Tank birthday, 47+ years

[atoll]

My condolences. It's not easy losing a close friend.

Thank you

 

[atoll]

My condolences. I lost my wife to cancer almost 8 years ago. Cancer is a horrible disease.

Thank you. Yes it's a cruel disease. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Paul B]

I lost both of these fish today. The yellow clown gobi I found him half stuck in my Gyre powerhead. He croaked.

And the little bleeny, I accidently caught in my diatom filter. I quickly opened the thing up and got him out. Then I caught him again.
He instantly swam into the inlet as I was putting the screen on. (I do that underwater just after I start it)

I again got him out but he looked like he got hit by a school bus. I put him back in the tank and immediately a cardinal fish ate him whole.

The cardinal was also pretty small and I didn't think he could eat him.

When you keep many tiny fish, this happens. Rarely, but it happens.

 

[atoll]

Ooops that's a shame Paul but these things happen. Never die of disease just things like this and carpet surfing. I lost a firefish that managed somehow to find the smallest gap and carpet surfed last week.

The last fish I lost before that was a copperband that decided to get it's snout wedged in a barnacle shell and got stuck fast. By the time I got it out ot had gone to the great reef in the sky. My guess it was trying to get at a worm or pod of some sort. CBs are the most stupid of fish that ever lived in the sea.

 

[tbrown]

I lost both of these fish today. The yellow clown gobi I found him half stuck in my Gyre powerhead. He croaked.

And the little bleeny, I accidently caught in my diatom filter. I quickly opened the thing up and got him out. Then I caught him again.
He instantly swam into the inlet as I was putting the screen on. (I do that underwater just after I start it)

I again got him out but he looked like he got hit by a school bus. I put him back in the tank and immediately a cardinal fish ate him whole.

The cardinal was also pretty small and I didn't think he could eat him.

When you keep many tiny fish, this happens. Rarely, but it happens.

I always hate losing fish. Unfortunately it's part of being a "pet parent" of any kind.

 

[Paul B]

Many of my fish are tiny and that is what sometimes happens to tiny fish. You can't make intake grills to small or they will clog.
It happens. I think I have 3 or 4 more of those little bleenies but I really like them.

 

[Paul B]

Last night we had friends over and I made saute'd Calamari over linguine with fresh pesto sauce. I grew the basil last year for the pesto. I also baked a loaf of rosemary Italian bread.

We have no leftovers.

 

[Paul B]

Here in New York we have to get our cars inspected every year. If we don't, we can't renew our registration. The fee for the inspection is set by the state and it isn't much but it allows repair shops to get your car in to "inspect".

If it fails, you can't take the car home and you have to either have it fixed there, or tow it.

I have been driving since 1967 and have never paid anyone to work on any of my cars or boats because in another life I was a mechanic and I don't trust anyone's work, especially on brakes.

Of course now I have a torn rotator cuff and can't install brakes or rotors on my car until I get it repaired so after I inspected it on the rack in the place I had it inspected I saw it had a cracked rotor. Something I could have replaced in 20 minutes and the entire job would have cost me $150.00 for parts.

I had to pay $600.00 for this job. I can't believe people pay these prices for simple mechanic repairs. This was just the rear brakes. I replaced the front brakes 2 years ago. I assume for all four wheels it would have been $1,200.00 which I feel is ludicris.

The next time I need an inspection I will inspect the brakes before I go and replace them if needed.

 

[atoll]

We have similar here in the UK Paul, its called the MOT Ministry Of Transport. You can get it tested a month before it's due to be tested which is every 12 months. If it passes they record it from when it was duecto run out not even you have it tested. The test fee is whatever a garage wants to charge you.

I took 2 of my 3 cars in the last 2 weeks each passed with no problems, thevtests cost ne £40 each. If the car fails then you can have the testing garage do the repairs, take it to another garage or DIY.

Back in the day we also never went to garages for repairs always DIY. I am long since passed lying on my back trying to fix them but I know a young guy 28 years old who does the things I nolonger wish to do and he is excellent and doesn't charge me so much, he also has a large reef tank.

I sold one of my JBA Falcons today which is one of the cars that passed it's MOT.
Here it is.


This is my other JBA Falcon that also passed the MOT.

They are quite strict when doing the tests and it takes about 3/4 hour. They test all manner if things from seatbelts,brakes,steering,suspension lights and more.

Just been out for an early evening drive through the countryside in it top down wind in the hair.

 

[mijan]

Paul, the first thing I did after leaving NY was to scrape that dang inspection sticker off.

