Tank birthday, 47+ years

[Paul B]

I found my Log book. It seems that in 1982 I got a computer. An Apple 2C. But that didn't go on line. (I don't think there was an internet to go on then but I don't remember.
The thing only typed so it was an expensive typewriter.

It would also make Christmas cards, banners etc.
I kept the log until 1992. Most of it is just when I got a new fish or lost fish. The medications I used and stuff like that. I didn't write the every day mundane things and sometimes I went for months before i wrote anything.

 

[Paul B]

Oh Nooooo. Dead fish!!!!!

My wife and I came back from Costco a little while ago and when I looked in my tank!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAhhhhhhhhh, I saw something yellow sticking out from under a rock....... My yellow tang......Dead!!!!

OMG, I never have a dead fish. What will I do....My reputation is shot and I will have to go and eat worms, maybe stick my head in the dolomite at the bottom of my tank...

Then as I reached for the net, I realized........I don't have a yellow tang.

I looked closer and noticed, it was a mangrove tree leaf. I am baby sitting 4 mangrove plants in my tank for someone and I guess a leaf fell off.

Oh Well, catastrophe averted.

 

[Paul B]

Mangrove leaf

 

[GBRsouth]

Oh Nooooo. Dead fish!!!!!

My wife and I came back from Costco a little while ago and when I looked in my tank!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAhhhhhhhhh, I saw something yellow sticking out from under a rock....... My yellow tang......Dead!!!!

OMG, I never have a dead fish. What will I do....My reputation is shot and I will have to go and eat worms, maybe stick my head in the dolomite at the bottom of my tank...

Then as I reached for the net, I realized........I don't have a yellow tang.

I looked closer and noticed, it was a mangrove tree leaf. I am baby sitting 4 mangrove plants in my tank for someone and I guess a leaf fell off.

Oh Well, catastrophe averted.

Quick! Spread the rumour everyone, Paul can't keep leaf fish! Love your system Paul!

 

[Paul B]

This week I got my wife a new Jeep. An orange one so now we have an orange Jeep and a Yellow one now on Halloween we will look very cool and with the times.

This Jeep like mine is "Trail Rated" and it has settings for rain, snow, mud and rocks, not that she is ever going off the pavement but we do drive on the beach occasionally which is behind our house.

We turned in the exact same Jeep in red because the tires got dirty. (and the lease was up)
My wife has MS and can't use her right leg at all so yesterday I installed whats called a "Left Foot Gas pedal". It is this contraption that sits on the floor and has a gas pedal all the way on the left side of the drivers side floor and pushes down on the normal gas pedal .

The brake stays where it is. I took her to a handicapped driving school to learn how to use this thing and she had to get certified for it. Next week we will go to the DMV because they will put a restriction on her license and give her handicapped plates.

The Left Gas thing lifts right out so I can also use the car . The device is made in the US and developed and sold by a wounded Veteran so I like it even better.

Today for the first time I will take her out practicing because I don't want her to solo until I am sure she can drive safely because she has to get used to using the gas and brake with her left foot.
She also has not driven in almost a year since her leg got worse.

When I taught her how to drive I had a stick shift so she knows how to use her left foot and she has been driving for 50 years. (we have been very happily married for 47 years )

After she gets the driving down pat we will have to figure out how she will get her walker into and out of the car without falling. That may be harder than driving.

So if this all works out well she can go to her hair, facial, doctors etc, without me taking her there and waiting.

 

[Paul B]

We went for a couple of miles ride just now for practice and she didn't hit to many things.

Actually I taught her how to drive many years ago on a stick shift so it is a little easier for her to use her left food. She did great.

 

[vlangel]

Kudos to your wife for getting back in the game. Best wishes to you both and may she enjoy her new jeep!

 

[Paul B]

Tomorrow she will solo in her new car. I am scared to death

 

[GBRsouth]

If she can handle you, she can handle any car Paul! Good luck to you both.

 

[Chrisfish]

Im sure she'll do just fine!!

 

[Bigdaddy05]

Ever since I came across ur thread I love it! U talk about ur life and tank unlike 95% of others in the hobby! It's not about money and fancy gadgets and let's me feel like I belong in a community where usually ppl act as if u have to be rich and have a phd. I look forward to reading more of ur memories and experience!

