Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Paul B]

I looked at the tank this morning before the lights came on and that Possum wrasse is "running" around looking for something to eat. He wouldn't eat his dinner last night so he won't be able to eat until tonight. I don't cater to slouchers. He has to live with my rules, ,I don't have to live by his.

The banana fish stays right in the front and is a really cool fish. I have a picture of my other banana fish someplace. My last ones a few years ago even spawned.

That other very cool purple wrasse I have not seen yet, but wrasses do that. They could hide for months. I am pretty sure when he smells the nice clam dinner I whipped up for him, he will be out.

I am not sure if the Possum wrasse is male or female because I didn't smell him, (or her) Females smell like Channel #5 and males smell like sweat.

Here they are.


Of course, like most people I have too many fish now but I will have to live with that. Most of them are not old enough to die of old age but that new wrasse may jump out. My Janss Pipefish is a few years old so I guess he is old for a pipefish and the fireclown is about 28, but I think they live into their 30s.

I also don't know how old my copperband is but I doubt he is 10 years old. Probably only 8.

 

[reefwiser]

The Paul B Show.

 

[Paul B]

It seems I have a Pod cast.

I really miss Arthur Ave in the Bronx for Italian food. We just got back and I am full up to my ears with the best food there is outside of Italy.
Many of the food places there are 80 to 100 years old and everything is from Italy. I can't get good food anywhere on Long Island and that place is the closest to me for it and it is about 100 miles away.

WE used to go there all the time when we lived closer.
They shuck and serve fresh clams, oysters and even urchins right on the sidewalk.


And the Italian markets that line the street can't be beat. Most of them are so packed with cheeses, pepperoni's and salami's that you can barely walk in. This one was much larger so I could take a picture.



In the pasta markets, they make the pasta from scratch right in front of you. With rolling pins. Not exactly Ronzoni.
I bought some Italian meats (that I can't spell and most people wouldn't know what it is) and the butcher carried out half a cow and cut off the meats I wanted.

If you want a cigar, (I don't) there is a guy there making them on a 100 year old "thing" from tobacco leaves..

We ate one of the best meals I ever had, and I have been to Italy. I just love the place and miss that kind of food so much.

Virtually all the Italian restaurants you can go to in the US have American imitation Italian food because we just can't get it here and few people know what a lot of it is.
I picked up some olive oil and it was about $50.00 a liter. You can't get it here but the stuff we can buy is totally imitation and nothing like it.

The bakery has been in business for 83 years and I used to drive the 50 miles there just to get their bread. They have about 40 types and like everything else, you can't get it anywhere.

I know I am rambling but now I have to make room in my refrigerator for all this. I may have to throw out some fish food.

 

[lapin]

Moving from SF to Texas had the same result. Food here is very different. *_- I dont think they know what a deli is here. No China Town, Japan Town, North Beach or Fish Markets. Just BBQ and Taco's . Whats bread starter? You tell them its something the bread bakers started during the gold rush and kep under lock and key. Feeding it every day to keep it healthy. They think those bakers have baked their brains....
Think I'l go to Subway for a family style dinner

 

[DanConnor]

Thanks, I'm sold. Going to hit Arthur Ave.

 

[Paul B]

Dan, you are a little far from there. I will pass your neighborhood on Thanksgiving on my way to our Daughters 2nd home in the mountains of Vermont. Poultney, which is at the end of nowhere and 2 hours north of Albany

Lapin, unfortunately a lot of people only have Subway, McDonalds, The Olive Garden, California Pizza, Red Lobster etc. and those are no where near real food but it will keep you alive.

 

[Nar-1992]

Nice tank

 

[Lasse]

It looks like you found the real Blue Oyster Bar

We have some very good Italian resturants in Gothenburg too, thanks to Italian imigration back in the 50:ties

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Paul B]

Lasse, my family immigrated here to the US in about 1902. They came here through Ellis Island next to the Statue of Liberty. I went there and found my Grand Father's name on the ship roster. They all settled in Little Italy in Manhattan which is all but gone now. All we have left is this 4 or 5 blocks in the Bronx.
Real Italian cooking unfortunately is all but gone now. I remember when I was a kid I would wake up to the smell of baking bread and my Mother making pasta from scratch with a rolling pin which took all day. Of course, way to much work. But now most food tastes like cardboard and many of us will never know what real food is supposed to taste like.

 

[Lasse]

Even Gotheburg have had its Little Italy - The blocks around the big SKF factory in Gammelstaden - a part of Gothenburg - its also gone today but the good resturants are still around the City. Still resturants that do not have fish - if they can´t get it fresh fish.

