowl isn't really big enough for two fish? I tried to win a second fish but I wasn't that lucky.
Jack - Can't wait to hear about the new addition.
I think my cat would run and hide from your fish. I love my cat but she's a pansy.
"Having a dog was everything I dreamt of and more. And yes, I am one of those people who requires the slobbery unconditional love and perpetual validation a dog offers, even though I have been known to take comfort in the steely, grudging affection of a few special cats."
Me too. We always had dogs when I was a kid and I have always wanted one ever since I got out on my own. Unfortunately, most of the places I've lived don't allow dogs. My current apartment allows *small* (read: annoying) dogs, but I'm afraid to get one because I don't know where I will live next. To fill this void, I have accumulated two snotty, stuck up cats: Roo and Lou. It really is a grudging affection. Even then it's only when they're in the mood. Cats are like the stuck up popular girl in high school.
Post a Comment
<< Home