This is Esmerelda the fish. I've thought and thought about when we got her, and I know it has been at least 3 years. She's named after the girl on the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Maddie went through a phase where we watched that one daily. This fish has survived being starved often, and outlived many other companions we have given her. She even nipped at a little water frog until it was afraid to come out from under the plant and finally starved to death. I find myself thinking every night when Jer feeds her, "When are you going to die??? I'm so tired of changing your water and feeding you." How terrible of me, I know. Well, this past week, she escaped death again, three times.
Every child that comes into our house is fascinated by her. One such child this week dumped ALL the fish food in the tank. I'm sure Esmerelda thought it was manna from heaven, but I quickly saved her from over-eating and a certain death. I even cleaned the tank while she was out. How nice of me. Then I left her on the kitchen counter for evaluation overnight. (more like too lazy to take her back upstairs). I didn't plug the filter thing in, I just left the tube there with nothing in it. First thing in the morning we all come down and there is Esmerelda stuck in the tube. Dead. I felt sooo bad! We did the whole death talk. I told Jer to do his fatherly duty and flush it. Maddie was insisting that she was still moving. We calmly told her that it was just the water moving, not the fish. Jer went to work, I took Maddie to the bus stop. I came home and start to do the dishes and realize that Esmerelda is still in the tank. Dang Jeramy. I am weighing my options...watch a dead fish all day, flush it myself...then I see it move. No way! The fish is totally breathing! I call Jeramy and he just laughs at me. I get her out of the tube and she swims sideways, then lays down on the bottom. She's still a gonner. Then I weigh my options again...watch a fish die as I do the dishes or just go flush it...the fish starts swimming around! Now I'm thinking, "if you're going to die, do it before Maddie gets home - I don't want to do the death thing again today."
The fish perked right back up and was fine Friday night, then Saturday. Saturday night I realized, "Oh my heck, I haven't even fed the poor thing!" (truthfully, I was waiting to see if it would really die before I bought food - how awful of me). I started to feel guilty, so I called my neighbor and she came to the rescue with a little baggie of fish food.
So here's to the amazing 10 cent goldfish from Petsmart.
(Yes, it's still on my counter, and yes, I forgot to feed it again last night. Does this make you question my parenting skills??)
9 comments:
Ha Ha!! She's some fish! :) Thanks for the good chuckle this morning!
I have a fish just like that and I think the exact same way you do. We have had ours for 4 years and she is a die hard also. Everybody else I know can't keep there goldfish alive but ours just wont go to fish heaven.
How do you do it? You always manage to tell your life stories in such a way that I want all my friends read it! You know, I am thinking with your writing/story telling skills + your amazing crafty/artsy skills = one great BOOK! Do it...you'll thank me and be supa dupa rich!!! =)
Is she STILL alive? I remember the Esmerelda phase. We even have a little Hunchback figurine that I've always wondered about - did Jonathan swipe it from your house? I saw it the other day. Hmmm.
If it makes you feel better... never mind, I'm not going to tell that story.
We celebrated Indy the dog's 5th birthday last January while I was pregnant. I was animatedly singing "Happy Birthday" and rubbing his head when Dave got quiet. Then he said, "Ten more years." And the reality hit us in a non-happy way. Ten more years of telling Indy to stop barking, 10 more years of vet and groomer bills, 10 more years of shed hair and stinky dog breath.
Sometimes, I fantasize about dropping a raisin on the floor for him to eat. (Raisins are toxic.) But then I say aloud, "you are another of God's creations, and I made a commitment to take care of you."
Indy just cocks his head, wondering what I'm saying and oblivious that he just escaped death.
I mean...
You're the only one who has ever felt that way. You are evil, Heidi.
Our neighbor accidently ran over their dog and killed it last night and she said she always hated him until he died... you would miss dear old Esmerelda if she were gone! But I must admit I have fanticized about Minnie but she would dent the car if I tried to run her over!!
This blog is hilarious! I love how you're hoping, but she just won't do it. She is just destined to live. I have never been able to keep mine alive. Congrats! :) Thanks for the good laugh too.
You people are scary! =o)
Heidi, I nominated you on my blog. Come see.
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