 

[Fort Salty]

Fortunately I live in the relatively free state of Indiana where inspections are not required. I have seen the cost of mechanics go up and up over the last several years. It is unbelievable! I do most of the work on my old cars, and I can't imagine where I would get the money if I didn't. I am constantly surprised by the way people are willing to spend money. That same break job used to be $300 and I thought that was expensive!

Atoll has it right by having friends of all ages. I like to help out the older folk I know, and they pass along some really handy knowledge at times! It is the way things are meant to be, I think.

I really like those Falcons! They look like something from the thirties here. I like the rims on the blue one. They remind somewhat of antique rims with all the spokes. We have Falcons in the US, but they are very different!

 

[Paul B]

The funny part is I recently put brakes on my neighbors car. Now that I am waiting for my 8th rotator cuff surgery, I can't do much except wave at pretty girls. Who then just yell at me.

 

[atoll]

Fortunately I live in the relatively free state of Indiana where inspections are not required. I have seen the cost of mechanics go up and up over the last several years. It is unbelievable! I do most of the work on my old cars, and I can't imagine where I would get the money if I didn't. I am constantly surprised by the way people are willing to spend money. That same break job used to be $300 and I thought that was expensive!

Atoll has it right by having friends of all ages. I like to help out the older folk I know, and they pass along some really handy knowledge at times! It is the way things are meant to be, I think.

I really like those Falcons! They look like something from the thirties here. I like the rims on the blue one. They remind somewhat of antique rims with all the spokes. We have Falcons in the US, but they are very different!

Thanks yes I agree on all counts and as for help yes it goes both ways.

The JBA Falcon is indeed based on a 30s look but not mimicking any particular models desig, it's the companies own design. We have other 30s style cars Spartans, Merlins and Marlins being just 3 other makes, there are more.

They are all fun kit cars although the JBA are arguably the best of those makes. You could buy a factory built Falcon or just purchase the chassis and body etc in various states of build and take over the build from there adding your own engine, gearbox axles abd brakes etc.
My blue Falcon was built by a professional builder and it.shows over the white one which I sold and was picked up yesterday, I made a few hundred pounds selling it.

My blue Falcon gets lots of admiring comments and attention wherever I go with it. I will be taking it to a few classic car shows this summer.

 

[Paul B]

Happy Mothers Day.

 

[Paul B]

My little caterpillars just formed chrysalises and in about 10 days they will be fully formed Painted lady butterflies and will fly away.

Next I will raise some Monarchs.

 

[Paul B]

I went to my Shoulder Surgeon fish and I have this big tear in my rotator cuff. (Like I didn't already know that)

So I have my surgery booked but it is in the middle of the summer. The operating rooms here are booked about 3 months out so if you need your gallbladder out because of intense pain from a cro bar impaled through it due to an accident between you and a 6 ton Mack truck hauling Toyota Corolla's you better keep spraying that cro bar with WD-40 to keep the rust off until you can get into that operating room with Dugie Howser.

This will be my 8th (I think) shoulder surgery, 4 on that shoulder alone so I hope by now they get it right. I had 32 surgeries total where they had to knock me out but if you didn't tear or break everything at my age, you didn't do enough and may have had a boring life.

I asked my surgeon if he used aluminum toggle bolts from Home Depot along with "Reef Glue" the last time being it only lasted 14 months. He just looked at me funny.

He said, After 3 repairs on that shoulder there wasn't much room for him to put in new screws or duct tape.

At that time he should have said, "I think you need a completely need shoulder" but I think he owns the physical therapy place I have to go to after the surgeries.

I am going to try to last until the winter because our pool is opening tomorrow and we normally have music and big parties through the summer and I need my arms to be able to flail around while I do the Macarena and if I keep screaming i will lose my edge along with my reputation.

I like to grab the old Ladies and dance with them. They think of me as a Boy Toy even though when I attended grammar school we still had ink wells on the wooden desks.

 

[fishface NJ]

Hope you can hold out that long with a painful shoulder. BTW I prefer to swing...do the Jitterbug then the Macarena

 

[Paul B]

I also like the swing. My shoulder is great and I have no pain as long as I don't try to lift it, move it or carry anything

 

[Paul B]

Tomorrow my Daughter graduates from Fordham Law School. She went back to college after 20 years for this. It will be in the Bronx for the graduation then back to her place in Manhattan for a big party where she invited much of her graduating class. I guess I will have to start calling her "Counselor"

 

[vlangel]

Good luck on yet another rotator cuff surgery. I too have been holding off on that, especially at this time because my hubby and I have a big motorcycle roadtrip to Skagway, Alaska from our home in Pgh, PA in June and July. I knew the recovery was pretty long and since I ride my own bike I am holding off on surgery until we get back from our dream/bucket list trip. I hope this surgery will remedy your shoulder issues!