RIP Ol' Yeller

I write this as I sit alone in a luxurious hotel in Richmond, Va. I say luxurious because they use those white stripe comforters and there are bath robes in the closet.

The R&L sent me to a one-day seminar on "Growing your Online Audience." So here I am, chillaxing at 7:30 on a Monday night 300 miles away from my kitties and my husband.

Speaking of husband, Brad is currently halfway through his first day at the R&L. I know he's going to love it. I do, even if there are a few bad apples (it could be a lot worse).

You ask, who is Ol' Yeller, and why did Jess name this entry after him?

Ol' Yeller was the larger, blue fish of my two fishies. I got them when I moved into my chocolate brown apartment, well before Brad and I began dating. That would make them a little over three years old. I had a red Betta, but he seemed lonely in his big tank. I bought two $0.25 Wal-Mart fishies to keep him company.

No one told me other fish will eat the long fins off Bettas. Oops. The Betta didn't last long, but the fishies did. Well beyond their expected lives.

Just before we left for King's birthday celebration in Charlotte, I noticed that the little blue fish was just sitting on the rocks at the bottom of his tank. Still breathing, but otherwise immobile. When we returned he was belly up on the other side of the tank. Petunia (the pink fish) was swimming over him, as if grieving her loss.

Brad chose not to attend the bon voyage funeral. I'd like to think it was because he was too emotionally distraught (although I think playing Madden '07 seemed like a higher priority than a fish he wish would have died two apartment moves ago).

Ol' Yeller blended in with the blue toilet water, and as he swirled away I said my final goodbyes.

I hope Petunia isn't so heart broken that she chooses to join him soon. What will I do with my super cool aquarium then? Wait... What am I saying?! How can I think real estate at a time like this!? And how could I flee the state when Petunia is in clear distress? I'm a bad human being...