 

[Jonify]

I have seen your book mentioned in your signature for a while now and have heard others refer to it, but after reading one of your previous posts on parasites, an actinic lightbulb went off in my head and I decided I absolutely had to have your book. Reading now. The foreword is hilarious. [EDIT: I am a quarter way through, and now I am dying because I can't breathe.] [EDIT 2: I am dead, and I await the bristle worm shuttle to my afterlife. Also, great read, thanks for creating that for the rest of us.]

 

[vlangel]

How did your wife do in her new car by herself? I bet she was amazing!

 

[Paul B]

Jonify. Thank you. My Daughter wrote the foreword as she is the writer in the house and has more degrees than a thermometer. I went to high school and have a pole climbing degree from the Army. But I can drive a tank and fly a helicopter which is awfully handy in life, especially if the Earth gets over run by Aliens from Andromeda because in Sci Fy movies, there is always a helicopter running near by.

Bigdaddy, Thank you, that was very nice and I truly appreciate it. AS you probably figured out, I don't have any fancy gadgets and if I did, I wouldn't be able to figure them out.

Just yesterday I am trying to get Covid shots for my wife and myself so I had to take a picture of my insurance card and put it on this on line form. The shot is free so I think they just want my information to see if I know how to do it. And I don't.

I am using my wife's newer computer and printer. I put the card in the printer and my education ends there as the rest of it is above my pay scale. I am hitting all the buttons and screaming at the thing in three languages. It is asking me stupid questions like do I want Jpeg or other initials which I have no idea about. I just want a picture of the thing and put it on my computer somewhere where I can find it. That never happens.

I want a printer like those "Jitterbug" phones they give old, senile people. The phones with the big numbers and all they do is let you call an EMS worker to say you've fallen and can't get up or is it time for my blue pill or the red one.
Especially nothing that says Bluetooth. I will just connect a wire to it, thank you very much. I mean the stupid thing is right next to the computer, how lazy can you be? Bend down and plug a wire in it.

I want a printer with a big "ON and OFF" switch right in the middle of the thing. A real switch that goes up and down, not a lit up icon with a smiley face on it. Then I want to put on it whatever I want to scan and push a big red button that says "SCAN". Don't give me any choices as to the size, Landscape, vertical, color, black and white, "Fit to screen" etc. Just a big "SCAN" button.



After it scans, I want whatever I scanned, "exactly" like I scanned it to go, just as it is, to the middle of my computer screen. No place else. Even if the computer is off, I want it to go there. I don't want to file it, save it, name it, crop it, rotate it, E Mail it as that never works because you get a message saying "your computer is not configured to E Mail at this time call the Manager". The manager of what? Burger King?

Is that to much to ask for?
I went down to my Man cave where I have my Windows 7 computer. It still looks new because I put lemon oil all over the wooden sides of it. I push scan, the thing scanned and went right on my computer screen just like I wanted. No questions, no abbreviations, no sizes, colors etc.

This process only took the better part of one day so I am happy. But I still can't get Covid shots.

 

[Paul B]

Vlangel, that is tomorrow so we shall see.

 

[Bigdaddy05]

Ur absolutely hilarious I could see u do stand up comedy where do I buy ur book?

 

[Paul B]

You have to stop reading this on your phone. It is right under this post but I hear it doesn't show up on phones, I don't know why, maybe you have to pay extra. Or go to Amazon and search for
"The Avant-Garde Marine Aquarist" At least I think thats the name.

 

[vlangel]

Vlangel, that is tomorrow so we shall see.

Ok, well best if luck to her and she is gonna do great!

 

[Paul B]

No Soloing for my wife today. She cancelled her appointment because of fears of Covid.
I stayed up all night to get a Covid Vaccine appointment and at 1:00 am I got an appointment but I couldn't get one for my wife. Right after I booked my appointment the web site said it is down for maintenance. Why don't they do the maintenance in the day time when the site doesn't work anyway and you can't get an appointment?

What is site maintenance anyway? Do they have to change the oil?

My wife had a shingles shot 2 days ago so they won't give her a Covid appointment for a month.

The web site for the Vaccine is really weird. They ask you if you are over 65 or a resident of Alabama or some other southern state.

I got my appointment at CVS, The state run sites are just stupid and you can't even schedule a quarantine for your Naso tang on there. None of those sites work and they also stupidly put a phone number on the site. Like that is ever going to work.

 

[Bigdaddy05]

My mother works at a hospital and said all of them that got the covid shot were sick for 2 days so maybe it's better ur waiting for ur wife's appt