I have been in Italy 3 times the last years and it will be more travels down to this country in the coming years.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Paul B]

Lasse, we went to the little fishing village in Sicily that my family came from. If Christ went there today I am sure it hasn't changed in 2,000 years.

 

[Rybren]

My grandparents came from a little village in the mountains of Puglia in the early 1900s. They also came through Ellis Island, stayed in New York for a short period of time and then moved to Toronto to settle in what would become Little Italy. My grandmother lived with us until she passed away in her mid 90s. Like you, Paul, I remember her making pasta from scratch, bread, and especially cookies.

Ahh, the memories.

 

[Lasse]

We visit Sicily in January this year. We visit Messina and Syracuse for one day. We stay at Villa Saint Giovanni for 5 days. We had a wonderful view across the strait of Messina from our hotel. We travel by train from Salzburg - Vienna - Venice - Rom - Villa Saint Giovanni - Rom. We took an airplane from Gothenburg to Salzburg and from Rom to Copenhagen. Probably the last flying we will do. It works well with train here in Europe.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Lasse]

mountains of Puglia

Have been on my wish list for many years. Probably next year. But we always travel of season of many reasons - it will probably be in early spring

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Paul B]

My Wife's roots were from Craco in Italy. It is a town from the 8th century BC which is even older than me. It is now a Ghost town as the earth quakes and landslides caused everyone to leave but there was never water or electricity there so not many people could keep stable parameters in their reef tanks.

They filmed "The Passion of Christ" there and I think parts of "Ben Hur".
I think Christ was still there.

Craco - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Paul B]

It's time to cut back some of my blue photosynthetic sponge if anyone lives on Long Island.

My new possum wrasse looks cool but I don't think he is hanging around with my old one yet. Maybe they haven't been formally introduced yet. I also have not yet seen my new, very cool red wrasse, but I am sure he will come out soon and join the bananafish.

 

[Lasse]

It's time to cut back some of my blue photosynthetic sponge if anyone lives on Long Island.

My new possum wrasse looks cool but I don't think he is hanging around with my old one yet. Maybe they haven't been formally introduced yet. I also have not yet seen my new, very cool red wrasse, but I am sure he will come out soon and join the bananafish.

The possums can be very shy and sometimes difficult to have two of them. This time I succeed to have two for a long time (< 2 years) but nowadays it seems to be only one left.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Paul B]

Lasse, I think my old one is about 5 or 6. I rarely see either of them.

 

[Paul B]

Last night we went to a comedy club here at our "club". When you buy a condo here you automatically are a member in the golf club, which I don't play so we only have a social membership which means we can go there to eat.

Anyway the show was great and there were 4 comedians. One was a girl who used to be a guy, so that gave her a lot of funny material. One was a school janitor and I forgot what the other two were, but they were all good and everyone was rolling laughing. Of course a lot of it was about sex and politics as that is what comedians are paid to do, make you laugh. If you are a person that is offended by that, stay home and clean out your calcium reactor or test your Ph.

After the show this Jiboni about half my age comes over from another table and gets in my face.
I never met this guy before and never made eye contact with him and as far as I know, never dated his wife. ;Bucktooth

I had my Viet Nam Veteran hat on so I figured he was going to thank me for my service or ask to borrow a dollar.
He says, "Why did you vote for a person who didn't serve?"

I didn't see that coming and I don't know why anyone would think about that just after a great comedy show and I didn't see him next to me when I voted two years ago so I am not even sure how he knew that I voted for Ross Perot.

I asked" Did you serve"? He said "No". I said "did your candidate serve"? He said No. I said, Did any of your friends serve? He said No.

He wanted to get into a fight and I didn't understand the argument so I just said "This conversation is over". I am 70 years old with a bum knee and I gave up fighting a long time ago. (But I didn't say that to him)

But the other Veteran, X Cop at my table who is my neighbor chimed in and we almost had to break up a fist fight. (The cop would have won)

I can't believe people get so upset at other people's opinions. It's like some of these threads, especially quarantine threads. Like that is important to anyone except the people who make fresh water, copper and Prizapro.

I have very good friends who voted for a different candidate than me and we laugh about it. I also have friends who quarantine, (Those I talk about in front of their back)
I have seen fights over football games, baseball games, hockey games and game shows and it's just stupid.

In the old days we just used to fight over girls. Now thats a Manly thing to do.

 

[WVNed]

For some reason I am thinking of broken legs. Must be what you said about your knee.