Monday, November 05, 2007

Behold, the beauty in my tank

When I got the job for which I had my final day last week, my mom bought me a fish to keep on my desk, with the most adorable office-type setting in its tank. It's a Beta fish, with a reddish body and teal fins.

I took one look at the thing and groaned.

You can't really see it, but the red photo frame has a picture of two creatures hugging and behind the cabinet is a fine piece of plastic potted plantage.

It's not what you think. I happen to find the little fish so cute and lively. He responds to my mom's voice--and, by default, mine too because if it weren't for the accent, people wouldn't be able to tell who's speaking--and he flits around all day being all happy and not bored. What's not to love? But that's just the problem. I don't think I could handle coming home to find him unresponsive. I shudder at the thought. But of course I started preparing the speech I'd give while flushing the little cutiepie down the toilet the day I first laid eyes on him.

I didn't take him to work. Which was a good thing, because I got word of the layoff about two months after I was hired.

But despite my resistance, I did get hooked. This little fish just makes me smile. When there aren't people around, he snuggles up inside that green file cabinet and when I come up to talk to him or feed him, he pokes his face out to say hello.

Yes, I realize this is a horribly out-of-focus photo. But he's not very cooperative, so you get the gist.


I realize that this is likely one of those times where the owner/mother/caregiver thinks her charge is the most beautiful specimen of life on this earth and shamelessly subjects everyone around her to mundane stories and photos of him, but I don't care. This fish is frigging awesome. How often have you seen a non-legged animal rest his weary non-booty on a chair and give you the most sincere May I Help You look ever? There's a reason you come here, people.

No PhotoShop, I swear.


It's going to be a sad sad day when I lose this little guy, but one thing's for sure: he'll have a kickass obituary.

17 comments:

  1. I LOVE the tank! Try holding up a mirror to your little friend, it will give him exercise.

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  2. yeah, but how many words per minute can he type? My cat can type three words per minute, but there's a lot of errors...

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  3. That is SUCH a cool fishtank. I never knew fish could have personalities. Then again, my own brush with fish-ownership lasted only three days.

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  4. That is the best fish tank EVAH.

    And what a cute fish!

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  5. Oh my god. That is incredible! You couldn't have amazed me more if you had shown me photos of him typing or emptying the trash. You should hang a little diploma on his "wall." You know, just to acknowledge his accomplishments.

    WHAT? Fish have confidence issues, too.

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  6. Best fishtank setup ever!

    And oh, I love bettas. LOVE THEM.

    We had a big red one named Tinwe, and I still miss him. His successor, Aragorn, was adorable, too. Alas, now we are fish-less, but I really want to have a betta again someday :D

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  7. That is one COOL fish and I love the tank! I had a beta who died a few years ago. I had him for 2 1/2 years. I was pretty sad when he died. :(

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  8. The chair thing is ridiculously cool...

    I have a special chair that belongs to my dog, and nobody is allowed to sit in it except him. He's defensive of it, and actually won't touch my couch... Just his chair.

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  9. Based on your photographic evidence, that fish IS friggin' awesome. The chair shot should be on a calendar, or at the very least a greeting card.

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  10. That's the craziest thing I've seen since Jon's quarter-sized pumpkin. Fish don't sit in chairs!!

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  11. every beta I've ever had was pretty tough. one lived over three years, and my sister has had one going on two years now. just keep the bowl out of direct sunlight (they just seem to do better- maybe it's that algae doesn't cloud up the water so fast, i dunno) and keep the water clean, and he could live to a ripe old age.

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  12. gosh..u own a fish? have you not seen 'finding nemo' ???????

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  13. That's absolutely hilarious!!!! I love it!

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  14. It's a plastic fish, isn't it Cadiz? And you posed it, right? That's the funniest thing I've ever seen, I'd never ever believed that fish have personality until now. Can he talk? Did he wink at you? :-D And yes, he IS cute!

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  15. That is the greatest fish tank accessory EVER! You think fish get depressed about not getting promotions and gossip around the water cooler about Bob in Accounting?

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  16. I must find that fish tank!

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  17. i am super late finding this post but omg this is soooo freakin cute. you must post an album of this on fb :)

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